THE County TIMES-NEWS
Northampton County's Only Advertising and News Medium
Vol. 82 No. 9
THE ROANOKE-CHOWAN TIMES — Established 1892
THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1973
☆ THE NORTHAMPTON COUNTY NEWS — Established 1926
lOc Per Copy Rich Square, N. C.
12 Pages
FPC Gets Request
For Vepco Increase
Measure Defeated
RICH SQUARE — Virginia
Electric and Power Company
last week filed with the
Federal Power Commission
an application for an increase
in revenues from the rural
electric cooperatives,
municipalities and private
utility it serves on a wholesale
basis.
Vepco notified the
customers of its intention to
seek a rate increase in
September. Roanoke-Chowan
area customers affected are
the municipalities of Windsor
and Scotland Neck and the
Roanoke Electric
Membership Corporation of
Rich Square.
Negotiations have been
under way since September
when notification was
received. The company has
requested that all of these
increases be made effective
retroactive to January 11,
1973.
Area Industries Named
By EPA As Polluters
WASHINGTON, D.C. —
Several area industries have
been placed on a list of “major
dischargers” of water
pollutants compiled by the
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA).
The list includes 73 North
Carolina concerns.
Area industries included are
Farmers Chemical, Winton,
Albermarle Paper Company,
Federal Paper Board and J.
P. Stephens, all in Roanoke
Rapids, and Weyerhaeuse,
Plymouth.
Some of the companies have
faced governmental action
before. Farmers Chemical
was forced to halt part of its
operations and lay off half of
its 370-man work force in
January after failing to meet
state standards.
Most businesses listed as
significate water polluters are
textile plants. For the first
time, the industries are
required to apply for federal
discharge permits. They must
conform to federal guidelines!
established under the Water]
Pollution Control Act of 1972,
which declares a national goal
of “Zero dischargers” by 1985.
Failure to comply with
federal effluent limitation,
which will be increasingly
rigid as the goal year
approached, could subject
these industries and all other
water polluters to civil and
criminal prosecutions and
unlimited fines for willful
offenders.
John Lawrence, acting plant
manager at Farmers
Chemical, said Wednesday
“We have not received an
correspondence from the EPA
since this list was compiled, so
I couldn’t make a really
knowledgable comment.”
At the present time
Farmers Chemical is not
discharging effluent into
Chowan River.
Vernon E. Taylor, Roanoke
Electric Membership general
manager, said this week the
increase to Remco will be
31.83 per cent.
“Although meetings are still
taking place and we are yet to
have a completely clear
picture from Venco on every
point, our customers
will see their elec
tric bills increased around
23 per cent,” Taylor stated.
“Remco gets 73 per cent of
its power from Vepco and the
other 27 per cent from the
Southeastern Po w^
Administration (SEPA) in
Elberton, Ga. It’s the 73 per
cent of our power from Vepco
which is going up over 31 per
cent so the increase will not be
as great when passed on to our
customers. Sepa’s last
increase was in July 1971.”
To give a general idea of
how the icnrease will actually
affect the consumer Taylor
pointed out the fact that last
year the average residential
customer used 535 kilowatt
hours per month and the
average residential bill was
$13.03.
“Under the new rate that
same average 535 kwt hours
per month will not cost $16.03,
an increase of $3 per month.”
“Last year we paid Vepco
$407,000,” Taylor said. “Under
the new rate we would pay
them $537,000, an increase of
$130,000.”
Windsor was represented in
protesting the increase by
attorneys for Electri-Cities,
an organization composed of
the towns that sell their own
electric power after wholesale
purchases.
Town administrator Robert
Elliott said the attorneys were
able to work out an agreement
with Vepco that brought the
initial proposal down from a
22.5 per cent increase to a 17.3
per cent, on an average.
Negotiations also resulted in
the pledge from Vepco that it
will not apply for an additional
increase to any of these
wholesale customers before
September 1, 1974, with such
increase not to become
effective, if approved, until
January 1, 1975.
