Noted And Passed
A couple of weeks ago our
favorite Sunday newspaper of
general circulation along the Public
Parade featured a local boatworks.
Last week, the area’s reputation for
being strong in the floating market
was expanded in a TV news clip
which highlighted a second
manufacturer.
Tanzer Yachts is a sailboat
manufacturer which prides itself in
quality, not quantity. The same is
true of Albemarle Boats, which
turns out a select variety of com
bination fishing sport motor boats.
Tanzar, with Barbara Hendee as
general manager, has
demonstrated staying power in the
sailboat business. A great deal of
this can be attributed to the design
of the product, but moreso to the
personal touch which a few craft
smen apply at the plant near Eden
ton Municipal Airport.
The company was the subject of
a feature article in a recent edition
of The Daily Advance, which is
published in the Isle of Pasquotank,
but which is considered our “local”
daily newspaper.
The Raleigh Boat Show has turn
ed into one of the biggest on the
East Coast and this year was in
competition with one in Tidewater
Virginia. However, the belle of the
ball in Raleigh turned out to be a
new 27-foot Albemarle fishing-sport
craft manufactured by Scott Har
rell and his crew at Edenton
Marina.
Scott founded the boatworks here
only a few years ago and vowed to
stick to a single model. Customer
acceptance was so great that he
“just had to try something a little
bigger”. Then came one a tad big
ger and now the 27-footer which
retails in the fifty grand class.
The N.C. State Fairgrounds was
filled with boats of all makes and
sizes last week. But WRAL-TV,
Channel 5, picked out the one by
Albemarle Boats to feature on a
newcast Thursday night. Knowing
-and .jaathusia&Us -
associates that didn't happen by
chance. If anyone sees Charlie Gad
dy or Karen Scott in an
Albemarle-27 we’ll know!
Economic Disaster
The announcement earlier this
week that a peat-to-methanol fuel
conversion plant wouldn’t be built
in Northeastern North Carolina is
an economic disaster. The op
ponents to the controversial plant
may be overjoyed in their “vic
tory” but when the final total but
ton is pushed the loss to the
Albemarle Area of Tar Heelia will
be much greater than the estimated
$15-million lost by investors. .
Two of the immediate losers, in
addition to the investors who will
take a handsome tax deduction, will
be Washington County and First
Colony Farms. The plant was to be
located in the county and First Col
ony was to supply the peat to fuel
the plant.
Among the other losers will be
the hundreds of people who would
have been employed during the
construction of the plant, as well as
those who would have had perma
nent jobs once it went into opera
tion. Furthermore, the promise of
less expensive fuel cannot be
overlooked.
From the outset the ground rules
called for the proponents to garner
no favors, environmental or other
wise, from the State of North
Carolina. They asked for none, and
by the time the cost got beyond the
benefit stage Monday, nearly half
of the needed permits had been
granted on their merits.
There was a hint that the project
might be in deep trouble a couple
of weeks ago when a “noted scien
tist” published a report which
declared that the area contained
only about one-fourth the an
ticipated amount of peat. We doubt
the validity of this report for we
don’t beleive First Colony Farms is
run by people who would in ten- i
tionally mislead anyone; nor could
they snooker a consortium of in
dividuals of great wealth and com
panies comparable to Koppers.
Peat Methanol Associates, in
Which Koppers invested heavily,
had a solid foundation. This is
evidenced by the fact that it i
ed many cut-offs by the i
Continued On Page 4
... .-•* .
PPM
Volume XLVIII-No. 57
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, February 23, 1984
Single Copies 25 Cents
Conversion Causes Food Stamp Delay
By Maru Amburn
Chowan County food stamp reci
pients can expect a delay in obtain
ing their March stamp benefits as
the county is added to the state’s
centralized computer system for
the food stamp program.
A food stamp household could see
a week-long delay in the first
month, when the county is in the
process of converting to the new
system.
“I hope people will plan for the
difference in delivery time,” Hazel
SURPLUS COMMODITIES — Over 570 households benefited
from last Wednesday’s distribution of honey, butter, cheese, dry
milk, and corn meal at the County Storage facility on Dicks Street.
Targeted households were those that receive food stamp, AFDC,
and WIC allotments.
Elliott, County Social Services
Director said, “It will probably be
hard the first month.”
Elliott said that under the old
system, authorization cards were
mailed by the county and arrived
between the first and the tenth of
each month.
_Continued On Page 4
Insurance Rates'
Are Investigated
The Albemarle Commission met
Thursday February 16 in the
ARPDC/Perquimans Co. Office
Building in Hertford with Bill Cox
presiding.
