JJOCfeNo. 1%
nesday, March 31, 2004
Published in historic Edenton... The South ’s prettiest town.
Hopes high for Holmes to stay at current site
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
No one who spoke at a public hearing con
cerning what to do with John A. Holmes High
School last week wanted the current site de
void of students.
They wanted Holmes to be upgraded or
have a new school tucked between North
Broad and Oakum streets. The Edenton
Chowan Schools Board of Education is mull
ing just what to do about the aging, 50-year
old school. Options include revamping
Holmes, building a new school on the current
site, or buy property to construct a new fa
cility.
Lois Byrum, a Holmes graduate, envisions
her children graduating at the same place she
did.
“(And) I plan on having all my grandkids
here,” she told the school board. “It’s like
home.”
Others agreed.
“I think you have possibilities of expand
ing the site you have now,” John Mitchener
OPTIONS BEING CONSIDERED
FOR EXPANDING
g HOLMES HIGH SCHOOL
The three proposed options for expanding Holmes are:
• New school, same site: $18 million for an 800-student capacity school,
$21 million for a 1,000-student school;
• New school, new site: $25 million for an 800-student school, $28 million
for a 1,000-student school;
• Renovated school: $15 -$16 million for a 1,000-student school.
Dr. Allan Smith, superintendent of schools, said last week that those cost
estimates could rise by 2006-07, the year the county could add new debt for
construction of a new high school, or to pay for renovations at Holmes.
Ill said during the 30-minute hearing.
Mitchener, a former school board member,
said the school’s age isn’t the issue.
“It’s, how you maintain and take care of
what you have,” that matters, he said.
Superintendent Allan Smith briefed the
gathering about the issues facing the school
board and the options being considered. Cur
rently, they include renovating the school at
the existing county-owned site, building a
new site at that site, or buying new property
on which to build a new school.
Renovating is the least expensive ($16 mil
lion estimate) of the three, while a new
school at the existing site is the next cheap
est ($18-$21 million estimate) and the new
school on new property is the most costly, be
tween $25 million and $28 million estimate.
Those cost estimates were proved by the state
Department of Public Instruction, Smith
said.
“An integral part of this decision,” Smith
added, “needs to be (made from) feedback
from the community.”
Smith said the school board hopes to reach
a consensus on one option by mid-summer.
Nearly 20 citizens and local officials were
on hand for the hearing at Holmes’ audito
rium March 24. A pair of informational meet
ings for the public were held the previous
week.
Community honors Dr. Slade for
professionalism, generous spirit
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
Dr. James Norfleet Slade de
livered babies, healed infected
throats, soothed cuts .and
bruises, and mended aging
bodies.
But the 73-year-old physician
isn’t just known for his de
cades of serving Edenton and
Chowan County residents.
There’s his 1958 Chevy that
he’s been tooling around town
in since Dwight D. Eisenhower
was president. During a recep
tion honoring the ailing Slade
at Chowan Hospital Monday
night, hospital president Jeff
Sackrison alluded to the 415,00
miles Slade has put on the
finned relic of an automobile
over the years. Sackrison also
pointed out that Slade married
his wife Catherine the same
year he got the Chevy.
“His wife (came) first,”
Catherine cut in,"sending the
more than 100 well-wishers on
hand into laughter.
. Slade began practicing in
Edenton in 1965, specializing
in pediatrics and adult medi
cine. He previously spent sev
eral years in specialty training
at Los Angeles County General
Listening to tributes during the evening's celebration (left
to right) Catherine Slade, her husband, Dr. James Slade,
and their son, James Slade II. (Staff photo by Sean Jackson)
Hospital, having served in the
U.S. Army Medical Corps from
1958 to 1960.
Scores of friends, former
patients and colleagues, and
local officials joined in honor
ing Slade Monday The frail but
smiling Slade was joined by his
three daughters, Theresa,
Kathryn, and Julian as well as
his son James N. Slade II. His
daughters sang an a cappella
version of “Without Him,” a
gospel hit for Elvis Presley in
1966.
Speakers for the event also
confessed that many lives
would have been worse off if
not for Slade’s dedication over
the years.
“As the son of a doctor,”
Edenton Mayor Roland
Vaughan said, “I can appreci
ate the sacrifices it takes” to be
a loyal physician.
