482-4418
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
ST V; ' ' ' - . : ■ ; .
50*
Local boat building
facilities cut
50 employees A2 I
Music in Parks series
begins Sunday Cl
Homes, businesses to be impacted by new bypass
By Vernon Fueston
Contributing Writer
Fourteen county homes
and 10 businesses may need
to relocate or lose property
for a bypass around Eden
| ton to Highway 17, accord
,1 ing to one of three DOT-pro
I posed routes.
| The bypass will divert
| Schools fail
to meet AYP
Only 38 percent of
| schools state-wide
,1 .met goals
By Earline White
Staff Writer
All of Chowan’s schools
have failed to meet adequate
yearly progress goals in
math for the third straight
year.
Students at Walker met
’■ 81 percent of the targeted
goals; CMS students met 75
percent; Holmes met 76.5
percent.
Willie Koonce, director of
testing for Edenton-Chowan
Schools, believes that the re
cent revision of the test may
be a factor behind the failing
scores.
The math test was revised
two years ago.
“The state changed the test
I and simutaneously raised
the bar for the students,”
Koonce said.
Only 38.8 percent of
t schools statewide met the
AYP standards in math.
To meet future AYP goals,
. Edenton-Chowan has estab
lished multiple interven
tions at each school,
There are reading and
math intervention teachers
for the lower grades as well
as locally-driven initiatives
for exceptional children.
Federal Title I funding
provides for supplemental
education services/after
school tutoring for eligible
at-risk students.
' “Our goal is to meet in
dividual needs,” Audrey
Bunch, pre-K-8 director of
curriculum with Edenton
Chowan Schools said Mon
day.
The local school system is
in its third year of a school
improvement plan, mandat
ed by the federal No Child
Left Behind Act after failing
to meet AYP targets for two
successive years.
Reading scores for ele
mentary and middle schools
across the state will be re
ported this fall.
Holmes did not meet read
ing AYP'targets in 2007-2008.
INDEX
A Locgl
„ Land Transfers.......A4
Editorial...A5
B Sports
* Recreation News.B1
S Nascar. B2
I. ' . • •
fe „ '
■ >C Community News
I Upcoming Events.C2
Society.. C3
;■* Obituaries.C4
Church.C5,6
• D Classifieds
Buy/Sell/Trade.D1
\ * * Service Directory.D2
> Employment....D4
89076h448131
©2006 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
truck traffic from the Albe
marle Sound Bridge av/ay
from downtown Edenton
along one of three proposed
routes according to DOT
maps.
The proposed bypass is
expected to run over a three
mile route and have two 12
foot lanes.
“It will be almost like a
'MONKEY' ESCAPES BURNING HOME
Bill and Rhonda Jordan with their cat. Monkey, and Chowan Animal Hospital employee, Hill
ary Hancock. Monkey was rescued from a devastating house fire by fireman Kevin Wright
and revived with oxygen by EMS personnel Angela Toppin and Annette Pendleton.
It was one of those events when the
best you can say is, “It could have
been worse.”
After a devastating house fire, Bill and
Rhonda Jordan’s pet cat, Monkey, is alive
thanks to fire and EMS workers.
The family was watching a movie on
their television July 30. It was a stormy
evening with lots of lightning when, at
about 8:30, Rhonda saw smoke billowing
outside the kitchen window.
Lightning had started a fire in the ga
rage.
The Jordans have four cats, two of them
were inside the house at the time. Rhonda
called 911 and Bill left the door open for
the cats as they rushed outside.
Outside, Rhonda was still speaking with
the 911 operator when she realized her
cats had not left the house.
“I was yelling, ‘my cats are dead’ and the
operator was telling me not ,to go back into
the house,” Rhonda said. “I could hear the
windows popping and blood-red flames
were coming out.”
She said the fire department was there
in no time at all, something that really im
pressed her. But the house was engulfed.
No additional cuts
or cancellations
of services will be
necessary
By Kerri Albertson
E-Chowan Schools
Local schools expect
slightly fewer than 2,400
students to come through
the doors Monday morn
ing.
