Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / July 11, 2007, edition 1 / Page 1
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T.J. Weagly finds <j happiness in helping others A3 Randy Johnson helps Relay for Life efforts A2 482-4418 Wednesday, July 11/2007 SNOOKER'S GRILL “It’s been fun, and I don’t want to leave... We’re — Snookers cook, Nancy Moore LOCAL HOT SPOT CLOSING r g-—_.'. ■ tr',"aa Above, Wanda Westbrook chats with a departing customer while, at top, cooks Darius Moore and Nancy Moore serve the lunch rush. Story and photos by Sean Jackson * Staff Writer fTJHERE COMES A DAY when you just know it’s time for a change, Wanda Westbrook says. After nearly a decade running a downtown Edenton eatery Westbrook is calling it quits. It wasn’t an easy decision for Westbrook to step away ^--The doors will dose for good at Snooker’s Grill on July 25. “We’ve made a lot of Mends,” Westbrook said during a break Monday between the breakfast and lunch rushes. ‘Teople have been very good to me,” she added. “It’s been a good business. I just never thought we’d be as successful as we have been. We couldn’t have done it without the local people.” Westbrook was already planning to sell the business when nearby Southern Bank decided to expand. It was just a good fit for all involved, she said. “Snooker’s has been fun,” she said, “but you kind of know when it’s time to change” Westbrook’s father, Joe Swanner; ran a drive-in restaurant, Joe’s Drive-In, a few blocks up North Broad Street from 195069. She never worked there ‘1 was 12 when he dosed,” Westbrook said. She worked at brother Allen Swanner’s gas station, Edenton Shell, for 22 years before opening Snooker’s with partner Susan Fur lough in 1997. Furlough left about three years later and Westbrook has run Snooker’s solo since While she’ll dearly miss her patrons, she doesn’t regret giving up the 5 am. arrivals to the eatery ‘It’s hard work,” she said of running a res taurant with a staff of 10. A popular pool hall occupied the building prior to Westbrook and Furlough taking over —hence the restaurants name, Snooker’s, a type of billiard game Fond farewells Snooker’s fans are as sentimental as Westbrook about the closing. There will be no more of the popular omelettes and ham biscuits at breakfast no burgers and chees esteaks for lunch customers. For Chowan County Manager Cliff Cope land, his morning coffee breaks at Snooker’s will soon only happen in memories. “I certainly hate to see them dose,” Cope land said as he sat with a colleague in his fa miliar back table Monday morning. Copeland said his favorite dishes were Westbrook’s baked potatoes and salads. She disagreed playfully with him, one of many of her regular customers. “You always get cheeseburger and hies,” Westbrook said. While Westbrook joked around with Co peland, long-time employees Edie Sherwood and Pam Skinner helped dose out the break fast rush. Sherwood waits tables, while Skin ner cooks up menu items. “They’ve been here the whole time,” West brook said. ‘Tm really going to miss them, too.” The Steamers Wall As soon as' you walk through the wood framed glass front door, the sports memo rabilia comes into view Along the long wall to the left are jerseys from a host of local schools — John A. Holmes, Lawrence Acad emy Chowan Middle, and D.E Walker Then there’s the wall to the right Snook-, eFs “Steamers WalL” More jerseys, yes, but the scrawled autographs that crawl over the wall are the most eyecatching mementos in the place . - It began in 1998, the Steamers first year in town, Westbrook said Every year since, she said players add their names to the eggshell white wall. “They’ve already signed it this year,” West brook said The only hitch is how to preserve it The wall is made of plaster and would likely crumble during any attempt to remove it Westbrook said “I don’t knowhow to save it” she said with a shrug. Football fever All three of Westbrook’s children — sons Ryan and Joseph, daughter Ashley—played sports at Holmes for the Aces. Snooker’s often hosted booster club meet ings, but the main event was the Friday-eve ning dinner in the fall for football players, cheerleaders, and trainers. Aces head football coach