Caesar, (j.g.)
Mayor Roy L. Harrell demon
strated last week that he had
discovered the Town Charter. At
the same time, he demonstrated
his total lack of ability to handle
some of the executive power he
claims the charter
Coming on like £ junior grade
Caesar, he admonished two
councilmen and two town em
ployees for taking an
“unauthorized” trip. Then he
issued an ultimatum to the town
administrator which certainly
places the position slightly above
that of a clerk.
Both of these are administrative
matters which can best be handled
as such, not in a public meeting.
That is, unless one is seeking
political gains.
The utterances of Mayor Harrell
then take on the tones of political
rhetoric. No one could construe
this type gutter action to be in the
best interest of all the citizens of
Edenton.
Neither can one consider it wise
to use appointive power to stack a
governmental agency. But this is
what Mayor Harrell has done with
Edenton Housing Authority.
Among the five members are his
brother, his brother-in-law and
his brother’s brother-in-law. We do
not say that all three men, and
even some of his other relatives,
are not qualified to serve on public
bodies. We do say it would be a
little more palatable if their talents
were spread around.
Mayor Harrell frequently gets
carried away with the program by
referring to “my council” and
“my finance committee”, etc.
There are six councilmen elected
just like the mayor and nowhere
in “his” charter does it give any of
them a deed to the Town of
Edenton.
Mayor Harrell’s brand of
leadership leaves a lot to be
desired. a lqt of talent on
the Town Council’and it is time
these who possess it,_ assert
themselves. . v'
needs not!
No Help
f ; .
Teachers along the Public
Parade got no help last year from
local government in the battle
against inflation. Public school
teachers throughout Tar Heelia
got very little consideration as a
whole
These facts are revealed in the
annual survey of local educators’
salary supplement prepared by
N.C. Association of Educators.
“The average supplement paid
went up 1.3 per cent,” stated Lloyd
S. Isaac, NCAE executive
secretary. “This is obviously not
keeping up with inflation.”
Chowan County is among 141 of
the 145 school systems in the state
paying local supplements to
superintendents and 89 systems
giving some extra bucks to
classroom teachers. Dr. John
Dunn, superintendent of Edenton-
Chowan Schools, is paid a sup
plement of $4,500 and classroom
teachers are paid S3OO.
The local system is tied for 98th
place with Greenville, Iredell and
Maxton, in the superintendent
category while eight other units
are in a tie for 56th place with
Chowan in extra financial help for
teachers.
In neighboring Washington
County, the superintendent gets
$7,896 (33rd in the state) while the
Continued on Page 4
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REMEMBER MONDAY?—Sunday’s snow storm left Edenton
and Chowan County almost paralyzed. Edenton is always pic
turesque but a blanket of snow seems to improve the town’s
beauty, as these pictures show. A small car found refuge under
the porch at the Booth House. Below, a town employee works to
clear the sidewalk while the stately Chowan County Courthouse
keeps watch over the Green.
BTHF CHOWAN HFRAIT)^
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Volume XLV. No. 8
Foul Weather Lingers Throughout Area
Rain, sleet and snow This area
has had a little bit of some and
whole lot of other in one of the worst
Februarys in recent memory.
area has had foul weather
fcf , Kite,
r ebruary was ushered in with a
sprinkling of snow The second
week of the month found the area
wrapped up with a combination of
sleet and snow.
The largest accumulation of
snow in nearly 20 years was
measured Sunday night in a storm
which moved into the area at mid
morning. After a day of blizzard
like weather, a warm front moved
through changing the snow to rain
After a period of time the tem
perature dropped below freezing
and a crust of ice formed, making
Monday morning particularly
hazardous
Marvin Smith, a weather ob
server in the Rocky Hock Com
munity, measured nearly five
Continued on Page 4
County Break-ins
Chowan County Sheriff’s
Department is investigating two
break-ins on Highway 32 Tuesday
night where cash, cigarettes and
beer were reported missing.
Sheriff Troy Toppin said B&R
Grocery, operated by Eula Mae
Watson, was entered through a
rear door. A cash register was
stolen, containing SSO, along with
beer, cigarettes, cigars, and a
gallon of milk.
Valhalla Grocery reported that
thieves entered through a window,
making off with about S6O in cash
and some beer.
<•_ J;/.
3i^M
Edenton. North Carolina, Thursday, February 22, 1979
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FIRE DESTROYS HOUSE —An unoccupied dwelling on
Chowan River, some 17 miles north of Edenton, was completely
destroyed by fire late Tuesday afternoon. Gilbert Hare
discovered the blaze and turned in the alarm to Center Hill-
Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department. Chief Frank White said
26 volunteers used three trucks, two water pumps in the river and
1,750 feet of hose to fight a losing battle with the fire.
Serious Injuries Escaped
Teresa Gentry, a sophomore at
Chowan High School, escaped
serious injury Tuesday afternoon
when the sedan she was driving
was in a collision with a tractor
trailer rig on Highway 32, in front
of the school.
She was taken to Chowan
Hospital by Unit 3 of Edenton-
Chowan Rescue Squad. Her head
injury was not expected to require
hospitalization.
Miss Gentry, the daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Navy Gentry,
Arrowhead Beach, said she was
going back to school to return some
Chowan’s Farm Income
Goes Over $ 18-Million
The estimated gross income
from farming in 1978 has been set
at $18,412,775.32, according to
R.M. (Pete) Thompson, Chowan
County extension chairman.
Thompson said the total the year
before was $16,027,530.
The estimate is compiled by the
chairman after consulting
with suppliers, producers and
buyers of farm projects. “We gain
the best information available in
arriving at the estimates,”
Thompson pointed out.
