Volume XLX - No. 22 Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, May 29, 1986 Single Copies 25 Cents
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That Prime Time Religion
Time was when the Old Time
Religion was good enough for
everybody. Its praise was sung by
saint and sinner alike. It was good
for Paul and Silas, for brother and
sister, for mother and father, for
even the little children—and that
was good enough for all.
Now that it has gone Prime
Time, it’s good for only the right
people, those with long distance
connections who bring us the word
with unquestioned authority. And
now it’s too good for the rest of us.
If we don’t straighten up and fly
right, the fundamentalists are go
ing to get us. They are going to get
us, that is, just as soon as they can
cloak themselves with enough
authority, through political action,
to compel as to walk the straight
and narrow, not as we see it, but
as they define it.
As the US News and World
Report said in its April 21 edition,
the fundies and the ultrafundies
are learning how to concentrate
their political power. Jimmy
Carter picked up 56 percent in
1976. By 1980, 60 percent had
shifted to Ronald Reagan, who
pushed that to 81 percent in 1984.
George Bush strategists believe
that if the GOP can keep them in
its column for one more cycle,
“they’ll remain with the party for
the rest of the century.”
Mr. Bush may feel differently if
he has to take on Pat Robertson,
layer on of hands par excellence,
for the Republican presidential
nomination in 1987 but, for the
time being, it looks as if the mar
riage of the right and the far right
is as much one of convenience as
of necessity. It offers the best of
both worlds for the fundamen
talists and regulars to team up
against the ungodly in the 1986
election.
' For the rest of us. meanwhile,
perhaps the best way to meet this
challenge is to laugh it out of
court. Moral bigotry did not end
with the Scopes trial down in Ten
nessee, nor with John Kennedy’s
declaration of faith in an America
where separtion of church and
state is absolute. It has regrouped,
from country church to television
citadels, and is back with us
stronger than ever.
It is time for a Prime Time ver
sion of the Old Time Religion. We
will need a marching song in the
forthcoming battle against tyran
ny over the mind by those who
want to tell us what shows we can
see, what books we can read, what
texts we can use, what beverages
we can drink and what thoughts
we can express as members of an
upright, moral community.
So, let’s give ’em that Prime
Time Religion. Everybody knows
it was good for Oral Roberts. It
was good for Jerry Falwell. It was
good for Grant and Angley, for
Pat and Billy, for Jim and Jimmy,
for Ken and Herbert. What’s
more, it brought us prime time
miracles and bigger bank deposits
and, best of all, it helps to foil the
tax collector.
Once again, then:
Gimme that Prime Time
religion,
Gimme that Prime Time
religion,
Gimme that Prime Time
religion,
It’s good enough for me.
Seminar
Sponsored
A free evening workshop, “Job
Attitudes and Human Relations,”
will t»e presented Tuesday, June 3
at 7 p.m. in the Unit A classroom
at Chowan Hospital. The seminar
is co-sponosred by the Edenton
Chamber of Commerce and Col
lege of The Albemarle’s Small
Business Center.
Presenting the seminar will be
Nancy Smathers, training
specialist with the N.C. Depart
ment of Community Colleges.
Smathers has previously led self
improvement workshops here
'that dealt with stress manage
ment and personal profiles.
Miller Chosen New
Executive Director
The Edenton-Chowan Chamber
of Commerce has a new Ex
ecutive Director. A search com
mittee has chosen Kathleen
Miller, insurance marketing
director with John Dowd &
Associates.
Miller is a native of Sacramen
to, CA and is married to Robert
Miller who is a regional sales
manager for a container firm.
They have four children, Rob
Miller, 17, a senior at John A.
Holmes (he asked the first ques
tion of President Reagan at a na
tionally televised high school com
mencement address) Ben, 15,
Danny, 7, and Joseph, 9 months.
The Millers moved from
Raleigh last December where she
was the office manager for four
years for Nathanial Hill and
Associates, a consulting firm. She
holds an associate degree in
liberal arts from Gwynedd Mercy
College in Philadelphia.
Chuck Smith, chamber presi
dent, said Tuesday morning, “We
are very excited and enthusiastic
about Kathy Miller being chosen
as the director. We feel that the
chamber of commerce will
become more visible and active in
the community and hope that new
members will join the chamber
and become excited about the
community.”
