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Operation Overcharge Is Successful
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Refunds And Rate Reductions Ordered
The N. C. Utilities Commission has ordered Virginia Electric k Power
Company to make refunds and rate reductions to its customers to the
tune of $5.6-million.
Furthermore, the commission said Vepco customers in this state
should see “a light at the end of the tunnel” in terms of reaching parity
with rates being paid to other North Carolinians for electric utility
service.
The decision was a clear victory of Operation Overcharge, a group
formed nine months ago by chambers of commerce in 22 Northeastern
North Carolina counties. The group gathered some 45,000 names on
petitions which led to the utilities commission’s most exhaustive study of
any company. *
However, Stan Hege, a member of Edenton-Chowan Chamber of
Commerce who serves on the executive committee of Operation Over
charge, said: “We are right on the 50-yard-line. We have finished with a
successful project at the state level and now will continue our fight
through the Federal Regulatory Agency.”
Hege said Operation Overcharge has pointed up “how poorly and
mismanaged Vepco has been” and is seeking alternate supply of dec trie
power or -bring Vepco’s costs in line with other utilities serving
customers in North Carolina.
THE CHOWAN HERALD
Vol. XIV - No. 30
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Some Do It
We read in our favorite
newspaper published on the Outer
Banks where Kill Devil Hills and
Nags Head have merged the
operation of thdr separate water
plants.
Mayor Donald Bryan of Nags
Head and Mayor Lowell Perry of
Kill Devil Hills lauded the move,
which both agreed would lead to
significant savings for the citizens
of their communities.
Let’s see. Isn’t there a com
mittee from the Town of Edenton,
headed by Mayor Roy L. Harrell,
charged with seeking a meeting
with Chowan County to explore
possible greas. of greater
cooperation, merger or con
solidation?
Some do it, while along the
Public Parade they won’t even
talk about it.
Energy Saver
A town out in Kansas is taking
the energy shortage seriously. A
bicycle has been substituted for a
patrol car for working downtown.
The policeman interviewed
enjoys his new assignment. While
saving gas it provides him with
much needed exercise.
Mopeds are said to get up to 125
miles-per-gallon of gas. Are you
interested Chief Parrish?
New Faces
Sheriff Troy Toppin is
distributing his allocation of the
1979-80 annual directory of the N.C.
Sherriffs’ Association. We are
fortunate to be among those along
the Public Parade on tap to
receive one.
The 344-page directory is our
favorite quick reference manual.
It contains capsule information on
not only law enforcement, but a
variety of other state and local
government subjects.
The 57th edition may establish a
record for the number of new
faces. There are 33 new chief
county law enforcement officers in
North Carolina. Some died, others
resigned, but the majority of those
not listed again just plain got
ousted fay the voters.
Recognizing 4-H
• - ... .
Well, we stopped off in the mecca
A Tar Heel bureaucracy Thurs
day night enroute to Winston-
Salem to pick up our ballerina who
had spent five weeks at N. C.
School of The Arts.
We represented the State
Agricultural Extension Advisory
the delegate banquet
and talent-show at State 4-H
Scott Pavilion at
Thirty-three yearsago we were
flnt experience away from home
Edenton, North Coroiino, Thursday. August 2. 1979
NRHDA Clears Hurdle
For Second Year Funds
HERTFORD Northeastern
Rural Health Development
Association has cleared the first
hurdle enroute to second year
funding. Steps are now being
taken to meet conditions tacked
onto approval of a $200,000 grant
application by the Project Review
LEGION SPEAKER Rep.
Charles Evans of Nags Head
will make his first address in
Chowan County since -ad
journment of the 1979 General
Assembly when he addresses
the Edward G. Bond Post No.
40, American Legion, Tuesday
night. The dinner meeting
begins at 7 P.M. and Rep.
Evans is expected to discuss
events related to the General
Assembly.
I ■
Highway Rally
The second of three public
rallies on behalf of Highway 17, a
U. S. highway stretching through
deep Eastern North Carolina from
Virginia to South Carolina, will be
conducted here on August 14.
