First Snow
Since Christmas has become so
commercialized, about the best
time for the “kid” to come out is at
the first snow. There is just
something about the beauty it
makes the landscape, the purity of
everything it touches that creates
within us a special feeling.
Of course, like in everything else,
there can be too much of a good
thing. The results are the fender
benders and the loss of life. But
along the Public Parade there are
hardly enough of the crystals to
bring out the bad. That’s why the
thrill of a kid comes with the first
snow.
Snow is one of the marvels of
nature. The hundreds of thousands
of flakes it takes to turn an ugly
field of stubble into a thing of beau
ty. The tiny flakes catch on the
branches of shrubs and trees, on the
roadside weeds.
The first snow transforms into in
stant beauty railing on houses
which are in need of paint, yards
which should have been mowed just
one more time and driveways in
need of sand to fill a pot hole here
and there.
The dreariness of winter is sud
denly brought to life with the first
snow. The leafless branches make
forms which are limited only be
one’s imagination. And deep in
many a man’s thoughts is whether
or not he has enough dry wood to
get a roaring fire going before the
bridge game is over.
As we sit by the window and look
out upon an unspoiled yard, except
for a dog track here and there, the
realization of the absence of young
children at home takes a bit away
from the first snow. But then when
you leave the comfort of home into
the outside world, the joy is ex
perienced anew as a carrot-nosed
snowman stands as a sential in the
Tom Palmer yard.
The first snow! We’ve had it'now,
so let’s get on to other things, like
Spring.
Noted and Passed
The bed and breakfast trail Arch
and Jane Edwards blazed along die
PtjMic Parade with their Lord’s
ihnn ■ <J»11 .
rrqpnciora inn tiaa urutigut dttui
tional tourists to the area and is cat
ching on within and outside the
Albemarle Area.
Lords Proprietors’ is among like
facilities featured in the February
edition of Southern Living
Magazine. River Forest Manor, at
Belhaven, is another from Tar
Heelia to garner text and photos in
the widely circulated publication.
Lords Proprietors’ has already
expanded into an adjacent home.
Also, Trestle House Inn has open
ed at JC Ranch on Base Road, while
Tommy Wood is doing something
special with Mulberry Hill on
Albemarle Sound.
While the bed and breakfast idea
doesn’t suit the fancy of the hotel,
motel and restaurant associations,
the 1983 General Assembly did
adopt legislation for their licensing.
We think they will add to communi
ty while not taking any big bucks
from the traditional motels and
restaurants. If there is an attrac
tive bed and breakfast facility in a
town, especially along the Public
Parade, it will flag traffic which
other wise would pass us by.
Like the Lords Proprietors’, and
Trestle House Inn, Mulberry Hill
will be an asset. And the chamber
of commerce cannot afford to buy
the type advertising these facilities
give the community, whether it be
word-of-mouth or in Southern
living.
From Ft. Collins
One of our favorite subscribers
lives out in Ft. Collins, Colo. We lik
ed Dr. Neil S. Grigg the first time
we heard him speak about the algae
problem along the Public Parade.
He spoke with authority, not with a
forked tongue of a bureaucrat.
Because of his candor, not to
mention .hi* vast amount of
knowledge, he has been one of the
few people in state government to
enjoy any degree credibility regar- ;
ding a very, very sore subject along
the Public Parade.
When Gov. James B. Hunt, Jr.,
announced that cleaning up of the
Chowan River was his administra
tion’s No. 1 environmental priority,
Dr. Grigg had already started the
proper action plan which involves
people from the lay community as
well as scientists. As assistant
Continued On Page 4
FIRST SNOW—Although the north end of the county received most of Monday’s snow, the Cupola
House Garden did get a light dusting. The snow gently bent branches in the garden and covered the
top of the arbor.
Unexpected Holiday
Edenton-Chowan school students
got a surprise day and a half off
from school this week because of
the snow storm that moved into the
area Monday February 6.
