THE CHOWAN HERALD
Published In The Most Beautiful Little City On The North Carolina Coast
Volume Lull ■ No. 12
Edenton. North Carolina. Thursday, March 19, 1987
Single Copies 25 Cents
The Unlearned Hand?
There used to be an able federal
judge named Learned Hand,
whose opinions on a wide variety
of issues were respected by the
legal establishment throughout
the land.
Now there is another federal
judge with the same surname who
has just handed down a ruling
which could well cause him to go
down in history as the Unlearned
Hand.
For U. S. District Judge W.
Brevard Hand has held in an
Alabama case that secular
humanism is a religion and, for
that reason, banned the use of
some four dozen textbooks in the
public schools of that state.
This decision came in a class
action lawsuit filed by some 600
parents and teachers who alleged,
during a long trial back in Oc
tober, that secular humanism was
being promoted as a religion in
numerous textbooks used in the
public schools.
Judge Hand agreed, holding
that some texts in virtually all
Alabama pubic school classrooms
illegally promoted “the religion of
secular humanism.” “With these
textbooks,” he continued, “the
State of Alabama has overstepped
its mark and must withdraw to
perform its proper non-religious
functions.”
Certain texts in such disciplines
as social studies, home economics
and history were banned. This
passage from “Teen Guide,” a
home economics book, was held
objectionable as a value judg
ment: “Nothing was ‘meant ' to
be.’ You are the designer of your
life. If you want something, you
can plan and work for it. Nothing
is easy. But nothing is impossible,
either.”
We, frankly, don’t find much
wrong with that although we can
see how it might raise the hackles <
w aumc luuuamcuuuiaid wuu etc
cept the doctrine of predestination 1
or who believe “heaven will pro- 1
vide.” But to hold that such values *
should not be taught in the public '
schools is going too far. 1
In assessing Judge Hand’s '
latest ruling we should keep in
mind that in 1981 he upheld an (
Alabama statute permitting '
prayer in the classroom, but was s
reversed by the United States (
Supreme Court. Has he now i
swung to the other extreme? Is he 1
saying that if we cannot have 1
prayer in the classroom, neither (
can humanistic values be taught? 1
If that is really his position, then 1
he simply had to build a bridge <
from one to the other by declaring '<■
“secular humanism” to be a reli- i
gion and subject to First Amend- '<■
ment prohibitions. Thus, by i
equating non-religion with 1
religion, he wipes out a whole ar
ray of troubling questions about 5
intellectual freedom in this '
country. <
In a similar case up in Tennes- 1
see another judge held that chil- '
dren could not be required to read (
texts to which their parents ob- I
jected on religious grounds. That <
judge even went so far as to order (
the state to reimburse parents c
who, on religious grounds, had 1
taken their children out of the c
public schools and sent them to v
private schools. r
Are we by court decree going to
give those who still believe the 1
world is flat a legal stick with s
which to beat the modern day '
Copemicans over the head? Are I
we going to permit them to put c
academic freedom, along with 7
freedom of inquiry and research, s
in straitjackets tailored by the «
courts?
We hope not. But we will not be v
satisfied until the U. S. Supreme *
Court once again runs up the red t
flag against steps toward what v
Jefferson termed “tyranny over 1
the minds of-men.” t
County Commercial Fisherman
Urges Action On Water Pollution
By JEANETTE WHITE
If someone put a million dollar
bounty on the last rock fish in
Albemarie Sound, a fisherman
wouldn’t collect iti but pollution
would..
That’s how commercial fisher
man Rod Cross sums up the plight
facing his industry.
“I think it’s ironic that fishing
and farming are suffering so
much in an area that places so
much emphasis on its heritage. If
it wasn’t for fishing and farming,
North Carolina would not be what
it is today,” Cross said.
“Point source polluters must
realize that part of being a cor
porate citizen in this area involves
protecting our resources. I don’t
want to put anybody out of work,
but we’ve all got to work
together,” Cross added. Point
source pollution comes when busi
nesses or towns dump treated
waste into a waterway.
The state also has 30,000 under
Kathleen Miller
Director
Resigns
Kathleen Miller, executive
lirector of the Edenton-Chowan
Chamber of Commerce has an
lounced her resignation, effective
Lpril 20. Mrs. Miller will be enter
ng the private business sector
vith Shamrock Marketing Group
Ad., an investment company in
/hich she is a stockholder.
