development
funds are back in the biennial
budget being developed by the
General Assembly — and this
time they are likely to stay.
Ever since the legislature con
vened back in February, funds for
accelerating biotech research in
North Carolina have led an off-,
and-on existence, a sort of now
you-see-it-now-don’t situation.
Sensing that North Carolina
might be a more fertile ground for
research in biotechnology than in
microelectronics, a blue-ribbon
study commission last fall recom
mended that die state put up
enough seed money to attract one
or two would-class researchers in
such fields as agriculture, animal
husbandry, forestry and
pharmaceuticals.
Aware that the state had
already committed some $45
million to the development of
microelectronics research, with
the idea of making a Silicon
Valley of the Research Triangle
area, the biotech backers took the
position that North Carolina of
fered far greater opportunities for
development in the fields of
biology and medicine than it did
in microelectronics and
computers.
Gov. Jim Hunt went along with
them to the extent that he includ
ed something like $5 million in the
budget he prepared for the next
biennium. His successor, Gov.
Jim Martin, however, who was a
chemist as a college professor,
saw no need for hurry and deleted
the sum from his expansion
budget recommendations.
But there was need for hurry.
Already such states as
Massachusetts, New Jersey,
Maryland and Texas were getting
into the act, some of them putting
up far more money than had been
recommended for North Carolina.
New Jersey, for example, had set
about establishing a $30-million
public-private fund dedicated to
biotechnology research.
Massachusetts, already a leader
in microelectronics, which just
theii was beginning to turn a little
sow, began todev*t»«noi«ef3ti£
considerable research resources
to biotech. So did Maryland. And
Texas, always one to throw
around big bucks, was reacting as
if it had just seen the light.
Now, the General Assembly’s
Joint Appropiations Committee
has decided to restore the $5
million in biotech seed money to
the budget. This money will be us
ed by our research universities
and the newly-established
Biotechnology Research Center to
generate additional millions from
private industry and foundations,
as well as from some of the
billions made available by the
federal government for research.
Through such techniques as
gene-splicing, it may be possible
to develop new strains of trees and
plants, more resistant to drouth
and disease, to speed up growth
and increase yields and, short, to
work revolutions in agriculture as
we know it today.
And through such studies as
monoclonal antibodies, our
researchers may be able to
develop specifics for a wide range
of viral and bacterial diseases, not
to mention a wider range of vac
cines and medicine. Or by new
and original applications of en
zymes, develop new and more ef
ficient means of recycling our
wastes, cleaning up our environ
ment and establishing renewable
sources of energy.
This is Star Wars brought down
to earth. We are happy our
legislators have been able to see
it.
Discipline
Program
Selected
The Assertive Discipline Pro
gram in Edenton-Chowan Schools
was one of fifteen programs
statewide to be selected as a
Governor’s Program of Ex
cellence in Education for the
1964-85 school year.
The highly successful program
was designed to decrease the in
cidence of office referrals for
minor rule infractions and sat
standards on classroom behavior.
During the three years the pro
Continued On Page 4
Volum* XLIX - No. 22
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, June 20, 1985
Single Copies 25 Cents
During a Monday evening fishing trip, Buddy Phillips (second from left) and Tim Brabble (second from
right) managed to spot members of the Pearce family from Louisburg who were stranded on John’s Island
in Edenton Bay. The two men then hollered to Steve Brabble (left) and Chris Brabble who were fishing
from a pier. The two boys notified local authorities of the stranded family which was soon rescued by
the Edenton-Chowan Rescue Squad.
Family Rescued From John’s Island
Buddy Phillips and Tim Brab
ble were fishing in Edenton Bay
Monday evening when they
discovered a family that had been
stranded on John’s Island for two
days.
The two men said they set out in
their small boat from the pier next
to Edenton’s police station at 6:30
p.m.; at 7:30 they saw what ap
peared to be somebody on the
island waving a red vest.
The vest turned out to be a life
preserver and soon Joseph and
Ruby Pearce, and their grandson,
Charlie Evans, all of Louisburg,
would be rescued from John’s
Island, a swampland described by
locals as an area full of snakes, in
sects and wild animals.
