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BUSY CORNER— PiIe driving on the site of the Chowan County courthouse and detention
facility began this week, as evidenced by the mach far left. At the same time thousands of
yards of fill dirt are being hauled into the area. The ,ft c ls the downtown Edenton block bound by
Broad, Church, Court and Queen streets.
i W X
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Volume XUV.—No. 7.
Noted And Passed
Recently a pair of critics ex
pressed disagreement with our
type of journalism. We were
delighted! We didn’t know they
cared.
“Your newspaper would be
much better if it wasn’t so
political,” one stated. Later,
another said: “Even your pictures
are political.”
Eva* seen a “political picture”?
Well, look in the mirror because
there is a trace of politics in the
least of us, even our critics.
Bored In Detroit
Tired of being cooped up in his
adviser to the Saudi an Arabian
government wandered across the
street to a boat show where he
calmly ordered a 200-boat fishing
fleet worth a total of $3.6-million.
And that ain’t chicken feed.
It happened at a time when the
Mid-Atlantic Sports and Boat
Show was underway in Norfolk’s
Scope. Edenton Marina par
ticipated in the eight-day event.
While Scott Harrell didn’t en
counter any Arabs he was pleased
with the results.
Too, he found that people
visiting his space expressed
considerable interest in Edenton
and the Albemarle Sound area, as
well as his boats. Mr. Harrell
made special arrangements to
promote his home port as well as
his product.
We have sympathy for anyone
stranded in Detroit, especially if
he isn’t an adviser to the Saudian
Arabian government.
We had the occasion to sit in the
same hotel and gaze over into
Canada earlier in the year. There
is no comparison with the view
from the banks of the Chowan
looking over into Bertie. That
certainly won’t bore you; even the
ability to spend $3.6-million
wouldn’t make you restless.
(hie who might be bored in
Detroit can enjoy peace and
satisfaction in Chowan. And that’s
what it is all about!
No Lie!
George Washington’s birthday
is Wednesday. It will be
celebrated Monday. However,
merchants along the Public
Parade are getting the jump on
everyone by having a special sale
today, Friday and Saturday.
Nineteen stores are par
ticipating in this planned
promotion, sponsored by the
Coqimittee of Edenton
Chamber of Commerce. It is one of
seven such town-wide events on
tap fer ity/
It is not the easiest thing in die
world to sell a promotion piece
after snow has stayed around for
more than a week. That’s not a lie!
However, the Herald crew was
successful in getting ample
participation for an eight-page
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, February 16,1978/Single
Two Patrolmen Promoted;
New Officer Is Employed
Two top patrolmen with
Edenton Police Department have
been promoted and a patrolman
employed to bring the law en
forcement agency to full strength
with 16 officers.
Police Chief J.D. Parrish has
announced that Cpl. Gregory
Bonner and Cpl. McCoy Parker
were promoted to their present
rank on February 5. Cpl. Bonner is
the first Negro to hold rank in the
local department.
At the same time Chief Parrish
announced that Patrolman Fred
Allen Spruill, 25, Route 3, Edenton,
has been employed. He is the
brother of Sgt. William Spruill,
oalignfal
private employment.
Patrolman Spruill was with the
Plymouth Police Department for
three years before moving to
POLICE CHANGES—SeveraI personnel changes have oc
curred recently in Edenton Police Department. Police Chief J.D.
Parrish, left, is pictured with newly designated corporals,
Gregory Bonner and McCoy Parker. At right is Patrolman Fred
Allen Spruill who recently joined the department.
Suit Questions Ownership
The developer of Montpelier
Acres, Joseph S. Crisanti, and two
other property owners and then
wives, are seeking damages from
the Town of Edenton, Mayor Roy
L. Harrell and Town Councilmen,
along with Norfolk Southern
Railway Company.
Also, a complaint filed in
Chowan County Superior Court,
alleges a spur line through the
property to Fiberform be declared
abandoned for railroad ptoposes.
It also alleges that Crisanti should
be given ownership by JGMeon of
Aversion.
Joining Crisanti in the nit are
Franklin 0. Sellers and his wife,
Lueta; and Thomas H. Williams
and Ids wife, Berrie.
Crisanti and the town entered
into a “Deed of Easement” on
October 16, 1962, which allowed
the trade to be used for railroad
purposes and included property 20
feet in width. If the track were
ever “abandoned” the property
would revert to Crisanti.
