Th« Big Orange
Do« it sewn like evsry Urns
you're late for work you git stuck
behind a school but? It’s not just
your imagination.
/ five-year comparison of the
total number of school buses in
operation (regular and ex
ceptional children) shows a
graftal increase from 11,447 hi
1975-74 to IUN in 1979* The
statistic is one of many compiled
from county transportation
supervisor's annual reports to the
Office of Controller, State Board of
Education.
Although there were more
school buses on the road last year,
they were transporting more than
1.500 fewer students than the
previous year. During 197940,
some 741,184 pupils were tran
sported to and from school each
day • 17,113 of them ( 2 3 per cent)
by contract transportation. Sixty
nine per cent of the total public
school enrollment was transported
to school last year; 73 per cent of
all transported pupils were of the
elementray school level. The
average bus had a seating
capacity for 54 pupils and a
passenger capacty for (57 students.
All school buses covered almost
102 million miles last year,
traveling 564,847 miles daily. The
average bus traveled 8,267
The total cost of school tran
sportation was more than Ve
rmilion including contract tran
sportation and replacement buses
in 1979-80. The total coat of con
tract transportation was more
than $4-milUon. The average cost
of transportation by school bus,
including bus replacements, was
almost SVthousand per bus for the
1979-80 school year, $27 59 per bus
per day and SB4 36 per pupil for the
school year.
Real Hostages'
Currituck Outer Banks are not
nearly as popular as the area to
the south in Dare County. As
things are now going it could be
that taxpayers in Currituck
County wish the thin strip between
the south and the Atlantic would
just go away.
Access has always been
problem It was getting better for
a time. Now the entire problem of
access is being overshadowed by a
fS-million civil lawsuit
Things are bound to get worse
before they get any better And
most of it is not the fault of those
who stand to lose the most - the
‘hostages ' who reside on the
mainland and pick up the tax bill
Little by little progress ap
peared to be made on the access
matter In July. 13 families out on
the Currituck Outer Banks were
granted access across the Back
Bay Wildlife Refuge by the U S.
Congress Sen. Jesse Helms and
Rep. Walter Jones sponsored
legislation which caused the U S.
Fish and Wildlife Service to allow
passage through the refuge under
certain conditions
At the same time, the N.C.
Department of Transportation has
been at work on a highway and-or
ferry plan for a southern access.
The big problem encountered
centers around private ownership,
including large parcels owned by
environmentalists or
organizations
Private developers have cried
‘ foul” for a long time Recently
one - Coastland Corporation of
Virginia Beach, V« backed up
the cries with a $5 million damage
suit against Currituck County A
new federal law provides the basis
for such action
Just prior to the suit, however,
the feds announced intentions to
purchase the Currituck Outer
Banks. Some SIOO-million is in
volved. The N.C. Coastal
Resources Commission and
Marine Science Council recom
mended the action.
The federal purchase is in the
best interests of all the citizens of
Currituck County Any other way
the county goes it will cost more to
provide services to the developed
property than is returned in
taxes Therefore, the taxpayers
are the real "hostages'.
What effect the Coastland suit
will have on the federal proposal is
not known.
For years and yean the folk
living on the Currituck Outer
Banks have traveled across the
beach to the Tidewater area of
Virginia, acrou an area known as
Back Bay Wildlife Retags. These
citizens have gone to the Norfolk
area to shop, to get nv-ftcal at
l iNMintM-e <tu t'-igr I
Conference Champs Face Southern Nash. Friday
Ip
HHSEfc*
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Staff photographer Luke Amburn
captured some of the action at last Friday night's Edenton Aces -
Ahoskie Cougars grid contest in which the Aces took the Nor
theastern 3-A Conference championship with their 25-0 victory. In
the left photo, fullback Henry Drew is shown grinding out yar-
WMt CHOWAN HERALD^
. ■ * !aedit ‘ m . ,-! •
Vcl XIVI No 44
Mayor Casts Deciding Vote; Rezoning Denied
A petition from developers
Earnhardt and Burroughs to
rezone 20 acres south of U S. 17 on
N.C. 32 from residential to
hopping center was again denied
by she Edenton Town Council,
Tuesday night, following a heavily
attended public meeting on the
matter The council was split 3 to 3
on the issue with Mayor Roy L.
