Lloyd E. Griffin
Lloyd E. Griffin, one of Eden
tan’s oldest and certainly one of its
best-known natives, died Monday,
July 6, in Raleigh at the age of 94.
A former state senator, his
* career extended beyond the role
of politician to that of educator,
administrator and tax reformer.
Lloyd Griffin was on hand when
Gov. J.C.B. Ehringhaus needed
help in salvaging the public school
system in North Carolina during
the depth of the Cheat Depression.
With his assistance in the
legislature, the governor was able
* to secure in 1933 the enactment of
the three per cent state sales tax.
It was new and ornery, but it sup
ported the establishment of a
uniform statewide school system.
But Lloyd Griffin didn’t stop
there. He helped revise the state’s
corporate tax structure, thus
slowing down the flight of business
to states with a more favorable
tax climate.
After leaving the legislature,
Griffin became executive
secretary of the North Carolina
School Commission, forerunner of
the State Board of Education,
from 1935 to 1941. It was in that
capacity that he helped resist ef
forts of the Fair Tax Association
, to repeal the state sales tax.
He served as chairman of the
executive committee of Meredith
College’s board of trustees. In ad
dition, he was a member of the
Baptist State Convention and
taught a Bible class in Edenton for
61 years.
He was chairman of the Chowan
Democratic Executive Commit
» tee, a delegate to the 1952
Democratic National Convention
and executive vice president of
the North Carolina Citizens
.Association.
1 He was an ardent sportsman
and an exceptional marksinan. In
1979 interview'tucketf'arwajrtn
the Chowan Herald, he recalled
representing the United States in
‘ a marksman’s tournament in
Paris shortly after World War I.
“The match went on all day
long,” he said. “Hie noise was ter
rific and reverberated in our ears
far into the night. My pistol was
hot and I was sweating with ex
citement when the end finally
came. The U.S. team had won and
I was one of the three top
k scorers.”
General Pershing personally
presented medals to the winners.
“He was really proud of us,”
Griffin said. “As the crowds
began leaving, the band struck up
the national anthems of the other
allied armies, and I shall never
forget the emotion I felt when I
heard the stirring strains of the
Marseillaise.”
We along the Public Parade are
proud Lloyd Griffin called Eden
ton home. His long career and
diverse accomplishments reflect
credit not only on this communi
ty but on the state as a whole.
Continued On Page 4
i Volume LLIII - No. 29
Edenton. North Carolina, Thursday, July 16, 1987
Single Copies 25 Cents
Assembly Passage Of Scheel Bill Expected This Week
By JEANETTE WHITE
A bill to provide better schools
for North Carolina is expected to
receive final passage in the
General Assembly this week after
three other proposals have been
examined and rejected.
Local legislators Rep. R.M.
(Pete) Thompson, D-Chowan, and
Sen. Marc Basnight, D-Dare, said
in a telephone conference Tues
day morning that although the bill
is not perfect, it is a good one.
House Bill 1155 is designed to
create public school building
capital and critical school facili
ty needs funding, create a coin
mission charged with determining
critical needs in each county,
repeal tax on inventories of
manufacturers, retailers and
wholesalers and reimburse local
governments for resulting
revenue loss.
Bill 1155 will also increase cor
porate income tax from six to
seven percent of net income re
quire employers to submit
withholding taxes on a monthly
basis, repeal retailers’ discount
for tax payment when due and
earmark additional local sales
and use tax proceeds for public
school construction.
Expected funding in Chowan
County for 1967-88 generated by
the bill is $221,149, with $96,141 the
following year. Funds earmarked
for Chowan’s school building fund
for the next eight years are ex
pected to be $105,686, $115,928,
$127,102, $139,207. $152,243,
$166,211, $181,342 and $197,870, for
a total $1,502,879.
If adopted, the bill will provide
more than $800 million for new
schools and a total package of $3.2
billion statewide over the next 10
years.
Sen. Basnight said, “This is the
biggest step ever taken for school
construction by the state and it’s
all new money. .We’re going to
reach the people who need it..It’s
a different form of taxation, we’re
reaching into the profit factor.”
Although much of the new
burden will be placed on corpora
tions, both Rep. Thompson and
Sen. Basnight said industry and
business have overwhelmingly
supported the bill because it
places tax on profits instead of in
ventory, which is taxed whether
the company records profits or
not.
Both legislators said a majori
ty of the state’s business com
munity sees this as a positive fac
tor for improvements, which in
turn will attract more business.
