Honors Overdue
May we hasten to
congratulate the top-place
winners of the competition
^recently sponsored by the
Chowan Herald to honor those
individuals most deserving
of the pride of their fellow
citizens in the town and
county?
Dr. George Cooke, who is
retiring as minister of
Ballards Bridge Baptist
* Church after 25 years of ser
vice, won the first place
award for "serving as a
living example of
Christianity in action."
Mrs. Ruth Spencer, a re
tired school teacher now lead
ing the life of a busy volun
teer, placed second; and Dr.
James Slade, who specializes
^ in pediatrics and adult
* medicine and is attending
physician for the district
health department-sponsored
baby clinics, was named third
place winner.
But you have read these
names before. Perhaps what
you had not realized was the
community-wide feeling that
^ they were the type of
individuals in whom we can
all take pride.
That 265 ballots were cast
before the deadline Thursday,
- May 5, speaks well for the
winners and the 30-odd other
nominees. Usually it is diffi
cult to get citizens to put their
name on any sort of ballot
| where they are ranking one
neighbor above another; but
the fact that so many were
willing to underwrite their
choices by putting their sig
nature alongside their ballot
is an indication of the depth of
their convictiofi.
The Chowan Herald is
proud to have initiated this
1 venture in mutual admira
tion, where people often over
looked in the daily flow of
Continued On Page 4
Public Beach Rejected
to a nearby residential
A proposed public swim
ming beach on town property
at the airport met stiff opposi
tion at a public hearing Mon
day night.
The proposal was advanced
by town recreation director
Robbie Laughton at an earlier
council meeting to take ad
vantage of a state grant from
Coastal and Estuarine Access
Funds.
The beach would cover 700
shoreline on Albemarle
ound. The beach and a
planned park and parking
area would be on 60 acres
owned by the town. The park
would include a bath house, a
playground, picnic shelters
and a nature trail.
W.A. Whichard told
council "I'd like to speak
against it. I think that a public
beach should not impact pri
vate Dronertv." he said in ref
erence
neighborhood. "The second
reason is, I think the area is
not suitable." He said the
shoreline consisted of blue
clay ahd sand would have to
be trucked in for a proper
beach.
Don Sims, a resident on
Country Club Drive also
voiced opposition. He said he
was concerned about
"keeping an orderly atmo
sphere,-" and suggested in
stead, a swimming pool be
hind the recreation depart
ment building. r
Speaking for the proposal,
Brenda Spruill told council,
"I think we should try to make
this thing work."
In opposition, Warren
Twiddy commented, "The
town fathers couldn’t control
it."
Council
THE CHOWAN HERALD
i
Published In The Most Beautiful Little City On The North Carolina Coast
Volume LLIV - fylo. 20
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, May 19,1988
Single Copies 25 Cents
PROPANE-W.H. Weaver Co. foreman, Richard Winge
holds the relief valve that was tom loose from a propane tank at
the spot where the accident occurred. He is surrounded by debris
that was being pushed into a pile by a bulldozer when its track
severed the valve from the buried tank.
Gas Valve Broken
Tank Ruptured
By JACK GROVE
Construction workers at the
Swain School project got a
scare Monday when the track
of a bulldozer ruptured a
buried propane tank while
piling up refuse for removal.
Richard Winge, foreman
for W.H. Weaver Construc
tion Co., said that the bull
dozer broke off a brass relief
"VtrttrrTm th» ta»k located 20
feet from the north side of the
auditorium and about 50 feet
from the back of the school.
He said that the accident
could have conceivably
caused an explosion and was
said that he had received 13
unfavorable comments and
only two favorable.
The site chosen and secu
rity concerns were most often
given as drawbacks. Marina
Crummey said that the dis
tance from town made it un
usable for some.
Jimmy Alligood said, "I
have a problem too with police
protection. I realize that
there's supposedly police pro
tection in Cape Colony. I have
to say no."
Willis Privott was alone in
favoring the proposal when he
said, "I would certainly like
to see it further pursued."
Joe Hollowell, chairman of
the county commission board,
said that he was glad to see
discussion of public access to
swimming facilities. "I'm
just glad to see council talk
about it"
County manager Cliff
Copeland suggested at the
hearing that the town and
county could jointly pursue
beach access at the fishing
pier being sought by the
county. The pier would con
sist of a portion of the old
Albemarle ' Sound bridge
when the new bridge is
opened.
Upon closing of the hear
ing, council voted down the
proposal and referred the
beach access question to a
town-county committee.
Council members were
unanimous in applauding
Laughton's efforts in work
ing up the plan to take ad
vantage of state grants and to
further recreation.
In another hearing,
comments
proposed applies
concerned about the possibil
ity of other unknown buried
tanks.
Equipment and workmen
were removed from the im
mediate area and the fire de
partment and gas company
representatives were imme
diately summoned to the
scene.
Edenton Fire Chief Lynn
- Perry said tsh&#«a fire truck
was dispatched to the scene at
2 p.m. Fire hose spray was
used to aid in dispersal of the
spray.
