. j I I • ; I . .
ssioners Hear $4.4 Million Budget Proposal
V by Mini Amburn
Chowan County taxes will not in
crease this year if the County Com
missioners approve the budget sub
mitted Monday night..
The proposed budget, prepared
by the Finance Committee and
County Manager Cliff Copeland, in
cludes a 12 percent increase in ex
penditures over last year.
Copeland said $4,408,021 will be
needed to meet estimated county
expenditures for FY1984-85, which
compare with a budgeted
$4,004,900 for FY 1983-84.
In his budget message, Copeland
recommended that the county rate
continue at 60.5 cents per $100
valuation. The county tax base is
$286 million.
According to the county
manager, aside from meeting the
- immediate needs of. the county, the
budget also allows for the “fund
balance” to grow in the next year.
In the past, Chowan County has
operated at a deficit and only over
the past several years has the
governing body been able to allow
for a reserve fund in the eventof a
financial emergency, Copeland
said.
The manager projected, in an in
terview Tuesday, that the county
reserve should reach $200,000 in
1984, and increase from 1983’s
reserve of $149,261.
Nearly 30 percent of proposed
county expenditures will fund
' Edenton-Chowan Schools. The fun
ding hike represents an increase
from 1983’s $1.1 million to $1.4
million.
“The county did not totally fund
the Board of Education’s request,”
Copeland said. “But the schools
should be able to fund their budget
with funds now held in reserve by
the schools.”
The 24 percent funding increase
to the schools places an increased
emphasis on maintenance of the
school facilities.
“The Finance Committee was
very emphatic in its request to the
Board of Education that it fund and
demand higher levels of
maintenance in itft school’s
facilities,” Copeland noted.
In addition, the budget provides
for separate funding for Walker
School renovation pfdject in the
amount of $89,000.
The town council announced
Wednesday that they will bold a
special meeting tonight (Thursday)
to discuss the county’s contribution
to both the Recreation and Fire
Departments.
The Chowan County’s participa
tion in the Chowan/Eden ton recrea
tion program is increased in the
draft budget by 21.5 percent
While the Town of Edenton re
quested an increase in funding
assistance to 167,381, the budget ap
propriates an increase from 848,162
to 859,750. The county’s percentage
of program participation remains
at 40 percent.
Also, the Town of Edenton re
quested that the county participa
tion in the Edenton Fire Depart
ment be increased from 839,508 to
855,979.
The county budget provides for a
849,142 contribution to the fire
department which represents 29
percent of the Department budget.
If recommendations of the
Finance Committee are approved,
850,000 from the General Fund to
Capital Projects fund is ap
propriated, which in combination
with the 875,000 received from the
sale of the rescue squad building
will be used to constuuct an
Emergency Operation Center.
In his budget message, the coun
ty manager said monies are includ
ed for a 5 percent across-the-board
salary increase for county
employees.
The public will have an oppor
tunity to comment on the county
budget at a hearing scheduled for
June 22 at 10:00 A.M. in the com
missioner’s meeting rom.
In other action, the comissioners:
-Recognized Sheriff Troy Toppin to
present letters from Gov. James B.
Hunt, Jr. to the people who assisted
the Johnny Owens family when
their home was destroyed by fire.
Mr. and Mrs. Owens, their son,
Chris William Bembridge, Virginia
Bembridge, Leroy Owens, and Tom
McClenney were present.
Heard a request from leaders of
the Edenton-Chowan Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
that their organization be granted
a key to unlock the chain blocking
the entrance road the county dog
pound. Commissioners agreed that
only properly authorized officials
should be given access to the
animal shelter, due to the liability
involved. A compromise agree
ment was reached between the
SPCA and the county that certain
hours during two days each week
will be designated in order that
those interested in pet adoption
might have an opportunity to vie.w
dogs.
Human Element
Six death row inmates escaped
last Thursday from Mecklenburg
Correctional Center in Boydton, Va.
Two of the fugitives were ap
prehended Friday afternoon and
the other four men remained on the
run early this week.
Virginia prison officials had
touted the facility as escape proof.
The architects may have designed
a model center, but the ingenious
plot highlighted a flaw in an
ticipating the human element.
The inmates scored a victory
when their carefully planned
escape got them out of confine
ment. The decision to flee into
NoFth CaroUn& will prpve to be
faulty
. Tirnwna'rMwirof tsureif
forcement rivals its reputation for
good goverament-it is a habit. Of
ficers take the oath to uphold the
law seriously and nothing brings
out the spirit of cooperation more
than a fugitive on the run.
