‘No’Wotes Topple Bond Referendum
Guest Editorial
Now that the School Bond
Referendum is history, it is fitting
that those who meander along the
Public Parade take a closer look
at our heritage. It just so happens
that Dick Dixon has come up with
a quiz which includes questions
that will create conversation of a
constructive nature.
Dick was thumbing through
some of his father’s old books over
the weekend and discovered a
piece of paper containing the
following 26 questions. It is a
history quiz that’s worth taking.
Have at it!
When was Edenton in
corporated?
What Chief Justice lived on the
plantation later called “Hayes”
Who first called this plantation
“Hayes”?
What three Edenton physicians
became authors?
Who was the first Senator from
North Carolina?
When did Joseph Hewes die?
How old was James Iredell, Sr.,
at his death?
When did the first steamboat
begin trips out of Edenton?
In what year did the Railroad
come into Edenton?
What material was first used in
repairing our streets?
What prominent Edenton
lawyer took a decided stand
against woman suffrage and
engaged in a newspaper debate
with the Chief Justice of North
Carolina?
Who was this Chief Justice who
took sides with the women?
In what year was the Railroad
bridge across Albemarle Sound
opened for use?
Under what authority does
Edenton own “Hicks’ Field”?
Who were the two famous
“Signers” of Edenton?
How wide was the original
Edenton residence lots? •'
Which was earlier, the Edenton
or the Boston Tea-Party?
What is a Dutch-net?
Who was the first automobile
dealer in Edenton?
What year did Edenton win
State Championship in football?
What Edenton merchant took
over the management of the
Cotton Mill and opened it suc
cessfully without previous ex
perience?
Upon what anniversary of the
Edenton Baptist Church was the
present Church erected?
How many Methodist Church
buildings for whites have there
been in Edenton?
What was the firs Corporation in
North Carolina?
To whom was the “Virginia
Dare” stone supposedly ad
dressed?
The cannon of the Edenton
artillery battery in the Civil War
were made from what?
History Quiz
It is commendable that State
Sen. Melvin Daniels has taken the
lead in focusing public discontent
on the latest round of rate in
creasing being imposed on Nor
theastern North Carolina by its
out-of-state power company,
Virginia Electric & Power
Company. Unfortunately, the
suggested remedy, an injunction
against the increase approved
September 1, does not go far
enough. It does not get at the basic
problem.
It is unlikely that Northeastern
North Carolina will ever be ap
propriately served with com
petitive electric power rates so
long as the present system
remains intact. An injunction
against collecting the already
approved increase would be nice
nice but is a long shot at best.
Having the public staff of the
Utilities Commission get bade into
the case and seek a reduction from
the approved rates would also be
nice. But even if done and a
rollback is successful, it is still a
temporary short run pacification
to a much more fundamental
problem than the present Vepco
rate structure.
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Mrs. Dorothy C. Helms
Senator’s Wife
Schedules Visit
Mrs. Dorothy C. Helms, wife of
U.S. Sen. Jesse A. Helms, will be
in Edenton next Tuesday in behalf
of her husband’s re-election cam
paign.
Roland L. Vaughan, Jr., head of
the Chowan County committee for
the senator, said Mrs. Helms will
be at the home of Dr. and Mrs.
David 0. Wright, Old Fish Hatch
ery, from 10 A.M. to 12-noon.
“We hope as many people as
possible will take this opportunity
to visit with Mrs. Helms while she
is in Edenton,” Vaughan stated.
In a recent interview she was
Continued on Page 4
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FIELD WORK—Crop yields are Important to farmers, so companies go to considerable expense
to develop new types of seed which are tailored for certain soils in particular localities. Such is the
case here where Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., put a self-contained yield comparison scale to
wort at test plots this year. Hie top left photo shows the combine at wort while James A. Hops,
district sales manager for Pioneer, adjusts the scale. The center picture illustrates the procedure
combine, scale and mart* truck. Below left, Hops weighs a sample and at right conducts a
YES
EAST EDENTON 322
WEST EDENTON 416
ROCKY HOCK 162
CENTER HILL 144
WARDVHXP 117
YEOPIM b°\ 162
• v O >
ABSENTEE 45
TOTAL W 1,368
THE CHOWAN HERALD
Volume XLIV.—No. 38 Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, September 21,1978. Single Copies 15 Cents.
Vepco Investigation Slated
Virginia Electric and Power
Company will be the target of a
wide-range investigation by the
N.C. Utilities Commission. The
decision was made Monday in
Raleigh after Gov. James B. Hunt,
Jr., requested the inquiry.
State Sen. Melvin L. Daniels,
Jr., of Elizabeth City sparked the
investigation September 11 when
he called on the Public Staff of the
Utilities Commission to seek a
court injunction to keep Vepco
from collecting a 17.8 per cent rate
increase approved by the panel.
It has been brought out that the
retail customers of Vepco in
Northeastern North Carolina,
more than 60,000 strong in 22
counties, pay rates far above those
charged by Duke Power Company
and Carolina Power and Light
Company. In addition, many of the
municipalities in the area who
purchase electricity wholesale
from Vepco and retail it, follow the
utility company’s retail rates. The
Town of Edehton is among them.
NO Voters in Chowan County turned
back a $3.5-million school bond
referendum Tuesday by a vote of
1,585 to 1,368. A “yes” vote was
521 enjoyed in only one of the six
precincts and in absentee ballots.
233 It was the first school
referendum in 16 years and
126 proponents of the proposal hit
hard on the fact that only $50,000 of
15g the county’s bonded indebteness is
for school bonds.
