Election9
That compromise solution
to the Robeson County judicial
^ dilemma worked out by the
™ Lieutenant Governor and en
dorsed by the Governor leaves
a lot to be desired.
There is nothing wrong, as
we see it,-in trying to create a
new judicial district where
blacks or Indians, as the case
may be, are in large enough
numbers to elect one of their
^ own to fill the office — pro
vided the new judge is
needed.
In fact, that is what the leg
islation did during its most
recent session. It created ad
ditional judicial districts in
which minority races stood a
reasonable chance of electing
their own choice. One of those
* new judgeships was created
■ for Robeson County, the new
office to be filled by a vote of
: the people.
In due course, an Indian
and a white man filed for the
Democratic nomination as a
candidate for the judgeship in
the November general elec
tion. But before the primary
0 could be held, the Indian can
didate was slain for reasons
unconnected with the cam
paign for the nomination.
ms aeatn produced a sense
of frustration and dilemma
among the Indian population.
Some of them wanted the
• Governor to call a special
session of the legislature to re
open the books and permit ad
ditional filings for the elec
tion. Others wanted an addi
tional seat established and
earmarked for an Indian.
But either of those
"solutions" would have beet);
of questionable constitution
ality and would certainly
have led to lengthy litigation.
While the Governor was pon
dering a course of action, the
Lieutenant Governor met with
the Robeson County legisla
tive delegation and they pro
posed that the legislature at its
forthcoming short session
create an additional judicial
district for Robeson County
with the tacit understanding
that the Governor would fill it
with a member of a minority
race. The Governor has an
nounced his willingness to do
Continued On Page 4
NEW CO>CHAIRWOMEN-Kim Goodw..,
Cuthrell have been named by the Edenton Woman'* Club asco
chairwomen for the 1989 Pilgrimage of Historical Edenton and
Chowan County. Proceeds from the event have gone toward
| continuous historic preservation of Edenton and Chowan County
as well as funding for the architectural survey of the town and
county. ■"
t
CHOWAN
Published In The Most Beautiful Little City On The North Carolina Coast
Volume LL1V- No. 15
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, April 14,1988
Single Copies 25 Cents
Old Bridge Considered For Fishing Pier
By JACK GROVE
A proposal that surfaced
with the Chowan County
Board of Commissioners a
year ago is under active study
by the county. Commissioner
Alton Elmore had put forth the
idea of converting a portion of
the present Albemarle Sound
Bridge to a fishing pier when
the new bridge is open for
traffic (sometime next fall).
This would give the county
the first pier of its type in the
state.
County Manager Cliff
Copeland presented an in
depth analysis of the feasibil
ity for such a pier to the board
Monday night. The study was
prepared under contract with
the Regional Development
Institute, affiliated with East
Carolina University,
Factors studied included
fishing potential, length of a
pier, structural modifications
and annual maintenance
costs, operating costs, and ad
ditional facilities such as
parking and bathrooms and
liability.
When the new bridge is
completed and turned over to
the state, the old bridge comes
under the ownership of bridge
contractors, Cianbro-Will
iams Co. and will be
demolished. A modification
to the contract would have to
be negotiated with the Dept of
Transportation in order for
the county to take ownership of
a portion for the pier.
The study says, "it appears
that the area would be consid
ered 'productive' for pier
fishing, especially during
spring, summer and fall."
Dr. William Hogarth,
Director of the Division of
Marine Fisheries, the report
says, suggested a pier length
of300-500 yards beyond the 10
12 foot bottom depth contour.
Copeland told commissioners
that a 2,000 foot pier length
would be adequate. The study
says, that this would place the
pier in a water depth of 25 feet.
Annual costs for mainte
nance, structural repair and
pier operating personnel
could vary from a minimum
of $24,500 to a maximum of
$51,000. Costs could be bal
anced against pier fishing
fees.
As to ownership and
liability, the study suggests
that a state agency such as the
Wildlife Resources Commis
sion might take ownership but
called that "unlikely." The
county intends to seek an
answer from the WRC on this
question.
Liability is seen as a major
stumbling block for private or
Continued On Page 4
CDBG Funding
Being Considered
Edenton Town Council
held a public hearing Tues
day night to provide citizens
with information concerning
North Carolina's Community
Development Block Grant
program. The town proposes to
submit an application to the
state for grant funds for a
neighborhood revitalization
project.
..Town.- consultant, D.ayicL
Holmes said that the maxi
mum grant available was
$600,000 and a specific pro
posal must be submitted by
May 20. "The program is very
competitive," council was told
and there must be low and
middle income people in any
given target area.
Holmes said that four
neighborhoods were being
looked at for the CDBG funds
and, besides upgrading hous
ing, an area should require
updated sewer and water ser
vices. He pointed out that three
CDBG programs have been
completed in Edenton.
Concerning the West
Albemarle Street area, one of
four being looked at, Coun
cilman Willis Privott com
mented, "I'm glad to hear that
you are looking at the west
side of town."
