Mislocated Road
Planners in the state trans
portation department have re
cently been suggesting that it
may be necessary to enlarge
Interstate 85-40 from Greens
® boro to Durham to eight lanes
in order to handle the huge
volume of traffic this sector
now carries.
Originally they had been
talking about expanding the
road to six lanes, which is 50
per cent more than at present,
but are now convinced that
they were aiming too low. 1-85
and 1-40 converge in Greens
boro, funnelling traffic from
Charlotte and the southwest
and Winston-Salem and the
northwest into \he four lanes
to Durham. Just west of
Durham the two interstates
split, 1-40 going on to Raleigh
and the southeast and 1-85 go
ing on to Durham, Richmond
and the northeast.
It is a fact that traffic is
heavy at times between
Greensboro and Durham, on
some occasions almost bum
per-to-bumper. And that is a
condition state highway
people have been slow to rec
ognize. Had they been willing
to listen, the problem may
well have been solved 20 years
ago.
We recall a public hearing
in Salisbury in the mid-60s
when they were trying to de
cide where to locate 1-40, the
east-west interstate. Dr. Ed
ward McKenzie, spokesman
for the Mountains-to-the-Sea
^Highway Association, be
came engaged in a heated ex
change with Joe Hunt, Jr.,
then chairman of the old state
highway commission, who
lived in Greensboro.
Dr. McKenzie argued that
the new road, whichrhad al
ready been routed from
Asheville to Statesville, ought
to come on to Salisbury and
then "take off through open
country" toward Morehead
City, with feeders connecting
Greensboro, Raleigh and
other cities, including
Wilmington. He contended
right of way costs would be
less and construction
cheaper.
But Chairman Hunt, a for
mer speaker of the house, shut
him off like a freshman leg
islator, saying the "experts"
felt the road ought to go via
Winston-Salem, Greensboro,
Durham and Raleigh, which
is what eventually happened.
With the highway chair
man being from Greensboro,
1 it was probably a lost cause for
Dr. McKenzie from the be
ginning; but it now looks as if
he was right on target. Had
the new 1-40 followed his sug
gested route, adding four
more lanes to 1-85 from
Continued On Page 6
THE CHOWAN HERALD
Published In The Most Beautiful Little City On The North Carolina Coast
Volume LLV - No. 7
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, February 16,1989
Single Copies 25 Cents
Town Hall Open
For Business
When people have business
to conduct in person with the
Town of Edenton, they should
no longer think of the "Muni
cipal Building." Instead, they
will be doing business at the
"Town Hall."
Town offices were closed
Monday while employees
moved from the municipal
building into new offices at
the old Peoples Bank build
ing.
Tuesday morning, town
officials, employees and con
tractor personnel gathered in
front of the Town Hall for a
ribbon cutting and official
opening.
Visitors to the sparkling
new offices will see a lowered
ceiling, brass chandeliers,
new carpeting, drapes, a ser
vice desk and offices leading
off the service area.
At the beginning of reno
vations, the cost was estimat
ed at $125,000. In an interview
Tuesday, Town Manager
Anne-Marie Kelly said actu
al costs have amounted to
around $220,000. This does not
include needed work on the
exterior of the building.
She said that the planned
move of the police department
into the municipal building
will take place in eight to ten
weeks after minor renova
tions are completed. These in
clude partitioning, added
security measures and access
for the handicapped.
When the present police
building is vacated, "We
have been operating around
the premise that the recreation
department would move in
there.” She said that no reno
vations would be required and
that it would operate as a sat
ellite facility for uses such as
crafts and adult education.
Recreation offices would re
main at the old armory.
Some 30 applications have
been received by the town for
the position of police chief.
Ms. Kelly said that applicants
have been narrowed to ten and
that interviews will begin in
early March. "My goal is to
have the new chief sworn in
by early April,” she com
mented.
Applicants are currently
being interviewed for the va
cant position of building in
spector. There were some 15
applying for the job, five of
whom are still being consid
ered. "We expect to have the
new inspector on board by
early next month."