The rally will be held at the
Jaycee Building at 7 P.M., and will
feature a big barbecue spread,
members of the Planning Com
mittee for the event report.
Already, a rally has been held at
the Ramada Inn in New Bern, with
a big crowd. Sen. Melvin Daniels
of Elizabeth City, was the speaker
and said Highway 17 is a project
whose time has come for four
laning by the State of North
Carolina.
Serving on,the Planning Com
mittee for the rally in Edenton are
Bob „ Moore, executive vice
president of the Edenton-Chowan
Chamber of Commerce, Mgyor
Bill Cox of Hertford, and Tom
Campbell of Elizabeth City, vied
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The commission has ordered Vepco to make refunds to its customers
to reflect disallowed total-company fuel expenses of s3l-million in the
dtermination of rates for the trilling months of February through July,
1979. Refunds to customers will be based on their consumption during
that period.
For example, the total refund is $12.14 for customers using 1,000 kwh
each month.
The commission also has ordered Vepco to reduce its rates to North
Carolina retail customers to reflect a disallowance of s4l-million in total
company fuel expenses used to determine Vepco’s rates for the second
half of 1979.
The commission also found that Vepco should be able to have five of its
oil-fired plants coverted to coal use by no later than the end of 1980.
Beginning then, if the plants have not already been converted, the
commission will adjust Vepco’s rates to remove excess fuel expenses
associated with the oil-fired generation. It is expected that this ad
justment on a total-company basis would be in excess of $lO-million
annually.
The commission’s action comes as a result of an investigation initiated
in September, 1978, in response to a request by Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr.,
and concerns expressed to the commission by the Commission Panel
Single Copies 15 Cents.
Committee of Eastern Carolina
Health Systems Agency.
NRHDA had made a move
toward stronger linkage with local
government and other health
providers through reorganization
of the board of directors. Andrew
Martin, executive director, an
nounced several weeks ago a plan
to reorganize the board to provide
greater representation from
communities being served.
At a meeting here Monday
night, Walter Oakes of Tyrrell
.County questioned the board’s
authority to reorganize in the
fashion outlined by Martin. Oakes,
a banker-who has been a NRHDA
board member since its inception,
said he read in the newspaper
about his resignation, when in fact
he had not resigned.
Martin said he failed to contact
Oakes prior to the release of the
news story and could understand
his concern. However, the director
said in his opinion everything
being done was in accordance with
the by-laws.
Oakes charged that the biggest
problem with NRHDA has been
poor public relations and the
inability of the public to separate
the non-profit association from
Albemarle Family Practice.
NRHDA has contracts with Dr.
C. Clement Lucas, Jr., and Dr.
Richard N. Hines, Jr., to provide
medical and dental services. Dr.
Hines attended the meeting. He
said Raleigh Carver, chairman of
Pasquotank County Board of
Commissioners, has made
statement that indicated “what we
have done is not honorable” and
that he would go “head-to-head
with him on that basis.”
Continued on Page 4
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ELECTION OFFICIALS HONORED —. At a informal
ceremony held Friday morning, three former Chowan County
Board of Election officials were honored. A plaque was presented
Mrs. Sadie H. Hoskins, left, in recognition of more than 25 years
continuous service on the board and to Mrs. Corrine F. Thorud for
lOTtkßobertS.
other hoard members and several
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SEEK DESIGNATION Edenton and Chowan County are working toward designation as a
Governor’s Community of Excellence with judging set for August 16. Roger Critcher, second from
left, field representative with the Department of Commerce, met with local officials Tuesday to
outline the program. With him are, Charles Creighton, left, president of Edenton-Chowan Chamber
of Commerce; Norm Bullard, Mrs. Peggy Ann Vaughan, coordinator; and W. P. (Spec) Jones.
Community Excellence Award Sought
August 16 is being planned as
N.C. Governor’s Community of
Excellence Award Day in Edenton
and Chowan County. A team from
the Department of Commerce will
review inventories of all areas of
activity and determine if this
community is entitled to a spot on
the blue ribbon list.
The presentation will be made at
2 P.M. in the Municipal Building.
A tour will follow.
