Vol. LXXI, No. 35
Wednesday, September 8, 2004
Single Copies 50<
Local SAT scores fall slightly below state, national averages
The College Board released
Scholastic Aptitude Test
scores for 2004 on Tuesday,
Aug. 31.
College-bound seniors tak
ing the test last year at John
A. Holmes High School re
ceived an average combined
verbal and math score of 945.
The top ten-percent of Holmes
students taking the test aver
aged a combined score of 1230.
The average combined scores
for the state was 1006, and for
the nation was 1026.
Nearly 54% of Holmes se
niors took the SAT last year,
compared with the national
average of 48%.
Chamber
backs bond
initiative
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Managing Editor
The Edenton - Chowan Cham
ber of Commerce has adopted
a resolution supporting
Amendment One, a state con
stitutional measure which
voters will find on the ballot in
the Nov. 2 general election. If
adopted, it would give local
government bodies the author
ity to use self-financing bonds.
Chamber Director Richard
Bunch said that the bonds are
a key financial tool that would
benefit local government by
allowing their use to help at
tract new businesses to the
community. Bond funds can
help pay for public improve
ments - including streets, wa
See BOND On Page 3-A
Edenton man
dies in wreck
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
An Edenton man was killed
in a one-vehicle accident on
Aug. 30.
NC Highway Patrol spokes
person Faye Gray said Tues
day that Larry Bembry, 31, of
124 E. Carteret St., was a pas
senger in a vehicle that “struck
a pile of rocks” on Cowpen
Neck Road at 7:38 p.m., Gray
said.
INSIDE
Calendar.A2
Church.C7
Classifieds.D1-3
Editorials.A6
Learning.C3, C4
Obituaries.... C5, A5
Society.C2
Sports.B1-4
On Page D4 ...
Win $25 in the
Herald’s Football
Forecast!
“We are extremely pleased
with the number of Holmes
students electing to take the
SAT,” said Edenton-Chowan
Schools superintendent
Allan Smith. “This is an in
dicator of the number of our
students who intend to fur
ther their education after
they leave the Holmes family.
Their initiative is commend
able.”
Holmes assistant principal
Todd Korbusieski echoed the
superintendent’s pride in the
Holmes student achievement.
“The students know how
important higher education
is, and what steps they need to
Taylor Theatre to reopen Friday
BY EARLINE WHITE
Staff Writer
Today the Taylor Theatre
in downtown Edenton
remains among the finest,
most charming small
theatres in
North
Carolina. But
extensive
damage from
Hurricane
Isabel has
resulted in its
doors remain
ing closed
over the past
year.
While some
This old reel was found up
stairs at the Taylor Theatre.
would have
looked at this as a calamity,
those connected with the
Taylor Theatre instead saw
it as an opportunity to
undertake a renovation
project that has given it a
restored beauty it had not
possessed in recent years.
' Staff photo by Earline White
Colonial Park on the downtown Edenton waterfront has been named part of the National Un
derground Railroad Network to Freedom Trail.
Colonial Park in Edenton
has been named a member of
the National Underground
Railroad Network to Freedom
Trail. The Edenton waterfront
is significant in that it is the
place where Harriet Jacobs
escaped to Philadelphia in
Following is a list of state universities and their SAT requirements:
• Appalachian State University— no minimum; average SAT score
1,100
• East Carolina University—no minimum; average SAT score 1,030
• Elizabeth City State University—minimum SAT score 700
• Fayetteville State University—minimum SAT score 700
• NC Agricultural & Technical State University— minimum SAT
score 820; minimum GPA 2.0
• North Carolina Central — minimum SAT score 750
• NC School.of the Arts— no minimum
• NC State University—no minimum; average SAT score 1,190
• UNC-Asheville—no minimum; average SAT score 1,060
• UNC-Chapel Hill—no minimum; average SAT score 1,220
• UNC-Charlotte—no minimum; average SAT score 1,170
• UNC-Greensboro—no minimum; average SAT score 1,060
• UNC-Pembroke—minimum SAT score 820; minimum GPA 2.0
• UNC-Wilmington—no minimum
• Western Carolina—no minimum; average SAT score 1,005
• Winston-Salem State University—minimum SAT score 800.
As the project has pro
gressed, local citizens have
watched the marquee out
front for continued updates
on the possible reopening.
Now, owner Bob Krochmal
has announced that this
Friday, Sept.
