Reviewing Some Of The Events That Shaped The Community In 1991
By MARGUERITE MCCALL
* For the third consecutive
year, the Little Rascals Day
Care case consistently domi
nated local news in 1991.
Dates to begin the trial of
Robert F. Kelly Jr., the first
defendant to be tried, were
scheduled and re-scheduled
until late July when the trial,
ordered by the court to be held
in Farmville, N.C., started.
The prosecution rested its
case in December. Defense
lawyers will present their
side when the trial resumes
on Monday, January 6.
Meanwhile, in May, Front
line, a PBS TV program, air
ed a documentary on the case
that generated nationwide
controversy.
Elizabeth T. Kelly, another
defendant in the case, was re
leased from Central Prison in
Raleigh in October when the
court reduced her bond.
A sampling of other sig
nificant news that occurred
during 1991 follows:
January - The Persian
Gulf crisis in the Middle East
took precedence over all news
for several months. Concern
of families having loved ones
serving in "Operation Desert
Storm" was revealed in news
articles. Lists of military per
sonnel with local connections
were also published.
Dignitaries attended and
helped break ground at the
Ziegler House, site of the new
Edenton Visitors Center.
February - Patti Williams,
director of Chowan County
Social Services, resigned.
Former director Hazel Elliott
agreed to serve as interim
until a new director could be
hired.
The Chowan County Veter
ans Memorial Committee ini
tiated a campaign to raise
# funds to build a memorial to
past and present veterans of
Edenton and Chowan County.
*
A Town Hall Meeting, the
first to be held in many years,
gave citizens the opportunity
to address subjects of concern.
Edenton-Chowan Schools
outlined a plan between the
school system and the Town of
Edenton to accommodate
wastewater from Chowan
Middle School and White Oak
School.
Black History Month was
celebrated at the Shepard
Pruden Memorial Public Li
brary with a program geared
to creating public awareness
of Black contributions to local
and national society.
March - Northeastern
North Carolina political lea
ders appeared before the state
legislative redistricting com
mittee to discuss matters re
garding the federal mandate
for the state to redefine its
Congressional and legisla
tive districts.
Chowan Hospital Admin
istrator Barbara Cale was
named the BPW "Woman of
the Year."
Chowan County Manager
Cliff Copeland and state Rep.
R.M. "Pete" Thompson, D
Chowan, moved into new of
fices, the renovated jailer's
residence behind the old
courthouse.
April - Mayor John Dowd
announced he would not seek
reelection in the forthcoming
mayoral race.
The state proposed a $169
million cut to N.C. schools,
resulting in a $422,500 ex
pected loss to local schools.
The Edenton Woman's
Club sponsored the 21st Bien
nial Pilgrimage held in
Edenton and Chowan County.
Many members of the com
munity pitched in to help
Mary Creecy, 77, victim of a
fire which destroyed her
home, to secure a new home.
May - Adhering to the re
quirement for five-year up
Suspects Apprehended
Continued From Page 1-A
breaking, entering and lar
^ceny.
According to Spruill, a
shotgun, a rifle and costume
jewelry were stolen. He said
the shotgun has been recov
ered.
Lee said he has since in
stalled iron bars across the
door and windows of his busi
0 ness. He said he also has a
person staying all night in the
store two nights a week.
George S. Anders of Rt. 2
(Shannonhouse Rd.), Eden
ton, reported the larceny of an
automobile and a 22 caliber
rifle on Monday, December
23.
0} On the same day, Frank
Miller of Rt 2 (Shannonhouse
Rd.), Edenton,. reported the
theft of a Gerrelli Moped.
A suspect, Michael Anders
of Rt. 4, Edenton, was arrested
on several traffic charges and
two charges of larceny, after
leading officers of the Per
quimans County Sheriffs De
partment and the Hertford
Police Department in a chase
following a robbery at Hard
ees in Hertford.
Spruill said Chowan offi
cers went to Hertford where
Anders assisted them in the
recovery of the moped and ri
fle.
Anders is in Albemarle
District Jail under a $6,700
bond.
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AUCTION CALENDAR
• JANUARY 4,1992 - WINSLOW AUCTION BARN - Edenton, NC
Antiques - Furniture - Bric-a-Brac
• JANUARY 11,1992 - WHITEHURST FARM SALE - Gates Co., NC
Massey Ferguson Tractors - Farm Equipment
• JANUARY 18,1992 - WINSLOW AUCTION BARN - Edenton, NC
Antiques • Furniture • Bric-a-Brac
• JANUARY 25,1992 - BLANCHARD ESTATE (Deceased)
Highway 32 Between Sunbury and Smalls X Roads
Farm Equipment - Antiques
• FEBRUARY 1,1992 - WINSLOW AUCTION BARN - Edenton, NC
Antiques - Furniture - Bric-a-Brac
• FEBRUARY 8,1992 - LOWRY ESTATE (Deceased) - Weeksvllle, NC
Farm Machinery - Cabbage Equipment
• FEBRUARY 15,1992 - WINSLOW AUCTION BARN • Edenton, NC
Antiques - Furniture • Bric-a-Brac
• FEBRUARY 29,1992 • FARM CONSIGNMENT SALE
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dates, the Town Planning
Board outlined plans for
Edenton's future, which in
cluded a greenway/greenbelt
around the town.
Owners of the "Albemarle
Flyer,” a passenger train,
hosted a railway trip for area
dignitaries from Elizabeth
City to Edenton to promote
weekend excursion trips be
tween the two towns.
