Warm
It'll stay warm for a -while,
with the high today and
Thursday in the mid- to
upper-70s. The low both
nights will be in the low-50s.
It will be partly sunny today,
and there's a 20 percent
chance of rain.
Ii r
Chuck Erickson
Chuck Erickson, athletic
director from 1952 to 1968,
died at approximately 7:30
p.m. Tuesday in Memorial
Hospital. He had been
suffering from a heart
illness. Erickson was 70.
.SiTi7fi' ?( iihlcni am the niwrsiiv wninuinilv since IXV.i
Volume 85, Issue No. f )
Wednesday, November 8, 1977, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Please call us: 933-0245
DRAKEFORD CHOSEN MAYOR;
BOARD SEATS GO TO THORPE
lllillff'
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KAWALEC, BOULTON, COHEN
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Mayor-elect Bob Draketord beams a smile at guests and candidates of the Carrboro
Community Coalition who gathered at his house Tuesday night. The coalition's
three alderman candidates, Braxton Foushee, Doug Sharer and Nancy White, were
the top vote-getters in the race, while independent Sherwood Ward was elected to
the other seat. Staff photo by Mike Sneed.
Democrats surprised
succession vote so close
RALEIGH (U PI) The future of politics in
North Carolina was changed by North
Carolina voters Tuesday night with the
approval of a constitutional amendment
allowing incumbent governors and
lieutenant governors to seek second
consecutive terms.
Until the election. North Carolina was one
of seven states not permitting a governor to
succeed himself. .
North Carolina voters gave overwhelming
approval to four constitutional amendments
to remove sex discrimination from the state
statutes, ensure a balanced state budget and
allow municipal power systems to buy a
share of privately owned generating plants.
Voters also approved two bond issues by
large margins, one of $300 million for
highway projects and another for $230
million in water and sewer projects.
A 73-year-old political novice, Isabella
Cannon, became Raleigh's first woman
mayor by defeating incumbent Jyles J.
Coggins in one of several mayoral contests.
Incumbent Jim Melvin won easy re
election in Greensboro over U.S. Labor
Party candidate Marion Porter. In
Charlotte, 18-year councilman Jim
Whittington, a Democrat, was defeated by
Republican Ken Harris, a former council
member.
With 84.09 per cent of the vote tallied,
voters approved the amendment pushed by
Gov. Jim Hunt by a vote of 260,034 to
236,112. It will allow Hunt and Lt. Gov.
James C. Green to seek re-election in 1980 if
they chose.
A gleeful Hunt, in a telephone interview
with UP1 from State Democratic Party
Headquarters, said he thought it was "a very
exciting time to be a North Carolinian.
"I'm very proud that North Carolina has
taken this step forward by making it possible
for us to have a stronger, more effective state
government," he said. "One of the things it
will help us do is to avoid too much power in
the federal government. The results today
are a clear indication that North Carolina
wants to go forward by investing in its
economy and modernizing its government."
The lead remained the same most of the
night, with"yes" votes holding 52 percent to
48 percent for the "no" votes. It carried every
major county except Wake.
Twenty-eight of the state's 100 counties
voted against the measure, including such
Republican strongholds as Yadkin, Wilkes,
Surry and Randolph counties.
The succession amendment carried
See STATE, page 2.
Incumbents fare poorly
as challengers take 3 posts
From Staff Reports
Three challengers lead the voting for four spots ontheChapel Hill
Board of Aldermen in municipal elections held Tuesday,
Bill Thorpe, Bev Kawalcc, Marilyn Boulton and incumbent Gerry
Cohen captured board seats, with Boulton registering a mild upset
over Marvin Silver.
William Strickland. Verla Insko and Ted Parrish garnered the
three open seats on thcChapel H ill-Can boro school board Tuesday.
As reports from the 16 voting precincts filtered in, Thorpe emerged
as the early leader in the alderman race and was not overtaken.
Kawalec took second, while Silver and Cohen jockeyed for third.
