Rocky Hock Playhouse to close doors
By Earline White
Managing Editor
With attendance declin
ing since 2003, the Rocky
Hock Playhouse will close
its doors after the Christ
mas show and move to
Washington, N.C.
“If attendance would
have picked up, then we
could have remained open,”
said co-founder Jeff Em
merich. “Our Easter show
was down 1,000 from the
previous year. We began the
year in debt — we’ve never
Hundreds
reunite at
Sandy Point
EdentonHigh
classes of 1956-1963
back together
By Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writer
For Deanna HolloweU Dar
• neU, Class of 1958,'it was a
chance to greet old friends.
“I’m seeing people .1
haven’t seen in 50 years,”
she exclaimed as she greeted
Ruth Stokely Lupton, who
now lives in Raleigh.
For Sid White and others
who played football here
during the fabled Bill Bill
ings era, it was an opportu
nity to relive gridiron glory
days.
White, who still lives in
Edenton, joked, “They can’t
’•un me away I’ve never
left!”
They were among the 230
graduates of the Edenton
high school classes of 1956
1963 who attended the Sandy
Point Beach Blast II, a re
union held at Leon Nixon’s
Catering Saturday night.
The former students, who
last saw each other 11 years
ago, held that reunion at San
. dy Point Beach where they
spent lots of their leisure
time during their teens.
That privilege came cour
tesy of classmate Kermit
Layton’s parents, Kermit Sr.
and Lib Layton, who owned
the property.
They had some great times
in and out of school, said
John Mitchener, who gradu
ated in 1959.
In addition to Billings,
See REUNION, Page A2 >
INDEX
A Local
Editorial... A7
Land Transfers...,...:,..A8
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
Employment.D4
©2006 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
done that.
“We tried everything
in our power to stay here,
but what has opened up in
Washington is something
we could not pass up.”
Since 2000, the Rocky
Hock Playhouse has drawn
more than 170,000 people to
the rural theatre and wel
comed actors from 26 differ
ent states.
“We’d always hoped to get
up to a quarter of a million
patrons, but it looks as if
that may happen faster in
Washington (because of its
r
proximity to the Triangle
and universities, including
ECU)” Jeff said.
It was a difficult deci
sion for Jeff and his wife
Gloria who have grown to
love their place on stage in
Rocky Hock.
“We are sad and sorry to
leave, having made a thou
sand wonderful memories
at the playhouse, but we are
young enough to know that
we are not done yet —- we
have more to give,” Gloria
said.
Following the announce
Jeff and Gloria Emmerich
ment this past summer that
low ticket sales could be
the end of the Rocky Hock
Playhouse, the Emmerichs
received numerous pleas
from local business people
to remain open and even re
ceived a reduced rent offer
from the Rocky Hock Ruri
tans.
The Emmerichs were
delighted that local people
answered their plea and at
tended the summer produc
tion at the Playhouse But
the increase did not affect
the theatre’s bottom line.
The Emmerichs are
hoping for good local sup
port for their final fall and
Christmas productions in
Edenton.
“Between salaries [for ac
tors], housing, insurance
and rent there was no way
we could continue going
Jeff said.
Then, to the Emmerich’s
surprise, an anonymous
person from Newport News
donated 800 yards of purple
velvet.
What better makings for a
new backdrop?
And shortly thereafter,
the couple learned of Tim
and Angie Hardison of
Washington who were look
ing to renovate the former
Washington County high
school auditorium into a
See THEATRE, Page A2 >
Bypass complaints prompt new meeting
Vernon Fueston/The Chowan Herald
No matter which route is’chosen for the bypass around Edenton, the state will take Leonard Small's garage
on Hobbs Lane to create the road.
State Rep. Tim Spear inquires about bypass
By Vernon Fueston
Contributing Writer
Rep. Tim Spear is asking state
highway officials to re-examine
the assumptions used to justify a
planned bypass around Edenton.
Spear also said he believes any
bypass should allow access by all
the property owners along the
route.
“I have requested some addi
tional information from DOT,
including any recent traffic
surveys, updates to long range
plans and the number of trucks
(18-wheelers) that may be travel
ing through town to access High
ways 17 and 32,” Spear said.
Opponents to the project have
maintained that truck traffic
from industries along Soundside
Road has decreased over the last
few years, making the bypass un
necessary.