And some students will
be in for great surprises.
At White Oak Elementa
ry, students will be greeted
by a new principal, Amy
Steinert, who joined the
Edenton-Chowan Schools
this summer.
Bus drivers will be calling
the students on their routes
this weekend to advise their
riders of the time and place
of pick up. ‘
To increase fuel efficiency,
bus routes are being consol
idated and “collapsed” this
year, although, in compli
ance with state regulations,
no student will walk more
than two-tenths of a mile
to a bus stop, and those in
primary grades will contin
ue to be picked up at their
homes.
little Edenton beltway,” said
Richard Bunch, president
of Edenton’s Chamber of
Commerce.
Bunch said the bypass
should encourage trucks to
bypass the town, but should
have little effect on com
mercial traffic to Edenton’s
downtown district shops.
The first proposal, called
Meanwhile, to get ener
gized before school, teach
ers and staff gathered for
the schools’ annual convo
cation last Thursday at the
Northern Chowan Commu
nity Center.
Employees were greeted
and encouraged by North
Carolina Rep. Tim Spear
and state Sen. Edward
Jones.
Regional Teacher of
the Year Sonya Rinehart,
who teaches social studies
at John A. Holmes High
School, encouraged her col
leagues to follow the “ FISH! ”
philosophy (Be There; Play;
Make someone’s day, and
Choose your attitude),
and threw stuffed animals
shaped like fish and octopi
into the audience to punc
tuate her message.
Superintendent Allan
Smith reassured attendees
that, although the current
financial situation was
serious, the relationship
between the county and
the school system remains
'strong.
Smith asserted that no
additional personnel, cuts
or further cancellations of
services will be necessary
s The school system expe
rienced a reduction in force
the Soundside Alternative,
would take bridge traffic up
Hobbs Lane until it crosses
North Broad Street, where
it intersects with Highway
17.
A second alternative, the
Peanut Drive Option, would
branch off from Hobbs Lane
and connect with North
Broad Street at the inter
Bill and Rhonda watched it burn for four
hours.
At one in the morning, fireman Kevin
Wright came out of what was left of their
home with Monkey, their 14 year-old cat.
Bobbette, Monkey’s 13 year-old kitten
escaped the house when the firemen en
tered.
“It was a moment like one of those Nor
man Rockwell paintings,” Bill said. “They
were both covered with soot, but it was
just beautiful.”
But Monkey looked dead.
EMS technicians Angela Toppin and
Annette Pendleton gave the cat oxygen un
til it regained consciousness.
Toppin said the cat was breathing when
she got it, so she refuses to call what she
and Pendleton did a resuscitation.
The Jordans don’t care. They still call
it a miracle.
Three weeks later, Monkey still coughs
from the smoke inhalation, especially
when she snarls at Max, one of the Jor
dans’ other cats. When she does that,
Rhonda said she knows Monkey is on the
mend.
— by Vernon Fueston
D. F. Walker TA Sadie Riddick
and Media Specialist Nancy
Heiniger caught "FISH" fever
during the Edenton-Chowan
convocation last week.
in the spring, after state
funding allotments for the
2008-09 school year were
less than expected.
Smith said that these
earlier cuts, while painful,
made it possible to weather
the local reduction in fund
ing.
In the year about to be
gin, Smith said, “Class
sizes may be a little larger
but will be well within the
prescribed limits.
"The number and types
of field trips may have to be
curtailed, but basic instruc
tional supplies, equipment,
and essential resources will
be provided.”
section of Broad Street and
Peanut Drive.
The third option, the Par
adise Option, would also
branch from Hobbs Lane,
cut across farmland and en
ter the town limits crossing
Old Hertford Road and then
North Broad Street.
Bunch said the Chamber
supports the Soundside Op
CHOWAN COUNTY'S FISCAL CRISIS
Higher
taxes
expected
By Vernon Fueston
and Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writers
Five of seven county com
missioners say they believe
a realty tax rate increase
will probably be necessary
next year.