Don Flowers, Executive Director
of the Commission said that the
commission is looking into the
possibility of the ten counties join
ing together to purchase hospitiliza
tion insurance from one company.
He explained that buying insurance
from one company would lower
premium rates.
In his status report Flowers an
nounced that any building that
receives county funds must be
made more accessible to handicap
ped persons by October 17 in order
to participate in revenue sharing.
In other business, Fiscal
manager Mary Lou Ownley
presented a budget amemdment
that J.T.P. A. funds be added to the
budget.
Judge Chaffin Presides Over Docket
The Chowan County, District
Court was in session February 21
with the Honorable John T. Chaffin
presiding over the criminal
calendar.
Everette Bonner Small was found
guilty of allowing a dog to run at
large. He was sentenced to 30 days
suspended 2 years on the condition
he pay a fine of $50 and cost of
court.
Sabrina DeLoatch was called and
failed to show on charges of pass
ing worthless checks.
Charlie Joe Britt was found guil
ty of breaking and entering and
assualting a female. The charges
were consolidated for judgement.
He was commited for 24 months.
Charlie Edward Wills was found
The North Carolina Symphony
Performance Is Set For Tonight
The North Carolina Symphony
will make its third appearance
before an Edenton audience tonight
at Ernest A. Swain School at 8:00
P.M.
Last year, the concert was a
sellout, with final sales being made
at the door. The large crowd pro
mpted enthusiastic appreciation
from symphony musicians who are
unaccustomed to playing to a full
house when touring outside
Raleigh.
Following the favorable response
to their 1983 performance. Sym
phony Board members expect this
year to also be a sellout.
The Symphony Chamber Or
chestra and the Edenton Chorale
Society will join forces for a concert
that includes Beethoven’s Hallelu
jah” from Christ on the Mount of
Olives, Schubert’s Tantum Ergo and
Johann Stamitz’s Concerto for
Flute, Two Homs and Strings, featur
ing Clifford Tretick on flute.
Under the direction of Associate
Conductor James Ogle, the re
mainder of the program includes
Rigger’s Dance Rythms, Beethoven’s
Symphony No.2, Richard Rodgers’
“You’ll Never Walk Alone,” and
Brahms’ Hungarian Dances Nos. 1,3,
and 10. Tickets are $8 at the door
and 17 in advance.
’ P'li'iitfliliBi i 7 i il
SYMPHONY PERFORMANCE - Associate Conductor James
Ogle will lead the N.C. Symphony Chamber Orchestra tonight at
8:00 P.M. at Swain Auditorium.
guilty of larceny. He was sentenc
ed to 12 months suspended for 2
years on the condition that he pay
a fine of $150 and cost of court. He
is not to go on the premises of John
A. Holmes High School for 2 years.
Willie L. Rollins was called and
failed to show on a charge of driv
ing 66 in a 55 mph zone.
John D. Pierce was called and
raiTea td Show on a charge of pass
ing worthless checks.
Tina Louise Brooks was found
guilty of shoplifting. She was
sentenced to 90 days suspended for
2 years on the condition that she
pay a fine of $100 and cost of court.
She is not to go on the premises of
S&R for 2 years.
Leola Jones was called and fail
ed to show on a charge of passing
worthless checks.
Darryl Dwight Cuffie was found
guilty of shoplifting. He was
sentenced to 90 days suspended for
2 years on the condition that he pay
a fine of $100 and cost of court. He
is not to go on the premises of A&P
for 2 years.
Walter Lee Smith was found guil
ty of DWI. He was sentenced to 60
days suspended for 1 year on the
condition that he pay $100 fine and
cost of court. He is also to attend
drug alcohol school and perform 24
hours of community service. He
surrendered his license.
George Lee Riddick was found
guilty of carrying a concealed
weapon. He was sentenced to 60
days suspended 1 year. He was fin
ed $50 and cost of court. He is not
to carry any weapons when he is off
Continued On Page 4
Town Council
Salary Increase
By Ron Anderson
Edenton Town Council members
unanimously passed a motion Mon
day, February 20 to give
themselves a $50 a month raise.
The raise will increase a council
member’s salary from $100 a
month to $150 a month.
The action occured at a special
council meeting to discuss a per
sonel matter before council
members went into executive
session.
Town Administrator Sam Noble
said that council’ decided to in
crease their salaries after they
compared coucilmen’s salaries in
nearby communities. Councilmen
are paid $150 a month in Nags
Head.
Utilizing W-2 forms, the $50 a
month will be taken out for coun
cilmens’ income tax. Previously
council members had to pay taxes
on their earnings at the end of the
year.
The raise is retroactive to
January 1.
