Public Parade
Good Stage Job
The Holmes Drama Gub put the
big pot in the little one along the
Public Parade last week with their
two performances of “The Solid
Gold Cadillac”, a comedy in two
acts.
There was a more than
satisfactory crowd at Holmes
Auditorium for the Thursday night
performance and before curtain
time the following night hardly a
seat was to be found. The word
obviously spread rapidly
concerning the excellence of the
production.
Mrs. Sandra Boyce has turned
out some winners at Holmes, but
probably no one can argue
successfully that this was not the
best of the lot. Some have even
hailed it as one the. best high
school productions to be staged
anywhere.
Every aspect of the production
was superior. The acting,
costumes and make-up as well
as lighting and set showed a touch
of professionalism Mrs. Boyce has
managed to convey to the
participants. Casting was super
and there was hardly a flaw in the
works.
It brought back the memory of
the now practically defunct
Edenton Little Theater. In its
prime it was considered to be one
of the top amateur groups
anywhere around. With the type
talent being developed in the
schools maybe the time is right to
revive the little theater, thereby
filling a void in the cultural life of
the community.
The youngsters have shown
their ability, and how! The adults
could do well to “go to school” on
this display of a good human
resource.
A liig Change
If the federal courts have their
way about it, residents of the Town
of Edenton will no longer be able
to vote for Chowan County Board
of Commissioners.
It started with the schools down
in Robeson County but in all
probability the same rule will
apply to other units of government
at the county level.
The U. S. Fourth District Court
of Appeals struck down the system
of double voting in Lumberton and
Robeson County school board
elections.
The system allowed city
residents to vote for members of
the city board of education and
also the county board of education.
The county voters could vote only
for the county board of educaion.
Now the federal court said this
was all wrong. The judges ruled
that city residents could not vote
for the county board, but just
the city board.
The Robeson system was the
same used along the Public
Parade until the administrative
units were merged.
Now if the recent decision isn’t
taxation without representation,
we don’t know of any. The citizens
of Lumberton pay county taxes
as well as city taxes. Now the fed
era, boys are taking away the
right of the people of Lumberton
Continued On Page 4
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£ NEW SKI RAMP —Pembroke Water Ski Club has completed construction on a new and improved
ski ramp, built at a cost of about $650 by the club members. Hie ramp features side aprons for safety
and a fiberglass surface. It was constructed from treated wood. On May 31 and June 1, the ramp will
be put to use when the ski club sponsors a tournament which will include participants from North
Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, District of Columbia, and Tennessee. A ski show will be held on July 4
as part of the annual celebration, it was reported.
Processing Plant Construction Begun
Fisher Nut Company of St. Paul,
Minn., a division of Beatrice
Foods, has begun construction of a
new processing plant in Edenton.
The company recently purchased
a 44-acre site on Peanut Drive
between Southern Railroad and
the new Edenton by-pass.
Hie site is adjacent to th-* (
Industrial Park.
While the firm has made 1 Q
detailed announcement of plat
for the Edenton plant, a new
release circulated recentl 'C
Pm
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Volume XLI.—No. 19.
k iflf fPsISI
FENCE PROJECT —The lower end of Broad Street is taking on
a new appearance with progress being made on the fence around
the Cupola House property. The fence is the topic of much
conversation because of the various types of material being used.
Edenton Construction Company has the contract to erect the
fence.
Court Dismisses Murder Charge Against Woman
The murder charge against an
Edenton woman was dismissed
Tuesday morning in Chowan
County District Court.
Judge John T. Chaffin found no
probable cause at a hearing on
the charges faced by Rosa
Cunningham. She had been held
without bond since arrested
Thursday night following
investigation of the death of
Dennis L. Cunningham. They lived
on West Alebmarle Street.
An autopsy was performed and
according to reports the findings
did not support the charge.
Edenton Police, lead by
Capt. C. H. Williams, and SBI
Agent Bill Godley investigated the
questionable death which
apparently followed a domestic
argument. They found the body on
mentioned “the new Fisher
Branch in Edenton.”
