o
All Harness
And No Horae
If our new lieutenant gov
ernor-elect really needs a
legislative counsel, Jim Hol
£> shouser is probably the best
qualified man he could find
for the job. After all, he is a
former governor, a former
legislator and an attorney of
standing in the profession.
That is not to say, however,
that there is a crying need for
the position, politics aside. It
is true that the outgoing lieu
07 tenant governor had such an
aide and it is also true that the
incoming lieutenant gover
nor will feel entitled to one.
But there is a difference.
Bob Jordan, who lost a bid to
step up to the governor's office,
belonged to the dominant po
litical party in the senate - in
fact, in the whole General As
o, sembly - and carried the full
burden of the office. He ap
pointed committees, referred
bills and directed the legisla
tive program.
On the other hand, Jim
Gardner, the incoming lieu
tenant governor, does not be
long to the controlling party
and will be relieved of every
>) thing except the constitution
ally-mandated duty to preside
over the senate and vote in
case of a tie - two very unde
manding functions.
Just the same, he will end up
with an ex-governor in his
corner at the going rate -
around $200 to $250 a day dur
ing sessions of the legislature
j * and $1,000 a week at other
times. And that, in its small
way, helps to explain why the
cost of state government has
doubled every four years
since the early 1970s.
When we first went to the
^■ronefat' Aasewbiy; T»t Tuy-*1
lor was lieutenant governor
and the total budget for his of
fice was something like
$40,000 a year, including his
salary. He presided over one
of the longest and most com
plicated sessions of the Gen
eral Assembly, which, among
other things, restructured
higher education in the state
and beefed up the community
-. college system, all without the
'benefit of a legislative coun
sel.
But today the $40,000 he had
to run his office for a year
would hardly pay the cost of a
competent secretary, not to
mention other members of the
staff. When we last saw the
budget of the lieutenant gov
oernor's office, it was ap
proaching $500,000 a year.
It was along about Pat Tay
lor's time that the General
Assembly started talking
about reorganizing state gov
ernment. We wanted to elim
inate useless boards and
commissions, reduce over
Continued On Page 8
O
Suicide Victim Found
The Chowan Sheriffs De
partment is investigating an
apparent suicide discovered
Saturday afternoon.
The body of of a migrant
<7 farm laborer, identified as C.
Armando Andrade Ramirez
was found by fellow workers
who had been looking for him
for a week. The body was
found hanging from a tree in
a wooded area some 200 yards
from a field in the Rocky
Hock area. The work crew
has been in the area cutting
<?collards, Dep. Sheriff Harry
Ward, investigating officer,
said.
Ward said he was told that
Ramirez had been acting
withdrawn several days be
fore his disappearance. He
had been awaiting the arrival
from Mexico of his birth cer
tificate in order to apply for
^American citizenship. With
out this documentation he
would have been required to
return to Mexico which ac
quaintances said he didn't
want to do.
Among the man's personal
effects was an envelope, post
marked Durango, Mexico.
The envelope contained a
birth certificate form which
was blank. No personal iden
tification was found that
would indicate his permanent
address, relatives or his age.
The age was estimated to be
40. A pay slip was found that
showed that he had worked in
Florida.
Deputy Ward said that per
sonal jewelry was still on the
body as well as his billfold.
"We're saying right now it
was a suicide," he said.
Medical Examiner, Dr.
Leibert DeVine, who respond
ed to the scene, sent the body to
Pitt Memorial Hospital for an
autopsy.
Volume LLIV-No.
Single Copies 25 Cents
Dcaumui Little City On The North Carolina Coast
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, December 8,1988
Reorganization
Opens Meeting
Chowan County Commis
sioners held their annual re
organizational meeting Mon
day night. Reorganization is
mandated by state law when
the board chairman, vice
chairman and meeting times
are set.
Prior to the meeting, three
commissioners were sworn
into office. Alton Elmore,
Wayne Goodwin and James
C. (Pete) Dail ran unopposed
in last month's election. El
more and Goodwin will serve
four years while Dail will
serve the two remaining
years of the late A1 Phillips'
term. Dail was appointed to
the board upon the death of
Phillips.
