Vol. LXXI, No. 49
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
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Rocky
Hock
bridge
reopens
Staff photo by Sean Jackson
An automobile passes over
the newly reopened Rocky
Hock Creek Landing Bridge.
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
More than two years after
it was closed, the Rocky
Hock Creek Landing Bridge
is open again.
A shortcut to several sec
tions of west-central Cho
wan County — including
Tynch Town and portions of
Rocky Hock — the bridge
closed in late October, Scott
Emory, resident engineer
with the state Department
of Transportation in Aho
skie, said Monday. The new
bridge opened Nov. 30, Em
ory said.
The project cost roughly
$2.5 million, he added.
It was briefly delayed —
about a month — after Hur
ricane Isabel tore through
Chowan County in Septem
ber 2003. Stormwaters put a
dent in ongoing work.
“We had a lot of stuff (to
repair) on the northeast
end,” Emory said. “We had
some washing problems
(from floodwaters in Rocky
Hock Creek). We had to re
place some stuff.”
The majority of the up
grade to the bridge was to
the northeast end of the
span, Emory said. Environ
mental agencies had re
See BRIDGE On Page 3-A
INSIDE
Calendar........... A2
Church.C5
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Editorials.A8
Obituaries.C 7
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Sports.B1«6
On Page A7 ...
NE Partnership
joins Parton in
Pigeon Forge.
Candlelight Tour big success
i—het
■0HJSIST II M l , i ■—m
Photo by Bud Weagly for The Chowan Herald
Pat Carnrite prepares to serve some visitors to the Wassail Bowl celebration held at the Cupola House as part of
the annual Christmas Candlelight Tour. The event drew over 1,500 tour-goers over the weekend.
BY ANGELA PEREZ
Contributing Writer
Bill Frances and his wife Anne ar
rived in downtown historic Edenton
amidst a flurry of shoppers and
tourists. It’s the 5th year that they
have driven from their home in
Newport News to take the self
guided Christmas Candlelight Tour
and, says Bill, every year there is
always something new and wonder
ful to see.
’’The small-town charm,” says
Bill, “is really wonderful. The way
people open their homes to us. It is
really worth the drive and every
year we bring our friends to see it
with us. Just the eggnog at the
Barker House alone is worth the
trip,” adds Anne with a smile. They,
like many other would-be visitors
last season, missed the 2003 Christ
mas tour because of the destruction
wrought by Hurricane Isabel the
previous September. “Last year, we
didn’t think Edenton had recovered
yet,” says Anne. “But this year, we
wanted to see how far Edenton had
come.”
Whatever the reasons for taking
the annual Candlelight Christmas
tour, one thing is perfectly clear. No
one celebrates Christmas like
Edenton.
Transcendent Charm
The 15-site tour kicked off this
year as usual, with eggnog and
punch at The Barker House, much
to the relief of the Edenton Histori
| Employee is charged in theft at McDonald's Saturday
By SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
An Edenton woman was arrested
early Saturday morning after allegedly
stealing more than $700 from her work
place during a fracas outside
McDonald’s on Virginia Road.
Christina Thompson, 28, of 137 E.
Albemarle St., was arrested by
Edenton police during a prearranged
drug raid at 206 Vance Lane. Thomp
son was charged with larceny by an
employee, possession with intent to
sell and deliver cocaine, possession of
stolen property, and possession of drug
paraphernalia.
Thompson allegedly stole $731.55
cal Commission (EHC). The house,
which suffered extensive damage
during Hurricane Isabel, had to be
raised 10 feet above sea level to pre
vent future flooding. “The house
was ready just in the nick of time,”
said Susan Creighton, EHC Special
Events Committee member. “Build
ing crews havp been raising the
foundations ind it was truly a
miracle that it was ready for the
four this year with all of the work
that had to be done.” Creighton said
that it was the hard work of so many
people and volunteers that made the
tour not only possible, but also so
successful.
Elevation questions certainly
didn’t deter visitors this year. Over
1,500 people signed on for the Candle
light tour. That’s a long way from the
65 people who took the very first
Candlelight tour in 1981, said Linda
Eure, executive director of the His
toric Edenton Visitor’s Center.
Creighton agrees. “It was one of
the most successful tours we have
ever had,” said Creighton. Last
year’s count was approximately
1,100.
“There were so many happy
people here in Edenton this weekend.
You cotald just feel the Christmas
Spirit in the air.” Creighton at
tributes much of the success to the
uniqueness of the celebration.
