Graduates: Old
And New
We want to be among the first to
welcome the Class of 1927 at
Edenton High School back for its
first reunion—a Golden An
niversary event. And at the same
time we want to congratulate the
192 seniors at three institutions
along the Public Parade who next
week reach a milestone in their
young lives. t
Commencement exercises are a
glad as Well as a sad time. So is
much of the scheme of things in
life. However, it traditionally
signifies the “coming of age” of a
young person and a time for ac
cepting greater responsibilities as
a citizen as well as being faced
with hard decisions about the
future.
The main decision they must
make is whether they are going to
be a part of the problem or con
tribute to the -solution wherever
they find themselves. Ibis is, in
itself, a grave responsibility which
doesn’t happen by accident, but is
carefully designed.
Out at Chowan Academy there
are eight graduates in the Class of
1977. Further up the county
Chowan High School has a class of
54 while here at home there are 130
smiling faces under those funny
looking caps with a tassle down in
front.
We hope they enjoy all the good
thihgs in life, while facing head-on
and conquering those things less
attractive. If there is to be a
tomorrow worth looking toward
then serious thought must be given
-to putting today’s priorities in
proper order.
Our tenure doesn’t span 50
but we called back some
memories of little more than half
that period of time as we turned
through the 1927 edition of the
“Tea Pot”.
The Class of 1927, of which
Friend Spec was president, was
composed of 27 members. Two
have since deceased and two more
will be unable to attend Friday’s
festivities. We are sureit wiltbe a
rewarding experience for those
who have planned the event and
all of those who attend.
To the Class of 1977 it is either
“farewell” or “welcome”; while
to the Class of 1927 it is
“congratulations” and “many,
many happy returns.”
Swcm Song
It has now been nine years since
Rev. E.L. Earnhardt came to
meander along the Public Parade
as pastor of Edenton United
Methodist Church. It is now time
for him to move on to new
challenges (if there are any of
greater importance) and Sunday
morning he will preach his last
sermon as minister of the local
congregation.
“If I Be Lifted Up” is the topic
he has chosen for his swan song.
His text is John 12 : 26-32.
As neighbors for all but a few
months of his tenure here, we
developed a real love and friend
ship for Eld Earnhardt and his
family. Tommy, the youngest of
three Earnhardt children,
graduates from John A. Holmes
High School Tuesday night and
1 Sunday evening his father will be a
speaker at the commencement
service.
Continued On Page 4
Hearings Slated
On Aging Plans
Two pdblic hearings on Region
R’s Area Plan on Aging have been
set for June 10 and June 16.
The first meeting wifi be held in
the auditorium of the Gates
County Agriculture Extension
Building in Gatesville. The June 16
meeting will be held in the
Edenton Municipal Building. Both
meetings begin at 10 A. M. and will
end at noon.
These hearings are being held in
L order to afford older persons, the
general public, officials of general
outdose local oov6nu&6tu. ano
i**™ r ■ » r T
other interested parties a
reayitMo opportunity to com
ment on the area, f ~ *
be available each the
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Ralph Cole
Finals Set At Chowan, Holmes
One hundred eighty-four seniors
in two high schools in Chowan
County will receive degrees in
separate exercises next week.
Commencement sermons for both
Chowan High School at Tyner and
John A. Holmes High School here
will be held Sunday evening.
The Chowan High baccalaureate
service will be held in the school
auditorium beginning at 8 o’clock.
The John A. Holmes High service
will be held at 7:30 P.M. at
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Volume XLIII.—No. 22.
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HOW MANY CAN YOU IDENTIFY? This is the Class of 1927 at Edenton High School which will
have a Golden Reunion here Friday evening. Pictured are, first row, left to right, Emily Wood
Badham Cox, Helen Baker Jethro, Elizabeth Beasley Barrington, Robert J. Boyce (deceased),
Sidney S. Campen, Mildred Chesson Gray, and Elizzie Cullipher Ramseur. Second row: Louise Dail
Patton, Daisy Lee Davis Cobb, Sallie Margaret Elliott Pottage, Marguerite Goodwin Warden, Sarah
Margaret Harrell, Lucille Harris Jones, and J.H. Haskett, Jr. Third row: Guy C. Hobbs, Elizabeth
Hollowell Lupton, Annie Holmes Brothers, Frank Hughes (deceased), Mary Lucille Jones Payne,
W.P. (Spec) Jones, and Ethel McMullan Fisher. Fourth row: Leslie Morgan, Madge Pettus Rich
bourg, Eula Rea Kline, Elizabeth Tuttle Spencer, Emma White Perkins, J. Frank White, Jr., and
John A. Holmes, Jr., mascot.