Spear, who is a state represen
tative for the second district, said
he is also concerned that limited
access to the road will make some
homes and farmland worthless.
Charles Small, DOT project
manager for the bypass, said
keeping rights-of-way to a mini
mum is necessary, even if it
means condemning homes and
farmland.
He said unless the roadway is
made “limited access” now, fu
ture developers could demand
additional driveways along the
road.
“The more access points you
have, the more conflict points
you have,” Small said.
He said too many access points
could lead to accidents and con
gestion on the road.
Validity, benefits
of Edenton by
pass a concern
By Vernon Fueston
Contributing Writer
Citizen complaints about a proposed
bypass have prompted town leaders
to ask for a new public meeting with
DOT officials.
Town Manager Anne-Marie Knigh
ton made the announcement during
public comments at a town council
meeting Sept. 9.
Among those opposing the project
are homeowners, farmers and busi
ness owners.
“What I’m asking is for the DOT to
re-visit the initial feasibility study,”
Knighton said.
“The study was done back in the mid
‘90s, so it’s 13 to 14 years old. It’s im
portant to establish that the assump
tions made there are still valid.”
Opponents to the bypass say truck
traffic from industries along Sound
side Road has reduced as some busi
nesses have closed and other have
changed their ways of doing busi
ness.
Those favoring the bypass say it will
be needed to handle an expected in
crease in general traffic over the next
15 years.
They also say the town should plan
for future industrial growth now and
not cancel the project.
Leonard Small, whose garage sits in
the path of the bypass, said he couldn’t
understand the reason for the project
in the first place.
“Nobody seems to know what it’s
all about. That’s the whole problem,”
Small said.
He said the loss of a logging and a
lumber company from the industrial
park and a decision by another manu
See MEETING. Page A2 >
Edenton’s beloved Frank Halsey dies after illness
By Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writer
Edenton has lost one of
its best-known residents,
and the Edenton Steamers
one of their biggest boost
ers, with the passing of
Frank Halsey, Sr.
Halsey died Thursday in
a Virginia hospital. '
When he drew his last
breath at age 74, he had
far surpassed the predic
tions made at an early age
about what his future held
in store.
Halsey, who long ago lost
the ability to stand and walk
upright, spent more than 50
years as a local jeweler and
watchmaker known for his
kindness and his ability to
make others smile.
As a young boy, Frank
was diagnosed with an ar
thritic condition that doc
tors predicted would leave
him disabled and with a life
span that would not let him
live past his twenties.
His son, Rev. Frank
Halsey, Jr., of Jamesville,
said his dad had enough
“stubborn determination”
not to let that happen.
Instead he graduated
from Edenton High School
and attended the Spencer
School of Watchmaking.
A good man
Most recently Halsey had
worked for Roland Vaughan
at Vaughan’s Jewelry and
Gifts. But he had long been
a fixture on Broad Street..
Vaughan said he would
remember Halsey as a
“kind, generous soul” who
never let
his infir
mity get
in the way
of doing
his job or
helping
others.
Halsey
had a way
about Ha,s«y
him, Vaughan recalled,
that made others stop by
the shop not just to have
jewelry engraved or re
paired, but sometimes just
to talk.
“He always reached out
to others,” Vaughan said.
Katy Ebersole, speaking
on behalf of the Steamers
organization, noted that
Halsey was a regular at the
ballpark.
“He always sat in the
same spot,” she said. “I
can’t remember a game I
didn’t see him at.”
Ebersole said the team
was honored to allow the
pallbearers at Halsey’s
funeral to wear Steamers
hats as a tribute to his. de
votion. She said plans are
being made to honor him
at Hicks Field as well dur
ing the first game of the
season.
Family man
To his family, he was
someone they could ad
mire.
His son, Frank Jr., said
the slogan, “You can’t keep
a good man down,” certain
ly applied to his dad.
He said his dad never let
his life be defined by the
predictions of others but
traveled the path he set for
himself to the very end.
Frank Jr. said that his
dad loved his work, and the
people he met. In fact, he
said, his dad had worked a
half-day at the store on the
he went to the hospital.
In the days since his
death, those whose lives
Halsey touched have
reached out to his family.
On behalf of his mother,
and the family, Frank Jr.
expressed appreciation to
those who have been there
for them in their time of
need.
“We miss him, but we
know today that daddy is
standing straight and walk
ing tall with the Lord,” he
said.
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