Vol. LXXIII, No. 1
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Wednesday, January 4, 2006 \ '
Single Copies: 50c
Spear
aims for
office
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
After years of working with
lawmakers from his vantage
point in thq court system, Tim
Spear wants to join the ranks
of the state Legislature.
Spear, a Washington County
native, wants to be tapped to re
place outgoing N.C. House Rep.
Bill Culpepper, D-Chowan,
who was set to take a job with
the state
Utilities
Commis
sion this
week.
Spear and
Dare
County
Board of
Commis
sioners
Chairman
Stan
Spear White,
both
Democrats, have both publicly
expressed interest in filling
Culpepper’s unexpired term,
which is set to end in Decem
ber.
Delegates from Washington,
Chowan, Dare and Tyrrell
counties will make that deci
y ' vn -o vteUme this month, and
Spear hopes he gets the nod.
“I’ve always had an interest
in (serving in) the Legisla
ture,” Spear said during a Dec.
29 interview with The Chowan
Herald.
He touts serving on the state
Judicial Council and other
state-level committees as keys
to his desire to win a post in
Raleigh. First appointed to the
judicial advisory committee by
former Gov. Jim Hunt, the 53
year-old Creswell High School
grad worked with Culpepper
over the years regarding court
related legislation.
“That really peaked my in
terest in serving in the Legis
lature,” said Spear, who retired
from his Washington County'
Clerk of Superior Court post
in March after 23 years on the
job. He has also worked with
the state Wildlife Commission,
Washington County Sheriff’s
Office, and won a seat, on the
Washington County school
board in 1978.
See SPEAR Page A2
INSIDE
Calendar.C2
Church......C5,6
Classifieds.D1-4
Editorials......A4
' Obituaries...C4
School...A5
Society.C3
Sports ..B1-4
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, {2006 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
The Chowan Herald Citizen of Hie year
i
Earline White/The Chowan Jerald
Edenton Police Detective Rhonda Copeland has been named the first recipient of the Chowan
Herald’s Chowan County Citizen of the Year award.
out oi crime
Rhonda Copeland, head of Edenton Police ^Detective Squad, !
has helped keep drugs off the streets, hope alive at home ^
BY REBECCA BUNCH
The Chowan Herald
An Edenton police detective credited with help
ing to dramatically increase the number of drug
related arrests in our community has been named
the recipient of the Chowan Herald’s first annual
Chowan County Citizen of the Year Award.
Rhonda Copeland, who heads the detective di
vision of the Edenton Police Department, was
chosen for her dedicated effort to make a real dif
ference in our community, said Chowan Herald
Publisher David Singleton. Her award will be pre
sented on Jan. 19 during the annual Edenton
Chowan Chamber of Commerce banquet.
Copeland said she was shocked and very happy
to have been chosen as the first recipient of the
award. “This is quite an honor,” she said. “I just
can’t believe it.”
Detective Copeland received her law enforce
ment training at the North Carolina Justice Acad
emy in Salemburg. She began her law enforce
ment career 16 years ago as a patrol officer for
the Edenton PD. She held that position for five
years before becoming a Canine/DARE officer
for the department. Serving in those'roles en
abled her to become aware of a need for commu
nity policing and surveillance that would enable
the department to make a difference in the con
tinuing war on drugs and drug trafficking. So,
she pursued a position as a detective, becoming
the first officer in the department to serve in that
capacity.
Copeland sajd she finds the work that she does
gratifying and believes it is having a positive
impact on the community. She also praised the
two other officers - Aaron Davidson and Dwight
Rawlins - who are members of the Edenton PD’s
detective division. “I really appreciate these two
guys,” she said. “They are my right hand and my
left hand.”
That cooperation has also extended beyond the
police department to include members of the
See CITIZEN Page A2
Holmes senior
chosen as U.S.
