THE Wednesday, August 7,2002
chow/hIerald
._ ™
Vol. LXIX, No, 32 Published in historic Edenton... The South’s prettiest town. Single Copies 500
TEE-LOK
changes
are set.5-B
Little League
tourney held
In Edenton...................... 1-B
Enjoying the
sounds of silence
on a summer day_5-B
First day back
D.F. Walker elementary school students enjoy the first
school lunch of the 2002-2003 school year Tuesday morn
ing. (Glenda Jakubowski photo, Edenton-Chowan Schools)
United Piece Dye Works closes
soft economy, imports are cited
BY S. BRADY CALHOUN
Cox NC Publications
One of Chowan County’s
largest employers closed its
doors for good Monday, citing
a losing battle against textile
imports, a faltering economy
and a shrinking customer
base.
In a message to the 90 work
ers who lost their jobs, United
Piece Dye Works co-owner Jim
Landry described the decision
to shut the 120-year-old textile
dye-and-finishing plant as one
beyond management’s control.
’’The decision we must take
today is the result of economic
conditions that are dictated by
global sourcing decisions
made by retailers and our cus
tomers that neither you nor
management can control,” he
said. “’Like each of you we are
all devastated and saddened by
the decision.”
Chowan County Manager
Cliff Copeland said the loss of
90 jobs would have an impact
on the county’s economy.
“There is an impact,” he
said. "Is it a devastating im
pact? No. Is it a major impact?
Yes.”
United Piece Dye Works
"had fought valiantly,” Landry
said, to overcome the impact of
"an increasing wave of im
ported garments ... that have
flooded the shores and heart
land of our country.”
Over the past four years, the
company had worked with fi
nancing sources, Landry said,
to make itself more efficient,
lower production costs and
branch into fabrics that are
less import sensitive. But ulti
mately, the battle was un
winable.
"In the end the tragedy of 9/
11 and the resulting abrupt
contraction of consumer
spending, the abrupt closure
of JPS Textiles, the contrac
tion in other U.S. weaving ca
pacity and the continuing ero
sion of the U.S. apparel textile
industry caused by imported
garments resulted in a market
contraction too severe for our
company to overcome,”
Landry’s letter reads.
Despite adding new custom
ers in recent months, Landry
said the fabrics United Piece
Dye had been dying and finish
ing were much smaller in vol
ume than apparel fabrics. As a
result, "the demand for our
services by the marketplace
has declined 15 percent or
more each year over the past
four years.”
Ultimately, the decision to
close came down to an inabil
ity to gain more capitalization.
Although successful obtaining
financing in the past, United
Piece Dye Works could no
longer convince lenders to pro
vide it with funding, Landry
said.
"Cash has been constrained
and we were unsuccessful in
obtaining cooperation of the
bank syndicate in providing
See CLOSE On Page 6-A
- —— ■— ---s
Job Fair
to help
workers
*
The Edenton-Chowan
Chamber of Commerce will
host a Job Fair next Tues
day specifically for the em
ployees of United Piece Dye
Works who are losing their
jobs due to the plant’s clos
ing.
The Job Fair will be held
Aug. 13 at 10 a.m. at the
Northern Chowan Commu
nity Center on Hwy. 32.
Chamber Director Rich
ard Bunch would like to
hear from any employers
who would be willing to
come and talk with these
workers about possible jobs.
For more information,
call (252) 482-3400.
After decades of struggle, gas pipeline is a reality
BY SABINE HIRSCHAUER
Cox NC Publications
With 120 miles of pipeline
already laid in Pasquotank,
Perquimans, Camden, Cho
wan, Currituck and Gates
counties, natural gas service
will finally be available to
many northeastern residents
and businesses starting this
week.
“After decades of hard work,
natural gas finally becomes
available to northeastern
North Carolina,” said James
Hughes, president of Eastern
North Carolina Natural Gas,
which will be responsible for
the service. “And it will pro
vide great opportunities for
economic expansion for the
entire region.”
The gas project began 2 1/2
years ago after officials from 14
northeastern North Carolina
counties formed a nonprofit
organization called Albemarle
Pamlico Economic Develop
ment Corporation, aiming to
bring natural gas to unserved
counties.
“APEC was created to repre
sent the public’s interest to get
natural gas to eve’-y county
and industrial park, ’ Hughes
said.
