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Volume LVm - No. 1
Published In The Most Beautiful Little City On The North Carolina Coast
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EDENTON, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 1993
, Hospital To Submit 'CON' For Rehab Beds
By MARGUERITE MCCALL
By January 15, Chowan
Hospital plans to submit a
"Certificate of Need" (CON)
application to the state for 29
rehabilitation beds.
The facility will request it
,/y> be allowed to fulfill the need
in northeastern North Car
olina for such a unit.
Pitt Memorial Hospital in
Greenville initiated the idea
for this new service, Chowan
Hospital Administrator Bar
t bara Cale said Monday.
"I see this as a real need for
*y this part of the state," she said.
"We have had to refer patients
with this need to Virginia be
cause Pitt has been to full to
take them."
She said she anticipated the
Chowan Rehab Center focus
ing mainly on stroke and or
thopedic patients.
V The center, which would be
constructed as a second floor
above the existing one-story
skilled care unit, would cost
approximately $3 million.
The funds would be borrowed
from a bank at around 5 1/2
percent interest with a
$250,000 a year pay back for
^ 20-years.
Mrs. Cale explained that
each year the State Medical
Facilities Plan indicates the
medical needs for North Car
olina. She said once the needs
are established, hospitals can
apply to the Division of Facil
ity Services of the Department
fof Human Resources to fulfill
that need.
"They will analyze what
we say we are capable of do
ing," Mrs. Cale said, "and
determine if we will be
awarded the beds. At that
point, we can proceed with de
sign and construction."
Currently, there are no re
habilitation beds between
Greenville and Norfolk, Vir
ginia, she said.
She said Pitt Memorial
will help Chowan Hospital to
recruit professional staffing
such as therapists specializ
ing in speech, physical and
occupational therapy.
"This is not a new con
cept," Mrs. Cale said. "Pitt
has supported other hospitals
with rehab units. I think this
is real important, because we
can draw resources from Pitt
to enhance our program. Pitt
has already been very helpful
to us as we have required con
sultation and assistance."
Mrs. Cale said Chowan's
medical staff endorsed the
project 100 percent. She also
said overwhelming support
has been received through
letters from hospitals, social
services departments and
nursing homes in the 29
county, District 6 Health Ser
vice Area (HSA IV).
Besides Pitt Memorial, the
only hospitals in HSA IV with
rehab units are Heritage
Hospital in Edgecombe Coun
ty and Lenoir Memorial Hos
pital in Lenoir County.
Mrs. Cale said the only
other hospital she is aware of
competing for the awarding of
the beds is the Wayne County
Hospital.
If awarded the beds, Cho
wan Hospital wbuld have the
option to withdraw up until
actual construction began on
the project.
"If we’re fortunate enough
to get an orthopedic surgeon to
locate here," Mrs. Cale said,
"it would greatly enhance the
program."
She said it would probably
be July before an answer is
received on the CON applica
tion.
Monday's announcement
was contingent upon approval
of support by the Chowan
County Board of Commis
sioners. The approval was
given at the board's regular
meeting Monday morning.
(See related article.)
OATH TO ADMINISTER JUSTICE -- Wayne Rice (left) and Carlton Jackson (right) pledge to
* uphold the Office of Magistrate during a swearing-in ceremony Thursday conducted by Chowan
^County Clerk of Superior Court Marjorie Hollowell (not shown). The occasion, which took place
in the courtroom of the Chowan County Courthouse, was attended by a large number of law en
forcement officers and by family and friends of the two men. Following the ceremony, a recep
tion in their honor was held in the Clerk's Office. (Staff photo by Marguerite McCall.)
Relocation May Result In Jobs
By REBECCA BUNCH
The closing of an Indiana
plant this spring may result
in more jobs for Chowan
County residents.
Pelikan announced Mon
day that it will close its Shel
byville, Indiana facility in
early April and will move the
production equipment housed
fll there to its factory in Edenton.
In announcing the deci
sion, John Washburn, vice
president of manufacturing,
cited the lack of expansion
capability as the primary
reason for the planned relo
4- _
cation. "We (have decided
on) closing...because we can
not expand the facility in (its)
current location..'.the 100,000
square foot facility is poorly
designed." The site formerly
housed a roller rink.
That left the company with
the choice of looking for a new
site in Indiana to rebuild or
utilizing part of its existing
facilities elsewhere. Rather
than building a new plant
there, the company made the
decision to move production to
Edenton.
Washburn said he expected
that a small amount of equip
ment at the Edenton plant
might be removed and taken
to the company's headquar
ters and principal factory in
Nashville, Tennessee, in or
der to make room for the
equipment from the Anthes
plant in Indiana.