Pam Spruill (right) was awarded a gallon pin Tuesday at the Jaycee
sponsered Bloodmobile held at Chowan Hospital. The pin was in
recognition for the 8 pints of blood Pam has donated to the American
Red Cross. She is shown here with a Red Cross worker.
Superior Court Session Held
Chowan County Superior Court
was in session the week of June 3.
The Honorable William C. Griffin
presiding over the criminal calen
dar; Kenneth W. Patterson was
the prosecutor.
Everett Felton Small was found
not guilty on a charge of com
municating threats.
Herbert Ray Lane pleaded no
contest to a charge of tresspass
ing. He was found guilty of the
charge and ordered to pay court
costs.
Larry Robert Privott was found
not guilty on a charge of
assaulting a female.
Nelson Issac Jones pleaded guil
ty to a charge of uttering a forged
instrument. He received a two
year commitment.
Patricia Epps was found guilty
on four counts of issuing worthless
checks. Her judgement for three
of those counts was three separate
sentences of 181 days each
suspended for 2 years on the con
dition she pay court costs and
make restitution for each count.
On another count, she was
sentenced to 30 days suspended
for 2 years on the condition she
pay cost of court and make
restitution.
Francis Patrick Jones was
found guilty on a charge of
assaulting a female. He received
a 9 month commitment. He also
pleaded guilty to a charge of
misdemeanor breaking and enter
ing. He received a commitment of
not less than and no more than 18
months.
William Lloyd Berry was found
on a charge of exceeding
(posted speed). He was fin
ed $35 and cost of court. He ap
to the N.C. Court of
Grace A. Holly pleaded guilty to
2 counts of writing checks on a
closed account. She was sentenc
ed to 29 days suspended 1 year on
the condition she make restitution
and pay court costs. She received
an identical judgement for the se
cond count.
Melvin Lee Combs was found
not guilty on a charge of DWI.
Mildred William Hayes was
found guilty on a charge of assault
inflicting serious injury and a
charge of injury to personal pro
perty. The two cases were con
solidated for judgement and
Hayes was sentenced to 12 months
suspended for 3 years upon condi
tion of payment of court costs and
restitution.
Ivey Lee Basnight pleaded guil
ty to DWI. He was sentenced to 180
days suspended for 2 years and
placed on special probation. As
part of the terms of the probation,
Basnight must spend 7 days in
Chowan County jail. He is not to
operate a motor vehicle on the
highways of North Carolina for 2
years.
Martin Bateman pleaded guilty
to 10 counts of issuing worthless
checks. For 6 of those counts he
was sentenced to 181 days
suspended 3 years on the condition
he pay a fine of $100 and cost of
court and make restitution. For
the other 4 counts he was sentenc
ed to 30 days to run at the expira
tion of the 181 days. That sentence
was suspended for 3 years on the
condition he pay a fine of $50 and
cost of court and make restitution.
The following cases were con
tinued: Timothy Mark Glasgow,
charged with DWI, Indecent liber
ties, 1st degree sex offense and
another charge of indecent liber
Continued On Page 4
Before spotting the family,
Brabble and Phillips said they
heard noises coming from the
direction of the island, but figured
it was just the sounds birds make
at the end of the day.
“At first I thought it was an
owl,” said Brabble, 20, of Merry
Hill.
Buddy Phillips, 28, of Edenton,
said he kept hearing something he
thought sounded like a whistle. He
soon learned that it was in fact a
whistle Mrs. Pearce had found on
the bank of the island.
When the family told Phillips
and Brabble they needed help, the
two men began hollering to Steve
Brabble, 15, and Chris Brabble,
13, who were back at the pier do
ing some fishing of their own. The
who ja.
turn related'the message to the
Edenton-Chowan Rescue Squad.
Soon the squad’s rescue vessel,
manned by Doug Belch, Thomas
Jackson, Franklin Jackson and
Jimmy Alligood, was on its way to
the island.
At the same time Brabble and
Phillips were also on their way to
the stranded family, but the
rescue squad beat them there.
The three family members then
walked out into the ankle-deep
water to the rescue boat and safe
ty. Dough Belch said the family
members looked “tired and worn
out” at the time of their rescue.
