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Med. Direetoi
THE CHOWAN
Published In The Most Beautiful Little City On The North Carolina Coast
DENTON, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JUNG Wliggfl
layton
To Class
Congresswoman Eva Clay
tcn (D-NC) brought a message
o: personal responsibility as
well as an emphasis on life
ng learning and good citi
zenship to the 130 members of
the John A. Holmes High
drool graduating class of
1694 during her keynote ad
rr
a
M
tl
peaks
ess Friday night.
While one of the smallest
asses ever to graduate from
olmes, the Class of 1994 ex
celled in academics. It con
tained the highest number of
J^hn A. Holmes Scholars, the
ghest number of National
onor Society members, the
ost North Carolina Schol
•s, and the first National
erit Scholarship recipient in
te history of the school.
"You are expected to give
bi tck to your community what
Grd has given you the ability
tc do," Rep. Clayton told the
s* niors. "We encourage you
tc use it!"
She added that the students
should "serve as mentors at
e,rery opportunity, always
hive a heart of compassion,
and offer the world the best
you have."
Congresswoman Clayton
challenged them to "always
remember who you are as in
d viduals...be morally pre
pared to lead with wisdom,
a: id physically prepared to
a ’oid violence, hatred, and
il egal drugs."
Co - Salutatorian Tomeka
W ard introduced Rep. Clay
ten to the audience, speaking
with praise and admiration
about how Clayton, as a fe
male from a rural North Car
olina district, had risen to
prominence as President of
the Congressional Freshmen
Delegation.
Remarks were also offered
by Co-Salutatorian Angie
Winborne. "While time can
take us quickly to tomorrow,
The Edenton Aces sign, located at the Athletic Complex and painted by Bryan Carpenter and
Derek Stallings, Class of '94; and Joseph Hall, Varick Taylor, Corey Layton and Donnell Rawls,
Class of '95, says it all for JAHHS from sports to graduation. (Staff photo by Pete Manning.)
time can never change those
times that we have shared,"
she said. "As; we are about to
depart into trie real world, let
us never lose'those memories
or that best Ifriend who has
made our high school years so
special."
A sense of personal ac
countability and a respon
sibility to help others were the
themes stressed by class Va
ledictorian Jenny McArthur,
a National Merit Scholar.
"Humanity is one body of
unique individuals who need
each other's help," she said.
"There is no room in this so
ciety for people who are self
ish, apathetic, lazy or waste
ful.”
Continued On Page 11»A
Shepherd Stresses
Laying Foundation
By REBECCA BUNCH
Walter Shepherd, executive
director of the North Carolina
Partnership for Children, was
the guest of honor at a lun
cheon sponsored by the Eden
ton-Chowan Partnership for
Children at the Dram Tree
Wednesday.
Shepherd talked about the
importance of the local school
system continuing to prepare
itself for implementation of
the "Smart Start" initiative
created by Gov. Jim Hunt.
While Chowan was not one of
the counties chosen for the pi
lot program, 12 additional
sites are expected to be named
soon, and the community ho
pes to become one of them.
Teacher JoAnne Lichten
walner, who prepared the
Edenton-Chowan application
and submitted it four days
ahead of schedule, conducted
more than 60 individual in
terviews to acquire necessary
information. A $7,600 grant
was provided by the Depart
ment of Human Resources to
aid in the process.
"JoAnne has done just a
terrific job," said Dr. John
Dunn, superintendent of
schools. "We are ready."
Mrs. Lichtenwalner, a pre
school educator, discussed her
findings with the audience.
"The first thing I think our
county needs is quality child
care," she said. "This county
needs to move on that."
She said the second finding
of her study was unexpected.
"The second area that popped
up (during the interviews)
surprised me," she said.
"Most of those I talked with
felt that people do not have the
necessary skills to be good
parents." Seventy-five per
cent of those surveyed said
that adults need to learn better
parenting skills. "That just
Senior Advisors Lee Bass (left) and Kay Cherry (right)
congratulate Jenny McArthur (center), John A. Holmes High
School 1994 Valedictorian, upon her graduation Friday.
Judge Establishes Venue
By MARGUERITE MCCALL
A special hearing on four
defendants in the Little Ras
cals case recessed here Wed
nesday, June 8, after estab
lishing venue for two persons
and tentatively setting it for a
third.
The hearing resumed this
morning to hear a motion by
defendant Willard Scott Pri
vott's attorney.
Privott, 45, is charged with
68 counts of sexual abuse
against 16 children attending
Little Rascals. After being
jailed for nearly four years
on a $1 million bond, Privott
was released in 1993 when his
bond was reduced to $50,000, a
sum raised by his friends.
During last week's ses
sion, Superior Court Judge D.
Marsh McLelland, the presid
ing judge in the case, told de
fendant Shelley Stone's attor-.
ney, State Sen. Frank Ball
ance, to pursue a courtesy in
quiry about setting venue in
Bertie County for his client.