Also sworn into another
term was Register of Deeds,
Ann Spruill. Mrs. Spruill,
who recently retired from the
position of clerk to the com
mission board, was presented
a plaque in recognition for
her work for the board.
Elmore won a 3-2 vote to
succeed Joe Hollowell as
chairman while Goodwin had
the same margin to replace
Clara Boswell as vice-chair
man. Mrs. Boswell and Hol
lowell nominated each other
to remain in their posts.
Prior to the vote, Hollowell
said of the chairmanship,
"It's been a pleasure to serve
and an honor to serve. To that
end, I would like to serve a
second year."
In accepting the chairman
ship, Elmore stated, "I appre
ciate the opportunity to serve
again. I think Joe Hollowell
has done a good job the past
year."
After the meeting, Hollo
well charged that Elmore had
violated a "gentlemen's
agreement" that he said was
reached several years ago.
The agreement was that the
board chairman would serve
in that capacity for two years.
"I was the last one to find out
that he was not going to honor
his agreement. I would like to
believe that it was not any
thing I did.”
Hollowell stated that he
was "not crying sour grapes"
and that he would continue to
serve his constituents and the
interests of the county.
Concerning the two-year
chairmanship, Commission
er Boswell said, "That was
my understanding." She
shrugged off the loss of the po
sition of vice-chairman
which she held for three
years. "I shall continue to
serve as a responsible board
member to represent all of the
Continued On Page 8
Store Suffers Surprise Entry
An accident late Saturday
night left the store window of
Parker-Evans Hardware
Store shattered and a pickup
truck partially inside.
Roy Randolph Gugin, 21, of
charged with DWI by Edenton
Police.
A police report indicated
that Gugin had been parked
on Broad St. in his truck at
about 11:30 p.m. when he
waved over to the curb some
girls passing in a car. There
were also some boys in the car
and a fight ensued between
them and Gugin.
When the altercation end
ed, Gugin reportedly drove off
and then stopped in front of
Tarkington’s, abruptly back
ed up, lost control of his ve
hicle, backed across the side
walk and into the store.
The hardware business
was in the process of moving
to a location next door, the
former Pope's discount store.
Business owner Wallace
Evans said that Edenton Con
struction Co. sent workmen
in the middle of the night to
board up the opening.
In the aftermath of the ac
cident, Evans wryly termed
his store a "drive-in."
Gugin was jailed and re
leased on bond. No other ar
rests were made in the inci
dent. Investigating officers
. m i i t:
are Patrolman Thomas
Palmer and Sgt. G.K. Bon
ner.
FOR A MERRIER CHRISTMAS-Postal employees Buddy
White (left) and Max Hale add the first presents under the tree
in the Post Office lobby Monday. Postal customers are being
encouraged to brings gifts for less fortunate children in the new
"Empty Stocking" program.
Postal Employees Collect
Toys For Less Fortunate
Edenton Postal employees
have adopted two families for
Christmas. "The employees
of this office wanted to get in
volved," Postmaster Steve
Bennett commented.
Chowan County Social
Services provided the family
names, ages and clothing
sizes. Employees will provide
clothing, food and toys for
these less fortunate families.
In addition, an "Empty
Stocking" program has begun
at the Post Office. The public
is invited to drop off toys for
children in the lobby.
Wrapped gifts for needy
children may be left under the
lobby Christmas tree. Un
wrapped toys may be left with
clerks at the windows or
brought to the postmaster's of
fice.
New or like-new toys only
are requested. "We're going
to be just like a Christmas
clearinghouse," Bennett said.
The idea came from the
"Toys for Tots” campaign of
the U.S. Marine Corps Re
serve. Since there is no Ma
rine unit in the local area,
postal officials decided to
have their own program so
that there will be fewer "empty
stockings" for county young
sters.
Donations will be accepted
until close of business Wed
nesday, Dec. 21.
The postmaster said that
cash or checks would also be
accepted as well as new chil
dren's clothing of various
sizes. Checks should be made
out to Chowan County Dept, of
Social Services.
I SWEAR--Chowan County Clerk of Court Margaret Hollowell administered the oath of office
to commissioners at their regular monthly meeting Monday night. Entering new terms are
(from left) Wayne Goodwin, Alton Elmore and James C. (Pete) Dail.