Boulton, who had been running sixth, surged past Silver as
precincts near her neighborhood reported. She traded positions with
Cohen until tallies from the next-to-the-last reporting precinct put
her in third place.
Unofficial vote counts showed that 6 205 of the 15.653 registered
voters (about 40 percent) turned out to vote. Unofficial results were
as follows: Thorpe - 3.860, Kawalec - 3,487, Boulton - 3,234.
Cohen - 3.204. Silver - 2,935. Jim Merkel - 2,908 and Bill
Lindsay - 1,051.
Official results w ill be tallied later by the Orange County Board ol
Elections.
After polls closed at 7:30 p.m., candidates and their supporters
gathered at homes, night spots and a local motel to await the vote.
At the Holiday Inn. Thorpe, several campaign workers and friends
started passing out champagne as reports indicated an early victory.
The leading vote-getter, w ho lost in a board bid two years ago, said
victory was sweet.
"lt feels great." Thorpe said, glass in hand. "1 worked the hardest
1 wanted to win.
"1 must have talked to everybody in Chapel Hill during my
campaign."
Thorpe said he found it difficult to observe the board, know ing he
intended to run during this election, and see issues deciced contrary
to his feelings.
But as the campaign porgressed, Thorpe said he felt he would run
first or second. '1 worked the hardest," lie repeated.
Cohen, tabulating results on a paper-covered wall in Cat's Cradle,
said he, too, was pleased with victory. Voter turnout, he said, was
greater than expected.
He acknowledged black and student support in his successful bid.
Cohen said he owed no particular debts to anyone in his campaign.
"The only thing 1 owe is to keep my campaign promises," he said.
A tearful Marilyn Boulton, just informed of her victory over
Silver, said she was surprised that she won. "I was preparing myself
to lose," she said amid congratulations from supporters gathered at
her home. "I'm awfully pleased.
"I'm eager to be in a position now to make some decisions."
Acclimating herself to the board will be her first task, she said.
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"I worked the hardest," a victorious Bill Thorpe explains at an
election party held Tuesday night at the Holiday Inn. Staff
photo by Mike Sneed.
"lt surprised me how much people knew about the issues in the
campaign." she said, adding that she anticipates working as a team
with the other aldermen.
Silver, defeated by Boulton's late move, said he was disappointed
but "by no means devastated."
The main reason for his loss, he said, was that he and Cohen had
talked about "the difficult times ahead" during the campaign.
He complimented Cohen's campaign, saying Cohen had been less
controversial. 'They couldn't knock off both of us." he said. "One of
us had to win."
Silver added that he hopes to continue contributing to the board,
especially on water issues and the noise ordinance.
Kawalec celebrated her v ictory by passing out champagne to
supporters gathered at campaign manager Linda Brown's house. "I
have to credit my manager with terrific grass roots organization," she
said.
Kawalec added that her first priority will be solving personnel
problems in the Chapel Hill Fire Department.
CCC dominates
Carrboro races
From Surf Reports
The Carrboro Community Coalition
(CCC) candidates maintained their
stronghold on municipal politics Tuesday
when all four of the group's candidates
proved successful in their quests for public
office.
Coverage of the 1977 municipal elections
was provided by Daily Tar Heel staff writers
Stephen Harris, Chip Pear sail, Evelyn Sahr,
Michael Wade and David Waiters.
Boh Drakelord w on the Carrboro mayor's
race over John Boone, capturing 57 percent
of the vote.
CCC candidates Braxton Foushee, Doug
Sharer and Nancy White finished 1-2-3 in the
alderman race, while independent Sherwood
Ward captured the fourth seat on the town
board. Foushee. Sharer and White are
incumbents, while Ward is a newcomer to
Carrboro politics.
John Thomas. Mary Riggsbee, Harry
Wheeler and Jim Porto finished fifth, sixth,
seventh and eighth in the balloting,
respectively.
