Don't Fuss
Voters along the Public Parade
go to the polls Tuesday. They
won’t be making a decision on
liquor-by-the-drink, which would
be more predictable, but on
whether or not Edenton-Chowan
Board of Education can spend
$3.5-million for a new consolidated
high school.
At the outset, we want to say our
vote will be “YES” on Tuesday.
We have been an advocate of
consolidation, with a Arm belief
that it can only be effectively and
efficiently accomplished with new
construction.
The outcome of Tuesday’s
referendum has no bearing on
whether or not this writer will
continqe to have his meals
prepared by a school board
member. It will, however, have a
great bearing on the quality of
education along the Public
Parade.
We were foolish enough, during
the Hospital Bond Referdum, to
fed that the issue could be settled
on its merits, sans personalities.
The Hospital issue cost the
citizens of Chowan County no less
than $400,000 because the voters
couldn’t separate the two. Are we
going to do it again?
Before going further, we want to
commend Chowan County Board
of Commissioners for the manner
in which they have handled this
referendum. Several years ago
they set their priorties, i.e., the
Sanitary Landfill, Courthouse
detention facility complex, and
County-wide water system. All of
these have been accomplished and
it is, in our opinion, and ap
parently from their action, their
opinion, the school’s time at bat.
What they have said and-or done
privately, is the “sack of rocks” .
They will be called upon in
dividually to carry then, but as a
board they have done things in a
manner for which they should be
commended.
It is refreshing to learn of new
community interest in education
along the Plublic Parade. Where
was this interest while the board of
education was neglecting (?) the
existing facilities?
While no attempt will be made
here to comment, let alone an
swer, some of the allegations
made over the past few weeks, we
want to refresh the public’s
memory regarding the “blank
check” charge. In the Hospital
Bond Referendum it was stated
that the “politicians” couldn’t be
trusted to keep their word to spend
only the amount of money
Continued on Page 4
CORRECTION
A portion of the story in last
week’s newspaper concerning
formation of Interested Citizens
Opposed to The Bond Issue was in
error. The county commissioners
were not mentioned in a fact sheet
from which the story originated.
It is alleged in the fact sheet that
only Edenton-Chowan Board of
Education had neglected the
existing buildings.
The Chowan Herald regrets the
error and is happy to make this
correction.
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GOV. HUNT IN CHOWAN—Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr., flew in to
Edenton Muncipal Airport late Thursday afternoon and in the
next couple of hours saw a lot of the area. In the left photo, he is
shown being greeted by Floyd Bunch and Elizabeth Rorrer,
students at Edenton-Chowan Alternative School and Mrs. Susan
Wellborn, a teacher. From the airport he went to Hayes
Plantation where he met Mrs. Susan Creighton, Mrs. Jean
Norvell and Mrs. Nellie Jones. At Fisher Nut Company he was
given S tour by Marvin Shaw before he left for downtown Edenton
and tea at the Cupola House. With him there are: State Sen.
Melvin Daniels, Mrs. Ross Inglis, and Miss Elizabeth Vann
Moore. He then went to Edenton Jaycee Community Building
where he addressed the Albemarle Regional Planning ft
Development Commission, before departing for Raleigh.
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WATER QUALk 'V CONCERN AIRED—Capt. Alfred M.
Howard, second froh x VvXiints to a point in the Chowan River
on a map where algae \ < V^ es to be troublesome. At left is Bill
Norvell, chamber presit \%t right is J. Gilliam Wood, chair
man of the State Board tural Resources & Community
Development with Sec. Hov v u Lee. In the other picture, Gov.
James B. Hunt, Jr., and Sec. Lee have a private conversation in
the yard at Hayes Plantation.
Resolution Asks
River Clean-Up
Be Top Priority
If attention, especially by policy
officials in state and federal
government, can solve the algae
problem in the Chowan River local
people are beginning to feel more
comfortable.
“We’ve finally got their at
tention,” declared Bill Norvell,
president, Edenton Chamber of
Commerce, following events last
Thursday which brought
ultimatums from Gov. James B.
