Wednesday, May 5,1999
Published in the most beautiful little city on the North Carolina Coast
~—r~
Vol.LXVI.No.17
Excellence
award to
pay tribute
to Bond
In celebration of National
Tourism Week, May 2-8, the
Chowan County Tourism De
velopment Authority has an
nounced that it will present the
first Snooky Bond Excellence
in Tourism Award to the
Edenton Womans Club for their
outstanding contribution to
tourism in Chowan County.
On April 16-17, the 50th anni
versary Biennial Pilgrimage
was held, bringing in over 1,500
visitors and generating more
than $21,000 which will be used
mainly for historic preserva
tion projects.
The Chowan County Tourism
Development Authority was
created through legislation in
October 1989 to promote and
market tourism. The board,
which is made up of Town and
County Government officials,
the Chamber of Commerce
Executive Director, Historic
Edenton Site Manager, Eden
ton Historical Commission and
two Accommodation represen
tatives, works with the three
percent Occupancy Tax collec
tion to make sure that the mis
sion is realized.
“A longtime Chowan County
resident, Snooky Bond was the
number one ambassador of this
organization, and did whatever
possible wherever possible to
bring visitors to Chowan
County and made sure that they
#
See BOND On Page 3-A
Jm
HAVING A WONDERFUL TIME
Parents and children gathered for fun and games at the annual May Play Day festival last
Saturday. The crowd braved dismal weather conditions to enjoy games, music, delicious food and
much more. Chairman Jack Evans said that the country music show that ended the festival played
to a packed house, and that the barbecued chicken plates completely sold out. The festival was
sponsored again t his year by the Rocky Hock Ruritans and the Rocky Hock community. (Staff photo
by Debbie Collins)
Mayor makes it official: he's in
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Editor
Edenton Mayor Roland
Vaughan made it official Tues
day morning: after giving it
some thought, he plans to seek
re-election next fall.
Vaughan said he had a num
ber of reasons for making the
choice, among them the desire
to see several projects cur
rently underway completed.
“I would really like to con
tinue to be a part of those
things. Coupled with that is the
fact that I have really enjoyed
serving as mayor, being a good
will ambassador for the town,
and helping to bring about posi
tive change in the community,”
he said.
Vaughan said he was keenly
interested in the areas of wa
terfront development and con
tinued economic development
in the town’s two industrial
parks (one at the Edenton Air
port and the other behind the
Fisher Nut building).
“I am also interested in being
See MAYOR On Page 3-A
Unveiling held
at Courthouse
BY LAURIE HUFFORD
Staff Writer
According to Dr. Carl
Lounsbury, of the Colonial
Williamsburg Foundation, a
leading scholar on the study of
early courthouses, Chowan
County’s 1767 Courthouse is the
most intact colonial courthouse
in America. The unveiling of
its restored Cupola (on April
30) was cause for celebration.
The fact that the wind de
cided to do the unveiling for us
made it no less of a momentous
occasion.
In 1970, the (2nd) Chowan
County Courthouse (1767) was
designated a National Historic
Landmark. The first Chowan
County Courthouse (1718) was
a wooden building lpcated at
the north end of the Courthouse
Green, and the 3rd Chowan
County Courthouse, built on
Broad Street, wak dedicated in
1979.
As one of the most important
surviving buildings of the co
lonial period, the 1767 Chowan
County Courthouse has been
the object of much attention.
Besides being the meeting
place of some of Edenton’s fa
mous patriot leaders during the
American Revolution, the
building was the County’s ma
jor public meeting place for
many years.
An English architect, John
Hawks, is generally credited
with building Chowan’s court
house, but no documentation
supports this. No records at all
exist regarding the architect,
the builders, or the craftsmen
involved in the building’s con
struction.
The style of the Courthouse
reflects British classical archi
tecture, as expressed by local
artisans using available mate
rials.
The entrance to the building
leads into the rear of the court
room, with the focus on an el
evated seat in the curve of the
apse. This chair, for the chief
magistrate, has a tall paneled
back with denticulate pedi
ment. The elevated platform,
with steps at each end, was
originally semicircular. In
1850, the bar was modified into
its present more-rectangular
form. Probably in 1816, by ar
chitect William Nichols, col
umns were added (needed to
support the Assembly Room
upstairs).
In the original courtroom,
spectators stood. About 1900,
pew-like seats were added, and
a wooden floor was built over
the original stone. In the resto
ration of the building, the floor
will be returned to its original
layout. About 2/3 of the area,
where visitors stood, will be
stone, and 1/3, where those in
volved in the proceedings
walked, will be wood.
In addition, the unveiled cu
pola revealed windows instead
of louvers. This returns the
cupola to its original look.
In the middle of the 2nd floor,
See COURTHOUSE Page 3-A
Young athletes participate in 1999 Special Olympics games here
BY LAURIE HUFFORD
Staff Writer
Even the day’s gusts could
not snuff out the Olympic
flame. The 1999 Special Olym
pics Games of Chowan County,
held April 30 at the John A.
Holmes High School Athletic
Complex, were a huge success,
judging both by attendance and
by athlete participation.
