482-4418
Wednesday, November 21, 200
OLF PROPOSAL
Local leaders
defend Dole
on airfield
By Sean Jackson
Staff Writer
i
r
I
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I
;;
Local officials are wondering
just what Gov. Mike Easley is
thinking.
Last week, Easley sparred with
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole over a pro
posed Navy airfield in northeast
North Carolina.
Edenton Mayor Roland Vaughan
is trying to make sense of Easley’s
position.
“Gov. Easley must think we are
idiots,” Vaughan said, “to have his
own committee recommend new
sites in the northeast, where the
OLF is not wanted, and then try to
throw the blame on Sen. Dole for
not objecting to his recommenda
tions. ,
“He needs to join with us in help
ing to locate the OLF in Virginia,
where the assets reside.”
. An Easley-appointed panel re
cently expanded the proposed list
of sites in this area, adding loca
tions in Gates and Camden coun
ties.
But the governor, a Democrat,
said Dole, a Republican, hasn’t
taken a strong enough stance in
opposing having an outlying land
ing field in the northeast.
Chowan County Manager Cliff
Copeland shares Vaughan’s view.
“I don’t halfway blame Dole for
being upset,” Copeland said. “She
clearly said she’d be opposed to
the sites if the counties were op
posed. '*
Officials in Camden and Gates
counties have said they oppose be
ing home to the OLF, saying they
would get jet noise without any
economic benefits.
Edenton-Chowan Chamber of
Commerce Executive Director
Richard Bunch said Easley and
Navy officials made a mistake of
naming sites in this area nearly
six years ago.
“It’s a wildcard at this point,”
Bunch said of where the OLF
may finally land. “The Navy will
do what it wants, and announce
[a preferred site], whenever they
get good and ready It’s a Virginia
problem and the OLF should be in
Virginia. It’s that simple.”
In a statement released last
week, Easley said Dole had let
down Camden and Gates residents
See OLF, Page A2 >•
; The Chowan Herald office will
be closed Thursday, Nov. 22
for Thanksgiving.
1 . INDEX
| A Local
|: Opinion...A8
; Land Transfers.A4
Sports...A9
B Inspiration
Church News.B1,2
School.B4
C Community News
Upcoming Events......C2
Society...C4 v
Obituaries...C7
D Classifieds
Buy/Sell/Trade ...........D1
Service Directory..D4
Employment.D3
6
©2006 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
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Sean Jackson/The Chowan Herald
An audience reacts to the final song of the afternoon at Acoustic Coffee. The Saturday
event drew a crowd of nearly 60 to hear John A. Holmes students jam on guitars.
JAMMIN’ FOR A CAUSE
By Sean Jackson
Staff Writer
To Glenn Ander
sen, it was a little
bit like an indoors
Woodstock.
“It” was a group of John
A. Holmes High School gui
tarists jamming on the stage
of Anderson’s' downtown
coffee shop.
A crowd of 60 teens, par
ents, grandparents, teachers
and other rock music fans
gathered at Acoustic Coffee
for the jam session, which
also served as a food drive
for the Edenton-Chowan
Food Pantry.
“We had no idea there was
going to be a crowd like this,”
Andersen said. “It’s great to
see all the AC/DC T-shirts,
and all kinds of rock-and
roll hair.”
The axe-wielding rockers
rotated on and off the stage,
keeping their buzz-saw
sounds to an acceptable lev
el, only occasionally being
Food Pantry’s donation needs continue year-round
By Sean Jackson
Staff Writer
Ray Wells is busy this time
of year.
As director of the Edenton
Chowan Food Pantry, Wells and
his staff of fellow volunteers
are taking applications, stack
ing cans, storing frozen tur
keys, and pushing food-filled
carts to cars and minivans.
But the holiday season is
only a slice of what the pantry
delivers year-round.
“People don’t realize the
magnitude of this operation,”
Wells said as he awaited a ship
ment of canned goods from
first-graders at White Oak
School.
The North Broad Street fa
cility distributes about 100,000
pounds of food annually, serv
ing about 160 families each
drowned out by the whir of
an iced latte being made.
Holmes Guitar Club teach
er and guidance counselor
Phil Huey even joined stu
dents Nathan Surratt and
Dylan tarnothe.
The trio cranked out ver- j
sions of Oasis’ “Wonderwall”
and Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet
Child O’ Mine” to enthusias
tic applause.