Barbara Cale, Sackrison’s
predecessor at Chowan Hospi
tal, recalled Slade’s calm de
meanor during her tenure at
the hospital.
“I’ve never seen him lose his
temper,” she said.
Others said Slade’s personal
life was equally honorable.
“He is one of the most ad
mired men in the area,”
Sackrison said.
Slade held an office on South
Broad. Street for decades, be
fore retiring Jan. 1. A sign ac
knowledging his need to park
his ’58 Chevy in fi'ont of his
practice testifies to the respect
the towrn gave him.
Unfortunately, the car was
damaged during Hurricane
Isabel. Donations poured in
Monday night from those who
want to see Slade’s famed ve
hicle repaired. People also
lined up in the hospital’s hall
ways to shake the hand and
hug the neck of the man so be
loved by his community.
“He was a devoted, caring,
knowledgeable physician who
I am honored to have worked
with,” Craig Miller, a former
See SLADE On Page 3-A
Worker
crushed
by tree
BY EARLINE WHITE
Staff Writer
At approximately 1 p.m. on
March 29 Chowan Central Com
munications received a call that
a worker was pinned under a
tree. Hernan Ramon Garcia, 29,
of Bath, NC was found by a co
worker in the wooded area off
W. Bear Swamp Road in Tyner.
He was there cutting trees for
Pollard Logging Co. from
Greenville, NC.
A co-worker stated that he
heard the victim’s saw silenced
and went to check on him. Mr.
Garcia was found under a tree.
It appears that the tree fell back
onto Mr. Garcia. The victim
died as a result of the accident
“This is the second logging/
forestry accident since the hur
ricane,” said Chowan County
Sheriff Fred Spruill.
Investigating officers were
Investigator Dwayne Goodwin
and Deputy Sheriff Allen
Browder.
Woman of the Year
Edenton BPW Club President Fran Ward, left, congratulates Barbara Burroughs who
was named Woman of the Year by the club during its annual banquet March 18. The
banquet was held at the Edenton United Methodist Church. (Staff photo by Earline White)
—mawnmi— minim imirnWTiririiTiwnr niminr ■■|i—n-iiiMniifflrrii inn m iiwinir mu timrit mimi lemmeii'Minimal hi i ii
Friends recall
Nancy Hagan's
life, legacy
From Staff Reports
Shock and sorrow touched
the friends and family of the
late Nancy Hagan when news
of the popular chef’s death
rippled.through Edenton last
week.
The energetic, creative
force behind Chero’s — a
West Water Street eatery —
Hagan was beloved by many
friends and colleagues. Rick
Ebersole, co-owner of Wat
erman’s Grill on South
Broad Street, formerly em
ployed Hagan for her cater
ing skills.
She didn’t disappoint.
“There were parties of
See HAGAN On Page 3-A
Floral tributes lined the steps at Chero's in the days
following Hagan's death. Artist and friend Cam Waff cre
ated this drawing of Hagan. (Sean Jackson photo)
OLF lawsuit gets
to federal court
BY BETH HALL
Cox N. C. Publications
RALEIGH - Plaintiffs seek
ing an injunction against Navy
plans for an outlying landing
field were heard in federal
court yesterday.
As of press time, only the
plaintiffs had made remarks
before Judge Terrence Boyle.
A preliminary injunction
would halt the Navy from mov
ing forward with plans for an
outlying landing field on 30,000
acres of land in Washington
and Beaufort counties. An in
junction would stop the pur
chase of land and develop
ment.
"fwo lawsuits, one represent-'
ing the two counties and the
other representing a coalition
of conservancy groups, ques
tion the Navy’s choice for an
OLF at this site, adjacent to the
Pocosin Lake National Wildlife
Refuge, which would strip the
counties of a major tax base
and displace many family
farmers.
An injunction is needed to
stop the “bureaucratic steam
roller” that would begin mov
ing once the Navy purchases
the first piece of land, said
Kiran Mehta, representing the
plaintiff. In order to issue an
injunction, the plaintiff would
have to prove that not issuing
the injunction would cause
See OLF On Page 3-A
INSIDE THIS WEEK
ESL Glass is I
helping His-1
panics adjust f
to life in U.S t
1-C
Town sinks new roots
on Arbor Day...._10-A
Lady Aces open soccer
season with wins....1-D
Shelter to host rabies
clinic Saturday ......5-A