Wishing You 4 Year Of Happiness!
THE CHOWAN HERALD
Published In The Most Beautiful Little City on The North Carolina Coast
Volume ILIII • No. 1
tdenton, North laroiina, inursaay, January i, iy»/
6
Single copies n Lents
Standing At The Gate
As we stand at the exit gate of
the old year, we here at the
Chowan Herald want to wish
everybody along the Public
Parade a happy and prosperous
new year.
As the old year \foound down, the
community experienced some re
verses. An attractive and much
needed new industry changed its
i mind about locating in Edenton.
Our competent and much-liked
town manager decided to accept
a greater challenge in Tarboro.
And there were signs of a general
business slowdown.
But there were during the year
many happy developments. Our
new mayor and town council got
their feet solidly on the ground.
| Already they are negotiating
developments to fill the void left
by the Reiss corporation. And the
county commissioners have ap
proved a renovation agreement
v, which holds great promise for the
future of Edenton downtown.
Despite some setbacks, work is
progressing on the new Albemarle
k Sound bridge, which will be a
^ great improvement to transporta
tion into and out of Chowan Coun
ty. And the appointment of Phil
Godwin of Gates County to the
State Transportation Board will
mean much to future highway
development in the northeast. He
is replacing two board members
who permitted tussles over turn to
h impair their effectiveness as
board members.
Our schools continue to be the
envy of larger communities in the
state, maintaining a level of
academic and athletic excellence
that has attracted national notice.
Still, there is much to be done
during the new year. Far too
many of our young people, not to
^ mention those who are old enough
to know better, are involved in
drugs one way or another, a grow
ing problem which will require the
co-operation and best efforts of
parents, peers, police, and other
law enforcement officers and
school officials. We wish them the
best of success during the year
and we here at the Chowan Herald
ft are anxious to help in any way we
can.
Our hospital and medical com
munity continue to keep pace with
Continued On Page 4
Area Leaders Discuss Goals For The New Year
By JACK GROVE
Everyone has their goals and
aspirations for the coming new
year and area governmental
leaders are no exception. Inter
viewed on this subject were state
legislators from the First District,
Sen. Marc Basnight, Rep. Vernon
James and Rep.-elect R.M. (Pete)
Thompson; Edenton Mayor John
Dowd; and Chairman of the
Chowan County Board of Com
missioners Alton Elmore.
Senator Basnight responded,
“To work in the field of trans
portation remains a top priority.”
He said that when the governor
sends his highway funding plan to
the General Assembly, it may in
clude a tax increase on gasoline
sales.
Basnight said that he would like
to see transportation funds
guaranteed to the Albemarle
Region, “written into the law. If
the opportunity arises, I would
propose a regional distribution
system of funds that Would offer
us more funds than we receive in
this area—a fairer distribution.”
Another goal of the senator’s is
the “equalization of funds for the
mentally ill, mentally retarded
and substance abuse programs.
We’ve never recognized that we
have a drug problem in North
Carolina.”
On another subject, “I’m going
to be coming out with a water
quality bill that will affect the
Albemarle.” Basnight was instru
mental in the establishment, of a
Virginia-North Carolina Chowan
River Study Commission that met
in Edenton in the first days of
December.
And finally, concerning auto in
surance, he stated, “We need in
surance revision and control, even
more than last year."
Representative James has a lot
AT THE WHITE HOUSE—The senior class of John A. Holmes received a “commencement address"
from President Ronald Reagan in the Rose Garden of the White House in Ma>. Here students rebound
their bus for sightseeing that included a tour of the Capitol Building.
Reflections Of A Year Gone By
The year just past has been, like
any other year, a time of triumphs
and tragedies, of hopes dashed
and dreams realized, and of
change.
The highlight of the year for
many local residents was an in
vitation to the White House for the
John A. Holmes High School
graduating class of 1986. This
singular honor, due to their
dedication to excellence, thrilled
students, staff, parents and coun
ty citizens alike.