Hunt, Jr., and Sec. Howard N. Lee
of the State Department of
Natural Resources & Community
Development.
Also, on Friday the NRCD board
passed a strongly worded
resolution calling for the river to
be give the state’s top environ
mental priority.
Monday, Norvell was notified
that a representative of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency
would visit the area this week to
discuss the future course of action.
There was some disap
pointment, however, at Thurs
day’s meeting when it was
reported {hql thejntensive cr aß h
study of the past three weeks had
failed to turn up a specific cause
for this years tragedy, the first in
six years.
J. Gilliam Wood of Edenton,
chairman of the NRCD board,
arranged for a portion of the
quarterly meeting be held here to
dramatize the problem. While his
is a policy board the resolution
called for an unprecedented
course of action regarding the
river.
The resolution followed Thurs
day’s presentation at Chowan
Golf & Country Club by Capt.
Alfred M. Howard of the cham
ber’s Water Resources Com
mittee, made a detailed presen
tation reagrding the history of
the problem.
He called attention to a 1972
study and recommendatins made
at that time which have not been
implemented. Sec. Lee appeared
to be caught by surprise and
quickly huddled with his aides
before later telling the group
action would be taken.
Continued on Page 4
A RESOLUTION
Whereas: the Chowan River is of great economic, recreational and
environmental importance to North Carolina; and.
Whereas: the full benefits of the river are being diminished because of
environmental degradation; and,
Whereas: that degradation continues to worsen; and
Whereas: no plans to prevent further degradation has been developed
Now, Therefore, be it resolved that the North Carolina Department of
Natural Resources and Community Development should place the
highest priority on investigating the causes of environmental problems
on the Chowan River: that based on the results of such investigation a
plan for management and control of the causes of the environmental
problems should be prepared and implement; and a report should be
made at each meeting of the Board on the current status of the Chowan
River situation until such a management and control plan is devised and
implemented.
Landfill Tract
Not Approved
County Manager Eddie Dick is
looking for land. Not just any land
but a particular type which will
pass state requirements as site for
a sanitary landfill.
The state last week disapproved
of a 30-acre tract in the Rocky
Hock area, owned by Raymond
Bunch. The soil did not meet state
standards for a landfill.
In addition to a particular soil
type, Dick said the state
requirement is that you can’t dig
within two feet of the water table.
“This is a serious restriction for
most all of Eastern North <•
Carolina,” ..the.county manager
noted.
The present 25-acre site at Cisco
is rapidly filling up and Dick
predicts it will be full by the end of
the year. In six years of operation
the soil waste put into the fill has
increased by more than one third.
“Finding a site that will meet
state standards and one which will
allow us several years of use is
becoming critical,” he said
Monday afternoon. To dramatize
the problem, he said the Soil
Conservation Service had iden
tified 13 suitable sites, with
regards to soils. Five of these were
considered “good” and apparently
all of them are cleared and being
used for agricultural purposes.
The current site is being leased
from Union Camp and the firm has
no more available land in either
Chowan or Perquimans counties.
Dick said the seriousness of the
existing problem makes it ap
parent that the counties must
begin now seeking alternative
means of handling solid waste.
“The systems we now know
about are extremely expensive,”
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I#THE CHOWAN HERALD^
Volume XLIV.—No. 37.
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COMMISSION MEETS—R.S. Monds, Jr., right, and Don
Bryan, officials of Albemarle Regional Planning & Development
Commission, and Edenton Mayor Roy L. Harrell are shown with
Gov. James B. Hunt at last week’s special commission meeting
here.
Area ‘Neglect’ Is Cited
Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr., laid it
on the line here Thursday night.
He believes in strong regional
organizations where local
leadership is exerted and has a
commitment to see that Nor
theastern North Carolina catches
up in sharing Tar Heelia’s
progress.
