Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / Oct. 9, 2019, edition 1 / Page 6
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A6 THE CHOWAN HERALD, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019 PEANUT Festival PHOTOS BY NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON/CHOWAN HERALD The Pasquotank County High School band performs their “Alice in Wonderland" themed show Saturday. Behind every child is a dedicated adult The John A. Holmes High School Marchind Aces performs Satur day during the Peanut Festival Parade. Above: The Chowan Middle School students march in the parade. Right: The Currituck High School band per forms Saturday during the Peanut Festival’s Battle of the Bands. Below: A tractor in the parade. MILES LAYTON/CHOWAN HERALD S omewhere out there right now, a child is dribbling her basket- ball. A future Ace is running in a few extra miles after soccer practice to build his stamina. An eighth-grader is prac ticing her part for this Fri day’s performance with the Marching Aces at the foot ball game. Chowan County’s chil dren —whether they are an artist, musician or athlete— do a lot to perfect their tal ents. Behind every successful student are parents or other family members who make sure their child has the tools tosucceed. This past Saturday, I saw this in action as I volun teered at the Peanut Festival Battle of the Bands. While some parents from our area has already started their day at5a.m. atthe JohnA Holmes athletic complex, I worked from 5-9 p.m. in the hopes of getting the results and covering the event for the newspaper. I missed the Marching Aces performance while doling out delicious burgers, but it was worthit I didn’t just get my story, I learned a lot about our community. Both of my oldest chil dren, who are in the Chowan Middle School band, worked concessions. They quickly became friends with the other Bull dogs there as they assem bled meals for hungry cus tomers. The customers who were in the competing bands complimented each other on ajob well done. They also hung out with their fel low band mates, making sure each other went home with full bellies and enthusi asm for the music disci pline. As the battle of the bands progressed into the late hours, the adult volunteer looked a little worn out, but they were smiling and still NICOLE BOWMAN- LAYTON able to joke with one an other. The parents, friend and family of the visiting bands were just as loud at 9 p.m. as they were at4or5 p.m. It was incredible to see all the work that goes into putting together a half-time performance. Some bands didn’t just have trailers for their gear, they brought in big U-hauls full of instru ments, panels and other- things that make the music come alive. The Peanut Festival shuts down Edenton’s Broad Street for one Satur day every fall. It’s a short pa rade, but when you see all the people come out, it re ally shows how much our community cares about all its children. That uplifting spirit is something that comes from helping others. The Peanut Festival is organized by adults, but it’s really for the kids. The funds help Chowan Middle and John A Holmes band programs compete in other places, get new uniforms and even fund the making of the props used at halftime. Those programs help stu dents learn math, appreci ate music and learn valu able organization and lead ership skills. In time, these students will be successful adults running our country. Somewhere in Chowan County, a middle school student is practicing his in strument. It may not be pitch perfect, but it’s the sweetest music you’ll ever hear, as it the song of prom ise and hope. To the dedicated friends and family behind that stu dent, you rock. PEANUT Continued from Al ; they were still smiling. ■ Later in the day, as the ; buses, trailers and U-hauls carrying 12 bands and their equipment started to fill the school’s parking lot, other vehicles — filled with band parents and sup porters — came in. While ' band practiced and per fected their performances ; before competing in front ; of several judges and a ; crowd of well over 700 people, parents and sib lings carefully assembled : visual pieces, checked * electrical equipment and ’ unloaded big instruments : off the U-hauls and trailers. To get the 12 bands — . and the Marching Aces — there took dedication and ; support from students and - family members a like. For example, as the Smithfield- ■ Selma High School band : waited for its turn to per form, parents carefully ap- : plied mirrors to towers : that were used in their per- ; formance. The band from • Smithfield was named ; Band of the Day and re- ■ ceived the Fred Gebhardt Award, winning two of the top prizes at the Peanut • Festival. “ The Gebhardt Award, . presented in memory of ; Fred Gebhardt, a longtime ; drill designer and instruc- ; tor for the Marching Aces, ; goes to the band that ; achieves the highest ; marching and visual per formance. Band of the Day honors go to the band that achieves the highest over- . all score of the day. Hampton High School, ■ the only band from neigh boring Virginia, received the Otis Strother Award. The award is presented an nually in honor of Otis Strother. “Strother was an instru mental music educator in the Edenton-Chowan Schools for 20 years