Happy Thanksgiving
482-4418
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
By Ritchie E. Starnes
Editor
By Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writer
Between the College of The
Albemarle’s need for more
local funding and Chowan
County’s budget crisis, there
' are concerns about the com
munity college’s future here
in Edenton.
In a Nov. 17 joint meeting,
COA officials informed Chow
County
appoints
new DSS
■ *
r' v
By Ritchie E. Starnes
News Editor
On .Friday, the Chowan
County Department of Social
Services Board approved the
hiring of W. Clifton Hardison
as its new director.
Hardison, 52, has been the
deputy director at Martin
County’s department of so
cial services for the past 5 %
years of his 10 V* year tenure.
It was that specific experience
that separated Hardison from
three other finalist, according i
to Mary Rhea Jones, board
chairman.
“He’s really got the experi
ence under his belt,” Jones
said. “He had more experience
than any other candidate.
“We are mightily excited
that he accepted,” she added.
Hardison said Monday that
he is excited to begin the post,
which begins Jan. 1.
“I’m very excited and hon
ored that the social services
board chose me,” Hardison
said. “I’ve always liked Eden
ton, its downtown area, and
the surrounding water.”
Chowan County has been
without a DSS director since
June when the former direc
tor, Ben Rose, left for Cabar
rus County Because of the
county’s budget shortfall, the
position was subject to a six
month hiring freeze.
Jones said she warned Hard
ison of the current financial
challenges facing the county
Hardison downplayed the
county’s budget woes.
“Every agency has unique
challenges, but I don’t expect
anything different that other
DSS agencies face.” Hardison
said.
“I’m looking forward to go
ing to work and doing the best
job possible for Chowan Coun
ty,” he added.
Hardison joined Martin
County’s DSS as a child sup
port agent. He also worked
with the Washington Police
Department.
Jones said the DSS board
plans to make a formal an
nouncement about Hardison’s
hiring at its Dec. 15 meeting
with a reception for his ar
rival to follow in January.
Hardison and his wife of 31
years have four sons.
director
6 "*8 9 0 7 6B4 4 813,H 0
©2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
an County
Commission
ers that the
college would
require fund
ing fo.r a
campus con
solidation, as
much as $5.6
million for
the school’s
Hurdle-Winslow Rascoe
preterred option, and the
annual budget restoration
of $81,000, County leaders
—— j r ■;
Buggies gone to auction
e. JWWm
SUBMITTED PHOTOS/EARLINE WHITE
Collectors-turned-bidders milled around the farm of Worth Hare, where his collection of horse-drawn buggies and antique farming tools
and implements were available per Saturday’s auction. f
By Earline White
Contributing Writer
It was a scene one would
expect to see in Penn
sylvania - horse-drawn
buggies, plows and seeders
lined side by side in the
dewy field. Kerosene lamps,
tractor seats and riding
disk harrows dating from
decades ago saturated the
remainder of the fenced-in
plot. On Saturday, collec
tors from throughout the
northeast and Tidewater
region pulled up alongside
the white pickets for Worth
Hare’s auction of such
American remnants.
Whether they were
there to buy, to look or to
reminiscence, (after all,
the majority of the specta
tors could recall Sunday
carriage rides), it was the
buggy collection that drew
bidders from all over.
Among the buyers was
Franklin, Virginia Mayor
Jim Councill who came to
buy one (but took home
two) buggies made by the
Franklin Buggy Company.
Behind his wide sun
glasses, Councill remained
cool as the price veered upi
ward. He nodded his head,
with nearly no motion at
.info r ra e tj
I coHfege ; rep
resentatives,
that ; money
re ma ins
tight; but
that' it would
work with
the school to
seek alter
nate funding.
Where that funding might
come from is uncertain, as
is the future relationship be
all, upping the bid. Battling
Councill for the buggy was
a phone-in bidder. The red,
black leather, gently used
one-seat buggy quickly
tween the county and college.
