Another Link Missing
Railroad Closes Bridge Trestle Across Albemarle Sound
Another link in the chain con
necting Northeastern North
Carolina with the rest of the state
was lost January 5 when Norfolk
Southern Railroad closed the tres
tle across Albemarle Sound.
Area leaders have expressed
concern that even if the railroad
continues to provide needed ser
vice to business and industry, the
closing weakens the chain holding
the northeast with the rest of the
world.
Steve Eisenach, who works with
corporate planning with Norfolk
and Southern, said one of their
engineers inspected the bridge
January 4 and determined it un
safe for trains to use.
“We felt we could no longer
guarantee safety. The bridge has
a lot of wood that is old and rotten
My guess is that it would cost
around $19 million to fix it,’
Eisenach said.
The railroad representative
said the possibility of a car float
or ferry has been considered, but
initial cost of $9 million and heavy
operating expenses did not make
the possibility viable.
Norfolk and Southern closed the
trestle under a temporary em
bargo, but Eisenach said he feels
certain his company will file for
permanent abandonment with the
Interstate Commerce
Commission.
The company claims its action
is unrelated to previous stated in
tentions to file for abandonment,
but is based on safety factors.
Railroad service will be provid
ed to points between Edenton and
Norfolk, five trips weekly, by a
local train originating and ter
minating at Norfolk.
/ Service to and from Plymouth
and south is the same. Former
rail users between Plymouth and
Mackeys will be served by the
Plymouth switcher, available as
needed.
Eisenach said the trestle serv
ed between 10 and 20 active
customers. One of the biggest
arguments to keep the bridge
open was to transport grain to
market. But Eisenach said grain
customers in 1986 were half the
number of 1985 and that most local
grain was marketed to the south.
Dennis Terry, director of
economic development with the
Albemarle Commission, has been
a leader in the fight to keep the
span open.
Terry said, “The railroad wants
to get rid of the trestle. Their in
terest is not the same as ours in
northeastern North Carolina. We
are in an area so isolated, as far
as our transportation network is
concerned, and the last thing we
need is to see what little we have
taken apart. This is just one more
link northeastern North Carolina
has to the rest of the world that’s
been cut off.”
Terry has written county
government agencies and local
legislators to suggest that an ac
tive ad hoc committee be
established to pursue
alternatives.
Weyerhaeuser representative
Keith Hundley also opposes the
closing. “This creates problems
for an area already facing a lot of
problems. We have been part of a
fight to keep north and south
movements across the sound and
looked at every alternative known
to man. We want to make sure
northeastern North Carolina, our
friends and neighbors continue to
grow.” Hundley said.
Speaking on the possibility of a
ferry, Hundley said the possibili
ty looked good for a while, but ap
pears now not to be a viable
solution.
THE CHOWAN HERALD
Published In The Most Beautiful Little City On The North Carolina Coast
Volume LLIII - No. 3
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, January 15. 1987
Single Copies 25 Cents
Public Support Needed
We agree with Senator Marc
Basnight that the incoming
legislature needs to do something
, about revision of regulations con
trolling insurance in North
Carolina.
„ „ Automobile insurance coverage
is full of inequities, casualty rates
have gone through the ceiling in
many areas and malpractice
coverage has become so expen
sive as to limit the practice of
medicine in many areas of the
» state.
The answer to these problems
will not be easy to find; and, once
found, will be very difficult to get
passed into law. But it is time to
start trying.
As good-a place to start as any
is with the unfairness of the pre
sent automobile insurance
system. Under state law, all
i motorists are required to carry
liability coverage. But according
to the magazine published by the
independent agents association,
about 20 per cent of North
Carolina drivers continue to pay
punitive liability insurance rates,
a situation which becomes worse
as rates go up.
^ Two things are wrong, as we see
it. One has to do with “recoup
ment surcharges” and the other
with the North Carolina Rein
surance Facility.