Turnout in the election was higher than
expected with nearly 45 percent of the
eligible voters casting ballots.
The four CCC candidates gathered at
Mayor-elect Drakeford's residence as the
ballots were tallied. When the final precinct,
North Carrboro, reported, and Drakeford's
victory became official, handshaking,
backslftpping and hugging ensued. The scene
was re-created as the final tally in the
alderman race was announced.
"We did it, folks, and it feels great,"
Drakeford told his smiling supporters, "lt
took a lot of hard work, but we did tt."
Foushee. who led the balloting in the town
board race, said transportation was the key
issue in the Carrboro campaigns. "From
here we are going to move on and expand the
bus system, because that is what the people
told us to do," Foushee said.
It was the first election victory for Sharer
and White, who had been appointed to fill
board v acancies. Sharer said the results "give
See CARRBORO, page 3.
Supporters celebrate win at Hilton
Voters approve succession; other amendments pass
By CHUCK ALSTON
State and National Editor
and
LOU BILIONIS
' Associate Editor
RALEIGH - While county
Democratic leaders from across the
state expressed approval for the
victory of the gubernatorial
succession and other amendments,
there was still a mood of surprise that
opposition to the succession
amendment ran strong.
At 1 1:30 p.m., with more than half
the state's counties reporting, voters
were carrying Amendment No. 3,
gubernatorial succession, 53 percent
to 47 percent.
"I'm very surprised that succession
is so close," said Howard N. Lee,
secretary of natural resources and
community development. "But I think
it will pass."
At that point, returns from G uilford
and Forsyth, two of the state's major
urban areas, still were not in and Gov.
Jim Hunt had not appeared yet.
Steve Glass, executive director ol
the state Democratic Party, read out
the returns to succession supporters
gathered at Democratic headquarters
in the basement of the Hilton Inn.
"It's just under what we projected
but this is in the ballpark." he said.
"We want to win with 50.1 percent,
but I'm afraid the voters might hold us
to that." he said with a twinkle in his
eye.
H ugh M orton, cochairperson of the
Committee for the Right to Reject or
Re-elect, made a brief statement just
after opposition forces conceded at
1 1:20 p.m.
"There were so many things 1
can't think of anything we would do
differently." he said. "We tried to
abide by the law and unite various
factions."
State Representative John Ld
Davenport, leader of Carolinians
Opposed to Succession, stood on a
chair in the pro-succession
headquarters and told the crowd. "I
congratulate you all on your win
tonight."
Throughout the evening.
Davenport kept an optimistic grimace
on his lace as he mingled with the anti
succession forces gathered on the first
floor ol the Hilton. Hesaid he held out
the hope that the rural sections of the
state might turn the vote around.
Davenport said he was pleased that
the vote was as close as it was in
Orange County. "1 had thought it
(succession) would have gone much
stronger in Orange County." hesaid.
He attributed the gubernatorial
succession v ictory to several tactors.
including a large staff and a long
campaign.
He noted that pro-succession forces
outspent his group by about 10 to I.
As for the time factor, he said.
"Really, they've (the pro-succession
campaigners) been working on it since
the (General Assembly) session, and
we've been working on it lor three
weeks."
More voters turn out
than had been expected
Mild, sunny weather sparked a higher than expected voter
turnout in the municipal elections yesterday as a relatively quiet
Flection Day in Chapel 1 1 ill produced a light but steady stream of
voters in the town's 15 precincts.
Election-day activity was noticeably higher in Carrboro, with
an abundance of last-minute campaigning by both volunteers and
the candidates themselves.
Volunteers handing out literature at two Carrboro polling
places were the subjects of complaints. At Carrboro Town Hall,
registrar I-ranees I'endergrass received at least three complaints
concerning volunteers gelling closer than the required 50 feet
Irom the polls.