The commissioners com
ments came after passing
a 9-cent increase Thursday
night.
With the first debt pay
ments for the public safety
building and library expan
sion due next year, County
Manager Peter Rascoe said
commissioners will be faced
with another shortfall.
That deficit amounts to as
much as a 6.5-cent tax rate
increase next, year unless
other steps are taken or con
ditions change.
The 9-cent ,per $100 realty
tax hike enacted Thursday
will mean an extra $180 in
taxes on a $200,000 home.
< The good news
But Rascoe did have good
news for the commission
ers.
He said savings had been
achieved by canceling
leased office space used by
the county and renegotiat
ing debt payments for the
Northern Chowan Commu
nity Center and D.F. Walker
Elementary School.
The total of all those bud
get savings, $1.79 million,
dropped the tax increase
under Rascoe’s second bud
get option from 8.5 cents to
6 cents.
Taking the budget savings
into account, Rascoe said
the commissioners could opt
for a 9-cent hike and restore
some services originally
slated for cuts.
A 9-cent tax increase was
the option selected unani
mously by commissioners.
The new budget calls for a
10 percent across the board
cut for all departments
and personnel cuts in the
county’s maintenance, rec
reation and inspections de
partments.
Cuts readjusted
Money was allotted to re
store six lost jobs to the De
partment of Social Services.
A seventh position there
was vacant at the time of the
cuts and will remain so.
Cuts remain in county
contributions to area non
profit groups, but the coun
ty’s senior citizens and
senior nutrition programs
will continue.
Chowan’s schools also had
a $112,000 budget increase,
originally cut by the county,
returned.
Commissioners predict
County Commissioners
Jerry Downum, Louis Dell
field, Harry Lee Winslow
and Jimmy Alligood all said
See MEETING, Page A2 >►
':■'aSSMifeiiSt/A:■,T
Homes inpacted
Paradise Option - 6
Peanut Drive Option -14
Soundside Option - 2
Businesses Impacted
Paradise Option -*3
Peanut Drive Option -10
Soundside Option - 0
See BYPASS, Page A2 >
Residents
angry over
tax hike
By Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writer
All but a handful of the 22
residents who spoke at the
county budget hearing were
outraged that their taxes
might increase or that the
county’s reserves were se
verely depleted.
The meeting, which re
ceived heavy media cover
age from television and area
newspapers, took place be
fore a standing room-only
crowd in the 800-seat audito
rium.
Those attempting to say
anything positive were met
with deaf- -immmsmmm*
ening boo- INSIDE
ing and Residents write
hissing about the bud
frtim the get meeting,
audience, tax increase
Some in A5
the audi-_
ence did express sympathy
for the tight spot in which
the county manager and
commissioners now find
themselves.
Speaking out
Commissioners Jimmy
Alligood, Bill Gardner Jr.
and Jerry- Downum were
booed when they tried to
address comments from the
audience.
Businessman Paul Waff
found himself booed as well
when he tried to remind the
audience, “We’re all in this
together.”
Another speaker, John
Sams, said he was against
all the proposed budget op
tions. Sams said that in the
past the county government
had been operated as a “be
nevolent dictatorship with
Cliff (Copeland, past coun
ty manager) running the
show.” *
Loud clapping erupted
from the audience when he
added, “You (citizens) are in
charge. These people (indi
cating the commissioners)
work for you, not for the
county manager.”
Many, like Mi-Tek man
ager Fred Powers, asked
the commissioners to delay
making a decision, calling
the vote too important to
rush.
He asked them to think
about those who have al
ready lost their jobs because
of the budget shortfall.
“It is a horrible thing,"
Powers said, “to have to look
at your friends and neigh
bors and say, ‘You can’t
come to work anymore.’ You
all have to do the right thing
and that may mean not mak
ing a decision tonight.”
And Josette Carter chided
the commissioners for rely
ing too heavily on the for
mer county manager and
not enough on themselves.
“We as citizens are being
compelled to pay for a crime
we did not commit. Where is
See REACTION, Page A2 >