Harrell casting the deciding vote.
Favoring the change in zoning
were councilmen Willis Privott,
Allen Hornthal and J. P. Ricks.
The motion waa opposed by
councilmen Gil Burroughs, W. H.
Hollowed and Steve Hampton,
At the opening of the public
meeting, Mrs. Judy Earnhardt,
widow of the late W. J. P Ear
nhardt. Jr . pointed out that a 1968
'ong range planning study
iesignated the site in question as
r s ? . -
%
_
Wayne K. Blair
Insurance Fraud
Suspect Arrested
Wayne K. Blair of Blair Funeral
Home in Edenton has been in
dicted by the Chowan County
Grand Jury on a number of
charges relating to life insurance
Iraud District Attorney Thomas
S. Watts reported that Blair was
arrested by officers of the Edenton
Police Department Monday af
ternoon and was released under
s2S,t)t)o secured bond.
His arrest was the result of an
investigation conducted by
Eugene HartzeU, an investigator
with the N.C. Department of In
surance, the District Attorney's
office, and Sher ff Troy Toppin.
Blair is charged with false
pretense, making a false in
surance application, making a
false insurance claim, preparing a
false insurance claim certificate
and two counts of common law
forgery.
Watts told a reporter the claims
were made <» a life and acridentaJ
death policy issued to s deceased
or possibly fictitious person. An
irregularity was brought to tfco
attention of the Department of
Insurance by the United Family
Life Insurance Company of
Atlanta. Ga
being best suited for commercial
development and that it had
retained that designaton
throughout each five year update.
Ajso she referred to a 1980
ARPDC landuse survey that
supported commercial develop
ment of the bypass and showed
that citizens in general want more
shopping facilities in the Edenton
area. Support for commercial
development, Mrs Earnhardt
said, was also shown in a Chamber
of Commerce questionnaire cir
culated this year.
Ralph Parrish zoning ad
ministrator, reported that at 'he
September 3 meeting of the
Planning Board, the petition was
voted down by a 3 to l margin.
Joe Lee, a local businessman,
told the gathering that he had
served as planning board chair
man for several years, had
Officers Investigate
Shooting Incident
An investigation into the
shooting of a Hobbsville man last
Friday night is in currently un
derway by the Chowan County
Sheriff's Department
According to Deputy Melvin
Evans. Milton Ulysses Leach, .52.
underwent emergency surgery at
Norfolk General Hospital after
being shot above the left elbow
during an argument at the home of
Willie B. Twine of Route l. Ty ner
The shooting is alleged to have
occurred between 9 30 and 10
o'clock
Deputy Evans said the incident
may have been the result ot a
disagreement over a card game in
Gates County. He declined to
name any suspects pending
issuance of an arrest warrant
Leach was taken by the Gates
County Rescue Squad to
Albemarle Hsopital in Elizabeth
City before being transferred to
Norfolk. Va.
Being held under $2,000 bond for
two counts of breaking and en
tering and larceny is Leon Staton
of Route 3, Edeton
Deputy Evans said Staton is
alleged to have taken furniture
and other household items from
the home of Samuel Stritz. Route
1, and from a storage shed at
Bennett’s Mill owned by Ernest
Kehayes, Pembroke Circle,
Edenton. Total value of the stolen
items was estimated at less than
SI,OOO.
The properties, all of which
were recovered, included two
televisions, rugs, a radio, a sofa, a
dr riser, s coffee table, a charcoal
grill, bedsheets and pillow cases.
Ths Sheriff's Department acted
on a tip from an informant, Evans
reported.
A probable cause hearing has
been scheduled for next Tuesday
in Chowan County District Court.
\ HI
*' ( I
dage against Ahoskie. At right, assistant coaches Randy
Hollowell, left, and Tom Bass, right, are shown with head coach
Jimmy Addison celebrating the big win. This Friday night, the
Aces will host Southern Nash High School.
Edenton, North Corolina Thursday NovoTiber 13. 1900
discussed the matter at length and
in the past had not favored a
shopping center at that location.
However, he said he now supports
the idea ’tecause of increased
employment opportunities, ad
ditional tax revenues and ex
panded chopping lacilities that
could draw more people to
Edenton
Erwin Griffin, a property
owner adjacent to the site,
pointed out the several vacancies
in downtown Edenton as evidence
that the community could not keep
another chopping center alive.
