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The Most Beautiful Little City On The North Carolina Coast
Volume LI I - No. 34
Edenton. North Carolina, Thursday. September 4, 1986
Single Copies 25 Cents
Still A Pork Barrel
Department of Transportation
representatives got off light the
other day when Rep. Vernon
James took them to task for the
uneven distribution of highway
funds in their district.
To begin with, there was the
waste of some $80,000 in an effort
to solve a board parking problem
adjacent to the highway building
in Raleigh.
As anybody knows who has bus
iness in Raleigh, parking is a pro
blem. Yet Transportation Board
members, rather than using
private parking facilities or leav
ing their cars at the motel as
everybody else does, sought to
take over a public street and con
vert it to their own use, simply by
adding a few more blocks to the
state highway system.
After spending some $80,000 cut
ting down big trees and replacing
them with smaller ones, they
found they could not legally mark
the parking spaces for their own
use, something they should have
known in the first place.
This caper, it should be kept in
mind, was put on by a group
which only a few months ago was
convincing the General Assembly
it should raise gasoline taxes to
help meet dire financial needs.
That brings us down to DOT
board member Kenneth Roberson
Continued On Page 4
I
Aces Defeat
Falcons In
Season Opener
The Edenton Aces trounced
Bertie on the Falcons’ home turf
Friday night in a season opener
that bodes well for hometown
fans. The 2-A John A. Holmes
team defeated the 3-A division
Falcons 40-6.
The untried Aces of Coach Jay
Swicegood were expected to be
handed a season-opening defeat
according to local pundits. Even
Swicegood thought so.
Winning the opening toss and
electing to kick-off, Edenton in
tercepted on the third play of the
game. This set the tone of a fine
defensive and offensive game that
saw the Aces force seven more
turnovers.
After the initial interception,
Edenton took the ball 34 yards to
a touchdown in just three plays.
The second quarter meant 26
more points for the Aces and three
Bertie turnovers with a half-time
score of 33-0.
The second half saw the Fal
cons’ only TD and the Aces adding
another 7 points. With a shutout
imminent, Bertie scored with on
ly 13 seconds remaining.
Along with fine defensive play,
Edenton’s aerial offense clicked.
Quarterback Erie Downing
passed for 157 yards and three
TDs. Although the Falcons had 187
yards gained in the air, pass in
terceptions were their downfall.
Demme Felton was on the
receiving end of two touchdown
passes and Aaron Little caught a
deflected pass in the end zone.
Downing took the ball over the
goal line himself on one option
play. Harris grabbed a Bertie
fumble to scamper for another
TD.
Edenton, the smaller of the two
teams, was bruised and battered
but Swicegood believes they’ll be
ready whey they meet Northeast
ern in Elizabeth City tomorrow
night.
GOVERNOR’S WELCOME—Governor James Martin welcomed descendants of slaves at Somerset
Saturday at the celebration planned by Dorothy Redford. Redford is shown flanked by N.C. Dept, of Cultural
Resources Secretary Patrick Dorsey (1.) and First Lady Dottie Martin.
Newbern Cleared On Larceny Charge
Chowan Superior Court was still
in session at press time last week.
The Honorable James D.
Llewellyn of Kinston presided
over the criminal calendar.
The last case heard Wednesday
concerned the alleged theft of
lumber.
Tears of joy ran down a wife’s
face as she heard her husband
declared not guilty of a misde
meanor larceny charge.
Larry Arnold Newbern, Sr., 36,
of Cape Colony had been charged
with larceny of timber from the
construction site of a house owned
and being built by John Groff, a
contractor.
In other cases:
David Wayne Sutton, charged
with breaking and entering and
larceny and possession, pleaded
guilty to misdemeanor possession
of stolen property. He was
sentenced to not less than 18
months or more than 24 months in
the NC Dept, of Corrections,
suspended and placed on super
vised probation for two years
upon payment of a $100 fine, cost
of court of $111 and attorney’s fees
of $300 to be paid at the direction
of the probation officer.
