482-4418 9 Wednesday, April 18, 2007 TOUR TIME IN EDENTON Sprucing up for the Pilgrimage Locals working in gardens, homes for flocks of weekend visitors to biennial event BY REBECCA BUNCH Editor N ancy Reilly may have looked re laxed but she was really hard at work. Sipping coffee and still wearing her pajamas, she was working on preparing short bits of historical and architec tural information about her home to share with Pilgrim age visitors. The house is ready and awaiting only the arrival of fresh flowers she plans to buy. “I’m going for a natural look,” Reilly says, “not a lot of elaborate arrangements.” Several blocks away, Frances Inglis was working in the garden at the Homestead, where generations of her fam ily have lived. Getting ready for the tour makes homeowners more aware of how their homes will look to others, Inglis says. “You start to notice things, like piles of books sitting around that you haven’t done anything about.” Gardening galore All over town, homeowners were getting ready to greet the thousands expected to visit during the Pilgrimage. Rodeo reels in crowd, riders at Top Notch ring Rocky Hock arena hosts first of seven sanctioned events BY SEAN JACKSON Staff Writer Jonathan Stevenson of Hertford was pumped before he even hopped atop his bull Saturday night. Stevenson, 18, would be the first rider out of the gate at the rodeo at Top Notch Ranch & Arena in Rocky Hock. Nervous physical energy is good, he said, but a positive frame of mind is a must. “You want to ride the eight seconds and win the money,” Stevenson said with a grin shortly before the event began. Stevenson did just that.1 Riding his bull Eject, Steven stayed atop for eight seconds, winning the Intermediate Di ©2006 The Chowan Herald All Rights Reserved Extra coats of paint are be ing added and yards are being readied. Over at the Shepard-Pruden Library, Master Gardener Sandy Granger was tidying up the grounds. Some plants there were damaged by an unexpected frost and needed replacing. Local plant nurseries are getting calls from home-own ers who, mindful of the frost, want them to hold plants un til just before the Pilgrimage. Setting out new flowers will happen before Friday — just not too quickly. “Judging by the number of calls we’ve had,” said Sandra Halsey of Halsey’s Lawn and Garden, “we’re expecting a re ally busy week.” Busy businesses Downtown at Acoustic Cof fee, owner Anita Andersen said her shop would stay open later Friday evening and that she was going to try to have special music on Sunday after noon as well. • She’s just returned from va cation, is relaxed and ready to greet Edenton’s special guests. “I had to go take a rest to get ready for it,” she joked. See TOUR, Page A2 >• vision event with a 70-point ride. Cody Howard of Bear Grass also had a full ride, atop his bull Dairy Queen. “I’ve been at it for about a year,” Howard, 17, said before posting a 64-point score in the Intermediate Division before nearly 300 fans. It was the first event at Top Notch sanctioned by the South ern Extreme Bull Riding Asso ciation. Top Notch official Joey Nixon, like the riders, was psyched about the event. Nixon just opened Top Notch last spring. “We just want to have a good show,” Nixon said. That they did. With fans of all ages seated in the bleachers, 21 bull-riders and a host of women barrel racers thrilled the crowd on a cloudy, cool night. The object is to appeal to See RODEO, Page A2 > m 4-T '*■ .■ igive INDEX A Local Opinion.A10,11,12 Land Transfers......... A7 V. Shepard-Pruden library celebrates expanding future Community, C1 Hod&Ofmq EA Swain Auditorium Edenton, NC Friday & Saturday April 27 ty 28 - 7:50 PM Sponsored by Rocky Hock Ruritan ■ Relay For Life Team Mail orders call 252-221-4875 or 252-340-3438 Tickets $10.00 Available At Byrum True Value Hardware • Downtown Edenton 252-482-2131 Acoustic Coffee - Downtown Edenton 252-482-7465 Nixon Family Restaurant - Rocky Hock 252-221-2244 Woodard’s Pharmacy • Downtown Hertford 252-426-5527 Billy Smith - Suffolk, VA 757-9254541