TWISTER— (left picture) The roof of Robbie Laughton’s trailer end
ed up in pieces behind homes across the street after a tornado touch
■ ed down in the Lynnhaven Mobile Home Park on Tuesday evening. In
■ the right picture is Laughton’s mobile home minus its roof.
%THE CHOWAN HERALD
Volume XUX - No. 20
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, June 6, 1985
Lotteries Old Hat
While the legislature debates
the merits of a state-sanctioned
lottery for North Carolina, people
along the Public Parade will be in
s terested in knowing that, if ap
proved, it would not be the first
time our General Assembly put its
stamp of approval on the luck of
the draw.
We were in the lottery business
as early as 1797; and, back then as
now, education was used as
justification — or one of the
justifications — for legalization.
Pittsborough Academy was the
beneficiary in 1797 when the
General Assembly authorized a
lottery in which 3,500 tickets were
sold, with a first prize of $400. A
total of 1,123 prizes worth $7,000
would be awarded if all tickets
were sold.
The record does not say how
successful the scheme was, but it
is little wonder the academy need
ed money. Tuition was $8 a year
for students taking reading,
writing and arithmetic, $13 for
those taking “the classics^
English grammar, geography, the
mathematics, etc.”
Next came Newton Academy,
located near Asheville. In
January, 1810, the legislature
authorized its trustees to conduct
a lottery “to compleat the
necessary buildings belonging to
the same — and also to establish
a female academy in the town of
Asheville.”
They offered tickets at $4 each
and promised a top prize of $7,000.
But things did not go well. The
trustees ran an ad December 21,
1811, saying that “owing to the ex
treme scarcity of cash”, the lot
tery was being called off and the
money returned to those who had
purchased tickets.
Pretty soon Smithfield
Academy wanted to get in on the
act and the legislature obliged.
Samuel Mitchner, Thomas Rice
and M. Lloyd Hill were authoriz
ed in January, 1820, to hold a lot
tery for the benefit of the
Continued On Page 4
Conservation
Requested
Due to the severe drought
conditions experienced this
Spring, the Chowan County
Board of Commissioners have
requested that all water
customers implement a volun
tary water conservation
program.
Water customers are re
quested to refrain from water
ing yards, gardens, washing
Automobiles or trucks, or any
other non-essential use of
water, such as filling swimm
ing pools.
A 25% reduction in water
usage is needed immediately if
an adequate water supply is to
continue to be provided. A
failure of this voluntary conser
vation program to reduce
water demands will result in
implementation of a man
datory conservation program.
Any questions concerning
this matter should be directed
to the Chowan County Water
Department.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE — Geraldine Nixon (left), a retired
science teacher, and Frances Wilkins, a retired sixth grade teacher,
were two speakers at the 2nd annual Academic Excellence Banquet
held in the J.A. Holmes cafeteria on Thursday, May 30. At the ban
quet, 65 students received academic pins and letters.
Jaycee uroups Merging
i wv iuvm v iv, gi uupo, uic
Edenton Jaycees and the Jaycee
Women have decided to merge.
As of June 1, the single organiza
tion will be known as the Edenton
Jaycees, Incorporated.
The chain of events which led to
the local merger began with a Ju
ly, 1984 Supreme Court decision
which allowed women to join the
District Court
Chowan County District Court
was in session June 4, the
Honorable John T. Griffin
presiding over the criminal
calendar.
Lydia Rebecca Person was
found guilty of passing worthless
checks. She was sentenced to 30
days suspended for 2 years on the
condition she pay a fine of $25 and
cost of court; she is to make
restitution to Winn Dixie.
Randy Elmer Miller was found
guilty of failing to obtain a motor
cycle endorsement. He was
sentenced to 60 days suspended
for 2 years on the condition he pay
a fine of $100 and cost of court. He
is not to ride a motorcycle for 2
years without proper
endorsement.
Richard Wayne Armstead was
called but failed to show on
charges of an inspection violation
and having no liability insurance.
Joseph Keith Byrum was called
but failed to show on a charge of
transporting liquor in the
passenger area of a motor vehi
cle, the liquor was not in its
original container.