Although the event brought
in more than 80 pounds of
canned food for the food pan
try, it was the music that stole
the show.
Eric Wellman opened the
afternoon with a subdued
version of “The National An
them.”
Surratt, Lamothe, David
Lane, Dail Forehand, Paul
Caputa, and Dylan Jackson
all took turns on the stage.
Surratt’s mother was beam
ing outside after the show,
along with other parents of
the young musicians.
“I think Nathan did awe
some,” Earline Surratt said.
month.
But business really picks
up this time of year.
And Wells is just thankful
that local youths have contin
ued to join with their adult
counterparts in the spirit of
giving.
Last week, youths from Bal
lards Bridge Baptist Church
gathered nearly 1,000 pounds
of food for the pantry.
On Saturday, John A. Hol
mes High School students
played at Acoustic Coffee.
Entry was free to anyone who
brought a-ednned food item.
Monday, kids from Andrea
McNally and Tracy Fair
cloth’s first-grade classes at
White Oak School brought in
109 pounds of food and paper
towels.
“It means our younger gen
eration sees the need,” Wells
The Holmes junior has
been taking lessons from a
Williamston teacher for the
past year.
Proud dad Flynn Surratt
said he was glad to see the
teens have a public venue
where they could showcase
their talents.
Sporting a Slipknot T
shirt, Jackson said Surratt is
the leader of the metal-heavy
pack at the high school.
“He’s the best one of us,”
Jackson said.
After Jackson, Forehand
and Caputo banged out a
version of All That Remains’
“Regret Not,” Andersen
— himself a guitar player
— praised the performers
one final time.
“It’s good to see kids play
ing good music,” he said.
The students have worked
hard on their chops since the
school year began in August,
Huey said.
“Hopefully, this will fuel
the fire to keep them work
ing hard on their music.”
■ Regulator Marine
challenges local businesses
to donate dollars to Eden
ton food pantry. A7
said, “and they’re concerned
about people other than them
selves.”
Every little bit helps, Wells
said, as volunteer Barbara
King busily signed up recipi
ents in another room of the
building.
Rarely a day goes by without
a new applicant showing up.
The pantry is open on Mon
days and Thursdays, from 9
11:30 a.m. both, days. Call the
pantry at 482-2504.
It is located at 1370 N. Broad
St. In addition to food items,
monetary donations are also
accepted. .
Councilors
explain votes
onCdenton
Commons
■ Four supporters say the
shopping center is good for
Edenton’s future growth
■ Dixon, Biggs question what
will he built, impact on
downtown; mayor disappointed
By Sean Jackson
Staff Writer
Lowe’s is virtually a done deal at Edenton
Commons Shopping Center, the developer
says.
But not all Town Councilors are applauding.
Councilors Sambo Dixon and Steve Biggs
were outnumbered by four other colleagues
last week. Mayor Roland Vaughan, who wasn’t
required to vote on the issue, is also not in a
cheering mood.
“I am extremely disappointed that we did not
pursue an economic impact assessment of our
market,” Vaughan said, “which would help us
better understand what our retail strengths
and weaknesses are before issuing a permit for
Edenton Commons.”
Originally approved by council last August,
the developer tweaked his plans by adding
Lowe’s Home Improvement Center — and put
ting a Farm Fresh supermarket in doubt — be
fore ushering the project back into council’s
hands.
It sparked contentious debate in the commu
nity and among local leaders, culminating in a
marathon council meeting last week.
The issues
Vaughan and others have questioned if a
Lowe’s-anchored Edenton Commons — there
are plans for 37 smaller shops — could cripple
the downtown business district.
“Without population growth,” Vaughan said,
“I don’t believe we need another 200.000 square
feet of retail in Chowan County”
Then there are those like Councilman Steve
Biggs who are concerned that developer Jon
Wheeler can’t commit to what those other
stores would be.
“My vote was not against Lowe’s or Edenton
Commons,” Biggs said, "it was against rezon
ing a piece of property that no one would tell
us what was going on the property.”
See VOTE, Page A2 ►
Sean Jackson/The Chowan Herald
White Oak School students prepare to de
liver their donations to the Food Pantry.
Friday, Nov. 30,7:30pm
Saturday, Dec. 1,7:30pm
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Relay For Lite Team W (p £?
E.A. Swain Auditorium, Edenton, NC
Tickets $10.00 Available at:
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