HAPPY EASTER
Reflect on the message of peace and love this glorious Easter.
Volume XLX - No. 13
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, March 27, 1986
Single Copies 25 Cents
On 20-20 Hindsight
Fortunately, the fiscal facts of
life are catching up with Gov. Jim
Martin earlier in his administra
tion than they did with President
Ronald Reagan.
When the legislature assembled
18 months ago, Gov. Martin hand
ed the lawmakers a shopping list
of tax “reforms” that would have
cost the general fund about $500
million revenue. But, unlike Con
gress, the legislature did not buy
the whole package, holding tax
cuts to about $130 million.
Now, the governor is struggling
with the problem of where to find
the money with which to relieve
i prison overcrowding, rebuild our
road system and construct much
needed school facilities, not to
mention aiding the cities and
counties with water and sewer
needs, the park system with
modernizing its facilities and
keeping the state’s pay roll on a
competetive basis.
All these, in one way or another,
involve the general fund.
Right now, the governor is try
ing to make up his mind whether
to recommend a three-cents a
gallon increase in the gasoline tax
or to seek to fund the half-billion
needed in new revenue by the
transportation department from
other sources, such as shifting the
highway patrol to the general
fund, diverting sales taxes on
Continued On Page 4
APPRECIATION—Outgoing Edenton-Chowan Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice-President Jerry
Hendee received a plaque Friday for his “faithful and dedicated service” to the Chamber. Shown making
the presentation are (1. to r.) Steve Robertson, Internal Vice-President; Hendee; Chuck Smith, Presi
dent; and Tom Palmer, External Vice-President. (Staff photo by Gail Mize)
Hendee Leaves Chamber Position
The Executive Vice-President
of the Edenton-Chowan Chamber
of Commerce, Jerry Hendee has
resigned his position. The
Chamber has seen many pro
gressive and positive ac
complishments during his tenure
according to its Board of Direc
tors who passed a resolution at
their March 13 meeting recogniz
ing his “faithful and dedicated
service” since 1980.
The Executive Commit! ee
presented Hendee with a plaque
on March 21, his last day as
Chamber Executive. He is joining
James C. Robison and Co., a local
design and contracting firm.
Members of the Executive
Search Committee of the
I PRICELESS LETTERS— Mrs. Cornelia Jones Privott, Chairman of Descendents Committee (left) and
Mrs. J.A. Wright, Jr., President of the James Iredell Association, accept original letters of James Iredell,
Sr. from Charles Iredell Ralfe, Ralfe, from Melbourne Australia, presented the letters to the association
on behalf of his family, directly descended from Iredell.
L Iredell Letters Brought From Australia
The James Iredell Association
has received a treasure without
price. Six original letters written
by James Iredell, Sr. to his
brother, the Rev. Arthur Iredell in
England and his uncie,
Iredell in Jamaica were presented
to the association at a special
presentation luncheon last
Thursday.
The gift was made by an Iredell
descendent, Charles Iredell Relfe,
of Melbourne Australia on behalf
of his family. Ralfe was on his
way to England to do further
research on his ancestors and
detoured to Edenton for the
presentation.
Ralfe said that his family had
carefully preserved the letters
and much other family documen
tation through the centuries.
The letters were written by
Iredell in the decade of the 1790’s.
Historian Marguerite McCall,
who is transcribing the letters,
said that they were clear and ligi
ble, written in a brown ink. She
was experiencing difficulty with
Iredell’s penmanship, however.
Ralfe said that he had known
about the existance of the Iredell
House in Edenton for years, but
only recently learned about the
James Iredell Association.
Receiving the letters on behalf
of the association were Cornelia
Jones Privott, Chairman of the
Descendents Committee and Mrs.
J. A. Wright, president of the
association.
States Form Joint Commission
By Jack Grove
North Carolina and Virginia are
embarking on a cooperative effort
to relieve pollution problems in
the Chowan River. Through ef
forts of N.C. Senator Marc
Basnight of the First District,
legislation was passed in both
states establishing a joint study
commission “to study the uses
and problems of the Chowan
River and its tributaries.’’
Basnight, a Manteo
businessman, sponsored the
legislation that passed in the state
legislature last summer. He was
notified in a letter from the Presi
dent Pro Tempore of the Virginia
Senate, Edward E. Willey, that
the legislation had passed in
Virginia's Legislature recently.
The commission will consist of
sixteen members, eight
legislators from each state, to
study the Chowan river,
agricultural practices along its
course and any other uses and
practices pertaining to it.
In a telephone interview,
Basnight called it “landmark
legislation. ’ ’ He said that this has
“never been done to anyone’s
knowledge, not at the legislative
level.” In speaking of his joint
cooperation between the two
states, he said that it was “good
that these two groups have open
ed a dialouge.”
