Published In The Most Beautiful Little City On The North Carolina Coast
Volume LUII - No. 22
Edenton. North Carolina. Thursday, May 28, 1987
Single Copies 25 Cents
Coming Home To Roost?
Once again American ser
vicemen have been put in harm’s
way without adequate means ~ or
authority -- to defend themselves.
It happened with the marines in
Lebanon and now it has happen
ed again with navy men on the
USS Stark, where some 38 to 40
lost their lives when the ship was
struck by a missile fired from an
Iraq airplane.
Much is being made of the fact
that the Iraq president has
apologized, claiming the attack
was a mistake. That could well be,
but we would like to know what
the pilot says, how he explains
what happened under conditions
which would make it awfully dif
ficult to make a mistake.
It has only been a matter of a
few months since the United
States, while claiming to be
neutral in the Persian Gulf war,
was selling arms and anti-aircraft
missiles to Iran, which used them
during an offensive which
penetrated deep into Iraq.
Who knows what bitter
memories the Iraq pilot may have
had as a result of that U.S.
assistance to the enemy? Who
knows whether some member of
his family or some close friend
may have been a victim of
weapons made in the United
States? Who knows whether he
may have decided on his own in
itiative to even up the score when
he had a chance, then claim it was
all a mistake?
Until more is known about the
details of the attack, we are not,,
content to write it off as a mistake
when it could well have been a
partial return on our investment
in Iran, a case of our own Sam
“pigeons” coming home to roost
in the form of a French-made Ex
ocet missile.
Own Problems First
Down in Atlanta a federal grand
jury is looking into whether
Continued On Page 4
Whitaker Says Lot
Clearing Is Priority
By JACK GROVE
The remains of an industrial
plant built in 1906 at the corner of
First and Oakum Streets are still
visible, but not for long, according
to a town official.
Property at the location, owned
by the town since at least the turn
of the century, was leased by
Chowan Veneer and used as a
manufacturing site until 1984.
Town Manager Phillip Whit
aker said that the Town of Eden
ton was responsible for clearing
the lot of the remaining struc
tures. He said that the street
Derrick E. Wadsworth
Wadsworth
Is Certified
Derrick E. Wadsworth of Eden
ton, sergeant for the N.C. Dept, of
Corrections, has been certified as
a Correctional Firearms Instruc- 1
tor for probation and parole of- 1
fleers and the N<G, - Div. of •
Prisons.
The certification means officers 1
will no longer have to leave Eden
ton for training.
The instructor will also be .
available to teach basic firearm '
safety to civic or social groups. 1
Anyone interested in taking the 1
course may contact Wadsworth at 1
Washington County Prison Unit,
telephone 797-4473, or at home, i
482-8151.
department had been working on
cleanup at the site since last year
whenever the department’s
regular work schedule permitted.
“They’re not caught up very
often,” Whitaker commented.
“I’m going to see to it that it gets
cleared,” he said, adding that it is
unsightly. “I intend to move it up
on the priority list.”
The manager said that it has
been and still is the town’s policy
that the public can take what they
want from remains as long as they
get clearance from street
superintendent William Skinner.
He warned, however, “The public
needs to get what they’re going to
get within the next month,” in
dicating his desire for a speedy
clearing of the lot.
The new town manager spotted
the manufacturing remains his
first day on the job when he began
riding around town with the
utilities director and street
superintendent. “I wanted to
become familiar with the layout of
the town and ongoing town pro
jects and become acquainted with
some of the problems as well.” He
cited as examples drainage,
streets, trees and the cemetery.
Jim Darnell, president of
Chowan Veneer, said that the
company opened a plywood
operation on Coke Avenue in I960.
The veneer operation was subse
quently moved in with the
plywood plant and the company
relinquished the lease in October
of last year, with the last equip
ment moved by the end of the
/ear.
He said that the town was anx
ous to use the property for
•ecreation purposes and an agree
ment was reached with the town
alur^^F^ntrolirwith the pro
>erty as is”.
Darnell said, “The Town of
Sdenton has done an outstanding
ob in demolishing (the old mill)
vithout costing the town a great
leal of money.” He estimated that
rnly 25 percent of the mill still
leeded to be razed.
Robbie Laughton, the town’s
•ecreation director, said of the
Continued On Page 4
American Legion Rodeo Proves Huge Success
American Legion officials have
expressed pleasure at what they
termed the success of the second
annual rodeo held Saturday night
and Sunday. Proceeds from the
rodeo will benefit Edenton’s
American Legion Baseball
program.
Saturday night’s performance
saw the “biggest and best crowd
RODEO EXCITEMENT—Four-year old Chris Mize looks on in awe
as a rodeo clown displays his trick riding abilities at the second an
nual Chowan County rodeo Saturday night. With standing room only,
the rodeo was hoilcd as a big success. (Staff photo by Gail Basnight)
in recent years in North Caro
lina”, according to the secretary
of Southern Rodeo Association.
Wallace Evans, athletic direc
tor of Post 40, said the goal of
$1,500 set to benefit the baseball
program was surpassed.
He attributed the large crowd to
the work done by E. C. Toppin,
publicity chairman, and his com
mittee. Evans said a Rocky Mount
man told him, ‘‘I don’t know who
did your advertising, but I saw
rodeo reminders everywhere I
went.”
Rodeo posters were seen as far
away as Williamsburg and the
Legion Post received calls about
the rodeo from Richmond.
