f: ...
. ■ •/: -'AS
482-4418
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Regulator Marine
awarded highest
honor by OSHA for
workplace safety 4A
Korean youth leave
mark on Edenton bi
Museum
plans
progress
Charter memberships
now accepted for
Cotton Mill Museum
i ■ < ■ ■. _ , . - • • ■■■ , - .
"Our children, grand
children and future
generations won’t
know the personal
stories about the hard
work and sacrifice that
took place here if we
remain silent. ”
-Joyce Lassiter
By Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writer
Those working to estab
lish a museum that would
preserve the history of the
Edenton Cotton Mill are now
accepting charter member
ships.
The facility, to be known as
the Edenton Cotton Mill Mu
seum of History, will serve as
a lasting tribute to those who
spent their lives living and
working in the village that
grew up around them.
“We are a part of the last
generation of Cotton Mill
Kids,” said ECMM Vice-Presi
dent/Treasurer Joyce Las
siter.
Our children, grandchil
dren and future generations
won’t know the personal sto
ries about the hard work and
sacrifice that took place here
if we remain silent.”
Lassiter said she and oth
ers involved with the project
are determined to tell their
own story “instead leaving
it some Mure historian who
has no personal ties to the
Mill Village.”
Charter memberships are
now available to those with
ties to the Mill Village, as well
as others who want to see its
history preserved.
Charter memberships are
$50 per couple or individu
al, and are being accepted
through Aug. 15. After that,
general memberships will be
made available.
A special, limited edition
certificate will be given to
each charter member. Each
one’s name will also be per
manently and prominently
displayed in the museum.
F\mds raised diming this
membership drive will help
the group “start looking in
earnest for a suitable loca
tion,” said President Billy
Voliva.
Voliva said that donations
to the project are tax-deduct
ible. Those donations, he said,
can include “anything from
cash and checks to cars and
boats”.
Checks for memberships
or donations may be sent to:
Edenton Cotton Mill Museum
of History Inc., PO. Box 934,
Edenton. N.C. 27932.
“We are also asking for
your help in finding items
to be displayed in the future
museum,” Voliva said, “espe
cially any Cotton Mill memo
rabilia.”
“Items may be donated
car loaned,” he noted. “You
should consult your CPA or
tax advisor if you want to
place a value on items you
donate.” >
©2009 The Chowan Herald
AH Rights Reserved
Bringing a community together for Christ
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' EARUNEWHIWTHE CHOWAN HERALD
George Perry, Kevin Brooks and Rachelle Hunter, part of the Shalom International Church’s step team, entertained the crowd gathered at
Griffith Park Saturday for the first ever community block party.The church's rap team, mime ministry as well as vocal team also performed.
There was food, drink, games and of course playground fun for everyone. The event was free and open to the public.
U-S. attorney to kvimv rem* A
**■- •+«£*£ gff
By Dee Langston
Correspondent
An investigation into the
circumstances that led to
Chowan County’s ongoing
financial crisis is now in the
hands of the U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the Eastern District
of North Carolina.
“I’m preserving all of my
options,” District Attorney
Frank Parrish said, regard
ing his decision to pass the
report along to federal inves
tigators.
The U.S. Attorney’s office
will review a preliminary re
port issued last month by the
Office of State Auditor, check
ing for any potential viola
tions of federal laws, Parrish
said.
“Everything here’s just
about being thorough and
conscientious and trying to
reach a just and correct con
clusion,” he added.
Last year, Parrish asked
the state auditor’s office and
the state attorney ■ general’s
office to investigate the cir
cumstances that led to the
county’s near financial melt
down, when Chowan officials
learned that the county’s $29
million reserve fund was de
pleted and the budget passed
for the year was $4 million
short. The county was unable
to pay its bills, and faced state
takeover.
The state auditor’s prelimi
nary report, which that office
refers to as a draft, showed no
evidence of criminal activ
ity, but did report plenty of
wrongdoing on the part of
former county manager Cliff
Copeland, along with a lack
of oversight by former county
boards of commissioners.
As part of the state attor
ney general’s office, the SBI
has had a year to conduct an
investigation into possible
criminal actions, but has yet
to issue a report.
“The SBI at this moment is
not actively working on the
case,” Parrish said.
The preliminary report is
sued by the state auditor’s
office was initially posted on
Chowan County’s Web site,
but has been removed.