County Fathers Face Pressure Os Budget
“Financial pressures being
faced”, getting the “mileage out
of what we spend”, and knowing
“what we are sanctioning” are
key quotes from a general
discussion of departmental budget
requests presented to Chowan
County commissioners Monday
afternoon.
There were guarded and
cautious statements tossed around
Girls State Candidates
Three students from Chowan
County have been chosen to attend
the 38th annual session of Tar Heel
Girls State.
Those from the area to attend
are: Pat Bond from John A.
Holmes High School; Jill
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P«* *M« Dawn Doder JOl Copeland
*** - *\ ’ * - • - -.
Rev. E. L. Earnhardt
Edenton Baptist Church.
Commencement activities will
conclude at Chowan High with
exercises at 8 P.M. Monday. There
are 54 in the class. Finals at
Holmes High will be at 7 P.M.
Tuesday at Hicks Field.
Chowan High
On Sunday evening, Rev.
George Cooke will bring the
baccalaureate message. Mr.
Cooke is the pastor of Ballards
Bridge Baptist Church and a long
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, June 2, 1977
as a “brief” presentation of the
Finance Committee turned into a
lengthy discussion of county
finances. Then they agreed that
the commissioners would set as a
committee of the whole to “hone”
the budget prior to a public
hearing scheduled for 10 A.M. on
June 20.
Commissioner N.J. George,
committee chairman, urged that
Copeland, Chowan High School;
and Dawn Dozier, Chowan
Academy. They will attend the
session from June 12 to June 18.
Girls State is sponsored by the
American Legion Auxiliary and is
held at the Univarsity of North
Carolina at Greensboro.
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Rev. George Cooke
time friend of many Chowan
students and their parents.
Freddie Cofield, a senior, will
open the service and Carroll
Evans, senior and Student Council
president, will pronounce the
benediction.
On Monday evening, Mike
Evans, president of the Senior
Class, will introduce Rev. Albert
C. Robinson who will bring the
commencement address. Mr.
Robinson is a counselor at
Single Copies 15 Cents.
careful consideration be given the
budget requests by each board
member. “Each commissioner
needs to know every item in each
department’s budget,” he said.
Later he pointed to “financial
pressures being faced” by the
county and the limit to which
property can be taxed.
The bright spot in the meeting
came when Mrs. Pansy A. Elliott,
finance director, reported that the
assessed valuation in the county
increased by $3.6-million in the
past 12 months, bringing it to a
total of $118,187,000. At this rate,
one cent on the tax rate would
bring in sll,Blß but it was
generally agreed that to levy on
slls-million with an anticipated
collection rate of 95 per cent would
be more realistic.
The current tax rate is 75 cents
per SIOO valuation and property
owners can expect a considerable
increase but no one even hazards a
guess as to how much.
Chairman C. A. Phillips said the
commissioners have a respon
sibility to “get the mileage out of
what is spent” regardless of
where it is spent.
Earlier, Commissioner Alton G.
Elmore, who is a member of the
Finance Committee, expressed
the opinion that every board
Continued On Page 4
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Rev. A. C. Robinson
Elizabeth City State University,
but many members of the com
munity knew him first as pastor of
Warrens Grove Baptist Church in
Edenton.
Seniors on the commencement
program include Beverly Twine;
Carroll Perry, Senior Class vice
president; Beth Cooke,
salutatorian; and Vicki Modlin,
valedictorian.
Dr. John B. Dunn, superin
tendent of the Edenton-Chowan
Schools, and Gilliam Underwood,
principal of Chowan High School,
will award the diplomas.
A student choir, under the
direction of Miss Cathy Segraves,
special classes teacher at Chowan,
will present music for both
programs.
