Knighton rejects call for increasing local tax rates
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
Edenton Town Manager
Anne-Marie Knighton plans to
fend off a recommendation to
raise taxes to fix up a town
owned building.
’ Knighton told the Town
Council last week that N.C. Lo
cal Government Commission
staff has suggested a 1 cent
property-tax hike to fund re
pairs to the building rented by
the Northeast Partnership.
Four feet of flood-water surged
into the waterfront building
during Hurricane Isabel, caus
ing $225,000 in damage.
Added to the town’s plight is
the Federal Emergency Man
agement Agency’s refusal to
reimburse the town for the re
pair costs — and a $500,000 de
ductible in the town’s flood in
surance policy. But Knighton
Campaign
for arts is
launched
BY ANGELA PEREZ
Staff Writer
Last week, North Carolina’s
first Statewide Awareness Cam
paign for the Arts was launched
at the Chowan Arts Council in
Edenton. Local citizens spoke in
a public meeting sponsored by
Arts North Carolina, a non-profit
advocacy group, to discuss the
role that the arts lias played in
their lives. Similar forums are to
be carried out in towns and cit
ies across North Carolina and
each session will be videotaped.
These discussions and stories are
to be presented at Arts Day 2004
in Raleigh on May 11-12,2004.
“It was amazing and so grati
fying to me,” said Sue Clark, di
rector of the Chowan Arts Coun
cil, “to see how the arts and how
the Arts Council has touched so
many people And there was such
an amazing diversity of people
speaking.” Clark was particu
larly impressed at how many
people had “day” jobs that are not
necessarily related to their artis
tic pursuits. Included among the
speakers at the forum was a busi
nessman who is also a poet and a
grant writer who is a potter.
The meeting was one of the
first events to be Held at the coun
cil since it suffered extreme dam
ages caused by Hurricane IsabeL
“Since Isabel and all of the dam
ages that occurred and all of the
problems we encountered, I had
become very discouraged,” said
Clark. “But after this meeting, I
got affirmation of the role that we
play, that the arts play in the com
munity The arts really mean a lot
to this region.”
The video recordings made at
all of the regional meetings, in
cluding CAC, will ultimately be
used to create a video and other
communication tools for advocat
ing the arts in NC.
Town Manager Anne-Marie knighton says she'll keep
pressing FEMA to reimburse Edenton for funds needed to
repair hurricane damage to the Northeast Partnership build
ing rather than support a recommendation from the NC
Local Government Commission staff to raise local taxes to
pay for the work. The Partnership building is owned by
the Town of Edenton. (Staff photo by Sean Jackson)
l.'VJ. V.-.v. - .... ... ■ ,1.-1 l.,in II ..m '
hopes to reverse both decisions.
Councilman Jerry Parks
said the current setback with
FEMA is just the latest in a
string of disappointments since
the hurricane ripped through
the area.
“I think enough is enough,
personally,” Parks said
And Parks was not the only
councilor to voice frustration
during the Jan. 13 council meet
ing.
“There are a lot of people
that don’t understand what this
town has gone through with
FEMA,” Councilman Steve
Biggs said.
With FEMA withholding re
imbursement, a decision that
Knighton has appealed, LGC
staff recommended a 1-cent tax
increase to finance the repairs.
Knighton said refinancing ex
isting debt and borrowing addi
tional dollars would prevent a
tax hike. She said it is “prudent
fiscal policy to try to extend the
debt” rather than increase tax
rates.
But the LGC staff did not like
that plan, she added.
“I don’t care what they like,”
Parks said. “Desperate times
call for desperate measures.”
According to Knighton,
times weren’t so desperate for
area governments after Hurri
cane Floyd flooded the region in
1999. She said FEMA reim
bursed local governments for
damages to public buildings af
ter Floyd.
“We’re being treated differ
ent now,” she said.
Partnership staff has been
using temporary offices in
Williamston since the hurri
cane flooded the Water Street
location on Sept. 18. The town
paid for extensive renovations
to the building prior to the Part
1
HONORING DR. KING'S LEGACY
The Community Choir, led by Loretta Glen, honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with inspirational songs that
touched all of those in attendance. (Photo by Angela Perez) .
Community holds tribute service
BY ANGELA PEREZ
Staff Writer
• Chowan County resi
dents observed Martin
Luther King Jr. Day on
Monday at Swain Audito
rium with an afternoon of
inspirational song, prayer,
and speeches.
The honored guest
speaker was Dr. Lindsey
Lee White, a cardiologist
’ in Chowan County. White,
who was born in Pasq
uotank County and work
ed as a laborer during his un
dergraduate years at UNC
Chapel Hill, stressed to the
youth in attendance, “If you
dream it, you can do it.”
White noted his struggles _
as he worked his way *
through medical school at
Wake Forest University.
“I want to say to the young
people out there," said White,
“who haven’t yet reached
their desired level of achieve
ment - look at me. Look at
me.” '
Roland Vaughan, Town of
Edenton Mayor, and Louis
Belfield,, Chairman of the
Chowan County Board of
Commissioners, welcomed
the audience, expressing
their gratefulness to the com
munity for rallying together
after Hurricane Isabel.
