Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / Aug. 15, 2007, edition 1 / Page 1
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jgSomeqf these guys come from a background like I did; ^haybe they did drugs or alcohol something like thaW; t~]ack Keel, on fellow parisnoners at "the piker church' in Bethe Inspiration, C8 « - 482-4418 Wednesday, August 15, 2007 Clams fail to claim third cup Sports, B1 Susan Birckhead paints a bright future Helping Hands, A3 WAL-MART a no-go at Merry Hill Retailer backs out of deal to build Supercenter at Bertie County site By Connie Sage Contributing Writer A California developer this week failed to meet the terms of a $10 million option to buy hundreds of acres of Bertie County farmland Parents surveyed on school uniforms By Earline White Managing Editor l \ In September, parents will be able to express their opin ions about school uniforms through a survey being dis i 4 tributed by Edenton-Chow an Schools. I “The Board is looking at j the possibility of school uni ! forms, but no decision has been made and will not be made until a large consen sus can be reached,” Super intendent Allan Smith said. The possibility of school uniforms was explored eight years ago, Smith added, but the data did not show a sig nificant groundswell to im i plement the dress code. “Uniforms will only work when there is strong com munity support for them,” Smith said. Parents will be asked to list the number of children they have enrolled at the four local schools and if I they would support a policy i to establish mandatory dress See SCHOOLS, Page A2 > A Local Opinion.A7 Land Transfers.......A4 B Sports Recreation News.B3 Nascar. B4 C Community News Upcoming Events.C2 Society.C4 Obituaries...C6 Church.. C7,8 D Classifieds Buy/Selinrade...;.D1 Service Directory..,....D2 Employment..D4 6b*89076h44813bb 0 ©2006 The Chowan Herald All Rights Reserved for a project that county of ficials had hoped would in clude a Wal-Mart store. Laurence R. Martin “couldn’t make it work,” according to Joe B. “Jo bie” Davenport, who with two cousins owns 850 acres Kadesh AME Zion seeks restoration funds V' ■AM''-. W ■' N. "i «»?x ' *••» Vi p& i I; «a Earline White/The Chowan Herald Mildred Wills, 85, poses with her daughter Felicia Wills Spencer, both of whom grew up at Kadesh AME Zion Church, during a recent restoration celebration. By Rebecca Bunch Staff Writer When the members of Kadesh AME Zion Church had to find a new home af ter Kadesh sustained major damage from Hurricane Isabel in 2003, it was a time of great sadness for the congregation. And while they found a suitable spot on Badham Road in the church that for merly housed Open Door Baptist, they longed to be back at their “real” home. “I have such wonderful memories of growing up here,” Catherine Carter, 88, said as she surveyed the damaged sanc tuary. She looked to the ceiling where the tiles have collapsed in some places and the stained glass that has been boarded up to protect what is left. It doesn’t look exactly like the church she remembers Town airport aims to keep soaring along with growth By Sean Jackson Staff Writer Edenton’s airport is look ing to grow along with the residential boom forecasted for the town and surround ing areas. Officials from Northeast ern Municipal Airport re cently told Town Councilors that their operation just south of Edenton continues to have an expanding cus along Route 17 and Salmon Creek, south of Edenton in Merry Hill. Martin had proposed building Mimosa Planta tion, a four-phase develop ment that would include “big box” retail stores, a wa ter treatment plant, condos, and single-family homes. Bertie County officials in vited Wal-Mart to build on tomer base. "Developers are all the time coming in," airport manager Harry Davis said. With such projects as San dy Point in Chowan County — just a couple of miles from the airport — and the Innsbrook development in nearby Bertie County, busi ness has picked up over the past few years, Davis said. And when developers fly in, they spend money — por the land. Martin’s 15-month option on the property expired last Wednesday. Davenport, who extended the deadline until Monday, said Martin called him Monday morning and told him he needed more time. Five or six other develop ers were “waiting in line,” if the deal fell through, Dav from her youth when the basement was her playground, but the potential is there. “I think about all the times my moth er who was an usher walked down this aisle with me in her belly. When I die I want them to carry me down this same aisle. I want Kadesh to be the last church I go in.” Now, it appears that the dream of go ing back home to Kadesh AME Zion Church will come true. And that dream will now include a cul tural arts center where locals can learn cottage industry craft skills like pottery, weaving and .more. Dr. Harold Barnes, a grant-writer/ fundraiser, who is part of the team working to restore the church, says the See KADESH, Page A2 > tions of which revert to Edenton’s coffers. “They don’t leave without buying fuel,” Davis said. In addition, as of July 1, the town receives 10 percent of the money the airport re ceives from Enterprise Rent A-Car, Davis said. Business there is picking up, he said. Hopes are to continue re alizing profits. “We’re looking at new ways to come up with rev ■ Joe B. Davenport, an owner, says the site is suited for a commercial hub. “Our property is more valuable now than it was 15 months ago.” enport said, and he was un willing to further extend the. option. A weak housing market and credit crunch killed the project, Martin said yesterday (Tuesday). “Basi CONFLICT OF INTEREST? Experts: No conflicts for Steve Biggs “Whether or not Mr. Biggs or myself may ever ask to be recused from a vote is not the issue. ” — Terry Waff, challenger for Biggs' council seat By Sean Jackson Staff Writer Two legal experts say Steve Biggs doesn’t have a conflict of interest serving as a town councilman and a Bertie County official. Biggs, seeking re-election to a third four-year term this fall, is economic developer in Bertie. Challenger Terry Waff has said Biggs has a conflict serving in the dual roles. She says N.C. School of Government officials David M. Lawrence and Fleming Bell are missing the point. “Whether or not Mr. Biggs or myself may ever ask to be recused from a vote is not the issue,’’ Waff said. Opposing views Both Lawrence and Bell said Biggs could avoid any potential conflicts — should a developer be dealing with both Edenton and Bertie County — by recusing him self from any discussion or enue,” Davis said. Growth at the airport could also create more jobs, officials said. Past, current and future improvements to the facility" should make that possible, Davis said. The airport is about three quarters of the way to com pleting a state-of-the-art landing system, he added. The airport received feder al funding for the upgrades cally, banks have stopped all commercial loans to take a break.” The project also is a complex one, he said, and there is a misperception among some lenders and de See WAL-MART, Page A2 vote on the matter. “It is the time leading up to the vote that is crucial,” Waff said, adding that she feels Biggs has had access to privileged information be fore it became public. “By the time the issue makes it to a vote,” she said, “he has already had knowl edge of the client, and had time to present Bertie Coun ty’s options and advantages to locating there.” "I pledge to the citizens of Eden ton that I will not join my opponent in hateful poli tics/' Biggs said. Biggs said that has never been the case during his 12 years on council. “As the son of a minister,” See CONFLICT. Page A2 > to its system, which aids pi lots in landing their planes by using radar. The town is working with U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield to obtain the rest of the federal funding for impx-ovements to the airport — including the landing system. "We are fairly optimistic,” about getting the funding, Town Manager Anne-Marie Knighton said.
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
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Aug. 15, 2007, edition 1
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