Center Nears Completion
By JACK GROVE
A unique visitor center, the
only one of its kind in the
United States, is nearing
completion in Camden Coun
ty. Regional planning for its
staffing and operation are
proceeding well also, officials
involved with the center said
Tuesday.
The center is located south
of the state line and will pro
vide information to visitors
on the area's historical sites
and recreation potential.
Its uniqueness stems from
the fact that it will serve boat
ing traffic on the Dismal
Swamp Canal as well as mo
torists entering the state on
U.S. 17.The welcome center
committee met at Boswell's
Restaurant for a noon busi
ness luncheon.
The new director of the
center, Penny Leary was in
troduced at the luncheon.
Ms. Leary is the Chairman
of Tourism for the Elizabeth
City Area Chamber of Com
merce, president of the Exec
utive Women's Network, a
member of the board of the
American Cancer Society, Al
bemarle Area Community
Concerts and Elizabeth City's
BPW. She is also a "Rose
Buddy," an organization that
greets boating visitors to the
city with flowers, friendship
and information.
Ground was broken late
last summer for the state
funded center building which
is now approximately 98 per
cent completed. An agree
ment between the state and
regional officials calls for the
first year operations and
staffing to be funded by area
counties and municipalities.
At the first meeting of the
welcome center committee
shortly after ground-break
ing, a funding formula was
agreed upon that calls for the
counties and municipalities
most directly benefitting from
the center to contribute the
most.
Mayor Bill Cox of Hertford
agreed to coordinate the fund
ing from the participating lo
cal governments. He said
Tuesday that he had received
commitments from 72 per cent
of the 23 towns and counties
involved as well as the Albe
marle Commission and
Northeastern North Carolina
Tomorrow.
He said that the original
budget target had been pared
down since the center will
only operate about nine
months during the first year.
It will open in the spring. The
budget total is $42,695 with
$15,000 being a one-time ex
penditure for such items as
office equipment and furni
ture and carpeting.
Cox was upbeat about re
ceiving the full funding from
the local governments. "No
one has turned us down. We
expect to have positive an
swers from 100 per cent of
them in January."
Don Flowers, Executive
Director of the Albemarle
Commission said at the
Continued On Page 8
New Road Signs Missing
Signs Vandalized
After spending much time
and effort in marking county
roads with signs for the bene
fit of the public, officials are
not happy to see vandalism
rear its ugly head.
County Water Supervisor
Graham Farless said that
since the new road signs were
installed four months ago, at
least nine have been stolen or
damaged. One instance was
on Shannon House Road were
a sign and pole were found
about 100 feet from where it
had been installed. One of the
two signs was missing. Sev
eral instances of sign van
dalism have also occurred in
the Riverton subdivision.
Farless said that at many
sites, poles are erected with
four sign blades. Replace
ment cost to the taxpayer is
$125 for the pole and blades.
Vandalism of this nature
is a misdemeanor under the
law and conviction carries up
to $200 in fines and or a 30 day
jail sentence.
The county is fighting back
with a $150 reward offer for
any information leading to
the arrest and conviction of
anyone tampering with
signs.
Farless said that missing
road signs should be reported
to the sheriffs dept, at 482
8485 or to the water dept at 482
7477.
He also said that if anyone
is holding any of the missing
signs, they may want to
anonymously leave them at
the county maintenance
building on Base Rd. behind
the Jaycee Building.
Man Shot
At Home
Edenton Police were called
to 1000 No. Oakum Street
early Saturday morning after
a man was shot during a do
mestic disturbance.
Capt. C.H. Williams said
that Edward Rankins, Jr., 38,
of the same address, was shot
in the hip with a .22 caliber
rifle. Williams indicated
that the wound was not seri
ous.
The incident occurred as
the result of an argument be
tween Rankins and Rosa Mae
Perry in an upstairs room.
One of Mrs. Perry's sons,
Haywood, reportedly went up
stairs to investigate and was
shoved by Rankins. He then
called to his brother, Regi
nald, who came up with the
rifle and shot Rankins.
Williams said that an in
vestigation is continuing and
charges are pending.
Investigating officers are
Sgt. G.K. Bonner and Pa
trolman W.D. Harris.