Single Copies 50<
Vol. LXXI, No. 51
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Year in Review
Chowan up to challenge
in eventful 2004
Chowan Herald file photo
Wrenn Phillips, town crier from Halifax
County, was one of the dignitaries taking part
in the reopening ceremony at the 1767 Chowan
County Courthouse.
• Renovations at Holmes were approved
January 2004 by the Edenton Chowan Board
of Education The 'priority one’ renovations
addressed the needs of the Exceptional Chil
dren and guidance programs. Over the sum
mer a large part of the remodeling was com
pleted. The new space includes 3 instruc
tional areas for the EC program and a new
space consolidating all the student guidance
services into one area. The total cost of reno
vations and expansion is projected $17.8 mil
lion. Future expansions to accommodate the
increasing number of students will take
place at the school’s current site.
• A' proposal for the 927-acre Sandy Point
community is still awaiting final approval.
The waterfront community that could bring
over 1,000 new homes to Chowan Country
will also offer public beaches, boat slips and
upscale bistros. The development is planned
to straddle the Albemarle Sound and Hwy
32 and will be developed in several phases
taking as long as 15 to 20 years to complete.
The zoning request was approved but a start
date has not been formally announced. Ap
proval of state environmental permits are
pending.
• The proposed Outlying Landing Field
site in Washington County received national
attention. The OLF would be used by the
Navy Superhornets as a touch and go strip
on their way to Virginia. The field would lie
adjacent to the Pocosin Lakes National Wild
life Refuge, which houses thousands of na
tive birds and wildlife. Locally owned lands
will also have to be seized by the government
to make way for the landing strip. Recent
documents however were found concerning
manipulation of wildlife data studies that
have further placed the OLF on hold.
• Edenton Town Council has allowed the
American Legion’s request for a flea market,
INSIDE
Calendar.A2
Church.C3
Classifieds.D1 -4
Editorials.A6
Obituaries.C5
Society.C2
Sports.B1-4
The Chowan Herald will
be closed on Friday,
December 31 for New
Years. All deadlines will
be noon on Thursday
December 30.
f
The year just passed has
been a whirlwind of activity
and accomplishment for the
citizens of Chowan County.
From the continuing after
math of Hurricane Isabel to
the thrills of a successful
summer baseball season,
emotions ran the gamut and
the year brought each of us
news that affected us in
different ways.
Our community lost some of
its most beloved citizens
during the year while enjoy
ing a renewed growth in
business, industry and real
estate. While we delve head
long into a new year that
will surely bring new chal
lenges, we also take a mo
ment to revisit some of the
events that shaped our lives
and community in 2004.
BY EARLINE WHITE
Staff Writer
but only temporarily The potential effect
that the market could have on the farmer’s
markets and the neighboring communities
were arguments given by the council against
the Legion’s request. The Legion is currently
working on the permit application for the
flea market.
• The Chowan Herald’s new publisher ar
rives. David Singleton, an advertising man
ager from Cox publication’s Greenville head
quarters, officially took the reigns in March.
Since his arrival readers may have noticed
several changes in the paper’s appearance
including a new masthead and more profes
sionally designed page layouts. A newfound
sense of camaraderie has emerged from the
boss’ arrival. Welcome to Edenton, Dave.
• Work on the 1767 Chowan County Court
house ended October 8 when the 10 year
renovations was completed at a cost of over
$3 minion. Dignitaries and government of
ficials came out for the historic occasion.
The NC Supreme Court held a special ses
sion in the national landmark* only the sec
ond time that has been done in the history
of the court. Celebrations for the grand re
opening concluded with a Gala on the Green,
•a lively social event for the citizens of
Chowan County.
• Edenton Town Council approved a 1 cent
tax hike on electric rates, water and sewer
fees and property taxes. The increases would
offset spending for repairs caused by Hurri
cane Isabel. The County Commissioners also
approved a 5-cent increase in county taxes.
• Jennifer Harriss arrived in March as
Edenton’s Main Street Program director.
Prior to moving to the area, Jennifer was
Lumberton’s downtown coordinator for 18
months. Among the numerous projects Jen
See REVIEW On Pages 4A
I Council moving ahead with plans to spruce up street
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
The Edenton Town Council
has moved forward with plans to
seek state funding to spruce up a
street between a pair of the
town’s main throrough-fares.
On Dec. 14, council unani
mously agreed to seek a Commu
nity Development Block Grant to
repair homes and infrastructure
on West Peterson Street. The
maximum the town can be
awarded is $700,000, which would
only pay for new curb and gut
tering for about half—or450feet
—of the street, a consultant told
council
Council forwarded the applica
tion to the state Department of
Commerce on the Dec. 15 dead
line, Town Manager Anne-Marie
Knighton said last week. The
grant dollars are channeled to
states from the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Develop
ment. In recent years, grants were
capped at $700,000, which allows
for more projects to be awarded,
Don Harvey a Wooten consultant,
told council
According to Knighton, Ed
enton has 75 “unoccupied or va
cant houses.” The City of Raleigh
has 150.