On July 1, 1966, the town con
veyed a “right to use” to the
hi September, 1976, and Sep
Copies 15 Cents.
Edenton. He served for three
years in the U.S. Army and is a
graduate of Chowan High School.
Patrolman Spruill is married to
the former Mary Travers of
Springfield, Va., and they have
one son.
Cpl. Bonner joined the local
police force in November, 1973. He
has attended several law en
forcement schools and is a
licensed breathelizer operator.
Cpl. Parker has also attended a
number of law enforcement
schools and has been associated
with Edenton Police Department
since July, 1967.
“It is a great pleasure to
jfcaoiateJlMmXw officers, Jfom.
top patrolmen to corporal,” Chief
Parrish stated. “Both of them are
doing an outstanding job with the
department.”
tember 1977, clearing began along
the track and it is charged in the
complaint that there was “illegal
cutting of trees, shrubs, etc., on
property outside the easement.
The value of the property was
placed at $6,177 and double that
Continued On Page 4
SSBgsSi' JS» ts ®
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SUPERINTENDENTS—Attending Monday night's joint
meeting of the EdentotvGbowan, Perquimans, and Gates boards
of education were the school superintendent of each county. From
the left is John Perry of Gates County, Pat Harrell, of
Perquimans County, and John Dunn of Edentoc-Chowan.
Conger To Re-Locate
Gas Storage Facilities
J. H. Conger & Son, Inc., will
move bulk gasoline storage from
the waterfront on Edenton Bay
within the next 12 months with
plans to eventually move the
firm’s entire operation from Dock
Street.
This was made possible Tuesday
County Gets
Roads Funds
Chowan County can look for
ward to receiving more than
$52,000 in benefits from the high
way bond funds that will be used to
improve secondary roads.
The N.C. Board of Tran
sportation has approved an initial
allocation of S3O-million from the
funds authorized by the State
Highway Bond Act of 1977 to be
used to improve the state’s
Secondary Roads System.
A public hearing will be held by
the Department of Transportation
at 7:30 P.M. on March 8 at which
time matters related to roads in
Chowan County will be discussed.
Chowan County commissioners
urge the public to attend this
meeting at the courthouse.
Chowan County’s share of the
allocation is based on a formula
prescribed by law. This formula
puts all counties on an equal
footing by considering the number
of unpaved miles of secondary
roads in any given county and the
relationship of this mileage to the
overall mileage of unpaved
secondary roads in the State.
Chowan County has 35 miles of
unpaved roads, while the total
mileage of unpaved state main
tained secondary roads in North
Carolina is 20,476. The S3O-million
allocation, approved by the Board
of Transportation during its
February meeting in Boone,
averages out to approximately
$1,465 per unpaved mile.
The “Bond Fund Allocation” is
in addition to the $45,702 already
allocated to Chowan County for
secondary road improvements
earlier this fiscal year.
“We are glad to be able to put
Highway Bond funds to work
immediately for the people. It was
Continued On Page 4
Boards Continue Discussions
By Flynn Surratt
HERTFORD A steering
committee composed of board of
education chairmen from Gates,
Chowan and Perquimans counties
was expanded to six men and the
boards reaffirmed their intentions
of developing a [dan for an ad
vanced studies-career center. The
move came during a joint meeting
of the boards held in Perquimans
County Monday night.
T. P. Griffin of Chowan, George
Baker of Perquimans, and
William Harrell of Gates were
appointed to the committee by
their respective chairmen. The
action came just prior to a report
by Ken Stalls, tri-county director
of vocational education, on a job
needs assessment for Region R.
Based on employment
projections for 1985, compiled by
the Bureau of Employment
Security Research in Raleigh,
night when Town Council
unanimously rezoned a parcel of
land owned by the company on
North Broad Street from Shopping
Center to Offensive Industrial.
The property, where the company
has had some bulk storage for 35
years, is between Northside
Shopping Center and the railroad.
It was obvious from the
questioning of J.H. Conger, Jr.,
that some councilmen wrestled
with the alternatives before
agreeing on his application. “You
have me between the rock and the
hard place,” was the way Council
Gil Burroughs put it.