He added that they were scratch
ed up and were suffering from a
number of insect bites.
Ruby Pearce, 49, and Charlie
Evans, 13, were both treated for
exposure and released from
Chowan Hospital on Monday
night. Joseph Pearce, 57, was not
treated. The family spent Monday
night in an Edenton motel and left
for home on Tuesday.
The family’s ordeal began as a
fishing trip. At noon on Saturday,
Joseph Pearce launched his boat
near the Chowan River Bridge
Continued On Page 4
Budget
Approved
Edenton Town Council on Mon
day unanimously approved the
town’s $7.7 million budget for
Fiscal Year 1985-86.
No one spoke at a public hear
ing concerning the budget which
includes the first property tax in
crease in four years. The two
cents increase will raise the ad
valorem tax rate from 49 cents
per $100 valuation to 51 cents.
Also included in the budget is a
5 percent cost-of-living increase
for all town employees and the
elimination of a $6,000 a year part
time clerk’s position.
“We’re happy we’re only having
a two cents increase in taxes in
four years,” said Councilman
Steve Hampton, chairman of the
Finance Committee. “We’re able
to keep that low of a rate by see
ing that everything in town runs
on budget.”
Hampton said a big factor in
keeping the tax rate down is the
airport which has been “paying its
own way” since becoming a town
department. “We’re also proud
we’re spending over a million
dollars for our own hear power
generating plant,” he added.
“That plant will help keep the
power bills down.”
Jaycees
1st Acoustic
Jamboree
The Edenton Jaycees will host
the First Annual Triple A Acoustic
Jamboree on Saturday, June 22
from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. at the
Jaycee Building on Base Road.
The music of Andy Faircloth, A1
giiflgn nnri flrr~ TTr will be
featured.
For more information concern
ing this event, contact Kel Elmore
at 482-8411, Alan Mills at 482-4186
after 5 p.m., or any Jaycee.
Red Cross
Swimming
Classes
American Red Cross Swimming
Classes will be held during July at
the Coach House Inn pool. The
first session will be July 1 - 12 &
the second will be July 15 - 26.
Mrs. Elizabeth Zarbock will again
be teaching.
Parents may sign up their
children for the morning classes
(8, 9 & 10 o'clock daily) at Eden
ton Savings & Loan beginning
Thursday, June 20, 1985. No
telephone registrations will be
accepted.
Those adults interested in
beginning instruction should also
sign up at this time. If enough
adults are interested, classes will
be arranged for beginners and
more advanced instruction.
Neal Bass
Workshop
Delegate
Neal Bass, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Carroll Bass of Route 3, Edenton,
has been selected as Chowan
County’s delegate to the 1985
Resource Conservation
Workshop. The Workshop will be
held June 23-28 on the campus of
North Carolina State University.
According to Lloyd C. Bunch,
Chairman of the Albemarle Con
servation District, the week long
course is held each year for high
school students and is designed to
educate and impress upon a
selected group of young men and
women the importance of conser
vation and natural resource
development. The selected group
will study various subjects perti
Continued On Page 4
Library’s
Reading
Program
“Imagine...Just Imagine” is the
theme for Chowan County Public
Library’s Summer Reading pro
gram. Children ages K to 12 are
invited to join their friends in
reading about anything that cat
ches their imagination. These op
portunities abound at your public
library and bookmobile.
Children may begin reading in
the program on June 25 and con
tinue through August 7. Those
completing reading requirements
will recieve a certificate signed by
Governor James Martin who has
endorsed the program along with
State School Superintendent Dr.
A. Craig Phillips.
The Shepard-Pruden Library
staff is planning varied programs
using the overall theme “Im
agine... Just Imagine” Story times
and special programs will be of
fered. The special programs will
be held on Wednesday mornings
at 10:30 a.m. beginning on June
26. Story Time for the pre-school
children will continue on Tuesday
mornings at 10:30 a.m. Contact
the library for details.
EastCare, an emergency air ambulance provided by Pitt County Memorial Hospital and ECU School
of Medicine, was at Chowan Hospital last week for an orientation session. EastCare is one of three air
transport services now available to the local hospital. Others include Nightingale of Norfolk. VA, and
LifeFlight of Durham, NC.