Vol. LXXII, No. tO
Wednesday, March 9, 2005
Single Copies 50tf
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Staff photo by Sean Jackson
A rescue worker jumps the median on the Chowan River
Bridge Monday afternoon while responding to tractor trailer truck
that overturned in high winds.
March storm roars through;
damage, outages reported
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
A strong cold front blew
through the area around
lunchtime Tuesday, scattering
tree limbs and darkening
parts of Chowan County and
Edenton.
Reached late Tuesday after
noon, Town Manager Anne
Marie Knighton said about
500 Cape Colony residents,
Suicide victim's body found
near where he jumped
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
The body of a Tyrrell
County man who apparently
leapt to his death from the
Albemarle Sound Bridge on
March 1 was found by divers
Friday afternoon.
A dive team from the Nor
folk (Va.) Police Department
found the body of Germaine
Costello King, 31, between 2:15
and 2:30 p.m. on March 4,
Chowan County Deputy
Wayne Goodwin said Monday
Efforts to recover King’s
body in the cold sound waters
were thwarted by high winds
for several days, Goodwin
said.
“It was just so dangerous
the first couple of days,” of
the search, he said, "to get out
there in a boat... It was pretty
tough.”
INSIDE
Calendar. C2
Church.C4
Classifieds.D1-4
Editorials.A8
Learning.,...C8-9
Obituaries.C6
Society. C3
Sports ..Bl-4
On Page A9...
The Boys and Girls
club is open and
ready for more
and businesses there were still
without power. Three utility
crews from Rocky Mount were
en route at 4 p.m. to help town
crews restore power.
“They should be here any
minute,” Knighton said. “We
should get all the power re
stored tonight.”
Industries at the industrial
park just south of Edenton
See STORM On Page 3-A
Costello’s body was found
near the spot he jumped from
the bridge after getting out of
his parked Jeep Cherokee.
“From what I can under
stand,” Goodwin said, “he was
(found) pretty close to where
he fell.”
Costello leapt from a level
part of the span, just before
the bridge arcs upward.
“It was an apparent sui
cide,” Goodwin said, “based
on the note” Coston left in his
truck.
The water is between 15 and
20 feet deep at the location he
jumped from, with a tempera
ture of about 40 degrees this
time of year, Goodwin said.
The dive team was finally
able to get sonar equipment in
the water on Friday The body
was found in waters filled with
See JUMPED On Page 3-A
L
4
Dining al fresco could soon come with a twist
Some council members have voiced
concerns about public consumption
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
The Edenton Town Council
is considering if restaurants
should be allowed to serve al
cohol on town sidewalks to
open-air diners.
During its Feb. 28 meeting,
council’s Administrative Com
mittee— with input from the
full board—tossed around the
idea of allowing al fresco din
ers to toss back a margarita
with a plate of grilled tuna.
Opinions were split during
“This should be a win-win for everybody. ”
- Town Manager Anne Marie Knighton
This 41-foot
convertible
i$ part of the
Albemarle
Boats' line-up
that will be
added to
Brunswick's
existing brands
including
Sealine and
Hatteras Yachts.
Contributed photo
Brunswick adds Albemarle
Boats to its expanding fleet
Alliance may provide
more opportunities
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
• • - r *
One of Edenton’s largest employers has
been acquired by a Fortune 500 company
and brighter days for an already bright
business are on the horizon, officials say.
Albemarle Boats was acquired by the
Brunswick Corp. Feb. 28, and word of the
sale was announced March 1. Founded in
1978, Albemarle builds offshore sport-fish
ing boats from 24 to 41 feet at its site on the
Albemarle Sound just south of Edenton.
“Popular and highly respected, the
Albemarle lineup is a perfect complement
to our family of premier Hatteras sport
fishing convertibles and motoryachts,”
Brunswick Chairman and CEO George W.
Buckley said last week.
“It is an important part of our strategy,”
Buckley added, "to ‘fill out the white
spaces’ within our product portfolio to sup
port our dealer network and provide a boat
for virtually any type of boater ... With
seven models between 24 and 41 feet,
Albemarle offers us ample and attractive
opportunity to serve this segment of the
sportfishing market.”
Albemarle president Scotty Harrell Jr.
said the move will be good for his company
and the local community.
“We are pleased and honored to have
been selected by Brunswick as a company,”
Harrell said, “with a great reputation and
solid customer satisfaction. Brunswick
the debate.
“It sets a bad example,”
committee chairman Steve
Biggs said, also citing the lack
of existing sidewalk space to
accommodate outdoor dining
along South Broad Street.
Councilman Jerry Parks
agreed that allowing eateries
to serve beer, wine and liquor
to patrons may not be the best
move for the town to make.
