February Is Target Date Set For 911 Emergency System Implementation
By JACK GROVE
The Town of Edenton and
Chowan County are one step
closer to having a 911 emergency
response system after the county
[7 commission adopted a proposal
Monday that was worked out in a
^ series of meetings between town
| and county officials.
After implementation, targeted
Voodooism In Action
In one of those piddling little
) changes so dear to their hearts,
Congress decided that, effective
with the fiscal year beginning Oc
tober 1, military personnel would
be paid on the first day of the next
month instead of on the last day
of the purrent month.
On the face of it, this would have
given service personnel a modest
tax break by pushing one month’s
pay into the next calendar year.
But the budget makers didn’t
leave it there; they provided that,
in order to avoid conflict with a
holiday, the payment day could be
shifted back to the last day of the
month.
So, for December, 1967, military
personnel will receive two checks,
one on the first of the month and
the other on the 31st.
Explaining this, the Associated
Press said:
“By directing those in the arm
ed services to wait an extra 24
hours to get paid this month, Con
gress was able to shift that pay
roll from the end of the govern
ment’s fiscal 1967 to the start of
fiscal 1988, which begins October
1.
“That, in turn, allowed Con
gress to shift almost $3 billion in
Pentagon salary expenses to the
next fiscal year - providing a
relatively painless means of cut
ting the Pentagrafr badger re
quest without really cutting it.”
We submit that is what is wrong
with our government. What we
have crane to in both the executive
and legislative branches is
government by legerdemain, a
sort of now-you-see-it, now-you
don’t. It’s a economic newspeak
appropriate to the times. It
substitutes finesse for fortitude,
fiscal appearance for reality.
Congress did not have the guts
to cut the defense budget by $3
Continued On Page 4
School Policy
Is Adopted
Edenton-Chowan Board of
Education has met state re
quirements with the adoption of a
corporal punishment policy even
though the policy may be
temporary.
Board members adopted an up
dated policy last week after
several changes were made in old
guidelines to meet state
mandates.
N.C. General Statutes allow
authorized school personnel to use
reasonable force including cor
poral punishment, to maintain
discipline. Reasonable force may
be used to calm a threatening
disturbance, obtain possession of
a weapon, to defend one’s self
from injury and to protect person
or property.
One change in the undated
punishment policy says that cor
poral punishment may be used
only as a last resort after other
methods of discipline have been
exhausted.
Rosemary Lewis, a teacher who
helped draft the updated policy,
says no substitute teachers will be
allowed to administer corporal
punishment, since they may not
know if all other avenues have
for February 1.1968, a local resi
dent with an. emergency would
dial 911 and the appropriate agen
cy would be immediately dispat
ched to the scene.
Benefits would include quicker
public access to emergency agen
cies, quicker response time and
would provide coordination of
agencies in the event of a disaster.
The system would be quartered
in the present utility collection of
fice' at the Edenton Municipal
Building, with the town providing
any needed renovation, utilities
and janitorial services. An
emergency operations center
might also be located in the
building.
The county will purchase the
equipment ($38,000 was budgeted)
and the town and county will joint
ly fund the operation of the
system, 75 percent from the coun
ty and 25 percent from the town.
County Manager Cliff Copeland
said the funding was based on a
county population of around 14,000
to the town’s 6,000.
Copeland pointed out that the
911 system would not replace ex
isting departmental communica
tions systems. The new dispatch
system would have five dispat
chers, one of them in a super
visory capacity.
An advisory committee is envi
sioned for the system to establish
procedures, training and assist in
any other needed areas. Members
would include the sheriff, Edenton
police chief, EMS director and the
chiefs of the Edenton and Center
Hill-Crossroad Fire Departments.
The proposal now goes to the
town council for ratification.
Council must also approve plans
for the renovation of the old Peo
ple’s Bank Building for use as
town office space.
THE CHOWAN HERALD
Published In The Most Beautiful Little City On The North Carolina Coast
Volume LLLIII - No. 37
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, September 17, 1987
Single Copies 25 Cents
Transportation Officials Offer Suggestions For Enhancing Airport
Recommendations to enhance
Edenton airport were made Tues
day evening by two officials of the
N.C. Department of Transporta
tion’s Division of Aviation.