But, days after the joint
meeting both parties were
dousing any hint of a strained
relationship.
“Our goal is to reach a
^workable scenario to move all
programs, faculty and staff
from the current adminis
tration building to the Eden
ton-Chowan campus site in a
manner that is positive for all
involved,” said Lynn Hurdle
Winslow, dean of the Edenton
climbed beyond $1,000
before it was discovered the
phone-in bidder was none
other than Councill’s friend
making sure one carriage
campus, on Friday:
Hurdle-Winslow said the
college welcomed the oppor
tunity to continue to pursue
an “open dialogue” with the
county and other partners
currently housed at the for
mer D.F. Walker school site.
Those partners include the
Edenton-Schools, Parks and
Recreation and the D.F. Walk
er Alumni Association.
Also on Friday, Peter Ras
coe, county manager, echoed
Several horse-drawn buggies
belonging to collector Worth
Hare are seen on display at
an auction at Hare's farm,
Saturday.
went back‘home.’
Councill laughed later
about his friend running
up the price and wondered
what he was going to do
with two buggies - he only
needed one. Councill said
he had scoured the coun
try looking for a buggy
for the foyer of the newly
renovated Franklin Buggy
Company building. A fel
low town employee heard
about the Chowan auction,
but apparently forgot that
Councill said he would go.
Lloyd Winslow of Halifax
County knew exactly what
to do with his two-seat
buggy - take his wife on a
ride. And Mack Winslow,
though he tried, wanted to
be able to take a Sunday
afternoon ride as well.
But riding in style comes
at a price. The most popu
lar buggy sold for $3,600.
And that price was too high
for Winslow.
Two decades worth of
See BUGGIES on Page 3A
those sentiments.
"I would hope that we could
work out an agreement with
some sort of reduction in ser
vices,” Rascoe said.
“The College of Albemarle
is an asset to the community
and I’m concerned that is get
ting lost in the rhetoric,” he
added. /
Richard Bunch, execu
tive director of the Edenton
See BUDGET on Page 4A
State
award
eludes
Smith
By Ritchie E. Starnes
News Editor
GREENSBORO — Mont
gomery County Schools Su
perintendent
Donna C.
Peters was
named the
2010 A. Craig
Phillips North
Carolina Su
perintendent
of the Year,
edging out f el
low nominee
Edenton - Chowan County
Schools Superintendent Allan
Smith.
Smith joined the other
nominees at the Nov. 17 award
ceremony in Greensboro. The
nomination marked the sec
ond time that Smith had been
See SMITH on Page 4A
Reported
stolen
van victim
charged
By Ritchie E. Starnes
News Editor
An Edenton woman who
reported that her van was sto
len and later
fished out of
the Pembroke
Creek has
been jailed
on multiple
Charges that
she staged
the theft to
collect on the
insurance, ac
cording to police.
Edenton police charged
Tamika Renee Wilson, 33, on
Nov. 18, the day after divers lo
cated her 2000 Ford Windstar
van in more than 20 feet of
water near the Bolton Bridge
on Mexico Road, according to
police Chief Jay Fortenbery.
Wilson has been charged
See VICTIM on Page 4A
This Sunday, November 29
£84.
10:30 am Family Life Center
Edenton United Methodist Church
225 Virginia Road - 252.482.3269
“EYES OF FAITH”
A service celebrating the life and music
of famed gospel hymnlst Fanny Crosy.
A dynamic multi-media presentation
and music by three choirs of the church.
I
Open Hearts,
Open Minds,
Open Doors
Join us at 9:30 for a Pancake and
Sausage breakfast in Fellowship Hall;
this will be a great service to begin*
the Advent Season, You’realt invited!
three tholfs, Including Symphonies of Praise children, will ting smh Crosby hymns as Blessed Assurance" and |esus Is Tenderly Calling Me Home." Program under the direction of Celebiatlonsworshlp leader Brian Smith and music dlrettorBruce lee
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