Volume XLIX - No. 33
• :*- —— .
- Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, September 5, 1985
Single Copies 25 Cents
And After Sgt. York?
So the Sgt. York air defense
weapons system has been aban
doned after seven years and
almost $2 billion dollars? Before
striking a decision-of-the-year
medal for Defense Secretary
Caspar W. Weinberger, we would
want to know what this tells us
about another strategic initiative.
What does it say about Star Wars?
If after seven years of research
and experiment and $1.8 billion in
tax money we cannot develop a
defense weapon against
helicopters, what reason have we
to hope for an impenetrable
defense against intercontinental
ballistic missiles?
It would seem to us that
shooting down helicopters would
be about the easiest assignment in
the air defense spectrum. After
all, these clumsy vehicles cannot
fly very fast or very high. They
ought to be sitting ducks in the air.
Yet, Weinberger’s decision will
stop in midstream a weapons
development project to which the
army had committed eight billion
dollars and years of work.
After having spent $1.8 billion
on the Sgt. York, a twin-cannon
system mounted on a tank chasis,
complete with computer-directed
laser aiming, and having ac
cepted 65 units out of a total of 618
ordered, the army has decided
that independent tests have shown
the weapon doesn’t measure up.
In fact, it was found that it isn’t
much better, if any, than weapons
already in the army arsenal.
So, where does that leave us
when it comes to Star Wars? If
slow-moving, cumbersome
helicopters remain a serious
threat to an army in the field, how
much farther beyond reach is a
fast-moving, high-flying miaitye
which allows pnly abou|
minutes of vulnerability from the
time it is launched to its target
6,000 miles away?
If we cannot develop a depen
Continued On Page 4
Absentee voting will be allowed
in the Municipal Election on
November 5. Ballots will be
available as soon as can be
Mrs. Jones Delivers Speech
Mrs. Walter B. Jones, journalist
and wife of the U.S. Congressman,
chose the September 3rd meeting
of the Chowan County Democratic
Women as the place to deliver her
first speech in North Carolina as
the congressman’s wife.
Jones, who confessed to grow
ing up in a Republican family and
later becoming a Democrat, told
those gathered for a luncheon at
Boswell’s Restaurant that the
commitment of a Democrat is “to
promote the social equality of the
people.”
But taking that commitment
seriously got the party in trouble
in the 1360 and 1964 elections. “We
tried so hard to protect the rights
of the disenfranchished, we forgot
about the majority of the people,”
she said. “We have to retrace our
steps and get back to the basics.”
Jones said that Democrats must
“work hard in the months ahead
to see to it that we, the people,
elect a majority of Democrats in
local races, in state races, in con
gress and in the White House by
getting the majority of the people
to vote for good Democrats.”
She described her husband as
one of those good Democrats and
referred to him as her kind of
elected official. “Even though he
is chairman of a major committee
with all its power and even though
he is faced with the problems of
not only North Carolina but of the
nation, he has never forgotten or
fails to look after the problems in
terests and concerns of not only
you and his constituents, but all
the people,” she said.
“I think each one of us should
take it as our personal respon
sibility to elect Democrats,” she
told the women. “Lets not let the
Republicans take over this
District.”
Tuesday, September X She is
It of the organization.
CHOWAN COUNTY SHRINE CLUB’S
EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL BENEFIT
Proceeds Go To Shrlnera' Crippled Children’s Hospital
Never e Man Stood So Straight arid Honorable As When He Stooped to Help a Crippled ChHd.
■ V* '<•
Saturday, September 7, 1985
11:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.
SERVED AT SCOUT HUT, EDENTON
Eat There Or Take Out
Back By Popular Demand
Two Weeks Til Fair
The thirty-seventh annual
Chowan County Fair is less than
two weeks away and William A.
Perry, president of the Chowan
County Fair Association, can’t
wait for the fun to begin.
“I always get excited when the
fair comes around,” said Perry.
“It gets in your blood.”
