;i. Pediatric asthma
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Wednesday, January 24,2001
Vol. LXVIII, No. 4
Published in historic Edenton ... The prettiest town on the North Carolina coast.
Single Copies 500
Funding
to finish
job sought
BY MARIEL BETANCOURT
11 Cox NC Publications
Construction of the Edenton Bay.
breakwater should he complete in
«Jx weeks.
'> That’s how long town officials
jaxpect it w ill take to secure a grant
for and build the breakwater’s fi
nal piece, a square that w ill be used
a lookout area.
*' The town needs $30,000 to pay
^?>r the square, but chose not to
halt construction while awaiting
the money, said Town Manager
’Anne-Marie Knighton.
“We’ve still got some grant ap
plications pending. It just didn’t
make sense to stop the progress
(waiting for them to be funded),"
Jinighton said. “...It would have
Cost $10,000 or $15,000 more to have
someonecome back at a later point
and do it.”
'• The town has already received
See FUNDS On Page 3-A
Make All-District Band
Six students at Chowan Middle School were selcted from among 1,300 students to be members of the All
District Band. Courtney Mathias, Hawkins Gagnon, Sarah Proctor, Amber Settles, Stewart Bean, and John
McCall competed for their distinguished positions on Saturday, Jan. 6, at E.B. Ayjock Middle School in
Greenville. The students competed in two categories, concert band and symphonic band. Concert band honors
went to Mathias, fourth chair baritone; Gagnon, eighth chair French horn; Settles, sixth chair clarinet; and
Bean, tenth chair trumpet. Symphonic band honors went to McCall, first chair drums, and Proctor, fourth chair
trumpet. The Chowan Middle School Band is directed by Jaraun Ransome. (Submitted photo)
Shootings prompt
Town Hall meeting
BY DERRICK ARMSTEAD
Staff Writer
EDENTON—Reacting to the on
going violence prevalent in one
local neighborhood, a hastily
called meeting to address the prob
lems was held on Tuesday evening.
And according to one anony
mous source who resides in the
affected area, if left unchecked that
violence could have serious impli
cations.
“There are kids who are walk
ing home from school in that
area...because several of the par
ents are working, or perhaps can
not afford to pick them up,” the
source said. “And when kids are
that age they really don’t pay at
tention to (their surroundings).
Therefore, when the shooting
starts they would get caught right
in the middle of all that.”
“And that’s the most tragic th ing
in the world, for a parent to lose a
child.” the source added.
Town Manager, Anne-Marie
Knighton, addressed the timeline
involved with the organization of
the meeting.
“Around noon today (Jan.. 22). I
received a call from someone who
said that they were concerned with
the incidences on W. Carteret St.."
said Knighton. "They requested an
opportunity to talk before the tow 11
council about some random
shootings (in) the area. They asked
if they could speak at the next town
council meeting, but 1 told them
that this was in mid-February.
Then I suggested that they could
do it sooner, but there was no way
that 1 could do it that night (Jan.
22) because of a (previously)
planned town council program...
so we set it up for tomorrow night
(Jan. 23).
The meeting was also expected
to focus on the troubled west side
area’s rampant drug activities,
which are reportedly even trans
acted in plain view.
“A lot of times I come home and
my neigbors come and tell me that
somebody was selling drugs rigid
down the street,” said one res ident.
“And this is right out in the open
during the day."
See SHOOTINGS On Page ;$-A
Chowan County Fair
honored for exhibit
, The Chowan County Fair re
cently received acclaim from state
agriculture officials at the annual
North Carolina and South Caro
lina Association of Agricultural
Fairs Meeting in Greensboro.
Agriculture Commissioner Meg
Scott Phipps and county fair offi
cials presented Chowan County
Fair Manager E.C. Toppin with an
honorable mention in the “Good
ness Grows in North Carolina”
exhibit contest.
“Choosing an exhibit that best
represents North Carolina’s agri
cultural diversity is a difficult
task,” Phipps said in making the
announcement. “Each county fair
worked hard to create eye-catch
ing and original exhibits that
raised the awareness of agricul
ture products grown in the state. 1
commend their efforts.”
This is the first year the ‘‘Good
ness Grows in North Carolina”
contest was held. Fairs submitted
photos and a description of their
exhibit, which highlighted North
Carolina agricultural products and
featured the “Goodness Grows in
North Carolina” logo.
Exhibits were judged on creativ
ity, attractiveness, educational
content, and use of North Carolina
food and agricultural products.
North Carolina’s 48 county fairs
participated in the “Goodness
Grows in North Carolina" display
. contest, sponsored by the NC De
partment of Agriculture and Con
sumer Services.
