482-4418
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
50«^
BERMUDA ANYONE?
, Chowan
seniors on
the high
seas
COMMUNITY, Cl
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
WAL-MART
IN MERRY HILL
What: Bertie County officials have invited Wal-Mart to
build a store 10 minutes from downtown Edenton.
Where: In Merry Hill, beside the Black Rock Deli.
When: Developers are expected to decide in the next
few months whether to purchase the property.
Cliff Copeland
County Manager
"I am sure Ber
tie, like Chowan,
will pursue any
economic devel
opment activi
ties that benefit
the citizens of
their respective
counties."
Bessie Bazemore
N.C. Highway 32
"I shop there.
I think [having
a Wal-Mart in
Merry Hill] is a
good thing. We
need some
where else to
shop. I'd like to
see one closer."
By Sean Jackson
Staff Writer
A Bertie County official says
the developer of a Merry Hill
property proposed for a Wal
Mart could own the site within
the next few months.
Steve Biggs, Bertie’s econom
ic developer and Edenton town
councilman, .said California
based development company
, Vicinages has spent time and
’ \ money on its Mimosa Plantation
project.
The 841-acre development
could likely include a Wal-Mart
Supercenter, Biggs said.
“They are seriously interested
enough that the developer has
spent thousands of dollars on
it,” he added.
The project — including the
Wal-Mart — has been in the
works for about five years, Biggs
said.
Bertie County Manager Zee
Lamb and commissioners Chair
man Rick Harrell both sent let
ters to developers in March wel
coming Wal-Mart to Merry Hill.
Both said Wal-Mart was a good
match for the county.
Chowan-Edenton
Optimist Club
FABULOUS 4th
What: Over-the-water fire
works show & party in the
park
Where: Colonial Park
When: 4 p.m., fireworks
after dark
How much: FREE
Details: Page A2 :
:V.rl:.*
INDEX
A Local
Opinion...............A7
Land Transfers......A6
B Sports ,
Recreation News.B1
Nascar.B2
| C Community News
Society.......C4
7 Obituaries..C6
§ Church.. C7,8
D Classifieds
Buy/Sell/Trade.D1
Employment........D4
D Classifieds
Buy/Sell/Trade.D1
Employment........D4
02006 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
Roland Vaughan
Edanton Mayor
"I know we have
a lot of Wal-Mart
customers in
Edentoh already.
If it's located [at
Mimosa Planta
tion], it would
just mean a
shorter ride."
Chowan, Edenton react
While Bertie County officials
are embracing a Wal-Mart in
their county, some Chowan of
ficials are taking a cautious
stance.
The site is on U.S. Highway 17,
about 10 minutes from downtown
Edenton and its thriving busi
ness district.
Some veteran businessmen re
call talk of a Wal-Mart coming to
Edenton a ddcade ago.
That rumor spurred outcries
from some residents, while oth
ers applauded the potential.
A survey by the owner of that
property found that 75 percent of
the respondents wanted a Wal
Mart here.
Byrum Hardware manager
Steve Brown knows that local
residents already shop at Wal
Mart stores in the region.
But having one so close, he
says, could pose a threat to his
and other South Broad Street
stores.
“They try to put out of busi
ness everything you can put
out of business,” he said. “That
wouldn’t be good for Chowan.”
Electric rates continue
to rise with Town budget
By Sean Jackson
Staff Writer
Edenton town councilors passed
their new fiscal-year budget, but
not without some dissent.
During a meet
ing Monday night,
council split 3-2 to
approve the budget
drafted by Town
Manager Anne
Marie Knighton.
The budget, which
takes effect Sunday,
includes increases in electric and
water/sewer rates. It does not in
clude a real estate hike.
Councilors Steve Biggs and Wil
lis Privott voted against the budget.
Councilors Jimmy Stallings, Jerry
Parks and Phyllis Britton voted in
favor. Councilman Sambo Dixon
was unable to attend the meeting.
“We feel that we held the line,”
Knighton said of the $17.9 million
budget.
The electric increase will add
Biggs
THE HISTORY
■ A decade ago, rumors spread that
Wal-Mart was coming to Edenton. Wal
Mart officials denied the claims, as they
do now for Bertie County.
■ Five years ago, Bertie officials be
gan talks with developers about bring
ing Wal-Mart to the site in Merry Hill.
■ In March, Bertie officials sent let
ters to Wal-Mart formally welcoming
the mega-retailer to Mimosa Planta
tion.
Susie Owens
Macedonia Road
"I want it [in
Merry Hill]. I
think it would
be good for
development,
stores and stuff.
I think [down
town Edenton]
would survive."
Ek_lJM
Alton Elmore
Edenton Furniture
"It will wipe out
small businesses
[in Edenton's
downtown
business district]
over a period of
time. That's the
thing that both
ers me, really."
Edenton Furniture’s Alton El
more agreed.
“They don’t, care anything
about small communities,” El
more said of Wal-Mart.
“They don’t want competition,
they want total domination.”
A Wal-Mart spokesperson con
tacted by The Chowan Herald
did not immediately respond for
comment Tuesday.
Chowan County Manager Cliff
Copeland declined to comment
specifically about Bertie’s efforts\
to bring Wal-Mart to Merry Hill.
“As to whether Wal-Mart plans
to build in Bertie,” he said, “I
only know what I read in The
Chowan Herald.
“Chowan County and Edenton
will continue to seek to enlarge
our commercial base.”
