Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Power
systems
still fragile
countywide
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
Within days of devastated
power grids from Cannon’s
Ferry to Sandy Point, utility
workers scrambled to piece
Chowan County and Edenton’s
electric systems back together.
But in their dash to repair
miles of dead power lines, the
workers left behind a vulner
able system Town Manager
Anne-Marie Knighton said.
“Our system is fragile,”
Knighton said last week
County Manager Cliff Cope
land said the county’s mended
power system is in a similar
state.
“I think common sense tells
you that the system is fragile,”
Copeland said Monday With so
much work done in such a
short amount of time, Cope
land said the system’s frailty is
not surprising.
Knighton also said that the
town’s streetlights aren’t oper
ating as they did prior to the
storm. In some cases, lights on
one side of the street are work
ing but are not on the opposite
side of the street.
“It’s strange how one side of
the street will work and an
other side won’t,” she said.
The town should receive
bids on work to repair the
streetlight problems this
week, Knighton said. The
cost for the work is roughly
$150,000, she said. The Fed
eral Emergency Manage
ment Agency has required
the town go through the bid
ding process in order to re
ceive federal reimbursement.
The Town Council could
approve a contractor for the
work during its council com
mittee meeting next Monday
night, Knighton said.
More than 130 linemen
worked for nearly two weeks
to re-string lines and bury
new poles after the Sept. 18
storm. Power was restored to
most town and county cus
tomers within the first week.
But frequent, brief interrup
tions have occurred since the
systems were repaired.
Last week, a power outage
swept across Edenton. High
winds caused isolated inter
ruptions in the county.
Copeland and Knighton both
said the situation will im
prove as newly installed sys
tems are corrected.
“We are working hard ev
ery day,” Knighton said, “re
pairing, readjusting, reset
ting and even clearing trees
leaning into power lines.”
“With every passing day
it’s going to improve,”
Copeland said.
The Nov. 12 outage in
Edenton lasted about an
hour, affecting all town elec
tric customers.
The outage occurred as
the result of power lines that
bumped together during
High winds, Knighton said. A
feeder line at the town’s East
Freemason Street substation
was sagging and was blown
against a Dominion Power
owned line, she said.
"We temporarily fixed the
problem Thursday (Nov. 12),”
Knighton said. “We are coor
dinating with Dominion to
schedule a permanent fix,
which I am told should be ac
complished without any in
terruptions to power.” ;
Knighton said residents
are being understanding of
the situation. > -I
“We appreciate our cus-;
tomers.’ patience and sup
port,” Knighton said, “as we
work to make our system re
liable and dependable, like’it
was before Isabel.” C
FEMA being asked to reimburse
Edenton for tree stump removal
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
Drive along the streets of
Edenton and it’s hard to miss
the tree stumps along road
sides.
Peter Rascoe, Special Pro
jects Coordinator for the town
and Chowan County, is hoping
it will be a short-lived sight.
But Unless federal dollars ar
rive to offset the costs of fin
ishing the cleanup of Hurri
cane Isabel’s mess, the town
may have to pay that price.
Rascoe said last week that
the town would submit its
stump-removal costs to the
*r ’or"1.] Emergency Manage
ment Agency. Whether or not
FEMA will reimburse the
town remains to be seen.
Rascoe said FEMA officials
have been told the town wants
to be reimbursed.
The town is currently ac
cepting bids for the removal
See STUMP On Page 3-A
Unsightly tree stumps litter streets throughout Edenton
after Hurricane Isabel. The town has asked FEMA to reim
burse it for the cost of stump removal. (Cox NC Publica
tions file photo)
FEMA
extends its
deadline
From Staff Reports
The Federal Emergency
Management Agency has ex
tended the deadline to apply
for disaster aid stemming from
Hurricane Isabel to Dec. 8.
“We are still getting hun
dreds of people registering ev
,,ery day,” Gracia Szcech, the
FEMA official coordinating
the federal disaster response,
stated in a press release. “We
dor. 'j vv nit anyone with unin
sured damage to their home or
business to miss the chance to
register. That’s why we are ex
tending the deadline.”
