P8/C8* * * * * *CAR-K'f LOT*-*C 002 A01 09
SHEPHERD PRUOEN LIBRARY
106 W WATER ST
EDENTON NC 27932-1854
482-4418
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
50«
STAFF PHOTO BY REBECCA BUNCH
School staff and students laugh after White Oak Elementary Principal Michelle White kissed an actual pig. White kissed the
pig as part of a deal she made with her students that stated that the students collected the most food of any Chowan County
school. The food was a benefit drive for the local food pantry. See full story on page IB.
Committee
appointed to
review wind
ordinance
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
The Chowan County Planning Board has
tapped three of its members to serve as a
subcommittee in reviewing the county’s
wind energy ordinance.
Patti Kersey, the board’s vice chairman,
is on the subcommittee, as are board mem
bers Jim Robison and Jim Leggett.
Kersey, in a brief presentation to her fel
low board members at the board’s meeting
Thursday night, proposed that the chair
man appoint three members of the board to
a subcommittee to review the ordinance.
Kersey proposed that the subcommittee
would meet at least once a week and would
compare the county’s 2013 wind energy or
dinance to independently researched ordi
nances.
The subcommittee would not look at
model wind ordinances but at “real and
well-researched ordinances,” Kersey said.
The subcommittee would report to the
Planning Board at the board’s March 31
meeting, Kersey said.
Planning Board Chairman Lou Sarratt
said the committee would do legwork.
See WIND ORDINANCE, 4A
Hospital honors leaders in transition to new roles
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Vidant Chowan Hospital held
a reception March 9 in honor of
Jeffrey Saekrison’s promotion
to division president and Jeffery
Dial’s promotion to local hospital
president.
Dr. William Hope, chief of the
medical staff at Vidant Chowan
Hospital, said it’s an exciting time
at the hospital. He said he has
learned a lot from Sackrison over
the past 10 years.
Hope said he Ls impressed with
Saekrison’s ability to recruit pro
viders.
“Not only can he recruit physi
cians but he also knows how to
build relationships with them,”
Hope said.
Hope noted the hospital's prog
ress under Sackrison's leadership
in developing rehabilitation ser
vices and other important service
areas. He also pointed out that
Sackrison led the hospital’s tran
sition to critical access status,
which has been vitally important
to the hospitality’s stability.
STAFF PHOTOS BY REGGIE PONDER
Dr. William Hope, chief of medical staff at Vidant Chowan Hospital (l-r), Jeffery Dial, the hospital's
new president and Jeffrey Sackrison, the new president of the hospital’s northern division each
speak at a leadership transition reception at Vidant Chowan Hospital, March 9.
"That Ls a really big accomplish
ment,” Hope said of the critical ac
cess stattis.
Hope said Sackrison built an
outstanding leadership team at
the hospital, including Dial.
“1 would like to congratulate
both of them for their new posi
tions and their promotions,” Hope
said.
Saekrison spoke fondly of Iris
time as president of Vidant Chow
an Hospital and later as president
of both Vidant Chowan and Vidant
Bertie hospitals.
"Hus has been an amazing jour
ney,” Saekrison said.
The hospital has a solid repu
tation and financial foundation,
Saekrison said. That has been a
team effort and the team has been
great, he said.
Saekrison said the administra
tive team has always had the wis
dom and sense of purpose to do
what was right for patients, even
when it meant disagreeing with
him.
Sackrison said Vidant Chowan
Hospital and Vidant Bertie Hos
pital have been fortunate to have
earing physicians.
Tire doctors care very much
about their patients and the entire
staff is dedicated and caring, he
said.
“They go the extra mile and
they’re the folks who make the
difference,” Sackrison said.
Cathy White, the executive ad
ministrative assistant for Vidant
Chowan Hospital and Vidant Ber
tie Hospital, has been especially
helpful, Sackrison said.
Sackrison noted Iris family con
tinues to endure the career of a
health care professional. He said
his family has shared his sense of
purpose and work ethic.