But Brown is worried that a
Wal-Mart in Bertie would siphon
more retail-sales tax revenues
from Chowan coffers.
“You’re looking at taking sales
tax revenues from Chowan Coun
' ty and giving it to Bertie County,”
he said.
“That would be worse than
locating a Wal-Mart in Chowan
County”
roughly $2 to a customer’s monthly
bill, she said.
The water/sewer hike will add an
additional $2.25 to a utility bill, she
added.
It’s the first town-imposed electric
hike not spurred
by a rate increase
passed down from
the electric-service
provider, Knighton
said.
Biggs and Privott
questioned the plan
to opt for a 2.5-per
cent pay boost for town employees
instead of an across-the-board in
crease.
Biggs said the second option
would give all town employees a
$777 pay raise. He said that plan
— which failed to garner a motion
Monday night — was more fair to
the town’s lowest-paid employees.
“We used to go with that (pay
raise option) once in a while, years
See BUDGET, Page A2 >
Knighton
Richard Bunch
Chamber Director
"In the years to
come, Wal-Mart
will do like every
other franchise
— they will be in
' smaller commu
nities. I am sure
our time will
come."
WHAT IT COULD MEAN
■ Some Edenton residents say Wal-Mart
could close local stores and result in lost
county revenues.
■ Others say the downtown business dis
trict would survive.
TO LEARN MORE
For — http://www.walmartfacts.com/
Against — http://www.sprawl-busters.
cmnZ
Steve Brown
Byrum Hardware
"I am afraid it
would mean
a lot of empty
storefronts [in
downtown Eden
ton]. That would
have an affect
on all of Chowan
County."
Edenton Mayor Roland
Vaughan feels the downtown
would survive a potential Wal
Mart within minutes of Broad
Street.
Vaughan and his wife co-own a
downtown jewelry store.
“A lot of people are still go
ing to come to Edenton to shop
because of the distinct retail op
portunities,” he said.
“It’s not cobkie-cutter shop
ping here.”
' !,
Slaving doubts
Richard Bunch, Edenton
Chowan Chamber of Commerce
executive director, isn’t certain
that Wal-Mart will build in Mer
ry Hill.
“Do you really believe that Wal
Mart is going to place a building
in a field where there are no ma
jor population numbers to pull
from?” Bunch said.
Elmore also has his doubts.
Like Bunch, Elmore noted that
Wal-Mart Supercenters are al
ready located — or being built
— in Ahoskie, Elizabeth City and
See WAL-MART, Page A2 >
Alleged gunman
captured at OBX
By Earline White
Managing Editor
Nearly 72 hours after James Earl
Freeman, 46, of Columbia allegedly
shot his wife at the American Le
gion fairgrounds, he was arrested
in Kill Devil Hills.
Freeman is charged with first-de
gree murder and is awaiting trial
at Raleigh Central Prison under
no bond. Sheriff Dwayne Goodwin
said Monday
Freeman was spotted around 6:30
p.m. Thursday night in the KMart
parking lot by Lt. Mark Evans of
the Kill Devil Hills Police Depart
ment.
“I was just in the right place at
the right time,” Evans told an Out
er Banks newspaper.
Freeman was first seen asking for
money outside Holiday Inn Express
at Kitty Hawk, Goodwin said. Be
fore officers could arrive, Freeman
was gone.
Alerts went out in the Kill Devil
Hills and Kitty Hawk area.
Subdivison
boasts two
day sellout
Project expected to bring
400 to 500 people to
Chowan County.
By Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writer
Over 200 available lots at the new Ri
verSound development were snatched
up last weekend during a marathon
grand opening sales event.
The subdivision consists of 224
lots.
The new homes are expected to add
significantly to the community’s pop
ulation base.
Over the past six years, Chowan
County’s population has grown by
169 people, officials said. RiverSound
is expected to bring an additional 400
to 500 people to the community
“As a 29-year manager, I believe his
tory will treat (those sales) as a defin
ing moment in the transition of the
economic base of this county,” Coun
ty Manager Cliff Copeland said.
Lots at the development, located on
Drummonds Point Road, began sell
ing at about $40,000; waterfront lots,
at around $100,000.
Infrastructure at the site, .where
an average lot covers one-and-a third
acres, is expected to be completed
within the next 90 to 120 days, so that
construction at the site can begin, ac
cording to Peter Rascoe, director of
special projects for the county.
Developer Larry Bragg, of the
Waterfront Development Group, de
scribed the sales activity experienced
by the company so far as “remarkably
See SALES, Page A2 >■
Evans followed his instincts,
he said, and pulled into KMart’s
parking lot where he spotted the
Plymouth Voyager
Freeman had been
driving. Evans
waited for Free
man to get out of
the crowded park
ing lot and down
the street before
turning on his blue
lights.
Freeman’s first appearance on
the first-degree murder charge was
Friday in Dare County, where he
asked for a court-appointed attor
ney, Goodwin said.
Freeman’s probable cause hear
ing is set for July 10 in Chowan
County.
Goodwin said that the gun used
in Sharlene Freeman’s death has
not been recovered but is believed
to be a 22-caliber rifle. Authorities
remain unsure as to the motive.
See CAUGHT, Page A2 ►
Freeman
Because the post office will be closed for the Fourth of July holiday, mail delivery of The Chow
an Herald will not take place until Thursday. The Herald office will also be closed July 4.