Different Folks
Officials of the court up in
Guilford County should be
drawing hazardous duty pay.
Twice in the past three months
defendants have shot themself in
Guilford County Superior Court.
A convicted rapist Friday chose
death to life in prison. The other
recent incident came when a
defendant in a child-support
hearing in the same court shot
himself, but not critically.
News reports indicate there
wasn’t nearly as much excitement
Friday as on December 10. That’s
understandable. The folks are
getting use to such courtroom
drama, which doesn’t speak well
of law enforcement in Guilford
County.
Thankfully, we have different
folks in law enforcement along the
Public Parade. The troops of
Sheriff Troy Toppin, Police Chief
J. D. Parrish and the State High
way Patrol exercise better
judgement that to let serious in
cidents happen in the courtroom in
the first place, and certainly not
twice.
1 About as far as anyone got with
pulling something over on Sheriff
Toppin was the defendant who
appeared in court pretty well
drunk. The sheriff noted that the
man favored his right side. Later
it was determined that he had a
bottle of vodka inside his pants,
enough to finish him off before
being jailed.
And speaking about the dif
ference of folks along the Public
Parade, we returned home from a
meeting recently to find we had
been “pounded”. It came just two
weeks after we had been surprised
with a “welcome to Country Club
Drive" party at our house, thrown
by our new neighbors.
For those meandering along thfe
Public Parade too young to
remember the art of “pounding”
we want to say you have missed a
lot.
When a new preacher came to
town, about every two to four
years if you are a Methodist, the
congregation had a “pounding”
where enough good foodstuff is
given to fill up a pantry.
Generally, though, the practice
is reserved for preacher, so you
can see why we were rendered
speechless by a recent event. We
learned that Sheriff Troy and
Earline Toppin had visited while
we were away. (We were at a
political meeting which would
have generally captured the
sheriff’s attention, by he doesn’t
have opposition this year.)
The Toppins had generously
shared canned goods, meats,
potatoes, etc., with us. It was the
latest in many, many expressions
of love and concern where w<
have been on the receiving end
since our double tragedy in
mid-July.
Yep, there are delightfully
different folks along the Public
Parade than to be found anywhere
else with such quality and in such
quantity.
Now You Know
A case can be made for and
against salary supplements for
public school staff. And while it is
doubtful that the $l5O extra given
teachers along the Public Parade
helps capture special talent
sought, the custom has remained
in almost sacred proportions.
The N. C. Education Association
Bulletin this month devotes
considerable space to the question
of salary supplements.
It is interesting to note, for
i example, that Edenton-Chowan
ranks 13th in Tar Heelia in
superintendent’s supplement,
which is $4,350.
The local system’s former
superintendent, Dr. Eddie West, is
now drawing die second highest
supplement at High Point. His
$20,604 is just $24 less than that
paid at Durham City, which pays
1 the most in the state.
The highest state salary is
$39,756 and currently no
superintendent is at the
n^vimnm
There are five systems in North
Carolina which do not pay a
supplement to the superintendent.
They are: Bertie. Cherokee. Clay,
Mitchell and Polk counties. Bertie
1 County, even without extra cash
Com United On Page 4
Kennedy Offers Sewage System Assessment
Eden ton’s sewer system, a
subject both controversial and
badly in need of repair, has been
the main topic of late among area
residents. A. L. (Buck) Kennedy,
vice president at L. E. Wooten and
Co., which is Edenton’s new
consulting firm, spoke at a
Rotary Club meeting last week in
Edenton and addressed the
Edenton Town Council later that
*2
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SPEAKS AT ROTARY CLUB Guest speaker at last week’s
Rotary Club meeting was Buck Kennedy of L. E. Wooten and Co.
Kennedy explained the advantage of a land application type
system and answered questions on the system.
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Vol. XLVII - No. 8 Edonton. North Carolina, Thursday, February 25, 1982 Single Copies 25 Cents
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Clara Boswell
Incumbents To Face Stiff Opposition
The date has not yet been set for
the upcoming primary election in
Chowan County, but the battlefield
has.
Sheriff Troy Toppin and Clerk of
Court Lena M. Leary are the only
two seeking re-election that won’t
face opposition.