“There were a lot of Virginia
people who were here,” Evans
said. He said that cowboys from
as far away as New York, Texas
and Florida participated in the
competition.
Evans continued, “I feel like it
was very successful — better than
last year. We intend to continue
having it as long as we break
even. We feel like we owe an
obligation to the community to
provide good, family entertain
ment.
“On behalf of the boys who play
baseball, we’d like to thank
everyone who helped and sup
ported the rodeo. It will benefit the
boys taking part in the baseball
program.
“We couldn’t believe Saturday
night when people just kept com
ing and coming and coming.”
This year’s baseball team will
be led by Lin Jordan, coach, Jim
Hunter, assistant coach, and Mar
Contlnued On Page 4
CONTRAST IN CONDITION—The relatively modern town water tower contrasts sharply with remains
of the old Chowan Veneer Plant, circa 1906, at the comer of First and Oakum Streets.
Hardees Plans Move To New Location
By JEANETTE WHITE
Planned construction in Eden
ton will give one restaurant and
one residential group home new
facilities next year.
Hardees Inc. and Oak Leaf
Apartments, a residential group
home for developmentally disabl
ed adults, will be moving when
construction is completed around
June 1988.
The restaurant and apartments
are on adjoining property on
North Broad Street. The
restaurant has purchased the
apartment complex property and
will soon begin construction of a
new eatery between the two
buildings.
When construction is com
pleted, the old restaurant will be
demolished and the property on
which it sits and the apartment
complex property will be used for
a parking lot.
Council Okays
Company Bid
Edenton Town Council accepted
a bid Friday from T.A. Loving
Company of Goldsboro to extend
water and sewer lines on N.C. 32
West near the intersection of U.S.
17.
The extension will accomodate
construction of a Travel Host Inn
by developers Johnson, Dowdy
Brothers and Thomas. Johnson
and Dowdy Brothers are from
Virginia and Bob Thomas resides
in Edenton.
Thomas said the bid acceptance
was one of the last details to be
finished before construction of the
inn begins by June 15.
The accepted bid was $183,732.
Of the five bids received, the next
lowest was $218,456 from George
Raper and Son Plumbing of
Elizabeth City. Highest bid was
$252,808 from Crain and Denbo
Inc. of Durham.
Town Manager Phillip
Whitaker said the new lines would
extend past the planned motel and
could provide service to existing
businesses and any other con
struction at the site.
The Thomas group has agreed
to pay the town $85,000 and deed
a 50 by 50-foot parcel of land to the
town for a pumping station, plus
any additional easements
necessary.
Whitaker said some lines would
be on the inn property, making the
easements desirable.
Total cost of the project is
$208,419, including engineering,
management service, construc
tion and a five percent contingen
cy fund.
Engineering for the project was
by L.E. Wooten Company, of
Raleigh and Greenville.
The town has committed $69,162
of Senate Bill 2 Clean Water
Monies for the project.
Charlie Franklin, director of the
regional health center, said
residents of Oak Leaf Apartments
will be moved to a home planned
on Luke Street adjacent to the
back lot of Edenton United
Methodist Church.
The facility is being built on one
half acre of land purchased for
$20,000 from Mrs. Judy Earnhardt
Adams of Greenville. Total cost is
estimated at $150,000 to house five
adults and one manager.
Franklin said construction will
begin this fall using money from
the U.S. Dept, of Housing and Ur
ban Development. Albemarle
Mental Health has a 30-year con
tract with HUD to repay the loan
and the home will be owned by
AMH upon payment.
The location was chosen after a
site selection committee compris
ed of AMH Area Board members
Mrs. Clara Boswell, chairman,
George Jones and Ralph Cole and
County Manager Cliff Copeland
looked at five locations and
preferred the one owned by Mrs.
Adams.
Franklin threw plaudits to Mrs.
Adams after she cooperated in
helping his group acquire the
property.
“Mrs. Adams has worked very
closely with us on this..We are
Continued On Page 4
Blood Drive
Scheduled
The Edenton Jaycees will spon
sor a Bloodmobile on Tuesday,
June 2, at Chowan Hospital from
3 p.m. until 7 p.m.
Quota for this visit will be 100
units.
Everyone is asked to come out
and donate a pint of blood so that
others may live.
STATE WINNER—William Hill, Jr. holds the trophy he won for se
cond place in the state driving roadeo in Burlington. His teacher,
Tyronne Spellman, holds a plaque presented in recognition for teaching
a winner.
Hill Captures Second Place
A John A. Holmes student has
driven away with second place in
the state driving roadeo held in
Burlington on May 7 and 8.
William Hill, Jr. won the honor,
$300 and a trophy for his efforts.
The roadeo, sponsored by the
N.C. Driver and Traffic Safety
Education Association, tests
drivers in a four-part contest.
One part consisted of a two
minute speech on the subjects of
drinking and driving, seat belt use
and the question of raising
highway speed limits above 55
mph.
Another segment was a written
test on rules of the road. The other
two parts tested driving skills
behind the wheel. One was a road
test in the city of Burlington and
the other tested skills on a driving
course with sharp turns.
Hill’s teacher, Tyronne
Spellman, pointed out that he
competed with students from
some of the top schools in the
state. “He just missed first place
by a few points." Spellman said
proudly. He said that this was the
best any of his students had done
in the past three years.