Somerset
groom has
- local ties...2-C
Steamers
camp grand
, s*am with kids........_1-B
Storyteller
.delights Summer
Reading crowd___6-A
. The Chowan-Edenton Optimist Club will again host our community's Fabulous Fourth
of July Celebration this Friday at the downtown Edenton waterfront. There will be music,
delicious food, a petting zoo, rides aboard the Optimist Club train, and much more. The
festivities begin at 4 p.m. Fireworks are planned shortly to get underway around 9 p.m.
(Chowan Herald file photo)
Optimists to host
July 4th festivities
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Managing Editor
Independence Day is one of
the most popular events in our
community, drawing local and
area residents to the down
town Edenton waterfront to
enjoy the Fabulous Fourth of
July hosted annually by the
Chowan-Edenton Optimist
Club. And this Friday’s cel
ebration will be no exception.
Starting at 4 p.m. there will
be lots to see and enjoy, includ
ing a petting zoo, kiddie rides,
pony rides and the ever-popu
lar Optimist Club train.
Music will be provided by
Reggie Byrum, a local DJ, and
is scheduled to include oldies,
Beach music, rock and roll.
The club encourages local tal
ent interested in performing to
talk with Optimist Club mem
bers at the event.
Lots of delicious food is also
planned. In addition to Mario’s
Restaurant and Leon Nixon
Catering, other vendors will be
Pony rides will be among the attractions for youngsters
at the July 4 celebration hosted this Friday by the Optimist
Club. (Chowan Herald file photo)
on hand to provide everything
from sno-cones and ice cream
to funnel cakes, burgers, hot
dogs and fries. Cold drinks will
also be available.
The highlight of the evening
will, of course, be a gorgeous
display of fireworks lighting
up the night sky over the wa
terfront. Fireworks are sched
uled to begin, courtesy Of the
Optimists, shortly after 9 p.m.
Everyone is welcome and
encouraged to attend.
Patriotism to be celebrated here
BY BETH TAYLOR
Contributing Writer
On July 4,1776 fifty-six men
signed the Declaration of Inde
pendence in Philadelphia, PA.
One of them, Joseph Hewes,
lived in Edehton. ‘
Two hundred twenty-seven
years later, on Friday, July 4, at
10 a.m., the National Society
Daughters of the American
Revolution (NSDAR) Edenton
Tea Party Chapter will spon
sor a public ceremony honor
ing Joseph Hewes at the monu
Inent named in his honor
which stands on the Court
house Green.
The Declaration of Indepen
dence will be read by Chowan
County Clerk of Court Mike
McArthur. A biographical
sketch of Hewes’ life will be
read by Chowan County Com
missioner Louis Belfield, fol
lowed by the singing of the
National Anthem by Ricky,
Andrew and Allen Browder,
and a prayer by the Rev. Tho
mas Biggs. American Legion
Post 40 will present the colors.
It is an important event be
cause only 56 men signed the
declaration and Hewes was
one of them. These men put
their lives on the line and
The Edenton Tea Party Chapter DAR will host a public
ceremony at the site of the Joseph Hewes monument on
the Edenton waterfront the morning of July 4. The organi
zation sponsors the event each year in honor of Joseph
Hewes, an Edenton patriot who was the only North Caro
lina representative present to sign the document on July 4,
1776 in Philadelphia, PA. (Chowan Herald file photo)
many suffered for the signing
of the Declaration of Indepen
dence. So, this Independence
Day, before you head for the
downtown Edenton waterfront
to enjoy this year’s Fourth of
July fireworks, please stop by
the Courthouse Green and re
member what started the fire
works.
About Joseph Hewes
Joseph Hewes of Edenton
was the only representative of
North Carolina to sign the Dec
laration of Independence in
Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.
Of our three state’s three del
egates, only Hewes had at
tended the meetings of the
Continental Congress and
worked for the independence
of the nation throughout that
spring; North Carolina’s other
delegates would sign later.
Born in New Jersey in 1730,
Joseph Hewes came to
Edenton when he was 25 years
old. He owned property on
King Street, and opened a ship
yard near where Granville
meets Water Street. As
Edenton’s representative in
the Colonial Assembly, he
sponsored bills to construct
our courthouse in 1767.
As Americans began to com
plain about how they were be
ing treated by Great Britain,
the 13 colonies began to work
together. Joseph Hewes was
sent to represent North Caro
lina at the first national meet
ing of all the colonies: the First
Continental Congress. There,
he helped create a Continental
See PATRIOTISM Page 3-A
BY ANGELA f ERIlT
Staff Writer 4» 5
■ ■, ■ ■ ; : . ■ : '
Edenton’s Electric
Department is a source of
well-being for most area
residents, but not for
squirrels.
The tiny rodents were
the cause Of Tuesday’s
power surges. Like most
squirrel-related power
line incidents, the surges
are caused when the
animal touches two wires
in a transformer or line
and completes a circuit
with its body.
“Rarely does this cause
power outages for us,”
said Hawk Crummey,
Director of Electric
Services for the Town of
Edenton, “but it does
cause surges.”
“And,” he added with a
chuckle, “the squirrels
generally don't do too
well after they get 7200
volts going through
them." •
Most power lines have
circuit breakers that '
work much like the ones
found in most house
holds. The breakers will
work three times before -
locking out on the fourth"
time if the line is not
clean Usually, squirrels
are blown off the trans
former or off the line
while it tries to clear
itself.
This appears to be
what happened on Tues
day. Adds Crumraey,
“This sort of thing
haffcens all of the time.
If there’s something that
can be done, we’d love to
know about it.”
Mr. Crummey also
informed the Herald that
the squirrels did not
survive the ordeal.
Vaughan says
he'll run again
Roland Vaughn will seek
another term as Mayor of
Edenton in the November
elections. Vaughn currently
serves as mayor and has held
that position since 1995. Be
ing an Edenton native gives
him a deep appreciation ahd
respect for the citizens of his
hometown.
“It’s a position that I’m
proud and honored to have,”
he states.
As mayor, Vaughn’s accom
plishments have included
See VAUGHAN On Page 3-A
Mayor Roland Vaughan
Wright spirit pays visit to Edenton
BY DAVID CRAWLEY
Publisher
“Orville and Wilbur Wright
were right,” smiled an exuber
ant Guy Staynor as he gulped
a couple of swallows of cold
soda pop he had just dug out of
a tub of Edenton, NC ice. “You
can fly across the country in
one of these, an airplane simi
lar to what they built!”
Staynor, a pilot of 29 years
works full-time at a Midwest
ern nuclear power plant and is
one of about thirty ultra-light
pilots who left Dayton Ohio on
June 22 in route to Kitty Hawk,
NC.
Staynor flies a machine
See SPIRIT On Page 5-A
This "trike" was one of a group of ultra-lights that stopped over in Edenton last Tues
day morning en route to Kitty Hawk. The flight originated in Dayton, OH. (Weagly photo)
BE SAFE AND
RESPONSIBLE