Projects that were accomplish
d under Mrs. Miller’s direction
/ere: development of a leader
hip package consisting of revis
d by-laws, a new policy manual,
sales manual and an operating
!nd procedures personnel
nanual, remodeling of the
Chamber offices, establishment of
he President’s Club, upgrade of
he Membership Journal, board of
lirector’s retreat meeting to plan
Program of Work, 32 new
nember businesses, and grant
ward from the state for tourist
ideo production for N.C.
Welcome Centers.
Mrs. Miller stated that the deci
ion to leave the Chamber was
ery difficult. The ac
omplishments, she says, she is
lost proud of are the network bet
/een our Chamber and other area
Chambers and the increased
ositive communication and
ooperation between our
Chamber and the various bran
hes of local and state govern
lent. She said that the board of
irectors is a real working Board
nth lots of energy and ideas and
lotivation.
Mrs: Miller stated that under
teth Taylor’s leadership this year
he is confident that the Chamber
rill maintain its new image and
ositive direction. A board of
irectors meeting will b^ held at
:30 a.m. March 24 to select a
earch committee to find a new
xecutive director.
Mrs. Miller says she looks for
'ard to being an owner of her own
usiness, and a dues-paying, ac
ve member of the Chamber and
rill support the Chamber’s work
i promote and protect all
usinesses in Chowan County.
ground leaking gas tanks, Cross
said, or about 30 per county.
The 30-year-old Cape Colony
waterman considers himself a
newcomer to the fishing industry.
He is a first generation fisherman
who avails himself of much infor
mation on fishing and water quali
ty control and tries to make the
public more aware of what’s hap
pening to hurt the resources our
waterways provide.
Cross is one of 150 full-time and
250 part-time fishermen in the
Albemarle area who brought 11
million pounds of fish, worth $2.5
million, into the economy in 1986.
The catch included all species,
but Cross says when he started
seven years ago, watermen land
ed more pounds in herring alone.
Cross says it’s time the govern
ment stopped spending millions
on water studies and compiled the
Economic
Concerns
Discussed
Jim Martin met recently with
Earl Rountree of Gatesville,
former member of the N.C. Board
of Transportation, to discuss
economic development issues and
other topics of concern to Nor
theastern North Carolina citizens.
Governor Martin praised Roun
tree’s work while he served on the
Board of Transportation. “Earl
has been a valuable asset to the
Northeast and he continues to
serve as a trusted and valued ad
visor on statewide issues,” Gover
nor Martin said after the meeting
in his office in Raleigh.
“I hope Earl Rountree’s exper
tise will help us continue to
develop strategies for rural North
Carolina,” Governor Martin add
ed. “He knows well my commit
ment to education and its relation
to development in the Northeast.”
Rountree said he discussed
several critical transportation
needs during the meeting with
Governor Martin. “I reiterated
my concerns about linking the
Northeast to the Piedmont by im
proving our major highways -
particularly the need for four
laning U.S. 17 and U.S. 64,” Roun
tree said.
Spirits Soar As Edenton Aces Win Over Whiteville Wolfpack
By JACK GROVE
Excitement was running high
last Thursday afternoon in the
John A. Holmes gym where the
student body welcomed home its
victorious basketball team. The
Aces won a close game Wednes
day over the number two team in
the east, the Whiteville Wolfpack,
52-50 in the Cumberland County
Auditorium.
This was the first round of the
Eastern Regionals and a victory
over the Farmville Central
Jaguars Saturday would have
taken the Aces to the Dean Dome
in Chapel Hill for a try at the state
2-A championship.
The Jaguars had other ideas
and became the regional champs
by defeating the Aces 58-50. At the
end of the first quarter, Farmville
led 10-6 and didn’t relinquish the
lead for the rest of the game.
Early in the fourth quarter, the
Aces were down 41-29 but closed
the gap to 50-47 but couldn't over
come foul trouble. “Free throws
iced the game for the Jaguars,''
according to coach Robert
Woodley.