Allen Worrell of the county
maintenance department re
moved the remainder of the
broken valve and replaced it
with a valve provided by Con
ger Oil Co. A 30-foot pipe pro
vided by Western Gas Co.,
Continued On Page 4
New Welcome Center's Groundbreaking Held
The groundbreaking of a
"first of it's kind” facility in
the state was the backdrop for
discussion of transportation
concerns of the northeast and
programs that Gov. Jim Mar
tin has set in motion.
The groundbreaking in
Camden County was for the
new welcome center between
U.S. 17 and the Dismal
Swamp Canal. The facility
will include a 740 square foot
information center, an 820
square foot rest area, a park
ing lot and a 150 foot boat dock
for waterborne visitors. It will
be located about 18 miles north
of Elizabeth City.
A VIP luncheon was held
- g§ kg... $ ' '
in Elizabeth City prior to the
groundbreaking and attended
by officials from northeastern
county and municipal gov
ernments, the Albemarle
Commission, chambers of
commerce, Sen. Marc Bas
night, Rep. Vernon James,
Rep. R.M. (Pete) Thompson,
Rep. Brewster Brown, Secre
tary of Transportation James
Harringon, Transportation
Board member Phil Godwin
and Governor Martin.
At the luncheon, the gover
nor noted that he had met with
the area legislative delega
tion and local leaders a year
and a half ago when the visi
tor center was first proposed.
"This is the first of those in a
new policy," he said of the fa
cility.
It is the first on a non-in
terstate highway and local
groups will be responsible for
staffing it. "I want to thank
you for that initiative and for
being here this afternoon," he
told the gathering of over 200.
The welcome center scores
another first as the only one
in the nation to serve the boat
ing public as well as highway
travelers. The governor
credited Basnight with the
idea to have docking facilities
for boaters.
Martin referred to another
meeting with the legislative
IT
Gov
James Martin speaks at the groundbreaking ceremonies for the new
on U.S. 17 north of South Mills in Camden County. The facility will be unique in
will serve boat as well as highway traffic. Inset is the sign that will greet visitors.
delegation two years ago
when he was presented with a
map with nine northeastern
highways penciled in for
four-laning.
He said that out of that
meeting and of meetings with
other regional groups, his
Strategic Corrider concept for
an intra-state super highway
system was born. The concept
calls for 90 percent of the
state's population to be within
10 miles of a four-lane high
way that would draw the state
together.
The highway network
would be paid for with
"additional money" not yet in
the state's budget. "And you
started right here with those
nine interstate highways that
you asked for," the governor
commented.
Following Martin, Senator
Basnight noted, "I was the one
that wrote that map, if you re
member, Jim," to appreciative
laughter. He said that Vir
ginia was spending more
than double the money on
roads that this state is.
"These (improved roads)
cannot occur unless we gen
erate new funds," he said in
pledging to work for funding
in the legislature's next ses
sion. He concluded with,
"You have been a good gover
nor and I thank you for help
ing in my region.”
Representative James told
the governor that more sec
ondary roads money was
needed also and said that he
would support new funding.
Representative Thompson
reiterated his previous stand
Continued On Page 4
Construction Begins
On The Swain Facility
A group of local officials,
state legislators, contractors
and interested spectators
gathered at Swain school last
Wednesday for an official
groundbreaking for con
struction underway there.
The school is being con
verted into 38 apartments for
the elderly and others and the
auditorium is being rehabil
itated for use as a center for
the performing arts, arts
council office, senior center
and teen center use.
Last classes were held in
the school in January of 1986.
The school was then deeded to
the county so that the audito
rium could be saved. County
Manager Cliff Copeland said
that the disposition of the
school was in question. "And
then Dwayne Anderson came
to the rescue."
Anderson, of Anderson
Benton Corp. proposed a pub
lic-private venture to convert
the school portion into apart
ments and renovation of the
auditorium. Due to efforts of
Rep. R.M. (Pete) Thompson,
Rep. Vernon James and Sen.
Marc Basnight of the first
district, state funds were pro
vided for a portion of the au
ditorium work.
Ownership of the audito
rium remains with the county
while the school portion was
sold to the developer.
Anderson-Benton, with
assistance from the county,
obtained a low-interest
FmHA loan for conversion of
the school.
A CDBG grant, awarded to
the Town of Edenton for a se
nior center, was transferred
to the project and the Edenton
Chowan Arts Council con
tributed $9,000 according to
Copeland.
Terming the private-public
venture a prototype, Anderson
remarked that the county was
receiving statewide attention
in saving the school for other
purposes. He said the project
was being used as a case study
in a graduate planning pro
gram at UNC-Chapel Hill.
He commented that the lo
cation would have a positive
impact on downtown business
and that a "spinoff' would be
the probable rehabilitation of
nearby neighborhoods. "The
quality of life of the residents
of the apartments will be out
standing," Anderson said.
Apartments are expected to
be ready for occupancy before
the end of the year and the au
ditorium will be "sub
stantially complete."
GROUND BROKEN-Ground was broken last week for the conversion of Swain School into
apartments and renovation of the auditorium into a center for the arts. Doing the honors were (1.
to r.) Clara Boswell, county commissioner, Ernest A Swain, retired educator and the school's
namesake, Edenton Mayor John Dowd, Alton Elmore, county commissioner, Roy Mannis,
president of W.H. Weaver Construction Co., and Dwayne Anderson, developer.