The usual cold weather early in
the year gave way to a dry spring
and summer that, along with high
production costs and low com
modity prices, spelled disaster for
some area farmers. The year’s
weather was also punctuated with
several tornadoes and Hurricane
Hunting Accident Reported
A Virginia man was fatally in
I) jured in an apparent hunting ac
cident Monday in Perquimans
County.
According to State Wildlife En
forcement Officer Jack C. Staley
Jr., the accident occurred around
8:30 a.m. in the Whiteston area,
near the Perquimans and Gates
County line.
Jimmy Stallings of Norfolk was
P struck in the upper chest by one
pellet from a 12-gauge shotgun
fired by his nephew, Ricky Stall
ings. Staley guessed the victim to
be in his early fifties.
Staley said a group of sport
smen were hunting with dogs
when a deer emerged from the
woods and the nephew fired. The
victim was out of the line of sight
9 and hidden by a wood thicket.
“Some of the pellets went
through die woods; the man was
standing there and was hit,”
Staley said.
Some of the pellets struck the
deer, which was killed later by
another hunter unaware of the
accident.
Staley said the incident is still
W under investigation, but will most
likely be ruled as accidental.
Stallings was not wearing
hunter’s blaze orange when the
accident occurred.
The death comes in the midst of
a hotly contested debate on a law
which would require hunters to
wear flourescent orange clothing,
making them more visible to
fellow sportsmen.
Thirty-eight states have such
laws, but not North Carolina. The
N.C. Wildlife Federation has lob
bied for the law, saying it would
save lives, proven by the reduc
tion of hunting accidents in the
states using the law.
Doug Painter, communications
director at the National Shooting
Sports Foundation based in Con
necticut, says most states see a 50
percent drop in hunting fatalities
under mandatory orange laws.
Six hunters have been Silled in
this state since the deer season
opened in September.
This state has more than 400,000
licensed hunters. Some of whom
prefer traditional red and black
attire, saying the blaze orange
will frighten their prey. Biologists
say deer are colorblind. Other
hunters are willing to accept the
Continued On Page 4
cnariie siae-swiping tne couniy.
Turnovers saw a change in the
administration of the Edenton
Housing Authority, a new ex
ecutive director of the Chamber of
Commerce and the resignation of
Edenton’s town manager who will
move on to Tarboro.
It was an active election year
Buckle Up;
Avoid Fines
Beginning January 1, the best
reason for buckling seat belts may
be to avoid serious injury, but the
second best reason may be to
avoid a traffic fine.
The mandatory seat belt law
was enacted in September, 1985
and law enforcement officers
have been issuing warning tickets
until motorists could develop the
habit of buckling up.
But beginning today, the fine for
not wearing a seat belt will be $25.
The tickets will not cost points
against driver’s license or
insurance.
N.C. Highway Trooper Mike
McArthur of Chowan County said,
“Our attitude is going to be that
the law was written as a safety
statute and because we care about
the welfare of our citizens, we are
going to actively enforce this law
beginning Thursday morning.”
McArthur summed up the opi
nions of most other law enforce
ment officers with, “I’ll stop peo
ple for that reason”.
There are two exceptions to the
law. One would be if the driver has
in the car a certification from a
doctor.saying he cannot wear the
belt for medical reasons. The
other exception is older model
cars which did not have seat belts
installed by the manufacturer.
Opinion among area legislators
on the mandatory seat belt law is
mixed as opposition has grown.
Senator Marc Basnight of
Manteo says he voted against the
Continued On Page 4
with seemingly everyone running
for one office or another on the na
tional, state, and local levels. For
the first time in recent memory.
Republicans entered the lists with
Shirley Perry of Perquimans los
ing to two Democrats. R.M.
(Pete) Thompson of Chowan and
Vernon James of Pasquotank for
Continued On Page 4
on his mind for the new year also.
“We need to continue our progress
that we got started on the Chowan
River and clean up our waterways
in general. We’ve made a pretty
good start and should not lose our
momentum.”
He was asked about Lt. Gov.
Bob Jordan’s recent statement
that he (Jordan) would favor a
ban on phosphates in detergents,
following the initiative of Virginia.
“I agree that we’ve got to ban
phosphates on a state-wide basis.