Mrs. Peggy Anne Vaughan has
been named coordinator of the
program, which is being spon
sored by Edenton-Chowan
Chamber of Commerce. She plans
development of a slide-tape
presentation with color
photographs by Allan Asbell. A
scrapbook is also being prepared.
At a meeting of interested
citizens Tuesday afternoon, Mrs.
Vaughan said she is excited about
the program and the entire area
will be proud of the designation.
She said the fact that there are
only litUe more than two weeks to
assemble the material will require
full cooperation of many people in
the community.
W. P. (Spec) Jones, chairman of
which heard Vepco’s request for a rate increase in the summer of 1978.
The investigation was conducted by the commission’s PubflcjStaff who
subsequently presented their results and recommendations during two
weeks of public hearings before the commission in May of this year. The
Public Staff’s Report covered all areas of the company’s operation, with
special emphasis on costs directly associated with the generation of
electricity.
Based upon the investigation and hearings, the commission deter
mined that Vepco’s management has performed inadequately in the
areas of planning and maintenance of its generation facilities. As a
result, the commission is making downward adjustments to Vepco’s
rates consistent with the maximum amount shown by the evidence and
permitted by law and consistent with the excess costs estimated to have
been imposed and being imposed on Vepco’s customers by the com
pany’s inadequate planning and maintenance of its generating facilities.
The imposed downward adjustments are threefold.
First is a refund to Vepco’s customers to reflect overcollections in fuel
expenses from February through July, 1979.
Second, current base rates are reduced. Both of these adjustments
reflect what the rates should have been, absent poor planning and
Continued On Page 4
the Industrial Committee, said the
program is not only to aid smaller
communities in attracting in
dustry but new business establish
ments as well. He said he felt this
area is in “pretty good shape” in
regards to available industrial
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NEW HANGAR COMPLETED Mayor Roy L. Harrell, left
center, is shown formally accepting the keys to a new tee hangar
at Edenton Municipal Airport from Nello Filippini, president of
All Span Building Systems, Inc. In the center is Capt. Alfred
Howard, chairman, Edenton-Chowan Airport Commission.
Airport Hangar Is Dedicated
Dedication ceremonies were
held Friday for a new metal tee
hanger at Edenton Municipal
Airport. This hangar replaced an
old 200 feet x 200 feet military
hangar of wooden construction
Grant For Arts
Chowan Arts Council has been
awarded $1,257 in Grassroots Arts
funds by the N. C. Arts Council.
The money will be used to finance
a membership drive as well as for
general arts programs.
This was part of $565,760 granted
organizations in 89 counties, ac
cording to Sara W. Hodgkins,
secretary of the Department of
Cultural Resources.
The Grassroots Arts program,
begun in 1977 with funding from
the General Assembly, provides
money on a per capita and mat
ching basis to arts groups in each
of the state’s counties.
“We consider Grassroots to be
one of our most successful
programs,’’ Mrs. Hodgkins said.
“It works quite well toward its
goal of providing quality arts
experiences for people who live in
every community of the state. We
usually think of it as revenue
sharing for tee arts.”
sites.
Norm Bullard is chairman of the
tourism section and Mike Johnson
is assisting with a report on
available recreation. Vann
Johnson will spearhead another
clean-up campaign.
that was deteriorating and
potentially dangerous.
This new hangar is 56 feet x 245
feet -a ten unit nested-type tee
hangar manufactured by Fulfab,
Inc.-this configuration makes the
utmost utilization of the old
hangar concrete floor slab on
which the new hangar was con
structed.
The new tee hangar has elec
tronically operating “bi-fold”
doors which are efficient and
space saving. This is one of the
first tee hangars in the state to
utilize electric bi-fold doors. The
contractor for this project is All-
Span Building Systems, Inc., of
Wilmington. The engineer is
Talbert, Cox and Associates, Inc.,
of Wilmington.
This project was financed by the
Town of Edenton and the N. C.
Department of Transportation,
Division of Aeronautics.
This new hangar is part of a
continuing airport improvement
program by the Edenton-Chowan
Airport Commission towards
maintaining and improving tee
airport’s services to the com
munity and the flying public.
Other improvements planned in
the near future include the in
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