He said the biggest increase last
year was in hogs. Income from the
sale of hogs was near $4.9-million,
up more than sl-million over, the
previous year.
Peanuts ranked second in farm
income at $4.1-million. Thompson
pointed out that the estimate was
conservative since it was figured
on a unit price of 22-cents per
pound.
Chowan farmers planted 6,119
acres of peanuts and harvested
18,785,330 pounds for an average
yield per acre of 3,070. This was
the county’s second high
est yield on record.
Tobacco was also a bright spot
for local farmers, as was cotton.
Cotton is becoming more and more
popular with Chowan farmers as a
rotation crop, especially since the
cost of production is less and yield
Single Copies 15 Cents
books about 3:05 P.M. when the
collision occurred.
John Mcßride, 33, of Norfolk,
Va., was the truck driver. He had
loaded about 40,000 pounds at
Seabrook Blanching Company in
Edenton and was returning to
Suffolk, Va.
He said he was passing the
Gentry vehicle when it moved into
the left lane and he moved further
to the left to avoid a collision. The
truck ran over the driveway and
into the ditch. It did not overturn.
State Trooper C.H. Mims in
vestigated the mishap.
is higher.
Sour notes in the farm economy
centered around corn and
soybeans. Income from each was
less that $2-million and growers
were hampered by low yield as
well as price.
“Farmers lost money on the
average acre of corn in Chowan
County,” Thompson declared.
“This was also true withsoy beans.”
Government payments went
from $50,000 to more than SIOO,OOO,
primarily due to “set aside”
programs.
Nearly 1-million pounds of
. »ji
KEEPING TABS ON WEATHER—Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Smith
are not meteorologists but as Chowan County’s newest weather
observers they are playing a key role in a new plan to aid farmers.
North Carolina is the second state in the U.S. to have a statewide
weather reporting service aimed at farmers. R.M. (Pete)
Thompson reads the high and low temperature while Smith gives
instructions at his home in the Rocky Hock Community. Below,
Mrs. Smith prepares the touch tone attachment to her telephone
to send the information directly to the National Weather Bureau
in Washington, D.C.
Probable Cause
Found In Case
Probable cause was found
Tuesday morning in Chowan
County District Court in the case
where'Fred Edward Keeter, Jr., is
charged with second degree
murder.
Keeter is charged in the
February 6 death of George
Daniels at the Daniels mobile
home on Base Road, near Edenton
Municipal Airport.
Judge Grafton G. Beaman or
dered Keeter returned to Tri-
County District Jail in Elizabeth
City under $50,000 bond.
Daniels was killed with a single
.45 caliber bullet fired from a gun
Keeter admitted in testimony that
he was holding. However, he said
a former girlfriend, Ann Mizelle,
fired the fatal shot.
The defendant’s testimony
about the incident varied from
Continued on Page 4
Tryouts Slated
The Edenton Little Theater
group has plans for the production
of “Dirty Work at The
Crossroads” on April 5 and 6. This
is the first time the local group has
undertaken a melodrama, and
there is great excitement and hope
that this kind of high comedy will
be well received.
Tryouts for the seven women
and three men needed will be held
at the John A. Holmes High School
Auditorium next Tuesday and
Wednesday, starting at 7:30 P.M.
Backstage and other help is
needed also, so those interested in
filling non-acting positions should
also attend the tryouts, or contact
Ross Inglis or Bruce McGraw.
Sen. Helms Clears Record
U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms recently
responded to a telegram to him
concerning his position on a
permit for CF Industries to
discharge nitrogen-filled water
into the Chowan River.
The wire was from Willie and
Robert Brake of Brake’s Fishing
Center at Harrellsville. The text of
Sen. Helms’ reply follows:
“I have your telegram ex
pressing disappointment for my
“support” of C.F. Industries in
securing a discharge permit to
discharge nitrogen into the
Chowan River.
“I have no idea who t«M von T
turkey was sold in this county for a
total of $390,000. Income from
sweet potatoes was estimated at
$762,450 from 112,125 bushels
grown on 345 acres.
Thompson said cuts in the cost
of production is necessary for
farmers to keep pace with in
flation. “We can do this by using
selected herbicides and chemicals
only when they are needed,” he
said.
“We can use cotton as a sub
stitute for corn as a rotation crop
and make a few bucks.”
Consultant Hired
A cable TV consultant is ex
pected to be in Edenton within the
next 10 days to conduct a
feasibility study for the town.
Ralph Boutwell of Greenville,
Ala., has been employed for the
study at the direction of the Town
Council.
W.B. Gardner, town ad
ministrator, said if such a system
is feasible it could lead to the use
of the system in electric load
management. “If this becomes a
reality it would save the town’s
electric customers a tremendous
amount of money,” he added.-
Reporting to council at last
Tuesday’s meeting, Councilman
Jesse L. Harrell said Boutwell had
designed a system for Opp, Ala.,
that paid for itself in seven years.
He pointed out that the system has
been in operation for 10 years and
is now making available some
$40,000 annually for the town’s
general fund after the funding of
depreciation.
He said a municipal system also
has the advantage of holding rates
below those of commercial
companies since the town already
owns the utility polls, may use
existing personnel, etc.
Mayor Roy L. Harrell took
exception to a trip two councilmen
and two town employees made to
Alabama to gather information
about the system.
was supporting the issuance of
such a permit, but I can assure
you that I am not. In fact, I have
personally called the governor and
urged him to direct his state of
ficials to take steps to clean up the
river. I called the governor
because this is a state matter
rather than a federal one, and I
wanted to see some action taken to
protect the river.
“For whatever reason or
reasons, someone has totally
misrepresented my position in this
matter. If you know the mistaken
party, I would appreciate your
setting them straight for me ”