Edenton Council *7'
Dr. James Fenner and Erwin
Griffin took the oath of office
Tuesday night and took their seat
on Edenton’s Town Council. Both
men are to be congratulated for
victory in the November 3
Municipal Election.
Mr. Griffin, elected from the
Third Ward, said throughout the
campaign that he would listen to
the people. That’s a noble stand.
The problem comes not from his
willingness to listen (as certainly
every politician must) but from
the willingness of the people to
speak.
Regardless of the claims, both
newly elected councilmen ran with
the blessings of Mayor Roy L.
Harrell’s organization, which is
said to be able to field some 800
townwide votes anytime the polls
open.
If the new councilmen “go to
school” on the defeat of Gil
Burroughs they won’t lose the
mayor’s favor. Mr. Burroughs’
election four years ago was the
result of Mayor Harrell’s
assistance. But Mr. Burroughs
voted his conscience nbt his
politics and the Harrell loyalists
got restless to the point of un
seating him.
The election of Dr. Fenner and
Mr. Griffin gives Mayor Harrell
undisputed control of the Town
Council. Two things must happen
if the Town of Edenton is to rise
above petty politics. First, the
people must start speaking. Then,
the Harrell boys on Town Council
must attend Mr. Griffin’s class in
listening.
Wholesale Changes
“Throwing the rascals out” was
pretty much the theme along the
Public Parade and throughout Tar
Heelia during the November 3
Municipal Elections. If there is
any comfort in a crowd, Gil
Burroughs and Jim Ricks have
plenty of it.
The wholesale changes in
elected municipal officials caught
the N. C. League of Municipalities
Upset
“going through the chairs” to gain
leadership in the league. John A.
Mitchener, Jr., of Edenton, did it
several years ago and brought
much credit to this area through
distinctive leadership.
Things were different after the
November 3 elections. Not a single
elected official prepared to move
up were re-elected. While their
colleagues were willing to move
them up, the voters back home
simply moved them out.
At the Charlotte meeting, Ox
ford Mayor Hugh Currin was
elected League president.
Seventy-one times prior to this
historic event, who would be
elected was settled long before the
annual session.
The statewide organization of
towns and counties selected Mayor
Currin and a new slate at the top.
The 1,500 municipal officials at
tending the convention also chose
a new board of directors,
representing 12 districts. Dr. Allen
Homthal of Edenton was re
elected to head District 1. If he
was the only board member who
survived, Leigh Wilson and his
crew at the N. C. League of
Municipalities weren’t circulating
the fact.
Noted and Passed
Some interesting information
was left in our unattended
typewriter recently. It deals with
sales and use tax distribution
along the Public Parade.
Local option sales and use tax
distributed to Chowan County and
the Town of Edenton for the
quarter ending September 30,
1981, totaled $103,249.09. Chowan
County received $82,197.67 of the
total with the balance going to the
town.
During the same period of 1980,
a total of $86,554.54 was distributed
along the Public Parade, with
$67,467.85 going to the county
coffers.
“Interesting what some new
businesses like Food Town and
TO * Y ”
Continued On Page 4
Bloodmobile To Visit Tuesday, Nov. 24 - Edenton Methodist Church, 12 Noon Til 6 PM.
V . ;;. M
Vol. XLVI - No. 48
New Town Councilmen Are Sworn In
The Edenton Town Council met
on November 17 in a regular
session, with a capacity crowd
present.
Following the opening prayer by
Councilman Willis Privott, the
minutes of the last meeting were
approved as prepared.
Incumbents Mayor Roy Harrell
and Councilman Privott were
administered the oath of office.
Both were unopposed in the Nov. 3
Municipal Election. Newly-elected
Councilmen Erwin Griffin and
James Fenner were also sworn
mM&i. 11
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Erwin Griffin
Commission Head Names Committee Members
W. B. Gardner, newly elected
chairman of Edenton Historical
Commission, has recently named
committee members and plans a
meeting of the various chairmen
at 8:30 A. M. Tuesday at the
Barker House Visitor Center
Museum.
“Under the fine leadership of
George Byrum, we have made
significant progress in
straightening out the finances of
the commission,” he noted in a
memo to commission members.
He said one of themest significant
steps was the establishment of the
Edenton Historical Foundation,
Inc.
Miss Spruill Receives FFA Honor
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Diana
Joy Spruill, of Roper joined an
elite group of Future Farmers of
America November 12. She
received the highest FFA degree
of membership - that of American
Farmer. Along with 779 other
outstanding FFA’ers, the Creswell
chapter member was honored at
the 54th National Convention in
Kansas City, Missouri.