Various community lead
ers, including Lois Jordan
Cooper, Ruth Frinks, and
Glorious Elliott, urged those
in attendance to remember
not only King’s achievements
but to remember one another.
James Norfleet Slade, an
African-American physi
cian who has been practic
ing in Edenton since 1965,
was honored with a Com
munity Service award.
Slade, who officially re-'
tired on December 31,
2003, was unable to attend.
His sister, Ruth Spencer,
received the award for
him. ■
The birthday celebra
tion closed with a recep
tion held at the Chowan
Arts Council.
Cotton Mill chimney is latest casualty of Hurricane Isabel
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
' Hurricane Isabel is the
storm that keeps on giving.
Unfortunately, her gifts keep
ringing up losses throughout
Edenton.
„ The high-rising chimney at
the old Edenton Cotton Mill is
the latest residual casualty. A
designer for the mill’s renova
tion team told the Town Coun
cil last week that a portion of
the cylindrical smokestack
will have to be torn down.
‘‘It’s now structurally un
stable,” Steve Schuster said
during the Jan. 12 council meet
ing. “We’ve got to take most of
it down before it falls down.”
Schuster said crews are al
ready working to dismantle
portions of the facility that
will not be included in renova
tions.
“It’s just another loss to the
storm,” Schuster added.
An undetermined portion
of the chimney was removed
in the past. No decision has
been made regarding how
much of the existing chimney
will have to be removed,
Schuster said.
In addition, Schuster also
outlined a minor shift in de
sign plans. A decrease in com
mercial space will increase
residential areas. Three por
tions of the building previously
targeted for commercial devel
opment will now be used for 10
additional residences.
Plans to establish a health
club at the site have also been
scrapped, Schuster said. The
area’s market wouldn’t support
an additional club, he said.
But the revised plans do in
clude saving several concrete
structures behind the mill.
Schuster said the National
Parks Service had requested
those structures not be re
moved. Keeping them will pre
serve the property’s historical
features, Schuster said the
parks service has indicated.
Councilors continued their
praise for the renovation of the
old mill, which closed as a tex
Designers for the Edenton
Cotton Mill plan on remov
ing an undetermined por
tion of the mill's chimney.
tile-industry company in 1995.
“I’m excited about the
project,” Councilman Willis
Privott said.
Councilman Sambo Dixon
said the renovated site has
brought, and will continue to
bring, new people to Edenton.
“I think it’s absolutely amaz
ing this has happened in our
town,” Dixon said.
In a memo to Town Man
ager Anne-Marie Knighton,
Schuster stated that a project
deadline has been set to have
the project “significantly under
way” by this spring.
Council unanimously ap
proved the changes to the de
sign.
nership leasing it in 1997.
While town officials seek re
imbursement from FEMA,
council approved a contractor
to begin repairs to the building.
A.R. Chesson was awarded the
contract, with a low bid of
$119,843.
Knighton said A.R. Chesson
officials have indicated work
could start around the end of the
month. Repairs will take about 60
days, she said. Until then, the
Partnership will continue to
work out of Williamston — and
Edenton won’t receive rent pay
ments.
Biggs, the economic develop
ment director for Bertie County
said some Partnership officials
are tired of commuting between
Williamston and Edenton.
“I can tell you,” Biggs said,
“they are ready to get back in
(their former offices in Eden
ton).” '
11 charged
as fake I.D.
scam eyed
From Staff Reports
Alert examiners at Driver
License offices in Elizabeth
City and Edenton provided in
formation that led to the arrest
of 11 individuals using fraudu
lent identification to obtain
North Carolina driver licenses.
The arrests, which occurred
Monday, Jan. 12, came after ex
aminers notified inspectors
with the Division of Motor Ve
hicles (DMV) License and Theft
Bureau of suspicious activity at
the driver license offices.
“I commend both the exam
iners and inspectors for their
quick action in preventing,
fake ID’s from being used to
obtain a North Carolina
driver’s license,” said N. C. Di
vision of Motor Vehicles Com
missioner George Tatum.
“This represents our commit
ment to keep bin- state’s high
ways safe by upholding the in
tegrity of the driver license
application process.”
Nine of those arrested ap
peared to have paid fees rang
ing from $900 to $1400 to two
individuals who transported
them from New Jersey to
North Carolina to obtain the
licenses.
The 11 individuals were
charged with obtaining prop
erty under false pretense, a
class H felony, which can carry
prison terms of up to 30
months upon conviction.
The individuals are in the
Pasquotank County jail, under
bonds ranging from $500 to
$50,000.
The Pasquotank County
Sheriff’s Department, the
Edenton Police Department,
and the State Bureau of Inves
tigation cooperated in the in
vestigation, which is continu
ing.
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Dancers
to perform
at Swain
Auditorium
on Fri. night_5-A
Student clipped for
Locks of Love_.7-A
Fitness classes offered
at NCCC_.2-B
Klein courts plans to
fight crime.3-C