482-4418 Wednesday, June 24, 2009 Open Door Church hosts food giveaway B5 Traffic calming to be implemented B1 Post 40 junior league on a winning streak A7 Friends, Food and Fun at Festival WILLIAM MILLER Former Platters star Milton Bullock entertained hundreds Saturday as the headliner for the 11th annual Community Music and Water Festival at Colonial Park. Sweltering heat did not give reason to skip annual festival on Edenton Bay “I think it’s a good idea to do this,” said DaQuil Alexander, “to just get everybody together for a good time.” His brother, DaQuin, chimed in, “I think it’s a great idea, to let people get away from the streets.” “I think it’s just a fun experience, being here,” said Harvey Parker. JUSTIN FALLS/THE DAILY ADVANCE Above, Tometila Mata of Winfall looks over prints on sale at the Chowan Arts Council’s table during the festival Saturday. At right, musician Danny Daughtridge was one of the many acts that performed for the crowds during the day. Meanwhile, water lovers sailed, kayaked and paddled (with or without) the Periauger. Clients line up to get their share of limited rental assistance By Vernon Fueston Staff Writer It was 9:30 on Friday morn ing and almost 100 people were waiting in a line that snaked around the Economic Improvement Council’s build ing on Virginia Road, hoping to land a spot on a waiting list for government housing as sistance. Inside a tiny, packed foyer, about 10 people waited. All eyes were on the locked a glass door that lead to offices where EIC employees were taking applications. Tempers were running short. “Are you from the newspa per?” one woman asked. “I hope you’re going to write about this and how the econ omy stinks. Somebody needs to.” The EIC takes applications ©2009 The Chowan Herald All Rights Reserved “I think it’s a great way for people to get together and just have some fun,” said Jy’Saun Phelps. “This is great. We especially love the entertainment,” said Angela and Craig Bollenberg of Carrollton, Va. as they listened to headliner Milton Bullock “To Each His Own,” in honor of all the fathers in the audience. for section eight housing as sistance as funding comes available from the govern ment, something that happens infrequently and irregularly. With stretched federal and state budgets, the last funds the group received came in either January or February, said Horace Reid, an occupan cy specialist with the council. With such a long time be tween funding checks, most of the information gathered on the previous applications was now pretty much worth less, he said. Too many fami ly’s situations have changed. So the EIC starts a new list and gives out assistance on a flrst-come-first-served basis. He said there is plenty of need. “With the downturn in the economy like it is, more and more people are finding they need assistance,” Reid said as he waived a driver through to an empty parking space. Reid had to pause his ex planation. A manger from the gas company next door was telling him that a tow truck would remove any non-cus tomers from the neighboring VERNON FUESTON/THE CHOWAN HERALD Horace Reid, an occupancy specialist with the Economic Improvement Council, attempts to direct traf fic in the council’s parking lot as nearly 100 applicants wait to apply for a slot on a Section 8 housing assistance waiting list. If accepted, the applicants will wait an average of six to 18 months to learn if the government will pay all or part of their rent. parking lot. He said the council handles applications from Chowan and nine other neighboring counties. When funds come available, the council ad vertises and puts announce ments out in the community for applicants to come in on a given day. Reid said that in better times and with more even funding, a call from the council might bring about 60 or 70 applications dribbling in to its office between the hours of nine and three. But with so many people lined up as the doors opened, there was no way of deter mining the number of appli cants they might process. A flier from the council advised applicants to come to either the EIC’s office in Manteo or Edenton bringing proof of income, birth cer tificates and social security cards for all family members and photo ID’S for any family members over 18. All adults in a household had to be present and guard ianship papers were required See HOUSING on Page 2 Food for everyone Applications up for food stamps as recession deepens By Vernon Fueston Staff Writer Food stamp usage has in creased in Chowan County by 18 percent over the last 12 months, according to figures from the county’s department of social services. Last June the county car ried 1,086 food stamp case files covering 2,295 persons. That number has increased to 1,286 cases covering 2,675 people this month according •to Cheri Blount, the county’s food stamp coordinator. “It’s the economy, that’s the number one thing,” Blount said of the increase. “Jobs are closing down and utilities are . ' going up. Its just the economy, that’s all." Blount said applications for food stamps have increased even faster than the number of food stamp recipients. She said hard-pressed families are filling out applications to see whether or not they qualify. Many of them are not accept ed. Blount said the county was receiving an average of six to nine applications each day last June, or about 100 applica tions per month. She said her office processed an average of 160 applications per month during October, No vember and December. The number of North Caro lina food stamp recipients topped 1.2 million in April of this year according to pub lished reports. That repre sented a 21 percent increase over December of 2007. In Chowan County 18.6 percent of residents live in a family that uses food stamps. Regionally, that figure com pares with 14 percent in Pas quotank, eight percent in Cur rituck and seven percent in Camden Counties. To qualify for food stamps, a two-person family’s income must be under $18,204. For a four-person family, the income threshold is $29,340. Business booms in hard times By Vernon Fueston Staff Writer While many of Chowan County's key industries and businesses are struggling during a vicious recession, one of the counties largest employers is actually expand ing. As the economy slows, new debtor referrals are up for Applied Business Systems, an Edenton debt collection firm that employees 40 workers. The company works mainly to recover medical bills for hospitals and doctors. But even with the increased busi- : ness, the recession has not been a bonanza for ABS. Since last summer, those accounts have increased by 18 percent. But the company only charges its customers C when it collects money for ' f'X 2009 SEASON OPENER Exciting bicycle racing. Register today! For more information please call 252.482.8595 or 252.312.9220 uena on (iunik mibt mini. *r m mmuno* koonu umn eknim | • i '■ 3 • •*. 1'. ■ ■ : i GATES OPEN AT 5:30 P.M. RACING BEGINS AT 1:00 P.M. FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY! -ffc) Cycle Speedway is part of the Edenton-Chowan Recreation Department ' i n K.,V t 4

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