Breathing Spell Needed
Almost before they get the Inner
Belttine completed around
Raleigh, Wake County officials
are talking about a new Outer
Loop which would cost some $400
million.
That’s Raleigh for you. It is not
enough that the Inner Beltline has
cost the taxpayers of the state
oiver $200 million; it is not enough
that a lot of lesser beltlines around
smaller cities have gone unfund
ed in the meantime. These
gougers would now grab another
$400 million for a bigger loop the
need for which has not yet been
established.
The size of this proposal is eye
opening. Four hundred million
dollars just about equals the total
amount, state and federal, now
being spent in a whole year on all
the road and bridge construction
in the state. It is four times the
estimated cost of extending 1-40
from Raleigh to Wilmington. It is
many times the cost of four-laning
US 64 from Rocky Mount to
Williamston of US 17 from Winton
to Elizabeth City. It would replace
the Albemarle Sound bridge 12
times.
Yet these Wake politicians are
going after it for the early 1990s as
blandly as if it could be funded
through a series of barbecues.
One of them did propose an alter
native — letting the motoring
public pay at toll gates. But Billy
Rose, deputy transportation
secretary, expressed doubt that
tolls would be adequate to pay the
cost. “I wonder whether the traf
fic would be sufficient to pay for
the road,” he said.
If there is any questions about
the volume of traffic, there ought
to be no rush to build it. That
would allow a short breathing
spell between capital loops during
which a little money might be us
ed in a lot of other places. Eden
ton’s bypass, for one.
Tales Of Two Rivers
We must compliment the
Raleigh News and Observer on its
massive 4d0th anniversary editlori
Roanoke voyages and eariy
English attempts to colonize the
new land.
By and large, its editors and
writers have done a commendable
job in preparing and presenting
the literally hundreds of articles
and works of art making up the
edition. The editor in us, however,
notice a couple of factual errors,
both about rivers.
In the section dealing with the
land, Steve Adams, a free lance
writer of Raleigh, has a long, well
done story on the New River, said
to be the state’s oldest, which
winds northward through our
mountains and empties into the
Ohio.
But in trying to make the river
too unique, he says this about it:
“No other river in North
America flows so persistently
northward. No other in North
Carolina flows westward to the
Gulf of Mexico.”
Well, that just isn’t so. The Toe
River, which drains the north
slopes of Mt. Mitchell, and the
French Broad, which drains the
south slopes of Mt. Mitchell and
much of the Pisgah range, both
flow westward through gorges in
to the Tennessee which reaches
the Gulf of Mexico via the
Mississippi. There are others, but
two are enough to make the point.
Then in the section dealing with
the cities, Tom Parramore has a
story about Edenton, its struggles
and its successes. But, somehow,
he managed to put the Chowan on
the wrong side of town when he
wrote, “No bridge of the era could
span the Albemarle sound to the
south or the Chowan River to the
east.”
We are sure Mr. Parramore,
author and historian that he is,
knows better. But we all make
mistakes or somebody else makes
them for us.
Special Board
RALD
Volume XLIX - No. 27
Eden ton, North Carolina, Thursday, July 25, 1985
Single Copies 25 Cents
Volunteers Join Scientists
Water Experiments
Local volunteers joined state
environmental scientists Monday
in conducting some “Star Wars”
type experiments — all in the
name of water quality.
At 10 a.m., while the satellite,
Landsat 4, was taking pictures of
the Chowan River and recording
other data from 500 miles in
space, local boat owners were
helping researchers collect water
samples by ferrying them to eight
stations in the river from Winton
to the west end of the Albemarle
Sound.
The teams of researchers were
from the divisions of Environmen
tal Management, Marine
Fisheries and Inland Fisheries
and NC State University; local
volunteers were brought together
by Captain A1 Howard of Ar
rowhead Beach.
One researcher, Jay H. Sauber,
Head, Physical and Chemical
Monitoring, Division of En
vironmental Management, Water
Quality Section, said he was
grateful for the local volunteers.
“We couldn’t do what we’re doing
without them,” he said.