The last increase,
retroactive to July 1971, and
argued until early 1972, cost
(See FPC, Page 12)
Harrington,
Vote Against
Godwin
ERA
Child Gets Burns
In Residence Fire
Rich Square Town
Office Has Moved
RICH SQUARE — The Rich
Square Town offices have
been moved temporarily from
the Town Hall Building into
the space formerly occupied
by the Lambertson Insurance
Agency next door to the
Northampton County Times-
News office on Main Street.
Plans had been under
consideration for some time to
renovate the Town Hall
building, but the fire last week
caused town offficials to
decide to move the offices
immediately. Once the old
offices have been renovated,
the town offices will go back to
Town Hall.
Offices affected are the
Police Department, Town
Clerk, and the Town Magis
trate. The drivers license
examiner and the
Employment Security
representative will also use
the new offices when they are
in Rich Square.
GARYSBURG — Seven-
month-old Donna Gorham,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
James Gorham of Pair Street,
narrowly escaped serious
injury in a fire at her home at
noon Friday.
Donna was treated and
released at Halifax Memorial
Hospital in Roanoke Rapids
for burns about the head and
hands.
The house burned to the
ground in about 45 minutes.
The home of Jlrs. Pmsa Sharon
next dcor to the Gorham
residence was severely
burned. Two rooms were
destroyed and the rest of the
house damaged by water and
smoke.
Fire companies from
Gaston, Weldon and Seaboard
poured water on the houses on
each side of the burning
building as well as the fire
itself.
A rescue squad from
Boykins,, Va., returning from
a patient delivery; saw the
smoke and came to the scene
in time to take the Gorham
baby to Halifax Memorial
Hospital.
According to the Gaston
Fire Chief John Acree, the
Gorham house was collapsing
when his unit arrived and he
hoped to save the adjoining
homes. No cause for the fire
was determined.
By JOSEPH COVOLO JR.
Managing Editor
EDITOR’S NOTE: When
contacted Monday morning
the Roanoke-Chowan’s two
senators both predicted the
ERA measure would be very
close. It was defeated 27 to 23
Wednesday.
RALEIGH — The quiet and
routine atmosphere which has
generally prevailed over the
State House In Raleigh the
past few weeks was disrupted
a bit this week as the Equal
Rights Amendment (ERA)
came up for a vote in the
Senate Wednesday.
Prior to the vote the
following quotes were made.
“I haven’t polled my fellow
senators on their fellings
towards the measure but I do
feel it will be very close and
there may be only a two or
three vote difference,” said
Gates’ Senator Phil Godwin.
“I am against it and will vote
that way.”
Speaking in the same vein
was Senator J. J. (Monk)
Harrington of Lewiston. “Like
Senator Godwin I, too, am
against it I will vote against it,
and I also feel its going to be a
very close vote.”
Breathalyzer
In the area of two
breathalyzer bills Senator
Godwin commented, “We
have given a lot of time to
those bills and I hope we can
wrap things up this week.
From the original legislation
which was introduced we have
made some changes and
gotten them more into line,”
Senator Godwin said.
Senator Harrington said
that he thought it would pass
with a few more changes.
“We all are striving for the
goal of getting the drunks off
of the highways,” Senator
Godwin said. “It? not all that
easy to make laws to control it
because many technical
points must be worked out. If
not, the defending attorneys
will win most of the cases in
the courtroom . on these
technicalities.”
Other Areas
Northampton County Rep.
J. Guy Revelle of Conway
reported he is urging state
highway officials to improve
U.S. 158 from Conway to
Interstate 95 at Roanoke
Rapids.
Revelle said he is promoting
the 25-mile stretch to “open a
major trade route” from
metropolitan Norfolk, Va.
Rep. Revelle said Friday he
has discussed the proposal
several times with highway
officials. He said it will be
presented to the State High
way Commission.
The former chairman of the
Northampton County Board of
Commissioners said
improving the road would
open a major trucking route
from Norfolk to Raleigh.
He said trucks now use
roads in Virginia until
reaching 1-95 and Virginia
reaps the benefits of the
traffic.
