THE CHOWAN HERALD
_ Published In The Most Beautiful Little City On The North Carolina Coast
Volume LUV-No. 48
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, December 15,1988
Single Copies 25 Cents
Not Really
A Response
An editor's note preceding a
letter from Alex Brock, di
rector, state board of elections,
which appeared in the Chowan
) Herald of December 1, de
scribed it as a response to
Gwen DeBerry Hendrix's
letter to the editor appearing
in the Chowan Herald
November 17.
Ms. Hendrix has called our
attention to the fact that she
wrote Mr. Brock a separate
letter from the one she wrote
I this newspaper. So Mr.
Brock's letter was strictly not
a response to her letter to the
editor; and we apologize for
that error.
The two letters, however,
were similar in content and it
was natural for us to assume
that Mr. Brock wanted his re
ply published. Our response,
I however, was to the criticism
aimed at the Chowan Herald
for not publishing a sample
ballot prior to the November 8
election. And we stand by
what we said in our pub
lisher's statement.
We have never liked lever
activated voting machines.
They are clumsy and some
i times confusing; and the ar
rangement of the ballot
makes it almost impossible to
run a readable sample for the
benefit of the voting public.
We much prefer the type,
which reads, tabulates and
files prihted" sfilT^af
lots on which the voter has in
dicated his preference by
simply filling out a small
rectangle opposite the name of
the candidate for whom he
wishes to vote. Samples of
these ballots can be printed in
readable type in less space
Continued On Page 8
Arson Investigation Underway
i
An arson investigation is
in progress in connection
with the total destruction of a
house at the Chowan Golf and
Country Club in the early
morning hours of Nov. 30.
The residence of the golf pro,
Jim Merritt, was totally en
gulfed in flames and the roof
had caved in by the time
Edenton firemen had reached
the scene. Merritt was in
Myrtle Beach, S.C. at the
time.
Fire Chief Lynn Perry said
that the rapid burning of the
house raised a suspicion of
arson. An inspection during
daylight hours seemed to con
firm this. "We were 99.9 per
cent sure that it had been set,"
Perry said.
The Chowan Sheriffs
Dept, was notified and a full
investigation was begun on
Dec. 2. Jerry Boyce, Fire
Marshal from Elizabeth City,
an arson expert, investigated
the scene and used a dog
trained to sniff out fuels often
associated with arson, such as
gasoline or kerosene.
Investigating officer, Dep.
Sheriff Greg Whitehurst said,
"The dog went crazy in one
part of the house." The den,
utility room and kitchen ar
eas are believed to be where
the fire was started. Investi
gators look for areas where
the deepest charring is indi
cated. This was found in the
den where the floor was com
pletely burned through.
The State Bureau of Inves
tigation joined the probe on
Dec. 5. "We've been at it ev
ery day this week," White
hurst commented Friday.
Several people have been in
terviewed by authorities but no
suspects have been identified
and no motive for the inten
tional blaze has yet been un
covered.
Special Agent Phil Brink
ley of the SBI from Green
ville, another arson expert,
collected samples from the
scene for analysis.
The two bedroom brick
house is owned by the country
club and was insured for
$70,000, according to Perry.
He said there was an addi
tional $15,000 of insurance on
personal items.
Ml
DESTROYED--The extent of the damage is apparent to the golf pro's residence at Chowan Golf
apd Country Club in a fire that occurred early on Nov. 30. The near side where the fire is
believed to have been set shows near total destruction.
Sanford Visits With Area Leaders
Ideas Solicited For Future Of Party
By JACK GROVE
The recent election defeats
by his party in the gubernato
rial race and the Presidential
campaign have prompted Sen.
Terry Sanford, D-N.C., to
take a‘ swing around the state
seeking input from local
Democrats on ways to win in
future campaigns.
Sporting a red, white and
blue enameled donkey in his
lapel he posed this question to
area Democratic leaders Fri
day afternoon at Edenton's
old courthouse. They were
also asked to indicate qual
ifications that a state party
chairperson and executive
director should have.
For the first time ever in
the state, a Republican had
been re-elected as governor.
And, for the first time this
century, a Republican has
been elected as lieutenant
governor.
