THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 3, 1996 TAG: 9601030458
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Filing for political office in Pasquotank County opened with a whimper Tuesday, but left plenty of room for a bang in the May 7 primary.
Only three people announced their candidacies with the Board of Elections on the first official day of the 1996 election season: incumbent state Rep. W.C. ``Bill'' Owens Jr., incumbent Register of Deeds Dollie Summerour, and new Board of Education candidate Frank A. Jennings III.
``They're taking their own sweet time about coming in here,'' said Pasquotank's deputy elections director, Linda Page.
Added Director Glenda Crane: ``I thought they'd be here first thing this morning.''
Three county commissioner incumbents - Zee Lamb, Davis Sawyer and Hugh Clinkscales - stayed out of the office Tuesday, as did any potential opponents. Lamb said he plans to run again, Clinkscales is ``pretty sure,'' and Sawyer was reportedly wavering, but could not be reached.
Events this week have already changed the face of the Pasquotank County Board of Education. Two key board members, Chairman Marion Harris Jr. and Policy Committee Chairman Robert Thorne, have said they won't run again. Peggy McPherson, also up for re-election, had not announced her intentions by Tuesday.
Jennings, of Small Drive in Weeksville, filed for the nonpartisan at-large School Board seat being vacated by Thorne.
Jennings, 46, is a field representative for the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management. He has a daughter in fourth grade at H.L. Trigg Elementary and a son entering kindergarten next year.
``I'm running because I'm concerned for my children and I'm a concerned citizen,'' said Jennings, adding that he did not want to discuss issues until after the filing period closes Feb. 5.
In choosing not to run again, Thorne and Harris will leave two vacancies and remove a combined 20 years of experience from the board.
``I think eight years is a long time,'' said Thorne, who is completing his second term,'' and I think the school system has made remarkable strides in the direction it needs to go.''
Changes in the makeup of the board should not deter the school system from its record of widely recognized reforms over the last several years, Thorne said.
``It'll be a strong core,'' he said. ``It's in good hands.''
Harris, finishing his third term, said he can't guess what direction the board will take after he and Thorne depart.
``It'll be hard to predict that,'' Harris said. ``It's just a wait-and-see type thing.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
FILING FOR OFFICE
Candidates filing for statewide and federal offices, with their
party and office sought:
Earl Rountree, Republican, agriculture commissioner.
Jim Graham, Democrat, agriculture commissioner.
Harlan Boyles, Democrat, state treasurer.
Art Manning, Republican, governor.
Tim Dunn, Democrat, U.S. Congress, 7th District.
Michael Weisel, Democrat, state treasurer.
Robin Hayes, Republican, governor.
Sheppard Neal Moore, Democrat, U.S. Congress, 3rd District.
Burley Mitchell, Democrat, Chief Justice, state Supreme Court.
Sarah Parker, Democrat, Associate Justice, state Supreme Court.
by CNB