If they (Va.) ban phosphates, we
should too,” James stated in ap
parent reference to the fact that
the Chowan's headwaters are in
Virginia.
Failed legislation last year
would have imposed a ban that
James and Basnight said had too
many exceptions. “If they'll leave
those exceptions out, I’ll support
it,” James said.
The legislator said that he was
concerned with “The big ticket
items—schools, transportation,
the economy, tourism and agri
culture. Smaller businesses are
helping our area and we need to
build on them.”
He concluded his agenda with,
“We need a good four-lane road.
We don’t have anything going
w est.” Referring to the newly ap
pointed Phillip Godwin to repre
sent this district on the State
Board of Transportation, “I look
forward to Phil Godwin doing a lot
for our area.”
Representative-eiect Thompson
feels that, “Our economy needs to
be picked up. We need roads and
we need markets for our farmers.
People follow roads.”
Also, “I'm interested in more
local control for our county and
town officials.”
Concerning education, “I’m in
favor of the Basic Education Plan.
I would like to see our young folks
get a college education in the local
area, at COA and ECSU. We’ve
got to make education affordable
locally for our young people,”
Thompson concluded.
On the county level. Commis
sioner Elmore’s two main pro
jects are “Getting the Swain
School project moving with
private financing and the comple
tion of the rooms at the county of
fice building.”
Elmore added. “Everything
we re doing is within the current
tax structure. We’re just not going
to have any tax increase in ad
valorem taxes for the next year.”
Mayor Dowd's main thrust will
be on cooperation between local
groups. “The first thing I think is
that the spirit of cooperation bet
ween the town, the county,
Historic Edenton, the Chamber of
Continued On Page 4
Break-Ins Investigated
The Edenton Police Depart
ment is investigating two break
ins which occurred December 23
The first was discovered just
after 9 a m. at Hobbs Implement
Company. On routine patrol. Of
ficer Chuck Alexander noticed
that a window had been broken in
the southwest side of the building.
Inside the building. Alexander
discovered that keys had been
removed from a desk, vending
machines had been opened and
approximately $200 stolen. An
undetermined number of 22-cent
stamps were also taken.
Alexander later found that a gas
pump had been broken and
gasoline was stolen. Investigation
;S continuing by Alexander and
Officer Bland Terry.
Tut second break-in was
discovered at Albemarle Eye
Care Center on North Broad St. by
Mrs. Carol Weyant just after 11
a.m. the same da>.
Edenton Police Chief J.D. Par
rish said entry was gained when
a window was opened and reclos
ed after the entry. An unsuc
cessful effort was made to open a
safe, desks were ransacked and a
small amount of money was
taken.
Officers Alexander and Delvin
Jethro are investigating.
Continued On Page 4
FIRES PLAGUE AREA—Fires in Chowan and Perquimans Counties kept firemen busy this week. Two
house fires in Chowan left families homeless. Here Bethel Volunteer Firemen pry open the hood of a car
ravaged by fire Sunday. The Volkswagen station wagon was the property of Dennis Simmons of Holiday
Island.
Two Homes Lost To Chimney Related Fires
Four children were removed
from a burning home on the
Greenfield Road after a passerby
noticed a fire.
According to Fire Chief Lynn
Perry, two county homes have
been lost to fire in the past few
days. Both fires were chimney
related.
Perry said a passerby notified
Mrs. Barbara White that her
house was on fire just after 2 p.m.
December 23. Mrs. White came
out of her house, saw the fire and
then went back inside after the
children.
Perry said the fire erupted in
the single story wooden structure
when a chimney fire went through
a crack and entered the walls of
the home, causing extensive
damage. The fire was contained
within 10 minutes after the fire
department arrived.
The second fire erupted at the
home of Everett Small on Old
Hertford Road just after 8 p.m.
December 28.
Perry said it was the type of fire
that is “beginning to show up” in
older homes, built when construc
tion often left timbers flushed
against chimneys and no chimney
liners were used.
Perry said the Small home had
a two by four timber flush against
the chimney and the wood had
dried over the years from the heat
Continued On Page 4