Much Better, Thank You
This is our week for feeling
better.
} We have just gone through a
couple of weeks when we were
learning more about our physical
condition then we really wanted to
know, and suspecting much
worse. Now that the tests are all
over and the reports generally
negative, even the weather is an
improvement.
It all started late in January
) when we returned home from the
beach with chest pains that didn’t
want to go away. Our first
thought, of course was heart trou
ble. We had lived for 40 years with
an arrbythymic ticker and
naturally felt it might be trying to
tell us something.
But the doctor listened and look
ed at a string of cardigrams and
said he couldn’t detect any change
from the last time. He didn’t think
it was the heart.
All that was left was the rest of
us—the stomach, gall bladder,
digestive tract, lungs, etc. We
began with a series of barium X
rays, literally from one end to the
other. At the bottom end, we did
much better than President
Reagan; but at the upper end, the
glow showed some things that
shouldn’t be there.
“There’s an abnormal growth
near the entrance to your
stomach,’’ the doctor said. “We
don’t know what it is, but the good
news is that cancers don’t hurt.”
“Well, what’s the bad news.”
“The bad news,” he said, “is
that we are going to have to go in
there and take a look.”
He went on to explain that all
this is done with an endoscope, a
fiberoptics instrument which is in
serted into the stomach, enabling
the doctor to look around and take
samples of tissue for further
analysis.
“We don’t do that here,” he
said. “So I’m going to refer you to
Dr. Jospeh Petrozza, a specialist
in that field. I want you to see
him.”
We were getting glummer by
the minute. Years ago we had to
swallow a stomach pump and
swore we would never do it again.
The only other way, he explainedr
would mean surgery. We said we
would see Dr. Petrozza, who turn
ed out to be pleasant and jolly, but
all business.
It’s nothing like as bad as a
stomach pump,” he assured us.
“Some of my patients sleep
through the whole procedure.”
Well, he was right. Monday
morning we showed up at the
I hospital with another empty
stomach. Dr. Petrozza was there
with his equipment. We were plac
ed on the operating table, told to
lie on our left side, and wired up
with a hugh electroplate attached
to our back.
“What’s that for?” we asked.
“That’s how we ground you,” he
said. “In case we find something
k > that shouldn’t be there, we‘ll snip
it out with electricity.”
We then wished we hadn’t ask
ed. About that time one nurse
sprayed our throat and another
hooked us up for a sedative. Our
throat started feeling peculiar and
we still didn’t know all that was
going on, but we didn’t seem to
worry about it any more,
p “Now, take one big swallow,”
Dr. Petrozza said. “There, that’s
good. Everything is going fine.”
Then he put a rubber
mouthpiece in to help keep your
mouth open; and you realize you
are not gagging and that you can
breathe all right. And you relax as
the procedure progresses.
A large polyp was found,
\ photographed, and removed. And
an ulcer was found and a tissue
sample taken. And, suddenly, the
procedure was over and the doc
tor handed us a couple of inside
shots of our stomach.
He put us on some ulcer
medicine and told us it would be
a couple of days before the biop
sy reports were in. The medicine
5 stopped the stomach pains and the
reports came back negative.
That, together with the other
tests, gave us a clean bill as to
heart, lungs, gall bladder and
digestive brack.
What we did discover, however,
is that there is still a use for castor
oil.
. With that, too, behind us, we are
I feeling much bettor, thank you.
Volume XLIX - No. 53
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, February 13, 1986
Single Copies 25 Cents
Struggle Abandoned
By Jack Grove
After a long and fruitless strug
gle, Edenton’s governing body has
given up the battle to extricate
itself from its association with the
North Carolina Eastern Municipal
Power Agency. Edenton joined
other towns in the area in what
was supposed to be a cooperative
venture to effect great savings in
the cost of electrical power.
The town learned that, instead
of saving money, the association
was costing it more than it had
been paying for power previously.
At two meetings in the spring of
1984, council passed resolutions to
withdraw from the agency and
stating that the Town of Edenton
would not enter into any other
agreements with the agency.
Tuesday night, Councilman
Willis M. Privott, chairman of the
utilities committee, recommend
ed to council that these prior
resolutions be rescinded. This
sparked a lively exchange bet
ween Privott, Councilman Steve
Hampton and Mayor John Dowd.
Hampton said, “I voted against it
(to become part of the agency)
that night because I thought it was
pie in the sky.” At another point
he said, “They’re still ripping us
off.”