Holmes said that a 100 per
cent survey of households in a
targeted neighborhood had to
be accomplished. The survey
per household and household
income.__
Privott suggested that the
council would be glad to have
a special meeting, if needed,
to approve a neighborhood for
the grant application.
At the conclusion of the
hearing, Holmes was told by
Mayor John Dowd, "You've
done a good job for us and we
appreciate it."
Linda Eure, site manager
of Historic Edenton, came be
fore council to request added
curb aprons on sidewalks
along the Historic Edenton
tour rute. She said that 28
needed to be added for tourists
in wheelchairs along the self
guided route.
Access is not provided to
historic buildings on the
guided tour. Mrs. Eure said
that interior doorways in
these buildings are only 30
inches wide and would not
allow passage of a
wheelchair.
She said that a wheelchair
Continued On Page 4
Pick-Up
Scheduled
Chowan County, the Town
of Edenton and the Edenton
Chowan Chamber of Com
merce are joining forces in
this a better
They are
joint litter
pickup along county roads
and town streets.
Last year Over 100 county
citizens participated in the
April cleanup and officials
hope for an even bigger
turnout this year. Trash bags
for the cleanup can be picked
up from the County
Manager's office and filled
bags will be picked up at
roadside by the Dept, of
■hMUMrf^tion,
21erk, Linda
—,— -, _aid that council
with
that
ing
CONGRATULATIONSJ-Chuck Chinchette congratulates Marsha Meekins, a bridge
engineer on the 100,000 hours of safe work done on the new Albemarle Sound bridge. Miss
Meekins is the only lady engineer on the project. Chinchette is president of the Cianbro Corp. At
right are Jim Hamilton, bridge superintendent and A.J. Holts, safety superintendent. All
bridge employees received certificates, commemorative T-shirts and prime rib dinners at the
special recognition.
Company Celebrates Safety
A bevy of high company of
ficials from Cianbro Corp. of
Pittsfield, Maine were on
hand Friday night at the
American Legion Building to
honor.-employeea-j^arking JJn
the new Albemarle Sound
Stephen Bennett
Bennett
Takes Post
Edenton has a new post
master. Stephen Bennett, 36, a
native of Greensboro, as
sumed the position on March
15. He took over the reins
from interim officer in
charge, Roy Ferrell, who
moved on to a postmaster po
sition in Four Oaks, near
Raleigh.
Bennett started with the
postal service in Gueensboro
in 1973 as a general clerk. He
has ^worked his way up
through the ranks, serving as
a letter sorting machine oper
ator, officer in charge of three
different post offices in the
state and as superintendent of
mails and delivery and su
perintendent of postal opera
tions (assistant postmaster) at
Ashboro.
While in the latter Ashboro
position, Bennett visited here
to get a look at the town prior to
applying for the local posi
tion. Visiting with his wife,
he said, "We fell in love with
Edenton then."
The new postmaster served
on active duty in the U.S.
Navy and has been in the U.S.
Naval Reserve for 16 years
with the current rank of
Yeoman Second Class. He is
Continued On Page 4
bridge.
The occasion was the at
tainment of 100,000 man
hours of work with no lost
time injuries. In the heavy
..fiPlXStructian industry, this is
considered a major milestone
and one seldom attained.
This comes after loss of one
worker's life in the early
stages of construction.
In opening remarks,
bridge safety superintendent,
A.J. Holts told workers,
"When I came down here in
October, I had a lot of appre
hensions. What I found was a
lot of people that want to work
safely." He said that the
100,000 hour milestone had
been surpassed by 24,000 safe
hours. "I don't say, let's work
for 200,000, let’s go to the end
of the job without a lost-time
injury."
Company officials at the
celebration included presi
Continued On Page 4
Original Paintings
Offered For Sale
The Cupola House Associ
ation plans to offer area resi
dents the unique opportunity to
purchase original paintings
of Edenton and Chowan
County scenes -- homes,
landscapes and waterscapes.
The artist is widely ac
claimed water colorist, Paul
Crumrine of Winter Park,
Florida.
Crumrine will paint about
seventy Edenton scenes that
will be sold by the Cupola
House Association at a show
planned for September 24-25.
Prices for the paintings will
be in the range of $80 to $200
and one-half of the proceeds
will go to benefit the Cupola
House Association.
The show will be in con
junction with the associa
tion's traditional Summer's
End Party to be held at an area
home. The art show itself will
be held at The Lords Propri
etors' Inn.
One art critic, writing
about Crumrine's work, said:
"As the months pass and you
are exposed to the fine exam
ples of Paul's work, you will
recognize his extraordinary
ability to create strong images
with soft colors. The scenes
depicted are familiar to all of
us, but somehow they seem
different -more beautiful."
Crumrine has visited
Edenton a number of times
and will do his work both
from direct observation and
photographs. Anyone wishing
to commission a particular
Edenton scene to be set aside
for him or her at the show
should contact Mrs. Peggy
Smith at 221-8629.
EDENTON ART - Water color artist Paul Crumrine
rendered this painting of the White-Bond House at the
intersection of Albemarle and Broad Street In coming months,
he will be painting other Edenton scenes.