Formation of the group was
preceded by state legislation
and a $200 million natural gas
bond referendum passed in
1998, supported by Sen. Marc
Basnight, D-NC and Rep. Bill
Owens, D-Pasquotank.
“Fifty-one percent of the
residents of North Carolina
voted for 4 percent of us to get
this money,” Owens said.
Partnering with the Raleigh
based energy and utility com
pany Progress Energy, East
ernNC owns the transmission
and distribution system and
operates as a public utility
Eastern North Carolina Natural Gas is now in business in northeastern NC. Above, state,
regional, and local officials, including a group from Chowan County, unveil the first natu
ral gas meter which was installed at College of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City.
regulated by NC Utilities Com
mission. The project includes
850 miles of natural gas pipe
line, running from Moyock to
Wilmington. Completion of
the project is scheduled for
2004.
The Utilities Commission
provided Eastern NC with
$188-million in bond funds and
Progress Energy added $22
million to the venture.
If customers commit to con
vert at least one of their appli
ances to natural gas, East
ernNC will install the service,
meters and regulators for free.
Cost for piping and equipment
changes, however, are the
home or business owner’s re
sponsibility.
From April 1 to Nov. 1, natu
ral gas will cost residents 79
cents per therm, which is the
unit of measure for natural
See PIPELINE On Page 6-A
Program
tribute
to Sept
11 slated
A program is cur
rently being planned as
a memorial tribute to
those who lost their
lives in the terrorist
attacks on America last
Sept. 11.
Organizers are inter
ested in hearing from
any individual or
groups who may wish to
participate in the
program.
Anyone interested in
becoming involved in
this Sept. 11 tribute in
memory of those who
died is encouraged to
contact Ron Green at
221-2144 or Dr. Paul
Pridgen, pastor of the
Edenton Baptist Church,
at 482-3217 for more
information.
OLF Steering Committee
concerned about decision
BY HELEN K. OUTLAND
Staff Writer
The Navy released a Draft
EIS (Environmental Impact
Study) earlier last week desig
nating Washington County as
one of the two sites for siting
an outlying landing field,
bringing little satisfaction to
any of the counties repre
sented on the committee.
“The Navy’s selection of
Washington County as a pos
sible site for the new Outlying
Landing Field will bring noise,
with few if any economic ben
efits, to the area according to a
group representing several
Albemarle local govern
ments,” says a press release
from Chairman of the OLF
Steering Committee, Ben
Hobbs. “Jet noise in the middle
of the night will be little con
solation to area residents, es
pecially if the Navy does not
provide any corresponding
benefits.”
The release goes on to say
the group’s comments were
prompted by the Navy’s an
nouncement last Thursday of
two alternatives under study
for the deployment of 164 F/A
18 Super Hornet fighters, in
cluding the siting of a new
OLF.
Under Alternative 1, the
Navy would base eight of the
12-plane operational squad- '
rons, plus the 48-plane Fleet
Replacement Squadron at NAS
Dceana, with two squadrons
aeing based at MCAS Cherry
Point, NC. Under Alternative
2, the Navy would base six op
erational squadrons plus the
PRS at NAS Oceana, with four
squadrons being based at
VICAS Cherry Point.
To reduce noise near OLF
Fentress in Virginia, the Navy
s proposing to build a new
3LF either southeast of Ply
See OLF On Page 6-A
Area OLF meeting set
The Perquimans County No OLF group will sponsor a pub
lic meeting on the Navy’s Proposed Outlying Landing Fields.
The meeting will be held at the Perquimans County High
School on Tuesday, Aug. 13, at 7 p.m. All residents of the
Albemarle area are invited to attend.
Speakers will present the issues and dangers surrounding
these proposals and will invite your comments and questions.
The high school is located on Hwy. 17 south of Hertford.
Come and find out how your voice can be heard.
Sharing a dance
Chowan Hospital Administrator Barbara Cale enjoys a
dance with her husband, Doug, during last weekend's hos
pital fundraiser. See details on Page 1-C. (Linda Tiller photo)
UMta GootM V \
agtSuNC,
3&4Yesr0i
Weekday Early Education (W.E.E.)
Christian Preschool at Edenton Baptist Church
Call 4£2-2217 to learn more and obtain application
• ■ ■ -\
Classes Mai l
September 3rd
_ )