186 The Edenton-Chowan Board of
Education voted in May to con
-16 solidate the schools and said it
would be educationally wise to do
1 585 with a new high school. A Site
Selection Committee recom-
The Town of Edenton was
notified Monday that the fuel
adjustment charge by Vepco for
next month will be $4-03 per 1,000
kwh. Town Administrator W.B.
Gardner said this is in addition to
the 17.8 per cent rate increase.
Gardner is particularly puzzled
by the rapid increase in the fuel
adjustment factor. The rate has
gone from 36 cents last month, to
$2.17 for the current month and up
to $4.03 for next month.
The administrator said it is the
town’s policy to track Vepco’s
retail rate and pass on to the
customer the exact amount of the
fuel adjustment charge.
“All of us hope something
helpful to the consumer will come
out of the study prompted by Sen.
Melvin Daniels.” he added.
“We are certainly going to
respond to the governor’s request
and ask other state agencies to
assist us,” Robert K. Koger,
chairman of the comission, said.
Citing extraordinarily high
.rates as the reason for his
requesting the investigation, the
first of its kind in this state’s
history, the governor also said
that “residents of Northeastern
North Carolina have expressed
C ontinued on Page 4
Chamber Banquet
The annual membership
banquet of Edenton Chamber of
Commerce has been scheduled for
6:30 P.M. September 28. It will be
held at the Jaycee Community
Building.
W.L. Norvell, president, said the
event will begin with a social hour
and dinner will follow at 7:30
o’clock. Tickets may be obtained
at the chamber office on east King
street.
At the same time, Robert
Moore, executive vice president,
announced that six new directors
had been elected through mail
balloting by the membership. New
directors are: Wesley Chesson,
Wallace Evans, James Darnell,
Warren Hibbard, Terry Jones and
Bud Perry.
AADA By-Laws Change
Pushes County Leadership
COLUMBIA - The by-laws of
the Albemarle Area Development
Association have been changed for
the first time to produce a
pyramidal structure which places
emphasis on county leadership
and support from the 10-county
organization.
Members meeting here last
Thursday night unanimously
accepted recommendations of a
Blue Ribbon Study Committee,
headed by L.F. Amburn, Jr., of
Edenton, a past AADA president.
The committee was appointed in
September, 1977, and in addition to
Amburn consisted of Larry
Davenport of Washington County;
Minnie B. Taylor of Perquimans
County; Raleigh Carver of
Pasquotank County; Philip
Quidley of Dare County and G.W.
O’Neal of Hyde County.
Amburn told the group that the
new structure places new em
phasis on county organizations by
mended three sites and the board
took an option or 48 acres of the
Ober property, located just off
Highway 32, about five miles north
of Edenton.
Busing of town students to the
new site soon became the center of
controversay three weeks ago
when opponents organized. Those
pushing the referendum said the
site was in the geographical center
of the county and would best serve
the entire population.
When Tuesday’s returns were
tallied, only Center Hill Precinct
voted in favor, 144 to 126. Absentee
ballots were 45 in favor and 16
against.
Both Edenton boxes voted “no”
with West Edenton having a 95-
vote majority against the bonds.
Mrs. Corinne F. Thorud.
supervisor of elections, said a total
of 5,407 residents were eligible to
vote. Os that number, 2,953, or 54.6
per cent, cast ballots in the
referendum.
There was heavy voting in the
early part of the day after the polls
opened at 6:30 A.M., and ap
parently equally as heavy voting in
the past last three hours. At 4 P.M.
a canvass showed that 1,940 votes
(35 per cent) had been cast.
“We’ll just have to the best we
can,” was the statement of
Eugene Jordan, chairman of
Edenton-Chowan Board of
Education after the final tally
was announced.
Jordan indicated that no time
would be wasted in moving ahead
with plans to consolidate the
schools, hopefully as early as next
year. He said a board meeting
would be called within the next
week with consolidation the
principal topic on the agenda.
Dr. John Dunn, superintendent,
said the voters have made their
Continued on Page 4
Conditions Cause
Early Harvest
With no relief from the high
temperature and humid weather
in sight, some farmers are going
ahead with digging peanuts
although they are not mature.
R.M. (Pete) Thompson, county
extension chairman, confirmed
that the recent activity in the
peanut fields was because of the
dry weather, not because the crop
is ready.
Also, Thompson said soybeans
are hurting and farmers can't get
their cover crop in.
Sweet potatoes aren’t doing
anything either, Thompson added,
but farmers are digging some.
“The only thing this type of
weather is good on is the corn
harvest,” he noted. There are
some 14,000 acres of corn in
Chowan County and Thompson
foresees an “average crop”.
Peanuts are from 10 days to two
week late, therefore, those being
dug now are green and very
premature, from 6 per cent to 40
per cent mature, according to
Thompson. “We do have some
peanuts that a good rain and
cooler temperatures would
help,” he added. Some soybeans
are in the same category.
broadening the base of mem
bership; reduces standing com
mittees by combining those of life
purpose, and should give AADA
more clout in the state arena.
Wayne Ashley, of Hertford who
is AADA president, praised the
committee for its work and
recommended approval of the new
{dan of organization.
Dr. Vance E. Hamilton of N.C.
State University in Raleigh, ad
visor, likewise lended his support
to the new by-laws.
Robert Moore, executive vice
president of Edenton Chamber of
Commerce, {resented a prog arm
dealing with the problem in
Chowan River and Albemarle
Sound.
At the same time; those present
supported efforts of Sen. Melvin R.
Daniels, Jr., regarding the Vepco
electric rates and voted to send a
telegram to Gov. James B. Hunt,
Jr., expressing concern.