Bob Turner said he’ll miss that tradition this fafl. “She has always been very supportive,” he said of Westbrook, “and was always able to make adjustments to meals or times if we needed her to.” Aces athletic director Jay Swicegood, him self a former football coach, agreed “With the closing of Snooker’s, we will have to make some major adjustments,” Swicegood said praising Westbrook and her husband Waverley for years of support of Holmes sports. Westbrook isn’t sure what adjustments lay ahead for her She plans to find work in the near future, she’s just not sure yet what type of job she’ll transition in to. “I’ll take a little time off,” she saj.d stress ing “little” For hundreds of Snooker’s customers . over the years, Westbrook’s time “on” at the restaurant has been a treat in more ways than one ■ ALLEGED GUNMAN CAUGHT IN RALEIGH A4 ■ STEAMERS SIZZLE WITH RECENT 5:0 STREAK B1 ■ FIRST ASSEMBLY HOSTS HUNTING EXTRAVAGANZA cs Farmers hit hard by lack of rain Last year 15 inches of rain reported; this year 5.1 inches By Rebecca Bunch Staff Writer As local residents swelter in the heat and humid ity, farmers’ fields are not faring much better. The numbers tell the story. In our community between May l and early July of last year, 15.2 inches of rain had fallen in our community; this year during that same time peri od, we’ve received 5.1 inches, according to rainfall information collected by Yates Parrish of Chowan County. Farmers say they are pinning their hopes on ir rigation and prayer. “(Chowan County farmers) are in bad, desper ate need of rain,” says Emmett Winborne of Win borne Brothers Farms. “We could really use what I call a good root-soaker. We are hoping and praying for that.” In the meantime, irrigation is helping keep the crops alive. And Kenny Goodwin says the 1,800 acres fie farms are “mighty dry.” Goodwin, like many others in the area, grow's corn, cotton and peanuts. And while he says he still holds out hope for his cotton and peanut crops to save the day. Goodwin estimates that 40 percent of the corn crop is dam aged beyond repair because of the dry weather. “We’re irrigating what we can, but it's very ex pensive. I’m spending a minimum of $20 an acre for irrigation, so that hurts us too.” Goodwin says that the Rocky Hock and Wing field areas “are the worst I’ve seen.” See DROUGHT, Page A2 > Local writing scores are up By Earline White Managing Editor Seventh grade writing scores in Chowan County . increased 30 points over last year, according to the department of public instruction. “We were pleased to see the large gains in writ ing by students,” Superintendent Allan Smith said. “Their performance on the writing test is com mensurate with the scores from across the state,” he added. Locally, the seventh graders scored 47 percent proficient on their spring exam. According to state data, their peers scored nearly 51 percent proficient. The low score last year had school officials con cerned, but they argued that standardized tests are not always the best way to access students’ abilities. This year’s huge increase furthers the argument that the score may have been a fluke. Fourth graders also showed improvement in writing this year, from 32.7 in 2005-2006 to 33.33 in 2006-2007. Fourth graders throughout the state scored 53 percent proficient. Tenth graders inversely scored slightly lower than in 2005-2006, from almost 32.fi to 32.9 this year. Their peers across the state also showed a slight dip from 53.2 percent proficient in 2005-2006 to 51.4 this year. See WRITING, Page A2 ► \ ©2006 The Chowan Herald All Rights Reserved s INDEX Opinion. Land Transfers A7 A6 B Sports Steamers. Nature .... Email chowanheraldeearthlink.net C Community News D Classifieds B1 Upcoming Events.C2 . Buy/Sellfirade.D1 B4,. Society..C4 Service Directory. 1 Obituaries.C6 Employment.D4 Church..C7,8 . Fundraiser Donation: $7.00 per plate or $7.00 per pound ■sr BBQ Beef Plates or BBQ Beef by the Pound Sat. July 14,2007. ? 11:00 am - 6:00pm Pick-up at the Boy Scout Hut
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
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July 11, 2007, edition 1
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