In the election for Chowan
County Commissioners, in
cumbent C. A. Phillips will be
opposed by Warren Twiddy. In-
Grants Are Made
To State Hospitals
Trustees of The Duke En
dowment have made grants to 178
hospitals in North and South
Carolina totaling $1,917,634 for
charity care and for participation
of the hospitals in two national
data gathering services.
Chowan Hospital received a
total of $8,476. Broken down this is
allocated with $4,582 for the short
term care facility and $3,894, for
the long-term care beds.
Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth
City received $14,689.
Officials of The Endowment
noted that charity care bed days
increased by 1.1 per cent over the
1980 figure which reflects a
growing problem few hospitals.
The contributions follow the
directions of The Duke En
dowment’s founder, James B.
Duke, who, during his lifetime,
made grants to hospitals on the
basis of $1 per day for each day of
charity care delivered.
During 1981 grants totaling
$35.6-million were directed toward
the beneficiaries selected by
Duke. Grants to all beneficiaries
since 1924 total $574-million.
,
evening on the subject of land
application as a means of sewage
disposal.
After assessing the current
situation of the sewer system to
the Council, Kennedy said, “That
puts you back at looking at land
applications.” (Note: A land
application sewer system is when
treated wastewater is sprayed
across a large area of land and
•f#
Jerald Perry
cumbent J. D. Peele will be faced
by Clara Boswell, and incumbent
George Jones will square off
against Joe Hollowell.
In the School Board vacancies
for the Second Township. Billy
Ray Nixon will run against
Yvonne A. Smith.
The competition for the School
Board First Township seat is hot
and heavy. Opposing each other
are Allen B. Harless, Jane Un
derkofler, Jerald Perry and John
A. Mitchener, 111.
Clara Boswell, seeking election
as a County Commissioner, is the
principal, and one of the
organizers of the Edenton-Chowan
Alternative School. She is an
active member of the National
Association of Secondary School
Prinicpals and is presently ser
ving as Vice-Chairman of the local
principal’s association.
An active member of the N. C.
Association of Educators, having
served as past treasurer and
secretary, she has many honors to
her credit. Among these include
being a member of the Edenton
Business and Professional
Women’s Club, serving as past
president and director of District
XI, and was involved with
numerous working committees.
She was selected as BPW Club
Woman of the Year for 1973. Mrs.
Boswell is a past Matron of the
Edenton Chapter No. 302 Order of
the Eastern Star and has served as
District Deputy Grand Matron for
the First District of N. C. Order of
the Eastern Star.
Mrs. Boswell first came to
Chowan County in 1954 as
Assistant Home Extension Agent,
and since that time has taught
science at Holmes High School and
allowed to settle back into the
earth.)
The Council hired J. N. Pease
and Associates back in 1974 to
come up with a sewer facility plan
to either replace or upgrade
Edenton’s 20-year-old plant.
The Charlotte-based firm came
up with a plan, but it took almost
four years to have it completed,
approved and certified. The state
Division of Environmental
Management was blamed by
Pease officials for causing the
delay by their slow response in
issuing discharge standards
needed to prepare the preliminary
(dan.
After the plan was certified, the
town began saving funds to help
finance the upgrading of the sewer
system. Edenton’s cost in the
$3.46-million project would have
been $432,650.
Feeling confident that the final
steps in completing proposal for
construction funds was close at’
hand, Edenton called on Pease
again in 1979 to perform a
preliminary survey of the current
facilities, with concentration on
the sewer lines.
Pease finished their study of
existing lines and pumping
stations in 1980. However, two
major changes took place that
year that sent the past six years
work down the drain, literally.
The Chowan River was declared
a nutrient-sensitive body of water
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Allen B. Harless
Chowan High School until
becoming principal in 1977. She
has been very involved in state
student government and serves on
the Governor’s Committee for
Positive Youth Development. She
helped organize the Chowan Co.
Youth Task Force and has served
as chairman and is an active
member. She is presently involved
with the Community Crime
Watch, having served as Vice-
Chairman during its first year of
organization.
Mrs. Boswell is a member of
Ballard’s Bridge Baptist Church
and has served as Training Union
Director and Sunday School
Teacher.
She and her husband, W. Elton
Boswell, Sr., live in the Small’s
Crossroads community.
