Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / April 9, 1987, edition 1 / Page 1
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I THE CHOWAN HERALD Beautiful Little City On The North Caroling Coast LUII - No. 15 Single Copies 25 Edenton. North Carolina. Thursday. April 9. 1982 i I I I I 1 Will First Be Last? Now before the legislature are three proposals for state assistance in financing much needed school construction across the commonwealth. As we have said before, we prefer the plan put ' forward by Gov. Jim Martin. The governor’s proposal would authorize the state to issue up to two billion in school construction bonds, which would be sold as needed to provide a pool from which a local administrative unit could borrow money at the state’s ' low rate for school building, pledg ing its share of the half-cent sales tax revenue in repayment. This proposal was announced early during the legislative ses sion. Since then, two other plans have appeared. Rep. Billy Watkins has introduced a bill call ing for a one-cent increase in the state sales tax for the next four years, with all the additional revenue earmarked for school construction. And Senator Kenneth Royall, with the support of Lt. Gov. Robert Jordan, has introduced a bill calling for the establishment of a Local Agency Finance Authority which would enable local units to sell school building bonds, up to the repayment limit of their sales tax revenue, without a vote of the people. This proposal is further sweetened with a $300 million water-and sewer treat ment fund from which local units could borrow at 4 per cent in terest, the state picking up the tab fdr any'additional interest. NbdouMihoththeWatkms plan and the Royall proposal will meet much wider support at the local level than will that brought for ward by the governor. The Watkins plan would cost the local units nothing and the Royall bill would best the governor’s pro posal by some $300 million in water and sewer aid. But that does not mean they would cost the taxpayers less. Each, in facf, would increase taxes, while the governor’s plan would not. It would simply require the local units to use the half-cent local sales levy for the purpose it was supposed to serve, that is to provide capital funding for the schools. During our last term in the Continued On Page 4 ILLEGAL LITTERING—This dishwasher, surrounded by litter, was discarded near a dumpster on Mex ico Road- dumping large items at a dumpster is illegal and can carry a fine up to $200. Chowan County will be conducting a dean-up campaign Saturday. Volunteers interested in helping may sign up at the county manager’s office. Community Joins Statewide Cleanup Effort Chowan County is joining a state effort to clean up roadsides . and keep North Carolina beautiful. The state-wide effort was proclaimed by Gov. James £ Martin for the month || April. Alton Elmore, Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners. “Our big emphasis is from 9a.m. to noon," be said. Civic groq#s, church groups, Gab Scputs, school groups and in ^ *■ “ ‘ ’T*i»dy enlistedin it many more volunteers are needed according to County Manager Cliff Copeland. , Trash bags and signup lists are available in the manager’s office and Copeland asked that groups .») ,l£Tvida.U ip«clfy wh.t Continued On Page 4 Board Okays Teacher Bonuses 1 Teachers who excel in the classroom will get a tangible show of appreciation after the Edenton Chowan Board of Education voted for bonuses Thursday night. Using the pilot Career Ladder Program evaluation, teachers who qualify will get a 1.5 percent salary supplement in September 1988. The supplement will go to teachers who excel in the 1986-87 school year even if they leave the school system prior to September. Teachers may receive the bonus whether they are enrolled in the voluntary Career Ladder Pro gram or not. The decision to recognize ex cellent teachers came on a split vote after two members thought the majority of educators would rather have an across-the-board bonus to all teachers. Board, members J.M. Parrish, Jr. and Frank Cox cast a negative vote in support of an idea to table the discussion until it could be determined with certainty which method most teachers want. Board members supporting the Dissatisfaction Is Voiced Many Edenton-Chowan teachers do not feel a pilot pro gram designed to enhance their' profession has been successful, according to a recent survey for the N.C. Association of Educators. The Career Ladder Program has been underway in the state for two years to evaluate teachers on performance, establishing astan dard for bonuses and adopting levels of achievement for educators. Chowan was one of 16 counties chosen to participate in the pro gram, which