Leon Samuel White was found
guilty of driving 69 in a 55mph
zone. He was fined $10 and cost of
court
John Richard Clore was called
but failed to show on a charge of
driving 69 in a 55mph zone.
Frankie Leon Stewart was call
ed but failed to show on a charge
of driving 65 in a 55mph zone.
Richard Spencer Alexander
was found guilty of driving 65 in
a 55mph. He was fined $10 and the
cost of court.
William Abel Caudle was called
but failed to show on a charge of
displaying an expirerd license.
Minnesota jaycees. L,asi august
the U.S. Jaycees opened its
membership to women. In
separate meetings earlier this
year, a U.S. Jaycee Women
Special Committee and the U.S.
Jaycee Board of Directors recom
mended that the Jaycee Women
dissolve and move into the Jaycee
framework.
At their state convention in
May, the North Carolina Jaycee
Women voted to dissolve and
merge with the Jaycees when they
realized their national organiza
tion would soon cease to exist. The
actual vote for dissolution of the
U.S. Jaycee Women will be made
later this month at the national
convention.
The Edenton Jaycee Women
and the Jaycees have met and
discussed the options available to
the local club. Since it is the
Jaycee Women’s desire to retain
the Jaycee concept and continue
its service to the community, they
unanimously passed a resolution
to merge with the local Jaycees.
The women’s club then presented
a merger proposal to the Jaycees
which they accepted in late May.
In a recent letter to the
members of the Jaycee Women,
local President Susan Small com
mented on the warm and gracious
way the idea of a merger was
greeted by the Jaycees. Mrs.
Small said, “They seemed to
share our disappointment in los
ing our own organization, which
has served the community for
over 20 years, but welcomed the
idea of combining forces. We look
forward to continuing our goals of
community service and leader
ship training in this exciting new
Jaycee organization.”
According to Edenton Jaycee
President Bruce Wackelin, the
Jaycees are “looking forward to
the increase in community ser
vice which the additional ‘man
power’ will provide. The Jayctee
Women and the Jaycees have
worked well together for years
and I am very excited about com
bining our goals and our expertise
to further serve the community. ’ ’
Single Copies 25 Cents
Tax Hike
Proposed
Residents of Edenton and
Chowan County will be paying
higher property taxes if the pro
posed town and county budgets for
Fiscal year 1985-86 are approved.
Taxpayers in town will see an in
crease of two cents while county
taxpayer’s will see an increase of
five cents.
An expected 25 percent reduc
tion in revenue sharing, a loss in
utilities franchise taxes and
higher expenses were some of the
reasons given for the towns pro
posed tax increase, the first in
four years.
The proposed budget presented
at a special Town Council meeting
on Wednesday, May 29 is $7.7
million, an 11 percent increase
from last year’s budget. Add to
that capital projects to be funded
by grants and reserves and the
overall budget for the year totals
$14.4 million.
A five percent cost-of-living
raise for all town employees is in
cluded in the budget, but effective
July 1, town employees working
on a holiday will be paid their
regular hourly rate instead of the
time-and-a-half pay they are paid
now. Also, a part-time clerk’s
position that costs the town close
to $6,000 is due to be eliminated.
Included in the budget is a plan
to reduce or eliminate entirely
contributions to civic organiza
tions and non-profit groups.
The county is also facing an ex
pected 25 percent loss in revenue
sharing and expects further
reduction in funds resulting from
the appropriation of less fund
balance and reduced interest in
come due to a lowering of interest
rates and revenues. The county’s
proposed budget for Fiscal Year
1985-86 is $3.9 million, $110,917 less
than last year’s budget.
Only two of the departments
funded by the county - education
and social services - are receiving
a substantial increase in funding
in the proposed budget.
The social services department
was alloted an increase of $34,000
Continued On Page 4
Tornado Hits Area;
Home Damaged
A tornado ripped through Lynn
haven Mobile Home Park in the
Cowpeneck section of the county
Tuesday evening tearing the roof
off of one mobile home and
pushing five others three feet back
from their original location.
Robbie Laughton, Town of
Edenton Recreation Director and
owner of the home that had its
roof blown off, said he had just
gotten home with his two year old
son, Jeremy, at 8:20 p.m. when a
hard rain began to fall.