Sanford began the meeting
by observing, "I would have to
say now that those campaigns
were not well run. By and
large we don't have a party
that's in disarray. We just got
bypassed."
He mentioned forms that
were made available to all of
those attending asking for
opinions on qualifications of
state party officials, asking
"Should the party chair be a
full-time job?” and soliciting
nominations for the positions.
Another form on the future
of the party asked: "What
should we be doing to help the
Democrats win nationally?;
What should we be doing to
win in North Carolina?; and
What should the Democratic
Party be doing to recruit new
Democrats?” Another ques
tion asked what the respon
dent saw as the major prob
lems of the state party today?
"I wanted to see this time
that everyone has a say," in
picking the state chairman.
"I have promised to read ev
ery one of those forms," said
the senator who is expected to
meet with a nominating com
mittee named by state party
chairman Jim Van Hecke to
recommend new party lead
ers.
Snooky Bond of Edenton
told the senator, "I've noticed
that we've lost the young votes
to the Republicans. We need to
get the teens involved in party
politics." Sanford responded,
"That’s been mentioned at
every meeting, to get the
Teen-Dems involved."
Edenton party activist
Nick George commented,
"We don't need anyone
telling us what to do on the
county and precinct level.”
Sanford, who ran a grass
roots campaign for his senate
seat and asked each county
chairman to co-chair his
campaign, said, ”1 certainly
agree. We need to run elec
tions from the county up."
State Rep. R.M. (Pete)
Thompson of Chowan ob
served, "We need to get rid of
those d— computers that say
80 per cent of the people in the
state like this or that." He
said that the party needed to
get back to the precinct level
and complained that state
candidates such as Tony
Rand and Lt. Gov. Bob Jordan
didn't identify with the pre
cinct level.
In response to a question
concerning the use of the "L
word," Sanford said, "I'm not
sure we can redeem the word
liberal. I don't know if we can
make a good word out of it.
We need to talk about pro
grams such as Social Secur
ity."
Newly elected Pasquotank
County Commissioner Zee
Lamb asked, "Did we have to
stay on the high road (in
campaign advertising) or can
we fight fire with fire?"
"Firemen normally fight
fires with water. But some
times they set back- fires,"
was the response. "I think it’s
not so much a matter of nega
tive ads as a smear,” con
cerning ads targeting Demo
crats. "Television now has
changed all the rules."
Lamb also declared, "We
are doing our job up here in
the northeast. People have
asked, 'What's wrong with
the Democratic Party?' There
is nothing wrong with the
Democratic Party."
The senator called the sys
tem of nominating Presiden
tial candidates a bad one, a
"hodge podge." "We had a
candidate that no one knew
anything about." And, "In the
state we did not run a very
good campaign. Part of it is,
we did not use the party."
Sanford accused the Rea
gan Administration of "de
ceit" and using "doctored fig
ures" to downplay the enor
mity of the national deficit.
"They claim the deficit's
being reduced. It's actually
going up, slightly.
"I know the senate is not
going to bail him out. He's
trapped now and he's going to
have to get out of it," referring
to deficit proposals such as
budget cutting or raising spe
cial taxes for deficit reduc
tion. "(President-elect) Bush
will have to propose a proper
solution.”
In a brief interview prior to
the meeting, the senator was
asked about legislation being
considered that would call for
new taxes earmarked specif
ically to reduce the deficit.
Beginning with "The
debt's been concealed," he
called for a federal operating
budget separate and distinct
from the Social Security Trust
Fund. "The debt and interest
accumulation is the prob
lem.
He said that the President
has two choices: "Let the debt
pile up where the public can
see it or reduce it" with taxes.
Of new taxes, "I'm not even
sure I'd vote for it. I'm not
proposing any taxes."
In another pre-meeting in
terview, Elizabeth City Mayor
and former state senator,
Melvin Daniels, said the state
Democratic Party must "In
volve the conservative wing of
the Democratic Party or close
the barn door. The real silent
wing is the conservative wing
of the party.”