Always a highlight of the con
vention, the American Farmer
Degree ceremony included the
presentation of a certificate and
gold key to Diana as she walked
across the convention stage in
K Jtftt&AS CITY 1
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vip
STUDENT HONORED - Bob Quick, National Secretary of the
Future Farmers of America, congratulates Diana Joy Spruill of
Roper on her achievement of the American Farmer Degree. The
degree was awarded in a ceremony at the 54th National FFA
Convention, held in Kansas City, Missouri November 12-14.
Edenton, North Corolina. Thursday. November 19, 1981
into office by the Clerk of Superior
Court, Lena M. Leary. Coun
cilmen giving up seats were
James Ricks and Gil Burroughs.
The first order of business was
the nomination and election of a
Mayor Pro Tem. A motion was
made by Councilman Fenner
that Steve Hampton be named to
this position. No other
nominations were made and
Hampton was elected
unanimously.
The appointments of commit
tees by Mayor Harrell was
Hi \
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■rnrt
James Fenner
In order to get the foundation
functioning, Gardner has named
Norm Bullard, vice chairman, to
act as liaison between the com
mission and the foundation. He
noted his intent to have Bullard
become president of the foun
dation.
Gardner listed three other
priorities. They are:
1- of the purchase
of the Ziegler House;
2- for the proper use
and function of the new property
as well as die Barker 'House
Visitor Center-Museum; and
3- with the 400th
Anniversary Committee in
front of thousands of FFA
members. Immediately following
the ceremony, the members heard
an address by farm broadcaster
Orion Samuelson.
The American Farmer program
is sponsored through the National
FFA Foundation by J. I. Case, A
Tenneco Company; Federal Land
Banks; the Chevrolet Division,
General Motors Corporation;
Pioneer Hi-Bred International,
Inc.; and Production Credit
Associations. Their contributions
made possible cash travel awards
to Kansas City, a special breakfast
to honor the recipients, and the
gold key.
next. Appointed to the Committee
on Finance and Revenue was
Steve Hampton, Chairman;
Councilman Privott, and Coun
cilman Griffin.
Appointed to the Committee of
Utilities was Councilman Privott,
Chairman; Hampton and Coun
cilman Hollowell.
Appointed to the Committee on
Public Works was Councilman
Fenner, Chairman and Coun
cilman Griffin.
Appointed to the Tree Com
mittee was Councilman Hollowell,
Chairman and Councilman
Homthal.
Town Administrator Sam Noble
was named to the Airport Com
mission Liaison and the two
Council representatives appointed
to the Recreation Advisory
Committee were Griffin as
Chairman and Fenner.
Mayor Roy Harrell recom
mended that the Administrator set
up at least one meeting per month
for each committee.
A public hearing was held
concerning the Coastal Area
Management Act Land
Development Plan Update for the
Town of Edenton. The update was
planning the protracted
celebration.
The chairman is passing up
usual form in not appointing of
ficers to chair standing com
mittees. He feels this will increase
participation from those members
who are not officers. Also, in order
Continued On Page 4
West W. Byrum, Jr.
West Byrum, Jr.
Gets Re-Elected
ELIZABETH CITY - West W
Byrum, Jr., of Edenton, has been
named to a new four-year term on
the board of the Albemarle Mental
Health Center. Also, at a meeting
last week, he was re-elected board
chairman.
Byrum, an Edenton insurance
executive and community leader,
has been active with the area
center board for a number of
years.
Another Edentonian, George
Jones is board treasurer. Jones is
a member of Chowan County
commissioners.
Jack Harris, Elizabeth City
executive with Peoples Bank &
Trust Company, is vice chairman
of the board. Sam Shaw of Camden
is secretary.
.Charles Franklin of Elizabeth
City is director of the multi-county
mental health program.
Toll Free Line
Is Established
Beginning November 16, anyone
observing a Marine Fisheries
violation, anywhere along the
coast, can call free to report the
incident.
The toll free number is 1-800-682-
2632, it will be in operation 7 A. M.
to 11 P. M., seven days a week.
The calls will go to the Division
Continued On Page 4
Single Cooias 20 C«nt«
prepared' by John Ferren of
Ferren Planning Group in
Greenville, N.C., and the update
was approved by the Council.
The Administrative and
Departmental reports, along with
a committee report from the
'Utility Committee was heard and
approved by the Council.
In new business, George Howe,
a representative of the In
ternational City Management
Association Retirement Corp.,
discussed his firm’s deferred
compensation plan.
