% THE CHOWAN HERALD
Published In The Most Beautiful Little City On The North Carolina Coast
Volume LLIII - No. 49
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, December 10,1987
Single Copies 25 Cents
Look Who'a Talking
Our government was pretty
quick on the draw in criticiz
ing the French for making
some concessions to Iranian
terrorists in return for th« re
lease of hostages held in
Beirut. It is a mistake, our
State Department said, to do
anything that had the appear
ance of rewarding the kid
napers.
What had the French done?
For one thing, they had agreed
to permit an Iranian embassy
employee, whom the French
police wanted to question as a
terrorism suspect, to go home
in return for two Frenchmen
held hostage in Beirut. Both
sides agreed to lift blockades
of their respective embassies.
And, finally, France agreed
to resume payments on a bil
lion-dollar loan made to them
in 1974 by Iran.
Now, how do those terms
compare with deals our gov
ernment made trying t o
establish contact with
"moderate” elements in the
Khomeini regime in Tehran?
We, unfortunately, didn't
have any hostages of our own
to barter, but we did sell them
millions of dollars worth of
plane parts, missiles and
other munitions in return for
the release of two hostages.
And we offered to make other
concessions, most of them il
legal by our own standards,
for the return of other Ameri
cans being held by Iranian
terrorists.
In the end, we were played
for suckers because the kid
napings continued and, when
negotiations were broken off
after exposure through a
Lebanese magazine, more
Americans were being held
than when negotiations be
gan^. . - ■ Hyrflii-'f]
At least, the French ended
up with a two-for-one swap,
which was better than the deal
we made with Moscow to free
a U.S. newsman by exchang
ing a Soviet spy. This would
have been an appropriate time
for us to keep our mouth shut
The Human Element
When guests check in at
the Waldorf-Astoria in New
York, they are handed a
small printed directory out
lining operating details of the
hotel.
One of them is security.
For their convenience and
protection, the guests are in
formed, the locks to room
doors are operated by plastic
keys. When the right key is
inserted in the right lock, a
green light will come on and
the door will open when the
key is withdrawn.
Well, we took the key and
went up to room No. 615 and,
sure enough, the little green
light beamed the assurance
that we were at the right place.
We opened the door and went
in to a spacious layout far bet
ter than anything we could
afford. We were there be
cause, during a weak mo
ment, we had promised Mil
dred a weekend in New York
with our grandsons as a
birthday present.
So, there we were, unpack
ing and waiting for our
grandsons to call when we
heard a small clicking in the
door lock and a perfect
stranger walked into the
room, bag in hand and clothes
thrown over his shoulder.
"What room is this?" he
asked.
"Six fifteen," we said.
"That's what my key
says," he said, comparing
numbers. "At least, they gave
me the right key, to the wrong
room.”
With that, he apologized
and left. ■:
Well, so much for security,
we thought. You can develop
{he best system in the world
atid the human element will
mess it up.
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Sentence Given
By JACK GROVE
A Chowan County murder
trial reached a speedy
eanehision Tuesday as the
result of a plea bargain be
tween the defense and prose
cution.
Jury selection began
Monday in the case of
William O'Neal, 30, charged
with first degree murder in
the handgun slaying of
Jeffrey Allen Newsom, 20 of
Edenton. On Tuesday morn
ing the jury was sent from the
court room as the plea bargain
was entered.
After Superior Court Judge
Thomas Watts heard sum
mary testimony of the crime,
he sentenced O'Neal to 30
years on a plea of guilty to
murder in the second degree.
As the result of the plea bar
gain, another charge of pos
session of a machine gun was
dismissed. Watts also rec
ommended work release but
told the defendant not to expect
receiving it for "some sub
stantial period of time."
He was also ordered to
make restitution to the vic
tim's parents for funeral ex
penses in excess of $3,000.
Watts indicated that the
restitution would be paid when
O'Neal was placed on work
release in a minimum of five
years if he qualified then un
der the regulations of the N.C.
Department of Corrections.
O'Neal's attorney, C .
Christopher Bean, was asked
after the trial when his client
could expect to be released on
parole. Bean indicated that
parole depended on a number
of variables such as good be
havior in the prison system
and was reluctant to state a
period of time. However he
did say, "My guess would be
11 to 15 years."
