Wednesday, October 17,2001
CHOWAN HERALD
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Vot. LXVIII, No. 41 _Published in historic Edenton... The South’s prettiest town._, Single Copies 500
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U.S. Postal Service issues public guidelines
for safe mail handling in wake of anthrax
BY BOB DART
Cox News Service
WASHINGTON, DC - With
Americans increasingly fear
ful of letters containing an
thrax, the U.S. Postal Service v
formed an industry-wide se
curity force Monday and
warned both postal workers
and the public to beware of
unusual packages and enve
lopes.
“In two words: Be vigilant,”
said Postmaster General
John E. Potter. If anything
suspicious comes to a mail
box, he said, “Don't open it.
Don’t shake it. Don't smell it.
Instead, keep others away
from it. Put it in a plastic bag
and seal it.
“Then wash your hands
with soap and water and call
911,” Potter said in a speech
to the National Postal Forum
in Denver.
Potter announced the for
mation of security task force
to review “every approach we
have toward mail security
and the handling of hazard
ous materials in the mail.”
The group will led by Ken
neth Weaver, the chief postal
inspector, and include union
representatives, safety and
medical specialists and rep
resentatives from through
out the mailing industry.
Concerns about the mail in
creased Monday with a letter
containing anthrax being
sent to the office of Senate
Majority Leader Tom
Daschle, D-S.D., and anthrax
spores being found in a post
office in Boca Raton, Fla.
Asked if postal workers
were worried about anthrax
being sent through the mail,
an American Postal Workers
Union spokesman Said,
“That’s the understatement
of the century."
“We’re trying not to... add
to people’s panic level.” said
Tom Fehey, the union’s com
munications' director.
> He said the Postal Service
will have a nationwide tele
conference Tuesday to pro
vide safety instructions to
managers and workers in the
field.
Potter said he met Friday
with union officials and man
agement associations and
“assured them I am con
eerned about the safety of
every employee and will keep
them abreast of develop
ments.”
The security task force field
its first meeting on Monday
and is scheduled to hold daily
sessiohs for the foreseeable
future.
In his speech to the mail
ing industry. Potter said he
is spending his days “telling
the American public that the
mail is safe.”
The risks are small, he said,
with 208 billion pieces of mail
being delivered every year.
But he warned about the
growing fears in across
America.
“Make no mistake,” he
said. “We cannot sit back and
allow our nation’s confidence
in the mail to erode.”
The fears were certainly
not calmed on Monday by the
news that a letter received
Friday by Daschle’s office
contained a powder that con
tained anthrax, according to
early testing.
At the White House, Presi
dent Bush said the letter "had
anthrax in it.”
Bush said the half dozen or
so recent letters suspected of
bearing anthrax might be
linked to Osama bin Laden,
the terrorist leader accused
of being behind the Sept. 11
attacks.
"I wouldn’t put it past him,
but we don’t have any hard
evidence,” Bush told report
ers at the White House.
After the suspect letter was
opened in Daschle’s office, all
congressional offices were or
dered to stop opening their
mail.
The letter to Daschle was ,
postmarked Sept. 18 in Tren
ton, N. J. An earlier letter con
taining anthrax that was sent
to the NBC anchor Tom
Brokaw was also postmarked
in Trenton.
Meanwhile, portions of a
post office in Boca Raton,
Fla., were closed Monday af
ter anthrax spores were
found there. This post office
that handled mail for a pub
lishing company where a
photo editor died earlier this
month after contracting an
thrax.
Cannon dedication, reenactment draw
crowd to downtown Edenton waterfront
BY HELEN KERR OUTLAND
Staff Writer
In a ceremony befitting any
dignitary the long-lost, St Paul,
one of foul Ci v il War cannons
of the Edenton Bell Battery, of
ficially came home Saturday,
October 13th.
The four- cannons, the St.