Burroughs said he looked out his
window every morning wishing for
the day when the bulk tanks would
be removed from the waterfront.
“Approve my application and
within 12 months they will be
gone,” Conger replied.
Councilman Jesse L. Harrell
also said he had “mixed
emotions” about the matter. He
found that managers of stores in
the shopping center did not object
but the owner of the property,
Area Given ‘Little Attention’
“For so long they have done so
little,” was the way a former state
highway commissioner described
Department of Transportation’s
lack of attention ho needs in North
eastern North Carolina.
Joe Nowell of Perquimans
County, who served as com
missioner in this 'district under
former Gov. Bob Scott, told a
meeting of Albemarle Area
Development Association last
Thursday night that those in
leadership positions in the area
must “keep reminding them of our
priorities.”
“We have got to keep the heat on
them,” he added.
During the meeting at Gabby’s
Restaurant, Mayor Bill Cox of
Hertford, chairman of the
Albemarle Association of Counties
and Towns, said he would work
with AADA President Wayne
Ashley, also of Hertford, for a joint
meeting to discuss roads.
Mayor Cox has called for a
meeting of the Highway Com
mittee of AADA to go to Raleigh
and stress priorities. Several of
Stalls said the job assessment
listed five main areas of projected
demand.
In addition the state’s figures
were supported by a locally ad
ministered survey of student’s
occupational aspirations. Data
revealed the main areas to be
agriculture, business and com
munications, health occupations,
trade and industry, and home
economics.
Stalls coupled with that
projection, an estimation of what
courses would be needed at a
career center which would serve
about 432 students per day and
would employ 12 teachers.
He emphasized that those
figures addressed only the
vocational components and did not
include areas such as advanced
placement or adult programs.
Stalls later added that such a
Continued On Page 4
gfloK y I
K; JEK
BOARD CHAIRMAN—Shown above are the boards of
education chairmen from Perquimans, Chowan and Gates
counties, respectively. From the left is Clifford Winslow, Eugene
N. Jordan and Alfred Stallings. Prior to additional appointments
made Monday night, the three man group had served as steering
committee during discussions of a possible tri-county career
center among the boards from the three counties.
Jesse Lee Harris of Hertford, had
voiced objection earlier in the day.
Harris earlier attended a
meeting of the Planning Board
and did not object. Councilman
Allen Homthal noted the absence
of Harris or anyone objecting. “If
I owned that property and had
strong feelings about the matter I
certainly would have made a
special effort to be here tonight,”
he stated.
Conger told councilmen there
would be less of a fire hazard at
the proposed location of the bulk
storage than where it is now
located. This would be brought
about by requirements of in
surance and fire codes.
Conger said it is his intent to
move his entire operation to the
new site, sooner or later. “I would
like to see the town have the
existing property but I have to
have somewhere to go,” he said.
Jimmy Parrish, a member of
the Planning Board, said to ap
prove the application and “to get it
upgraded will be in the best in-
Continued on Page 4
the top priorities on the com
mittee’s list are listed in the new
State Highway Plan.
The mayor said the committee
should now meet and set further
priorities.
Bob Whitley, executive director,
Albemarle Regional Planning &
Development Commission, gave
an overview of the regional con
cept and organization. He
declared that ARPDC is not
another layer of government, but
is a servant of units of govern
ment.
Whitley said ARPDC is totally
out of program operations and is
- serving in the role of grant
smanship for the region. “I have
real high hopes of ARPDC
providing additional service to the
Continued On Page 4
Hazards Eyed
Students walking to school in
Chowan County may face
hazardous or dangerous walking
conditions according to a survey
conducted by the Department of
Public Instruction’s Division of
Transportation at the request of
the State Board of Education.
Edenton-Chowan Schools are
among those units who have
determined that the situation is
not serious enough to warrant the
purchase of the required number
of buses.
In the local schools the survey
showed 818 students—4Bl
elementary and 337 high school
walking in hazardous conditions.
Five additional buses would be
required and 125 additional miles
traveled daily.
The buses would cost $62,500 and
the annual additional expense for
bus operation would be $22,733.
For 78 units reporting they have
a problem and are willing to
purchase the required number of
buses, 66,757 pupils are involved
with a total operating cost of
$4,445,317. An additional $1.5-
million would be required for the
remaining units, including
Edenton-Chowan Schools.