He stated that the road has
been improved to Conway and
that the unimproved section is
from Conway westward-
Revelle said the country
would benefit in revenues
from facilities along the truck
route such as motels and
cafes. He pointed out that
people in the area would be
provided easier access to 1-95
and to Roanoke Rapids.
Ahoskie’s Representative
Roberts Jernigan reported
Monday morning that things
were pretty routine at this
time in the House and that
arrangements for the visit to
Ahoskie by Secretary of
Transportation Bruce Lentz
was taking up most of his time
last week.
Rev. Hawkins Recalls
History For Rotarians
RICH SQUARE — February
27th is an historic date in the
early life of North Carolina
and “even the nation as a
whole,” said the Rev. Wade
Hawkins, pastor of the Rich
Square United Methodist
Church, in a talk to the local
Rotary Club Monday night.
History relates that it was
on that date in 1776 that the
“Battle of Moores Creek
Bridge,” a tiny cross roads
community in Pender County,
took place. It was “actually
civil action,” according to
Hawkins, because it was
fought between “fellow
countrymen of divergent
political views.”
Second Rood Death
Recorded In County
Government Payments
Half Million $ Over '71
JACKSON — “Government
programs for the farmer are
presently being reconsidered,
reduced, or altogether cut,”
said Northampton County
Extension Chairman Brodie
Harrell. “Although we may be
loosing some helpful
programs it is interesting to
see how much we got from the
government the last two
years. For example overall
government programs in
Northampton County
increased $475,376 in 1972 over
the proceeding year.”
Program figures are as
4
follows: '
Conservation Program
(R.E.A.P. or A.C.P.) 1971-
$50,813; 1972-$78,176.
Feed Grain Program
Payments 1971-$292,578; 1972-
$426,144.
Wheat Program Payments
1971-$30,679; 1972-$25,193.
Cotton Program Payments
1971-$1,509,435; , 1972-
$1,845,373.
Wool Incentive Payments
1971-$289; 1972-$461.
Cropland Adjustment
Programs 1971-$52,347; 1972-
$36,170.
Total Government
Payments in 1971 were
$1,936,141. The came category
in 1972 increased to $2,411,517.
ROANOKE RAPIDS - The
second highway fatality of the
year in Northampton County
was recorded on Sunday three
miles north of here on
Interstate-95.
Robert Scannell of
Manchester, N. H., died in
Halifax Memorial Hospital
with injuries sustained
following the 3:15 p.m. head-
on collision with a towed
vehicle that broke loose from
the pickup truck pulling it.
Trooper Bob Cooper of the
Halifax-Northampton High
way Patrol stated that
charges will be preferred
following further
investigation.
According to Cooper, the
towed vehicle came loose
School Teacher
Hurt In Wreck
RICH SQUARE - Mrs.
Rosetta Adams of Woodland, a
teacher at the W. S. Creecy
MRS. ROSETTA MAGETT ADAMS of Woodland miraculously escaped
from this car with only bruises on her knees, chest and arm after the car
collided with a jack-knifing tractor truck hauling a house trailer on High
way 258 near the northern town limits of Rich Square Monday morning.
Mrs. Adams, a teacher at Rich Square W. S. Creesy High School, was ad-
niitted to Roanoke-Chowan Hospital for treatment but was released the
same day.
High School in Rich Square,
was injured in a two vehicle
collision on route 258, just
inside the northern town limits
of Rich Square, Monday
morning.
According to Rich Square
Police Chief Willie Wayne
Coner, who investigated the
accident, Kenneth Pou Barber
of Woodland reported he was
driving a 1973 International
Tractor truck north on Route
258 and was towing a house
trailer.
A vehicle infront of Barber
stopped suddenly and, he
applied his brakes, his truck
jack-knived and swerved into
the southbound lane infront of
Mrs. Adams, who was on her
way to school in her 1966 Ford.
The Adams car struck the
right side of the truck, hitting
a tool box just to the rear of
the right door.
Chief Conner said the side of
the truck sustained some
damage, but the Ford was a
total loss.
Mrs. Adams was taken to
the RoankeOhowan Hospital
by the Rich Square Rescue
squad and was admitted for
treatment of severe bruises on
both knees, her chest and arm.