As a child, Perry attended coun
ty fairs held in a field located at
the present site of John A. Holmes
High School. But sometime in the
1930s the fairs stopped in Chowan
County and were not seen again
until 1948 when American Legion
Post 40 began holding them in the
Armory Building on Broad Street.
The county fair was back by
popular demand.
Fresh out of the service, Perry
sold tickets at that first fair spon
sored by the American Legion.
Since that time, he has worked on
the annual event.
In 1953, the fair moved to its pre
sent location at the Legion Post on
Highway 17 Business. Each year
it continues to grow.
“The fair is the biggest attrac
tion in the county,” commented
Perry. “Attendance has steadily
increased through the years.”
Last year it was estimated that
18,000 people visited the
fairgrounds during the week of the
fair.
The number of exhibit entries
has also increased as well as the
number of shows, contests and
special events. But, according to
Perry, the biggest changes that
have taken place over the years
have been on the midway.
“The rides have gotten nicer,
there are more lights and the mid
ways are now run more
businesslike than they used to
be,” he said.
Fun City shows will be running
the midway this year as they have
Continued On Page 4
Ntew BUSINESS— The Good News Shoppe, 419 South Broad Street,
vill celebrate its grand opening this Saturday, September 7. Proprietor
3ary Duncan (above) says the new Christian bookstore will offer Chris
:ian books, Bibles, gifts, church supplies and music. Hours are 9 - 5
Monday through Saturday. Special orders may be placed by calling
182-7378._ \
Absentee -Voting Allowed
printed after filing deadline at
noon on September 20. Persons
may make applications for
absentee voting beginning Friday,
September 6, until Thursday, Oc
tober 31, at 5:00 p.m. One-Stop
voting begins Monday, September
23.
The Election Board will be re
quired to meet to approve
absentee voting applications. Dur
ing the period opening 30 days
before an election in which
absentee ballots are authorized
and closing at 5:00 p.m. on the
Thursday before the elections, the
County Board of Elections shall
hold public meetings at 8:00 a.m.
on Tuesday and Friday of each
week, and it shall also hold public
meetings at 8:00 a.m. on the
eighth, fifth, third, and first days
immediately preceeding election
day.
The County Board of Elections
shall not be required to hold any
of the meetings prescribed by this
subdivision unless, since its last
preceeding meeting, it actually
has received on or more applica
tions for absentee ballots, which it
has not passed upon. _
COA Courses
The Continuing Education
Department of College of the
Albemarle will offer three real
estate courses this fall quarter in
Chowan County. Real Estate
Sales will be taught on Monday
and Thursday nights from 7-10
p.m. at John A. Holmes High
School auditorium. Real Estate
Finance will be taught on Tuesday
nights from 7-10 p.m. at Holmes
High School. Real Estate Law will
be offered on Thursday night from
7-10 p.m. at John A. Holmes High
School. Each class will cost $10.00.
For more information, please
call 482-8426 on Tuesday and
Thursday nights.
FAIR DAYS — The 1985 Chowan County Fair, sponsored by American Legion Post 40, will be held
September 16 - 21 at the Fairgrounds on Highway 17 Business. Pictured above is a view of last year’s
midway as seen from Ferris wheel.
County Superior Court Session Held
i^uuwaii uiumy superior r,ouri
was in session the week of August
26. The Honorable Herbert Small
presided over the criminal calen
dar; Kenneth W. Patterson was
the prosecutor.
Joseph Lynn Cooper was found
guilty by a jury on four counts of
misdemeanor larceny. Two
counts were consolidated for
judgement and Cooper received a
two-year commitment. He also
received two additional two-year
commitments for the remaining
two counts.
Orian Lorenzo Jordan Jr. was
found guilty by a jury on two
counts of misdemeanor larceny.
He received two two-year com
mitments. Jordan was found not
guilty on a third charge of misde
meanor larceny.
Jam'es Edward Lamb Jr. plead
ed guilty to a charge of possession
of drug paraphernalia and a
charge of misdemeanor posses
Resource
Fund Grants
RALEIGH—Edenton, Hertford,
Elizabeth City, and Plymouth
have been awarded a total of
$22,000 for natural resources plan
ning, N.C. Department of Natural
Resources and Community
Development Secretary Tommy
Rhodes announced recently.