More than 20,000 people a ttended
the 2000 Chowan County Fair.
representative E.C. Toppin, and Teresa Brannon, "Goodness Grows in
North Carolina" program manager, show off the 2000 Goodness Grows
in North Carolina display contest award, which was presented at the NC
and SC Association of Agricultural Fairs banquet on Jan. 12.
Instruments Needed
The Chowan Middle School
* Band is in need of donated in
struments or cash donations to
purchase new instruments.
Anyone having the following
‘ instruments that are in good con
dition and no longer being used
is urged to donate them: Picco
los: Flutes; Clarinets; Alto Clari
nets; Bass; Clarinets; Alto Saxo
phones; Tenor Saxophones; Bari
tone Saxophones^ Trumpets;
Coronets; Ef Alto Horns; French
Horns; Trombones; Tubas.
“Also welcome would be any
percussion instruments, suchas
drums, that are in playable, or
repairable condition,’’saidCMS
Band Director Jaraun Ransome.
' Donations or inqu iries can be
made by contacting Mr.
Ransome during school hours
at 221-4131 or by calling Tom
Davis anytime at 221 -8414.
Jim Badger (left) is joined by Chowan County Clerk of Court Mike McArthur, center, and fellow magistrate
Carlton Jackson during a recent swearing-in ceremony at the Chowan County courthouse. (Staff photo by
Derrick Armstead.
Fatal fire is ruled accidental
From Cox NC Publications
Staff reports
Investigators weren’t able to de
termine what caused the fire that
killed a Chowan County man and
his daughter on Sunday, Jan. 7,
but they did conclude it was acci
dental, according to Chowan
County Sheriff Fred Spruill.
A preliminary report from the
medical examiner’s office also in
--
dicates that Brian Taylor, 28, and
TreChonda Taylor, 2, died as a re
sult of smoke inhalation caused by
the fire, the sheriff said in a pre
pared statement.
“There was no indication of foul
play,” Spruill said.
Taylor and his daughter died
when their home at 2231 Rocky
Hock Road was completely gutted
by fire. Both were buried Jan. 13.
Spruill said a week-long probe
~3JBE""-7*—’ it
by his office, the SBI and two fire
departments had determined that
the fire began in the right-front
corner of the home’s living room.
“However, due to the extent of
damage, investigators are unable
to determine theexact cause of (the
fire’s) origin,” he said.
TreChonda Taylor’s mother did
not live in the home, and no one
else was in the home at the time of
the fire, officials said.
Guest of honor
The Edenton chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution's (DAR) recent meeting included special
guest, Norman Matthews (center), survivor of the WWII Bataan Death March. Following the war, Matthews
was given a life expectancy of only 15 years, but was able to continue a military career until his retirement
from the U.S. Air Force after 27 years of service. Matthews was also a descendant of Moses Hobbs, an ancestor
of many of the DAR's current members. Talking with him here are Dorothy Bangert, left, and Beth Taylor.
Badger new
magistrate
for county
EDENTON—Chowan County’s
newest magistrate may have taken
on a new position, but not a profes
sion.
That is because Jim Badger, who
takes over for the outgoing Larry
McLaughlin, says that he believes
pastexperiences will aid h imearly
on in his new role.
“I think my background in law
and reverence for the la w w ill come
through,” said the Tennessee na
tive. “And it’s an important
job...anything in the public (eye)
that allows you to hold up values
in the law is important. ”
Throw in a heavy dose of judi
cial experience, and the position
tits like a glove.
“In Tennessee there are no mag
istrates.” he said. "And whereas
magistrates are involved with dis
trict and superior court, we had
general sessions and circuit.
Therefore, we didn’t have magis
trates as such, but (did) have night
commissioners.”
While contemplating his initial
awareness of the position, he
added. “1 had to do some research...
and probably read about the posi
tion in the General Statutes dur
ing the course of teaching.”
Not long after that first aware
ness of the position. it was a pretty
straightforward application pro
cess, as was the move from Nash
ville to Chowan County.
However, he does acknowledge
that there are some differences.
“In Nashville you have about
550 thousand people...and obvi
ously, in Edenton you don’t have
that many,” Badger said while
comparing, and simultaneously
contrasting the two areas. “Simi
larities are that they are inter
esting towns. Nashville has mu
sic and Edenton has historic
homes, but there’s also more to
Nashville than music and more
to Edenton than old homes.”
Prior to his present position.
Badger had retired from the Air
Force as a Lt. Colonel and served
as a night court judge following
graduation from law school.
And for a man who begins his
third career, the urge to keep go
ing pushes him forward.
“1 try to bring fairness and im
partiality into the law and I try
to treat everybody with respect,
but they must also show respect
in the courtroom,” said Badger.
“And I’m looking forward to it
(magistrate position), because
for what 1 want to do in life, this
is the ideal job for me.”