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SHEPHERD PRIJDEN LIBRARY
106 W WATER ST
EDENTON NC 27932-1854
INSIDE
Obituaries 3A School 3B
Opinion 5A Region 4B
Community 6A Church 5B
Sports 1-2B Classifieds 7-8B
482-4418
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
75*
Ex-official suggests review of prison agency
State committee hears
from former prison director
BY MILES LAYTON
Staff Writer
RALEIGH — A retired
top prison administrator
offered recommendations
to the Senate Select Com
mittee on Prison Safety led
by state Sen. Bob Steinburg,
R-Chowan.
During a recent hearing,
the committee listened to
Boyd Bennett, director of
Prisons from 2001-2009,
share three ideas about how
to reform the state’s prison
system. The committee was
formed as part of the state’s
continued response to the
slayings of five correctional
employees at prisons in Ber
tie and Pasquotank comities
in 2017.
“I am concerned about the
Division of Prisons’ safety
issues and deeply troubled
about the death of staff at
Bertie sand Pasquotank
correctional institutions,”
said Bennett, who worked
for the prison system for 36
years. “I want to offer what
ever ideas I can to help im
prove prison safety.”
Bennett recommended
that an organizational re
view of the Division of
Prisons be conducted to de
termine whether it should
continue to be part of the
Department of Public Safe ¬
ty. From 1957 until 2012,
corrections was a separate
cabinet-level agency head
ed by the governor with its
most senior management
promoted from within the
system.
“I thought the merger of
the Department of Correc
tions into the Department of
Public Safety was a mistake,
and now I feel it was even
more of a mistake,” Ben
nett said. “Corrections in
North Carolina has. become
a mega agency with the fo
cus on law enforcement.
Extra layers of management
have been added between
the prison superintendent/
warden and the secretary
of the agency Prison issues
were not getting the atten
tion they deserved, particu
larly custody and security
issues.”
Bennett said in 46 states,
the department of correc
tions is a standalone agency,
so he recommended return ¬
ing management of the pris
on system to a cabinet level
agency.
“I recommend pulling
prisons, community correc
tions and juvenile justice out
of the Department of Public
Safety and forming a cabi
net level agency focused on
corrections,” he said.
Bennett’s second rec
ommendation is to review
the levels of management
See PRISON, 2A
Chief Bass
proposes
program
Junior Firefighters to
address future needs
BY MILES LAYTON
Staff Writer
Edenton Town Coun
cil’s work session Mon
day provided some in
sight into several things
the group will consider in
the weeks ahead.
First, Edenton Fire
Chief Billy Bass proposed
the creation of a Junior
Firefighter program to
potentially augment the
firefighter ranks in the fu
ture. He noted that fewer
people from across the
state volunteer to serve
their local fire depart
ments, so steps must be
taken to preserve this vi
tal service.
Bass said across the
state, at least .36 pro
grams allow high school
upperclassmen a chance
to learn about what it
takes to be a firefighter.
Students, who complete
these courses and receive
certifications, could as
sist fire departments in
a limited fasluon in ways
that would not endanger
them.
If a Junior Firefighter
program is put in place,
Aces’ students like 16-
year-old Landon Parrish,
who attended Monday’s
council meeting with his
dad, Wayne, a firefighter,
could put on a helmet and
serve the community as a
first responder.
Bass said the program
would cost $5,000—mon
ey that could come from
the town’s coffers, state
grant money and/or sup-
See PROGRAM, 2A
Sweep Chowan takes aim at litter
BY MILES LAYTON
Staff Writer
Now that spring in un
derway, it’s time to clean up
Chowan County.
The Edenton-Chowan
Chamber of Commerce is
partnering with the town of
Edenton, Chowan County,
and the North Carolina
Department of Transpor
tation to help coordinate
the “Sweep Chowan” litter
clean up of the roadsides
throughout Chowan Comity.
The event started March 20
and lasts through April 30.
The activity has a its own
hashtag — #sweepchowan.
“We’re targeting the
streets of Edenton and
the county,” said Chamber
Executive Director Win
Dale during a presentation
Monday to Edenton Town
Council. “I’m sure all of you
are aware of the issues with
litter and trash on the road
sides — it’s terrible.”
Dale noted that the coun
ty’s peak tourist season
is around the corner with
events such as the Pilgrim
age, Boogie on Broad and
Cycle NC visiting town.
“We’re going to try to
clean all the roadsides and
exits that we can,” he said.
“One the main things we are
going to concentrate oh first
is the main thoroughfares
and entrances into the com-
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Employees with
Carolina East
Real Estate
participated in
Clean Sweep,
hosted by
the Edenton-
Chowan
Chamber of
Commerce,
Town of
Edenton,
Chowan
County and
North Carolina
Department of
Transportation.