Mascots, Lynn Morris, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Sammy Morris,
and Dale Jones, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Braxton Jones, will lead the
procession of graduates.
Marshalls are Johnny Chappell,
chief, Lynn Gibbs, Sarah Chap
pell, Jill Copeland and Debbie
Ullom.
Holmes High
Ralph Cole, principal at Ernest
A. Swain Elementary School, and
Rev. E.L. Earnhardt, pastor of
Edenton United Methodist
Church, will deliver sermons at
the baccalaureate service for the
graduating class.
Cole’s topic will be “Education
Tn Today’s Society” while Mr.
Earnhardt will use the topic “The
Right to Life.”
Music will be provided by the
John A. Holmes Concert Choir,
under the direction of Mrs. Shelby
Strother.
Graduating exercises for the 130
seniors will feature student
speakers at Hicks Field. Joel
Hylton, Nan Stutzman and Robin
Harrell, the top three academic
students in this year’s class, will
talk on the topic “Climb High. .
Climb Far.”
Music will be provided by the
Holmes Marching Band, under the
Continued On Page 4
Summer Study
Set At Holmes
Summer School registration for
students in Grades 7-12 will be
from 10 A. M. to 3 P. M. at John A.
Holmes High School on June 10.
Required courses needed for
credit, and make up courses for
students who failed English or
math will be offered. Courses in
science and social studies will also
be offered.
Hie tuition fee for each course
taken will be $50.00. Classes will be
conducted from 8 P. M. to 12-noon
daily June 16 through August 4.
UNIQUE REUNION Anna Deßlote was one of 29 of the 32
graduating seniors at John A. Holmes High School who returned
to Mrs. Frances Wilkins’ Sixth Grade at Ernest A. Swain School
recently for a reunion.
Board Seeks
More Local
Matching s’s
The Albemarle Regional
Planning & Development Com
mission has proposed a $560,500.75
budget for fiscal 1977-78 which will
require $60,263 in match from
member governments.
The proposed city-county
allocation is based on 25 cents per
capita and 50 cents per capital,
respectively. Chowan County,
based on 1976 estimated
population, would pay $5,650 while
the Town of Edenton would pay
$1,328.
There are 10 counties in the
region served by the commission
and an equal number of
municipalities. Five of the
counties and two municipalities
were in attendance at the budget
meeting Thursday night at
Soundview Restaurant.
R. S. Monds of Perquimans
County, chairman, had appointed
a budget committee composed of
Graham Perview, Currituck
County manager; Bill Hartman,
Washington County manager; and
W.B. Gardner, Edenton town
administrator.
Perview previewed the budget,
saying the committee was not
responsible for the figures but
assisted Bob Whitley, executive
director, in putting it in proper
form to comply with the Fiscal
Control Act.
Whitley explained that while the
1976-77 budget contained a shor
tage, due to the A-95
Clearinghouse being totally
omitted, and both HUD-701 and
Aging Programs were incorrect,
the proposed budget is sufficient to
overcome the shortage.
The budget was described as one
which holds the line and “will
contribute toward getting the
regional organization back on the
track. It includes 6V2 per cent
across the board salary increase.
Whitley said the commission has
18 employees.
Raleigh Carver, chairman,
Pasquotank County com
.missioners, questioned much of
the budget, placing particular
emphasis on the Family Planning
Continued On Page 4
Mrs. Wilkins
Hosts Class
Twenty-nine of the 32
graduating Holmes seniors, who
were in Mrs. Frances Wilkins’
sixth grade at E. A. Swain School
in 1971, were invited back to an
unusual party last week.
While sixth graders, each
student wrote predictions on
world, personal, and en
vironmental matters, which were
sealed in a jar to be opened when
they graduated.
The TIME CAPSULE was long
forgotten by all—except Mrs.
Wilkins.
During their reminiscent
reunion, each student read his
prediction.
Mrs. Wilkins made a 1987
prediction that the class members
would be the first colony to settle
on Mars. Each student wrote
another prediction on his named
space ship as to what he would be
doing 10 years hence.
Tommy had predicted,
“Teacher opens jar” prior to then
graduation year—she didn’t!!