Edenton issues boil advisory after major water line break
BY REBECCA BUNCH
AND MILES LAYTON
Staff Writers
The Town of Edenton is
sued a boil water advisory
after a water line break lost
an estimated 800,000 gallons
of water Monday.
Downtown area busi
nesses and Vidant-Chowan
Hospital took precautionary
measures not only to deal
with low water pressure, but
adjusted hours and provided
potable drinking water when
necessary.
A few hours after the
break on West Queen Street
at Filbert’s Creek was iso
lated around 1 p.m. Monday,
system pressure was being
restored, according to an ad
visory issued Tuesday morn
ing by City Hall.
The water disruption did
not affect Chowan County
water customers.
Tuesday, Edenton’s water
pressure was much better,
however, the boil water advi
sory was still in effect
“We will keep you posted and appreciate your
patience."
Anne-Marie Knighton
Edenton town manager
Water customers are ad
vised to boil all water used
for human consumption
(including drinking, making
ice, brushing teeth, washing
dishes and food preparation)
or use bottled water.
City Hall must take wa
ter samples and have them
tested at lab to make sure no
bacteria entered the water
system.
The boil advisory will
remain in effect until tests
results confirm no bacteria
- which at the earliest would
be today.
“We have to take water
samples and have tested at
lab to make sure no bacte
ria entered water system,”
Town Manager Anne-Marie
Knighton said in a press re
lease issued Tuesday morn
ing. “The boil advisory will
remain in effect until tests
results confirm no bacteria-
which at earliest would be
Wednesday (today) around
noon. We will keep you
posted and appreciate your
patience.”
Knighton said the town
plans to purchase water
from the county. Town offi
cials believe that purchase,
along with what the town is
able to produce, will be suf
ficient to meet customers’
needs.
“We are asking customers
to please conserve water as
much as possible until we
fully recover from this situa
tion,” she said.
Town water customers
See BREAK, 2A
Taylor
Theater
closed
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
When Taylor Theater
recently closed its doors
for repairs, the community
expressed its concern via
the Chowan Herald’s Face-
book page.
Per the owners, a storm
(June 25) did quite a bit of
damage to one screen, so
the theater is closed until
further notice. Contractors
were working at the theater
this past weekend. As soon
as the Chowan Herald gets
more information about
the theater’s future, it will
share this news as soon as
possible.
True, people can drive to
Elizabeth City for a movie,
but it’s more fim to stay
in downtown Edenton,
see “Wonder Woman” and
then grab a cup of coffee
or some cheese cake after
ward on Broad Street.
Though this is an age
of home theaters, it’s just
not the same as when see
ing “Star Wars” on the big
screen. When this news tid
bit with a photo was post
ed recently on the Chowan
Herald’s Facebook page,
the story reached 18,765
people’s Facebook pages
because the news was
shared 127 times with at
least 40 people comment
ing and nearly 200 folks re
acting to the story.
Debbie Rogerson Lewis
posted “Hope it stays open.
That was a big part of my
childhood memories. Do
my chores on Saturday, so
mama gave me a dollar to
go to theater. Enough for
ticket drink an popcorn.
My brother worked there
too.”
Jeanne Simmons Wad-
ford added, “It’s the first
place I ever saw a movie.
It was The Empire Strikes
Back. I can still remember
the way it smells.”
Ruthie Habit Hooper
See THEATER, 2A
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6
0
PHOTO BY REBECCA BUNCH
Watermelon eating contest — Optimists’ Club used seedless watermelon to ensure kids’ safety. Of course
back in the day, kids would collect the seeds in their mouths so as to spit them machine gun-style at friends
and enemies alike. In retrospect, the Optimists’ approach is better.
Fabulous Fourth of July Celebration
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Despite challenging weather con
ditions that included wind gusts and
bouts of rain the Chowan Edenton Op
timist Club’s Fabulous Fourth of July
Celebration went
off at the downtown
waterfront without
a hitch.
Among those
epjoying the events
that day were Ev
elyn Ashworth and
her 10 year-old
granddaughter, Ciara Evans of Eliza
beth City.
“This is the first time we’ve been
here in a few years,” Ashworth said as
she and Ciara enjoyed some colorful
icy beverages courtesy of one the ven
dors at the waterfront that day.
“We used to live in Hertford and
used to come every year,” Ashworth
said. “But this is our first time back in
Edenton since we moved to Elizabeth
City.”
Also on hand were Lois DeWitte
and her grandson Eli DeWitte, 12, of
Edenton who were munching on a
RELATED
■ See more
Fourth of July
photos on
page 2B
shared bag of buttered popcorn as
they walked around together. Eli later
in the afternoon took part in the Opti
mists first-ever Peanut Butter Eating
Contest.
