Chowan
DSS crisis
funds are
received
, The Chowan County Depart
ment of Social Services has
received a Special disaster al
location of Crisis Intervention
monies to assist those disaster
victims experiencing home
heating of cooling difficulties
due to Hurricane Isabel.
“These special monies are
targeted toward those whose
homes suffered damage such
as loss or damage to home
heating/cooling units or simi
lar damage that causes heat
ing/cooling damage or loss,”
said Ben Rose, director of
Chowan DSS.
“According to the guidelines,
deposits or connection fees
paid to facilitate movement
into housing due to the the di
saster can also be considered,”
Rose added. “Before authoriza
tion for these special funds, all
other resources, such as other
governmental programs or
private assistance), must have
been examined.”
See FUNDS On Page 3-A
Cleaning up debris in style
Frederick Inglis cut up the 107 foot long pecan which fell at Isabel's persuasion in his
parent's back yard at the Homestead. Frederick's horse "Sir Dudley," a Percheron, not only
made the daunting job easier, but caused far less damage to the yard in general, and the
flower beds in particular, than a noisy tractor would have. (Staff photo by Debbie Collins)
Despite protests,
fall break is out
BY TAMIKA SPRUILL
Staff Writer
Despite protest from four
parents at Monday night’s
school board meeting, Super
intendent of Chowan County
Schools Dr. Allan T. Smith
recommended the resolution
to cancel fall break to make
up for instructional days lost
to due Hurricane Isabel.
“Unless the General As
sembly passes a law stating
that we can waive the lost
days, our hands are tied,” Dr.
Smith told the group of par
ents. “ It is my recommenda
tion that these days be made
up by January, which would
include taking all of the days
from fall break.”
Grades K-8 will use the fol
lowing days as make-ups:
Oct.9, Oct. 10, Oct. 13, Oct. 14
and Jan. 5-7. This schedule
will call for Oct. 16 & 23 as
early release days.
High School make up days
will be Oct. 10, Oct.13, Oct. 14,
Nov. 26, Dec. 18, Dec. 19 and
Jan. 6 and Jan. 7. Early re
lease days for high school
students are Oct. 16, Nov. 26,
Dec. 18 and Dec. 19. High
School exams are scheduled
for Dec. 18-19.
Chowan County Schools
suffered $300,000 in Isabel
related expenses. John A
Holmes and Chowan Middle
sustained the brunt of the
damages. Damages ranged
from roof and tile damage to
problems with the sewer
pumping station.
“We were fortunate that we
didn’t have any severe struc
tural damage,” said Smith.
“We were able to overcome
everything. I was very proud
of our custodians and office
staff who arrived atwork on
Monday (following Isabel)
ready to go.”
Smith also gave an update
on the school’s role in the
hurricane recovery effort.
The school donated over
$30,000 worth of food to feed
workers and used to school
sites as emergency shelters.
“We have a commitment to
help the community,” stated
Smith.
Other items on the agenda
for the board meeting in
cluded the financial report
and.closed personnel discus
sions.
Commissioners survey damage, praise Copeland
BY TAMIKA SPRUILL
Staff Writer
Hurricane Isabel forced
Chowan County officials and
department heads to step up to
the plate and handle damages
that Edenton has never faced.
County Manager Cliff Cope
land, one such official, was ac
knowledged at Monday night’s
County Commis-sioner’s meet
ing with a plaque recognizing
his extraordinary efforts.
“We observed a great job
being done by our county of
ficials and town heads, “
stated Vice Chairman Wayne
Goodwin. “Cliff surpassed
his duties and kept all of us
informed with what was go
ing on and we appreciate
that.”
After touring the storm
damage of the county to get
a firsthand view of how resi
dents were affected, the com
missioners went into ses
sion. Hurricane Isabel up
Chowan County Manager Cliff Copeland (left) accepts a special award presented by
Commissioner Wayne Goodwin (center) on Monday. The award recognizes Copeland for
his extraordinary service to the community during and after Hurricane Isabel. (Staff photo
by Tamika Spruill)
dates were the primary focus
of the Meeting. County offi
cials and department heads
gave brief overviews of the
situations faced and assessed
damages.
“The Recovery effort was a
fine example of the coopera
tive spirit between town and
county,” said Doug Belch,
Chowan County EMS Direc
tor as he gave his report.
According to Belch, be
tween 120-130 lineman came
into Chowan County to assist
with the utility system. Over
1200 meals a day were pre
pared to feed the workers.
2,012 residences were regis
tered with FEMA for .housing
and other assistance needs.
