They're Off!
The Democratic . Primary
election is now definite. It will be
held on June 29, which is little
more than six weeks away.
This will be an unusual election
along the Public Parade due to the
absence of a race for the State
Senate and House. Sen. J. J.
(Monk) Harrington of Lewiston is
running unopposed for another
two-year term. Such is also the
case for Reps. Vernon James of
Pasquotank and Charles Evans of
Dare. '
There is no lack of candidates on
the Chowan County scene. Races
have developed for three seats on
the Chowan County Board of
Commissioners as well as open
positions for the Edenton-Chowan
Board of Education.
So, they’re off in all directions
and there’s a lot of fair game
available between now and
election day-June 29. Voters have
ample time to ask questions and
obtain firm answers from the
candidates. By such a dialogue the
election will have substance and
not be merely a personality
contest.
In these serious economic times,
there is no way elected officials, or
would-be candidates, can be all
things to all people. This is es
pecially true along the Public
Parade this year because 1982 is
the year of property revaluation.
While revaluation is a necessary
evil, it should be used to obtain
more equal values for tax pur
poses than as a vehicle to open up
the budget.
The cost of government is hit by
inflation harder than in much of
the private sector. Budgeting
becomes more of a guessing
game, or poker at the highest
stakes. Those in places of
authority must guard against
governing with emotion. And if the
tax value of property doubles we
cannot expect the tax rate to be
cut in half and the same services
be provided. Chowan County of
ficials played politics with the tax
rate eight years ago, at probably
the worse time ever, and the
ouatake has finally been corrected
through prudent management.
Two of the three candidates
seeking to unseat incumbents on
the county commission have been
closely identified with education.
The incumbents they oppose
cannot be painted as anti
education, for the local con
tribution to the school budget
stands well with other counties of
our nature throughout Tar Heelia.
This is not to say that the op
ponents of existing board mem
bers are running on a pure
education platform; but they will
have to answer hard questions
about their positions on county
matters in general. And as in most
instances, money alone won’t
solve all the problems of the
county.
Likewise, candidates for the
school board must tell the voters
how they will conduct themselves.
They can’t get by with saying they
are for a better school system.
This is like being in favor of
motherhood and apple pie. In
times of economic depression
those in leadership positions must
be innovative to a greater degree.
Candidates must be asked how
they would accomplish more, or at
least the same, with fewer dollars.
There are a lot of needs along
the Public Parade. All of them
cannot be met in a year or two, or
even a decade. Planning is Im
portant and it must be realisticly
approached. Priorities must be
established, but not set in con
crete. Goals need to be
achieveable. And political can
didates must be evaluated on what
they can do, based .on the best
answers they give to searching
questions.
The voters have six weeks to
become familiar with the can
didate, who more often than not is
different from the same person
who wasn’t a candidate in the
past. The winners will shape the
future of this community, and to
elect someone second best just
because they can give you the
answers they think you want to
hear will be disasterous.
Continued On Page 4
■«
Bloodmobile To Visit Chowan Hospital Noon - 6 P.M. On May 18 - Quota: 150 Pints
Zoning Ordinance Amended By Town Council
By Richard Williams
The polite term is “tension.”
John Mitchener 111 spoke for some
twenty minutes supporting his
view on the Zoning Ordinance
laws. John Donovan administered
an opposing argument.
Mayor Roy Harrell, flanked by
his councilmen and a vacant seat
overlooked the large gathering in
his usual, calm fashion. Business
went on as usual.
Tuesday night Edenton Town
Council instilled a bit of optimism
in the hearts of this town’s youth,
as they voted unanimously to
amend the definition of game
parlors, and voted that these
games could be placed in any of
the four zoning districts.
The amendment states that
game parlors shall be allowed as a
permitted use in Highway Com
mercial, Shopping Center,
Downtown Commercial districts
and as a special use subject to the
Edenton Zoning Board of Ad
justments and appeals’ approved
in the Neighborhood Commercial
district.
Any more than two. machines in
808- 11 • BHL ■ B m B B at sill
/I l JL .JL JLi JL JL JL I MB
Volume XLVII - No. 18
B/.yv\ I H ■
NEW LOGO Chowan County has a new logo to be put on
display in Washington, D.C. John Becker, left, and Francis Inglis,
center, stand with C.A. Phillips, chairman of the Chowan County
Commissioners, around the new logo.
Unemployment Rate Slowing
RALEIGH-“North Carolina
experienced a broad decline in
insured unemployment rates in
April,” reports Chairman Glenn
R. Jemigan of the Employment
Security Commission.
According to Jernigan, rates
declined in 84 of the state’s
counties. “This leads us to believe
that a slow improvement in the
economy had begun,”he noted.