The towns are among the 15
communitites that will receive a
total of $97,620 for local planning.
Elizabeth City will receive $7,000;
Hertford, Edenton and Plymouth
will each receive $5,000.
“Local governments will be
able to use these funds to prepare
the land use plans that are essen
tial to protecting natural
resources,” said Rhodes.
The grants, which will be ad
ministered by the Division of
Coastal Management and partial
ly matched by local funds, will be
used to update local land use
plans. The Coastal Area Manag
ment Act requires that the up
dates be prepared every five
years. Some of the policy areas
that the updates will address are
pre- and post-storm disaster plan
ning, public beach access and
coastal water quality.
These awards are part of the
current grant cycle that will fund
75 communities between 1984 and
1987. This is the third generation
of plans since the coastal program
began in 1974.
“The state-local partnership
that is at the heart of the land use
planning program enables us to
effectively manage our coastal
resources for the future,” said
Rhodes. “We look forward to the
program’s continued strength and
success.”
-——
sion ot marijuana. The two
charges were consolidated for
judgement and Lamb was
sentenced to nine months
suspended for two years on the
condition he pay a fine of $500 and
cost of court.
John Douglas Ashworth plead
ed guilty to a charge of assault
with a deadly weapon. He was
sentenced to 9 months suspended
for three years on the condition he
pay a fine of $300 and cost of court.
He is to make restitution to J.
Gregory.
Vanza Lee Midgett pleaded
guilty to larceny of a motor vehi
cle. He was sentenced to six years
suspended for five years on the
condition he pay a fine of $1,000
and cost of court.
Haywood Lee Johnson was
found guilty on charges of DWI;
exceeding a safe speed; driving
while his license was revoked;
Continued On Page 4
Hail Damage Crop Aid
RALEIGH—Some farmers in
Chowan County may be eligible
for federal aid for crops damag
ed during a severe hail storm
earlier this summer. Governor
Martin has asked U.S, Agriculture
Secretary John Block to make :
emergency disaster loans i
available through the Farmers’ ]
Home Administration. ;
More than 25,000 acres of corn, 1
watermelons, cotton, peanuts, 1
cantaloupes, sweet potatoes, cab
bage and tobacco were damaged I
by severe wind and hail during a :
itorm on June 4,1985. Damages to
'arm buildings and equipment
lave been estimated at more than
MO,000.
Only farmers whose buildings,
equipment and crops were not in
sured will be eligible for emergen
:y loan assistance. If Secretary
Hock approves the request for
issistance, eligible farmers must
>e submit loan applications to the
farmers’ Home Administration.
A response to Governor Mar
in’s request is expected in early
September.
County Architectural Survey
ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY— Chairman of the Chowan County Ar
chitectural Survey Steering Committee Terry Wackelin (2nd from left)
is shown accepting checks from Mrs. John Graham (left), 400th An
niversary Committee and Cyndy DeVine (2nd from right) and Terry
Waff, co-chairmen, 1985 Biennial Pilgrimage. The money will be used
for an architectural survey of Chowan County.
For several years, concern has
been growing about the ever in
creasing need for an architectural
survey of Chowan County. In
creasing developmental changes,
especially building deterioration,
are daily affecting the area.
In April 1985, a federal grant
was received by the Edenton
Woman's Club through the Divi
sion of Archives and History in
Raleigh. The grant originated
From the Historic Preservation
[fund administered by the U.S
Department of the Interior, Na
:ional Park Service and was
awarded for the purpose of con
lucting an architectural survey
and inventory of Chowan County.
In keeping with its dedication to
historic preservation, the Edenton
Woman’s Club has donated its en
tire profits from the 1985 Biennial
Pilgrimage towards matching
this grant. This along with a
generous contribution from the
400th Anniversary Committee and
in-kind services provided by the
County of Chowan has made it
possible for this project to begin.
Interviews are currently being
conducted to find the best Prin
cipal Investigator so work can
begin on rural Chowan County
immediately.