Privott took the stand that, after
many attempts to withdraw from
the agency, it was evident that it
just couldn’t be done, since a bin
ding contract had been signed.
“We see no need of just letting it
drag on,” he said of his commit
tee’s recommendation.
Dowd felt that “We need to
work from the inside and try to
correct this problem." Hampton
said, “I’d like to ask that council
think on it awhile.” Privott
responded, “I see no reason to
have this thing just laying there.”
Hampton’s final comment was “I
think it’s a mistake.” On Privott’s
motion, the council approved the
rescision with Hampton voting no.
Two town businesses were
brought to the council’s attention
during the meeting. A petition was
presented by Councilman Hamp
ton complaining of the Past Fare
at the intersection of Broad and
Albemarle Streets. The petition,
signed by neighbors of the
business, called it a “nuisance”
and citing drugs, drinking, and
fights late at night as frequent
problems there. Hampton, who is
also a neighbor of the establish
ment said that police had to be
called two or three times a week
to quell disturbances there. Coun
cil agreed to send a letter to the
company’s headquarters to “Let
them know they have an image
problem” and ask that the pro
blem be resolved.
Barbara Burroughs, one of on
ly eleven citizens attending the
meeting, asked that the Council
rectify a situation at the S&R
store. She said that two trash
dumpsters there were constantly
overflowing and that neighbors
had to constantly pick up trash
blowing onto their property. She
termed the problem “A very un
sightly and unhealthy thing.”
In other business the Council:
Continued On Page 4
FORMER COUMCILMEN HONORED— Edenton Mayor Pro Tern Willis M. Privott presents Resolu
tions of Appreciation on behalf of the Town Council to former Councilmen E. Gilbert Burroughs and James
P. Ricks (1. to r.)
Heart Month Celebrated Locally
February is Heart Month!
.Local volunteers for the American
Heart Association will be conduc
ting fund-raising events to help
raise funds to benefit research
programs at universities such as
UNC and Duke and developing
life-saving programs in North
Carolina through the American
Heart Association.
Some of the important people
volunteering to serve as officers
are: Bruce Gillikin, President and
Fund Raising Chairman; Carolyn
Norman E. Bunch
Delvin Jethro
Fred A. Spruil!
Chowan Sheriff Candidates Interviewed
Editor’s Note: This continues a series
of interviews with candidates for local
political office. It is designed to acquaint
voters with the candidates and give the
candidates an opportunity to share with
the public their goals if elected.
This week completes the slate for
Sheriff. Next week we will have interviews
with the candidates for Clerk of Court.
Norman E. Bunch
Norman E. Bunch, 46 and a
Chowan County native, lives with
his wife Sylvia in the Rocky Hock
area. They have two daughters, 22
and 19 and a son, 14.
Bunch is a 1958 graduate of
Chowan High School and is a cor
porate farmer (produce) and a
commercial fisherman.
He is a charter member of the
Edenton-Chowan Rescue Squad,
Unit Three and a member of the
Edenton Baptist Church where he
is an usher. He is also a member
of the Oak Grove Hunting Club.
Bunch, who has never run for
office, said the sheriff’s position is
a political office “that’s for the
people and I’m dedicating myself
to the people.’’
He listed the following goals if
elected:
‘Maintain a Sheriff’s Department
with a high degree of integrity;
*To be fair to all citizens of the
county with no allegiance to any
special interest group;
‘Maintain the office of sheriff with
the highest degree of honesty,
fairness and integrity to the oath
of this office;
‘To work with the schools ad
ministration and civil leaders to
inform our youth of the dangers of
alcohol and drug abuse;
•I’d like to see equal protection for
all the citizens of the county.’’
Bunch said that he felt alcohol
and drug abuse among young peo
pie “is the biggest problem we
have.”
Delvin Jethro
Delvin Jethro, 47, resides in
Cape Colony with his wife, Wilma.
They have a son, 15, and two
daughters, 13 and 8.
A native of Washington County,
Jethro has been a resident of
Chowan County for 20 years. He is
a patrolman with the Edenton
Police Department and has been'
with the department for fourteen
years.
• He attended Sunbury High
School and is currently attending
a three week course at the College
of the Albemarle in basic law.
Jethro was a write-in candidate
for sheriff four years ago.
He listed his goals as:
*“If elected as sheriff, I will have
my officers brought up to date on
all of the new laws;
*1 will make some changes in the
department. I am not prejudiced.