Bob Avery, a local volunteer,
said he participated in the experi
ment because he was concerned
about the quality of the water. He
described the experiment as “a
comprehensive examination of
the Chowan River.”
Data from the satellite will be
correlated with water samples
taken from the river by research
leader ur. biamax ivnorran ot
N.C. State University and his
staff.
“The satellite information is not
as precise as the data from the ac
tual water samples,” said R. Paul
Wilms, director of the N.C. Divi
sion of Environmental Manage
ment, “but we hope to establish a
method of determining water
quality on a general, broad scale
basis.”
Wilms said the satellite infor
mation could be helpful in spotting
long term changes in water quali
ty, providing a quick assessment
of water quality after a hurricane
or other catastrophic event and
providing water quality data in
areas that prohibit frequent on
site sampling.
NRCD and N.C. State conducted
similar experiments in the
southern coastal region of the
state in 1982 on the lower Neuse
River, and the scientists were able
to establish correlations between
the satellite data and ground data.
The Landsat satellite orbit the
earth 14 times a day at an altitude
of about 500 miles. The coverage
for a specific geographical area is
repeated every 16 days. The
satellite orbit is polar and sun
synchronus, meaning that each
satellite crosses the equator at
about the same local time each
trip. The repetitive, global
coverage makes Landsat data
useful for water quality
evaluations.
R. West Leary West W. Byrum
Two Original Founding
Board Members Retiring
Two original founding Board
members, Mr. R. West Leary and
Mr. West W. Byrum, are retiring
from the City Board of Directors
for NCNB National Bank in Eden
ton, according to NCNB City Ex
ecutive Steve Robertson.
“Both men helped found the
predecessor bank, First National
Bank of Eastern North Carolina”,
Robertson said, “and they have
been major contributors to the
Bank’s success for over 20 years. ”
West Leary was the founder and
co-owner in 1932 of Leary Bros.
Storage Company, Inc. He is a
member of the Edenton Baptist
Church, where he has served as
deacon, and a charter member of
the Edenton Lions Chib. He also
has been a member of the Eden
ton School Board and Chamber of
Commerce, and has participated
in many fund raisers in the
community.
West Byrum organized as
owner, the West W. Byrum In
surance Agency 26 years ago. He
is a past president of the Edenton
ROTARY and Chamber of Com
merce. He has served on the
Edenton School Board and is a
former deacon of the Edenton
Baptist Church. Active in fund
raisers in the community, he is
also a current Director of the
Albemarle Mental Health
Association.
“Customers, Bank manage
ment, and employees all ap
preciate the tremendous job West
Leary and West Byrum have done
over the years”, Robertson said,
“and their roll will serve as a
model for those who follow them. ”
M. A. Bryan blected irustee
RALEIGH—Marvin A. Bryan,
administrator of Chowan
Hospital, was elected to the board
of trustees of the North Carolina
Hospital Association at the
group’s recent summer meeting.
His three-year term begins
January 1.
Bryan has been administrator
of Chowan Hospital since 1981.
Previously, he was assistant ad
ministrator of Alamance County
Hospital in Burlington. He is a
past president of the North
Association’s
he state chapter of
care Financial
Association. His
Services Council and the area
Hospice. Bryan received his AB
degree from Elon College and his
master’s degree in hospital ad
ministration from Washington
University in St. Louis.
Area District
Court Session
The Chowan 'County District
Court was in session July 23; the
Honorable Grafton G. Beaman
presiding over the criminal
calendar.
Kenneth Steven Coleman was
called but failed to show on a
charge of driving 67 raph in a 55
zone. y
Scott Alan Hudson was found
guilty of hit and run with proper
Continued On Page 4
(from left to right) Bob Cunningham, staff member, NC Division of Environmental
Management; local volunteer John Wells; Jay Sauber, Head, Physical and Chemical Monitoring, Divi
sion of Environmental Management, Water Quality Section, and local volunteers Bob Avery and Trus
Bunting all participated in a water quality “Star Wars” type experiment on Monday, July 22.
New Firefighter Agility Resolution
Edenton Town Council passed a
resolution Monday making it
mandatory that new firefighters
employed by the town pass a
physical agility test; the require
ment also applies to volunteer
firemen.
