Volume XIIX - No. 36
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, September 26, 1985
Single Copies 25 Cents
Not All That Bad
North Carolina has, in times
past, received some unfavorable
publicity because of the size of its
prison population. We were seen
as a state where public policy
simply called for the warehousing
of criminals as the solution to
- many social ills.
Well, it turns out that, however
sorry our plight is, we are not as
callous as we have been painted.
It is true that from the stand
point of total prison population
North Carolina ranks pretty high
— seventh from the top. But when
it comes to the number of
prisoners as a per cent of the
population, we do not look so bad.
We are in 11th place.
California, Texas, New York,
Florida, Ohio and Illinois rank
ahead of us, and in that order,
when it comes to total prison
population. At the end of the first
six months in 1985, North Carolina
had a total of 17,088 prisoners, or
251 persons out of 10,000.
Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland,
Alabama, South Carolina,
Oklahoma, District of Columbia,
Nevada, Delaware and Alaska all
ranked ahead of us in the number
of prisoners per 10,000 population.
Compared to our 251, the District
of Columbia, that paragon of
social justice, reported 743
prisoners per 10,000 population,
the highest in the nation by far.
Next was Nevada, which reported
397, and Louisiana, with 308. North
Dakota stands at the bottom of the
list, with 50 inmates for each
10,000.
For the nation as a whole,
prison inmates totaled 490,041, or
197 for every 10,000 population.
That was an increase of 5.6 per
cent for the first six months of the
year, drug convictions accounting
r for thfe largest gain. ~ w*
Still there is overcrowding in
our jails. Just last week Judge
James McMillian, sitting in U.S.
Western District Court, ordered
North Carolina to spend an
estimated #12 million in building
additional dormitory space and
providing recreational facilities in
a group of western Piedmont
counties. Fortunately, the
legislature had already ap
propriated that much money for
prison expansion, but that may
not be enough if class actions are
instituted by prisoners in other
areas of the state.
Carey Moses Evans
Death continues to remove good
people from along the Public
Parade, leaving a vacuum to be
filled in the area of public service
Continued On Page 4
FIRE— Clyde Slade’s trailer was destroyed early Sunday morning by a fire that is believed to have
begun in the cook stove. If anyone wants to donate clothing, call 482-4418.
A long time Chowan Herald
employee nearly lostnis life ear
ly Sunday morning when a fire
ripped through his mobile home.
Mechanical Superintendent
Clyde Slade, 26 Granby Trailer
Park, W. Albemarle Street Ex
tended, had been asleep in the
back bedroom for close to two
hours when a dog he was watching
for his daughter began making
noises outside at approximately 2
a.m.
“I heard Tara (the dog) scrat
clung at the door, hut I cudn t pay
it no mind because she does it ail
the time,” said Slade. But whep
she went around to the bach win
dow and started scratching, that’s
when I got up to see what was go
Continued On Page 4
T. Dowd
E.N. (Pete) Manning
or Honored
Former Edenton Mayor John
Mitchener Jr. “Papa John” was
one of over 800 people honored in
Raleigh Tuesday for having ap
peared in The News and
Observer’s 35 year-old “Tar Heel
of the Week” feature. The
“IfiSIBWatioh at fhe'Clvfc'Center in
cluded a dinner, entertainment
and a tribute to the newspaper’s
founder, Josephus Daniels.
It was a Sunday in the late 1960s
when Mitchener was profiled in
“Tarheel of the Week.” At that
time, the Edenton pharmacist
was Mayor of Edenton and Presi
dent of the North Carolina League
of Municipalities.
“That Sunday I couldn’t do
anything but answer the telephone
- I got so many calls,” said
Mitchener.
While he was president of the
League of Municipalities, Mit
chener traveled extensively
throughout .the state and had the
chance to meet a lot of people.
“It’s amazing to me the amount of
untapped people there are in this
state,” he said. Edenton, Mit
chener recalled, was always
referred to as “that clean,
historical town in the northeast.”