In an interview Tuesday, Miller
was asked what her goals were as
the executive director. “I would
like to develop the potential of the
chamber. My personal philosophy
of a chamber is to protect and ad
vance business in the area.”
Miller was asked about a News
and Observer article published
this week that quoted a “think
tank’s” report which said that
rural North Carolina would never
attract new industry. The article
said that rural communities lack
ed adequate transportation, skill
ed labor and the cultural arts
needed to attract outside industry.
She said, “I think it is those kind
of articles that make us attack
with vigor these problems.”
She said that this area has much
potential for growth. “We have
the clean tourist industry, but we
haven’t organized it. I see a large
potential there.” Miller also said,
“Our improved water systems
and waste water system should be
squared away by 1987.
She spoke of other ideas for
growth. “We’d like to unite this
Continued On Page 4
new CHIEF DEPUTY—Chowan County Sheriff Glenn Perry has
appointed Linda Terry as Chief Deputy effective May 1, 1986. Terry
brings over seven years experience as a deputy sheriff to her new
position.
Chief Deputy Appointed
Deputy Sheriff Linda N. Terry
was named recently as Chief
Deputy by Chowan County Sheriff
Glen Perry. The appointment vas
made in late April and became ef
fective May 1.
Terry, who has been with the
Sheriff’s Department since 1979, is
married to Bland Terry and they
have two children. Bland Terry is
employed as an officer with the
Edenton Police Department.
Perry was the department’s
chief deputy for 19 years until the
death of Sheriff Troy Toppin in
October when Perry was ap
pointed as Sheriff of Chowan
County. The position of chief dep
uty had been vacant until Terry’s
appointment.
In naming his second in com
mand, Sheriff Perry said, “After
five months of consideration, I felt
that she was the most qualified to
Democratic Ri
Democrats will be going to
the polls again on Tuesday,
June 3 in a primary runoff
election. R.M. “Pete”
Thomspon from Chowan Coun
ty and Winnifred “Winnie".
Wood from Camden County
face off for the party’s nod as
the candidate for the N.C.
House of Representatives.
Hie party’s other candidate,
Representative Vernon
James, won a majority of the
votes in the May 6 Primary.
James and the winner of the
Tuesday contest will face
Republican Shirley Perry of
Perquimans County in
November in an election for
two House seats in the
Legislature.
County polling places will be
open on Tuesday from 6:30
a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
fill the position.”
Concerning her appointment,
Terry said, “I feel very honored
and will continue to serve the
department to the very best of my
ability.”
Intersection
Collision
Reported
A two-car collision at No. Broad
and Albemarle Streets on Satur
day night marks the second
straight week that an accident has
occurred at the intersection.
The mishap took place at 8:30
p.m. when a 1973 Plymouth,
driven by Rodney Lee, 21, was
struck from behind by a 1979 Hon
Continued On Page 4
m-Off Tuesday
Voting will take place at the
following locations:
East Edenton: Old National
Guard Armory - parking is at
the rear of the building;
West Edenton: New Edenton
Chowan Rescue Squad
Building - parking at the front
and side of the building;
Rocky Hock: Rocky Hock
Rescue Squad Building - park
ing in front and side of
building;
Center Hill: Crossroads Fire
Department - parking in front
of building;
Wardville: Gliden Rescue
Squad Building - parking in
front of building;
Yeopim: New National
Guard Armory • parking at
front and side of building.
(Sample Ballot - Page 8-A)
1 . XT flu
NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOUND—Kathleen Miller has been named as the Edenton-Chowan
Chamber of Commerce Executive Director. She is shown with the chamber’s search committee. They
are (1. to r.) Tom Palmer, External Vice-President; John Dowd, Past President; Chuck Smith, Presi
dent; Beth Taylor, President Elect; Miller; and Steve Robertson, Internal Vice-President
Athletes Receive Sports Awards
a somewnat tiring. (8'l> nours)
but emminently worthwhile
sports award banquet at John A
Holmes High School Monday
evening once again spotlighted
shining examples of this area's
youth.