Darrell Overton and Robert
Rankins were named to the
Eastern RegionaL All
Tournament Team. Top scorers
for the Aces were Dorronne
WARM WELCOME—Excited John A. Holmes students held a welcome home rally for the Aces basket
ball team upon their return Thursday after toppling Whiteville 52-50. Here Coach Woodley speaks to the
rally as his Aces listen.
Felton and Rankins with 14 each
and Overton with 12.
The Aces finished fourth in
regular conference play with a
season record of 15-11. Six of the
game losses were by two points or
less. They were defeated in con
ference tournament action by
Roanoke 54-46.
Edenton swept the sectionals in
away games. They bested Duplin,
47-45; Ayden-Grifton, 51-44 (took
7 straight points in overtime); and
Continued On Page 4
Truck Runs
Into House
No injuries were reported when
a truck ran into a house beside
N.C. 32 about one mile north of
Edenton Monday evening.
The truck, owned by M.G.
Brown Co., was operated by
Melvin Anthony, 46, Edenton. The
house is owned by Jim Criddle.
According to a report filed by
Trooper W.F. Whitley, Anthony
was driving the truck south about
12:25 p.m. when he ran off the wet
highway in a curve, glanced off a
tree and struck the house.
Damage to the 1985 Chevrolet
truck was $2,000 and minor
damage was reported to the
house.
Anthony was wearing a seat
belt when the accident occurred
aind was cited for exceeding safe
speed.
information already gathered so
it can be put to use. He feels that
limiting fish catches is not the way
to fight problems watermen are
facing today.
“Putting a ban on rock fishing
is like putting a bandaid on inter
nal bleeding,” he said. “A study
back in 1941 showed that our
rivers supported rock before pulp
and paper mills came along.
Scientists said we were not going
to save the rock by stopping the
catch, but we have to provide the
environment fish need.”
Cross feels technical knowledge
is available sb pulp and paper
mills never have to discharge in
to waterways.
“They should never have to
dump overboard. Our monitoring
program in North Caroloina is a
joke. And I don’t want to put
anymore weight on the farmers’
backs. Most of our farmers are do
ing what they can, but better
education would mean more
would be using Best Management
Practices (BMP).
These programs keep nutrients
and herbicides on the land, where
farmers want it, instead of in a
ditch.. You know a little bit of
fertilizer helps the crops, but too
much burns it up and that’s what
Continued On Page 4
Superior Court Cases Are Decided
Judge Paul M. Wright presided
over Chowan Superior Court
Monday.
A suspended sentence for Dar
ryl Alexander Gibbs was revoked
and he was sentenced to 90 days
active term.
On probation violations, Stacy
Wilson Blount and William C.
Leary were continued on
probation.
A motion to release George Lee
Revell on a charge of armed rob
bery and discharging a firearm
into an occupied vehicle was
denied.
Jimmy Blount was charged
with two counts of indecent liber
ties and one count of first degree
sex offense. He was found guilty
of one count of indecent liberties
and the other charges were
dismissed. He was sentenced to
three years suspended for one
year of supervised probation, fin
ed $113 court cost and $500 fee for
a court appointed attorney,
ordered to attend Wake County
Mental Health and ordered not to
be in the company of the minors
involved unless accompanied by
an adult.
On a charge of felonious death
by motor vehicle, the attorney for
Continued On Page t
Chowan Sheriffs Department is
investigating one case oi first
degree burglary and rape and an
unrelated possible suicide
The alleged rape occurred ear
ly Sunday morning in the Chowan
Beach area when an assailant
entered a home through a front
door and attacked an 18-year-old
woman.
The victim was taken to
Chowan Hospital for examination
after a friend called the sheriff’s
department.
The investigation is continuing
by Spruill, Deputy David Jethro,
SBI Agent Dwight Ransome and
the SBI Crime Lab.
In the suicide investigation,
Chowan Medical Examiner Dr
Leibert DeVine said Mrs. Viola
Byrum Goodwin, 63, Tyner, died
at Chowan Hospital Monday from
a gunshot wound.
“It’s fairly conclusive that the
death was a suicide.” DeVine
said.
The rescue squad went to the
Goodwin home just before 9:35
Continued On Page 4
FISHERMAN ROI) CROSS—looks at the abandoned Emperor fish
processing site, one of many left to the elements during the decline
of the seafood industry. Cross says the industry’s biggest problem is
pollution.