Hospital To
Host Benefit
Party March 19
Biologist
Studies
Bussian Food
Single Copies 35 Cents
EDENTON, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 1994
LBD To Be On May 3rd Ballot
Other Items: Jernigan Gets Permit;
Restauranteurs Oppose UDO Change
By MARGUERITE MCCALL
Town Council unanimous
ly passed a resolution Mon
day night authorizing the
Board of Elections to place a
mixed beverage election on
the May 3 primary ballot.
"Whereas, by calling for
such a referendum," the reso
lution states, "the Edenton
Town Council is not endors
ing mixed beverage sales, but
is simply allowing the citi
zens of Edenton to voice their
preferences."
Councilman Jerry Parks,
who made the motion to pass
Center Is
Recipient
Of Grant
By REBECCA BUNCH
The Albemarle Recreation
Center is the recipient of a
$25,000 grant from the Z.
Smith Reynolds Foundation
headquartered in Winston
Salem.
Robert Harrell, founder
and interim director of the
center, expressed delight
Monday on learning of the
award. "It’s just fantas
tic... what else could you say,"
Harrell remarked. "With the
funds we re getting from the
public schools now, it assures
us of our basic operating ex
penses for the year."
The ARC, which provides
recreational opportunities for
handicapped youngsters and
adults, currently has 36 stu
dents enrolled in its weekly
horseback riding program.
"We've doubled our enroll
ment from last year," Harrell
said. "Were really doing
great...the response has been
the resolution, said the Pro
gressive Edenton Committee,
appointed by the Edenton
Chowan Chamber of Com
merce, petitioned the Council
"to give the public a chance to
decide" whether or not they
wanted liquor by the drink
served in dining establish
ments within the city limits.
"I’m not in favor of it
(liquor)," said Councilman
Jimmy Alligood, who sec
onded the motion. "I don't
drink and have never drank,
but I’m willing to give people
in my ward a chance to vote by
putting it on the ballot."
Councilman Jerald Perry
was not present to vote on the
matter.
Two other items on the
agenda of the special meeting
preceding the committees’
meeting generated consider
able discussion.
They were a public hearing
on an amendment to the Uni
fied Development Ordinance
(UDO), and a hearing on whe
ther to renew the permit for
Charlie Jernigan to operate
his taxi cab business in the
Town limits.
Regarding the latter, Jer
nigan's attorney, Charles
Busby, admitted his client had
been convicted of a felony, two
counts of possession with in
tent to deliver crack cocaine,
but insisted, "Charlie has
been sort of an institution. A
lot of folks depend on his taxi
service."
Busby said Jernigan, 68,
had paid a fine of $4,500, also,
that the cocaine was "two very
small pieces." He said Jerni
gan was under the "watchful
eye" of the Edenton police and
the probation office.
Speaking as character wit
nesses for Jernigan, who has
operated a taxi service for 40
years, were the Rev. Webster
Simons, rector of St. John's
Episcopal Church, Alton El
more, and Councilman Wil
Continued On Page 3-A
Albemarle Recreation Center Interim President Robert Harrell, left, shares the news of the
$25,000 grant received by the center from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation with the Rev. Jasper
Home, chairman of the ARC board of directors, and Peggy Anne Vaughan, ARC secretary-trea
surer. Harrell said the ARC was "elated" to be chosen for the award. (Staff photo by Rebecca
Bunch)
wonderful, and we feel so
blessed to be able to help in this
way."
The Z. Smith Reynolds
Foundation, established over
a half century ago, works to
support charitable works all
across North Carolina. Its
particular areas of emphasis
are community economic de
velopment, criminal justice,
the environment, precollea
giate education, issues affect
ing minorities, and issues
affecting women.
The foundation, establish
ed in 1936, accepts proposals
for grants twice each year.
"This is a great jgrant,"
Harrell said, "because it can
be used for general project'
purposes...it doesn't come
with any restrictions on the
use of the funding, so we are
able to utilize it where the need
is greatest."
Coffey Appointed By Governor
By REBECCA BUNCH
Edenton attorney Mary
Ann Coffdy has been ap
pointed to the North Carolina
Council for Women by Gov.
Jim Hunt. Her term will ex
pire June 30,1995.
In announcing the ap
pointment, Gov. Hunt thank
ed Ms. Coffey for her "wil
lingness to serve the State of
North Carolina."
He added, "I am deeply
grateful to people like you who
are willing to give their time
and talent to make North
Carolina all that it can be and
must be. I know that you will
be effective and diligent in
your service to our state."
Gov. Hunt noted that the
council "identifies and as
sesses the needs of women in
North Carolina and makes
recommendations to the gov
ernor’s office, the General
Assembly and other policy
making groups on ways to
improve the status of women."
The council also is responsi
ble for collecting and dis
tributing information on wo
men's issues and identifies
and encourages development
of programs designed to serve
the needs of women.