Photo by Sam Wolfe/The Daily Advance
Blayne Kine sleds down the snow covered hill at the overpass at the intersection of U.S. Hwy.
17 and Hwy. 32 in Edenton Monday afternoon.
Unexpected snowfall brings
belated white Christmas f
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
In what has been labeled a
surprise winter storm, a day
after-Christmas snowfall blan
keted all of Chowan County
and much of the surrounding
area with as much as a half
foot to 14 inches of snow.
Beginning in the early
morning hours of Dec. 26, as
much as 4.5 inches of snow fell
in Edenton, according to data
from the Northeast Regional
Airport in Edenton and the
National Weather Service. Ap
parently, the storm veered far
ther east than previously fore
casted, with the heaviest
snows seen just west of the
Chowan River.
Fortunately, no major traffic
accidents were attributed to
the sudden storm.
“We didn’t have any inju
ries,” due to traffic wrecks,
Town, County schedule public
hearings on hazard mitigation
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
Residents will have one final
say in January about a joint
town/county plan to head off
damage from future natural
disasters.
The Chowan County Board
of Commissioners will hold a
public hearing on Jan. 10 at 9
a.m. in the board’s meeting,
room at the old Chowan
County Courthouse on East
King Street. That night, the
Edenton Town Council will
hold a public hearing at 7:30
p.m. in council’s chambers in
the Municipal Building at 504
“We were very surprised that
number (in Edenton) was so
high,” Knighton said.
With the planned repairs on
West Peterson Street, and rental
homes projects underway at Co
lonial Village on Coke Avenue
and another on Claire Drive, the
town could "see some good, qual
ity rental properties open up,”
Knighton said.
West Peterson Street, which
runs between North Broad and
North Granville streets, could be
revamped in its entirety.
Knighton said last week that
Edenton would likely apply for
grant dollars from the N.C. Rural
I
Patti Madry, an official with
the Chowan County Emer
gency Services Department,
said Tuesday.
Madry, likeother emergency
and weather forecasters have
said since Sunday, called the
storm a “surprise” since it
traveled off its predicted mid
state path.
In downtown Edenton Mon
day, few businesses were open.
Town employees had already
been j'iven the day off due to
the Christmas holiday, Town
Manager Anne-Marie Knight
on said Tuesday. However,
some Public Works employees
were called in to spread sand
at intersections, she added. In
addition, state Department of
Transportation workers began
salting, sanding and clearing
county and state roads Sunday
afternoon.
The storm brought varying
snowfall amounts to northeast
S. Broad St.
The “hazard mitigation plan”
will help the town and county
receive state and federal dollars
in the wake of a winter storm
or hurricane, Town Manager
Anne-Marie Knighton said. The
state suggested North Carolina
municipalities and counties
devise such plans in the after
math of Hurricane Floyd in
September 1999.
The plans are supposed to
outline how local governments
plan to reduce impacts from
potential natural disasters,
Knighton added.
“This is the final step,” she said
of the plan, “in the process.”
Economic Development Center
Adequate funding from that
agency could allow for the entire
block to be improved, she added.
Also included in the project
would be the rehabilitation of 12
homes along West Peterson
Street, Harvey said. Half of those
homes are owner-occupied, while
the other six are rentals, he said.
“All are low-income, to moder
ate-income households,” Harvey
said.
Homeowners will be required
to not sell their properties there
for at least eight years, according
to terms of the grant, Harvey told
council In addition, landlords on
North Carolina and southeast
Virginia. Area and region
snow totals released by the
National Weather Service’s
Wakefield, Va. office Monday
included:
• Askewville in Bertie
County, 7.5 inches;
• South Mills in Camden
County, 5 inches;
• Knotts Island in Currituck
County, 1 inch;
• Gatesville and Sunbury in
Gates County, 11 inches;
• Elizabeth City, 2 inches;
• In Perquimans County,
Belvidere had 5 inches,
Hertford, 2;
• Quinby, Accomack County,
Va., 14 inches;
• Hampton, Va., 10 inches;
• Norfolk, Va., 6 inches;
• Williamsburg, Va., a half
inch of snow;
• Smithfield, Va., 12 inches;
•Virginia Beach, Va., 5
inches.
Both Edenton and Chowan
held public hearings on a draft
plan about a year ago, the town
manager said. That draft has al
ready been submitted to state of
ficials.
The plan is available for public
review prior to the hearings. It
can be reviewed at the Chowan
Planning and Inspections De
partment oh East King Street, the
Chowan County Emergency Ser
vices Department on West Hicks
Street, and Shepard-Pruden Me
morial Library on West Water
Street. Fbr more information, call
Danielle Donolli of Hobbs
Upchurch & Associates at 252441
3913.
West Peterson will only be able
to hike rents by 10 percent annu
ally, also a part of the terms of
the grant, he said.
West Peterson Street was one
of four areas selected for review
by Wooten consultants, Harvey
said, and was deemed the most
likely to be selected for funding.
The town will spend $30,000
over two years to take part in the
grant .
“We’re really hopeftd,” Knight
on said last week when asked by
a reporter about the town’s
chances of being awarded a
grant “I think we put together a
real strong application.”
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