TOWN HALL OPENED-A bank building that stood empty and desolate for several years
was given a new lease on life when it was renovated for use as the the new Edenton Town Hall.
Town officials, employees and construction workmen gathered Tuesday at 8 a m for the
traditional ribbon cutting. Mayor John Dowd did the honors with the scissors.
EMS To Provide Information
Tornado Knowledge Urged
Tornadoes took a heavy toil
in lives, injuries and property
on March 28, 1984 as they
roared up from the South Car
olina line as far as Snug Har
bor in Perquimans County. A
woman was killed there. The
twisters killed 44 on that day.
On November 28 of last
year, severe property damage
was caused by a tornado that
Trash Recycling Envisioned
Edenton Town Council
moved their regular monthly
meeting to Monday night this
week to prevent a conflict with
the Tuesday evening perfor
mance of the N.C. Symphony.
Concerned about running
out of room at the landfill in
the not too distant future,
council has called for the es
tablishment of a trash recy
cling task force. The task
force would identify recycla
bles such as newspapers, a
luminum cans and glass
containers and seek markets
for them.
Town manager Anne
Marie Kelly has requested
interested citizens to volun
teer to serve in the effort, es
pecially those who have had
past experience in recycling.
The town and county have
already joined in an oil re
cycling plan to help clean up
the area. It has been noted that
many people who change their
car's motor oil, dump the used
oil along fence lines or in
ditches. This, in turn, can
leech into local waterways
during heavy rains.
Used oil containers will be
purchased jointly using state
grant funds, matched by local
money. Residents can then
bring used oil to tanks located
Death Ruled Suicide
The body of an Edenton
man was found in a car on a
dirt lane near Bennett's Mill
Pond last Thursday morn
ing.
Deputy Sheriff Greg White
hurst said that the call was
received at 7:15. He identified
the man as Eddie Wendell
Morris, 25, of Edenton Manor
Apartments.
The discovery was made by
relatives who had been look
ing for Morris.
Whitehurst said that Mor
ris apparently died from a
self-inflicted gunshot to the
head. A .38 caliber pistol was
found at the scene.
While the death was ruled
a suicide by Chowan County
Medical Examiner, Dr. L.E.
DeVine, an investigation is
continuing in an effort to de
termine the reason.
FAREWELL--Retiring Chowan County Magistrate Raymond A. Tarkington was honored at
a reception last week for his 21 years of service to the county. He is flanked here fay Magistrates
Carlton Jackson (left) and Wayne Rice. Joining in the farewell were the court clerk's office,
sheriffs dept., magistrates, Edenton Police Dept, community service coordinator and adult
probation-parole officer.
in the town and county.
The tanks will be supplied
by a Pennsylvania company
that will process the oil. There
will be no charge for the ser
vice and the local govern
ments will make no profit.
"The profit is a cleaner envi
ronment,” Ms. Kelly said.
The town tank will be lo
cated at the street department
building. The county's tank
will be placed at a service sta
tion at Small's Crossroads.
In response to concerns
about a spate of accidents at
the intersection of Albemarle
and Granville Streets, a Dept,
of Transportation traffic sur
vey was completed there last
month.
Neal Lassiter, division
traffic engineer, reported to
council that the survey results
justified a blinking caution
light at the intersection for
Continued On Page 6
Landmark
Gets Roof
A new roof will soon crown
the Cupola House on So. Broad
Street. Work is currently un
der way and is expected to be
completed early next month,
weather permitting.
Tidewater red cypress
shingles are being used in the
replacement with work being
done by Edenton Construction
Co. The Edenton Historic
Commission is overseeing the
job.
Cost of the roof has been set
at $20,500. The Cupola House
Association has provided
$5,000 of that amount. Another
$2,500 was donated by the
Edenton Woman's Club with
proceeds from their 1987 Bi
ennial Pilgrimage.
The general public is being
urged to help defray the cost by
purchasing a "square foot of
roof." For a donation of $15
per foot, the donor will receive
an attractive certificate, bor
dered in gold and bearing a
photo of the Cupola House. It
will recognize the donor
along with the number of feet
of roof "purchased."