She was later allowed to
return home, where she is
under the care of Dr. J. H.
Stanley of Woodland.
from the pickup in the south
bound lane, crossed the
median strip and struck the
northbound Scannell vehicle
head on.
Judith Smith, also of
Manchester, a passenger in
the Scannell car, was injured
and remains in the intensive
care unit at Halifax Memorial.
Jack Turner of Jackson,
who was riding in the towed
1967 Pontiac, is listed in good
Baby Died Of
Natural Cause
JACKSON — The death of
seven-week-old Carolyn
Lassiter in Rich Square last
week has been determined to
have been of natural causes,
according the Northampton
County Sheriff’s Department.
The infant was found dead
Monday morning in her bed at
the home of Glennie Lassiter
in Rich Square, where she
lived with her mother. Hazel
Lassiter.
Cause of death was
determined after an autopsy,
which has been ordered by an
assistant state medical
examiner at North Carolina
Memorial Hospital in Chapel
Hill.
condition at Halifax
Memorial. He suffered a
broken hand.
The Roanoke Valley Rescue
Squad attended the injured.
In the early phases of the
American Revolution there
were two strong factions
within the colony. The
“patriots,” who were of the
opinion that the only course
open to settlement between
the colonies and Great Britain
was war. Then, there was the
“loyalist” forces who still
found the thought of fighting
the mother country
“abhorrent.”
The North Carolina capital
at the time was in New Bern
and the British appointed
Governor was Josiah Martin,
However, the legislature,
which was oddly enough,
popularly elected, opposed the
royal appointee “to a man.”
Early in 1775 Martin
abandoned New Bern and fled
to ihe Cape Fear RVer area,
where he set about to raise an
army of 10,000 loyalist that
were to rendezvous with Lord
Cornwallis, and others, in
Brunswick (County) bn
February 15, 1776 with the
objectives .in mind of re
establishing royal authority in
both North and South
Carolina. Martin was able to
raise approximately 1,600 men
for the British side.
Word of this action reached
New Bern and the provincial
government dispatched Cols.
James Moore, Richard
Caswell and Alexander
Lillington, with scarcely 1,000
men to counter Martin’s
move.
Lillington and Caswell were
charged with guarding the
Moores Creek Bridge area,
which was in the path of the
loyalist forces. On the night of
February 26 the patriot militia
“retreated” across the 50 foot
wide creek and dismanteled
the wooden bridge that
spanned the creek. The floor
and Orders were greased and
reassembled.
In the ^arly morning of
March 27(»» picked group of
royal foi' -^stormed after
Cdsweil irind Liilingioii anu
were met by a withering
musket and artillery fire. The
bridge gave way, of course,
and many fell into the water
and were drowned. Nearly all
the small advance party were
cut down, and the whole force
soon retreated. It was all over
in three minutes. Pursuit
turned the victory into a rout.
The pitri f- lo"
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Tournament
Directional
Signs Stolen
LASKER — Visitors coming
to the Carolina Academy
Conference Tournament,
which started Tuesday night,
are having to depend on local
residents for directions to
Northeast Academy,
according to Headmaster
Arthur Dempsey Jr.
“The state highway
department put up new signs
last week on Highway 158
directing traffic to the
academy and they’ve all been
stolen by vandals.
“Area residents and folks
connected with the school
were quite upset by this and
the theft 'was reported to the
Northampton County Sheriff’s
Department. The signs do not
belong to the school but were
property of the state highway
department,” said Dempsey.
COUNTY ACCOUNTANT TIM ELLEN, right, talks with workmen as they
complete the renovations of the Commissioners Meeting Room. They are
Don Cockerham, superintendent for T & S Construction of Greensboro,
right, and A. G. Ferguson. In addition to use by the Commissioners the
meeting room will be used by judges for private hearings and by the
department heads for meetings. Below, workmen refinish furniture for the
new room. They are, from left, James H. Wood, Buddy Peterson and Joe
Harrington, all of Wood and Peterson of Roanoke Rapids.