Michael Wayne Hardy, charged
with breaking and entering and
larceny and possession, pleaded
guilty to misdemeanor larceny
and received an identical judg
ment to that of David Wayne
Sutton.
The cases of William Henry
(Buddy) Ford and James Frances
Driza, both charged with breaking
and entering and larceny and
possession, were continued.
The case of Timothy C. Hughes,
charged with second degree sex
offense, first degree kidnapping
and indecent liberties, was
continued.
The case of Jimmy Blount,
charged with two counts of inde
cent liberties, was continued.
Jo Ann Turner pleaded guilty to
one count of financial transaction
card forgery and one count of
financial transaction-card theft. A
third count of financial tran
saCtion-card theft was dismissed.
She was sentenced to two years in
the NC Dept, of Corr., suspended
and she was placed on supervised
probation for two years. She was
assessed court costs of $244 and
$125 for counsel fees. Her proba
tion was transferred to Cumber
land County.
Robert Carlton Keaton pleaded
guilty to level one, DWI, while a
second charge of driving while his
Automobile Accidents Mar Week
A three year old girl was injured
Thursday at 12:30 p.m. when she
was struck by a car near the in
tersection of S. Broad and Church
Streets. Laurie Gibson, daughter
of John and Lisa Gibson, was in
her stroller when her mother pro
ceeded with her across the street
in front of Peoples Bank.
A car, driven by Carmen Lynn
White, 17, of Center Hill was head
ed south on Broad and travelling
through the intersection on a
green light. It was raining at the
time and White skidded on the wet
pavement attempting to avoid the
mother and child.
The child reportedly received a
face laceration and was
transported to Chowan Hospital.
She was then transferred to Pitt
Memorial Hospital in Greenville
for consultation with a plastic
surgeon.
Edenton Police Sgt. G.K. Bon
ner investigated the accident. No
citations were issued as result of
the accident.
Another accident occurred on
Friday at 12:36 p.m. in front of
McDonald’s on N.C. 32 north. A
1977 Ford station wagon driven by
Brenda Owens Bunch, 37, of
Merry Hill was struck broadside
as she pulled out of the
restaurant’s parking lot.
Her car was struck by a 1985
Chevrolet truck driven by Samuel
Martin Copeland, 38, of 'tyner who
is with the N.C. Forest Service.
Copeland was traveling north at
the time of the accident.
Investigating officer Bland
Terry of the Edenton Police
Department estimated damage to
the truck at $700 and listed the sta
tion wagon as a total loss.
Bunch was transported to
Chowan Hospital with unspecified
injuries. She was cited for making
an unsafe movement.
County Democratic
Meetings Scheduled
Democratic Chowan County
Chairman Charles Shaw has an
nounced the following precinct
meetings for the Democratic
Party:
• West Edenton meeting will be
held Thursday, September 11, at
Shepard-Pruden Library.
• East Edenton meeting will be
held Monday, September 22, at
8:00 p.m. at the old Courthouse
Building.
• The Rocky Hock meeting will
be held Monday, September 8 at
8:00 p.m. at the Rocky Hock
Rescue Squad Building.
• Yeopim and Wardville pre
cinct meeting will be announced
soon.
The purpose of the meetings is
to discuss the forthcoming cam
paign and getting out the vote. All
members of the precincts are in
vited and encouraged to attend.
license was revoked was dis
missed. He was sentenced to not
less than 14 months nor more than
18 months in the NC Dept, of Corr.
with his active sentence to begin
on Sep. 14,1986. Work release was
recommended. He was ordered
not to operate a motor vehicle in
NC for three years.
Julius M. Fleetwood, charged
with aiding and abetting a DWI,
had his case remanded to the
District Court judgment.
The case of Thomas Shelton
Nixon, III, charged with speeding
69 in a 55mph zone was continued.