The state’s insured unem
ployment rate at 4.5 per cent in
April was down from the 5.3 per
cent figure for March. “While
conditions have improved/’
Clough Is New Belks Asst. Manager
George Moore, General Mer
chandise Manager tor Belk Tyler,
announces the appointment of
Edwin K. Clough as Assistant
Manager for Belk Tyler. In his
new assignment, Clough will be
responsible for general mer
chandising as well as operational
responsibilities for the store.
jilpsS
Edwin K. Clough
any one business would classify
the said business as a game
parlor, according to the amended
definition.
Vernon Austin, proprietor of
Ladall Distributor and Music
Center has four such machines in
his building. He expresses, “I wish
for my business to be exempted.”
Austin’s Machines were in-
Brandon Files
For House Seat
Thomas B. (Tom) Brandon, 111,
of Robersonville, announced
Friday that he has filed for a seat
in the U. S. House of Represen
tatives for the First Congressional
District of North Carolina.
Brandon, who is an attorney who
lives in Robersonville, stated that
if elected he would do his best to
represent all of the people in the
First District well, and added that
he would give the tobacco and
peanut farmers the quality of
representation that the nation’s
dairy farmers were getting.
Jemigan said, “the April rate is
significantly above the 2.8 per cent
experienced in April, 1981.”
The insured unemployment rate
in Chowan Couty last month was
equal to the statewide average.
Only two counties in the
Albemarle Area-Pasquotank
(3.3) and Dare (4.1)--were below
the Chowan figure.
The percentages in other area
counties were:
Camden, 9.4; Currituck, 7.1;
Gates, 7.1; Hyde, 7; Perquimans,
7.4; Tyrrell, 13.4; and Washington,
8.5.
Clough, a native of Virginia,
attended Bob Jones University,
Greenville, South Carolina and
numerous retail training schools
both with the Singer Corporation
and the Belk Organization. Clough
joined the Singer Company in 1947
and retired in 1979. At the time of
his retirement, he was manager of
the Singer Store in Hampton,
Virginia. Clough joined Belk Tyler
in the Elizabeth City Store as a
Division Merchandise Manager in
September of 1979. At the time of
his transfer to Edenton, he was
responsible for the buying,
promotion, and sales supervision
for piece goods, home furnishings,
housewares, fine china, crystal,
silver, electronics, and fine gifts.
Clough is married to the former
Vereda Keen of Wilmington,
Deleware and the couple have four
children: Edwin K., Jr. t Steven,
Stanley, and Alinda. Hie Cloughs
are planning to relocate to
Edenton from Elizabeth City.
stalled prior to the amendment of
the constitution. According to
Administrator Sam Noble, Austin
could plead his case under a
grandfather clause and not lose
any of his machines.
The Space Escape, where most
of the controversy centers, was a
game parlor located in downtown
Edenton. It occupied the old Roses
building for six months. In the fifth
month of its operation, Mitchener,
the owner of the building was
contacted by Home Security Life
Insurance Company. They ex
pressed an interest in renting the
building.
Mitchener then optioned to
move the Space Escape game
room across the corridor of the
two- part building. His attempt
was blocked by the Council
because the building did not meet
code restriction law standards.
“A game area doesn’t belong in
a historic district,” said Donovan.
It creates adverse affects on a lot
of our residents.”
In a rebuttal, Mitchener said, “a
game room is wholesome family
fun. It can be beneficial and an
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, May 13, 1982
Committee Selects Becker Drawing
A logo for Chowan County
depicting symbols of the county’s
characteristics, its history, ar
chitecture, government and
means of earning a living, has
been chosen. Much work by many
people has gone into the process of
creating this logo. Through ad
vertising, newspaper articles,
school projects and requests to
special individuals, suggestions
and drawings of proposed logos
were solicited. The response was
gratifying - drawings were
received from students and from
individuals throughout the county.
The Logo Committee, consisting
of John Becker, Chairman;
Elizabeth Moore, Brenda Win
borne, Keith McCleese, Fran
Ward and Frances Inglis, studied
each drawing. They made a list of
all items depicted in the drawings.
Then they decided which elements
Judge Beamon Presides Over May
Session Os District Court
The Chowan County District
Court met in a regular session
May 11 and was presided over by
Grafton G. Beamon. The following
cases were heard.
Emanuel Johnson, disobeying a
stop sign, $25 fine and cost of
court. Appealed.
John Henry Cooper, 45 MPH in a
35 MPH zone, $5 fine and cost of
court.
Calvin Ferebee, trespassing, 30
days suspended 12 months, sls fine
and cost of court.