A light snow began falling in the
county around 9 A.M. Throughout
the morning hours the snow
became mixed with rain and sleet,
but by 11 A.M. the snow began to
get heavy.
At 12:30 the schools were closed
and the students sent home.
Snow continued to fall throughout
the day and while accumulation
was light in town, the county receiv
ed over three inches of the white
stuff.
A ride up the county to check the
road conditions on Monday night
around 10 o'clock convinced school
superintendent Dr. John Dunn to
keep the schools closed on Tuesday.
Dr. Dunn said that he was surpris
ed at the amount of snow he saw
around the Center Hill Crossroads
area. #
He also said that when he left his
home in the Country Club Drive
area, the sky was clear and the
stars* were out. By the time he
reached the Crossroads area it was
snowing again.
On Wednesday all the roads were
clear and schools were back in ses
sion. The snow day will be made up
during Easter week which begins
on April 22.
Drivers in the area handled the
snow with relative ease.
The Chowan County Sheriff’s
Department said that although
close to 20 accidents occured as a
result of the snow, no serious in
juries were reported. Edenton
Police Cheif Parrish said that only
one snow-related accident occured
within the city limits. He said that
little damage was done to the vehi
cle involved and that no one was
hurt in the mishap.
Volume XLVIII-No. 55
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, February 9, 1984
Single Copies 25 Cents
Council Meets
The Town Council Thursday
authorized L. E. Wooten and Co. to
sub-contract Law Engineering and
Testing Company to conduct soil
tests on two sites for the proposed
land application system.
In order for the town to finalize
site selection and begin the
$7-million project, a soils investiga
tion is required by the Environmen
tal Protection Agency.
The two, sites now under con
sideration are=approximately 750
acres east of the Municipal Airport
and the Small site, approximately
640 acres northwest of Edenton.
“The Small site was not available
when we originally considered
alternative sites,” according to
Town Administrator Sam Noble.
“Site selection will be determin
ed by a comparison of application
rate and acceptable cost,” Noble
said.’
It will take 60 days orr more to
complete testing on the two sites at
a cost of $16,290. The town will pay
7>/2 per cent of the total cost of
testing.
Should a third site need to be
evaluated, the cost will increase to
a total of $23,880 for the three sites.
Following the testing phase, and
before site selection is finalized, the
council will meet with Buck Ken
nedy of L. E. Wooten and Co. and
have a second public hearing.
Noble suggested that the public
hearing might be held as early as
April 3.
In further action, the Council ap
proved a contract with
Southeastern Consulting Engineers
for a study of the feasibility of the
municipality generating its own
power. The peak generation study
will be made at a cost of $3,830.
1984 OFFICERS - At the first 1984 meeting of the Edenton-Chowan Chamber of Commerce the
Board of directors elected officers for the year. The officers are (from left to right) John Dowd of
John Dowd and Associates, Vice President-Elect; Jack Habit of State Farm Insurance Companies
Vice President - Internal Affairs; Bruce Gillikin, Vice President and City Executive of Peoples
Bank, President; and Clearence Leary of Leary Brothers Storage, Vice President - External Af
fairs. Gillikin will move into the presidency, replacing Tom Shepard who served throughout 1983.
t
Lois Jordan
“sincere interest in education ”
C. B. Smith
“even higher standards of education”
Harriet “Dee" Flannery J. M. “Jim” Criddle
“prepared to look objectively” “salaries need to be increased"
Four Candidates Vie For Board of Education
Five candidates filed to run for
the 1st Township seat on the
Edenton-Chowan Board of Educa
tion during the last two days of the
filing period which ended at noon
Monday, February 6.
J. M. “Jim” Criddle, Alice P.
Jones, Lois Jordan, C. B. Smith and
Dr. Harriet “Dee” Flannery were
the last minute filers.
Jones withdrew leaving four can
didates to vie for the seat current
ly occupied by Dr. John Horton. Dr.
Horton has served on the School
Board for the maximum number of
terms which he is allowed.
The election will take place dur
ing the May 8th Primary.