Certificates are available
at the Barker House as well as
from members of the Edenton
Historic Commission and Cu
pola House Association.
ripped through west Raleigh.
Emergency Medical Ser
vices Coordinator Doug Belch
noted that Chowan County did
not get by unscathed. A tor
nado touched down at Nixon's
Beach, causing a loss of trees
and damage to two homes.
On November 28 of last
year, severe property damage
resulted from a tornado that
ripped through west Raleigh.
That was considered an "off
season" storm.
Gov. Jim Martin has des
ignated the week of Feb. 19-25
as Severe Weather Aware
ness Week in the state. Belch
said the week has been set
aside as a period in which
North Carolinians should
make a special effort to be
come familiar with tornado
safety measures.
He said, "I feel that it is a
good time to consider these
questions: What would I do if
a tornado threatened Chowan
County? Do you know where to
find the best shelter for your
self and your family?
The main focus of the week
will be a statewide tornado
drill on Wednesday, Feb.-22.
In the event of inclement
weather on that day, the drill
will be held on Friday, Feb.
24.
Belch said that local radio
stations will likely broadcast
drill warnings of severe
weather on Wednesday. He
urged local citizens to have
their radios on.
"We at Chowan Emergen
cy Management will be happy
to work with any person or
group that wants information
on tornadoes and how to sur
vive them. We are here to help
before a disaster strikes, as
well as after," Belch stated.
He said that brochures on
tornado safety are available
at his office at the Rescue
Squad building in Edenton.
Those that can't drop by his
office can call 482-4365 and a
brochure will be mailed to
them.
The brochures offer some of
the following information:
• Tornado Watch - Means
that conditions are favorable
for tornadoes to develop;
• Tornado Warning -
Means that a tornado has ac
tually been sighted;
• Best shelter in a building
is a basement under some
thing sturdy, like a work
bench. If there is no basement,
seek shelter in a small inte
rior room in the middle of the
building, like a closet or a
bathroom. Always stay away
from outside walls and win
dows;
• A mobile home is never
safe in a tornado. If you're in
a mobile home when a tornado
watch is announced, leave
and go immediately to a safe
structure or be prepared to take
cover in a low area, covering
your head and the back of your
neck;
• Opening windows to
equalize pressure during a
tornado is ineffective in re
ducing damage. Don't worry
about the windows: worry
about protecting yourself; and
• Don't try to outrun a tor
nado in a car. A tornado is
unpredictable. You cannot
know which way it’s going to
go or how fast. If you're in a
car and a tornado is near, get
away from the car and lie in a
ditch or low area, protecting
your head with your hands.
Building Plans Proceed
At its regular meeting this
month, the school board heard
updates on several important
initiatives that are in pro
gress which impact on student
health, the school building
plan and redistricting legis
lation.
An architect contracted by
the board has held a series of
meetings with faculties at
Chowan, Walker and John A.
Holmes to determine needs
during renovation and con
struction. This is the first
stage in the $7 million school
building plan approved by
voters in November.
Input from teachers and
administrators on position
ing and size of classrooms
and ancillary facilities was
collected and will be used in
producing first sketches. The
architect will return with the
sketches and again meet with
faculties and central office
staff before detailed archi
tectural plans are drawn.
Superintendent John Dunn
said that he hoped that final
blueprints would be ready in
July to begin the bid process
for contractors.
A redistricting plan for
school board elections, iden
tical to one drawn by the
County Board of Commission
ers, was sent to the General
Assembly's bill drafting sec
tion. The plan should ensure
minority representation on
both boards. The draft legis
lation was received from
Raleigh by the board for its
review.
An asbestos plan has been
initiated to detect and remove
any asbestos, a hazardous
material, from any of the
school buildings. A contract
ing firm from Pennsylvania
has been hired to investigate
suspicious areas and is cur
rently analyzing samples.
The board also heard an
audit report, a report on a be
fore and after school program
for students K-8 and consid
ered the annual leave policy
prior to adjournment.