To date, 2,825 dhowan
County residents have applied
See AID On Page 3-A
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Farm City
Banquet
is Nov. 25
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This year’s Farm City Banquet, hosted by the Extension
Advisory Council, will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday - "
evening, November 25, at the American Legion Post 40 in ('
Edehton. This annual event recognizes the close ties J-J
between the agricultural and business community that is so
important to the economic well being of communities i|fg|
across the nation and particularly here in northeastern
North Carolina. »,
The Farm City Banquet is also a time to recognize . •
achievement in the'community This year we will recognize
the 2002 Champion Peanut Producer for Chowan County,
The 2003 Woman in Agriculture, The 2003 Outstanding
Young Farmer, and the 2003 Outstanding Youth. In addi- v j
tion, Mr. Dick Vail, Chowan Interfaith Council, will speak p
about this organizations volunteer role in our Hurricane
Isabel disaster recovery. The Chowan Interfaith Council ||
was appointed through our Isabel Emergency Operations 1
Center to coordinate volunteer efforts for disaster relief.
The Farm City Banquet is supported by business and
civic organizations in Chowan County and is open to all, • /
For reservations, please call the Extension office (482-6585)
by November 21 with your plans to attend. We will look Sja
forward to seeing you for some good food, a good message 1
and plenty of door prizes.
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Lawsuit
dismissed
BY CARRIE OLSON
Cox NC Publications
A Superior Court judge
dismissed a lawsuit against
the Edenton Police Depart
ment and one of its officers
Friday after the plaintiff
failed to show up for a depo
sition hearing.
Tristan Spencer filed suit
against Edenton police in
July, alleging the depart
ment and police officer
Denise Wilder had failed to
protect him from being at
tacked by two other men
while he was in police cus
tody.
Spencer asserted that
Wilder allowed the men -
Umoja Powell and Bashiri
Powell - to attack him after
he had been handcuffed. His
lawsuit had sought damages
in excess of $10,000.
Judge Dwight L. Cranford
ordered Spencer to attend a
deposition hearing in
Chowan on Aug. 8. But, ac
cording to the attorney rep
resenting the Edenton police
department and Wilder,
Spencer never showed up.
"We waited for over 30
See LAWSUIT Page 3-A
Ferebee gets probation, community service
for Labor Day burglaries at business, school
BY TAMIKA SPRUILL
Staff Writer
Lamar Ferebee of 1352 N.
Broad Street was sentenced
for his involvement in the
Labor Day burglaries of
Sound Feet Shoes and John
A. Holmes High School. Fere
bee was also charged in con
nection to the August 5 rob
bery of Sound Feet Shoes.
A brick had been thrown
through the glass window
of Sound Feet Shoes and
twenty hats valued at
$500.00 had been stolen
from the store. It was later
discovered that John A.
Holmes had been robbed
during early morning La
bor Day hours.
A number of items were
stolen from the high school
including a CD player, video
camera and three radio
phones with chargers that
were later returned.
During the November 17
session of Administrative
Superior Court, Ferebee ac
cepted a plea bargain and
was convicted on three
counts of felony possession
of stolen goods.
His sentence of six to eight
months in the custody of
North Carolina Department
of Corrections (for each
charge) was suspended.
Ferebee was placed under;
thirty-six months of supers
vised probation and twelve;
months of intensive proba
tion to run concurrently for
. each charge.
He was also assigned no
less than ninety hours of
community service.
Struttin’
their
stuff
In a tribute that
recalled the antics of the
Village People, locals (l-r)
Jeff “Chief Jeff“
Sackrison (Indian), John
Caveney (soldier), Peter
Lokema (construction
worker) and Craig Miller
(cowboy) had the crowd
cheering during the
annual Chowan Hospital
fundraiser Saturday
. night. (Photo by Blair
Currie) (See related story
and photos on page 8-A) -
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Historical
Commission
welcomes
anew
Chairman__1-Ck
Aces win second
round playoffs 1-B
Slots opon
for Christmas
Parade_„..4-D
Candlelight
Tour nears_3-A
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