Law enforcement officers in
North Carolina, as a group ar$ well
trained. The dedication they
possess is brought into focus then
the public is endangered.
Reassurance comes through con
fidence. Snacks and wine were
reassuarance for two felons as they
rested in a Warrenton laundromat
last Friday. This is false, short liv
ed reassurance. The long lasting
feeling combs through confidence
such as can be derived from law en
forcement. The model in North
Carolina weighs heavily oh the
human element.
Too Expensive
The Coastal Area Management
Act has withstood assaults from
many fronts. One of the primary
reasons for the 1974 act to enjoy en
creasing popularity is the caliber of
people on the Coastal Resources
Commission and its Advisory
Council.
Furthermore, The CRC has ac
complished many thing's at
relatively little, expense to the
state’s taxpayers. Implementation
of CAMA has enjoyed strong
federal funding which is con
tinuously threatened. fc
One of the most popular for
budget cutters is the line item for
travel, which includes per diem,
etc. At a time when sharp pencils
are being applied to budgets, is not
the time to expand expenses. This,
however, appears to be what the
CRC is doing.
The 15-member CRC . meets
regularly. The 48-member Ad
visory Council at first jointly with
the CRC but was pared down due to
budget constraints. Five or six Ad
visory Council members continued
to meet with CRC and the entire
group met together twice a year.
This is an adequate alternative.
The su^ps of CAMA can be
traced, without difficulty, to the
grassroots. In the first eight years
of existence. Twice a year, or more
Continued On Page 4
m
NEW PUBLICATION—Francis Inglis and Walter Abbe (right) present complimentary copies of
EDENTON: A PORTRAIT IN WORDS AND PICTURES to Hobie Truesdell (left). Truesdell is presi
dent of First Colony Farms which provided funding assitance for the project.
McArthur Joins In Search For Escapees
by Ron Anderson
N.C. Highway Patrolman Mike
McArthur was on duty Friday even
ing June 1 when he received a call
over his radio to proceed directly to
Warrenton and assist in the search
for four death-row in-mates who
escaped along with two other men
from a maximum security Virginia
prison.
McArthur was patrolling on Base
Road when he received the call at
7:15. He turned his car around and
headed for the Warrenton Com
mand Post, the communications
center for the search operations.
The six convicts escaped in a
prison van from the prison at the
Mecklenburg County Va. Max
imum Security Correctional In
stitution Thursday night, May 31.
Two of the condemned killers were
recaptured in a laundromat in War
renton the next day.
When McArthur arrived in War
renton, he joined the search along
with more that 200 federal, state
and local officers from North
Carolina and Virginia. Assisting in
the continuing search are the FBI,
SBI, County Sheriffs US Marshalls,
and the N.C. Department of
Correction.
McArthur worked until Saturday
afternoon when he was replaced by
another trooper from Tabor City.
He said that troopers are working
12 hour shifts out of the Command
Post located in a motor home. The
men are working in two teams: one
team is a surveillance team and the
other checks on any reports of
sightings that may come in.
“It’s tough, said McArthur, “you
know those guys are there.”
While he was in Warrenton there
were a number of reports that the
convicts had been sighted. In the
morning hours McArthur said that
he heard four gunshots. After
checking two of them out, he found
that local citizens were making
sure their guns worked.
McArthur warns county
residents that three of the escaped
prisoners have family in nearby
Martin Co. and said that its very
likely they have friends in this
county.
“These people are extremely
dangerous,” he said, “two are
responsible for 11 murders and are
suspects in 12 more.”
Citizens of Chowan Co. are urg
ed to keep outside lights on, keep
windows locked, look in cars before
getting in, not to get in cars with
strangers, not to pick up hitchikers
or let children be in the presence of
strangers.
Anyone having information that
might possibly lead to the
whereabouts of the convicts should
contact the Chowan County
Sheriff’s Department, the Edenton
Police Department or the Highway
Patrol. The Highway Patrol
number to call is 335-4300; this
number can be directly linked^to
the Warrenton Command Post.
“If anything comes up we would
rather check it out and disprove it,”
said McArthur.
Identification of the four convicts
is as follows: Linwood Earl Briley,
25, medium skinned black male,
5 9 ,170 lbs.; Lem D. Tuggle Jr.,
32, white male, 5’9”, 220 lbs.; Willie
Leroy Jones, 25, dark skinned black
male, 6’, 160 lbs. and James Dyral
Briley, 23, dark skinned black
male, 6’3”, 180 lbs.