Ballance, who contended
Stone, 38, could not receive a
fair trial in Chowan County,
said he thought Bertie would
be suitable because it had two
courtrooms. Acceptable alter
natives would be Wake or
possibly Dare County, he said.
"I'm tentatively ordering
the transfer of your case to
Bertie County," said McLell
and.
Charged with 14 counts of
child sexual abuse, Stone is
free on $375,000 bail.
Jeffrey Miller of Green
ville, attorney for Robin Boles
Byrum, and Maynard Har
rell of Plymouth, attorney for
Darlene Harris Bunch, with
drew motions asking for a
change of venue on their
clients from Chowan County.
The motions, filed Febru
ary 21, 1990, were granted by
Judge Bradford Tillery, the
presiding judge in the case at
that time.
"I'm in a quandary of what
to argue for," said Judge Mc
Lelland. "There is nothing
for me to act on, because the
defendants are asking for
withdrawal of opposition for
Chowan County. Therefore
they (the venues) stay where ,
they originated...in Chowan
County."
Special Deputy Prosecutor
William "Bill" Hart said he
had no opposition to the Cho
wan venues for Byrum and
Bunch.
"For the record, the defense
made motion for changing
venue," the judge stated.
Byrum, 23, is charged with
23 counts of child sexual
abuse, and Bunch, 32, with two
counts. Both women are free
on bond.
Little Rascals co-owner
Robert Fulton Kelly Jr. is
serving a sentence of 12 life
terms after being convicted of
99 counts of sexual abuse
against 12 children attending
the day care center he owned
with his wife, Elizabeth T.
"Betsy" Kelly.
Earlier this year, Betsy
Kelly pleaded "no contest" to
the charges against her and is
currently serving a prison
term.
AvtmkAN LtqiOM Bldt,
I Ik|liwav 17 No«il(
EdiisroN, NC
HEART FUND AUCTION
FftEf ADMISSION
THURSDAY
JUNE 16
7:00 P.M.
Tax Increase
Is Considered
By MARGUERITE MCCALL
The proposed FY94-95
County budget will increase
the tax rate from .74 cents to
.77 cents, said County Man
ager Cliff Copeland Monday
night at the Commissioners'
June meeting. The new rate is
derived from a tax base of
$513,690,205.
"There's absolutely no fat,
no fat in this budget," Cope
land told the board.
Copeland said not only
were no new positions in the
County being funded this
year, but that his office, the
Register of Deeds Office and
the Tax Office retained the
same number of employees
they had for the past 15 years.
"Yet the County's budget
has increased from two and a
half million dollars fifteen
years ago to twelve million
dollars today,” he said.
Budget highlights reviewed
at the meeting were Medicaid
funding increase, $66,163;
close out costs for the old
landfill, $25,000; increase in
contribution to solid waste,
$22,000; contribution to Eden
ton-Chowan Airport, $15,000;
and increase in contribution
to current expense fund —
Edenton-Chowan Schools -- of
2.7 percent or $50,000.
The school system had re
quested a $310,379 increase.
Other increases are being
requested by the Town of
Edenton for the amounts the
County funds for Chowan
Communications, the Eden
ton Fire Department, and the
Edenton Recreation Depart
ment.
Committees from the Town
and County are continuing to
meet to work out the agree
ments.
A public hearing on the
County's budget will be held
in the Commissioners' Room
at the courthouse on Monday,
June 27, at 9 a.m.
Prior to the Board of Com
missioners regular business
Monday night,' a public hear
ing took place in the court
house courtroom regarding
the location of the fourth con
venience center site.
The original plan adopted
by the County called for the
construction of four centers,
three along Highway 32 north
of Edenton and one at the in
Michael Hare opposes plac
ing the County's new Con
venience Center in Ryland.
t'ersection of Soundside Rd.
and Highway 32 in the Yeo
pim section of the County.
i The fourth and northern
most site selected near the
water tanks fell through when
it was discovered the amount
of land available would be
limited due to a burial ground
nearby.
Commissioner Harry Lee
Winslow, third district rep
resentative, proposed a site in
the Ryland Community.
Members of the community
were present to voice opposi
tion to the proposal.
Winslow said he thought
the Ryland site was safer
(than on 32), more centrally
located for users, and that it
was "ready to go to work.” -
Following comments from
Continued On Page U-A
Public Is *
Urged To
Come Out
For Fourth
Members of the Chowan
Ildenton Optimist Club re
mind the public to make
F Ians now to attend the club
sponsored "4th of July Cele
bration and Antique Car
Show
The events will be held in
C olonial Park beginning at
9 a.m., Monday, July 4, with
antique car registration
arid display.
From 12 noon until 4
p ,m., the cars will be judged
and awards presented.
Food, drinks, live enter
tiinment, Optimist train,
games for qhildren, dunk
i f booth and much more is
s :heduled from 4 - 9 p.m. •
The annual fireworks
clisplay-wtR-begTWFBt 0 p.m. ■