Magazine,
Fall 2015,
/NS/DE TODAY'S
EDITION
50c
482-4418
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Schools seek savings on critical facilities work
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Edenton-rfiowan Schools
officials reported to the
county commissioners last
week that they had found
ways to save a net $40,550
so far on school capital proj
ects - and continue to look
for additional savings.
Superintendent Rob Jack
son and Maintenance Direc
tor Brad Bass presented an
update on school capital
spending at the Aug. 8 meet
ing of the Chowan Board of
Commissioners.
Jackson opened the
presentation with what he
called a “statement of as
surance’' regarding financial
stewardship by the school
system.
“The dedicated employ
ees of Edenton-Chowan
Schools are committed to
using the resources pro
dded to our school district
wisely and effectively in or
der to provide the highest
quality educational services
possible,” .Jackson said. “We
have been, and we will con
tinue to be, fiscally conser
vative because we fully ap
predate our responsibility
to be excellent stewards of
public resources directed to
our schools."
Jackson noted that
the county had provided
$600,000 this year for capi
tal outlay, which would al
low the school system to ac
complish the first six of its
top priority items.
The seventh priority,
which is an energy manage
ment control system at
White Oak Elementary
School, is partly funded out
of the $600,000, Jackson
said.
So school officials are try
ing to save money on other
projects in order to be able
to have enough available
to address the energy man
agement control system, he
said.
If that doesn’t work out,
though, the maintenance
department will use any
available funds to work on
the next highest priority.
Jackson told the commis
sioners he understood that
resources are finite. He said
he also understands that
See FACILITIES, 4A
Chowan Regional Fair next week at fairgrounds
From staff reports
The Chowan County
Regional Fire opens Tues
day.
The fair will be held
Sept. 22-2(1 at the Ameri
can Legion Fairgrounds.
A highlight of this year’s
fair wil be Hansen's
Spectacular Acrobatics.
Other entertainment will
include the Fork Chop
Revue and the Barn Yard
Review.
Also, a hynotist will
perform both Wednesday
and Thursday nights.
Advance tic kets, avail
able at select Colony Tire
and Duck Thru locations,
are available for $6. Tick
ets at the gate will be $8.
An advance armband,
good for unlimited rides,
is available for $17. The
armband does not in
clude admission and the
admission tickets do not
include rides.
The fair will be open
from 4-11 p.m. on Tues
day-Friday and 11 a.m.
midnight on Saturday.
Elementary and middle
school students are ad
mitted free with a paying
adult on Tuesday.
See .FAIR, 4A
‘ Hang
Bullying
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'Bullying
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STAFF PHOTO BY REGGIE PONDER
This anti-bullying display is set up in the new educational exhibits hall at the fairgrounds. The Chowan County Regional Fair begins Sept. 22.
Tyner man, 31, dies in Sunday morning house fire
From staff reports
A dl-year-old mail died
early Sunday morning in a
fire at his home in Tyner.
Haywood Johnson died in
the fire at 510 Walton lnne
in Tyner, according to Sher
iff Dwayne (loodwin.
No one else was home at
the time of the fire.
Johnson was treated on
the scene by emergency
medical personnel and
transported by ambulance
to Vidant Chowan Hospital,
where he was pronounced
dead.
The fire apparently st;u1
ed in tlie kitchen area, ac
cording to Goodwill.
The exact cause of the fire
had not been determined as
(>f | rresstime Tuesday.
The (enter Ilill-Cross
roarts Volunteer Fire Depart
ment was called to the scene
around 2:d<) a.m Sunday.
The lire department and
sheriffs office are investi
gating the fire.
Investigators are awaiting
results of an autopsy, Good
win said.
The house sustained
heavy smoky damage.
Chief Mike Hamilton of
tilt* Center Hill-Crossroads
Fire Department said 15
firefighters from the depart
ment rescinded to the call.
The Edenton Fire De
partment also responded to
the fire.
STAFF PHOTO BY REGGIE PONDER
Haywood Johnson, 31, who lived in this house on Walton Lane in Tyner, died after a fire burned the home, Sunday.
Commissioners
back county planner
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
County commission
ers defended the county’s
planning director last week
agiiiirst a widespread but
inaccurate, according to
county officials - criticism
that the planner exceeded
the commissioners’ autho
rization in drafting a wind
6
0
O2009 I he Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
energy text amendment.
Tlie county’s planning
board has recommended
to the commissioners a
text amendment that would
make the wind energy or
dinance somewhat stricter
than it currently is - for in
stance, requiring noise lev
els to he measured front the
nearest property line rattier
than the nearest occupied
building.
Speakers in the public
comment portion of the
Sept. 8 meeting of the Chow
an Board of Commissioners
See PLANNER. 4A
Local musician Martin Parker dies
BY ROBERT KELLY - GOSS
The Daily Advance
Longtime Nashville musician
and Chowan County native Martin
Parker has died.
Parker, (id, who suffered a stroke
last month, passed away at Pitt
Memorial Hospital in Greenville
early on the morning of Sept. 10.
According to his son Quinton
Parker, the professional drummer
had been recuperating in the hos
pital after tin- serious stroke. Fam
ily and friends had held constant
vigil at Parker's side, encouraging
him to recuperate.
Quinton Parker said in the end,
however, his father seemed to be
struggling.
“It got to the point where it didn't
seem like he would improve," said
Quinton Parker.
PARKER
Throughout the ordeal, scores
of friends would come to Parker’s
aid, raising needed funds through
online fundraisers and music ben
ofits.
Quinton Parker said that if there
is a silver lining to his father’s
stroke and subsequent death, it is
how amazed and “humbled” he is
to see how many lives his father
touched over the years. “There is
so much love,” said Quinton Park
er, "It is a very beautiful thing to
witness.”
Growing up in Edenton, Parker
was a musician whose reputation
began to grow back in the late
1960s playing drums with high
school bands, according to lifelong
friend and Out ‘n the Cold band
mate Clarence Munden. Parker,
said Munden, would eventually
make his way to Nashville where
he would play with country super
stars such as Vince Gill and Patty
See PARKER, 4A