Here is how the recoupment
deal works. You may have had 30
years of accident-free driving
under your current liability
policy. Then you have a minor
^ fender-bender which, although
you were sober and driving at a
legal rate of speed, was your fault.
The damage was $480, or only
slightly more than the annual
premium you have been paying
all these years.
If this accident is charged to
your insurance, your carrier will
assign you two points, increasing
£ your premium charge $120 a year.
By acquiring those two points, you
will be assessed a “recoupment
surcharge” of $120. The premium
increase and surcharge would
total $240 and run for three years.
As a result, you would pay $720, if
not more, in increased premiums
and surcharges to help a company
recoup a $480 loss.
Continued On Page 4
Boards Seek Pre-Clearance Resolution
aiaie Auorney uenerai i^acy
t Thornburg could promise no easy
solution when local officials
traveled to Raleigh Friday in an
| effort to resolve a suit filed by the
U.S. Justice Department against
Chowan Board of Elections and
Board of Education.
The justice department has
charged 22 counties in the state
with consistently failing to comp
ly with the Voting Rights Act of
1964. The act is designed to pro
hibit discrimination against
) minorities in the voting booth.
Chowan officials have said the
JAYCEE MEMBERS—(from left) Richard Bunch, regional director, Betz Ricks and Kel Elmore kick
off the club’s annual jelly drive by asking “How about a case instead of a jar?” Jan. 19 begins National
Jaycee Week and members will be soliciting sales from local businesses. WZBO will host a radiothon
Tuesday. Goal of $1,200 will go to the Burn Center at Chapel Hill Memorial Hospital.
Church Day Care Fights State Ruling
By JEANETTE WHITE
The Rev. Ashby Browder of Im
manuel Baptist Church sees the
fight waged by his day care center
as the last bastion before loss of
parental rights.
Immanuel’s center is one of 11
church-run facilities ordered to
close or comply with a ban on
spanking.
Browder said, “In the 15 years
the church has been operating a
center, I can count the number of
spankings on one hand. My
greatest concern is what this will
mean to individual homes. The
issues are parental authority,
parental rights. We as a church
Rev. Ashby Browder
county believes it failed to comp
ly with the act when town and
county school boards merged and
changed from two five-member
boards to one seven-member
board without pre-clearance from
the justice department.
If the county can obtain pre
clearance now with a written re
quest, the problem will be solved.
If the justice department denies
the request, the county will be in
volved in litigation to resolve the
issue.
Thornburg suggested that the 22
counties ask for clearances indi
are fighting a battle for parents.”
Browder received a letter from
the state September 30 instructing
the center to cease operations
within 30 days unless policies on
discipline were revised. Church
policy is that a child may be
spanked with prior knowledge of
his parents.
‘‘If we have a serious, reoccur
ing problem with a child, we
discuss the issue with the parent.
If the problem continues, we
spank with the parents permis
sion. Then we talk with the child,
counsel him, reassure him of our
love and concern and pray with
him in a way he understands. God
never chastens us in anger, but
with love.” Browder said.
The director of the center ad
ministers spankings with a
paddle.
‘‘I know there is a way to abuse
a child, and know about that pro
blem. But the Dept, of Human
Resources has taken this too far,”
Browder said.
The pastor said the ruling en
forced by the state means that
every private citizen who keeps as
many as two children for pay
must meet day care regulations.
The homes must be licensed, in
spected and allow no spanking.
For instance, if Jane Doe has a
small child of her own and keeps
vidually.
Local representatives who met
with Thornburg were County
Manager Cliff Copeland, Board of
Elections Attorney Bill Culpep
per, School Board Attorney Chris
Bean and Chowan Supt. of Schools
John Dunn.
Dunn said, “The attorney
general said his office was willing
to help resolve the case and sug
gested we follow up on the justice
department’s idea that we try and
resolve this with the request for
pre-clearance.”
two outers wnne tneir motners
work, Mrs. Doe cannot discipline
her own child by spanking while
the other two are in her home.