Micheef .) McArthur, a counfy
resident, cited the need for ad
ditional motel facilities to ac
commodate a growing tourist
industry He said that as a High
way Patrolman, he had encounter
ed a large number of people who
wanted to stay in Edenton but
were unable to find adequate
lodging.
Hurce Croekmore of radio
station Wt'D.l '('served that -once
the petition was last hnmght
before the Town Council when a
representative of the K Mart
Corporation and the J. J I'retien
Co., a development firm, was
present. K Mart has built and is
preparing to open a store in
Elizabeth City He said the store
employed about ri) persons and
that it would be interesting" to
see how many of those employees
were from Edenton
Creekniore added that K Mart
must lie expecting a good draw
locally tiecause of the advertising
- )r- , '
§g|| i 4 & J » jgplF m~|%>
INSTRI'CTORS REING INSTRUCTED Members of rescue squads in Chowan. Perquimans
and Gates counties gathered at the ARP DC building in Hertford last weekend to train as instructors
for a cardiopulmonary resuscitation program that will be offered to the public beginning January I.
Hie goal of the Chowan County EMS is to educate 417 county residents in CPR, a life-saving
technique that practically any one can learn. The course will consist of nine hours in classroom and
exercise.
campaign (hat will he held in
Edenton prior to the grand
opening
Mayor Harrell asked developer
Bernard P Burroughs if he had
ever received from K Mart, on its
letterhead, a letter ind eating the
company's intent to locate here
Burroughs replied that he
"would be happy to answer the
question in private or in executive
session" He added that he was not
authorized to speak for either K-
Mart or J J Cretien Co.
Councilman Ricks commented
that the intersection of U S 17 and
N C 32 is a "classic example of
business property" too noisy for
residential development He said
passing tourists see "a couple of
signs but have little incentive to
Instructors Train
For CPR Classes
The N C Office of Emergency
Medical Services has embarked
on a two-year program to irain
seven per cent of the population in
cardiopulmonary resuscitation
\ccording to Mrs Margie Nixon.
CPR coordinator, the program is
modeled alter a federal pilot
program that received wide
spread publicity on ihe television
program "60 Minutes"
Training sessions for
Emergency Medical technicians
who will be conducting the courses
in Gates. Chowan and Pcquimans
counties were held last Saturday
The Edemon Ace* beesme the
Northeastern 3-A Conference
champions last Friday with their
25-0 victory over the Ahoaide
Cougars. The Acee will host
Southern Nash High Schod this
Friday night in the first game of
the play-off series.
The Aces gained a 3-0 lead prior
to halftime when Thomas White
booted a 23-yard field goal.
Neither team was abia to get more
•han one first down in the first half
of Uia contest.
Ahoskie fumbled early in the
third quarter to give the Aces
excellent field position on the
Cougars' 17 yard line.
On third down, quarterback
Steve Hoiiey passed to Thomas
White, who made a diving catch to
put the Aces on the one. Henry
Drew bulled his way in to score
and White kicked the extra point
for a 10-0 lead.
The Cougars were unable to
Continued on Page 4
Sin-jl« Cop<«« 20 Cent*
pull off the bypass to visit Edenton
unless its their destination in the
first place
Councilman Hornthal, in
making the motion to rezone the
tract, said his opinion remained
the same, that comnetitinn pjnrwi
tie legislated.
Continued on Page 4
Armed Robbery
Trial Proceeds
The Superior Court trial of
George Lee Revell. charged with
the August l\ armed robbery of
the Fast Fare 'in Broad Street,
entered • its second day of
testimony Wednesday, amid
stepped up security precautions
imposed by Judge David E. Reid
after local officers received a tip
concerning a possible violent
confrontation in the courtroom.
Shortly after lunch recess
Tuesday. Judge Reid excused the
pane! of 12 jurors and informed
persons in the courtroom of the
situation
"It has Ix'en brought to my
attention that someone in the
courtroom Ix'sides an officer may
tie carrying a gun." he stated
"For that reason. 1 am asking
everyone to leave the courtroom
Those wishing to return will be
searched before entering”
Each of the 22 spectators
present returned after being
frisked. Police Chief J D Parrish
and Sheriff Troy Toppin said two
Continued on Page