Bruce Matthews and Marshall
Sanders met with the Airport Ad
visory Board and town officials to
discuss projects that would
ultimately impact local economic
development.
Edenton has added capital im
provements, such as repaving
main runway 119 and contracted
for an automated runway lighting
system, which would activate
lights when an approaching pilot
keys his microphone.
Cost of the lighting is $12,300,
with $8-$10,000 coming from the
state.
Advisory board members Bill
Myers, Ben Rinhart and Marvin
Shaw, along with E.N. (Pete)
Manning, town council liaison,
John Cuthrell, president-elect of
the chamber of commerce and
Edenton Town Manager Phillip
Whitaker, heard that some basic
cosmetic work is needed at the
40-year-old terminal building.
The airport has a visual aid
tower, VASI, which was recom
mended for a new paint job and
more general maintenance to im
prove appearance of the site.
DOT officials suggested that the
“Soanf look at" contracting so
meone to work at the airport 24
hours daily, which would provide
refueling and other services to
planes coming into Edenton.
Hours of operation have been in
creased from eight hours daily
during the week to include the
same number of hours on Satur
day and Sunday.
Officials said the advisory
board had started taking the right
steps, but needed to advertise iri
aviation magazines and a monthly
state bulletin.
Other contracting services sug
gested were a part-time
mechanic, maybe someone
retired from the military, and im
plementation of a flight instruc
tor. The town previously con
sidered an instructor and DOT of
ficials thought one might be found
in the local aviation community.
Suggestions were made to ex
pand the advisory board from four
to at least five to eight members,
bringing in local businessmen,
with liaison with the chamber of
commerce, Historic Edenton and
other local groups.
DOT employees suggested such
public relations events as a
“Business-Aviation Appreciation
Day,” using pilots to sell low-cost
flights over Edenton as a drawing
card.
Matthews and Saunders said
the board should concentrate
heavily on promoting the airport
and local aviation, since it is such
an asset to commerce.
For instance, while the meeting
was underway one pilot landed at
the airport, went to Bayliner and
purchased a boat.
The two men used the airport at
• Wilson as an- example -or-one
which pulled itself up by its
bootstraps after revitalized in
terest of the town council and the
airport advisory board pulled in
local businessmen to point out
how the facility promoted growth.
DOT said local runway 119 is in
good condition after resurfacing,
but a decision needs to be made
soon about improvements on run
PICTURES FROM THE PAST—David and Denise Iredell of Lon
don, England, donated these pictures to the James Iredell Association
of Edenton. The Rev. Arthur Iredell (left) was James Iredell, Sr.’s,
brother and lived in England. Thomas Iredell (center) was an uncle
and president of the Council of Jamacia. Mrs. Margaret McCullock
Iredell was the mother of James and Arthur. The pictures are photos
of painted miniatures.
Iredell Descendant Visits Town
The James Iredell Association
rolled out the red carpet yester
day when descendants of the
famous judge visited Edenton.
The association welcomed Mr.
and Mrs. Charles Iredell Ralfe of
England to town with a luncheon
at Edenton Bake Shop.
Ralfe, a descendant of James
Iredell, Sr.’s, brother, Arthur,
visited Edenton in the spring of
1986 and brought six original let
ters written by the famous judge
in 1795 and 1796. The letters were
donations to the association from
Ralfe’s mother in Australia.
At the time, Ralfe was living in
Australia and on his way to
England to research his
ancestors, but detoured to Eden
ton for presentation of the letters.
The original letters were writ
ten by Iredell to his brother, the
Rev. Arthur Iredell in England,
and his uncle, Thomas Iredell in
Jamaica.
Ralfe said that his family had
Carefully preserved the letters
and much other family documen
tation through the centuries. The
letters were written in brown ink
and were clear and legible.
Iredell’s descendants had
known about the Iredell House in
Edenton for years, but had learn
ed of the association just prior to
Ralfe’s delivery of the letters.