It is being held
March 20-April
30.
munity. Then we’ll spread The Chamber is seeking schools, families, and indi-
our wings and go out from businesses, civic groups,
there.” . nonprofits, churches, See LITTER, 2A
Beer, fun on tap at Hertford business
Regulator
Marine
adds 64 jobs
Company receives $320K
grant from state agency
From Submitted Reports
Local officials gath
ered March 19 at Regula
tor Marine so Edenton
Mayor Roland Vaughan
could present the compa
ny with a building reuse
grant program check for
$320,000 from North Car
olina Rural Infrastructure
Authority.
Regulator invested
more than $4 million and
pledged to use the grant
money to create at least 32
new jobs. Instead, as was
celebrated at the check
presentation, Regulator
created twice as many
jobs for a total of 64 new
jobs. The company now
employees 234 craftsmen
building boats sold and
used around the country
and abroad.
The grant came through
the Town of Edenton, and
the Edenton Chowan
Parnership provided the
required matching funds.
As Vaughan noted dur
ing the presentation, “it
was typical of the Max
wells to create twice as
many jobs as required by
the grant.” He also noted
“that the quality boat pro-
See JOBS, 4A
Hertford Bay Tap House
opens on West Grubb Street
BY MILES LAYTON
Staff Writer
HERTFORD — Maybe
it’s been a long day spent
“Working for the Man” as
Roy Orbison might sing,
so it’s time to head down
the place where everyone
knows your name — Hert
ford Bay Tap House.
Whether or not its 5
o’clock somewhere, it’s
definitely time to buy a pint
or two of craft beer — the
good stuff — poured from
one of 12 taps with brand
names common to folks
in our neck of the woods.
To name a few, maybe ask
for cold glass of Mango
Tango, Ghost Harbor or
Pitt Street. The prices are
reasonable — about $5 or
so a pint — definitely not
the wacked-out, eye-rolling
prices seen in some of Ra
leigh’s taverns. Domestics
bottles flow around $3 and
change.
Located at 107 W. Grubb
Street, the Hertford Bay Tap
See BEER, 3A
MILES LAYTON/
CHOWAN HERALD
Wednesday is
hump day, but
the weekend
is around the
corner. Day
doesn’t matter
because it’s
5 o’clock
somewhere so
maybe head
down to the
Hertford Bay
Tap House
for a craft
beer, a good
conversation
and to unwind.
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Newspaper wins nine press awards
Like us on Facebook at
/THECHOWANHERALD
6 ""89076“44813'
©2019 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
0
From Staff Reports
The North Carolina Press
Association handed out nine
press awards Thursday to
news and advertising staff
from Chowan Herald.
The Adams Publishing
Group region that also in
cludes The Daily Advance
and The Perquimans Weekly
won a total of 18 awards.
Among the winners, ad ¬
eight individ
ual awards
for entries
in the N.C.
Press Asso ¬
vertising
account rep
resentative
Bev Alex
ander took
LAYTON
ALEXANDER
ciation Advertising Contest.
Also, Miles Layton of the
Chowan Herald won three
announced
during the N.C. Press As
sociation’s Annual Winter
Convention and Awards
individual Banquet held at the Raleigh
awards. Marriott Crabtree Valley
The convention center.
awards for Alexander took four first-
the 2018 place, three second-place
Editorial and one third-place awards,
and Adver- Those included six awards
tising Con- for entries from the Chow-
tests were an Herald and one each for
entries from The Daily Ad
vance and The Perquimans
See AWARDS, 3A
Coleman
to seek
seat on
council
Fourth to announce
plans to run in election
BY MILES LAYTON
Staff Writer
Roger Coleman an
nounced his candidacy
for the Edenton Town
Council at-large seat on
Saturday in front of a big
crowd at Nothin’ Fancy
Cafe. Active in civic af
fairs, Coleman retired re
cently as Edenton-Chow
an Food Pantry director.
“I know that some of
you are thinking why
would anyone leave a job
where 99 percent of the
people like you and take
one, if 51 percent of the
See COLEMAN, 4A
Still the Stood ‘Pantry Stundraiier JJinner
SATURDAY, APRIL 6,2019 6*8pm
NOTHING FANCY CAFE 8 MARKET ”»
Sponsored by the Unitarian Unwersalist Fellowship of the Albermarle
SALAD BAR, POTATO BAR,
SANDWICH BAR, DESSERT BAR,
NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS,
CASH BEER & WINE BAR.
• $20.00 in Advance
• $25 At The Door CAUSE’’
^ Tickets available at Nothing Fancy Cafe 7 * 5
great ^
All of proceeds go to the Food Dinin s Book Bag Buddies Program for Children in Chowan County.