Edgar Johnson, a CPA with
Johnson and Miller, Certified
Public Accountants, presented a
detailed report of the Town audit
for 1980-81. The expenditures were
$130,000 under the budget. Johnson
commended the Town
bookkeeping system, and was high
in praise of the tax collection ratio
of 95 per cent.
Stan Hege, the representative on
Operation Overcharge, discussed
the recent electrical wholesale
rate refund to the Town of Edenton
by Vepco, and also talked about
Operation Overcharge’s budget
for the next fiscal year.
A motion was made by the
Council and seconded that Chris
Bean be appointed as Town At
torney.
The Council approved the
awarding of bids for a SCADA
(peak load amanagement)
system.
in the final item of business, the
Council approved the final sub
division plans presented by
Thomas Francis on land located
on Mexico Road just west of the
Albemarle Street overpass.
Penalties Are Assessed
Three individuals and two
corporations in Northeastern
North Carolina have been
assessed $9,250 in civil penalties
for violating air and water
regulations of the Division of
Environmental Management.
Ocean Acres Utility, Inc., in
Dare County was assessed $4,000
in civil penalties for violating
effluent limitations. C. F. In
dustries, Inc., of Tunis was
assessed $2,000 for violations of
their wastewater discharge
permit on the Chowan River.
The three individuals were cited
for violation of open burning
regulations. Larry Larabee of
Perquimans County was assessed
an SI,BOO penatly. Fred Suter of
Tyrrell County received an $1,400
assessment and SSO was assessed
to Harold Lawrence of Bertie
County.
The Ocean Acres assessment
was for eight violations of
discharge permit limitations on
solids, bacteria and oxygen
demand in March and June, 1981.
The assessment followed an April
letter from the Division to the
utility which spelled out needed
repairs and a 60 day completion
schedule. All repairs are not yet
completed.
The penalty for C. F. Industries
is for four violations of monthly
and daily limits on total nitrogen
Printing Early
As is the custom, The
Chowan Herald will go to
press a day early next week
due to the Thanksgiving
Holiday.
The deadline for both news
and advertising will be 12-
noon on Monday. The
newspaper will be
distributed to local outlets
Tuesday night and circulated
to subscribers by mail on
Wednesday.
News items not received
by the deadline will appear
the following week.
Tom Cross, Jr.
Cross Joins
Local Firm
Tom Cross, Jr., a native of
Edenton, this week was named
general manager of Portfolio
Specialists, 913 North Broad
Street. The announcement was
made by W. B. Gardner, senior
partner of the firm.
Gardner said Cross has worked
for the company for the past few
months and his achievement
record has been such that he was
•considered to be good
management potential. “We feel
Tom will add new vitality to
Portfolio Specialists,” Gardner
said.
The company is a sales
representative for vinyl and
related products manufactured by
Northeastern Printcrafters, Inc.
Also, in recent months Portfolio
Specialists has expanded to offer
imprinted wearable and related
products.
Cross was a sales representative
for several firms and was based in
Raleigh. He is a graduate of John
A. Holmes High School and
College of the Albemarle in
Elizabeth City.
His parents are Mr. and Mrs.
Thomas Cross, Sr., North Broad
Street.
discharge. The two violations in
November, 1980, occurred as a
result of a cracked boiler coil
which introduced nitrogen-rich
water into the cooling system
which is eventually discharged to
the river. This problem resulted in
1,503 pounds of nitrogen reaching
the river on November 21 and 22.
The two April,- 1981, violations
were the result of an error by a
pump operator which caused the
discharge to be 45 pounds over the
daily permit limit and 19 pounds
over the monthly allowance.
The blanket permission for land
clearing burning was revoked for
Northeastern North Carolina in
December, 1980. Standards tor
issuing burning permits for land
clearing in this area weft;
established on January 22 to
control air pollution from the
burning of organic soil by
regulating the scheduling, con
centration and composition of land
clearing fires in northeastern
counties. Lawrence was cited for a
February 26 fire on his property.
No permit had been sought.
On two dates in June, Larabee
added debris and filled breaks in a
Continued On Page. 4
New Rec Director
To Assume Post
A new Parks and Recreation
Director was named in Edenton at
a Town Council meeting held on
Nov. 12. Robbie Laughton,
previously employed as the
Recreation Director in Granite
Falls, N.C., was named for the
position.
According to Edenton’s Town
Administrator Sam Noble, there
were 27 applications for the job.
Five of the applicants were ih
terviewed, and of these “taughtbn
had the most experience; as
Director and in working w'ith
programs.”
Laughton, who has a BA degree
in Recreation Administration, has
had four years of administrative
experience in his field