Continually active in communi
ty affairs, Mitchener is currently
a director of the Edenton-Chowan
Chamber of Commerce and a
member of the chamber’s In
dustrial Commitfee. He is 'a
trustee of both Chowan Hospital
and First Presbyterian Church
and a member of Unanimity
Lodge ti7.
Mitchener is also heading up a
special new committee establish
ed by the local chamber: The
First Annual Chamber of Com
merce Roasting Committee. The
first roasting is scheduled for
Thursday, October 24, at the
American Legion. Pete Dail will
have the honor of begin roasted
with proceeds from the event go
ing to this year’s Christmas
parade.
County District Court Held
Chowan County District Court
was in session September 24; the
Honorable J. Richard Parker
presiding over the criminal
Municipal Election Heating Up I
The upcoming November 5
municipal election heated up last
week when challengers filed to
run against incumbents Mayor
Roy Harrell and Councilman-at
Large Rev. James Fenner.
Local businessman John T.
Dowd is the new candidate for
mayor; E.N. (Pete) Manning,
General Manager, The Chowan
Herald, is running for the at-large
councilman’s seat.
The four candidates have issued
either statements or releases to
The Chowan Herald; they are
follows:
Roy Harrell
Mayor Roy Harrell has been in
office for the past 12 years; before
he was elected mayor, he served
as a councilman for 2 years.
An Edenton native, Harrell is
the local veteran’s employment
representative at the Edenton
Employment Security Commis
sion office, a position he has held
for 9 years. He is a member of
First Christian Church. He serves
on the Hospital Board and is a
member of Historic Edenton and
ARPDC.
Harrell served in the U.S. Air
Force from 1950 -1954. He and his
wife, Sybil, have three children.
Harrell stated:
“I am very excited about the
coming years. I look forward to
the completion of the sewage
disposal unit and I look forward to
the starting and completing of the
peak generating power plant that
will reduce the light bills of our
citizens.
“I look forward to two more
years of serving the good citizens
of Edenton as I have for the past
14 years; I look forward to seeing
them, as always, at their doors.”
John T. Dowd
John T. Dowd of 219 W. Queen
Street has Announced his can
didacy for Mayor of Edenton.
Dowd, a lifetime resident of Eden
ton and Chowan County, is a
graduate of John A. Holmes High
School and East Carolina Univer
sity with a degree in Business
Administration.
Dowd headed the award winn
ing Distributive Education Pro
gram at Holmes High for eight
years before forming his in
surance and real estate company
in 1979. He is currently an
Honorary Life Time Member of
the Distributive Education Clubs
of America and serves on the
calendar.
Daniel Andrew Brownholtz was
found guilty of driving 70 in a
55mph zone. He was fined $25 and
court costs.
Walter Lee Moore was found
guilty of failing to yield the right
of way. He was sentenced to 30
days suspended for 1 year on the
condition he pay a fine of $50 and
cost of court.
Joey Blaine Reynolds was found
guilty of driving 90 in a 55mph
zone. He was sentenced to 60 days
suspended for 1 year on the con
Continued On Page 4
Hurricane
Watch
At press time (Wednesday
afternoon) local officials were
watching the movement of
Hurricane Gloria, a storm
packing winds of 150 mph
headed toward the Atlantic
coast.
At 9 a.m. the state had
issued a hurricane watch from
Edisto Beach, SC to Cape
Henry, Va. At 3 p.m. the storm
was located about 575 miles
southeast of Cape Hatteras
near latitude 27.1 north and
longitude 73.1 west.
“We’re just kind of sitting
back and watching,” said
Emergency Management
Coordinator Doug Belch.
“We’re looking at possible
shelters should they become
necessary.” /
State Board of Education's Ad
visory Board for Marketing
Education. In 1976 Dowd was
recognized as an Outstanding
Distributive Education Teacher
based on the success of the pro
gram in the community and in
state competition.