Recently Ralfe has been in
strumental in securing for the
association three small authen
ticated photographs of the Iredell
family. The reproductions show
Arthur and Thomas Iredell and
Margaret McCullock Iredell of
London, James Iredell’s mother.
The three photographs were
sent to Cornelia Privott, chairman
of the descendant’s committee, by
David and Denise Iredell of Lon
don and will be loaned to the
Historical Society of the U.S.
Supreme Court for the third
volume of a bode on U.S. judges.
James Iredell Sr. of Edenton
was appointed by George
Washington as an associate judge
of the first U.S. Supreme Court,.
The three photos will be used in
Iredell’s section of the publication.
way 523. The only long-term
capital improvement suggested
was construction of a new
terminal.
The advisory board was told
that very few small airports are
self-sustaining and must depend
on federal and state assistance for
capital outlay. The town must
decide the extent to which it will
subsidize improvements and
operations at the aviation center.
OLDEST LEGIONNAIRE—Geddes Potter, 92, cuts a ribbon officially opening American Legion Post
40’s newest building addition. Looking on are Bill Manke, Post Commander, (center) and Jack Revels
(right). Potter, a World War I Navy veteran, participated in reactivating the post’s charter in 1922 and
has been an active member since. Special guests at the Sunday afternoon dedication were Department
(state) Commander Jerry Hendrix and Division Commander John McNair.
Bell Ringing Planned This Afternoon
All churches, schools and in
dividuals are invited to ring bells
at 4p.m. September 17 (today) to
celebrate the signing of the Con
stitution in Philadelphia on the
same date in 1787.
Bells are to ring 200 times and
the observance is a project of the
Daughters of the American
Revolution. The observance is
planned across the nation as a
part of “Bells Across America”.
The Chowan Bicentennial Com
mittee met September 10 in the
old courthouse to discuss other
plans made as part of the celebra
tion Sept. 17 and November 8.
The plans this week include ex
hibits, a book fair at Shepard
Pruden Memorial Library and ac
tivities for students throughout
the school system.
Winston Dail will announce the
winners, today, of the contest car
ried in the Chowan Herald, which
asked questions about the
Constitution.
On November 8, drama
students from Holmes High
School will reenact the 1787
meeting in the old courthouse
when grand jurors urged the
legislature to ratify the
Constitution.
Lt. Gov. Bob Jordan has been
invited to speak and Chowan Arts
Council is sponsoring a speech
contest.
The special day will also include
a band and chorus, window
displays, advertising spots on the
radio and town attorneys are buy
ing copies of the Constitution for
county students.
The just released 1988 calendar
of events from Historic Edenton
includes on April 25 “Freedom or
Tyranny: A Towne Meeting to
Discuss Our Proposed National
Constitution”. The meeting will be
conducted as if the year was 1788
and N.C. Federalists and Anti
Federalists debate a ratification.
Admission will be free, but space
is limited so reservations will be
given on a first-come first-serve
basis. Other events are planned
next year.
On September 10, the Cupola
House was the site of an end-of
summer party with admission
charged to benefit the 1725 house.
The party is an annual fundraiser.
The 214th anniversary celebra
tion of the Edenton Tea Party is
planned October 22. The party
was the first political activity by
women in the American colonies.
The day will sponsor reenact
ments, crafts, music, food, games
and an annual awards program.
Admission will be free.
December 4 is the date for the
“Iredell House Groaning Board”,
featuring eighteenth century
Christmas decorations, music,
refreshments and a holiday
groaning board with food from
late 18th century and early 19th
century recipes. No admission
will be charged.
December 4 is also the planned
date of the Cupola House Wassail
Bowl,
1
HEAD GOOBERS—The leaders of this year’s Peanut Festival, also known as "Head Goobers," are
(1. to r.) Eddie Rountree, festival chairman, Geraldine Hill, president of band parents and Otis Strother,
band director. Events include a parade on Saturday morning, Oct. 3 and band competition at Hicks Field
in the afternoon.