Soon it began to hail and
Laughton said it got so loud that
he and his wife, Nan, could hard
ly hear each other talk. The hail
beat so hard that small shavings
of ice began coming through the
windows.
Then the wind started to pick up
and Laughton instructed Nan,
who is pregnant, and Jeremy to
get under the kitchen table. He
then wrapped blankets around the
table to protect his family.
“The next thing I heard was a
whoosh,” said Laughton. Sudden
ly, the kitchen clock blew off the
wall and the current went out and
came back on again.
When Laughton looked out his
kitchen window he saw that his
roof and some insulation had
blown across the street behind
another mobile home.
Water began leaking from the
roof and Laughton attempted to
catch it with some pots and pans,
but his efforts were futile. He then
loaded the family in his car and
drove them to a friend’s house.
Later that evening he came back
to his home and, with the help of
some friends, removed his
belongings.
No one was injured in the inci
dent and an investigation into the
amount of damage done is
continuing.
Besides damage to the mobile
homes, watermelons in a nearby
field were damaged by the hail.
Laughton said the hail was as big
as golf balls and that it went
through three lounge chairs in his
backyard.
Even though Laughton’s home
was damaged by the storm, he
said he feels extremely fortunate.
"The best thing is that the Lord
looked after the family. You can
replace a mobile home, but you
can’t replace a family,” he said.
Horton Keynote Speaker
I
Dr. J.H. Horton
Dr. J.H. Horton, recipient of the
First District All-State School
Board Award, will be the keynote
speaker at John A. Holmes High
School Commencement exercises
7 p.m. this Friday at Hicks Field.
A native of Edenton, Horton
entered the private practice of
dentistry locally in 1948. He holds
a B.S. degree from Saint
Farmer’s Market Open ]
The Farmer’s Market is now
open at the same location across
from McDonald’s. The Market is
sponsored by Edenton-Chowan
Chamber of Commerce and Mike
Williams, County Agent.
The market will be open on
Tuesdays, Fridays and
Saturdays.
Virginia Hobbs, coordinator,
says that they will have fresh pro
duce (snap beans, onions,
potatoes, beets, cabbage) canned
goods, and smoked herrings. As
the season progresses, we will
have corn, tomatoes, butter
beans, peas and other produce.
....
Augustine’s College, Raleigh, and
received a D.D.S. degree from
Howard University Washington,
D.C. in 1946.
In 1967 Horton was appointed to
the Edenton-Chowan Board of
Education. Two years later, he
was elected for two years; then
elected to serve six years in 1972.
He was re-elected to serve for
another six year term in 1978.
From 1972 on, he served as vice
chairman of the board.
Horton has served the com
munity in many ways. He was ap
pointed by President Nixon to
serve on the Cabinet Committee
on Education for North Carolina
-1969 - 78, and has held the offices
of secretary-treasurer, Chowan
Credit Union; chairman,
Edenton-Chowan Good Neighbor
Council; and president, Eastern
North Carolina Medical, Dental
and Pharmaceutical Society.
He was awarded “Dentist of the
Year” in 1967 and is a member of
Saint John’s Episcopal Church
where he serves as a vestry and
Senior Warden.
Horton and his wife, Mary, have
one son.
"’or Business
If you would like to participate
or have any questions please call
Mrs. Hobbs at 482-7186.
Bar-B-Que
The Chowan-Edenton Optimist
Club will be holding a Beef Bar-B
Que this Saturday, June 8 from 11
a m. until 7 p.m. at the Boy Scout
Hut on Broad Street.
Bar-B-Que will sell for $3.50 a
plate and $4 a pound. Proceeds
will go toward the annual
Fabulous Fourth of July
Celebration.
is local artist Laney Layton’s rendition of a proposed new American
Legion Building. When completed, the building will measure 60 ft. wide and 180 ft. long; it will be con
structed in front of the existing American Legion Building on Business 17. At Monday night’s Board of
County Commissioner’s meeting, American Legion representatives Jim Griddle and E.C. Toppin requested
and received a resolution from die commissioners stating that a new building will enhance the communi
ty. The American Legion has asked the state legislature for a matching grant of $136,000 to cover the
cost of- the $272,000 building. It is hoped that the building will be completed sometime in 1986.