HOUDAY SHOPPING OF TO BIG START
Small Business Saturday a big hit for all
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Shoppers looking for
unique gift ideas found
them in downtown Eden
ton on Small Business Sat
urday.
Between locals and lots
of out of town visitors try
ing to work in some holiday
gift buying before heading
home, businesses reported
brisk sales over the week
end.
Among them were
Joy and Tradd Toppin of
Charleston, S.C., who were
in town visiting Tradd’s par
ents, Haurice and Shirley
Toppin. Jilt' Toppins were
accompanied on their shop
ping expedition by their 14
month-old twins, Audrey
and Owen, who nestled con
tently in their twin stroller
as the couple browsed at
Shoppes on Broad.
“We’re looking for Christ
mas presents for our nieces
and nephews," Joy said. “I
like coming to places like
this because you'll find
things you wouldn’t find
somewhere eLse."
And that’s just the point
of shopping in small shops
that are locally owned while
avoiding the crowds that
are typically encountered
at big box retail stores, s;iid
Donna McLees, owner of
ShopjM's on Broad.
“We’ve certainly been
glad to st‘e our local cus
tomers come in," she said.
STAFF PHOTO BY REBECCA BUNCH
Rebecca Teverbaugh gestures while Christmas shopping at the Silly Monkey in downtown Edenton on Small Business Saturday
with her daughter Kayla, 5. Also joining them was daughter Olivia, 9. This will be the family’s first Christmas in Edenton.
“And we’ve also had people
in town for the holiday
stopping by. Some of our
customers have come from
some distance away just
to see what we have for
Christmas because they
love the shop.”
McLees said the holiday
season is a favorite time of
year for merchants and cus
tomers alike.
“It’s a fun time,” she said.
“Some people who’ve come
in we haven’t seen for a
wliile so it’s been like home
week. They’re here visiting
relatives and friends and
have stopped by.”
Gloria Wadsworth, own
er of the Our Place retail
shop, agreed that between
See SATURDAY, 4A
Black
Friday a
good day
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Local merchants expe
rienced a successful Black
Friday.
The major shopping pro
motion also was a liit with
shoppers.
Sam Hal](trail of Eden
ton was at Peebles around
7 am. Friday. She said the
store was the first place she
went on Black Friday.
“This is the first year I
have ever done it," Halloran
said of her Black Friday
shopping.
She was looking especial
ly for shoes and already had
a shoebox under her arm
as she browsed a few other
items.
Halloran said she was
planning to shop at Byrum’s
aid maybe stop by some
other places later in the day.
Edna Zachary of Eden
ton was shopping around
7:30 am. Friday at Peebles.
She didn’t go shopping on
Thanksgiving Day and said
See FRIDAY, 4A
Missing woman’s family seeks help from nonprofit
BY PETER WILLIAMS
The Perquimans Weekly
The family of a woman
missing since May has en
listed the help of a national
vi >lunteer agency.
Karen Bosta was last
seen visiting the Walgreens
in Edenton on May :J0. Her
ear was found a few days
later in the Gaslight Square
parking lot off Broad Street
in Edenton. Bosta was living
in Holiday Island in Perqui
mans County at the time of
her disappearance.
To date lawmen have had
few dues as to what haje
period to her.
“As her mother, I ;un
pleading with the commu
nity to be vigilant when you
are out and about especially
our hunters, fanners, boat
ers, fishennan, aviators and
;dl outdoor wan kers for any
thing
suspicious,” said Arlene
Murrin. “Pay attention to
abandoned homes, bams
or buildings. Any rumors or
hearsay should be reported.
With everyone’s help, I kn<>w
we can find her.”
Tire Wilmington-based
non-profit group CUE Cen
ter for Missing Persons is
helping with the search.
CUE stands for Community
United Effort. 71 ic group
was founded in 1994.
Murrin said she heard
about CUE and contacted
them in (Ictober.
‘They’re doing a lot of
research work, and a whole
lot of work with social me
dia,” she said. “They’ve been
wonderful.”
Murrin said she’s been
distributing fliers.
“I've been handing them
out to people working in the
area, road crews, propane
companies," Murrin said.
“I’ve even stopped hunters
where I could. I’m just trying
to do everything we can.”
Murrin (dans to be at
Christmas parades in Hert
ford, Edenton and Elizabeth
City this year to hand out
more.
Perquimans County Sher
iff Eric Tilley said law en
forcement has few clues.
“We’ve had it on TV, we’ve
had it in the papers, we’ve
done searches. “Unless
something comes up, we’re
at our wit’s end,” Tilley said.
To contact the sheriffs of
fice, ctill 426-5614. A $5,000
See BOSTA, 3A
SUBMITTED
PHOTO
Karen Bosta
has been
missing
since May.
Democrat, Republican file
in 1st Commissioner District
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Although the first
half hour' of filing for
tin* March 15 Primary
did not generate any
contested races in
the Primary, a poten
tial General Election
contest emerged for
1st District county CUMM|NGS
commissioner as
incumbent Commissioner Emmett
Winbome, a Democrat, and Republi
can Ron Cummings both filed for the
seat.
Cummings was the first candidate
to file once the filing perirxl opened
Tuesday at noon. Moments later,
<02009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
Winbome awl Lynn
Hilliard, a Democrat
seeking election as
Register of Deeds.
“Hopefully my
name is getting out
there now,” Cum
mings said in a brief
interview after filing.
He noted he received
GILLIARD
41 percent of the vote
in liis unsuccessful
bid for the seat in
2012, and 43 percent
in 2014.
Cununings, who
has iH'en a leader in
me citizen movement mmmmmmBmd
to adopt a more strin- WINBORNE
gent wind energy or
dinance in the county, said the wind
turbine Issue Is part of his campaign
- but only part.
He said he also is concerned about
how money is being spent He cited
See FILING, 3A
Mobile Crisis offers alternative
in mental health emergencies
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
A new initiative in Chowan
County is improving access to
care for people suffering from
mental illness.
The involvement of an Al
bemarle area Mobile Crisis
team led by Keith Hamm is ex
pected to east1 the burden on
the emergency room at Vidant
Chowan Hospital and local law
enforcement officers who are
frequently called in to deal with
family crisis situations involv
ing mental health issues for
which they are not trained.
The team Ls able to respond
to an individual’s requests for
assistance before they go to the
hospital ER for help. Once they
have gone to the ER the team
Ls no longer able to respond,
Hamm said. Law enforcement
officers can also request help
“Anytime you make
changes, there are
going to be issues. What
we’ve got now is, we've
got people that can be
called in to help bridge
the gap for people in
crisis in combination
with other services."
Keith Hamm
Oversees Mobile
Crisis team
from the team in dealing with
crisis situations, he said,
Hamm said he was pleased
to be able to assist in provid
ing help to the mentally ill and
their families, who often don't
know where to turn except to
take their family member to
the emergency room or call
law enforcement lor assistance
when a crisis occurs.
Hamm said that options for
families in crisis became lim
ited when Albemarle Mental
Health closed its doors about
seven years ago until East
Carolina Behavioral Health in
Greenville stepped in to fill the
void. As a result of a merger,
that agency is today known as
Trillium Health Resources.
And where Albemarle Men
tal Health offered hands-on
services, Trillium’s approach
has been to make referrals to
appropriate agencies. That’s
where the Mobile Crisis team
can help in emergency situ
ations in Chowan and other
See CRISIS TEAM. 3A
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