Dowd is currently President of
the Edenton-Chowan Chamber of
Commerce.
Dowd’s reasons for entering the
race are based on the major issue
of future economic development
for Edenton and the area. Serving
as President of the Chamber it
became quite evident that Eden
ton needed a master marketing
plan for our area. This plan should
be a cooperative effort between
City Government, County Govern
ment, The Chamber of Com
merce, Historic Edenton and the
Airport Commission. The
Chamber of Commerce over the
last few years has made gallant
efforts to recruit industry through
the State Department of Com
merce and is proud of its efforts
put forth in getting Bayliner
Marine to locate in Edenton, but
due to the conditions of our roads
and our location in Eastern North
Carolina it is becoming increas
ingly more difficult for industry to
even look at our area. “We can not
continue to plan our economic
growth like it has been done in the
past,” stated Dowd.
Other areas of concern are the
duplication of services that are
currently being provided by both
county and city government such
as tax billing, tax collecting,
building inspections and planning.
Residents of Edenton are suppor
ting both governments and are on
ly benefiting from one. This
duplication is not a wise spending
of our tax dollars.
Dowd is also concerned that
Edenton and Chowan County does
not have the 911 Emergency
Number System that will allow
our citizens to reach the fire
department, police department,
ambulance service and sheriff
department by dialing 911.
If elected Dowd promises to
make our city government more
responsive, progressive, and
cooperative.
Rev. James Fenner
Rev. James Fenner has served
as Councilman-at-Large for one
term (4 years). He is currently
chairman of the Public Works
Committee. For nine years he has
been the pastor at Providence
Baptist Church.
A native of Hodgood, N.C., Fen
ner is a graduate of Norfolk State
University and Shaw University.
He received a Bachelor and Doc
tor of Divinity Degree from the
Religious and Educational Enter
prise, Charlotte, N.C. He also
received a Doctor of Humane Let
ter Degree from Baltimore Col
lege of Bible and Seminary.
Fenner is married to the former
Rosa Rountree; they have two
daughters.
Fenner stated:
“My first bid for council was to
have a government formed by the
people, and one of my highest
aspiration now is to continue that
same thing and to see that all peo
ple have good representation. I
would like to continue my service
on the council because I feel we
have a good council now that is
working harmoniously together
for the same purpose.
“We are presently involved in
several projects that I certainly
would like to see finished: 1) the
sewage disposal plant 2) the Com
munity Block Grant 3) the con
tinued fight against the power
agency 4) the senior citizens
shelter and 5) the peak generating
electrical system which will save
the tax payer money in electric
Mils.
E.N. (Pete) Manning
E.N. (Pete) Manning, 216 West
Eden Street, has announced his
Continued On Page 4
Lions rund Drive rlannea
The Edenton Lions Club will be
holding their annual fund drive to
assist the blind and visually im
paired on Thursday, Friday, and
Saturday, October 3, 4 and 5.
Lions club members will be ac
cepting donations on those days
from 10:00a.m. to7:00p.m. at the
following locations: Food Lion;
S & R; and Winn-Dixie. There will
also be members at various
downtown locations.
Local Lions club members ask
that you please be as generous as
possible with your contribution to
this project, which was begun by
the N.C. Lions Association for the
Blind in 1934. If you are unable to
contribute at this time, but would
like to mail in a donation, you may
send it to: N.C. Association for the
Blind, White Cane Drive, Route 1,
Box 327, Edenton, North Carolina
27932.
Your support will be greatly
appreciated.
QUEEN— Tern Keid, of Edenton, was chosen 1985 Queen of the Fair
at the Chowan County Fair on Saturday, September 21. She will go on
to the state beauty pageant to be held in High Point this January. Leslie
Irving, Edenton, was 1st runner up in the Queen of the Fair Pageant:
Alice White, Hertford, was 2nd runner up.
*