Along with the increase in cor
porate tax, funding will come
from the two one-half cent sales
taxes already dedicated to school
construction, windfall revenue
and new county funding beginning
with the next biennium.
Sen. Basnight said he preferred
the new bill over two previous fun
ding attempts to use a state loan
pool or school bonds.
“To pay off a bond, you have to
increase your property taxes by
an average of 22 percent,”
Basnight said.
Study Nears Completion
A ponderous study revamping
Edenton-Chowan school system’s
capital outlay program is slowly
worton# - its way ~ toward
conclusion.
The study became necessary
after the state board of education
requested that a report of facility
needs be sent to Gov. James Mar
tin early this year.
The same request went to each
of the state’s 100 counties so
means could be determined to
meet a growing need for school
construction and renovations.
Superintendent of schools Dr.
John Dunn and county manager
Cliff Copeland compiled a list of
obvious needs to meet the gover
nor’s January 31 deadline. At that
time, 11 committes were named to
complete a more detailed study
geared to curricula needs and the
new Basic Education Plan, a state
project that calls for added sub
jects and fewer students in each
classroom.
State officials have said the
BEP will provide more varied
curricula at an earlier age and
guaranteed more, standard
classroom studies throughout the
state.
The 11 committees working on
the first phase have finished the
study and compiled recommenda
tions, which must now go before
- a committee drawn fronrparents;
teachers, school board members
and county commissioners.
Associate Superintendent
James Kinion said this week that
a full report of findings would be
presented to the board of educa
tion and a planning session would
be scheduled for October or
November.
The session will look at recom
mendations and long-range
building plans before the proposal
submitted to Raleigh in January
is upgraded and priorities for con
struction and renovation are
established.
Kinion said the BEP is set for
full implementation in 1993. The
plan will provide additional
resources to school systems, but
resources on the county level
must be reallocated to move some
curricula, such as arts programs,
into primary classrooms.
Facility needs in Chowan Coun
ty are listed as $6.5 million for
replacement of obsolete facilities,
$6 million for renovation of
buildings suitable for long-range
Continued On Page 4
been called to two vehicle fires recently. The first occurred
n ignited spontaneously. Fire Chief Lynn Perry said the car
ftrJiood ignited, causing several hundred dollars
SBb. radio personality Pat Flanagan’s car caught
faded but were unable to save the vehicle. Firemen
Lt. Gov. Bob Jordan, father of
the bill, said money generated by
the changes will be placed in
state-level trust funds, one ear
marked for each county on a pro
portional basis, the other for
critical needs in counties needing
additional monies.
Criteria has been established to
determine the amount of money
each county receives from the
Critical School Facility Needs
Fund.
The criteria includes per pupil
adjusted property tax base in the
county and per capita income,
since each county must be able to
appropriate from its budget one
dollar for each three dollars
received.
For the trust fund earmarked
for porportional sharing, local
boards of education must submit
long-range plans for school facili
ty needs to the state board of
education by January 1,1988, and
each five years thereafter.
A Commission of School Facili
ty Needs, comprised of five
members nominated by Lt. Gov.
Jordan and five nominated by
Speaker of the House Liston
Ramsey, will determine critical
and continuing needs from those
reports and make final recom
mendations to the state board of
education.
One other feature of the bill is
that the state will undertake the
responsibility for paying school
clerical workers and vocational
teachers.
This provision under the Basic
Education Plan will unleash
another $739.5 million over the
next 10 years.
Chowan County school system
is working now on determining
needs for the county to meet the
state’s BEP.
EXPENSIVE SNEEZE—The driver of the tractor-trailer in the background said he sneezed and lost
control before the vehicle plowed across a ditch, fence and open field and struck the house and landed
to the side and rear of the structure. The truck crossed a driveway where the children of Mr. and Mrs.
Jerry Parrish usually play. The family above was one of many friends and neighbors who eyed damage
Monday and Tuesday when debris lay strewn about the yard and part of the porch roof could be seen
atop the trailer. (Related story and picture on Page 4-A)
Residents Request Relief From Traffic
By JACK GROVE
A sparse crowd was in atten
dance at Tuesday night’s regular
town council meeting. Some on
the council might have been sur
prised in light of a certified letter
received by each member.
The letter, addressed to Mayor
John Dowd and signed by 22
residents living on or near Gran
ville St., asked council to take ac
tion on “Loud, speeding, polluting
and unlawful traffic on No. Gran
ville St.”
Residents there are concerned
about cars without mufflers and
all sizes of trucks that use Gran
ville to avoid stoplights on Broad
and Queen Streets.