This has turned out to be the on
ly election race in Chowan County
this year. Running unopposed for
seats on The Board of County Com
missioners are incumbent Alton
Elmore, 1st District, and Wayne R.
Goodwin, who is running for the
seat currently held by Barbara
Ward.
Also running unopposed are in
cumbent School Board member
Cecil Fry, Marjorie Hollowell,
Clerk of Court and Anne R. Spruill,
Register of Deeds.
The four candidates running for
the 1st Township seat on the School
Board were asked to make
statements for the Herald.
Here are their replies:
Jim Criddle: “I believe that our
schools are in need of repair. The
School Board is going in the right
direction; we must make the
repairs.
Teachers salaries need to be
increased.
The size of some classrooms are
too large and I think that if we are
mim—■miiflniniiliinniKiilininiirnrofiinflnriiinniiiinininoiinninrunffc
to continue to increase the quality
of education in the county that the
residents of Chowan County must
make up their minds to support
such an effort."
Harriet “Dee” Flannery: “A
community’s capacity for con
tinued growth and prosperity is
measured by the level at which its
citizens are willing to participate in
its improvement. My decision to
run for the Board of Education is
based on my desire to contribute to
Chowan County in the manner I feel
my experience would be of most
value.
My exposure to the educational
process spans a wide range of
levels and settings, both as a stu
dent and teacher. I hope this will
enable me to bring to the Board
new perspectives on how best to
achieve a standard of educational
excellence in the county public
school system. «,
In a time when the quality of
science education is receiving
special attention nationwide, I offer
my particular expertise in the
sciences.
Most importantly, the decisions
facing the Board of Education will
require a high level of critical and
analytical ability if we are to make
the most productive use of our
monetary and human resources. I
am prepared to look objectively at
our county’s educational strengths f
and weaknesses, identify problem
areas, seek and find solutions, and
decide how best to implement
decisions.”
Lois Jordan: “I am a candidate
for the Edenton - Chowan Board of
Education primarily because of my
sincere interest in the education of
children.
I feel that my being a member of
the Edenton - Chowan Board of
Education will enhance the overall
quality of education in Chowan
County.”
C. B. Smith: ‘My straight
forward and constructive approach
can best be understood by the plat
form which follows:
1. Strive for even higher stan
dards of education to meet the
needs of all students. 2. Develop a
close association with teachers
regarding salary and position to in
sure the self-satisfaction needed to
make them more effective in
teaching their students. 3. Pro
vide a businessman’s approach to
spending tax dollars. 4. Evaluate
and upgrade facilities. 5. See that
more sales tax dollars are put to
work in the school system. 6.
Work toward greater understan
ding and cooperation between the
Board of Education and County
Commissioners. 7. Stress parent
awareness and involvement with
their children and their school
activities.
County Authorizes $471,000
The Chowan County Commis
sioners authorized the Board of
Education to proceed with the
design and construction of the first
priority of Stage I of their capital
outlay program.
In their regular monthly meeting
Monday, the Commissioners ap
propriated $471,000, including the 40
per cent funding available to the
Board of Education by imposition
of the state half-cent sales tax.
The Commissioners stipulated
that, upon completion of the project
and the planned relocation of
students from Swain to Walker
Schools, the Board will turn over
the Swain facilities and lot to the
County at no additional cost.
Under the first priority of Stage
, I of the capital outlay program the
following renovations and comtruc
tion are planned: conversion of the
shop area into a media center, con
version of the existing library into
classrooms, conversion of the home
economics area into classrooms,
construction of band and music
facilities into a gym, conversion of
science lab into classrooms, site
renovations, and construction of
two exceptional children
classrooms.
In other action, the Commis
sioners agreed that it would be un
wise to participate in a law suit
regarding the Lake Gaston
withdrawl issue. Although the Com
missioners reiterated their concern
for the impact any withdrawl from
Lake Gaston might have on the
Chowan River, they agreed that
multiple law suitson the same ac
Continucd On Page I