Guts to
affect
Chowan
Schools
Superintendant
labels funding
shortage ‘major’
From Staff Reports
During the its July meeting
of the Edenton-Chowan Board
of Educa
tion Super
intendent,
Dr. Allan
S mi t h
warned the
board of the
likelihood of
cuts in fund
ing for the
next fiscal
year.
Dr. Smith
informed
the board that Edenton
Chowan schools recently re
ceived the allotment from the
county for 2005-2006; the state
budget remains in committee.
Smith told of a 5% increase,
$175,000 for technology and
$200,000 for capital outlay op
erations, yet a deficit of
$215,000 remains from the re
quest from the county. “We
may be looking at further cuts
to balance the budget," Smith
said. “Looking at the state bud
get, under either plan, the
House or the Senate, we are
likely looking at major cuts in
funding.”
The board voted unani
mously to approve the interim
budget resolution pending pas
sage of a budget by the General
Assembly. Berry also pre
sented the School Board Re
port, a record of expenditures
and receipts for the system for
the year. The local current ex
pense fund, the state public
school fund, the federal grant
fund, the capital outlay fund
and the food service fund all
required budget amendments
to close out the year, which the
board unanimously approved.
Stemming from last month’s
meeting, the board was pre
sented with a short history of
the educational foundation, its
mission and its year-end bal
ance. Board members Tom
Abbott and John Guard had
previously addressed their
concerns about the lack of ini
tiative taken by the foundation
and the need for it to assume a
dominant role in fund recruit
ment. A board subcommittee
agreed to meet with Glenda
See CUTS On Page 3-A
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On Page Bt ...
Local kids kick it
at football camp
OLF now back to the drawing board j
Area counties mobilize in response to Navy’s latest maneuver, Oceana now questioned
Thousands flock to downtown waterfront to view
annual spectacle, related attractions
Lighting up the sky
Daily Advance photo by Justin Falls
An estimated 14,000 people gathered at the waterfront Monday night to celebrate Indepen
dence Day 2005. An afternoon of music, food and kid's games was topped off with a brilliant
fireworks display courtesy of the Chowan-Edenton Optimist Club.
Parton settles on Halifax County
for entertainment venue
Edenton based, Northeast Partnership was instru
mental in bringing project to the inner Banks’ 1
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
After nearly a year of
speculation, Randy Parton,
brother of megastar Dolly
Parton, announced in
Roanoke Rapids last week
that he’s bringing his coun
try music theater project to
Halifax County.
In a packed City Hall con
ference room, Parton and
government and economic
development officials un
veiled the preliminary plans
for the 700-acre project. Offi
cials with the Northeast
Partnership — an Edenton
based agency with ties to the
state Department of Com
merce — praised Parton’s
decision to locate the enter
tainment venue in northeast
North Carolina.
Rick Watson, president
and CEO of the Northeast
Partnership, said his agency
was relieved to have made
the announcement, but that
the hard work is just begin
ning.
“It was a good day (the
June 30 press conference
with the Partons),” Watson
said Tuesday, “but it’s going
iMTY' iT m litfgji W
Staff photo by Sean Jackson
Roanoke Rapids Mayor Drewery Beale, left, sits alongside
Randy Parton and his wife Deb during a press conference
following an official announcement of the new site.
to be a long day (ahead)... The
real work has just begun.”
Watson hopes the project —
which is slated to contain sev
eral theaters, hotels and res
taurants among other things
— will slow down visitors
along the 1-95 corridor who
spend the night in a hotel in
North Carolina then venture
on. Getting travelers to spend
three to four days in northeast
North Carolina would funnel
more tourism dollars into the
region Watsson refers to as the
“Inner Banks”, which includes
Edenton, Elizabeth City, and
Williamston.
“I think it would make us a
destination attraction,” he
said of the Parton project.
Watson also said striking
the deal with the Parton fam
ily is a huge accomplishment.
“Never in my wildest
dreams,” he added, “would I
have ever thought of being
able to do that.”
