Holmes varsity baseball team
hopes to turn season
record around a8
Regulator Marine to
triple facility size A2
Designer
creates plans
with feet,
teeth bi
Residents
urged to serve
on boards
By Connie Sage
Contributing Writer
Help wanted.
■ No pay.
Must work well with oth
ers.
Benefits: Making a differ
ence.
Town Council is looking
for Edenton residents will
ing to devote time, energy
and expertise to serve on lo
cal boards or commissions.
Up to 10 vacancies may be
open this spring for volun
teers to serve on the:
■ Airport Commission
■ Board of Adjustment
■ Historic Preservation
Commission
■ Planning Board
■ Recreation Advisory
Board
Several residents — Lisa
Baker on Historic Preser
vation, Edna Harrell on the
Board of Adjustment, and
Gwen Brown and Mike Dowd
on the Recreation Board —
have served two terms and
are ineligible for reappoint
ment.
Another half dozen board
members have completed
one term and may or may
not be interested in a second
term.
Bottom line: Town Man
ager Anne Marie Knighton
and the Town Council want
more applications from folks
who are interested in taking
an active role in their town.
“The main thing is a will
ingness to learn and relevant
experience,” Knighton said.
That doesn’t mean an ap
plicant has to be a planner to
be on the Planning Board, for
example, or have a pilot’s li
cense to serve on the Airport
Commission. But he or she
does need to have an interest
and must reside within the
town limits.
Council will appoint new
members in May for previ
ous terms that expire June
30.
It’s easy to apply.
Go online to www.townofe
denton.com, click on “News
and Information,” and scroll
down to “Boards and Com
missions Vacancies” for an
application.
Or, stop by Town HaU and
pick up a brief form.
It's easy to complain
about what the town does or
doesn’t do.
Here’s the perfect opportu
nity to have a say And to give
back to the community.
INDEX <
A Local
Editorial..,...A7
Recreation News.A9
School...A11
B Community News
Society.;B4
Obituaries...B5
Church.. B6,7
Classifieds...B9-12
I
6 *"8 9 0 7 6"4 4 813"
©2006 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
911
Vernon Fueston
Kristie Holley enjoys a high ride on the swings at Colonial Park. Holley, like many others, took advantage of the
spring-like weather last week. Friday's anticipated high of 75 degrees will bring about more outdoor fun.
unemployment, food stamps up
By Connie Sage
Contributing Writer
The number of local residents
without jobs continues to climb,
with the unemployment rate
reaching seven percent in Janu
ary, compared to the state aver
age of 5.3 percent and 4.8 percent
nationally.
The Chowan County unem
ployment rate was 6.8 percent in
December, according to the state
Employment Security Commis
sion.
A total of 527 residents were
jobless out of a workforce of 7,500
here in January, the latest avail
able figures, compared with 495
in a labor force of 7,273 in Decem
ber.
Chowan County isn’t alone in
feeling the growing economic
pinch.
The jobless rate increased in all
but one of North Carolina’s 100
counties in January, according
to statistics released last week by
the state Employment Security
Commission.
“It’s all around us but it doesn’t
make me feel any better,” said
Town Manager Anne-Marie
Knighton. “A lot of good, hard
working people lost their jobs due
to global decisions.”
The area is still reeling from
the loss of more than 300 jobs be
tween August 2006 and June 2007
when both George C. Moore and
Edenton Dyeing and Finishing
Textile closed.
Moc/fle moved its operations to
El Salvador; the dye plant went
out of business. '
County Manager Cliff Cope
land said he was not surprised by
the increase in unemployment,
but is disappointed.
“You fight the battle and hope
INSIDE
■ COA forum focuses on
future skills A5
■ Regulator to add 26 jobs
within two years A2
for success,” he said. “We can do
things to make our town attrac
tive, but we can’t push a button
and bring a business here.”
Richard Bunch, executive di
rector of the Edenton-Chowan
Chamber of Commerce, said lo
cal officials are open to a number
of possibilities to add jobs.
“We have some wonderful as
sets here,” he said, “marine trade
skills, the airport, the marine
industrial park that’s being dis
cussed for the dye plant, and the
retail job market.”
He applauded the local medical
community and boat manufactur
ers for their part in keeping the
local economy humming, as well
as work that’s being done locally
to retrain laid-off workers.
“Thank goodness some of those
people are in job training,” Bunch
said. “The textile business won’t
come back.”
New Skills
Fifty-seven former George C.
Moore employees enrolled in
Workforce Investment Act train
ing through the local Employ
ment Security Commission office
to obtain new skills.
