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SHEPHERD PRUDEN LIBRARY
106 W WATER ST
EDENTON NC 27932-1854
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
50*
Official: Timbennill project in harmony with area
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
An official with Apex Clean
Energy testified Monday that the
proposed Tlmbermill Wind Proj
ect would be in harmony with the
surrounding area
At a quasi-judicial hearing that
began Monday night on the appli
cation by Apex Clean Energy Inc.
for a conditional use permit for
that portion of the proposed 300
megawatt wind energy genera
tion facility that would be located
in Chowan County
- roughly half the
project would be
located in neigh
boring Perquimans
rVnmfv AnHndh* thp
Chowan County Board of Com
missioners heard testimony from
Don Giecek, a senior development
manager with Apex, on the pro
posed project’s harmony with the
area and general conformity with
the county’s land use plan.
In response to questions from
Henry Campen, an attorney rep
resenting Apex in
the matter, Giecek
testified that most
of the land leased
for the project is
agricultural land or
Weyerhauser-owned timberland.
Thepropertyiszoned A-l, which
is the county’s zoning district for
agricultural areas with low-den
sity residential uses, Giecek said.
Bill Brian, an attorney repre
senting neighboring property
owners who oppose the project,
objected to the basis Giecek had
MORE INSIDE
■ Board rejects motion to
stop permit hearing-3A
provided for his assertion that the
project would be in harmony with
the area
John Morrison, an attorney ad
vising the county, asked Giecek if
he would provide a “better foun
dation”
In response to further question
ing, Giecek said he had been in the
area a great deal and looked at the
properties included in the project
He added that he also had been on
many of the adjoining properties.
After hearing Giecek’s additional
testimony, Morrison instructed
the commissioners that they could
accept the tetimony from Giecek
and give to it whatever weight
they chose.
Brian asked a series of questions
challenging Giecek’s claim that the
Timbermill Wind Project would be in
harmony with the surrounding area
In response to Brian’s cross-ex
amination, Giecek acknowledged
there were “a couple” of properties
in Chowan County that are not part
See PROJECT, 4A
Summer Reading a big hit with youngsters

BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
The Summer Reading Pro
gram at the Shepard-Pruden
Memorial Library came to a
magical conclusion last week.
Gary Shelton of New Bern pre
sented his magic show for the
youngsters on the morning of Aug.
16. Also that day, children got a
chance to take home prizes for
their participation. After the magic
show and prize presentation every
one went to the waterfront for a
picnic with hot dogs.
Rep. Bob Steinburg, R-Chowan,
was on hand to greet the childten.
He told the kids that when he and
other legislators are in Raleigh
one of the things they spend a lot
of time discussing is how they can
do more to help children. He said
one of the best ways to do that is by
supporting public libraries.
Jennifer Finlay, director of the
local library, said he appreciated
Steinburg’s support in the most re
cent budget for increased funding
to regional library systems.
The Shepard-Pruden Memorial
Library is part of the Pettigrew
Regional Library.
Steinburg said he has always
been supportive of local librar
ies. In addition, he said, Finlay
and other librarians in the region
had reached out to him and em
phasized the importance of state
funding for libraries.
“I wholeheartedely agree about
the importance of our libraries
See READING, 2A
Suspect
in home
invasion
arrested
From staff reports
The suspect in a June
home invasion and as
sault has been arrested in
California, Edenton Police
reported.
Joel Daniel Dilucia, 18,
was arrested on Aug. 10
around 11 p.m. Eastern
time in Mt Shasta, CA. af
ter turning himself into au
thorities.
Edenton Police are now
waiting on extradition and
his return to North Caro
lina to face the criminal
charges in this case.
On Tuesday, June 7,
around a.m., officers re
sponded to a burglary and
assault that occurred at
108 W. Queen Street, Eden
ton.
With the assistance of
the N.C. State Bureau of
Investigation, the Edenton
Police Department ob
tained felony warrants for
the arrest of Dilucia, 1114
Johnson Lane, Edenton,
NC. The charges are First
Degree Burglary, Felony
Larceny, Felony Posses
sion of Stolen Goods and
Felony Assault with a
Deadly Weapon Inflicting
Serious Injury.