and a founder of the Peanut Festival,” Aces Band Director Lynn Dale said in a previous story. “This award is presented to the band that has displayed professionalism, spirit and cooperation through out the day.” Kip Vinson, this year’s festival organizer, said that the event went well. “Other band directors have been happy with what we’re doing,” he said. “We had so many good bands this year.” Vinson also noted that in the spring, the festival or ganizers hope to reach out to more bands in Virginia so they put the Edenton festival on their- fall sched ule. Vinson noted that the festival sold out of their al lotment of Leon Nixon’s Catering barbecue and fried chicken dinners. Although doubling their hamburger order, they al most ran out of the popular item. He also thanked the local Pizza Hut and other businesses and sponsors for helping with the fundraising effort. Peanut Festival pro ceeds benefit Edenton- Chowan Schools band pro grams. The money is split between Chowan Middle and John A Holmes and al lows the bands to go to competitions, get new . equipment or other neces sary items. While the festival volun teers, which included Chowan Middle School band students, worked be hind the scenes, the real fo cus was on field and the band competition. Smithfield-Selma, which Dale said was the largest band attending the festival in recent memory, swept its Class AAAA category. Many performances fo cuses on technology as their theme. For example, Camden High School Big Blue Machine’s perfor mance was entitled, “Talk to Me,” and looked at how people are buried in their smartphones. During the performance, the audi ence went through time seeing how Morse code evolved into to rotary phones which paved the way for the handheld de vices of today. Currituck High School’s performance looked at things from a man against machines angle. Roanoke Rapids High School, from Roanoke Rapids, focused its perfor mance on “Words,” using music to convey how dif ferent words and phrases effect people. Pasquotank County High School had a modern take at a classic by taking on “Alice in Wonderland,” complete with members of the color guard dressing as Alice, the White Rabbit and the Red Queen’s guards. CALLING ALL MEN!!! BBQ, BULLETS SAXES October 12 2:00 PM Skeet Shooting, Turkey Shoot & Axe throwing 5:30 PM Great Food & Great speaker. $250 Bass Pro door prize Bring your own gun for turkey shoot and gun & shells for skeet. Participants under age 18 must be accompanied by parent/guardian. Registration $1 ©--Registration & instructions at 2:00 pm at First Assembly of God-1201 West Queen St., Edenton The repetition of lines from films such as the 1951 Disney animated film and Alan Rickman’s caterpillar in the 2010 version — “Alice, at last” — added to the performance. Trophy sponsors in cluded the Bakers, Lynn and Jennifer Dale, Vidant Health and Tommy Vinson. The following awards were given: Class A Cape Hatteras Secondary School — 2nd place, color guard; 2nd place, visual; 2nd place, general effect; 1st place, music; 2nd place, over all. Gates County High School — 1st place, drum major; 1st place, color guard; 3rd place, percussion; 3rd place, visual; 3rd place, general effect; 3rd place, music. Manteo High School — 2nd place, drum major; 1st place, percussion; 3rd place, overall. Perquimans High School — 3rd place, drum major; 3rd place, color guard; 2nd place, percussion; 1st place, visual; 1st place, general effect; 2nd place, music; 1st place, over all. Class AA Riverside (Williamston) — 1st place, percussion; 3rd place, visual; 3rd place, music. Roanoke Rapids (Roanoke Rapids) — 1st place, drum major; 2nd place, color guard; 2nd place, percussion; 1st place, drum major; 1st place, general effect; 1st place, mu sic; 1st place, overall. Southwest Edgecombe (Pinetops) — 2nd place, drum major; 1st place, color guard; 2nd place, drum major; 2nd place, visual; 3rd place, gen eral effect; 3rd place, overall. Pasquotank County — 3rd place, drum major; 3rd place, color guard; 3rd place, percus sion; 1st place, visual; 2nd place, general effect; 2nd place, music; 2nd place, over all. Class AAA Hampton — 1st place, drum major; 3rd place, color guard; 1st place, percussion; 3rd place, visual; 3rd place, Plan I 2pc 3/4 Ribeye Steak 21b Ground Chuck 21b Stew Beef 21b Link Sausage 21b Pork Chops 1478 Belvidere Rd., Belvidere • 252-297-2875 general effect; 3rd place, mu sic; 3rd place, overall; Otis Strother Award. Camden — 2nd place, drum major; 1st place, color guard; 2nd place, percussion; 1st place, visual; 1st place, general effect; 1st place, mu sic; 1st place, overall. Currituck — 3rd place, drum major; 2nd place, color guard; 3rd place, percussion; 2nd place, visual; 2nd place, general effect; 2nd place, mu sic; 2nd place, overall. Class AAA Smithfield-Selma — 1st place, drum major; 1st place, color guard; 1st, percussion; 1st place, visual; 1st place, general effect; 1st place, mu sic; 1st place, overall; Fred Gebhardt Award, Band of the Day Award. ^BofoideAe. oM.O. 21b Chicken Drums 2pc Chicken Breast 2cups Carolina BBQ 2pk Hotdogs lib Cheese
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
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Oct. 9, 2019, edition 1
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