Daniels said that Demo
crats must begin speaking out
for "God, country, flag, fam
ily and church." He said that
Democrats are "Shy on say
ing we should have a strong
Toys
Collected
Edenton Postmaster
Steve Bennett reported
yesterday that the first
annual "Empty Stocking"
campaign to provide toys
for less fortunate young
sters in Edenton and
Chowan County is going
nicely.
Some 20-25 new toys
have been brought by the
post office since the effort
started last week. He said,
however, "To help to make
this Christmas more en
joyable for needy children
of the town and county, we
can use many more do
nations."
Wrapped presents can
be left under the Christ
mas tree in the lobby and
unwrapped toys can be left
with clerks at the window.
Deadline for donations
of cash or toys is Wednes
day, Dec. 21.
national defense, on teaching
patriotism, and on religious
convictions."
"The next four years are
critical, critical years for my
party," declared Daniels.
INPUT--Sen. Terry Sanford (standing) was at Edenton's
old courthouse Friday afternoon to receive input from area
Democrats concerning the recent state and Presidential
election losses and to get their thinking on the naming of new
state party leaders.
Businessman Dies
Edenton businessman
Marvin Ray Shaw, 50, of 205
Robin Lane, Edenton, died
Wednesday, December 7 in
Sentara Norfolk General
Hospital following a brief ill
ness.
A native and lifelong resi
dent of Edenton, he was the
son of the late George and
Elsie Bunch Shaw. He had
served as plant manager at
Fisher Nut since it opened its
Edenton plant 14 years ago.
Shaw was a member of St.
Anne's Catholic Church
where he was an extraordi
nary minister and a former
member of the Parish Coun
cil.
Marvin R. Shaw
He was involved in a
number of civic organiza
tions. Shaw was a member of
the Edenton Airport Advisory
Board, the Chowan-Edenton
Optimist Club, and the Amer
ican Heart Association. He
was a former director of the
Edenton-Chowan Chamber of
Commerce and a former
Jaycee.
In addition, he was a
member of the North Carolina
- Virginia Peanut Associa
tion and a military veteran
who had served in the Air
Force.
Shaw was also a member of
the Edenton-Chowan Band
Parents Association. For the
past 13 years, he had worked
with the organization to help
promote the annual Peanut
Festival. Each year, he had
presented trophies donated by
Fisher Nut to the winners in
the Battle of the Bands compe*
tition.
In addition to his wife,
Linda Ellis Shaw, he is sur
vived by two daughters, Lisa
Dianne Shaw and Melissa
Shaw, both of Edenton.
A funeral mass was cele
brated Saturday, December 10
at 10 a.m. in St. Anne's
Catholic Church by Father
William Pitts and Father
Joseph Gaul. Rev. Larry
Parks, Shaw's nephew, spoke
on behalf of the family.
Burial followed in Beaver
Hill Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Larry
Spivey, Jim Darnell, Elliott
Atstupenas, David Parks,
Jerry Parks, Bill Barnacas
cel, Roger Schrankler and
David White.
Memorial donations may
be made to the American
Heart Association.
Swindell Funeral Home of
Hertford was in charge of ar
rangements.
Town Presented Check
Paul Waff of Waff Con
tracting, Inc. presented the
Town of Edenton with a check
for $13,778 at the monthly
council meeting Tuesday
night.
The check represented a
refund on a contract with the
town to install steel bulk
heading and a cap around the
new park on Edenton Bay.
The check also constituted a
donation toward the park.
Waff said Wednesday that
to side-step the red tape in
asking for a federal match
ing grant to fund the park, the
volunteer Build the Park com
mittee did the work along with
work donated by Edenton
Construction Co. He said that
his company wanted to do its
part through the donation. He
said also that the town's por
tion of a matching grant
would have been too costly.
The Waffs have a special
interest in the park since it
has been built on the former
Conger Oil Co. property. His
family owned a fishery and
canning business next door to
Conger that was operated by
the Waff brothers from 1952
until the early 1960's.
Former Edenton Police
Chief John Parrish was hon
ored for his many years of
service to the town when he
was presented a framed coun
cil resolution of appreciation.
A cake, specially decorated
for the occasion, was served
along with coffee during a
break in the meeting.
Council whisked through a
routine agenda before going
Continued On Page 8