Paul, Edenton, Columbia, and
the Fannie Roulac of the
Edenton Bell Battery unit were
cast by the Tredegar Foundry
in Richmond Virginia. April
28, 1862. The cannons were
forged from the melted bells of
churches and homes through
out the area. They summarily
represented the unity forged
among the men of the Battery
and their families. By obtain
ing the cannons, the Edenton
Bell Battery remained unified.
See CANNON On Page 9-A
Peter Rascoe was instrumental in securing the return of the St. Paul to the community
i
j
Citizens Workshop
on proposed NC 94
extension planned
The North Carolina Depart
ment of Transportation
(NCDQT) will hold a citizens
informational workshop for
the proposed extension of NC
94 (Soundside Road) in
Chowan County next week.
The meeting will be held
Tuesday, Oct. 23, from 4-7 p.m.
in the cateria at John A.
Holmes High School, 600
Woodard Street, in Edenton.
Ti ns meeting will be informal
in nature with no formal pre
sentation planned.
Representatives from
NC.0OT will be available to
answer questionsand receive
comments from the public
about the proposed project.
This project proposes to con
struct a two-lane road on a
new location.
For more information, con
tact Doug Jeremiah at (919)
733-7844, ext. 207, e-mail at
djeremiah@dot.state.us, or
write to: Project Develop
ment and Environmental
Analysis, Mail Service Cen
ter 1548, Raleigh, NC 27699
1548.
NCDOT will provide aux
iliary aids and services for
disabled persons who wish
to participate in this work
shop to comply with the
American Disability Act.
Anyone requiring special
services should contact Doug
Jeremiah one week prior to
the hearing.
Editor honored
Chowan Herald Editor Rebecca Bunch was honored during a
luncheon held last Wednesday at the COA Chowan Center by the
Edenton Tea Party Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution
(DAR) as its pick for outstanding media person of the year.
Bunch's award was presented by DAR Media Committee Chairman
Ann Harrell Perry. Perry noted that Bunch was chosen in recognition
of her outstanding work in the field of journalism and in her
dedication to serving the community. The DAR gives the award
annually to a professional from the media in the field of newspaper,
radio or television. Bunch is the daughter of Mrs. Tressie H.
Walston of Edenton. (Staff photo by David Crawley)
Business Expo opens at new location
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Editor
When this year’s Business
Expo opens its doors, visitors
will have the opportunity to
talk with representatives of 32
area businesses about their
work and career opportunities.
‘‘We are just delighted with
the response we received," said
Brenda Spruill of the Edenton
Chowan Chamber of Com
merce. “And, we’re very
pleased to be presenting the
Expo this year in conjunction
with Perquimans County.”
The 2001 Business Expo will
be held at a new location this
year, at the old D.F. Walker
Elementary School in Edenton.
In addition to the 32 other busi
ness, seven restaurants will
also be participating. They in
clude: the Lovin’ Oven, Golden
Corral, Mario's Italian Restau
rant, Waterman’s, Church
Street Grille, Soundside Grille
and Tommy’s Pizza
According to Spruill, the
Expo will open with a sneak
preview party on Wednesday,
Oct. 17 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. She
describes the party as “a so
cial, networking event forarea
Jill Jordan, a health educator with Albemarle Regional Health Services, talks with visitors to their
booth during last year 's Business Expo in Edenton as a colleague listens. This year's expo will take
place Wednesday and Thursday of this week and has been moved to the old D.F. Walker School.
A preview party will be held tonight (Wednesday)
businesses and t he community
at large. This includes an op
portunity to visit theexhibitor
>
booths and area restaurants
will be serving their special
ties, making this a not-to-be
missed event.”
See EXPO On Page 9-A
m&m
SNEAK PREVIEW
Wednesday, October 17, 2001
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
I Co-sponsored by the Edenton-Chowan and Perquimans Chambers of Commerce at the old DF Walker School In Edenton
STUDENT DAY AT THE EXPO
Thursday, October 18, 2001
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
EXPO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
8th Grade Night at the Expo
Thursday, October 18, 2001
530 pm - 7:00 pm