“There are few places left in America
where people invite strangers into
their homes and embrace them like
family It’s really special.”
from her cash
register during a
fight outside the
fast-food eatery
at approximately
9 p.m. Friday.
"At the' time,”
of Thompson’s
arrest within sev
eral hours of the alleged theft, police
Chief Greg Bonner said Monday, “she
still had $100 on her. She was in the
process of taking a hit off a crack pipe
when officers raided the house.
Thompson was confined at
Albemarle District Jaii in Elizabeth
City under a $12,500 secured bond.
“She confessed,” to the theft, Bonner
The popularity of the tour also
stems, in part, from the variety of
sites featured on the tour, said
Creighton. “We have older homes
and newer homes - all with then
own particular charms. Some of
the historic homes had never been
Photo by Bud Weagly for The Chowan Herald
tdenton Historical Commission
member Susan Creighton, right,
joins her sister, Cynthia, for Carol
ing on the Green Friday evening.
opened to the public until this year’s
tour.” The inclusion of historic
sites on the tour, including the Cu
pola and Iredell House, the 1767
Courthouse and The Old Jail, as
well as the Chowan Arts Council,
which served up over 100 lbs. of .
chocolate to visitors, helped make
See TOUR On Page 5-A
added.
Also arrested during the raid was
Jerry Grissom, 41, of 206 Vance Lane.
He was charged with possession with
intent to sell and deliver cocaine, main
taining a dwelling for the storage of a
controlled substance, manufacturing
cocaine, possession of marijuana, and
possession of drug paraphernalia. He
was jailed at the Chowan County De
tention Cente in lieu of a $14,500 se
cured bond.
In addition, police arrested Ricky
Jones, 46, of Edenton. He was charged
with possession of cocaine, possession
of marijuana, and possession of drug
paraphernalia. Jones was confined
under a $3,500 secured bond.
Technology
director earns
state honor
BY GLENDA
JAKUBOWSKI
Edenton-Chowan
Schools
- Edenton-Chowan Schools’
Nelle Hyatt received the 2005
North Carolina Technology
Director of the Year Award
at the recent North Carolina
Educational Technology
Conference in Greensboro.
“This honor is certainly
well-deserved,” said Eden
ton-Chowan Schools super
intendent Allan T. Smith.
“Nelle’s dedication, hard
work and tireless service to Nelle Hyatt
our students is a tremen
dous asset to the school system.”
Each year the Instruction Technologies Divi
sion of the North Carolina Department of Public
Instruction recognizes an administrator who has
provided outstanding leadership in planning and
implementing instructional technology in ongo
ing school programs.
Hyatt was recognized for her leadership above
and beyond her assigned role as Technology Di
rector for Edenton-Chowan Schools; for her inno
vative technological staff development for all
school system employees; and for her relentless
search for new opportunities to integrate technol
ogy into the school curriculum through partner
ships with other education agencies and business
partners.
Hyatt is known for her egalitarian management
style, according to one of the school system’s me
dia specialists. “Nelle never says she’s the Direc
tor of Media and Technology,” said Amy Asbell,
media coordinator at John A. Holmes High School.
“When people ask her what she does, Nelle will
say, ‘I work with the technology department.’ She
never takes any credit and always, always tells
people that the technology and media programs
are a result of a team effort.”
D.F. Walker media coordinator Nancy Heiniger,
in addition to citing the 100 percent Hyatt gives to
her job, mentioned the personal touch she brings
to the position. “A kinder, more caring person
never existed,” Heiniger said. All of us mediafolks
refer to her affectionately as Mother Nelle. No one
else deserves this award more.”
True to form, Hyatt took the opportunity the
award provided to praise the media and technol
ogy staff. “Any award or recognition is due to the
dedicated and talented technology and media staff
with which I work and the tremendous support I
receive from the Board, Dr. Smith, and Rob Boyce,”
Hyatt said.
Finally, Haywood Jones, 20, of
Chowan Beach, was charged with two
counts of assault on a police officer,
two counts of resisting arrest, and pos
session of drug paraphernalia. He was
jailed under an $11,000 secured bond.
During the raid, officers confiscated
25 rocks of crack cocaine, marijuana,
and cash. Edenton police were assisted
by the Gates County Sheriff’s Office’s
K-9 unit, state Probation and Parole
officers, and the Chowan County
Sheriff’s Office.
Police involved in the investigation
were Det. Sgt. Rhonda Copeland, Det
Aaron Davidson, and Sgt. Bill Phillips,
See THEFT On Page 3-A
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