Athletic Director Tom Bass told
a large crowd that. “The 85-86
athletic season was a very, very
good year. There are many people
in the community in the
background that contributed to
the athletic program."
Bass recognized all of the
school’s coaches and then said,
“As for the community, we re
here for you and the only thing
that we ask is your support ”
Two posthumous awards were
made in recognition for service to
the school and school system
Chuck Smith accepted an award
for his father, the late C.B. Smith,
a school board member
Superintendent John Dunn said.
“He was proud of our athletes."
The second posthumous award
was presented to Mrs. Thurza
Shields in recognition of her late
husband’s 24 years of contribution
to the school as a teacher and
coach. The 1986 student yearbook
was dedicated in his honor
Brian Bunch walked away with
top honors for the boys' athletics
He received the C. B Smith
Memorial Blanket Award
(formerly the CBS International
Award), the Athletic Academic
Award for maintaining a grade
point average of 96; and the
Robert F Shields Athlete of the
Year Award.
Honored by the Athletic
Academic Award for the girls pro
gram was Leigh-Ann White. White
maintained a 98 grade point
average.
The Robert F. Shields Athlete of
the Year Award for girls was
Stephanie Elliott.
During the banquet, Aces
Booster Club President Wallace
Evans presented the school with
$2,000 to be used for updating
video equipment. Associate
Superintendent of Schools Jim Ki
nion told the gathering that the
booster club had collected $27,000
in four years io aid the athletic
program. The club provided 87
plaques to be awarded to the stu
dent athletes.
During the evening it was an
nounced that Charles Holley and
Keith Bartlet had received full
Continued On Page 4
Town Petition Presented
By J ACK GKOVE
A petition has been presented to
Mayor John Dowd asking that the
recent Town Council action that
would change the town’s charter
be rescinded. The petition was
presented by former mayor Roy
Harrell in the council chamber
after the special budget presenta
tion meeting Tuesday night.
In an interview prior to the
council meeting, Harrell was ask
ed what he thought the council
would do in response to the peti
tion He said, ’ The council can
disregard the petition. 1 would
hope that they would not
disregard this petition with this
many names on it " He said that
500 people had signed it
Earlier on Tuesday, Harrell had
attempted to present the petition
to Town Administrator Sam No
ble. Noble said, “I’m not going to
accept it.” In noting that it was;
addressed to the mayor and coun
cil, Noble asked that it be
presented to Mayor Dowd.
The petition reads. ‘‘We, the
undersigned citizens and
registered voters of Edenton, N.C.
request that the following items
remain as they are in the old
charter:
1 Mayor shall be voted on
‘every 2 years.” (per s/s
160A-101)
Continued On Pa^'e 4
Town And County Tax Billing Simplified
A first step has been taken to
foster closer cooperation between
Chowan County and the Town of
Edenton. A written agreement
was signed last week which pro
vides for the tax billings and col
lections for the town to be done by
the county tax office.
Town residents will have two
line items on their future county
tax bills, one for the county levy
and the other listing their town
property tax. Edenton is expected
to save $15,000 in the process.
The increased cost to the coun
ty in this billing will be paid by the
town The county will charge town
hall two per cent of the town’s tax
levy the first year of the arrange
ment and one and one-half per
cent in succeeding years. The ex
tra one-half per cent in the first
year represents an allowance for
start-up costs.
“Simplification of tax billing
and collection is what it all boils
down to,” according to County
Commission Chairman Alton
Elmore.
In an additional agreement, the
county animal control officer wi 11
enforce town animal control or -
dinances. Said County Manager
Cliff Copeland, “This is an at
tempt to address the double taxa
tion issue.”
In commenting on the agree
ments, Edenton Mayor John
Dowd said, “I hope this can be
seen as the first step in the town
and county working together to
spend the public’s tax dollars
wisely.”
TOWN-COUNTY AGREEMENT—Chowan County Board of Commisssioners Chairman Alton Elmore
(left) and Edenton Mayor John Dowd sign agreements concerning tax billings and collections and en
forcement of animal control ordinances. Looking on (1. to r.) are Town Administrator Sam Noble, EMS
Coordinator and County Animal Control Officer Doug Belch, and County Manager Cliff Copeland. ,