Summary testimony was
given by Chowan Deputy
Sheriff Victor Lamb. He said
that interviews of witnesses
showed that a fish cookout had
taken place at the O'Neal
home in Arrowhead Beach on
the evening of July 19 where a
quantity of beer was con
sumed.
Later O'Neal searched
through a cabinet in his house
looking for a packet of co
caine which he could not find.
Saying ”1 know Jeffs got my
stuff," O'Neal, accompanied
by Derek Smith, drove around
looking for Newsom. When
Continued On Page 4
Festivities Attended
They came from all over
Sunday to sample a colonial
Christmas in Edenton. The
occasion was the annual
Wassail Bowl at Cupola
House and the Groaning
Board at the Iredell House.
The total number of visi
tors was 411, the most ever,
according to Linda Eure of
Historic Edenton. They came
from Fayetteville, the Outer
Banks, Chapel Hill, Raleigh,
Greenville, Sumter, S.C.,
Annapolis, Md. and
Tidewater, Virginia. Last
year, there were 295 attending
the event.
Visitors were greeted at
Iredell House by a doorman
in colonial garb, Don Fenner.
The porch railing and inte
rior were trimmed in tradi
tional greenery and fruit
decorations crowned with
pineapples.
Just some of the food items
featured at the groaning board
were Christmas pudding,
Washington cake, honey
flummery, brown sugar
glazed ham garnished with
candied grapes, coconut jum
bles, marchpane conceit,
cherry bounce and candied
orange and lemon slices.
These 18th century dishes
were prepared by Victor Eure,
assisted by Amy Nixon. Eure
is an outreach librarian with
the Pettigrew Regional
Library. Visitors viewing the
culintox treaty, were. gyren
contemporary recipes of some
of them accompanied b y
original recipes.
No one was allowed to
sample the treats, however.
Refreshments and snacks
were presented in an adjoin
ing room from silver service.
Cupola House featured two
wassail bowls at opposite sides
of the house which was also
decorated with natural mate
rials. One bowl featured a
burgundy wine with spices
such as cloves. The other was
cider and lemon and pineap
ple juice. Both colonial re
freshments were served
warm. The silver serving
bowls were loaned by local
residents.
WASSAIL BOWL -- Darcy Gaines serves Ruth Whichar<
from one of two wassail bowls at the Cupola House Sunda:
afternoon. The punch was served warm as in Edenton's earl)
days. Both Cupola and Iredell Houses received guests and wen
festively decorated in natural materials for Christmas.
SERVICE HONORED - John Mitchener, Jr., a former Edenton mayor, presents a plaque to
outgoing councilman Herbert Hollowell in recognition of his 19 years of service to the town. An
enthusiastic group of citizens was on hand to lend their applause Tuesday night.
Swearing-In Ceremony Held
Two new council members
took their seats and one re
turned, to hers along with
mayor John Dowd, at the table
of the Edenton Town Council
Tuesday night. New mem
bers Jimmy Alligood and
Livingstone Goodman and
returning councilwoman
Marina Crummey and Dowd
were sworn in by Clerk of
Court Marjorie Hollowell.
Leaving the table were
Steve Hampton, who served
eight years and Herbert
Hollo well who served for 19
years. Hampton told the
council and spectators, "I ap
preciate the people that sup
ported me and I thoroughly
enjoyed it.”
In a prepared statement,
Hollowell said, in part, "It is
a feeling of pride to think that
I have been one of many to
have a part in the progress of
Edenton. I have always voted
on issues before the council
New Chairman Named
In an annual reorganiza
tion, required by state law,
Chowan County Commission
Board members chose a new
chairman, Joe Hollowell, and
returned Clara Boswell to the
positioW^Tvice-chaifwoman.
Alton Elmore stepped down as
chairman.
Hollowell said at the
Monday night meeting, "Mr.
Elmore, I appreciate the con
fidence that you and Mrs.
Boswell and Mr. Goodwin
have shown in me.”
Commissioner A1 Phillips
arrived at the meeting late.
Edenton and the county are
closer to having a 911 emer
gency phone number with the
approval by the board of a bid
for equipment submitted by
Copeland Communications of
Hertford and Lanier Voice
Products of Greenville. The
equipment includes a 20
channel communication con
sole at a price of $23,194, bid by
Copeland, and a 20 channel
tape recorder at $17,011, bid by
Lanier.