And while he didn’t win he was ex
cited to be able to take home the re
mainder of the 5-pound tub of smooth
ice cream he chowed down on during
the competition. Peanut butter for the
competition was donated by an Eden
ton business, Jimbo’s Jumbos. The
Optimists also handed out bottled
water for the contestants to drink in
between bites of peanut butter.
Winners were: First Place, Joshua
Panek; Second Place, Nicholas Harris;
and Third Place, Nicholas Kroener.
The Peanut Butter Eating Contest
was preceded by the club’s traditional
Watermelon Eating Contest for kids.
The winners in that competition were:
First Place, Derrick Nowell; Second
Place, Nick Harris; and Third Place,
Zoey Nowell.
John McArthur, who co-chaired
events at the celebration with fellow
Optimist Club member Kirk DeVine,
welcomed those taking part in, and
See CELEBRATION, 3A
PHOTO BY STEVE GRZANKA OF ZANKS
PHOTOGRAPHY
“...and the rockets' red glare, the
bombs bursting in air gave proof
to the night that our flag was still
there....’’ Lots of folks attended
Edenton’s fireworks celebration
organized by the Chowan Edenton
Optimist Club Fabulous Fourth of
July 2017
Edenton Town Council filing period opens
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
One incumbent and two
newcomers have filed for
seats on the Edenton Town
Council since the filing
period opened last Friday,
July 7 at noon.
The filing period will
close at noon on Friday,
July 21.
According to Chowan
County Board of Elections
A Grand Celebration
Director Rebecca Lowe,
incumbent Elton Bond Jr.
filed Friday for re-election
to his Fourth Ward seat. If
re-elected that would mark
Bond’s second term in of
fice. Each council term
lasts for four years, Lowe
said.
Councilman-at-Large
Bob Quinn, who is com
pleting his second term on
the council, said Monday
he would not be a candi
date for re-election.
“I do not plan to run,”
Quinn said, citing his belief
in term limits and a desire
to give others a chance to
serve.
Councilwoman Norma
Simpson, who served citi
zens in the Third Ward and
just completed her first
term in office, said Mon
day she also did not plan to
seek re-election.
Simpson, a nurse who
works part-time at Family
Medicine of Edenton, said
she appreciated having
had the chance to serve the
community through her
work on the council but
that she wanted to spend
more time with her family.
Simpson said she felt
glad to have been a part
of seeing the new Edenton
Police Station open and
See FILING, 3A
Chowan
woman
hurt in
wreck
BY WILLIAM F. WEST
For the Chowan Herald
HERTFORD—An elderly
Chowan County woman is
in serious condition at a Vir
ginia hospital after she was
injured in a single-car wreck
on Harvey Point Road this
weekend.
Patty Jordan, 84, of the
2100 block of Albemarle
Drive, was still being treated
at Sentara Norfolk General
Hospital Monday afternoon,
Sentara Healthcare spokes
man Dale Gauding said.
Trooper KR. Briggs of the
N.C. Highway Patrol said
Monday that Jordan was driv
ing a 2004 Ford Focus south-
east on Harvey Point Road
Sunday morning when she
apparently lost control of her
See WRECK, 2A
Officials
mull COA
campus
future
BY REGGIE PONDER
For the Chowan Herald
Representatives of Col
lege of The Albemarle,
Chowan County and the
town of Edenton recently
discussed a possible path to
a sustainable education and
training program on COAs
Edenton-Chowan Campus.
An assessment prepared
by a consultant during the
tenure
of Kandi
D e i t e -
meyer, the
college’s
i m m e d i -
ate past
president
who left in
December
RELATED
■ Chowan
may find
tenant for D.F.
Walker
building - 3A
to head another community
college in Charlotte, ques
tioned the long-term viabil
ity of the Edenton-Chowan
Campus, which occupies
former public school prop
erty in the North Oakum
Street neighborhood.
The COA Board of Trust
ees has continued to ex
press concerns about low
enrollment in many of the
campus’s programs and the
See COA, 3A
r CHOWAN EDENTON OPTIMIST CLUB OFFERS A BIG THANK YOU!
TOWN OF EDENTON
COUNTY OF CHOWAN
CHOWAN EMERGENCY SERVICES
EDENTON FIRE DEPARTMENT
NC FORESTRY SERVICE
NC WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION
THE WOOD FAMILY AT HAYES PLANTATION
SINGER BRANDY GOODWIN
ADAM EVANS, DJ COWBOY
For All Your
Extraordinary
Services Rendered
In Support Of The
July 4 th Celebration!
Please Send Tax Free Contributions To'
CHOWAN EDENTON OPTIMIST CLUB
C/O JOHN M c ARTHUR
108 MEADOW LARK DRIVE
EDENTON, NC 27932