“There is nothing to impede the
roar of traffic on No. Granville
St...no stop lights...no stop
signs.. .no police supervision to en
force the law against through
trucks (even though No Thru
Trucks signs are posted at Rte. 32
and at Queen St.) and against
speeders and drivers of muffler
less vehicles,” the letter stated.
Requested was a traffic light at
Albemarle St. “and at least one
four-way stop sign at some other
cross-street as well as police
Improvement Chances Are Slim
Sen. Marc Basnight, D-Dare,
said Tuesday morning that the
future of highway improvement
funding for northeastern North
Carolina looks bleak.
Basnight said projects started
under the administration of
former Gov. James Hunt, exten
sion of two streets from Edenton
to U.S. 17 Bypass, were all the
county is likely to get for a while.
The two projects were completed
this year.
Basnight said a project to four
lane U.S. 17 from the weigh sta
tion in Pasquotank County to
Hertford would be started by late
1988. The road is four-lane from
Elizabeth City to the weigh
station.
Basnight said he could see
nothing in plans to upgrade the re
mainder of U.S. 17 through
Chowan and Bertie Counties for
the next nine years.
The senator said he did not feel
this rural area would get highway
funding under the administration
of Gov. James Martin after 20 per
cent of a road improvement
package just released went to
“the metropolis of Mecklenberg
County”.
Basnight, who has led an effort
to upgrade U.S. 17 from Pas
quotank to Martin County and
U.S. 64 fron| Plymouth to
Williamston, said the latter pro
ject was still on schedule.
“But it’s a weak schedule,”
Basnight said. “From
WilUamston to Tarboro is the one
we want so bad.” K
Meanwhile, the N.C. Dept, of
Transportation released figures
Friday showing contracts totaling
$17.5 million for construction of
three highway bypasses had been
awarded. The package was part of
$33.8 million in highway im
porvements passed by the state
board of transportation.
The three bypasses are on U.S.
64 north of Darden in Martin
County, U.S. 74 north of Bolton in
Columbus County and U.S. 221
south of Marion in McDowell
County.
Other allocations approved by
the board include more than $460
million for department
maintenance and construction
operations, $54.8 million for secon
dary road construction and $66.1
million to operate the state’s ferry
system.
In secondary road funding, bas
ed on the number of miles of un
paved, state-maintained roads in
each county, Chowan will receive
$112,372 for its 35.33 miles of un
paved roads.
Bertie County, with 172.76 miles
of unpaved roads, will receive
$855,244. Gates has 102.8 miles of
unpaved roads and was allocated
$326,971 for improvements.
Other allocations were $276,207
for 86:84 miles in Perquin^ans,
$201,061 for 63.22 miles in Pas
quotank, $153,116 for 48.14 miles in
Currituck and $287,531 for 90.4 in
Hertford.
After the General Assembly ap
proves DOT’S budget, additional
funds are promised for secondary
road work for fiscal 1967-88.
vigilance in stopping the truck
traffic and catching the
speeders.”
While not on the agenda, coun
cil took up the matter during the
session. In answer to a question
from Councilman Allen Harless,
Police Chief J.D. Parrish said that
he had tasked his department with
greater vigilance on Granville.
Mayor Dowd, in referring to a
traffic light at Albemarle St., ask
ed, “Would this not slow that traf
fic down?” Parrish suggested that
a request to the state be made for
a traffic count at the intersection.
He also observed, “They (state of
ficials) don’t like to put up traffic
lights.” Council then passed a
resolution to request the traffic
study.
Councilman Steve Hampton,
chairman of the finance commit
tee, proposed the following actions
which were approved by the full
council:
• Disposition of a 1945 Ford fire
pumper through sealed bids;
• Institution of a $50 charge to fill
private swimming pools with town
fire equipment plus a charge for
the water;
• Disapproval of an offer of
Shelby1 Freeman of Applied
Fiberglass Technology to buy
town property next to his
business;
• Disapproval of a fee for police
personnel who assist motorists
with stalled vehicles after com
plaints from service station
operators who charge a fee for the
service and are losing the
business;
The following recommendations
of the public works committee,
chaired by Councilwoman Marina
Crummey, was ratified by
council:
• Establishment of a 35 mph speed
limit on Old Hertford Rd.;
• Establishment of a no parking
zone for a distance of 70 feet on the
south side of the intersection of
Hicks and Granville Streets to
allow better visibility for
emergency vehicles;
• Issuance of a reminder to mer
chants that they are responsible
for the removal of,trash from the
sidewalks in front of their
businesses.
Continued On Page 4