has drawn fire this school term from many uninvolv ed counties wanting to see the plan implemented statewide. The general opinion of the coun ties chosen for the study is that the program cannot be utilized effec tively until the study is completed in two more years. Survey answers given in Chowan parallel those from other involved counties, with local sup port slightly higher than answers from other counties. Sixty-six percent of Chowan’s _^ ^not recognition and reten tion of high-quality teachers. Seventy-three percent said the plan has not increased attrac tiveness of teaching and 85 per cent said the program has in creased job stress. Professional relationships in Chowan’s schools have not been affected by the plan, according to 49 percent,of the teachers. Fifty-four percent said (juality of classroom instruction has not improved and 53 percent said they would discontinue the project if given an opportunity to vote. Although fifty percent said the appeals process for decisions made in the project is fair, 45 per cent said morale in their school is low. No Chowan teachers said school morale is very high, but 13 percent said morale is high. Fifty-eight percent of the coun ty’s teachers said they did not have meaningful participation in making the decision to implement the program. The teachers responded that 61 percent understood what is ex pected to qualify for higher levels of rating and 59 percent are work ing toward the higher level. Chowan School Supt. John Dunn said he expected the pilot project to be beneficial to school systems. “There are still some things we Continued On Page 4 bonus said county commissioners wanted a merit increase and did not feel most of the county ' teachers supported an across-the board recognition. A method to recognize ex cellence in the classroom has been considered by the board since 1982, when a $300 bonus was given to all teachers. During the recession of 1982, the state froze teachers’ salaries and county commissioners questioned the bonus since teachers worked under a base salary plan. That year, half of the $40,000 budgeted for bonuses was retain ed and each teacher received $150, leaving $20,000 in the budget. The same bonuses in 1983 left a like amount in the budget. About the same time the coun ty commissioners cut budgeting for bonuses in half until a plan could be developed recognizing excellence. The state chose Chowan County to participate in the Career Ladder Program, which ranks teachers based on merit. The school board saw the pro gram as a way to kill two birds with one stone. Each year since 1983, all teachers have received a $150 bonus, which will continue. Board member John Mitchener suggested that Supt. John Dunn take the supplement program to the county commissioners for their endorsement. Dr. Dunn drew the laugh of the evening when he replied, “I need you to go with me...They sometimes shoot the messenger over there.” In other discussion the board -Voted to accept an $8,100 bid from Ed Ward far property own ed by the board.’Ward asked'for 90 days to finalize the purchase, but was granted 30. If purchase is Continued On Page 4 Advisory Committee Goals Explained ,By JACK GROVE County commissioners got an in-depth look at activities of the county’s Nursing Home Advisory Committee Monday night. Ann Touchstone is the Regional Ombudsman for the program in Region R. She told the board, “I feel that Chowan County has one of the best Nursing Homie Ad visory Committees in my ten county area.” She continued, “I have a real strong commitment to the program. It’s our desire to promote the interest and well being of the elderly in nursing homes.” The ombudsman works through local committees and trains com mittee members. “The commit tees work to maintain the rights of the residents,” she explained. She said that North Carolina is con sidered to have a model program. Chairman of the local commit tee is Mrs. Ruby Jemigan. She told commissioners, “I’m there to help the people”. She said that during the past year, the seven member committee has held four official meetings and visits nurs ing homes regularly. Chowan County has three nurs ing homes and a home for the developmentally disabled. Britt Haven has 160 residents, Chowan Hospital’s facility has 60, Prime Time, 60, and Oak Leaf Home for the Developmentally Disabled, 10. During visits, committee Continued On Page 4 Democrats Elect Officers Chowan Democrats met at the new courthouse Saturday to elect officers. Chosen to lead the local party as chairman was William T. Culpepper. Also elected were Frances Hollowell, first vice chairwoman; Thomas Sharpe, se cond vice-chairman; Anne Leary Parrish, third vice-chairwoman; Ralph Cole,secretary; and Allen