"Each of these women Ij
know that when women make {
progress, North Carolina jj
makes progress,” Gov. Hunt j
said. "They are deeply com- §
Continued On Page 3-A
Mary Ann Coffey
Curfew Ordinance Is Topic For Public Hearing
By MARGUERITE MCCALL
A public hearing will be
held Tuesday, March 8, at fi
p.m. in Town Council Cham
bers prior to the Council vot
ing on the adoption of a curfew
ordinance applicable to kids
under age 16.
The ordinance, which wil
prohibit youngsters from be
ing outside the home - more
particularly roaming th(
streets and hanging out ai
public places -- between th<
hours of midnight and 5 a.m.,
contains a great deal of flexi
bility.
Some of the exceptions al
lowed are: coming or gofcpg
from work, a school sponsored
function or a church spon
sored function; being accom
panied by a guardian, parent,
or person over 18 years autho
rized by a parent or guardian;
traveling with written par
, ental permission; seeking
medical care for self or some
member of family.
Town Councilman Willis
Privott, who recommended
Monday' night that the ordi
nance go before full Council,
said he had studied the ordi
nance material thoroughly.
"I like it a lot,".he said. "It
gets the parents involved and
that is good."
The document outlines the
responsibilities delegated to
parents or guardians for see
ing that their children con
form to the curfew rules ac
cording to the North Carolina
Juvenile Code.
Edenton Police Chief C.H.
Williams, Chowan County
Sheriff Fred Spruill, Town
Manager Anne-Marie Kelly
and County Manager Cliff
Copeland have met several
times to discuss the proposed
ordinance, said Ms. Kelly.
She informed the Council,
"Chief Williams and Sheriff
Continued On Page 3-A
Joe Anderson, owner of a local restaurant, speaks on behalf of
the Chowan County-Edenton Restaurant Association at the
Edenton Town Council Special Meeting Monday night. (Staff
photo by Marguerite McCall.)
Rulings Upheld
By Commission
By MARGUERITE MCCALL
Three busloads of area
fishermen returned from Ra
leigh Friday afternoon disap
pointed the state Marine Fish
eries Commission upheld rig
id regulations on commercial
fishing effective February 21.
"We lost the battle," Ricky
Nixon of Murray L. Nixon
Fishery, Inc. said Monday,
"but the war shall go on.”
Prior to attending the
emergency meeting called by
the Marine Fisheries Com
mission, Nixon had said he
was hopeful and even opti
mistic about the Commission
ruling in favor of the fisher
men.
"Unfortunately," he sur
mised, "it was all cut and
dried before the meeting."
He said the fishermen
greatly appreciated the com
missioners (seven of seven
teen members) who fought for
them. He also said one com
missioner slept through the
entire meeting, waking just
in time to cast his vote, which
was against the fishermen.
"We were handled like a
bunch of hogs," Nixon said,
explaining that the original
meeting place was too small to
accommodate the number of
people in attendance.
After moving to the audito
rium in the legislative build
ing, officials conducting the
meeting learned there was no
telephone hook-up to handle a
conference call between the
thirteen commission mem
bers present and the other four
who were out of town but who
wanted to participate and vote.
Returning to the original
site, Nixon said, many had to
sit on the floor or stand the
entire time (three hours).
"Then during the fisher
men's presentation, the tele
phone went dead over there,"
he said. "It came back on just
before the vote, and all four
absent members voted against
us."
Joey Daniels, a seafood
processor from Wanchese
and a Marine Fisheries com
missioner, was one of the
seven who voted to overturn
the proclamation issued Feb
Continued On Page 9-A
Sale Of T-Shirts To
Aid Special Olympics
By REBECA BUNCH
Edenton Police Officer
Tim Hickman is heading up
local efforts to support the
North Carolina Special
Olympics Summer Games
through the sale of T-shirts
announcing the 1994 Law En
forcement Torch Run fund
raiser. More than 15,000 of the
shirts are being distributed
statewide.
Hickman said Tuesday
that he has some of the T
shirts on hand if local resi
dents want to look at them be
fore ordering. "They're re
ally a good quality shirt," he
said. "When people purchase
them, they'll definitely be
getting their money’s worth,
and supporting a good cause at
the same time."
The shirts, available in
various sizes, are selling for
$12 each. They carry artwork
showing a runner carrying a
flame of hope across North
Carolina.
Hickman also plans to
participate in the Torch Run
fundraiser on behalf of local
law enforcement. He hopes to
be joined by State Trooper
Tom Griffin and fellow
Edenton Police Officer
Wayne Forehand. Both have
expressed interest in taking
part in a show of support for
Special Olympics.
North Carolina Special
Olympics "provides year
round sports training and
competition for over 23,000
people with mental retarda
tion," said Keith Fishburne,
NCSO spokesman. "Through
a statewide network of thou
sands of coaches, sports offi
cials, local program commit
tee members and event orga
Continued On Page 9-A
American Legion Building
HWY. 17 BUS. SOUTH - EDENTON
Sponsored By Sons Of The American Legion Post 40
I \
■
ARTS AND CRAFT SHOW
Saturday, March 5, 1994
10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Refreshments Available
ALL PROCEEDS FOR
SCHOLARSHIP FUND