“This region hasn’t had a fair
share of the progress North
Carolina has made,” he said in his
prepared address at a special
meeting of Albemarle Regional
Planning & Development Com
mission. He went on to say a
number of things are being done at
the state level “to overcome this
Fever Is Rising
As Vote Nears
A last minute promotion blitz is underway by those on both sides of the
$3.5-million School Bond Referendum to be put to the voters of Chowan
County Tuesday. The volunteer group promoting a “Yes” vote for
Edenton-Chowan Board of Education has clashed in recent days with a
newly formed core group organized to attempt to defeat the issue.
Polls in the six precincts will open at 6:30 A.M. and close at 7:30
P.M. Curbside voting will be allowed between the hours of 9 A.M. and 5
P.M. only, according to Mrs. Corinne F. Thorud, supervisor of elections.
When the registration books closed for this special referendum at 5
P.M. on August 21, Mrs. Thorud reported a total of 5,475 eligible voters.
The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot was 5 P.M. yesterday
(Wednesday). However, provisions are made for those who become ill
after that time. Such a person must apply before noon on the day before
the election. This application must be accompanied by a statement from
the attending physician.
In East Edenton, voting will be at the County Office Building; West
Edenton, Municipal Building; Rocky Hock Rescue Squad Building back
of Earl Smith’s Store; Center Hill, Community Building; Wardville,
Ward’s Community Building on Highway 32; and Yeopim, Edenton
Municipal Airport.
The question on the ballot in this “Yes” and “No” referendum is:
“SHALL the order authorizing $3,500,000 of Bonds secured by a pledge
of the faith and credit of the County of Chowan to pay capital costs of
providing public high school facilities in Chowan County, including the
construction of school buildings, plants and other facilities, the
acquisition of necessary land or rights-in-land and the acquisition and
installation of furnishings and equipment necessary for such school
facilities, for the maintenance of public schools in the County for the
school terms prescribed by law, and a tax to be levied for the payment
thereof be approved?”
A copy of the sample ballot can be found on Page 14-A of today’s edition
of this newspaper.
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, September 14, 1978.
neglect”. But he warned that they
can’t be done over night. “In some
areas we are just getting serious
about it.”
He encouraged some 150 local
government representatives at the
meeting to “put past problems
behind you” and called for a
renewed interest in the regional
commission.
Gov. Hunt said the commission
is a “creature of local government
and certainly not a third layer of
government.” -
“The staff has no business
running it, but should carry out the
policy established by a strong
Continued on Page 4
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Gov. Hunt Tours Edenton
Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr.,
received a mini-dose of Historic
and Progressive Edenton last
rhursday when he came to ad
dress a special meeting of the 10-
county Albemarle Regional
Planning & Development Com
mission at Edenton Jaycee
Building on Base Road.
Traveling with State Sen.
Rate Hike
Examined
State Sen. Melvin R. Daniels of
Elizabeth City is championing the
cause of customers of Virginia
Electric Power Company in North
Carolina and as a result, the
Consumer Advocate Public Staff
of the N.C. Utilities Commission is
- taking a second look at a recent
17.8 per cent rate increase.
Earlier in the week Sen. Darnels
asked Hugh Wells, execut ve
director of the staff who is a for
mer Utilities Commission
member, to have his legal
department work toward a
restraining order to delay the
September 1 effective date of the
increase.
The senator called the increase
an “economic disaster" for
families and businesses in Nor
theastern North Carolina. He said
the Vepco customers are now
paying more than is being charged
elsewhere in the state by Carolina
Power and Light and Duke Power.
Wells said in Raleigh that the
Vepco rates are 15 to 20 per cent
higher than those of the other two
power companies. “I don’t think
we can accept the proposition that
the people in that part of the state
(served by Vepco) have got to pay
significantly higher rates than the
people in the rest of the state,” he
added.
By L.F. Amburn, Jr.
Melvin Daniels, Jr., of Elizabeth
City, the governor’s plane arrived
at Edenton Municipal Airport at
4:45 P.M. He was greeted by
Sheriff Troy Toppin, this writer,
along with the usual SBI and State
Highway Patrol contingent.
A special welcoming group
included two representatives of
Continued on Page 4
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