New laces on board as local schools open next week
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Jeff Williamson is excited about teaching
American history in a town where a lot of
that history happened.
Williamson is starting his first year as a
social studies teacher at John A. Holmes
High School. He is one of 23 new staff mem
bers among the approximately 303 employ
ees. There are no new administrators.
School opens in Chowan County on
Monday.
Two teaching vacancies remain as the
school system seeks to fill positions for a
math teacher and an Exceptional Children’s
Program teacher.
The Edenton-Chowan school system will
begin the 2016-2017 school year with a pro
jected enrollment of 2,083 students.
Of those, according to Michelle Maddox,
human resources director for the school
system, there are 37 students at John A.
Holmes High School in dual enrollment
with College of the Albemarle.
Williamson, a West Virginia native
who holds bachelor’s and master’s de
grees from West Virginia University, has
lived in Edenton three years but taught
the past three school years in neighbor
ing Bertie County. He said he has been
excited about the prospect of teaching
American history in history-rich Edenton.
Maddox said that there are 11 legislated
school holidays on this year’s calen
dar and 14 teacher workdays.
“Barring no inclement weather to force
a change,” Maddox said, the last day of
school for students is June 9, last: day for
teachers, June 15.
School lunch prices will rise slightly
during the coming school year, according
See SCHOOL, 4A
STAFF PHOTO BY
REGGIE PONDER
Jeff Williamson
readies his
classroom for the
start of school
next week.
Town council eyes downtown revitalization projects
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Potential projects that
could be covered under a
North Carolina Division of
Rural Economic Develop
ment Downtown Revitaliza
tion Grant could be consid
ered by the town council as
soon at its Sept 13 monthly
meetirig.
The slate of ideas was
■IIII III
©2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
vV
moved forward at the recom
mendation of Public Works
Committee chair Jimmy
Stallings following discus
sion during council’s
monthly work session Mon
day night
Town Manager Anne-Ma
rie Knighton said that the
special $96,000 appropria
tion secured with the assis
tance of Rep. Bob Steinburg,
R-Chowan, could be used
to fund projects including
construction of a monument
honoring Hugh Williamson
of Edenton, a signer of the
U.S. Constitution, at Queen
Anne Park on the downtown
waterfront
The establishment of the
monument at that location
would require relocating of
the Lighthhouse Bell pres
ently in the park to a location
near the 1886 Roanoke River
lighthouse and issuance of
a certificate of appropriate
ness by the town&requojs
Historic Preservation Com
mission.
Judge Tferrence Boyle
told the council that the es
tablishment of the William
son monument would bring
“tremendous benefits” to the
town.
“People will be curious
about Hugh Williamson,” he
said.
“We are also asking for
you to consider an appropri
ation of the grant to DDE for
initial implementation of the
Public Arts Initiative plan,"
Knighton said. “It will
be the road map for public
arts initiative for years to
come."
Knighton suggested that
$15,000 of the grant be set
aside for Destination Down
town Edenton (DDE) for
implementation of the plan.
DDE Executive Director
Jennifer Harriss said that the
initiative was something of
which her organization was
extremely proud because
it had involved outstanding
work by facilitator Geraldine
Plato and such a high degree
of public participation.
»
“It has been such a com
munitywide effort,” she said.
Harriss said she and DDE
were looking forward to
working creatively with the
Chowan Arts Council headed
by president Regan Coxe and
others to put the community
on the map when it comes to
public arts projects.
Knighton also explained
the options that could be
funded with the remaining
$20,000 of the grant includ
ing paving that would con
nect parts of missing side
walks or perhaps to pay for
engineering work to design
a system of new streetlights
for the downtown area or a
business incentive plan to
encourage economic devel
opment
But Councilman Bob
Quinn said he felt the most
pressing issue was putting in
a sidewalk on Water Street,
as suggested in an email
by Mayor Roland Vaughan.
As it currently is, he said, it
presents a hazard to drivers
and pedestrians.
“It’s been my view that
we’re really looking at a
horrible accident waiting
to happen,” he said. “It’s a
dangerous situation for the
town.”
According to Knighton,
the deadline to submit pro
posals to be funded by the
grant is Sept 1.