“There are over 6,500 registered
homes in the state and more are
unregistered. People are in viola
tion of this and don't realize they
are breaking the law,'' Browder
said.
His church has received support
from individual homes in the
area, urging him to help in this
fight. “They stand alone and have
to comply. We are fighting for
them,” the preacher said.
Even though only 11 church-run
centers are involved in the fight,
Browder says scores more are in
violation of policy. The outcome of
litigation on these 11 will deter
mine if others are cited.
The churches threw the ball
back to the state when a Charlotte
attorney filed a petition seeking a
hearing. Now the churches must
wait for the state to set a date.
Continued On Page 4
■I
■FT 11 IS
Roses Chain Considers
Opening Edenton Store
Chowan shoppers may soon
have more space for browsing if
plans underway by two companies
materialize.
Lois Williams of the real estate
division of Roses Stores, Inc., in
Henderson, says her company is
hoping to locate a major store in
Edenton if a building can be
secured.
"We're working on it and would
really like to be in Edenton. It's
our type of town,” Ms. Williams
said.
Roses is interested in the
building which houses McCrory’s
formerly TG&Y. Ms. Williams
said McCrory’s bought the TG&Y
Company last year and entered in
to a lease with Lat Purser and
Associates of Charlotte, owners of
the store.
Purser is attempting to buy
McCrory’s lease, Williams said,
and if successful would enlarge
the local store to 54,000 square
feet.
When questioned on whether or
not employees of McCrory’s
would be retained by Roses, Ms.
Williams said, ‘‘That would be up
to the personnel department. We
will be looking for employees with
experience in merchandising and
obviously those people have that.”
If the venture is successful,
Roses should be making official
announcement of their plans by
the end of the month.
Information from Edenton
Chamber of Commerce Executive
Director Kathleen Miller says that
ongoing efforts have been made
by two separate developers to con
struct shopping centers with an
“anchor store”, such as a Roses
or K-Mart's, as well as a super
market. One of these developers
has planned a shopping center at
the intersection of NC 32 and US
17.
When asked if a supermarket is
negotiating with her for a site on
property she owns near Golden
Corral, Mrs. Judy Earnhardt
Adams of Greenville said, “I’m
not at liberty to say at this time.
It would be out of order to make
any comment at all.”
An official of S and R Grocery
on West Queen Street said a
rumor that his store may be mov
ing is untrue.
Mike Self, assistant general
manager for S and R Stores, said,
"Not to my knowledge (are we
moving). We have a lease on this
building and I don't know why we
would move.”
Land Use Plan Presented
A 75 page document, represen
ting the Edenton Land Use Plan
198G Update, was presented to
town council Tuesday night by a
representative of L.E. Wooten and
Co.
The update, developed over the
last year, outlines the capacity of
the town’s present facilities, such
as utilities and schools.
"What we have here is a policy
document," the company
representative said.
The plan envisions the town’s
growth, encompassing an addi
tional 6,500 acres in the future.
Council members will study the
document and vote on its adoption
at the regular February meeting.
In other business, the council:
• Approved the purchase by C-4
Media of cable facilities from
Albemarle Cable TV upon a third
and final hearing;
• Witnessed the swearing-in of
town office employee Linda Ed
mundson as interim Town Clerk;
• Approved the use of town of
fice space by the Chowan Arts
Council;
• Approved the purchase of a
new sanitation truck at a price of
$48,721 from low bidder Cavalier
Continued On Page 4
II
HISTORICAL DONATION—Emily Irby, branch manager of NCNB presents a check for $400 to Jack
Pruden, (right) Chairman of the Edenton Historical Commission and George Alma Byrum, Chairman
of the Commission’s Finance Committee representing the bank’s annual contribution. Pruden commented
“This is sort of out of the blue for us.’’ Byrum added, “This will start our business fund drive for 1987.’’