It's official: Edenton enters Main Street program
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
A crowd of civic leaders,
business people, and local and
state officials stood on South
Broad Street Tuesday morning
to celebrate the future of
downtown Edenton.
Although a September hur
ricane mowed down awnings
and stripped trees bare, the
town entered the state’s down
town revitalization program in
a spirit of renewal and pro
gress.
“We need the Main Street
Program now more than ever,”
Town Manager Anne-Marie
Knighton told the group of
about 60 on hand for the event.
The town was approved for
the program in the summer,
and state Secretary of Com
merce Jim Fain and N.C. Main
Street Director Rodney Swink
delivered a welcome and
plaque to town leaders. Under
bright, chilly skies, Fain ap
plauded the town’s swift recov
ery from Hurricane Isabel.
“Things do look a lot differ
ent from when I was here on
Sept. 26th,” Fain said. State of
ficials “stand in awe” of the
town’s near-complete return to
its pre-hurricane activity and
appearance.
Fain said Edenton has a long
history of having a vibrant
downtown. And its overall his
tory was another plus in the
application approval process.
“Edenton has a long, out
standing record of historic
preservation activity,” he said.
“Edenton is a natural fit for
this program.”
Town officials appeared
humbled by the honor, which
aims to boost downtown com
merce and create jobs.
“We are very fortunate and
blessed,” Mayor Roland Vau
ghan said, “to become a recipi
ent of a Main Street award.”
Vaughan said the forebears
of current town leaders de
serve credit for setting the
stage for Edenton’s involve
ment in the statewide pro
gram. Knighton agreed town’s
See PROGRAM On Page 3-A
Streetlights
could be fixed
in a few weeks
S -BY SEAN JACKSON
^ ° Steffi Writer ^ v " ■ ■ - '
i «—iju actor charged with restoring the town’s streetlights
and power system to pre-Hurricane Isabel standards could
have tlie job done by mid-December.
During its Monday night meeting, the Edenton Town Coun
cil chose Lee Construction to mend sagging lines, leaning
• power poles, and darkened streetlights. All were damaged by
the Sept. 18 hurricane.
Town Manager Anne-Marie Knighton said Lee officials have
indicated their crews can start work next Monday The work
could be completed within two to two-and-a-half weeks,
Knighton added.
Knighton said the town has received “lots of calls’’ from
residents who were concerned about faulty streetlights and
security lights. Those concerns have increased since the Oct.
27 start of Eastern Standard Time and the earlier arrival of
sunset.
“People are getting anxious and they want this work done,”
Knighton said.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency will reim
burse the town for the cost of the repairs, she said. Town and
FEMA officials had estimated the repairs would cost $150,000.
Lee will .be paid approximately that amount for the repairs,
Knighton said.
The town was required by FEMA to bid out the project
Councilman Willis Privott asked Knighton if the repair
work would return the town’s electric system “back to nor
mal.” Trees felled by the hurricane slashed through power
lines and utility poles were snapped by 100 mph winds.
Knighton said FEMA conducted a “detailed inventory” of
the town’s system after the storm. But she didn’t rule out a
few glitches even after Lee completes the repair work.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if we found some more things,”
she said.
Privott also asked if power interruptions would occur dur
ing the repairs. Knighton said minimal outages of “just a few
hours” could be needed for the work to be done. She said any
affected residents and businesses would be notified in advance
of any necessary power interruptions. 1
At left, N.C. Secretary of Commerce Jim Fain, center, pre
sents a plaque to Edenton Town Manager Anne-Marie
Knighton, left, and Mayor Roland Vaughan durig Monday
morning's announcement of the town's entry into the
state's Main Street Program. At right. Secretary Fain ad
dresses the crowd on hand for the event. (Staff photo by
Sean Jackson)
Chowan would leave 1st Senate
District under new Assembly plan
From Staff Reports
State Rep. Bill Culpepper
would have Perquimans Coun
ty removed from his district
under new redistricting plans
unveiled Monday in Raleigh.