Officials also touted the
roles that both public and pri
See VENUE On Page 2-A
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
After nearly two years of inactivity, area government officials
have regrouped to fend off the U.S. Navy’s recently announced
plans to revisit placing a fighter jet landing field in Bertie and
Perquimans counties.
In September of 2003, the Navy announced plans to build an
outlying landing field in Washington and Beaufort counties on
30,000 acres of farmland. Opponents of that plan have battled
the Navy in state and federal courts. Late last month, the Navy
announced its plans to revisit previously rejected sites, which
include Bertie and Perquimans.
On June 29, about 15 representatives from Bertie, Chowan,
Perquimans, Pasquotank and Washington counties met in
Edenton to discuss strategy for the group in the wake of the
Navy’s latest announcement. The group agreed to restate its
support for an OLF to be built in Craven County, since the Super
Hornets would be based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry
Point in that county. Craven officials have supported the OLF
coming to their county. Area officials have maintained that the
county receiving the economic benefits from the two Super Hor
net squadrons to be sited at Cherry Point should also have the
OLF.
“I was never clear on why the
parallel runway (for an OLF in
Craven County) was never given
clear consideration,” by the Navy,
Perquimans County Commis
sioner Ben Hobbs said.
“It’s politics,” Edenton Town
Councilman Jerry Parks said of
the Navy’s latest maneuver, “not
logistics.”
Super Hornet
Group members noted that former U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, R
N.C., stated that the county that gets the assets should be home
to the OLF. But current Sens. Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr,
also North Carolina Republicans, have not voiced clear opposi
tion to having an OLF in northeastern North Carolina.
“We need to support (the OLF going to) the county that gets
the assets,” Pasquotank County IVIanager Randy Keaton said.
Local officials have also expressed confusion about the Navy’s
reversal, since the Navy had already begun buying land in Beau
fort and Washington counties before U.S. District Court Judge
Terrence slapped an injunction against such land-buying last
year.
“Be careful of the mixed signals,” Reuben Clayton, a regional
district director for U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield, said. The Navy
could have its own agenda, Clayton told local officials during
the hour-long meeting at Edenton’s Municipal Building.
*He urged the group to remain united and consistant in its
approach.
Bertie County Manager Zee Lamb said the Navy may hope
See OLF On Page 3-A
Thi-s OLF map shows the various sites considered: (A)
Perquimans; (B) Bertie; (C) Washington/Beaufort; (D) Hyde
County; (E) Craven County.
Accountant's future at risk with town
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
Citing a history of late submissions, at least two Edenton officials de
bated Monday night whether or not to renew a contract with the Elizabeth
City-based accountant who has done the town’s audits for more than a de
cade.
Town Manager Anne-Marie Knighton told council’s Finance Committee
earlier this month that she had to receive figures from Sonja Hibbard’s au
dit over the phone. Knighton used those figures to draft her proposed 2005
06 budget.
“We have a history of being (given the audit findings) late,” Mayor Roland
Vaughan said.
Knighton said the fiscal-year audits are typically submitted to towns by
Oct. 31, after the June 30 end of the previous fiscal year. She said other firms
she has contacted recently about their possible interest in contracting with
the town have indicated they have already begun work on other municipal
i y.y : : rv; -y ,
See TOWN On Page 2-A
Post Office reverts to old traffic pattern
From staff reports
A number of complaints and near misses have
caused the Edenton Post Office on Broad Street to
revert to their original parking plan. But in the short
term at least, the reversal could cause more confu
sion.
Last July, the Edenton Post Office changed the park
ing lot configuration to place the entrance away from
the building and to remove a ‘blind’ entrance.
Entrances and exits to the small and busy parking
lot have now been reversed to their original configu
ration, with the entrance now closest to the Church
St. intersection and the exit is closest to the Visitor’s
Center (north).
Jackie Kretzner, Acting Supervisor at the Edenton
Post Office, cautions customers to be mindful of pe
destrians on the crosswalk while entering or exiting
the facility
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