In that release, Harold L. Feder,
executive vice president of Fisher
Nut Company, announced the
appointment of Marvin Shaw to
the position of general manager,
Southeastern operations. Until the
new branch is completed, Shaw
will be headquartered in the
Albemarle Mill office in Edenton.
Shaw formerly was associated
; with Seabrook Blanching
l Corporation.
the floor after being called to the
site by the defendant.
In other matters called for trial
by Asst. Dist. Atty. Dick Parker,
the following action was taken:
James Edward Brickhouse, Jr.,
assault on a female, prosecuting
witness refused to testify and was
sentenced to two days in jail.
Percy Lee Leary, traffic
violation, 10 days, $lO fine and
costs.
Junius Alexander Cofield,
improper muffler, $lO fine and
costs; drunk driving, nol pros.
Raleigh Frank Hughes, Jr.,
reckless driving and driving while
license revoked, six months,
suspended upon payment of S3OO
fine and costs.
Jerry Harrell Small, improper
equipment, $lO fine and costs.
Edenton Construction Company
has been named general
contractor for the plant and
construction is now underway.
Also, the Town of Edenton is in the
process of extending utilities to the
site which has been annexed into
the town at the request of Fisher
Nut.
W. P. (Spec) Jones, chairman of
the Industrial Committee of
Edenton Chamber of Commerce,
issued the following statement:
“We feel that Edenton and
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, May 8, 1975
Roads Cause Stormy Session
The first project approved by
Chowan County commissioners
under the newly enacted
assessment law for paving
secondary roads was sent to the
State Department of
Transportation this week.
This followed a somewhat story
session of the commissioners
Monday morning in which Rep.
Vernon James had to defend the
special legislation before the
board which asked him to intro
duce it.
Project Bids To Open Monday
Chowan County commissioners
will open bids here Monday on a
county-wide water system which
might be divided into two regional
systems because of a new highway
regulations.
Rivers & Associates of Green
ville, engineers on the huge pro
ject reported Thursday that a great
deal of interest has been shown
by contractors. However, because
of design changes to include as
many subscribers in various
sectons of the county as possible
the bids are expected to exceed the
$3.2-millioh available for the
system.
County, state and federal
officials are already seeking out
funds at aid in the possible costs
Willie Foreland Copeland,
speeding, $lO fine and costs.
Notice of appeal entered.
Charlie Edward Archer,
allowing an unlicensed person to
drive, and Brenda Norman, no
operator’s license, each 30 days,
suspended upon payment of $25
fine and costs.
Milton W. Flynn, assault on a
female, six months, suspended
upon payment of SIOO fine and
costs. Notice of appeal entered.
John Foster Parrish, speeding,
30 days, suspended upon payment
of SIOO fine and costs. Notice of
appeal entered.
Judith Barnes Jacocks,
speeding, S2O fine and costs.
Alfonza Cooper, Tim McCoy
Heckstall, Robert Holley, and
Robert Lee Cooper, common law
robbery, probable cause.
Richard Allen Williams,
reckless driving, 60 days,
suspended upon payment of $75
fine and costs.
Jane Yount Britton, assault and
battery, 10 days, suspended upon
payment of $lO fine and cost.
James Cook, 111, assault and
battery, 30 days, suspended upon
payment of $25 fine and costs.
James Randall Howard, traffic
violation, cost.
Science Fair
The Junior and Senior High
Science Departments at Chowan
High School will have a “Science
Fair” on Friday, in the school
gymnasium. The public is
cordially invited to attend this
exhibition from 7 P.M. to 9:30
P.M.
Exhibits from the junior-high
division (grades 7-9) will feature
projects in biological and physical
science areas of study. Projects
characterizing the field of biology,
chemistry, and physics will be on
exhibit from the senior high
division (grades 10-12).
Judges will have awarded
honors to outstanding exhibits
nrinr to the pubH?