Seven of those completed train
ing, nine found jobs without com
pleting a WIA program, and 41
are still in training, said Stella
Brothers, WIA case manager.
Another 14 employees whose
jobs went away at the dye plant
also are enrolled in WIA, she
said.
WIA provides training pro
AT A GLANCE
Chowan County
Unemployment rate
Annual Averages 1998-2008
1998: 3.0 percent
1999: 3.1 percent
2000: 4.0 percent
2001: 5.5 percent
2002: 6.0 percent
2003: 5.3 percent
2004: 4.6 percent
2005: 4.9 percent
2006: 5.0 percent
2007: 6.3 percent*
‘estimated
grams for up to two-years, which
might include obtaining a GED
diploma or enrolling in a boat
building course or other educa
tional options.
At least 70 workers from either
Moore or the dye plant also re
ceive Trade Adjustment Act ben
efits if their unemployment ran
out and if they’re enrolled in a
school.
As the economy slows, not only
are the unemployed coming to the
local employment office for help,
so are the “underemployed,” those
who might be earning minimum
wage but are looking for higher
paying jobs, or those in part-time
jobs seeking full-time work.
“People are coming in looking
for something closer and better
paying,” said Ricky Coltrain,
ESC/JobLink manager. “They’re
competing with the unemployed
because of the price of gas.”
Food stamps up
Another indicator of a soften
ing economy is the increase in the
See NUMBERS, Page A2 >
"Today's generation doesn’t seem to see
the annoyance that offensive language
causes." — Greg Bonner on loud rnusi^
Chief Bonner
on noise, trash,
town parking
By Vernon Fueston
Contributing Writer
Responding to concerns raised at a
March 14 Marketplace Guild meeting,
Chief Gregory Bonner addressed mer
chant’s complaints about noise, litter,
and parking.
On some issues, Bonner indicated that
stiffer penalties and increased enforce
ment might be required. On others, he
defended his department’s procedures
and promised increased vigilance.
■ On the issue of noise, Bonner said
there were limits to what can and should
be done.
“Noise complaints have been mainly
regarding loud mufflers and music,”
Bonner said. “That’s been an issue for
a while. I thought it had quieted down
but apparently some citizens are still
concerned.
“We have been enforcing it. It’s mainly
the younger teenagers that find it enter
taining.”
Bonner said the department tries to
warn offenders and, if necessary, ad
dress the question with parents before
issuing citations.
Noise coiriplaints
Loud mufflers are one issue, but loud
music raises other, more complicated is
sues. Offensive lyrics pumping at high
volumes from cars prompt many of the
complaints Bonner receives. He said
there are limits to what his department
can do.
“We treat (offensive music) the same
way we treat a loud muffler,” Bonner.
said. “Today’s generation doesn’t seem
to see the annoyance that offensive lan
guage causes.”
Bonner said that such issues couldn’t
really be addressed as a public obscenity
issue. The courts have been reluctant
enough to act on obscenity charges when
the vulgarity comes from the individual.
With today’s heightened sensitivity to
free-speech issues, he said the outcome
of a case where the defendant did not
directly express the obscenity would be
doubtful at best.
Trash in the streets
On the issue of trash and litter, Bon
ner said the culprits are not just young
people.
“You find blatant litter violations at
highway on and off ramps. It’s not just
the young adults doing it.
“The fines are really high, $250 mini
mum. That’s not including the cost of
court. You can end up with $400 in total
costs (for.a littering ticket).”
Bonner said that parking in the down
town area may require action by the
merchants themselves, among other
remedies.
“Employees downtown take parking
spaces all day while they work,” Bonner
said. “Consumers can’t find available
parking.
See BONNER, Page A2 ►
E-A. Swain Auditorium ^
■ HA '
friday, April 11,7:i0 PW»SafanUy April It, 7:?0 PW f
TICKETS $10.00 AVAILABLE ATfliil^
'ty»ltoe Value IbnSwie • tamtam Mentos 252-482-2131 'ChowflfeteCoundl • Eifcrtaj 252-462-8005 tdenton Cofee tkwse 1 ?
‘ ' *' ston 252-182-74^ 'Ita Mj ItesUurart • Itaty Hock 252-221-2344 • loodwl's Ptamacy • tomtom Hertford J5H2M5J7
■ Mi m udl ft. mm\-(mv im- oaMt a* 252331-22^
Ml ortfare call 2S2-221-4073 or 2SI-540-343M . .
_SponBond by Rocky Hock RurlUMi ■ Msy for Ufa Tosm_