The case of Willie Joe Cecil
Leary, charged with DWI, was
Continued On Page 4
FLYING HIGH—Kenneth Evans, 19, of Elizabeth City seems to soar
above the trees after a ramp takeoff with a bike during a show he and
his trick riding team put on for Edentonians Monday during Labor Day
festivities.
Somerset Plantation
Homecoming Held
By JEANETTE WHITE
CRESWELL—It was a time of
healing and reconnecting with
roots when descendants of slaves
who built Somerset Plantation
met there Saturday for the first
homecoming of its kind.
Bright yellow ribbons tied to
huge cypress trees planted by
their ancestors led the way to the
manor, where descendants walk
ed through rooms their
forefathers never saw.
African drumbeats mixed with
smells of southern cooking and
drifted across the compound,
where a pile of bricks and signs
were all that remained of a
hospital and cabins for slaves.
Nearby stood a six-mile canal,
dug by 80 African slaves brought
to Somerset on the Brig Camden
in June 1786 to work and marry
slaves owned by the Josiah Collin
family, owners of Somerset.
Lapel buttons reading “A
Celebration of Family - Feeling
Good About Life” were pinned to
cousins meeting and hugging for
the first time.
Local dignitaries gave speeches
and Gov. James Martin arrived to
ask the descendants, “Did you
hear the voices saying come
home? It wasn’t sound, but in your
head and heart...Did you think of
this place as home?...They
(slaves) transformed this land
from a swamp to flourishing fields
and shared an oppression that was
mean and hard.
“We are not here for the sytem
of slavery, we are here for people.
They lived their lives with digni
ty and grace, good humor and
faith. Take pride in the strength of
those who endured. Have pride in
their name, for it is yours.”
Gov. Martin ended his com
ments with a proclamation
declaring August 30, 1986, as
Somerset Homecoming Day,
fostering the healing of historic
abuse by promoting home and
family.
The proclamation was given to
Dorothy Spruill Redford of Port
smouth, Va., who was the person
responsible for the research that
made the day possible.
With tears threatening, Redford
accepted and said, “This day is
about history. Over 200 years ago
our family history began. This
day has nothing to do with
slavery, for there is nothing
honorable about that. Our people
Continued On Page 4
Child Released
After Collision
A county youngster was treated
and released at Chowan Hospital
Thursday after being struck by a
car on N.C. 37, 4.5 miles east of
Edenton.
N.C. Highway Patrol
Spokeswoman Dottie Lowe said
that Delton Lamon Drye, age 11,
of Rt. 2, Edenton dashed from a
private driveway into the path of
a car driven by Maggie McCoy
Griffin, 43, of Rt. 5, Elizabeth City.
The report filed by Trooper Y.Z.
Newberry said that the child was
thrown to the shoulder of the road.
The accident occurred at 4:15
p.m. No charges were filed
Another accident was reported
Friday at 11:30 p.m. The one
vehicle mishap took place two
miles south of Edenton on N.C. 32
when a 1975 Chevrolet pickup
traveling south at “a higher than
normal rate of speed” overturned
in a ditch.
The report filed by Trooper
W.M. Long said that the driver,
Freddy Lawrence, 22, of Rt. 2,
Edenton braked his truck in
response to a vehicle in front of
him that had applied brakes.
Lawrence’s vehicle hit the right
shoulder where he apparently lost
control and the truck crossed the
road striking the left ditch and
overturning.
Lawrence and his passenger,
Selma Chesson, 23, of Rt. 2, Eden
ton were transported to Chowan
Hospital where they were treated
and released.
Trooper Long cited Lawrence
for careless and reckless driving.
Neither of the pickup’s occupants
were wearing seat belts.
optimists FOLD their TENT—Optimists provided frefe refreshments to Labor Day celebrants Mon
day afternoon. Coca-Cola provided free drinks and radio station Z-102 broadcasted live from Colonial Park.
On September 6th, 1986
At the Boy Scout Hut
Serving Begins at 11:00
Annual Fish Fry
Proceeds support
the Crippled Childrens* Hospitals
Sponsored by
the Chowan County
Shrine Club