He said the move might
also result in a limited ex
pansion of the Edenton plant,
so that a little more ware
housing space could be added.
Washburn said that the
Shelbyville plant currently
Continued On Page 7-A
SBI Makes One Arrest
Following Investigation
By MARGUERITE MCCALL
The SBI revealed Tuesday
Joanne Jones of Greenville, a
member of the Albemarle Re
gional Drug Task Force, has
been arrested and charged
with two separate counts each
of altering or destroying evi
dence.
SBI Agent Bill Godley em
phasized his agency began the
investigation on Jones at the
request of the Task Force.
"They asked us on Decem
ber 1 to assist them by looking
into discrepancies and im
proper actions involving Ms.
Jones," he said. "Four agents
began the investigation im
mediately and arrested Ms.
Jones the same day.”
Godley said all findings in
the case have been submitted
to District Attorney H.P.
Williams, First District pros
ecutor. He said additional
charges may be forthcoming.
"No one else was investi
gated," Godley said, "nor are
there any suspicions of any
one else having any in
volvement.
"The Task Force is a good
one," he said, "and is made
up of qualified, dedicated
officers putting their lives on
the line to try and curtail the
drug problem."
Chowan County Sheriff
Fred Spruill said Tuesday,
"We had a problem. We in
vestigated Jones, charged her,
fired her and put her in jail
just like anyone else who
commits a crime.
"While things like this
happen from time to time,"
Spruill said, "we'll put it be
hind us and continue with the
good work the Task Force has
been doing."
Godley expressed almost
identical sentiments. He said
Jones is in jail pending trial
in Chowan County.
UNCOVERING THE PAST - Don Jordan of Edenton re
moves flooring in the Old Chowan County Courthouse to reveal
original stone paving beneath. The work is being carried out
under the supervision of the N.C. Division of Archives and
History and Colonial Williamsburg authorities, who will also
conduct a study on this phase of the courthouse's revelations. An
octagonal base supporting the column can be seen to the left of
Jordan's hand. A section of the floor will remain uncovered for
public interest and viewing. (Staff photo by Marguerite McCall.)
New System To Help 911
Maps Used To Explain Street Addresses
By MARGUERITE MCCALL
Gail Forehand, Chowan
land records manager, exhi
bited maps to explain street
addressing to county commis
sioners at their regular meet
ing Monday.
She said a base map devel
oped by a Raleigh firm uses
Highway 32 as a dividing
line in Chowan, with every
half-mile representing a
block. When completed, a
computerized list will be sent
to electric and telephone com
panies and to all major busi
nesses, she said.
Work on the project has
been taking place over the past
two years, Mrs. Forehand
said. She said the beach areas
of the county have already
been numbered.
County Manager Cliff
Copeland said house numbers
on county residences must be
in place to implement "En
hanced 911." He said plans
are to have the updated system
in place by the fall of 1993.
The board approved award
ing the contract to Westing
house Landmark Engineer
ing to prepare the contractural
work, which is expected to
take six to eight months. The
numbering system will cor
respond to that used in the
Town of Edenton.
Commissioner Wayne
Goodwin commended Mrs.
Forehand and 911 Director
Lewis White for the work they
have done on the project.
Continued On Page 7-A
Employee Of The Quarter Named
By MARGUERITE MCCALL
Darlene Carter, account
ing clerk with the Town of
Edenton, has been selected as
the Town's "Employee of the
Quarter."
Town Manager Anne
Marie Kelly said Thursday,
"We're really excited Dar
lene was selected. That she
was nominated by someone in
another department speaks
well for the fine work she
does."
Ms. Kelly said another
reason Mrs. Carter was cho
sen for the honor is the work
she does on the employees'
suggestion committee, which
is composed of a representa
tive from each Town depart
ment.
The committee was in
strumental, Ms. Kelly said,
in organizing a number of
events this year including the
"Employee of the Quarter"
recognition, working on pol
icy for further education and
training with reimburse
ments for employees and re
cognition of employees’ years
of service.
"I believe under Darlene's
leadership a lot of these pro
grams have come to fruition,"
Ms. Kelly said. "And I think
i
it's wonderful other employ
ees have recognized her ef
forts."
Mrs. Carter has worked
with the Town of Edenton for
three years. She is married to
Michael Carter and has one
son and two daughters.
CHOSEN BY PEERS — Darlene Carter (right) proudly
plays the plaque bearing her name as the Town of Edenton's
Employee of the Quarter. Town Manager Anne-Marie Kelly
(left) offers Mrs. Carter her congratulations for "a job well
done." (Staff photo by Marguerite McCall.)
V