Liberty and Freedom
Bill of Rights visits town as
part of state tour
Community, C1
Violent acts prior to June
2006 in local schools are
down See below
Chasing the American Dream
Hispanics starting new lives, overcoming new obstacles in Edenton, Chowan
Earline White/The Chowan Herald
From left, Gelacio Vargas, Richard Gejka and Adrian Preciado spend a busy Friday night in the steaming kitchen at Mamasita's.
Vargas, whose family owns a restaurant in Mexico, says that it's harder to open a business in his home country than in the states.
Second of two parts
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
They come here for the
chance to work, to earn
a steady living and raise
their families with the hope of
achieving the “American Dream.”
They are the ever-expanding
Hispanic community in Edenton
and Chowan County..
Some work in the seafood in
dustry that plies its trade in and
around the murky waters of the
Chowan River.
Some use a hammer and nails
to make their living, helping to
build the homes and businesses
that are flourishing in the town
and county.
Others come to work the fertile
fields in Tyner, making their
Carrera Acero
mark in the local farming trade.
Still others come for the
schools, or to join family and
friends who have already settled
here.
“It’s easy to make money here,”
Gelacio Vargas, Mamasita’s man
ager, said.
Back in Mexico, Vargas’ family
owns a restaurant and a store.
Vargas said it’s harder to open a
store in Mexico.
“In Mexico,” he said, “you have
to ask the government for ap
proval to open a business. Here,
it is much easier.”
Always, there are those who are
glad to have the growing Hispanic
workforce in Chowan.
Rod Leary, of Leary Plant Farm
in Tyner, employees a number of
Spanish-speaking workers dur
ing his peak spring and summer
growing seasons.
“They work very hard at their
jobs here,” he said. “There (are)
hardly ever any complaints of the
job being too hard.”
The same holds true for Joey
Nixon of Murray Nixon’s Fishery.
“Nowadays, the backbone of
the American workforce is prima
rily Hispanic workers,” Nixon
said. “They take jobs doing what
others won’t and become great at
what they do.”
Edenton-Chowan Chamber of
Commerce Director Richard
Bunch agreed.
“They are an important part of
our workforce,” Bunch said. “We
have industries that are really
benefiting from the skills and
abilities of these citizens. You
will be able to find our Hispanic
population in all types of jobs in
Edenton and Chowan County.”
Another draw is the local
schools system.
Zoraida Acero, co-owner of
Goody’s Convenience Store in
Tyner, was already living in
northeast North Carolina when
she decided to move to Chowan
so her children could go to school
here.
“We came to America for our
children,” Acero said. “We
wanted them to be able to com
pete with the smartest kids, to get
them on the right foot and go on
to a better life than they could
have had in Colombia. We moved
See DREAM, Page A2 >
Neighbors
helping
neighbors
Town program allows
electric customers to help
needy residents
BY SEAN JACKSON
Staff Writer
Town officials began a program last year
which was designed to allow some electric cus
tomers to help their needy neighbors.
And it paid off in a big way, according to num
bers provided by Town Manager Anne-Marie
Knighton.
Last year, the town collected roughly $8,500
for its Neighbors Keeping Neighbors WARM
program.
Hopes are to match that total this year,
Knighton said.
About 70 town utility customers — residents
and businesses — made one-time contributions
to the fund last year, Knighton said.
Another 24 customers make monthly contri
butions when paying their electric bills.
Once collected, the
funds are turned over
to emergency aid staff,
which administers the
program on behalf of
the town.
“The funds can help
senior citizens, dis
abled people, or those
who have been laid off
of work within the last
90 days,” Knighton said. “It is a good program,
and we are grateful for the generosity of our
customers.”
The town is continuing the program through
at least 2007.
The Town Council adopted the program in
late 2005, after Hurricane Katrina rocked the
Gulf Coast region, sending fuel costs skyrock
eting.
“The council is so good about responding
when the community needs help,” Knighton
added.
In addition to soaring gas prices last winter,
weather forecasters had called for a colder sea
son than any seen in recent years.
While that forecast didn’t hold true, council
ors still anticipated that some customers could
have difficulty paying their bills after the town
raised its electric rates.
How to give
■ Donations can be made monthly
oh your electric bill. One-time
donations are also accepted.
■ To find out more, call Edenton
Town Hall at 482-7352.
INDEX
A Local
Land Transfers.A4
Opinion......A6
B Sports
Recreation News.B1
Nascar......B2
C Community News
Upcoming Events .....C2
Society...... C4
Obituaries..... C6
Church..C7,8
D Classifieds
Buy/Sell/Trade.D1
Service Directory.D2
Employment............ D4
©2006 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
Downtown stores may be destroyed
to make way for new bank building
Snooker’s, J.C.
Penny, Royalty
Finance may be
forced to relocate
BY EARLINE WHITE
Staff Writer
s Three storefronts in
downtown Edenton may
meet their ends if a re
cent proposal from South
ern Bank and Broad
Street property owner,
Dalton Furlough, is ap
proved.
The proposal to demol
ish the building stretch
ing from 200 to 204 Broad
St. will be reviewed at the
Feb. 12 meeting of the
Edenton Preservation
Commission following a
request from Southern
Bank.
The demolition could be
delayed 365 days, if the
commission sees fit, and
the architectural design
for a new Southern Bank
office could be further re
vised if requested.
Win Dale of J.C. Penny/
Colonial Communication,
one of the business own
ers that rent space in the
Broad Street building, is
currently looking for
space to relocate should
the move be necessary.
Wanda Westbrook of
Snookers, another tenant,
is waiting to see what hap
pens and has no plans to
'mm,mmm'
relocate as of now, she
said.
Constructed for use as a
grocery store in 1954,
renovated as a pool hall
and now serving as com
mercial offices for four
businesses, the future of
the space is currently in
limbo.
The preliminary sketch
of the proposed 1 1/2 story
brick Southern Bank build
ing is available for public
viewing at the Edenton
Planning and Inspections
Office at 108 East King St.
The current sketch
shows little detail but the
project’s architect is ex
pected to submit another
plan by Jan. 29 for review
at the February meeting.
Violence in schools,
drop out rate down
BY EARLINE WHITE
Staff Writer
. Violent acts in the local
school system last year were
nearly three percent lower
than other systems statewide.
The dropout rate is also the
lowest it’s been in five years,
according to Rob Boyce, assis
tant superintendent.
The information was pre
sented at the Board of Educa
tion meeting Monday night.
“Naturally we are pleased
that there was a decease in the
number of incidents of crime
as well as the number of drop
outs during the 2005-2006
school year," said Superinten
dent of schools, Allan Smith.
“However, we must remem
ber that one student not com
pleting high school is one too
many.”
The reported violent acts
data does not include incidents
that have taken place this
school year, including the
three alleged weapons posses
sion charges at Holmes this
fall.
In 2005-2006 the majority of
violent acts, eight, included in
cidents where students were in
alleged possession of weapons
other than firearms or explo
sives.
There was one charge of pos
sess ion of a controlled sub-!
stance and two reported as
saults on school personnel, not
See SCHOOLS, Page A2 ►