County Manager Cliff
Copeland said that he had
been working very closely
with Sheriff Fred Spruill and
the town. The target date for
the implementation of the
system is April 1, 1988 and
Copeland said "We're still
very much in the ballpark for
March.”
The manager told the board
of a need to hire a chief dis
patcher by Jan. 1 and asked
for and received authority to
hire for the position in the
salary range of $16,000 to
$26,000, depending on experi
ence of the person selected.
The board was told of re
ceipt of notification that the
county is eligible for funding
for road signs which it had
previously requested. Esti
mated cost is $19,344 of which
the state Dept, of Trans
portation will pay 70 per cent
or $13,540.80 and the county
must match 30 per cent or
$5,803.20.
Copeland said neighboring
counties such as Perquimans
already have the signs which
aid the dispatching of emer
gency vehicles as well as pro
vide assistance to those at
Continued On Page 4
Travel Host Inn Opens For Business
Edenton's newest motel the
Travel Host Inn, opened its
doors for business Monday
after a grand opening cele
bration in the lobby and hos
pitality room Sunday after-,
noon.
The Sunday event was at
tended by town, county and
chamber of commerce offi
cials as well as many other
well-wishers. Also in atten
dance were principals in the
venture including Vann
Johnson of Richmond, Va.,
John Dowdy of Dowdy
Brothers, a motel development
concern, and Bob Thomas of
Edenton.
Ground was first broken
for the motel on June 8.
Features include 66 rooms,
seven suites, a permanent
hospitality suite, a swimming
pool and in-house laundry
I facilities.
r The $1.7 million facility
, has a blue color scheme on
, first floor rooms and a rose
hues on the second floor.
There will initially be a staff
of 12 headed by manager Gail
Davis of Edenton.
Johnson, formerly senior
vice-president and city exec
utive of Peoples Bank and
Trust Co. of Edenton, is with
United Leasing Corp. in
Richmond. He said that while
he was still in Edenton, $3,000
was raised for the survey
concsrning the need for an
other motel here. Of the new
Travel Host Inn, "I’m just
real pleased to be a part of
something that I think will be
a real asset to Edenton."
Johnson cited Thomas as
Continued On Page 4
Break-In Delays Opening
A new Edenton business
hadn't yet opened its doors for
business when it was broken
into on Tuesday, Dec. 1.
The Sports Racquet, located
next to the former Edenton
Snack Foods was broken into
around 5 a.m. According to
Jeff Harrell, owner, a cinder
block was thrown through the
glass door. He said that mer
chandise worth $600 was
taken including 17 sweat
shirts. The thief or thieves
took the cinder block away
with them.
Harrell, an Edenton na
tive, started the business in
his home in Washington
County before relocating it to
Edenton.
Sports Racquet features
sports apparel, posters and
trophies. The shop specializes
in mqjor team logos.
The break-in occurred on
the scheduled day of opening
and delayed the opening until
the following day.
The crime was featured in
last week's and also in this
week's Crime Line on page
IB.
without obligation to any in
dividual or group of persons. I
voted for what I thought was
best for Edenton and would
benefit the majority of its citi
zens.
"You have a good council
and one that will be honest in
its decisions." He left the
council with two
recommendations. First that
they very carefully consider
applications for rezoning for
a carefully planned town.
Second, that budgeting be
continued each year for a
reserve fund to preclude
seeking future loans or
raising taxes.
Hollo well was honored be- 1
fore the meeting with a dinner
at Boswell's Restaurant by the
council and was surprised by
a citizens group, headed by
John Mitcheiier, Jr., which
Continued On Page 4
Accident
Claims Life
An Arrowhead Beach man
was killed at 8:10 p.m.
Friday. Barry Wade Wright,
24, died when his 1978
Chevrolet overturned in the
Tyner area.
According to a report filled
by Trooper W.F. Whitley of
the N.C. Highway Patrol,
Wright was traveling on ru
ral paved route 1002 "at a
greater than reasonable rate
of speed." The car entered a
curve, ran onto the left shoul
der of the road and collided
with a ditch bank and came to
rest on its top.
Trooper Whitely's report
indicated that the victim was
wearing a lap and shoulder
restraint and that there was
evidence of alcohol involve
ment in the accident.