Good ole fashioned
down-home fun at
Dave's Red Barn C1
“There’s no nasty dancing here or I’ll
come right on down off the stage and tell
you to stop.” — David Harrell Jf ;_'J
482-4418
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
By Earline White
Managing Editor
Chowan County is pro
posing to spend $1 million
less next year, according to
a budget presentation given
Monday night by County
Manager Cliff Copeland.
“There will be no tax in
crease this year,” he said
The reason behind the
decrease is two fold, Cope
land explained.
“First, the money to
Parties still
weighing
options on
candidates
Neither party has
decided who will
run in November
By Vernon Fueston
Contributing Writer .
Democrats failed to meet
a self-imposed deadline of
June 1 to announce a can
didate, or lack of one, for a
se«it on the board of com
missioners currently held
by BiU Gardner, Jr.
Republicans also have not
agreed on a candidate to
replace Darryl Stallings by
press time. Stallings with
drew from the race shortly
before Election Day.
County Democrats are
considering mounting a
challenge to Republican can
didate Eddy Goodwin, even
though they had not filed a
candidate by the deadline
for the primaries.
Goodwin won the Repub
lican primary against Bill
Gardner, Jr., the incumbent,
323/208. The winner of that
primary was to run unop
posed in November.
In a news release last
week, Democratic chair
woman Martha Badger an
nounced that leaders from
her party were considering
See CANDIDATES, Page A2
INDEX
A Local
Editorial.A7
Land Transfers A5
B Sports
Recreation News.......B1
Nascar.B2
C Community News
Upcoming Events......C2
Society...C4
Obituaries.C6
Church....'.... C7,. 8
D Classifieds
Buy/Sell/Trade...D1
Service Directory....... D2
6Bl"89076B44813,, 0
02006 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
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Brought to you by
Upcoming
Public hearing about budget
Monday June 16,6 p.m.
pay for the library reno
vation/expansion project
— $600,000 — was included
in last year’s budget. And
second, the $300,000 nor
mally sent to the state for
the county’s Medicaid re
lief is now retained in the
local budget following leg
islation to relieve counties
EDENTON STEAMERS ARE 3-1
ifiSfSp;
Justin Falls/The Daily Advance
From left, Steamers' left fielder R.J. Harris gives catcher Ty Boyles a high five after Monday's winning game against the Pen
insula Pilots. With seven hits, the Steamers made eight runs, six of which were in the third inning. The Steamers are 3-1.
State looks to prepare students for life beyond testing
Writing for real life
among issues to be
voted on Thursday
By Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writer
State educators are con
sidering changes that would
more effectively prepare
high school students to suc
ceed in school and beyond.
Gone would be such
a heavy reliance on test
scores.
In its place would come a
focus on improving gradua
tion rates as well as ready
ing students to succeed as
they move into college and
jobs.
Local school board mem
ber John Guard, a retired
educator, said he believed
the high school was still
following a “very industri
alized” model of educating
students that needed over
hauling.
“Times have changed,” he
said. “I think it’s time for a
change (at John A. Holmes),
too.”
.' _
of the burden.”
Among the top priorities
in the county’s budget for
next year are interest pay
ments for the library and
the $500,000 grant match
for the Red Banks athletic
complex project.
The largest request on
behalf of the countywide
departments came from
the school system, request
ing a 14 percent increase
See COUNTY, Page A2 >
A new emphasis is also be
ing placed on writing skills
across all grade levels, Dr.
Allan Smith, superinten
dent of schools, said.
“This is a very critical
skill that requires intensive
instruction,” he said.
The recommendations
are contained in a draft doc
ument entitled “A Frame-'
work for Change,” based on
the findings of a Blue Rib
bon Commission on Testing
and Accountability named
by the state school board
last May
The state board is expect
ed to vote on those proposed
changes tomorrow.
The change in the writing
curriculum calls for replac
ing the current writing as
sessments used in grades
4,7 and 10 with a focus on
grades K-12 that “includes
authentic and on demand
writing assignments appro
priate to each grade level.”