Chowan County is very fortunate
that we were chosen as the loca
tion for Fisher’s expansion in the
East. Fisher Nut has been a very
fine addition to our industrial
community since they purchased
the Albemarle Mill several years
ago, which has been under the able
management of Thurston
Stallings.
“We congratulate them on
choosing Marvin Shaw as their
general manager for Southeastern
Operations. Shaw is a very fine
After some heated discussion,
during which a resident of the
Cape Colony section branded a
commissioner as “negative”, the
board voted unanimously to
accept the petition for Country
Club Drive to be paved. The
property owners will be assessed
approximately $24,504 with about
$11,500 coming from county set
aside funds.
It was the necessity to use state
funds set aside for Chowan
County’s secondary road program
over-run.
C. A. Phillips, county board
chairman, told delegation of state
and federal highway officials at
the meeting that some agencies
provided grants on the basis that it
would be a county-wide system.
He said if utility easements are not
allowed along a portion of the
Edenton by-pass which is now
under construction, then the
county could not feasibly tie the
north and southeast areas
together. He said this would result
in two regional systems and might
put in jeopardy some additonal
funding.
The county learned little more
than a month ago of new
regulations prohibiting utilities on
limited access highways, except
where a hardship case is proven.
Bob Callan, area engineer with
the Federal Highway
Administration, and Warner
Powell with the State Department
of Transportation in Raleigh, both
said it is difficult to establish a
hardship for the purpose of
encroachment on highway right
of-way.
The only other alternative,
expalined by commissioner and
the engineers would be to go
through the Town of Edenton. This
was ruled out as not being
economically feasible.
A quick reply to the county’s
request was aksed because the
fiscal year is nearing an end and
there are some deadlines
approaching for possible
additional funds.
Continued on Page 4
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DESIGNATES OBSERVANCE—Mayor Roy L. Harrell is
shown above signing a proclamation for the observance of
National Hospital Week, May 11 -17, as Mrs. Ann Dowdy, Chowan
Hospital representative, observes. Therm, for tb-* 0 is
“A Constant Concern For A Healthy Community’ .
young man who has had a great
deal of peanut experience.
“The addition of this plant is a
Chowan County dream come true,
as they will take our largest
money crop from the farm and
process it locally for consumer
consumption.”
Mayor Roy L. Harrell also
expressed pleasure on the part of
Edenton for Fisher’s decision to
construct a new processing plant
here. “It will be a shot in the arm
for our economy,” the mayor said.
Single Copies 10 Cents
which brought criticism from
Commissioner David Bateman.
He said this was not the intent of
the secondary road program and
would eventually do violence to a
program designed to pave rural
roads, not streets in subdivisions
which are on the state system.
He said while the county had an
obligation to the Country Club
Drive residents he felt no further
consideration should be given to
such projects. “The rug is about to
be pulled out from under the peo
ple in the rural areas of Chowan
County,” he charged.
Rep. James said while Chowan
County’s secondary road
allocation is just over $43,000 it is
wise to pave roads where
participation by property owners
can be obtained “In this manner
you are getting two miles of road
paved for the price of one,” he
added.
Bateman contended that the
county had “gotten into something
that is dangerous”, saying the
commissioners had “opened up a
Continued on Page 4
Observance
Area residents will have an
opportunity to join Chowan
Hospital in observing 1975
National Hospital Week, May 11 -
17.
Thomas M. Surratt, president,
announcing the annual program
sponsored jointly by the American
Hospital Association and its 7,000
member institutions, said “With
the growing public concern over
health care costs and quality, this
year’s theme, ‘A Constant
Concern For A Healthy
Community’, is particularly
appropriate.
“Hospitals are community
institutions, and they evolve in
response to the needs and
concerns of the people they
serve.”
In response to the expressed
concerns and needs of their
communities, hospitals are
adopting cost containment
programs, initiating patient
education projects to help people
Continued on Page 4