482-4418
Wednesday/July 18, 2007
JU
BRIDGE BUILDER
Pescevich
teaches
Hispanics
at EUMC
Inside, A3
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB
i
Earline White/The Chowan Herald
Boys and Girl Club volunteer Liza Boehling, right, plays a word game with club member Shasha White after lunch.
By Earline White
Managing Editor
After the first
couple of days volun
teering at the Boys
and Girls Club, Gregory
Downing wanted to give up.
“The kids had attitudes,
didn’t want to do their
homework and ram around
like they owned/the place,”
Downing said.
Months later, and now
working as a staff member,
Downing is like a big broth
er to the 50 or more kids that
- show up at the Boys and
Girls Club every day.
He plays basketball with
them, helps them with their
math problems and listens
to their stories, no matter
how far-fetched.
INDEX
A Local
Opinion...,.,.A7
Land Transfers.A5
B Sports
Recreation News..,....B1
Nascar......B2
C Community News
Upcoming Events.C2
■ Society...,C4
Obituaries...........C6
Church.. CTJB'
D Classifieds
Buy/Sell/Trade..D1
Service Directory.D2
Employment.D4
€ **8 907 6"4 4 813BB 0
©2006 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
KIDS HELPING KIDS
Teen volunteers at the Boys and Girls
help make a difference
in local youth’s lives
He calms them and keeps them
focused.
He feels a kinship with them,
especially Keyotta Coston, a quiet
child with sparkling eyes.
“He used to talk to only me,”
Downing said of Coston. “Now
he talks a little more. He’s not
outgoing, but he’s getting there,”
Downing said with a smile.
Time well spent
When so many of their peers
are hanging at the beach or veg
Ryan’s Grove hosts gang prevention forum
Cooperation a key to
defeating presence of
gangs in community
By Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writer
People of all races in our
community need to work
together to defeat gang via*
lence.
That was the message deliv
ered by Pastor George Harper
during a gang prevention
workshop at Ryan’s Grove.
Missionary Baptist Church
Saturday
There is also a need for
citizens to work with*the laiv
enforcement community he
said. (
Harper said he had person
ally invited Police Chief Greg
Bonner to come to the work
ging out in front of the TV, some
local teens are spending their
days volunteering at the Boys
and Girls Club.
During a time when volunteer
ism is down among all organiza
tions nationwide, it seems that
these teens want to make a differ
ence.
A role model
Liza Boehling,17, just back
from New York, walked into the
cafeteria at the Boys and Girls
shop, and that Bonner had
said he would be there.
Bonner later told the Chow
an Herald that unforseen
circumstances had develop
ed that had prevented him
from attending. He expressed
regret he was unable to be
there.
But the gathering did
draw about 50 local residents
who are members at Ryan’s
Grove and other Chowan
County churches.
Presenter Elwood “Coach”
Wiliams, executive director
of the Southside Boys and
Girls Club in Norfolk, said
that the absence of anyone
other than church members
just drove home the point that
the involvement of the entire.
community would be needed
Club.
, Several girls lunged for
her, chanting her. name,
pulling on hey arms to get
her attentio/f
Boehling smiled at all of
them, called them by name
and ushered them back to
their seats.
A self-proclaimed lover of
children, Boehling simply
wants to give back to her
community.
She fears the direction
that many of the kids may
take if positive role models
aren’t found.
And she wants to make
sure that doesn’t happen.
“I want to show them that
there’s something else out
there,” Boehling said as a
See HELPERS, Page A2 ►
to successfully combat the
developing gang problem in
Chowan and other area coun
ties.
Williams said that getting
rid of gangs has to begin in
the home. He said that chil
dren need to be treated with
love and respect, and to have
the companionship of par
ents and others with positive
values.
“These are things that a
family should provide,” he
said. “And if we don’t, we’re
gonna lose our children.”
“Studies show that in an
average week, black parents
spend 35 minutes of actual
family time with their kids,”
he added. “The family struc
ture has broken down be
cause everybody is too busy
DGtGCtiVG arrested on
evidence-tampering charge
Inside, A4
StGGfTlGrS send six
players and coach to
CPL All-Star Game
Sports, B1
Council
OKs new
graffiti law
r
By Sean Jackson
Staff Writer ■
\
To would-be muralists with a mis
chievous bent: stay out of Edenton. ,
The Edenton Town Council has ap
proved a new graffiti
ordinance that makes
it a crime to spray
paint on public and
private buildings.
While most coun
cilors said it’s a good
move in targeting re
cent suspected gang
activities, some ques
tioned if the new law doesn’t place
too much of a burden on the victims
— property owners.
“This thing just gives me indiges
tion,” Jerry Parks said of the ordi
nance. "I’m not sure this is the solu
• tion.”
Although Parks eventually joined
councilors in unanimous approval of
the ordinance, which took effect last
week, he said property owners could
complain.
While the culprits who do the illegal
artwork could face criminal charges,
they would also have to pay for the re
moval costs.
If no suspects are charged, the prop
erty owners would be responsible for
the removal work, according to the or
dinance.
The property owners would have 10
days to remove the graffiti, or face a
fine from $15 to $100.
Property owners could also pay the
town to remove graffiti from their
buildings.
Councilman Willis Privott ques
tioned if it would be in the town’s best
interest to take a property owner to
■ court just to recoup a small fine.
“It could wind up costing us more
than it’s worth,” Privott said.
Town Manager Anne-Marie Knigh
ton said town officials take the recent
spate of graffiti seriously, including a
See,GRAFFITI, Page A2 >
Parks
Rebecca Bunch/The Chowan Herald
Elwood L. "Coach'' Williams, witth the Soundside Boys
and Girls Club in Norfolk, addresses the crowd.
That has got to change.”
Pastor Hagaer said that he
plans to form a committee to
be a force for change. Any
one interested in joining the
effort, regardless of race or
religious affiliation, may call
him at (757)421-3474..