Sackrison said Iris wife, Sandy,
had been Iris rock and support
through times he thought were
impossible.
See NEW ROLES, 4A
Town reaches deal on
property for new station
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
The town has reached
agreements for the purchase
of three pieces of property
that will allow construction
to begin this summer on a
police station.
Town Manager Anne-Ma
rie Knighton said that ac
quisition agreements have
been reached with former
Edenton Police Chief Greg
Bonner and his wife as well
as Marlin, LLC, a company
owned by Larry Sellers and
Steve Lane of Edenton.
“The closing date has
been set for April 17,” she
said. “Town Attorney Hood
Ellis prepared the contracts
6
0
©2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
and they have been deliv
ered to tiie parties for re
view and execution.”
The Bonners will be paid
$48,741 for a house they own
at 137 E. Albemarle. Marlin,
LLC will receive $97,590 for
the properties that Lime and
Sellers own at 307 and 309
N. Oakum Street, Knighton
said.
“The purchase price is 10
percent above the higher
value, either the appraisal
value or the tax value,” she
explained.
In the cast* of the three
properties in question, tire
figures were established as
follows:
• 137 E. Albemarle — tire
higher value was the tax val
ue $44,310 plus 10 percent,
for a total of $48,741
• 307 N. Oakum Street —
the higher value in tills case
was the appraised value
See NEW STATION, 4A
Officers seek 2 in auto dealer robbery
From staff reports
The Chowan County Sheriff’s Department is looking for
two men who robbed a local business in the early morning
of March 12.
Two men attacked Maurice Eley, 51, as he was opening
up Ids business at M&M Auto Sales on Virginia Road north
of Edenton around 5:45 am., according to Chowan County
Sheriff Dwayne Goodwin.
Eley told officers the men were bundled up and appeared
to t>e wearing sometliing over their faces, Goodwin said.
A struggle ensued when Eley fought back, but the two
men were;title to get a small amount of cash from Eley Ire
fore locking him inside a small room tit the office, Goodwin
said.
The robbers drove Eley s Chevrolet S-10 pickup about a
quarter of a mile south before abandoning the vehicle in a
driveway along Virginia Road, Goodwin said.
Authorities believe the robbers were picked up by an
other vehicle driven by someone who was abetting the rob
bery.
Eley described both robbers as five feet, nine inches
to five feet, 10 inches in height, with slim build, Goodwin
said.
Eley suffered minor scrapes and bruises turd went to tire
hospital to get liis injuries checked out, Goodwin said.
The sheriffs department Ls working on a number of leads
in the case, according to Goodwin.
Jackson discusses capital needs at schools
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Edenton-Chowan Schools Su
perintendent Rob Jackson brought
what he terms a “conversation”
about school needs to parents
Thursday night at John A. Holmes
High School.
Among those in attendance at
Holmes was County Commission
er Keith Nixon.
Much of Jackson’s presentation
centered on facility needs
in excess of $2 million with
in the school system. He
told how in his early days
as superintendent he wore
jeans to work and crawled
around with Brad Bass,
inspecting various areas
within the schools to get a
firsthand look at equipment
k.
JACKSON
uiui is uuiuaieu or non-iuncuonai. nearly
Bass is the maintenance supervi
sor for the school system.
Two heating/cooling units
outside the locker rooms
at Chowan Middle School
haven’t worked in decades,
he said, citing just one ex
ample. Jackson reminded
those in the audience of the
freezing cold weather ex
perienced here this winter
and said the wind chill was
unbearable on some days
See CAPITAL NEEDS, 4A
X
LfhZ—
RELAY
FOR LIFE
FRIDAY, APRIL 17th, 7:30PM
Puritan's Relay for Life Team
Tickets
$10.00
SWAIN
J AUDITORIUM
mm, nc
Tickets Available at various locations or call 252.221-4875 or 252-340-3438. Email rockyhock opry@live.com