THE CHOWAN HERALD
Published In The Most Beautiful Little City On The North Carolina Coast.
Volume LLV - No. 26
Edenton, North Carolina, Thursday, June 29,1989
Single Copies 25 Cents
On Bridge
Dedication
We join in the general ap
plause along the Public Pa
rade and elsewhere at the
completion and formal open
9 ing of the Albemarle Sound
bridge - a modern high-rise
structure linking communi
ties north and south of the
sound and, by extension, fur
ther east and west.
In a way, we are fortunate
the replacement of the old
bridge came when it did. If it
had come after the adoption of
9 the state's massive $8.6 bil
lion road program now work
■ ing its way through the Gen
eral Assembly, it would have
been difficult to justify.
Times have changed great
ly since the old bridge was
thrown across the sound back
in 1938. Then it was one of the
principal links between the
Atlantic coast and the rest of
North Carolina.
Travelers from the west
going to the beach around
Nags Head or to the Lost
Colony at Manteo had, if go
ing by land, only two choices.
They could go through Eden
ton and over the Albemarle
, Sound bridge to Manteo via
1 ferry over Croatan sound. Or
they could veer north at
Edenton and cross to the Outer
Banks via a much shorter
bridge over Currituck sound
at Point Harbor.
This made Edenton, -in ef
fect, a hub city for travel to the
state's northern beaches. But
Q this began to change when
Terry Sanford built a bridge
over the Roanoke river just
north of Plymouth, thus open
ing up territory west of the
Chowan river to a more direct
route to the beach via US 64.
And now, with the new $8.6
billion highway program
calling for two four-lane
^highways into Whalebone, the
traffic picture will change
radically for this area. The
plans call for four-laning US
64 from Lexington through
Manteo to Whalebone on the
beach and NC 158 from Win
ston-Salem to Whalebone via
a high rise bridge over Cur
rituck sound.
V With such a system in
place, the demand for a bridge
Continued On Page 8
Albemarle Sound Bridge Dedication Held
By MARGUERITE MCCALL
and JACK GROVE
Governor James G. Mar
tin, Transportation Secretary
James Harrington and other
state dignitaries along with
local officials from across the
Albemarle area attended
Monday's Dedication Cere
mony for the new Albemarle
Sound Bridge.
Acting as master of cere
monies, Harrington told a
crowd of between 200 and 300,
"This is a rare and wonderful
occasion." He said that it was
rare because it was "started
and finished in one admin
istration." Looking around
him on the speaker's rostrum
he said, "As this great bridge
unites Chowan and Washing
ton Counties, I want to wel
come officials from those
counties."
Providing the official wel
come, Chowan Commission
Board Chairman Alton El
more observed with a smile,
"There's perhaps not 15,000
here," for the opening as was
reported to have been at the old
bridge's opening in 1938. He
commented that it was the
longest bridge in the state
"and perhaps the largest con
tract let by the Dept, of Trans
portation." Gov. Martin con
firmed both statistics later
during his remarks.
C.W. Stokes, Commission
Board Chairman of Wash
ington County presented
greetings and said, "We are
pleased as I think people of
other areas are pleased with
the new bridge.”
He told the audience that on
the old-bridge, 18 wheelers
made a practice of straddling
the yellow line, forcing on
coming cars "to try to reduce
their width." He expressed
pleasure with the wider new
bridge.
Upon receiving standing
applause when introduced,
Governor Martin, in shirt
sleeves, commented wryly,
"Thank you for the warmest
welcome that I've ever re
ceived in Chowan County or
northeastern North Car
olina."
The governor pointed to the
importance of the highway
link across the sound, partic
ularly in light of the demol
ished rail link over the water.
He pointed out that logs from
the north shore were trans
ported by truck to the pulp mill
on the south side. As he spoke,
a log truck rumbled past
across the new bridge.
He mentioned construction
of other bridges and roads in
the northeast, a total of $130
million in projects. He told
the crowd that another $80
million was in the Transpor
tation Improvement Plan for
this area.
Using this stepping stone,
Governor Martin made a spe
cial plea for the $8.6 billion
intrastate roads bill currently
in the General Assembly. The
bill was passed in its entirety
by the House of Representa
tives but has been altered in
the Senate. The Senate pro
poses to transfer some of the
road user tax funding of the
bill to finance state salary
increases.
He said that "a lot of help is
needed" to get the legislature
to pass the highway trust fund
bill in its original form. He
outlined-the benefits of the bill
to this area in widened roads
and paved secondary roads.
"We've come a long way in
July 4th Celebrated
Closings Planned
The Fourth of July falls on
Tuesday this year which pre
cludes a long holiday week
end for many.
All of the following will be
closed Tuesday but open for
business as usual on Monday:
banks, town and county off
ices, Chowan Senior Center,
Clerk of Court and Register of
Deeds offices and Shepard
Pruden Library. Local busi
nesses will have varied clos
ings.
' The Chowan Herald will be
open for business as usual on
Tuesday.
The schedule for town trash
pickups is:
July 3 - East Side
July 4 - No pickup
July 5 - West Side
July 6 - East Side
July 7 - West Side
The staff of The Chowan
Herald would like to take this
opportunity to wish our read
ers a safe and happy Fourth of
July.
these 51 years," since opening
of the original bridge. Now,
"we're in danger of losing
these highway needs."
With this district's leg
islative delegation seated be
hind him, the governor urged
his listeners to contact area
Continued On Page 8
RIBBON CUT (IN MANY FJLECES)--DOT Secretary James Harrington, (left) Gov. James G.