Allen B. Harless, Jr., candiate
for the Edenton-Chowan School
Board from the First Township, is
a native of Edenton and a local
general insurance agent
associated with Kellogg-Morgan
Agency, Inc.
Active in community and civic
affairs, Harless currently serves
in the following capacities: Public
Relations Committee for the In-
Continued On Page 4
Democratic Party Caucus Is Planned For March 11th
Democrats from Chowan
County will caucus at their
prednct polling {daces on March
11, at 8 P.M., Lueta Sellers, Chair
of the Chowan County Democratic
Party announced today. Any
cegistered Democrat is eligible to
attend.
“These precinct meetings
represent grass-roots democracy
in action,” Sellers said.
Democrats all over North
by the state Division of En
vironmental Management and the
(J. S. Environmental Protection
Agency in November of 1980. This
meant that all towns along the
lower Chowan River Basin, in
cluding Edenton, that had been
discharging treated sewage in the
river could no longer do so.
The original Pease plan, which
had been developed under
discharge guidelines issued in
1976, was now obsolete, and the
town was advised to consider land
application as means of a new
sewer system.
Edenton made a request for
funds to amend the original sewer
plan and adapt it to land ap
plication specifications and for
funds to enter into the second
stage, the actual repairing of
existing sewer lines, on its existing
facilities.
These requests were made
under the reign of a new president,
however. The plan to clean sewer
lines was not acted upon by the
regional EPA office in Atlanta.
Funding for the amendment to the
land application plan was ap
proved by the federal government
in July of 1981, however.
Edenton was in for a surprise,
though, and not a very good one.
By this time the cost of building a
new land application sewage
system had jumped to $9.33-
million.
Bill Gardner, Edenton’s Town
Continued On Page 4
Mrs. Fran Ward Is Recipient
Os Local BPW Award
Last Thursday night marked the
long awaited Bosses’ Night that is
annually sponsored by the
Edenton Business and
Professional Women’s Club. The
excited guests, club members and ;
their bosses arrived at the
American Legion Building with
one main thought in mind, “Who
will be the 1981 Woman of the
Year”?
The building was decorated in
yellow and lime green with green
ivy draping each of the long white
tables.
The theme of the evening was
“Decade For Decision: Global
Perspectives”. Each person’s role
in the overall economic, social and
political order was carried
throughout the night.
The BPW President, Hettie
Wallace, presided over the
1981 WOMAN OF THE YEAR Beth Taylor, right, introducing
Frances Ward as the recipient of the BPW’s honorary award at
last Thursday night’s Bosses’ Night Banquet.
Carolina will be gathering to elect
delegates to their county
Democratic convention and to
discuss and pass resolutions on
issues that concern them.”
Sellers stressed that the
Democratic Party is seeking
broad participation in its meetings
&t both the precinct and county
level. “It is our goal to hold
meetings in every precinct in the
county and to continue to build on
js Hr k
Emily B. Byrum
Byrum Joins
Hospital Board
Chowan Hospital’s Board of
Directors recently welcomed
Emily Byrum as a new member of
its Board. The length of her ap
pointment is three years, at which
time she will be eligible for one 3-
year reappointment period.
Activities of Mrs. Byrum’s in
clude serving as bookkeeper for
the Albemarle Cotton Growers’
Co-op and for Byrum Farms, Inc.
She is secretary of the Chowan
Junior High School PTA, chair
man of the Recreation Committee
of Rocky Hock Community
Continued On Page 4
banquet and called the meeting to
order. The invocation was led by
Louise Goodwin; then Julia
Hassell with her welcoming ad
dress.
A delectable roast beef dinner
was served by the dedicated
American Legion members.
The John A Holmes High School
Stage Band, under the direction of
Otis Strother was the night’s
entertainment and entertainment
it was for all. These young band
members showed an enormous
amount of talent and ability. Their
performance of “Over the
Rainbow”, left an impression in
every attending ear.
Featured next was the guest
speaker who was introduced by
Martha Jo Hollowell. Barbara
Perry, the director of Public
Continued On Page 4
this strength at the county con
vention. We urge all Democrats to
attend these meetings and to show
their interests in good govern
ment.”
Chairwoman Sellers also urges
Democrats to remember the
Income Tax Check-Off on their
income tax forms-SI.OO for in
dividual returns and $2.00 for
husband and wife returns.