Junious Blount, making a false
fire alarm call, 60 days suspended
2 years, $35 fine and cost of court,
restitution of $75 to the Town of
Edenton.
Fifty Participate
In Symposium
EDENTON - Fifty persons from
North Carolina, Virginia and
Maryland participated in the
recent sixth biennial Edenton
Symposium, “Southern Folk and
Decorative Arts Before the Civil
War.”
The event was co-sponsored by
the Edenton Historical Com
mission and the East Carolina
University Division of Continuing
Education.
Speakers included Carolyn
Weekly of the Abby Aldrich
Rockefeller Folk Art Center,
Williamsburg; John Bivins of the
Museum of Early Southern
Decorative Arts, Winston-Salem;
Dr. Charles Zug of UNC-Chapel
Hill and Dr. Thomas Parramore of
Meredith College.
Continued On Page 4
asset to the entire community.”
Littering up the streets from
kids became a major complaint
from many opposing the game
room.
“We don’t shut down grocery
stores because there is trash in the
parking lots; neither do we close
down historic monuments”
because of childplay, he said.
In financial matters it was
passed that the Council sell one
1972 Broadmore Mobile Home to
Chowan Hospital, Inc. for SI,OOO. It
was passed that the Council hire
Anderson, Benton, and Holmes,
Inc. to prepare a community
Development Block Grant ap
plication for a fee of $2,000. It was
Hospital To Host Bloodmobile
Chowan Hospital will host an
American Red Cross bloodmobile
in its educational wing on
Tuesday, from 12-noon to 6 P.M.
Sponsored by the Edenton
Jaycees, the drive is being held at
the hospital for the first time,
though the hospital will become
they thought both represented the
county best and also would show
up well on a logo.
Six artists were asked to submit
logos depicting these chosen
elements: 1) The name of the
county and state within an outer
circle, the names being separated 1
by small drawings of an
arrowhead and the Edenton tea
pot. 2) In the inner circle, the
county court house with the date of
the county’s founding, 1668, above
it. Below it, a fish representing the
fishing industry and waler-.
resources for recreation and three
distinctive crops: peanuts, corn
and cotton.
Six drawings were received -
Two of the committee members,
Keith McCleese and John Becker
had been asked to submit, so of
course they disqualified them
selves from judging. Additional
Jeifrey Wayne Vaughan, ex
ceeding posted speed limit and
improper equipment, S2O fine and
cost of court. Appealed.
M.R. Nixon, 4 counts of wor
thless checks, 20 days com
mittment $5 fine and cost of court
in each case, resitiutions of $12.87,
$11.37, $38.60, and $13.95.
Marvin Jordan, larceny of a
class ring, 60 days suspended 2
years, $lO fine and cost of court,
restitution of $152.58.
* ml
HERRING RUN PARTICIPANT This runner strides
towards the finish in one of the events in last weeks Herring Run.
Over 100 runners finished the events, and new records were set in
several of those events.
also passed by me Council that
they amend the “Town of Edenton
Pay and Classification Plan.”
Albemarle Ford was awarded
the bid for a 15 passenger van for
$11,450.
It was passed that the Council
accept a $47,000 grant offer from
the state to aid in the construction
of sewer lines in the Coke Avenue
area.
It was passed that the Council
grant Chowan County Hospital,
Inc. the land on which part of
Annex “C” is presently built with
the stipulation that the deed not be
signed until a deed is granted to
the Town of Edenton for the land
on which a water pumping station
is currently located on the site.
the permanent site of the Jaycees’
drive. Individuals needing ad
ditional information or wishing to
schedule an appointment for
donation should contact Bruce
Wacklin at 482-7436. The goal for
the drove is 150 units of blood.
Continued On Page 4
Single Copies 25 Cents
judges, Carol Sick, Jake Boyce
and Roland Vaughan joined the
committee in choosing John
Becker’s drawing as the winning
one. John Becker’s final rendition
incorporates ideas from the
drawings of several of the other
artists. This drawing was ap
proved and accepted by the
County Commissioners at their
May meeting
The logo will be used on county
vehicles, stationery, seals, etc. It
will appear in the Rotunda of the
-•-National Association of Counties
new building in Washington, D. C.
The logo there will be reproduced
on a small bronze plaque along
with one from each of the other
counties in the U.S.A.
All of the drawings submitted
from each artists, student and
adult, are on view at the Shepard-
Pruden Library. The committee is
grateful to each of these artists
whose efforts, together, have
produced a logo for Chowan
County.
Stewart Joins
Avoca Division
WINSTON-SALEM-John E.
Stewart has joined the Avoca
Division of RJR Technical
Company as a senior chemical
engineer.
Stewart is responsible for
process improvements and overall
technical support at the Avoca
Continued On Page 4