Martin and Phillip McMullen join children from Chowan and Washington Counties at the new
Albemarle Sound Bridge ribbon-cutting Monday morning. Chowan children were Matthew
Bunch, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bunch; Gerri Lynn Cole, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph
Cole; Kert Layton, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kermit Layton; and Tamara Little, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Thurlis Little. Washington children were William Morgan, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Reginald Morgan; Taylor Pruden, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Pruden; Karen Wilson, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Wilson; and Jenise Sawyer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Sawyer.
Police Dept. Relocates
The Edenton Police De
partment has moved into new
quarters at the former town
municipal building. The
move began Friday morning
and was completed Monday
afternoon. The department
began working out of its new
quarters over the weekend,
however.
Police Chief C.H. Will
iams expressed his satisfac
tion with the change. He said
that while the floor area was
about the same, there was
more office space. "It's ar
ranged a lot better and a lot
nicer."
Renovations to the former
town offices included a secu
rity partition, safety locks on
doors, an added bathroom and
fresh paint in the some of the
rooms.
Williams is occupying the
former office of the town man
ager, Officer Brenda Toppin
has the former office of the fi
nance director and sergeants
occupy desks in the larger off
ice area downstairs.
Upstairs are desks for offi
cers in one room while an
other, larger, room will be
Storm Contributes To Head-On Collision
A driving rain during a
late afternoon thunderstorm
0 contributed to a head-on colli
sion of two vehicles on N.C. 32
south Saturday. Six people
were injured, although none
seriously.
The accident which occurr
ed at 3:45 p.m. was on a curve
near the Pelikan manufac
turing plant.
0 A report filed by N.C.
Highway Patrol Trooper Y.Z.
Newberry said that a 1979
Ford driven by Thomas Pate,
17, of 105 S. Oakum Street,
was traveling north at the
time. He lost control of his car
in the curve, swerved onto the
east shoulder of the road and
back across into the south
bound lane striking a 1984
Ford station wagon driven by
Josephine Cahoon, 56, of Rt 4,
Edenton.
Another car, not listed on
the accident report, went over
a road bank and onto the lawn
in front of Pelikan. The driv
said that he
venport,
passengers, Kinzie Cahoon,
65, Mary Smithey, 21, Wal
lace Miller, 36 and Milburn
Miller, 9, were treated and re
leased at Chowan Hospital.
A witness, Dail Dekker, 18,
of Virginia Beach, was about
500 yards from the scene and
heard the accident. He said
that the rain was so heavy he
could not see the vehicles. He
was standing on his grand
mother's porch at Strawberry
Hill at the time.
Continued On Page 8
I
.... . V l
a*™**,- J,yi‘n Whitehurst applies first aid to Thomas Pate who received
a cut on his forehead when his car struck a southbound station wagon head-on Saturday oflKN.C.
32 South. A total Of six people were hurt in the collision, none seriously.
used for a conference area.
The mayor's former office
is now vacant but will be uti
lized by a captain when one is
appointed. Chief Williams
could not ^ay this week when
the selection process for that
position will be completed.
A breathalyzer room is lo
cated in the former office of
the building inspector.
"Right here in this spot,
where this building is now, is
where I started with the police
department in 1961," he com
mented. He said that building
was torn down to make way
for the present building.
The department is now lo
cated right next to the 911
communications center. Ask
ed if that made a difference,
he said, "It helps a great deal.
It’s a lot more convenient."
He said the close proximity
aided in getting reports and
in quick access to the police
information network termi
nal located in the center.
The department's nine pat
rol cars will be parked direct
ly behind the building.
Williams said that the
designated public access to the
department is through the
.front door of the building. Ac
cess will not be given through
the 911 area.
Man Arrested For
9mm Pistol Theft
A gun stolen from Bert's
Gun Shop at Edenton Hard
ware has been recovered by
Edenton Police and the alleg
ed thief arrested.
A police report indicates
that five black males went to
the store between 4:30 and 5
p.m. on Monday, June 19 and
asked to look at several guns.
While four of them continued
to look, the fifth is alleged to
have slipped out of the store
with the pistol while shop
owner Bert Bicknell waited
on another customer. The
group remained at the store
for a few minutes and then
left. The reports indicates that
the other man was picked up
by the group at the Food Lion
store.
Lessel Bond, 18, of 22
Chowan Court Apartments,
was arrested for the theft.
He was released from custody
under a $2,000 secured bond.
The stolen weapon, a Smith
and Wesson 9mm semi-auto
matic, fourteen shot pistol,
valued at $526.50, was turned
in to police later that night by
a resident at Edenton Manor
Apartments.
Aiding in the quick reso
lution of the theft was the li
cense number of the group's
vehicle taken by Tom Dail,
co-owner of Edenton Hard
ware.
Filings To Open July 7
The Chowan County Board
of Elections has announced
that filings will begin for the
November 7 municipal elec
tions at noon on July 7. Can
didates may file for offices
until noon on August 4.
The notice of candidacy
must be signed in the presence
of the chairman or secretary
of the board of elections or the
supervisor of elections of the
county or anyone authorized
to take acknowledgments who
must certify the notice under
seal. The acknowledgment,
properly certified, may be
mailed to the board of elec
tions.
Of the filing fee, Beverly
Schroeder, supervisor of elec
tions said Wednesday, "It's
been $5 in the past."
Town council seats up for
grabs in November are the
third ward (Allen B. Har
less); fourth ward (Willis M.
Privott); and at-large (E.N.
(Pete) Manning).
Only one of the three in
cumbents, Privott, is expected
to run for reelection. While
Harless was not available for
comment Wednesday, he has
been heard to say that he will
not run again. Manning said
this week, "At the present, I'm
not planning on seeking re
election."
Voter registration for the
fall elections is open until Oc
tober 9.