1st PLACE — Jimmy Parrish (center), Chowan County farmer
and member of the Board of Directors for the N. C. Peanut Growers
Association presented Johnny Layton (left), a trophy for having
the highest peanut yield in Chowan County. Layton averaged 4,246
lbs. per acre on 130 acres. Also pictured is Chowan County peanut
farmer Sherlon Layton. The presentation was made at The Chowan
County Peanut Production meeting held at The Center Hill
Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department.
Ban On Phosphates Could
Improve Quality Of Water
AHOSKIE — Claims that a
phosphate detergent ban would
raise consumers’ laundry costs,
disputed here at a meeting Jan. 19,
have been furthur disputed by the
president of Purex Industries, Inc.
in a letter released in Raleigh this
week.
In response to a letter from
James A. Summers, State
Secretary of Natural Resources
and Community Development,
W.R. Tincher said that “there is no
basis other than myth and innuen
do” for the association’s claims
that it cost consumers more to use
nonphosate detergents.
The claim was made at a meeting
sponsored by the Soap and
Detergent Association in Ahoskie
Jan. 19 that banning washing pro
ducts containing phosphates would
increase the average family’s laun
dry bill over $26 per year, costing
consumers $60 million yearly
statewide.
Alfred M. Howard, a resident of
Arrowhead Beach in Chowan Coun
ty, and a longtime supporter of bet
ter water quality, stated, “If you
put enough rocks in a bowl of water,
eventually the bowl overflows.”
Howard contends the ban would be
a way to remove one of the “rocks.”
Joe M. Parker, chairman of Nor
theastern North Carolina Tomor
row, disputed the claim at the time
it was advanced by Association
representatives. NNCT last fall en
dorsed the concept of a statewide
ban on phosphate detergents as one
means of improving water quality
in northeastern North Carolina,
especially the nutrient sensitive
Chowan River basin.
At the session Parker said the
Association’s presentation "ignores
the greater problem” of total
overall pollution and related water
issues in the region.
Parker based his statement on
the premise of “the need for allies"
in northeastern North Carolina's
fight on water issues. Specifically
mentioning the Lake Gaston
withdrawal plan and ground water
levels, Parker said Northeastern
North Carolina needed allies to deal
with Virginia.
Following the Ahoskie meeting
NRCD secretary Summers sent let
ters to five major producers asking
them questions about their pro
ducts that do not contain
phosphates
At the Ahoskie meeting represen
tatives of the association, a New
York based organization represen
ting 145 chemical and detergent
companies, said that non-phosphate
detergents could cause a buildup of
limestone-like material on clothes
and washing machines, and that it
would take more hot water to
dissolve detergents.
“It these charges are true, the
citizens of North Carolina ought to
be warned,” Summers said in the
letter. “In the event these charges
are untrue, they should not be
allowed to stand unchallenged."
Summers wrote the letter after
being briefed on the meeting by
NNCT chairman Parker.
Four of the five companies to
which Summers sent letters belong
to the Soap and Detergent Associa
tion, Ted Brenner of the association
said in a telephone interview from
Continued On Page 4
Wackelin Receives Jaycee
Distinguished Service Award
Bruce Wackelin was the recipient
of the Edenton Jaycees’ Distinquis
ed Service Award at the Jaycees’
Thirtieth Annual D.S.A. Banquet
held Tuesday, February 21 at the
Edenton Jaycee Community
Building.
Wackelin has been with North
Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance
since 1979.
After receiving the highest award
presented by the Edenton Jaycees,
Wackelin said, “When someone is
blessed enough to have a good life
in the community, its good to be
able to return it.”
He added, “We’ve taken a lot
from this community and I hope
we’ve given a lot back.”
Wackelin’s dedication to serving
his fellow man has manifested itself
in service activities such as work
with the underprivileged in Ap
palachia during college. Since mov
ing to Edenton, he has made
numerous contributions to his com
munity in several areas. His work
as president of the Chowan Arts
Council earned him a position on
the Board of Directors of the North
Carolina Association of Arts
Councils.
As a member of the Edenton
Jaycees, he has been internal vice
president for two years and has
worked on numerous projects, in
cluding the 1982 Project of the
Bruce Wackelin
Year. As Red Cross Blood Drive
Chairman for three years, his ex
tensive recruiting of new donors
has doubled collections. He has
been named to the Regional Red
Cross Blood Services
Subcommittee.
Wackelin also chaired Governor
Hunt’s Chowan County School Divi
sion of the “Save the Light” fund
drive, and it was through his ef
forts, that the goal for the drive was
surpassed in the county.
Continued On Page 4