Phase I renovation was
completed on the 1767 Chowan
County Courthouse.
Superintendent of Edenton
Chowan Schools John Dunn
discussed the near completion
of four major school system
projects.
In lieu of a tax increase,
Chowan Commissioners as
sessed a landfill user fee of
$25 per household. The fee is
collected by its addition to
monthly water bills.
June - The Chowan County
Board of Social Services se
lected W.B. "Ben” Rose as the
department's new director.
An antique car show was a
hit at the annual Waters Day
Celebration.
Area legislators voiced
disapproval with the 1st Con
gressional District plan.
Chowan County Commis
sioners approved the county's
FY 1992 budget without in
creasing taxes.
July - A delegation of town
and county officials toured the
USS Nassau during the ship's
stopover in Norfolk, VA.
The Chowan County Sher
iff s Department and State
Bureau of Investigation con
fiscated over 200 marijuana
plants in a flyover of Chowan
County.
Candidates began filing to
run for office in the November
Municipal Elections.
August - Local school
openings were delayed a week
because of incomplete air con
ditioning installation.
For the first time in eleven
years, the- county increased
water rates.
More candidates filed for
the municipal offices of may
or and town councilmen.
Heavy summer rains
caused flooding in sections of
Edenton and in sections of the
county.
The science of dendro
chronology was applied at the
Cupola House and the old
courthouse to determine ap
proximate ages of the build
ings.
Morgan Park residents
met with Edenton Police De
partment officers to discuss a
series of break-ins in their
neighborhood.
September - Dr. Jerry
Downum, local optometrist,
filled the commissioner seat
vacated when Alton G. El
more resigned to run for
New Officers
Continued From Page 1-A
week-old son, Caleb. They
live in Rocky Hock.
"I've always thought a lot
of Edenton," Boyce said, "the
fact it is sitting on the sound
and has all these historical
houses.”
He said he was "pretty im
pressed" with the cooperation
between the various law en
forcement agencies here.
"I have ridden with law
enforcement officers in other
areas," he said. "Believe me,
you don't find the same coop
eration you see displayed in
Edenton."
Mejorado said when he was
stationed at Cherry Point and
Camp Lejeune, he found local
law enforcement worked well
with the Military Police.
"Just the same as here," he
said.
Chief Williams said in
cluding Boyce, Mejorado and
one more new officer, Kevin
Jones, a veteran of five years
with the Greenville Police
Department who will be start
ing work Monday, his staff is
now back to a full complement
of seventeen sworn officers
and two office staff members.
"We feel like the new men
will be a real asset to the
department,” he said. "We're
mayor of Edenton.
A fundraising (ongoing)
got underway to buy bullet
proof vests for each Edenton
Police Department officer.
Joe Lee (Fourth Ward) and
Jerry Parks (Councilman-At
Large) were appointed to fill
the town council seats vacated
by Roy Harrell and Willis
Privott, both of whom resigned
to run for mayor of Edenton.
The new athletic complex
at John A. Holmes High
School was completed and
used for the first time.
October - Town, county and
chamber officials revealed
that negotiations were in
progress to locate a new busi
ness, BMI Wood Products, in
the county.
The annual Peanut Festi
val took place.
Chowan Hospital was se
lected to receive an Essential
Access Community Hospital
(EACH) grant.
County commissioners ap
proved placing a mixed drink
referendum on the (prefer
ably) May 5, 1992 election bal
lot.
Chad Perry, Phil Evans
and Bill Potts informed the
town council the Civil War
cannon the "Edenton" had
been located at Shiloh Nation
al Battleground in Tennes
see.
Six shot houses were raided
by local law enforcement
agencies.
November - Roy L. Harrell
defeated Elmore, Privott and
Robert Rossman to win the
mayor's race. Livingstone T.
Goodman Jr., incumbent Sec
ond Ward councilman, de
feated challenger Donald La
tham.
Harrell was charged by
Rossman and Rossman's
campaign manager, Mark
Brickhouse, with "vote-buy
ing" and with violating the
election poll off-limits area to
candidates. A local election
board hearing cleared Har
rell of the alleged charges.
The Chowan County Veter
ans Memorial was dedicated.
A school bus overturned on
E. Queen St. after being hit by
a car driven by Ruth S.
Adams of Merry Hill, who
was traveling north on Court
St. No serious injuries were
sustained.
December - The State Board
of Elections upheld the local
board's decision in dismiss
ing complaints against Har
rell made to their offices in a
follow-up appeal by Rossman
and Brickhouse.
U.S. Senator Terry San
ford met with local residents
in a "citizens conference.”
The Chamber of Commerce
sponsored Christmas Parade
drew the largest crowd in re
cent years.
Historic Edenton sold the
most tickets for The Christ
mas Candlelight Tour since
the event's beginning in the
early 1980s.
A crackdown on drug
dealers by the Chowan-Eden
ton Narcotics Task Force re
sulted in several arrests and
the confiscation of drugs,
money and automobiles.
Local officials announced
BMI Wood Products, which
hopes to eventually employ
about 180 people, will locate in
Chowan County in the old
Bayliner Marine Corporation
building.
Chowan County Clerk of
Superior Court Marjorie Hol
lowell administered the oath
of office to Mayor Roy Har
rell.
PROUD DADDY — Former Mayor John Dowd received as
sistance from his four-year-old daughter, Mary Catherine, as
he presided at his last Town Council meeting as mayor Mon
day evening, December 23. The young lady banged the gavel
on the council desk to open the proceedings. (Staff photo by
Marguerite McCall.)
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