Announcement of partici
pants was made by John Guard,
Personnel Director of Edenton
Chowan Schools, and the Pa
rade of Athletes consisted of
participants from John A.
Holmes, Chowan Middle
School, White Oak School, D.F.
Walker School, and Life Inc.
One wondered about the
lighting of the Olympic Torch
in the face of such strong winds,
Dut the task was quickly ac
complished.
Dr. Allan T. Smith, Superin
tendent, welcomed all, and the
James were officially opened
}y Edenton’s Mayor Roland
Vaughan.
Approximately 60 athletes
participated in the Games,
which consisted of four events:
the 50 yard dash, the 100 yard
dash, the softball throw, and
the broad jump. Each athlete
participated in every event,
and won a ribbon. Four ath
letes competed each time an
event was held, and four rib
bons, signifying final place
ment in the event, were
awarded. Blue was given for
1st place, red for 2nd, yellow
for 3rd, and white for 4th. Each
athlete took home four ribbons,
varying in color according to
where he/she placed.
As Carrie Watson, head of
the Volunteers, explained,
“They’re all winners!”
About 73 individual volun
teers donated time to the
Games. High school “buddies”
numbered from 45-50, and
other organizations, such as
Scout troops and church orga
nizations, assisted.
For years, local Games were
The Parade of Atheletes marks the opening ceremonies for Special Olympics
held on Satuday, but they suf
fered from less than over
whelming support. Since the
Games have moved to week
days, with more publicity and
“talking up”, attendance has
improved. At the ’99 Games,
for example, at least 14 classes
from White Oak School were in
attendance; at least 300 - 400
people were spectators.
The athletes in these Games
train at the schools for a couple
of months before the Games.
Each meets with a teenager
from the high school, who
works with the athlete in
stretching and in training.
(These are separate from “bud
dies”.)
Volunteers begin planning
for the next games immedi
ately after the current Games,
and fund raisers are held to
pay for the Games’ expenses.
Volunteers and contributions
seem to make the whole event
feasable. This year, for ex
ample, McDonalds, Burger
See GAMES On Page 3-A
Partin to be given
special recognition
College of The Albemarle’s
Board of Trustees will hold
its regular monthly board
meeting at the COA Chowan
County Center at 7 p.m. on
May 10. Prior to the meeting,
a reception will be held from
6:15-7 p.m. for the public to
meet with Dr. Sylvester
McKay, COA’s new President;
college trustees; faculty; and
staff.
Special recognition will be
given to former Chowan
County Center Advisory Com- j
mittee members and to Mary
Partin, former Dean of the
Chowan County Center. Par
tin also served as chair of the
1998-99 Chowan County Cen
ter Fund Drive for the Col
lege of the Albemarle Foun
dation.
The public is invited to at
tend.
Please call 482-7900 if you
are planning to attend the re
ception.
Youth services funding is outlined
BY LAURIE HUFFORD
Staff Writer
Monday, the Chowan County
Board of Commissioners met
in regular session in the Com
missioners Room, Courthouse.
Highlights included a presen
tation by Sheriff Fred Spruill
on the Council’s recommenda
tion for allocation of 1999-2000
Juvenile Crime Prevention
Council (formerly CBA) fund
ing and the decision to proceed
with plans for a proposed fish
ing pier.
Recommendations presented
by Sheriff Spruill were for
Edenton/Chowan Schools In
tensive Supervision ($50,581)
and for the Victim Compensa
tion & Juvenile Restitution Pro
gram ($5,425). In the first pro
gram, “at risk” children are
identified early and worked
with, so that possible problems
are avoided. The second pro
gram involves children who are
12 - 15 years old, where the
offender works to pay restitu
tion. The money earned goes
towards payment of the debt;
the child does not see any cash.
It was recommended, and
decided, that both programs
be funded at the requested
amounts.
The $100,000 in COPS grants
recently received by the
Sheriff’s Office, and to be used
towards upgradingthe 911 sys
tem, was discussed briefly. It
was pointed out that the 911
system is intricately linked to
other systems (e.g., Sheriff &
Police Departments, even
worldwide), and that any work
done on it is expensive.
“We’ve come a long way in
the last 10 years in Chowan
County,” noted Sheriff Spruill
in regard to the state-of-the
art communications center.
County Manager, Cliff
Copeland began discussion of
the proposed fishing pier.
There is time for details in de
sign and other areas to be
See YOUTH On Page 7-A
Post Office
supporting
Food Drive
The Edenton Post Office is
taking part in a Food Drive this
Saturday sponsored by the
National Association of Letter
Carriers.
“On May 8, if you will leave
any canned or prepackaged
(boxed) food by your mail box
as a donation, your mail car
rier will pick it up,” said Post
master Linda Hodges. “Or, you
can bring it to the Edenton Post
Office. These donations will go
to our local Food Pantry.”
Center Hill
Community Building
beside Church
YOUTH RALLY • May 8 • 4-8:30 p.m. Bring Lounge Chairs & Blankets
* r Rain Location:
3 for 1 - Against the Odds in Outdoor Concert White0akSch°°'
» ; i
v