“It creates a festive... atmo
sphere,” Parks said. "I’m not
sure we want that... I’m not
sure we want to put (sidewalk
believes that with our focus and commit
ment — combined with the additional re
sources that they can offer—our boats will
become stronger in the marketplace.
The sale will also allow Albemarle to
hire more workers, who will in turn re
ceive more benefits from the affiliation
with the Lake Forest, Ill.-based company,
which grossed $5.2 billion last year.
“We are especially excited about the
additional opportunities for our employ
ees,” Harrell added.
Burch Perry, vice-president of sales and
marketing for Albemarle, also looks for
ward to the alliance with Brunswick.
“We are excited about the many oppor
tunities that this new arrangement will
bring to the table in the marketing area,”
Perry said. “In particular, we look forward
to enhancing our worldwide dealer net
work for sales and service. We expect to
make several additions to our already solid
family of dealers in new markets in the
near future.”
Albemarle Vice-President and CFO
Carol Rickets said: “Brunswick looked to
us because of our dedication to quality
products, satisfied customers, and excel
lent dealer network, and this is where our
focus remains. We in the management
team are energized by this new relation
ship and committed to the Albemarle’s
family as ever before.”
Edenton-Chowan Chamber of Com
merce Executive Director Richard Bunch
applauded the move last week.
“It’s always good to have a local business
become a part of a Fortune 500 company,”
See FLEET On Page 3-A
alcohol consumption) in
peoples’ face on the streets of
Edenton.”
However, Mayor Roland
Vaughan and Councilman
Sambo Dixon favored the re
quest. Dixon okayed allowing
diners to drink alcohol at side
walk tables.
“I think it’s fine,” he said.
Vaughan also saw no harm
in the idea.
“I don’t have a problem with
it myself,” the mayor said.
Town Manager Anne-Marie
Knighton said the Town of
Hendersonville has an ordi
nance that allows sidewalk
cafe-style dining to include al
cohol consumption. Hender
Cofield is
charged in
church thefts
“I’m just glad we
finally got a lead in
this case.”
-- Police Chief
Greg Bonner
BY SEAN JACKSON *
The Chowan Herald
An Edenton man was arrested
Saturday and charged with a string
of break-ins at a pair of churches
and a residence in recent months.
Robert Lee Cofield, 36, of the 100
block of West Peterson Street, was
arrested March 5 and charged with
five counts of felony breaking and
entering, one count of second-de
gree burglary, six counts of felony
larceny, two counts of possession of
stolen property, and six counts of
injury to real property and personal
property -.-(
He was jailed at the Chowan
County Detention Facility in lieu of
a $31,500 secured bond.
The alleged break-in spree began
in November and ended in Febru
ary police Chief Greg Bonner said
Monday.
“I’m just glad,” Bonner added,
“we finally got a lead in this case
that enabled us to make this arrest.”
Cofield was charged with break
ing into Providence Baptist Church,
at 214 W. Church St., four times, and
a single break-in at both Edenton
Church of God in Christ, at 510 N.
Granville St., and a home on West
Peterson Street. Police have been
unable to contact the owner of the
residence, Bonner said.
During an interview with police
Det. Aaron Davidson, Bonner
added, Cofield offered a full confes
sion to the break-ins. Damage to the
churches, and the value of stolen
items, is estimated at $4,500.
And Cofield may not have worked
alone.
“There is another suspect we’re
looking to charge in this particular
case,” the chief added.
Police Det. Sgt. Rhonda Copeland
and Bonner assisted Davidson in
the investigation.
sonville’s ordinance was the
“most comprehensive” rule
reviewed by Edenton officials,
she said. That ordinance re
quires a restaurant to have ex
isting alcohol permits before
applying for an outdoor-ser
vice permit.
“You couldn’t just open an
outdoor cafe all of a sudden,”
under that ordinance, she said.
In addition, that ordinance
requires a restaurant operator
to have not violated any alco
hol-sales laws within three
years of applying for a permit.
And Hendersonville’s mandate,
also requires that an eatery’s
outdoor seating capacity does
not exceed the 50-percent mark
of its indoor-dining seating.
“We think that’s impor
tant,” she said.
Jennifer Harriss, Edenton’s
Main Street Program director,
said restauranteurs she has
talked to about the idea are in
support of serving outdoor
diners alcohol.
“1 just believe it would be
something good to add to their
business,” Harriss said.
Parks appeared to disagree.
“I don’t see it serving any
purpose whatsoever,” he said.
Council did not vote on the
matter and scheduled further
discussion on the issue for its
March 28 meeting.
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