Senate delegate
John 4, Holmes High Sthool senior Ashley
Klein is one of two North Carolina students
chosen as delegates to the William Randolph
Hearst Foundation United States Senate Youth
Program.
“Ashley is an outstanding young lady and we
know she will go far,” said Supt. Allan Smith
in congratulating
her on the honor.
The annual Uni
ted States Senate
Youth Program, es
tablished in 1962
by U.S. Senate Re
solution, will be
held, in Washing
ton, D. C., from
March 4 -11.
Klein will join
other state del- '
, Ashley Klein egates for a week
in Washington ex
periencing their national government in‘ac
tion. Delegates will hearjmajor policy ad
dresses by senators, cabinet members, officials
for the Departments of State and Defense and
directors of federal agencies, as well as par
ticipate in a meeting with a Justice of the U.S.
Supreme Court. Each delegate will be awai’ded
a $5,000 college scholarship for,undergraduate
studies, as well.
Edenton among
nation's first
with free Wi-Fi A
BY EARLINE WHITE
The Chowan Herald
From the boat slips to Queen Street, Eden
ton residents and visitors will now be able to
partake in free wireless internet service (WiFi)
in the downtown area. The Edenton WTFi
project is the result of the work by Frank Paris
and Doug Teachey of American WiFi, in coop
eration with the Town of Edenton and Chowan
County
“Edenton WiFi is the fourth ‘hot spot’ (an ■
area that allows users to access wireless
internet for free) in the nation, following Mor
gan Hill CA, Hampton VA, and Elizabeth City,”
said Win Dale, Chowan County Chamber Presi
dent and local driving force for the system.
“What makes the Edenton WriFi project so
unique is that local advertisers'are able to have
their ads integrated into every web page a user
See WIFI Page A2
Birding Trail designations latest feather in Chowan's cap
BY EARLINE WHITE
The Chowan Herald
Announced over the Christ
mas holidays, Bennett’s Mill
Pond and the Edenton Na
tional Fish Hatchery will be
included on the North Caro
lina Birding Trail (NCBT)
which began development in
October. 2003 in an effort to
“conserve and enhance North -
Carolina’s bird habitat by pro
moting sustainable bird
watching activities, economic
opportunities and conserva
tion education.”
“In our research we (the lo
cal selection committee)^
learned that last year 18 mil
lion people traveled away from
their homes to view birds,”
Robbie LaughtQn, Director of
Edenton/Chowan Parks and
Recreation, who was an inte
gral part of the application
process, said. “And there-are^
1.3 million wild bird observers
in the state of NC alone. Being
a part of the NC Birding Trail
will definitely be a big draw to
our area.”
Six sites throughout the
county were submitted for con
sideration last year; Bennetts
Millpond and the Fish Hatch
ery met the criteria to be
placed on the site trail by the
Site Nomination Committee'
At the Edenton National
Fish Hatchery bird watchers
will enjoy viewing the resident
Canada geese, Comerants, blue
Heron, eagles and seagulls,
while at Bennett’s Millpond
one can enjoy the beauty of a
Beron rookery, a" variety of
/ducks including Mallards,
Mergansers and Buffleheads,
geese, swans,-‘hawks, owls,
Kingfishers, woodpeckers and
bluebirds.
N Laughton added, “I believe
that'being a part of the NC
Birding Trail enhances the
tourist and public opportunity
to come to the county and en
joy these wonderful public re
Sean Jackson/I'he (houan Herald
The Edenton National Fish Hatchery and Bennett’s Millpond are among the 72 coastal sites chosen.
sources. I am already excited
about the ongoing environ
mental education programs at
Bennett’s Miilpond under the
direction of Colleen Karl (of
the Albemarle Learning Cen
ter) and the expansion to in
clude canoeing, kayaking and
nature trails at the site.”
Stephen Jackson, Edenton
• ' 1 ■
National Fish Hatchery’s new
hatchery manager said, “We're
very pleased to be selected as a