(While on demand writ
ing, as its name implies, re
quires students to complete
short-term writing assign
ments, authentic writing
can take weeks and involves
By Earline White
Managing Editor v
The town’s proposed bud
get for next year includes a
seven-percent increase in
electric rates as well as a
three-cent real estate tax
increase from $.29 to $.32
per $100.
The town expects to
spend about $300,000 more
in fiscal year 08/09 than it
did last year.
The financial impact of
"Tjnnes have
changed. I
think it's time
for a change
(at John A.
Holmes), too."
— John Guard
a student using critical
thinking skills to write, edit
and rewrite a piece of work
over a period of time.)
Smith briefed the Eden
ton-Chowan Board of Edu
cation on the proposed
changes during their
monthly meeting Monday
night.
In other business, the
board:
■ Recognized 20-year
employees and retirees in
cluding Mary Daniels, Al
len Harrell, Mary Granby,
Marla Jordan, Sheila Ev
ans, Elizabeth Freeman,
Brad Bass, Karen Tynch,
Grace Bean, Gail Bain,
Ralph Hunter, Gloria Fore
hand, Andy Downing, Pen
sie Welch, Johnny Barrow,
Lynn Bundy, Jay Swice
good, Nancy Rahal, Laura
Rankins, Jennet Stallings,
Upcoming
Public hearing about budget
Tuesday June 10,6 p.m.
the tax increase for resi
dents could be anywhere
from a $21 increase for a
home on Boswell Street
($70,073 tax value) to a
$213 increase, for a home
($712,158) on East Water
Street.
Town manager Anne
Marie Knighton said that
Anne Ziemba, Rever Bon
ner, Marjorie Hollowell,
and Suzanne Palmer.
■ Heard an update on
the proposed budget re
leased by the state House
Appropriations Subcom
mittee on Education (at
presstime, the subcommit
tee was scheduled to vote
on the state education bud
get yesterday with a vote
on the House floor expected
later this week).
■ Voted to approve
planned 2008-09 frozen/op
tional teacher workdays.
■ Gave its approval to
plans for federally funded
initiatives such as career
tech, exceptional children’s
and Title I programs (those
serving disadvantaged stu
dents) during the 2008-09
school year.
■ Voted to accept the
2008-09 student handbooks
for White Oak and D.F.
Walker schools (hand
books for Chowan Middle
and John A’. Holmes were
approved at last month’s
meeting).
the proceeds from the tax
increase will be used to pay
for the principal and inter
est on the police depart
ment’s portion of the new
public safety center.
. “I’m all for the new police
department even if it does
mean raising taxes,” Jenny
Carrow said. “The officers
are underpaid for the job
they do in the first place. So
anything that helps them
See TOWN, Page A2 >
River
sound
rezoning
tabled
Issues broached
include density,
wetlands, drainage
By Earline White
Managing Editor
Riversound developer
Elliott Harwell was dumb
founded Monday night after
the county commissioners
tabled Harwell’s request for
rezoning.
Harwell said he had not
anticipated such a move.
Phase II of the Drum
mond’s Point Road subdivi
sion includes 300-plus lots
along the Yeopim River that
are encroached by wetlands.
Commissioners Louis
Belfield and Harry Lee Win
slow’s major issue with the
project concerned the tight
clay soil on which the sew
age system is to be located.
Winslow quoted a 1986
survey by USDA and docu
ments by local conservation
ist Scott Alons to explain his
worries — slow drainage.
The area is already prone
to flooding because of the
Roanoke soil, Winslow ex
plained. How will the waste
water system, which will
release 80,000 gallons of wa
ter back into the soil, drain
without flooding the area,
Winslow asked.
Commissioner Bill Gard
ner shared his concerns
about the density of the sub
division which could poten
tially harm the surrounding
environment.
Several residents includ
ing Virginia Wood, Francis
and Jeanie Inglis, Richard
Flora and Les Kersey spoke
against the project citing
slow drainage of the soil,
disturbing the wetlands and
density issues.
“What plans are being
made to support 800 more
vehicles on Drummond’s
Point Road,” Flora asked.
Resident Ellen Colodney,
whose interests were relayed
to the commissioners via a
letter, said even though the
developer claims that each
lot can be accessed without
See RIVERSOUND, Page A2