Culpepper, a Chowan Coun
ty Democrat, would hold onto
Chowan, Dare, and Hyde coun
ties, while gaining a portion of
Washington County he cur
rently does not represent in
the House 2nd District.
State lawmakers began a
specialsession Monday hoping
to pass new House and Senate
districts that would win court
approval. In the House redis
tricting plan, Perquimans
would become part of the 5th
House District, joining Bertie,
Gates, and Hertford counties.
Rep. Howard Hunter currently
represents the 5th District.
According to a new Senate
map, Chowan and Perquimans
counties would be removed
from current Senate Pro Tern
Marc Basnight’s district.
Chowan and Perquimans
would be removed from the
Dare County Democrat’s 1st
Senate District and be placed
into the 4th District, joining
Bertie, Gates, Hertford, Hali
fax, and Northampton coun
ties. Sen. Robert Holloman, D
See PLAN On Page 3-A
Christmas
at Market
is Dec. 6th
BY TAMIKA SPRUILL
Staff Writer
The Christmas season offi
cially starts in Edenton on Sat
urday, December 6 with Christ
mas at the Market- a holiday
extravaganza sponsored by the
Marketplace Guild of historic
Edenton.y
The arrival of Santa Claus at
10:00 a.m. ceremoniously
starts tne day. Parents can take
their children to the newly
constructed Santa’s House lo
cated at the corner of S. Broad
and Water Street. Local elves
built the new stopping point
for Saint Nick and supplies to
finish the job were donated by
Byrum’s Hardware, Sherwin
Williams Paint Store and MG
Brown Building Supply. Santa
won’t be here for long. He'll
See MARKET On Page 3-A
Downtown businesses will officially kick off the holiday shopping season with Christmsa
at the Market on Saturday, Dec. 6. Above, the Perfect Gift shop looks lovely.
Most local restaurants are now smoke-free
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gets new
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with Christopher
Reeves-12-A
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shouldl boost -
tourism_........... 3-A
• BY TAMIKA SPRUILL
* Staff Writer
\ Customer complaints, along
.with smoke-filled air and smelly
clothes — all reasons why many
restaurants and eateries in
Chowan County are adopting a
new “non-smoking” policy.
Burger King, Dairy Queen,
Mario’s, Snookers, That Fancy
Caf6, Nixon’s Catering, Shun
Xing and The Club Room are just
;a few who’ve made the switch.
: “We are a family restaurant
and people wouldn't come as
much when it was smoke-filled,"
says Mario’s co-owner Ashley
Misseri on why Mario’s is non
smoking. “Before Mario’s expan
Patrons still enjoy a good smoke at Mamasita's Restau
rant. Mamasita's is one of the few restaurants in Chowan
County that has not switched to a non-smoking policy. (Staff
photo by Angela Perez)
sion wfe went to nonsmoking and Jean Bunch RN, Tobacco Pre
business increased.” vention Coordinator for Chowan
Regional Healthcare Foundation,
cites many reasons why restau
rants are adopting the policy
‘Seventy percent of North
Carolinians prefer a smoke free
place to dine,” Bunch states. “Be
sides that restaurant owners lose
over $4600.00 a year from costs
related to smoking employees.
These things include employee
absenteeism, smoke breaks, and
increased health insurance”
Not all restaurants in Chowan
County are falling in line with the
nonsmoking trend, however.
Mamasita’s is one of the few eat
eries that still allows its patrons
to enjoy a good smoke — some
thing that many Mamasita’s cus
tomers appreciate.
“I don’t understand how a bar/
restaurant could stay in business
while being nonsmoking,” says
long time patron Larry Williams.
“If you go in a bar/eating place
you know people are going to
smoke.”
Owner Gejardo Ojeda agrees
and while he understands grow
ing health concerns about smok
ing, his customers’ preferences
are his first priority
“Mamasita's has fifty percent
smoking and fifty percent non
smoking customers,’' he says. “ I
don’t want to alienate one group
of customers over the other.
Since I opened in 2000 I’ve only
had three or four people to com
plain about the smoke.”