Inside Today
Doin' the
Watermelon
Hustle
Community, Page A7
Don't miss a special message from our publisher, A4
Schools’
reading
PROGRESS ON THE RISE
results
slump
Poor reading skills
reason for drop in
meeting standards
BY EARLINE WHITE
The Chowan Herald
Supt. Allan Smith is working
to improve school reading
scores after all four of the
county’s schools failed to meet
their reading
goals for the
year.
African
American stu
dents and
those receiv
ing free or re
duced lunches
are the two
major sects
not testing up
to par on the end-of-grade and
end-of course tests, according
to preliminary results of the
federal standard measure of
Adequate Yearly Progress.
In the previous school year
only one school (Chowan
Middle) had failed to make
AYP.
The AYP goals are estab
lished under the No Child Left
Behind Act, holding each Title
I school within a district (ex
cept feeder schools like White
Oak) to a designated level of
reading and mathematics.
“The numbers were close
at the middle school, only
falling one student short in
See SCHOOLS, Page A2 >
INDEX
A Local
Land Transfers......... A3
Opinion .... A4
Upcoming Events .... A8
Society... A9
Obituaries.. A12
f Church.. A13,14
B Sports
Recreation News...... B1
Nascar.B2
C Edenton Today
i ’ ■;
D Classifieds
Employment.D1
Service Directory.D2
Buy/Sell/Trade.D4
Contact us
Call 482-4418
02006 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
Earline WhitefThe Chowan Herald
Rafael Montano nails timbers as he and other crew members work to complete a home
at Colonial Village, one of the new housing developments going up in Edenton.
Residential, business
growth are expected
to drive economy
BY REBECCA BUNCH
AND SEAN JACKSON
The Chowan Herald
In today’s edition, we share with you our
report on the progress of our community over
the past year — and a glimpse into its future.
“Edenton Today” takes a close-up look at the
hot-button issue of growth — both residential
and commercial. We explain what projects are
on the drawing board for the town and county
in terms of new housing. And, we look at plans
for a new shopping center, Edenton Commons,
which will have Farm Fresh as its anchor.
Also, we share with you the results of “man
on the street” interviews we conducted with
local citizens—and answers to pertinent ques
tions we posed to our town and county manag
ers on key issues of effectively managing new
growth and how they’ll provide services to
new and existing residents.
Residents voiced their worries and hopes
with us about how Edenton and Chowan
County will change over the next few years.
They want to have all the current charms
with new choices about where they can live
and shop.
People shared their desires for having more
things for kids to do, places for them to go, and
how that could keep youth from straying into
trouble.
They also told us the good things that the
town and county have done over i;he past
year and how they hope those things can be
done better next year.
We also profile the new building projects
that are in the works, and the new busi
nesses that sprouted up over the past 12
months.
From a new Italian eatery in town to a pho
tography studio in the southern end of the
county, we introduce you to Chowan’s new
est shop owners.
Economic leaders talk about how small
businesses continue to be the backbone of
key player in providing health care needs for
new residents.
And without question, tourism remains a
strong component of the local economy.*
Nearly 9,000 visitors from all parts of the
country came to visit our community over
the past year. And officials think that num- '
ber will only contine to grow.
In addtion, we didn’t leave out the plans
local leaders have for expanding the county
library and building a new public safety
building, both in Edenton./
While we’ve written a lot about young
families and their hopes for the future in
these pages, we’ve also included the new pro
grams that are being offered to our senior
citizens.
See this year's progress
report on our community,
"Edenton Today."
Pages C1-12.
INSIDE
the local
economy, espe
cially boat
builders.
We also spot
light the added
services at Cho
wan Hospital,
which will be a
We hope you enjoy our special section.
Rea returns to
Victory Lane at
Cycle Speedway
Sports, B1
Lane out
as board
chairman
Council plans to meet tonight with
Edenton Commons developers
BY SEAN JACKSON
The Chpwan Herald
The communication snag between a key town plan
ning official and the body that hired him is over.
Stephen Lane, former planning board chairman,
was fired by the town council Monday night. Lane
did not attend council’s meeting Monday and a hear
ing on his behalf was nixed.
Lane was reportedly out of town and could not be
reached for this story.
“The opportunity for his hearing before this board
has come and gone,” Mayor Roland Vaughan said.
Council passed a motion to end
Lane’s eight-year tenure on July
11, saying he had embarrassed
the town with excessive ques
tioning of developers at a plan
ning session the night before.
Lane has said he does not re
gret his actions. He had a sup
porter of his work at Monday’s
meeting, Edenton pharmacist
John Mitchener.
“I would like for the council to
reconsider,” Mitchener said shortly after Vaughan
announced that Lane’s hearing had been cancelled.
Mitchener said Lane had been a valuable asset to
the town since his appointment in 1998. He said Lane
was always prepared for meetings and voiced perti
nent concerns about development issues.
“I don’t think you're going to find another per
son who can hold a candle to him,” Mitehener said
of Lane.
Vaughan said the town’s Unified Development
Ordinance allows council to terminate a board
member if there is cause found for the termina
tion.
“The council,” Vaughan added, “felt the cause
was there.”
Mitchener said Lane shouldn’t be fired because
of the July 10 planning session.
“We all have a bad day at the office from time to
time,” he said.
Town officials have said the issues with Lane
had been an ongoing matter.
“We must conclude that we move on,” Vaughan
said.
Lane has maintained that he never received of
ficial word from the town about council’s action
against him. However, Town Manager Anne-Marie
Knighton has said she personally left a phone mes
sage for Lane after the July 11 council meeting.
The planning board is set to meet tonight
(Wednesday) to discuss the permit request from
developers of the proposed Edenton Commons
shopping center. It was those developers to whom
Lane directed his concerns earlier this month.
Council will appoint a replacement for Lane,
Knighton said Monday. The planning board would
tap a new chairman.
- i# v*<* %•*,
AL
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