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EDENTON NC 27932-1854 I >
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482-4418
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
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Cheers! Council gives thumbs up to Brew pub
Public pays tribute
On Sunday after
noon, Dr. John Phillips
and his family were the
guests of honor at a
celebratory reception
to honor their gener
ous donation held at
St. Paul’s, the Episco
pal church where the
Edenton-Chowan Food
Pantry has-its early
roots. — 1B
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
More than a year of debate
and discussion came down
to one thing on the evening
of March 13—a public hear
ing before Mayor Roland
Vaughan and members of
the Edenton Town Council
who would vote that night
on whether or not to autho
rize the town to sell the for
mer Northeast Commission
building (also known as the
former Conger building) to
Raleigh businessman John
Conger Glover who has
agreed to pay an adjusted
appraisal cost of $309,000
for the property.
When the dust settled a
resolution to clear the way
for the proposed sale had
passed by a split 4-1 vote
by council members. Coun
cilman Elton Bond cast the
lone ‘no’ vote. Councilman
Steve Biggs, who has stead
fastly opposed the sale of
the building for commer
cial use, was sick with the
flu and unable to attend the
meeting, according to Town
Manager Anne-Marie Knigh
ton.
“The resolution to sell the
building has passed,” Mayor
Roland Vaughan announced
after the vote.
Along the way to making
its decision council heard
from a number of local resi
dents who spoke for and
against the proposed sale.
First to offer an opinion
REBECCA BUNCH/CHOWAN HERALD
Tom Abbott speaks during a public hearing held last
week to allow the town council to hear from citizens
interested in commenting about the proposed sale of
the former Northeast Commission building.
was Dr. Chris Ford, a local ated a practice here since
veterinarian, who has oper- 2000. He called the pro ¬
posed sale “a win-win” for
the community and urged
council members to care
fully consider their votes
that night.
“You have an important
choice to make,” Ford told
the council. “When you con
sider what is best for Eden
ton, the choice is clear. Sell
the Conger building!”
But another speaker,
Joanie Evans, expressed
the sentiment of others in
the community when she re
minded the council that for
many years the waterfront
park and surrounding area
have been “all about family.
This is a family place.”
Others, like retired fire-
See PUB, 3A
Athletes take plunge
This past weekend,
the Special Olympics
Chowan County held
its 5K race and polar
plunge in downtown
Edenton. — 3B
Being role models
More than 200 men
conquered with caring
and kindness at White
Oak Elementary’s
Boys to Men Break
fast. There were dads,
grandfathers, cousins,
community members,
high school students,
and Edenton-Chowan
School employees
present for the March 6
experience where men
read books or shared
their time with the
boys. — 2B
Comments sought
The North Carolina
Historical Commission
Confederate Monu
ments Study Commit
tee will hold a public
meeting from 1:30-3:30
p.m., Wednesday,
March 21, to accept
public comment on
a petition to relocate
three Confederate
monuments from the
State Capitol grounds
in Raleigh to the
Bentonville Battlefield
State Historic Site in
Four Oaks. — 4A
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■4
Group celebrates anniversary
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Last Thursday evening
was a time of celebration
for members of the local Ra
cial Reconciliation Group
who gathered in the fellow
ship hall at Edenton United
Methodist Church to ex
change memories and recall
good times as they observed
the fourth anniversary of
their founding.
The evening also served
as something of a dual cel
ebration as the group also
marked the birthday of
longtime member Frances
Inglis who turned 89 on St.
Patrick’s Day. A small group
of talented singers from
the organization gathered
to perform a rendition of
Happy Birthday directed to
the entire group. They then
offered up a special version
of the song directed espe
cially to Inglis who broke
into a huge smile and began
hugging those around her
as they extended heartfelt
birthday wishes.
“This has been a wonder
ful highlight in all of it (eve
ning),” Inglis said. “I love
everybody here. It’s been
wonderful getting to know
everybody.”
Jo Baker, who serves as
the group’s faciliator, re
called many memories of
good times spent together
with members of the group
enjoying a variety of trips,
visits to churches and quali
ty time getting to know each
other better.
Another member of the
group, Jessie Rivers, said be-
See GROUP, 3A
REBECCA BUNCH/CHOWAN HERALD
Frances Inglis accepts Happy Birthday wishes from fellow members of the local
Racial Reconciliation’ Group during a dinner celebrating the fourth anniversary of
their formation. Inglis turned 89 on St. Patrick’s Day.
Aces link arms in tribute to shooting victims
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Students at high schools
across the region partici
pated in planned “walkouts”
that were held in conjunc
tion with a nationwide stu
dent demonstration against
gun violence in the wake of
last month’s deadly school
shooting in Florida.
Seventeen people were
killed and 15 more were
taken to hospitals after a
mass shooting on Feb. 14 at
Marjory Stoneman Douglas
High School in Parkland,
Fla The suspect, Nikolas
Jacob Cruz, activated a fire
alarm while he was armed
with an assault rifle and mul
tiple magazines, and began
shooting indiscriminately at
CARRERA FUESTON
students and teachers.
At John A. Holmes High
School in Edenton, about
250 students left class
(March 14) and walked to
the school track for a silent
memorial to the students
and staff killed in Parkland.
At Chowan Middle School,
approximately 200 students
left class for 17 minutes be
fore returning to class.
See TRIBUTE, XA
SUBMITTED PHOTO
John A. Holmes
students lined up
and linked arms
during a walkout
held recently to
remember the
victims killed in a
school shooting
that took place on
Feb. 14 in Florida.
Zoning
changes
approved
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Chowan County Com
mission discussed a laun
dry list of items Monday
ranging from capital proj
ects to changes to the
zoning code.
Permitting welding
“shops” within agricul
tural zones was approved
by a 6-1 margin. Commis
sioner Patti Kersey was
the lone vote in opposi
tion.
Prior to the vote, Ange
la Toppin of Rocky Hock
Road addressed the issue
in a public hearing on the
matter. Familiar with the
“annoying” noise associ
ated with welding, Toppin
advised that the commis
sion to reconsider its posi
tion before making a final
decision. Welding drew
comments from commis
sioners during the March
5 meeting. Though the
change to the zoning code
was approved by a major
ity 5-1 vote, the commis
sion had to revisit this
See ZONING, 3A
Audit
leads to
changes
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Town Manager Anne-
Marie Knighton provided
a management report to
Town Council of steps be
ing taken to implement the
recommendations made
by a recent audit and to
answer questions about
accounts receivables.
Donna Winborne, a Cer
tified Public Accountant of
Edenton, conducted the
independent audit
“Steps will definitely
strengthen internal con
trols which is always a
concern in small organiza
tions,” Knighton said.
The audit released
earlier from fiscal year
2015/16 to 2016/17 showed
a restatement of reduced
See AUDIT, 6A
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