Trooper McArthur said that he
would have probably been in War
renton on Tuesday to continue the
search there if it wasn’t for vaca
tion time. Trooper Charles Ely
from Currituck took his place.
Voter Turnout
Light Tuesday
H. Edward Knox, former
Charlotte mayor, was the choice of
Chowan County democrats in the
gubernatorial runoff election
Tuesday.
Knox was defeated in the state
wide nomination vote for governor
by Attorney General Rufus Ed
misten. Edmisten, who carried 81
of North Carolina’s 100 counties,
will face U.S. Rep. James G. Mar
tin in the general election on
November 6.
Turnout was light with less than
20 percent of county democrats
casting ballots.
Long before the polls closed at
7:30 Tuesday, County Elections
Supervisor Felix Chambers
predicted a turnout of around 20
percent as compared with 38 per
cent in the May 8 general electioii.
The low voter turnout was despite
warm, sunny weather conditions.
With 100 percent of precincts
Continued On Page 4
YOUNG HERO—Chris Owens wipes away tears as Sheriff Troy
Toppin hands him a letter of recognition Monday from Gov. James
B. Hunt, Jr. Chris helped to save his mother when fire destroyed
their trailer in April.
Primary Source Materials Used
In New Edenton Pictorial Book
oiuiieu piunugrapuy anu careiui
ly selected text will surely make the
newly published, EDENTON A
PORTRAIT IN WORDS AND PIC
TURES, a collectors’ item. Five
thousand copies of the book arriv
ed in Edenton this week.
The soft-cover pictoral documen
tary features black and white
photographs by prize-winning
photographer Elizabeth Matheson
of Raleigh. The pictures present
many of Edenton’s interesting
features from a distinctive
perspective.
Text for the 61-page book is taken
from primary source materials
such as historic journals, 19th cen
tury newspapers, wills, deeds and
commercial documents. Quotations
run me gamut iruin vieorge rux s
1672 journal to the locally famous
“Greenfield Blues.”
A number of dedicated people of
considerable talent participated in
the project including Anna Blair
and Trudie White, of Elizabeth Ci
ty, Carole Davenport, formerly of
Edenton, Frances Inglis. Maxine
Bullard, Laura Lee Ticknor, Mar
cia Crandall and Elizabeth Vann
Moore, all of Edenton.
Funding assistance for the pro
ject was provided by First Colony
Farms, James R. Ellis, IIJ.
Reynolds / Avoca Division, and
Peoples Bank and Trust Company.
EDENTON A PORTRAIT IN
WORDS AND PICTURES may be
purchased for $8.95 at the Barker
House Gift Shop.
Master Teacher Bonus Plan Presented
At Local Board Of Education Meeting
tsy non Anderson
After a cruise aboard the
America II on Monday afternoon,
the Board of Education faced a full
agenda at a regular School Board
meeting.
Past and present members of the
board were invited for dinner and
a 3>/2 hour cruise by Commander
James H. Ryan LCDR, USN, (ret.)
and Chief Petty Officer Doug
Campbell, naval science instruc
tors at John A. Holmes High. The
cruise expressed the officer’s ap
preciation to board members for all
the work they have done to bring
the America II to Edenton.
A Master Teacher Bonus Plan
update was the first matter of
business on the board’s agenda.
Five of six teachers working on the
plan present at the meeting. All of
these teachers were selected as
Teacher of the Year.
Spokeswoman Brenda Winborne
said that the plan (still in a rough
draft) favors a “career ladder”
concept rather than a “merit pay’’
system. Teachers would not be
competing for rewards, but climb
ing a career ladder.
Under the plan, teachers would
be divided into six levels beginning
with the Beginning Teacher Pro
gram and ending with the Senior
Master Teacher program. Salaries
would start at $15,000 a year for a
level one and climb to $47,000 at
level six. A form of merit pay
(bonuses) is included in the pay
scale for each year because all
teachers surveyed felt the need for
some form of it.
A mandatory requirement is that
all teachers reach level four
(Career Teacher), the level at
which the study group believes
most of the teachers will stay.
To go on to levels five and six,
teachers must apply and go before
a committee. But Winborne ex
plained that “if a teacher is not hap
py at levels five and six, you may
Continued On Page 4
—Hill i'll m.111 ill 1— 'll
CRUISE—School Board member Eugene Jordan (left) and
former board member Thomas Paul Griffin enjoy dinner on the
America II on Monday, June 4. Over 30 people who were instrumen
tal in plans for the NJROTC vessel attended the cruise.