B. Harless, treasurer. On a motion passed by the coun ty convention, the county chair man was selected to represent the county on the state executive com mittee of the party. Keynote speaker was state Representative R.M. (Pete) Thompson, D-Chowan. The first legislator elected from Chowan in some twenty years, Thompson gave his audience an overview of general assembly business. Noting that fanners are in trou ble, he said that they are receiv ing little help from a Republican administration in Washington. The convention also was given an/ update on pending legislation in Raleigh. The convention passed a resolu tion commending Congressman' GROUNDBREAKING—Gilliam Wood (left), chairman of the hospital board of directors, and Alton Elmore, chairman of Chowan County Commissioners, turned the first earth at the site of a proposed skilled nursing wing. Hospital Groundbreaking Ceremony Draws Crowd By JEANETTE WHITE Cool weather, threatening skies and a smattering of raindrops fail ed to dampen the enthusiasm of a crowd gathered Sunday to see groundbreaking ceremonies for a skilled nursing wing at Chowan Hospital. The planned 40-bed nursing wing will provide all private rooms with baths and will replace the existing 56-bed skilled facility. The old building will revert to the county when the new iMng opens. In conjunction with the ground breaking, the hospital also celebrated 40 years of health care services to the area. Hospital Director Marvin A. (Johnny) Bryan estimated 150 people braved blustering, chilly wind to hear remarks from Ashe Gale of the Duke Endowment, Burt Dodson, vice-president of SunHealth, Inc., and W.P. (Spec) Jones, lone original hospital trustee. Rep. R.M. (Pete) Thompson placed various items in a time capsule for the cornerstone of the new wing, including photographs, service directories, names of hospital employees, crafts from the nursing home patients and birth certificates of the first children born at the hospital. In his remarks, Gale commend ed the hospital for efforts at the county level to provide health care. He said hospital officials first came to the Duke Endow ment in 1945 after all but $30,000 of the $200,000 needed to construct the first hospital had been raised at the county level. Jones gave a history of Chowan Hospital. In 1947 Edenton Air Station clos ed, leaving a 30-bed equipped New Housing / Director Named Byron P. Kehayes, 53, has been hired as the new Housing Authori ty Director in Edenton. Kehayes, who has been an Edenton resident for more than 30 years, began tps new duties Monday. The new director is a graduate of Edenton High School and at tended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for two years. He has been self-employed since 1965, when he worked for Applied Fiberglass Inc. Previous employ ment included Tanzer Yachts, P ,& Q Supermarket and Hobby’s Transfer and Storage of Raleigh. Kehayes is a U.S. Navy vetjeran, serving from 1961 until 1954. Hm Housing Authority provides 100 units geared toward low in come families. dispensary. Plans were made to open a temporary hospital at that site in January 1947, but opening was delayed until March 7 after heat was installed at the hospital and nurses’ quarters. The first patient was Mrs. Velma Irene Altman, who paid $52 for seven days hospitalization with surgery. Louis George Wilkins, Jr., son of Mrs. Frances Wilkins, was the first baby born in the hospital. Plans began immediately to build a new hospital and the town offered free land for construction. The site chosen had a low place on Continued On Page 4 Joseph Ward Ward Receives Top Honors < Joseph Ward of Route 1, Tyner, was named 1986 North Carolina Peanut Production Champion by the Extension Service of North Carolina State University. Ward produced 5,166 pounds of peanuts per acre on 101 acres. Ward, a Chowan County native, is the son of Foy A. Ward and is married to the former Peggy 3unch. Ward was honored at a special awards banquet April 4, at the Omni International Hotel in Nor folk, co-sponsored by United States Gypsum Company and Fermenta Plant Protection Com pany to recognize the top peanut producers from Virginia and North Carolina. Ward won a trip for two to the Bahamas from the sponsors, as well as an engraved silver wine cooler from the North Carolina Peanut Growers Association. The awards banquet culmi nated an afternoon of educational seminars featuring speakers from United States Gypsum Company, Fermental Plant Protection Com pany and the Extension Specialists from each of the two Continued On Page 4 Stain
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
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April 9, 1987, edition 1
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