I will have some more black
officers;
*1 will concentrate on the pro
blems of alcohol and drug abuse;
*1 will try my hardest to get more
entertainment for all the people in
Chowan County;
*To give better protection for
businesses in the county through
the use of more patrols;.
*1 will represent the people in a
fair and equal manner;
•There is always two side to every
story. I will listen to both sides.”
Fred A. Spruill
Fred A. Spruill, 33, is the only
candidate to enter the sheriff’s
race as a Republican. He lives
with his wife, Mary and two sons,
9 and 5, in the Advance Communi
ty. He is a native of Rocky Hock.
Spruill graduated from Chowan
High School in 1971. He has com
pleted over 35 continuing educa
tion courses in law enforcement
through the community college
system. These courses include
criminology, breathalizer, EMT
training and firearms.
He served three years in the
U.S. Army specializing in the ad
ministration field. He served a
tour of duty in Germany.
Spruill is a member of the NC
Law Officers Association and of
the Bethlehem Church of Christ.
He has been a patrolman with
the Edenton Police Department
for eight years. Prior to that, he
served with the Plymouth Police
Continued On Page 4
White, Vice President; Carolyn
Ricks, Secretary; Evelyn Keeter,
Treasurer and Memorial Chair
man, Rosemarie Gillikin and
Marie Perry, Heart Sunday Co
Continued On Page 4
Women Elect Officers
The Chowan Democratic
Women held their regular mon
thly meeting on February 4 in the
Carolina Room at Gaslight
Square. Special guest speaker for
the luncheon was Ed Turlington,
Executive Secretary for the State
Democratic Party.
Pansey Elliott, President,
recognized and welcomed special
guests and candidates for office in
the 1986 elections. Officers of the
county party present were: Sarah
Tynch, Acting Chairman; Second
Vice-Chairman, Rita Saunders;
Third Vice-Chairman, Charlie
Shaw; and Treasurer Gwen
Hendrix.
Hattie Byrum, First Vice
President, introduced Turlington.
The nominating committee,
chaired by Marina Crummey,
presented a slate of officers for a
one year term and they were
elected by acclamation. They are:
President, Loueta Sellars; First
Vice-President, Dr. Candace Cor
son ; Second Vice-President, Rosa
Fenner; Secretary, Marginette
Lassiter; Corresponding
Secretary, Julia Hassell; and
Treasurer, Ida Waff.
Political Hopefuls Listed
Filings for political office have
recently closed and candidates
have begun campaigning in the
area. Some campaign posters can
already be seen around Edenton
as well as in the county and can
didates have begun handing out
wallet size appeals for votes.
The slate of candidates for the
May 6 primary election is
presented here for the First
District and local offices. Election
of candidates to fill Board of
Education seats is non-partisan.
N.C. SENATE
Marc Basnight (D)
Timothy H. Hodges (R)
N.C. HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES
(Two Seats)
Vernon G. James (D)
R.M. “Pete” Thompson (D)
Winifred “Winnie” Wood < D)
Samuel A. "Sam” Walker, Jr.
(D)
Harry B. Schiffman (D)
Audie V. Simon (D)
Shirley Perry (R)
SHERIFF
E.C. Toppin (D)
Wayne Rice (D)
Norman E. Bunch (D)
Delvin E. Jethro (D)
Fred Spruill (R)
CLERK OF COURT
Marjorie Hollowell (D)
Marguerite B. McCall (D)
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
1st Township — Joseph B.
Hollowed (D), and W. Carroll
Smith (D).
2nd Township — Clara M.
Boswell (D). and W. David Ober
(D).
4th Township — C. A1 Phillips
(D) (No opposition).
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Term Expiring 1988
1st Township — Alice Jones and
Lois E. Jordan.
Term Expiring 1990
J.M. Parrish. Jr. and Thomas I.
Sharpe.
Term Expiring 1992
James Taylor and Frankie Cox.
3rd Township — Paul E.
Chapped.
CHAMBER AWARDS— Edenton Mayor John Dowd makes presentations of awards at the Chamber
of Commerce Annual Banquet on January 30. Recipients were (1. to r.) E.L. Hollowed, Volunteer of the
Year for 1985; John Mitchener| Jr., Business Person of the Year for 1984; W.P. “Spec” Jones, Volunteer
of the Year, 1984; and George A. Byrum, Business Person of the Year, 1985. Seated are Linda Dowd and
Bill Meekins.