Vol. LXXII, No. 14
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Single Copies 50<
Chowan Guardsmen bid families, friends farewell
Company readies
for deployment
to war in Iraq
BY MELISSA DENTON
The Enterprise
WILLIAMSTON-Families and
loved ones greeted 170 North Carolina
Army National Guard Soldiers from
the 725th Quartermaster Company
with cheers and applause as patriotic
tunes sounded in the background on
Thursday.
The deployment ceremony was
held at the Senator Bob Martin East
ern Agriculture Center in Wil
liamston.
The 725th Quartermaster Com
pany, headquartered in Edenton with
detachments in Elizabeth City (Det.
1), Scotland Neck (Det. 2) and a Stor
age Armory in Windsdr, is mobilizing
in support of Operation Iraqi Free
dom and held a farewell ceremony
honoring their soldiers and their
'Nip Joint'
owner faces
charges
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
An Edenton woman was ar
rested April 1 on charges of il
legally selling alcohol from her
East Albemarle Street resi
dent.
Erma White, of 209 E.
Albemarle St., was arrested
after police found 13 liters of
alcohol in her home, Edenton
Police Chief Gregg Bonner
said last week.
In addition, police discov
ered a number of plastic
“shot” glasses, and a “large
amount of money,” the chief
added.
It was not the first time po
lice had raided White’s home.
“She has been raided a few
times in the past for illegal
sales of alcohol,” Bonner said.
Checks planned
To make sure parents are in
compliance with the new regu
lations on car safety seats, free
car seat checks will be held at
Edenton Motors this Saturday
from 9 a.m. until noon.
The Chowan SAFE KIDS
Coalition is joining local law
enforcement in sponsoring the
event. Everyone is welcome.
INSIDE
Calendar. C2
Church.C4
Classifieds.D1 -4
Editorials.A6
Learning.C7-8
Obituaries.C6
Society...C3
Sports.B1i4
On Page C 8...
The Chowan Herald
is sponsoring a
Dressed to Thrill
prom picture contest.
families.
Bertie, Chowan, Halifax, Martin
and Pasquotank county commission
ers and other leaders were at the cer
emony to bid the soldiers farewell.
James Deans, an Elizabeth City
resident based out of the Edenton
headquarters said, “I’m nervous
(about going overseas). I hate to leave
my family, but I’m ready to get it done
and come home.”
Echoing those same words was
Reggie Aycock of the Edenton divi
sion. Aycock said, “It’s my duty. It’s
just hard leaving your family.”
Aycock also resides in Elizabeth City.
The soldiers will attend training in:
convoy operations, the current
threats in Iraq, force protection and
customs and culture in Iraq. All the
soldiers will be trained as truck driv
ers.
After successfully completing
training, they will deploy to Iraq.
Tim Asbell an active guardsman for
four years said, “I’ve been ready to go
ever since I got the call. My family’s
a little nervous, but I’m just ready to
ii’AiUg
" r- -fi . •>■« c
Staff photo by Earline White
As this year's Pilgrimage weekend approaches, April 22 & 23, even the flowers are doing their part
to get ready. Tickets for the Pilgrimage may be purchased at the Historic Edenton Visitor's Center,
Barker House and Chowan Arts Council. The historic homes will be open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
BOE meetings to get earlier start
/
Edenton-Chowan Schools’
Board of Education voted
unanimously at its April meet
ing to begin meetings an hour
earlier for the 2005-2006 school
year.
Board member Ricky Brow
der amended the motion set
ting next year’s meeting calen
dar to reflect the time change.
Browder said the change
might make for greater effi
ciency for Central Office per
get the mission done and bring every
body home.” Asbell is a resident of
Windsor based out of Edenton.
The unit will use the 915 Model
Military Transport Tractor-Trailer,
similar to the civilian 18-wheeler.
Fuel, lubricants and all classes of
material will be transported by the
unit’s trucks.
The 725th continues the Guard and
Reserve component commitment to
Operation Iraqi Freedom by replac
ing the 125th Transportation Com
pany, a Kentucky Army Reserve Unit.
Guard and Reserve units now ac
count for 45 to 48 percent of U.S.
ground forces in Iraq as of Febru
ary.
This is the unit’s first deploy
ment to Iraq, though approximately
30 of the soldiers are going on their
second Iraq deployment.
After the ceremony, the Martin
County Red Cross, along with the
help of Roanoke High School’s Cu
linary Arts Class, fed the soldiers
cake, sandwiches, vegetables and
other refreshments.
sonnel who set up and attend
the meetings.
“They work all day on those
Mondays,” Browder said. “It
makes sense that they would
prefer to start the meetings
earlier, rather than going
home for a few hours and then
having to turn around and
come back for the meetings.”
Assistant superintendent
Rob Boyce echoed the feelings
of many school system Central
Office employees with his re
action after the vote was taken:
“Ricky Browder for presi
dent!” Boyce said.
The April board meeting fol
lowed a joint meeting with the
Board of Commissioners,
where the two boards nar
rowed down issues on which
they hope to concentrate when
deciding the future direction
See START On Page 2-A
Photo by Melissa Denton/The Enterprise/Williamston, NC
Reggie Aycock of the Edenton division gives his son, Tommy, 2, a bracelet
to wear everyday while he's gone. Tommy immediately put the bracelet on
and gave his dad a big hug.
Staff photo by Earline White
Worth Hare Jr. drives the restored Bandon Plantation
smokehouse back to its roof for final placement at the James
, Iredell House Historic Site. Onsite crane operators were pro
vided by Paul Waff Construction. W'.
Bandon smokehouse
relocates to Iredell
historic site
BY EARLINE WHITE
The Chowan Herald
A project long on the minds
of Chowan County residents
came to fruition last week as
the Bandon Plantation Smoke
house was moved to its new
resting place at the James
Iredell State Historic Site on
Church Street.
Members of the James
Iredell Historical Association,
Historic Edenton State His
toric Site and the Edenton His
torical Commission were on
site as the one room smoke
house was moved carefully
down Broad Street, slowing
traffic at 10 o’clock Thursday
morning.
Built in 1828-29 and de
stroyed by fire in 1963, the
Bandon Plantation was once
home to Inglis Fletcher, re
nowned author of historical
Carolina-based novels. At the
Plantation, located 12 miles
north of town, many depen
dent buildings of the main
house remained including the
kitchen (plans are in the
works to salvage, restore, and
relocate it in the future as
well). Already restored and
located at the State Historic
Site are the office/school
house and dairy of Bandon
Plantation.
As with most historic lo
cales, Edenton has always
been interested in preserving
its history. The Bandon
Smokehouse was no exception.
The smokehouse was acquired
by the Edenton Historical Com
mission and James Iredell As
sociation from owners Karen
Hollowell Turner and her hus
band Robert Turner in 2004.
Plans were to restore it and
move it to a designated site
where everyone could enjoy
the history offered by its
weather worn walls.
But restoring the smoke
house was not a fresh interest
for some NC residents. Reports
by A. L. Honeycutt, Jr, Restora
tion Supervisor of the Division
of Historic Sites and the State
Department of Archives and
History clearly stated in docu
ments from 1967 that the
smokehouse as well as the
kitchen of Bandon Plantation
“are significant and should be
preserved.” Honeycutt collabo
rated with Miss Elizabeth
Vann Moore, local historian,
and Mr. B. Warner Evans for
the study.
The smokehouse measures
14’6" x 16’6" x 18" according to
Honeycutt’s report and shows
great similarities to the other
plantation structures. The
overhanging roof is the same
of the smokehouse, school
house and kitchen as well as
See BANDON On Page 2-A