anniuExia’iu edition
Vol. LXX, No. 1
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Single Copies 50<
Recent domestic violence stirs concern, outreach
Both suspects
had previous
criminal history
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
Two separate cases of domestic violence end
ing in murder have rocked Chowan County, the
latest when an Edenton woman was stabbed to
death in front of her Twiddy Avenue home last
week. ' ,
Pamela Joye Virzi, 47, was killed Aug. 17, less
than a week after Anita Jackson Leary was found
dead at her Sandy Ridge Road home. William Jo
seph Moore, 46, of 205 W Main St., Winfall, has
been charged with murder after allegedly stab
bing Virzi to death. The morning of the murder,
Moore been found guilty of violating a domestic
violence order taken out by Virzi earlier this year.
He was captured shortly after fleeing the mur
der scene to the former site of Albemarle Boats
on West Queen Street. Moore worked at
Albemarle Boats’ new site on Midway Drive. It
Hayes
plan
okayed
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
Told it was the most impor
tant decision it wmild make
this decade, the Edepton Towm
Council approved the first step
of the proposed Hayes Farm
subdivision.
The town planning board had
recommended council reject
developers’ rezoning request.
During a nearly 2-hour long
public hearing, opponents and
supporters of the project alike
appealed to council. Opponents
said the plan would pour too
many people into the southern
edge of town and decay the ex
isting business district. Sup
porters said those businesses
would actually flourish and the
town could control how it will
grow.
“I just feel like the plan is an
insult to the good people of this
town,” John Gagnon, a soil sci
entist with the U.S. Department
of Agriculture who lives in
Edenton, said.
Gagnon estimated the devel
See PLAN On Page 7-A
Visitor Center
welcomes its
700,000th visitor
Jim and Beth Knittle, along
with their children Andrew
and Lindsay, received a
special welcome at the
Historic Edenton State
Historic Site Visitor Center
on August 13th. Beth Knittle
was the 700,000 person to visit
the visitor center since it
opened in 1968.
Beth Knittle, whose mother
Photo by Bud Weagly for The Chowan Herald
A large crowd of mourners arrives at Beaver Hill Cemetery as domestic violence victim
Pam Virzi is laid to rest. Her death, and that of another Edenton woman, Anita Leary, just
days earlier, caused an outpouring of grief and sorrow across the community.
was that fact that led District Court Judge J.C.
Cole to fine Moore but not issue an active sen
tence during Tuesday’s hearing, court officials
have said. The boat building company reportedly
had told Moore he would lose his job if jailed
again.
70 years of community service
The late J. Edwin "Buff" Bufflap, co-founder and first
editor of The Chowan Herald, poses with a young boy
and his duck on the sidewalk in front of the newspaper.
Lillian Leary Balzer, grew up
in Edenton, was thrilled to
received a gift bag of items
donated by Historic Edenton
Sate Historic Site, the James
Iredell Association, The
Edenton Woman’s Club,
Edenton- Chowan Chamber of
Commerce and the North
Carolina Northeast Partner
ship.
Virzi was mowing her grass when Moore ar
rived, eyewitnesses have said. The two report
edly talked before Moore attacked her shortly
after 7 p.m. Virzi pleaded for Moore to stop stab
See SUSPECTS On Page 3-A
Bufflap, Lupton began
paper during Depression
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Managing Editor
Chowan Herald co-founder J.
Edwin “Buff ” Bufflap used to
delight in telling folks that
people thought he and business
partner Hector “Hec” Lupton
were crazy to attempt to start a
weekly newspaper in Edenton
during the Depression. But
they knew better. That little
newspaper celebrates its 70th
birthday on August 30th.
The newspaper has certainly
seen its share of changes over
the years. Former Publisher
Pete Manning recalls that when
he first came to work here in
1946, the Herald “was publish
ing only four to six pages a
week and putting about every
thing realized back into the
business to purchase more up
to-date equipment.” ■
Undeterred, however, Bufflap
and Lupton decided to begin
another newspaper and The
Perquimans Weekly was born.
Its editor, Max Campbell, later
purchased that paper from
them.
In the mid-1960s, the pair sold
Domestic violence
touches families
across our area
BY HOLLY WILSON
M.E.D., NCC
Albemarle Hopeline
Recent tragic murders make it absolutely
clear how necessary services for abused women
and children are in a community. The domestic
violence murder of a woman and/or a child is
an occurrence that often makes an entire com
munity sit back and realize that, yes, domestic
violence is everywhere, even in a seemingly
peaceful community We need to end the silence
that surrounds violence against women and
children. Only then will tragedies like these be
avoided.
What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic violence occurs when one person in
an intimate relationship establishes control and
See VIOLENCE On Page 7-A
the Herald to J.P. Huskins of I
Statesville, owner of the
Statesville Landmark and
Record. Huskins’ brother-in
law, L.F. “Bud” Amburn
moved to Edenton to become
publisher and oversee day-to
day operations. Huskins sold
the Herald in 1989 to David
Whichard of Greenville, NC.
Whichard, whose family
owned The Daily Reflector and
a group of other daily and
non-daily papers across east
ern North Carolina, invested
considerable effort in advanc
ing the professionalism of the
operation.
Whichard said Friday that
he looks back on his days as
owner of the Herald with
great fondness and is pleased
to see how the paper has
grown and prospered over the
years. “I remain proud to have
been associated with the pa
per,” he said, "and I am sure
the community is proud of it
as well.”
In 1995 the Herald was
sold to Cox Enterprises
which retains ownership to
day.
Jim and Beth Knittle, with their kids, Andrew and Lindsey, at the Visitor Center.
Tremblay
Coach of
the Year
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
Edenton Steamers head
coach Joel Tremblay did more
than just lead his club to regu
lar and post-season titles. He
also walked away with personal
honors.
Tremblay, an
assistant coach
at Wayne State
University in
Nebraska, was
named the Coa
stal Plain Lea
gue Coach of
the Year last Tremblay
Tuesday. Edenton reeled off a
32-10 regular season mark, in
cluding a CPL-record winning
percentage. The Steamers took
both first and second-half
championships.
Earlier this month, they
swept four games in Hampton,
Va. to claim the team’s first
ever Petitt Cup trophy. They
outscored opponents in the 3
day tournament 34-7.
Katy Ebersole, president of
the club’s board of directors,
said Tremblay showed his tal
See COACH On Page 7-A
INSIDE THIS WEEK
70th Anniversary
Commemorative
Section.1-4 B
More Coverage of
Anniversary._5-7 A
Clamming cools
during dog days... 2-C
Timmy Aboil
concert
planned
_ 9-B
Stop by the Boy Scout Hut or CMS to
purchase Chicken Plates While they last
-■ ■*'<§?
Tickets available by calling
Jackie at 482-4224_
$6.00 PER PLATE
The Chowan Middle School PTA EAT IN Or TAKE OUT
BARBECUE CHICKEN FUNDRAISER stop by I
Saturday, August 28th ON YOLK WAY HOME!
_4:00 ~ 6:30 p.m._100% of the proceeds will be spent on students and teachers needs.
I