10, the theatre
will once
again open its
doors. And
while only one
screen will be
showing the
latest Holly
wood hits, and
the grand
opening will
be held at a
yet-to-be
announced time, it will be
good to have the movie
theatre up and running once
again. Once the theatre is
ready for its grand opening,
Krochmal said, a second
See REOPEN On Page 5-A
1842, hidden onboard a ship
leaving the Edenton Harbor.
This maritime Underground
Railroad route was important
along North Carolina’s coast
where maritime commerce to
Northern cities provided a
more direct route to freedom
take to attain it,” Korbusieski
said. “We’re happy to have so
many students taking the
SAT.”
Korbusieski credited
Holmes career counselor
Karen Molloy for her support
of students wishing to take the
SAT. Molloy teaches an SAT
preparation class each semes
ter after school. The current
SAT preparation class will be
gin on Sept. 23 and meet
weekly after school.
The College Board urges the
public to keep in mind that the
SAT is not designed to com
pare one school’s performance
with another, or one graduat
Staff photos of Taylor Theatre by Earline White
The detailed new look of Taylor Theatre will be open to view
ing, as well as movie showings, on September 10.
than overland routes.
In 1998, the National Park
Service (NPS) established a
program to tell the story of re
sistance, through escape and
flight, against the institution
See TRAIL On Page 3-A
Chowan Tourism
brings over $14 million
North Carolina’s Division of
Tourism in Raleigh has dis
tributed figures reflecting the
2003 county level economic
impact of travel and tourism
in Chowan and other counties.
These figures have been pre
pared by the Travel Industry
Association of America and
distributed by the NC Division
of Tourism. The study in
cludes an overview of the im
pact of travel on the state, the
preliminary 2003 numbers,
and the percentage of change
from year to year.
During 2003, direct domestic
traveler spending totaled more
than $12.63 billion, up 1.4 per
cent over 2002. These expendi
tures generated over 183,220
travel-related jobs, and more
than $3.6 billion in payroll.
Suspect in Coston murder
fighting extradition from PA
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
A suspect wanted in the
slaying of an Edenton Manor
resident last year was. nabbed
ing class with another. The
SAT is designed to predict
how well individual stu
dents are likely to do in col
lege, according to College
Board officials, who predict
that a student who scores be
tween 450 and 550 on each
test, and who maintained a
“B” average in high school is
more likely to succeed in col
lege.
Each of the University of
North Carolina system
schools require SAT scores
from incoming freshmen, but
not all schools require a mini
mum score, and average
scores vary greatly.
Grand jury
to hear
Virzi case
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
The man charged with kill
ing an Edenton woman had his
probable cause hearing post
poned in court on Aug. 31.
James Voshburgh, the attor
ney for William Joseph Moore,
46, of Winfall, had Moore’s
hearing continued until Oct. 5,
Chowan County Clerk of
Court Mike McArthur said last
week. Moore has been charged
with first-degree murder in the
slaying of Pam Joye Virzi, 47,
on Aug. 17. Witnesses have said
Moore fatally stabbed Virzi in
the yard of her Twiddy Avenue
home. Moore was found by po
lice shortly after the stabbing
hiding at a marina on West
See CASE On Page 3-A
Travel expenditures occurred
in all 100 counties in North
Carolina.
Travel and tourism figures
for Chowan County totaled
more than $14 million, up 1.3
percent over 2002 and 160 jobs
were attributed to the industry,
generating $2.57 million in
payroll. Local tax revenues
from travel realized by
Chowan County amounted to
$1.68 million in 2003.
“Travel and tourism contin
ues to be one of the fastest
growing industries in our
state,” said Nancy Nicholls,
executive director of the
Chowan County Tourism De
velopment Authority, “and
these figures certainly reflect
how our community continues
to benefit from that.”
in Philadelphia on Aug. 23, a
Chowan County court official
said Friday. .
Kenyatta Coston is also
See SUSPECT On Page 3-A
) AMERICAN LEGION
EDENTON, NC
v TICKETS
482-2097 or 482-8848
SONS OF THE AMERICAN LECION
SHRIMP FEASTJ
SEPTEMBER 11,2004
5:00 PM TO 7:30 PM FOOD
6:00 PM TO 9:30 PM MUSIC >
$20: Pre-Sale; $25: At Gate
iJjjH
' >