State officials have said the
audit report was a confiden
tial, preliminary draft that
was not intended for release
to the public.
The preliminary draft,
which could be considered a
work in progress, suggested
that the county attempt to re
coup some of the $250,000 paid
to a Raleigh lobbying firm on
behalf of the Edenton-Chow
12 year-old debuts at CAC’s newest
exhibit “Collage: Pieces of Life”
By Blair Currie
Contributor
The recent “2009 “People’s
Choice Exhibit” at the Chow
an Arts Council was an out
standing success, and the cur
rent “Collage: Pieces of Life”
exhibit also drew raves from
the capacity crowd on hand
Friday.
The setting was ideal; cham
ber music by members of the
Hertford Recorder group set
the right mood and an array
of delicacies and gourmet
hors d’oeuvres to tempt the
palate were in abundance.
New and enthusiastic faces
in the crowd spoke well of the
future of the Chowan Arts
Council.
an Development Corporation
(ECDC).
Town and county officials
have said they were unaware
of the funds being spent, and
county commissioners have
voted to stop funding the
board.
Last Monday night, Com
mission Chairman Eddy
Goodwin removed the com
missioners appointed to the
ECDC board, Keith Nixon and
Emmett Winborne.
“You don’t have to go back
until the smoke clears,” Good
win told them.
As a result of the misman
agement of county funds, the
county has had to raise taxes
and cut services, along with
decrease allocations to coun
ty departments, including lo
cal schools, the senior center
and the department of social
services.
The collage exhibit featured
a number of prominent lo
cal artists — Peggy Brinkley
Janice Eure, Denise Wynn
Olsen, Alla Rossow, Margi
Wynn, and a classy young 12
year-old making his debut in
gallery exhibition — Drew
Armstrong.
Many of the collages had
matting and framing that
were quite innovative, daring
perhaps. This evoked consid
erable interest, but the work
of a shy young lad of 12 years
caught the eye of many.
Drew Armstrong started
drawing at the tender age of
two.
It seemed he had a natural
talent, and this was eventual
ly encouraged and nourished
Moving
to the
country
Boys and Girls Club to
move into Albemarle
Learning Center
By Dee Langston
Correspondent
The Edenton/Chowan Boys
and Girls Club is moving to
the country
Chowan County has grant
ed the club a 90-day lease for
the Albemarle Learning Cen
ter outside Edenton. The lease
will give the club access to the
facility while negotiations on
the sale of the property move
forward.
“It’s a good faith agree
ment,” Chairman Eddy Good
win said during the com
missioners’ regular meeting
Monday, Aug. 3. The unani
mous vote to approve the
lease was met with applause
from the audience.
The club has offered $200,000
for the building and 4 acres of
land on Morristown Road. Ini
tially, the club offered $450,000
for the building and 8 adjoin
ing acres, but the county and
the Boys and Girls Club arp
still negotiating the price of
the additional 4 acres.
Levisy pointed out that the
additional 4 acres were not
road frontage, but interior
land that is currently an as
paragus field. The additional
foui’ acres is critical, he add
ed, as it would allow the club ‘
to add a gym and ball fields,
to make it a true community
resource center.
The rent-free, 90-day lease
will allow the club to go into
the building and begin reno
vating.
Under the agreement, the
club would be required to pay
all utilities for the building
during the 90-day lease.
“It’s important that we get
in there during the summer,”
said Jerome Levisy, director
of the Boys and Girls Club.
“It’s just not feasible to do it
after school starts.” He hopes
to have the building ready for
children by Sept. 1. ;
Arrangements have been
made with the Edenton-,
Chowan Schools to provide
transportation to the site. »
During public comment on
the measure, several people
r See MOVE on Page 2A
by his grandmother, noted lo
cal artist Margi Wynn. Arm
strong plays a number of mu
sical instruments, especially
the guitar, and this love of
music is recognized in one of
his masterpieces—“Musical
ly”!
Rather surprisingly, the
favorite group of this novice
rising star is The Beatles.
Executive Director Brenda
Russell and Chowan Arts
Council President Betty Onu
frak can be rightfully proud of
what has been accomplished
in such a short time, mark
ing Chowan Arts Council as a
beacon of hope, and a symbol r
of success in the art world of
North Carolina.
A beaming Drew Armstrong shows his masterpiece “Musicality" to alts council President Betty Onufrak.