Mike Williams, Chowan
County Extension director,
gave a summary of the crop
damage Chowan farmers re
ceived. There was a thirty
percent loss to cotton, a five
percent loss to soybeans and
a fifty percent lost to milo.
Homestead farmers took a
significant hit in terms of
damage.
Richard Bunch, Executive
Director of the Edenton
Chowan Chamber of Com
merce also gave information
on the financial impact
Isabel had on the business
community. Bunch reported
thirty million dollars in dam
age, a ten million-dollar eco
nomic loss and the possibil
ity th$t two small businesses
may not reopen.
On the residential front,
over 3,008 homes were dam
aged by Isabel. Out of those,
seventy-three percent sus
tained minor damages,
twenty-three percent were
damaged with severe struc
tural damage and four per
cent were destroyed. An es
timated 195 million dollars
worth of damaged occurred
to residential and commer
cial buildings.
Over 2,162 households in
Chowan County received
food stamps according to a
report from Ben Rose, Direc
tor of Chowan County Social
Services. $500,000 was given
in emergency food stamp
funds. Sheriff Fred Spruill,
Special Projects Coordinator
Peter Rascoe and lnterfaith
Coordinator Dick Vail also
gave storm updates.
Chowan Fair opening
; The Chowan,County Regional Fair has been rescheduled
for Oct. 14-18 at the American Legion Fairgrounds in
•Edenton. The Victoria Circus, the “Globe of Death” and Lou's
Retting Zoo will be among the attractions. The fair will also
;indude the popular Little Miss and Miss Chowan County
Fair exhibits. Exhibits will be up this Saturday and Sunday
from 1-5 p.m. (Chowan Herald file photo)
Baptist Men's mission
to help those in need
BY TAMIKA SPRUILL
Staff Writer
Even though the effects of Hur
ricane Isabel have diminished,
the Edenton Baptist Church’s
outreach to the community
hasn’t. The North Carolina Bap
tist Men’s Disaster Relief Mis
sion has been working nonstop to
remove trees and other debris
from the homes of Chowan
County residents. So far over 180
requests for assistance have came
in. The organization assists all'
people who need help regardless
off their religious affiliation.
“Our top priority is the people
who can’t help themselves,” ‘
states Don Payne coordinator for
Chowan County “This includes
the elderly widows and the eco
nomically depressed. But we help
everyone who needs it.”
Members of the North Caro
lina Baptist Men arrived in
Edenton the Sunday following
Hurricane Isabel. From 7 a.m. to
7 pm. the volunteers are out as
sisting residents and they eat and
sleep in-the church. After a hard
days work, these compassionate
individuals have prayer services
in the evening before turning in
for bed. ‘I’ve been a Christian for
a long time and have never seen
such dedicated hardworking
people,” says Corrine Thorud, a
deacon at Edenton Baptist
Church who has been assisting
with the application process.
"These people are from all walks
of life and are here because they
are committed and love the
Lord.”
They are over 110 Baptist men
volunteers in Edenton from
North Carolina, South Carolina
and Alabama. It will be at least
two to three weeks before the vol
unteers are finished with their
first stage of mission work: disas
ter relief-which is short term. The
second phase- recovery is a long
term process that may take years
to complete. Volunteers are still
fixing houses affected by Hurri
cane Floyd. Over3,000volunteers
a week are still coming to north
eastern North Carolina and Vir
giniatohelpout.
“Chowan County is definitely
one of the most severely stricken
places I’ve worked in with possi
bly the worst damage I’ve seen,”
Payne states. “But since I’ve been
here, I’ve witnessed how the com
munity has bonded. We feel
blessed to have worked in this
area.”
Volunteers have worked in
East Edenton, West Edenton,
Macedonia, Cape Colony Yeopim
area and on Oakum Street- just
to name a few.
Applications are still being ac
cepted at the parsonage hall of
Edenton Baptist Church. Any
one interested in more informa
tion can contact Pastor Paul
Pridgen at 482-3217 or stop by
North Carolina Baptist Men’s
Disaster Relief ministry meets
the needs of people during hur
ricanes, floods, tornadoes, and
other natural disasters. Provid
ing meals, cleaning up destroyed
areas, and repairing homes are a
few of the ways Baptist Men re
spond to a disaster.
Attention,
Readers
Extensive hurricane cov
erage temporarily bumped
the Bible Verse Page from
The Herald, but it has now
been brought back.
You can find it in this
week’s edition of the paper
on page 5-B.
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Chowan Co.
jail is rich
in history
,.1-B
Leon Nixon’s
shows true
community
spirit--—__5-A
Italian-style
bakery comes
to downtown_12-A
Isabel’s web_5-A