Basnight said that “no one can
predict the outcome,” but that the !
commission would look at the
scientific research already done
and at the history of the river.
Continued On Page 4
Chamber looking for a replace
ment are Chuck Smith, Steve
Robertson, Beth Taylor, Tom
Palmer, John Dowd and Jack
Clark. Anyone interested in apply
ing for the position may send a
resume to Chuck Smith at Eden
ton Snack Foods, Inc., P.O. Box
888, Edenton, N.C. 27932.
Body Is
Recovered
A seven day search effort for a
Perquimans County commercial
fisherman ended Wednesday mor
ning with the recovery of the body
of Billy Corprew, 25.
The search began last Thursday
afternoon when Corprew was
reported missing after fishing his
nets in Albemarle Sound off Holi
day Island. Coast Guard air and
surface units and area rescue
squads, state agencies and
volunteers scoured a 220 square
mile area of the sound with
facilities at Holiday Island and
Snug Harbor being used for boat
operations.
A boat’s gas tank was found on
the sound shoreline near Colum
bia over the weekend. Strong Nor
theast winds caused the Coast
Guard to enlarge the search area.
Most of the participating agen
cies had suspended operations by
Tuesday.
Perquimans County Sheriff,
Julian Broughton said at mid-day
Wednesday that the body was
located at about 10:30 a.m. be
Continued On Page 4
Four-Laning Pushed
By Jack Grove
In a quiet, but determined man
ner, an area legislator intends to
continue pushing the four-laning
of two major arteries of transpor
tation for the northeast.
State Senator Marc Basnight
was among legislators honored
last Thursday night at a first-ever
Legislative Appreciation Dinner
at the Albemarle Commission in
Hertford.
Basnight said in an interview,
that “We need a commitment of
120 miles of roads from the gover
nor” in referring to four-laning of
U.S. 17 from Winfall to
Williamston, U.S. 64 from
Williamston to Rocky Mount and
17 miles of U.S. 158.
Governor Jim Martin has
pointed to the millions of dollars
needed for a depleted highway
fund and is considering several
options in raising new money for
additional highway needs around
the state. Among them are
transferring funding for the
Highway Patrol Transportation
Department and into the general
fund; raising the taxes on
gasoline; and earmarking sales
taxes on automobile and equip
ment for the highway fund.
With a set of his jaw, Basnight
said, “Before I vote yes on tax in
creases (or other proposals) from
the governor, I want a commit
ment on our roads” (in the
northeast).
Basnight is also upset with hir
ing practices in the highway
department. “You have to take
politics out of it,” he said. The
senator said that “I would not ask
an applicant for a job with my
company if he was a Democrat or
a Republican. I would hire the
first qualified applicant that walk
ed in the door.”
He termed the department as
“poorly run, wasteful and ineffi
cient.” Basnight said that he felt
that the highway department was
probably among the most poorly
managed highway departments in
the country.
Alice F. Jones
Lois E. Jordan
Board Candidates Profiled
(Editor's Note: This is a continuing
series on candidates for the May 6
Primary.)
By Jack Grove
Alice P. Jones (incumbent) and Lois
E. Jordan are vying for a First
Alice P. Jones
Alice P. Jones enjoys her work
at People’s Bank and Trust Co. in
Edenton where she has been
employed since 1954 (then the
Bank of Edenton). She says that
the hours of the bank have allow
ed her to be home for her children.
She is employed as a Commercial
Note Clerk.
She is married to Carroll W.
Jones and they have three
children.
A graduate of Edenton Jr.-Sr.
High School (now John A. Holmes
High School) she has pursued a
program of college credits
through the College of the
Albemarle.
Continued On Page 4
Township position on the Board of
Education. The term for this seat ex
pires in 1988.
Since school board elections are non
partisan, balloting during the primary
will determine the winners.
Lois E. Jordan
This is no typical day for Lois E.
Jordan. For her there are
numerous meetings to attend, and
community obligations to be ad
dressed. There are always in
dividuals needing a helping hand
she said. Jordan works
throughout Chowan County where
she was bom, reared, attended
the public schools and now
resides.
Jordan, is making her mark in
the community that has produced
some very viable citizens. Over
the past years, she has been in
volved with projects that project
the “concern for mankind”,
whether it was or is a child
Continued On Page 4
1
POLITICOS GATHER— The annual Albemarle Democratic Ball in Elizabeth City Saturday night drew
Democrats from across the area and from across the state, as well. Speaking with N.C. Lt. Governor
Bob Jordan (second from right) are Representative Vernon James, Judge Sarah Parker, N.C. Court of
Appeals, and Senator Marc Basnight. More pictures from the ball are on page l-B.