At the OWASA water plant on Jones Ferry Road, the polling
place lor the University Lake precinct, volunteers were asked in
the morning to move from the front door of the building by
OWASA officials, Tom Gurganus, who was handing out
literature for the independent candidates, said the volunteers were
allowed to move (heir tables back to their original locations in the
afternoon.
"We haven't had any problems." Gurganus said. "Everybody's
been real Iriendlv."
' See VOTING, page 3.
f., Vv. v IN
I !- - A X ' " 4 "x ... . ... . . 1 1
f
I !!?-
L
Dixon: Carter is not behind human rights
X.
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Alderman-elect Marilyn Boulton, shown here shortly after her victory in the Chapel
Hill town-board race was announced, expressed gratitude to the supporters who
gathered at her residence for champagne. Staff photo by Mike Sneed.
By DAVID WAITERS ,
Staff Writer
On the 60th anniversary of the Bolshevik revolution. Maceo
Dixon, a member of the National Committee of the Socialist
Workers Party, criticized the Carter administration lor not
supporting human rights both at home and abroad.
"The cornerstone of Jimmy Carter's campaign was human rights
throughout the world," Dixon said Monday. "But now Carter has
pulled away from affrmative action, abortion and other human
rights issues."
In an almost two-hour talk to about 35 persons Monday in the
Carolina Union. Dixon called the Bakke case "the most important
case for equal rights for blacks and women since the Brown v. Board
of Education decision in 1954.
"Carter said that he is for affirmative action, but not for quotas.
Well, a Carter who is for affirmative action without quotas is like a
man w ho is for the desegregation of schools w ithout busing. Goals
without quotas are ineffective.
"The Bakke case is the central question facing blacks today. A
v ictory lor minorities in the Bakke case w ould prov ide the inspiration
needed to light racist scum from the Ku Klux Klan to the White
House."
Affirmative action should make up for racism of the past as well as
present day discrimination, according to Dixon. And he said, "If I
counted up the interest rate of the 40 acres and a mule ottered to
blacks after the Civ il War, then I would ask for 400 seats from L'SC
Davis and not just a few."
Dixon, a black, who has been described as a liberation activist, was
in Chapel Hill to promote The Militant, a socialist weekly
newspaper. He hrlped organize the National Student Coalition
Against Racism, one of the largest student civ il rights groups in the
1 nited States todav.
Dixon called lor Carter to release government files relating to the
assassinations ol Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X and the
persecution of Joan Little and the Wilmington It), as well as "other
victims of racism in the U.S."
I he situation in South Africa has pressured Carter. Dixon said,
because it forces Carter to "put up or shut up on the issue of civil
rights." Dixon called the arms ban on South Africa that Carter
approved a meaningless gesture.
Dixon also criticized U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young lor going
along with the veto of an economic boycott ol South Africa. Dixon
said the United States vetoed the proposal because it would have
"hurt the capitalists in America."
Dixon described Carter's vouth employment program as a "cruel
hoax." and said the $1 billionprogram is insufficient to provide jobs
when the unemployment rate for blacks between the ages 16 and 19
has reached 40 percent.
Dixon pointed out that Ann Sheppard. a member ot the
Wilmington 10, was in the audience, and he said Carter should
pardon the Wilmington 10 and drop all charges against them. I he
Wilmington 10 were convicted of I'irebombing a store in the early
1970s. Sheppard. speaking to the audience, compared the Rev. Ben
Chavis. the leader of the Wilmington 10, to Steve Biko. the leader of
the black-consciousness movement in South Africa. Biko died
recently, his skull crushed while he was in a South African prison
Se said she feared the government would niurdei Chav is w hi Ic he is
in prison unless public pressure torccs Ihn release.
"Every day Ben Chav is is in pi ison is one more day he could die Iikv
Steve Biko." Sheppard said. "Oui government goes to extreme
means to silence people, and I he onlv w.iv hey can silence Men islo
urn
Maceo Dixon, a member of the Socialist
Workers party, criticized President
Carter Monday for his lack of support of
human rights. Staff photo by Allen
Jernigan,