Even though firefighters (both
hired and volunteers) currently
working with the department are
not required to pass the test, they
will be encouraged to take it an
nually and remain physically fit.
The test, prescribed by the Na
tional Fire Protection Associa
tion, includes: running a mile
within ten minutes; lifting a
weight of 125 lbs. and carrying it
■100 ft? without stopping; doing 15
pushups; and four other
requirements.
“We feel the test is in the best
interest of our department,” said
Edenton Fire Chief Lynn Perry.
Because firefighting is so
stressful, Perry explained, a high
percentage of firemen have heart
attacks and strokes even when
they are not fighting fires. Perry
hopes that by keeping physically
fit, local firemen will be less
susceptible to stress-related
health problems.
Another change in the local fire
department includes a new work
schedule. Firefighters will begin
working shifts of 24 hours on - 48
hours off. This change from the
old shifts of 24 hours on - 24 hours
off is being made to comply with
new Federal wage and hour
requirements.
Those requirements state that
firefighters may work no more
than 212 hours in 28 days without
receiving overtime pay; compen
satory time-off may no longer be
given a fireman in exchange for
working overtime.
The department has ordered a
time clock and because the new
regulations reduce the amount of
time an individual fireman may
work, additional firefighters will
be hired.
Other business:
• Council passed a resolution
stating that any town supervisor
allowing an employee to work
unauthorized overtime may face
a minimum suspension of 2 days
or permanent termination.
• Dr. Leibert DeVine was ap
pointed to give physicals to town
employees.
• Council gave Mayor Harrell
permission to write a letter to
Carolina Power' and Light Com
pany requesting that the town’s
electric bill show how much elec
tricity is costing the town per
kilowatt hour.
Courthouse Restoration
The old Chowan County Court
house and the John R. Page
Masonic Lodge on Oakum Street
received funding last week from
the General Assembly.
One of the most historic
buildings in the state and the
oldest courthouse still in use in the
U.S., the Chowan County Court
house will get $62,000 for
restoration.
Rep. Charles Evans, who co
sponsored the bill to provide
money for restoration of the
building with Rep. Vernon James,
said that $50,000 was a general ap
propriation and the other $12,000
was pork barrell money. He said
the bill had the full support of Sen.
Marc Basnight.
“We were extremely fortunate
to secure the $62,000 for the court
house,” said Evans.
The money, plus $5,000 from the
county, will be used for emergen
cy stabilization of the building and
an architectural review. The
estimated cost for complete
restoration of the building is
$382,000.
The John R. Page Masonic
Lodge will be receiving $10,000 to
begin renovations.
Even though the money fell
short of the original $25,000 re
quested for the building, Evans
said, “I’m glad were able to get
some funds for the Masonic
Lodge.”
“In my opion there is no more
important area in our state to in
vest monies for historic preserva
tion than in Edenton,” Evans said.
“I commend the county, the town
and the Historic Commission for
the work they have done over the
years to make Edenton an historic
community.”
Superior
Court Held
Chowan County Superior Court
was in session the week of July 15.
The Honorable Napoleon B.
Barefoot presided over the
criminal calendar; Kenneth W.
Patterson was the prosecutor.
Timothy Mark Glasgow plead
ed guilty to two counts of indecent
liberties. He received a three year
commitment.
Everett Bonner Small received
a prayer for judgement on a
charge of allowing a dog to run at
large.
Edward Lee Daniels pleaded
guilty to a reckless driving
charge. He was sentenced to 30
days suspended for 1 year on con
dition he pay a fine of $25 and cost
of court.
William Downing pleaded guil
Continued On Page 4
DEDICATION-* Albemarle Baptist Mission’s new building on Airport Road was dedicated during a
service held Sunday, July 21; the date marks the Mission’s Third Anniversary. The Mission was born
in 1982 during a special commitment service attended by 15 members of the Edenton Baptist Church and
eleven other Christians from the area. In 1984 Revered Garry Mickey Sr. was called to be the Mission's
pastor and on April 14 of this year, the first service was held in the new sanctuary