V-'1
482-4418
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Leary is Daily
Advance Girls
Tennis Player of
the Year Page 6 A
D.F.Walker’s Evans
seeks NBC for
principals Page IB '
No state
tax forms
at library,
post office
By Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writer
Taxpayers are not the only
ones who will be surprised
to learn that the N.C. Depart
ment of Revenue is no longer
supplying income tax forms
to local libraries and U.S.
Post Office facilities, officials
at those locations say they’re
surprised too.
Thomas Beam, public in
formation officer for the state
Department of Revenue, said
that the state circulated an
announcement to select li
braries in December. He said
he could not explain why the
decision was handled that
way and that those who pos
sibly could were not in the of
fice over the holidays.
That wasn’t much consola
tion for local libraries that
are just now hearing the
news when interviewed for
this story
Rosalie Miller at Shepard
Pruden Library in Edenton
said she could not recall re
ceiving any information from
the state concerning the ab
sent forms.
At the Perquimans County
Library in Hertford, library
technician Earline White said
she had checked the Depart
ment of Revenue’s Web site
after her boss heard the forms
might not be made available.
White said she had gone
ahead and ordered forms for
the .Hertford library since
there was no notice posted on
the site saying that libraries
could not get them.
See FORMS on Page 2A
Vann Moore - historian,
town matriarch - dies
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
Edenton’s New Year began
with a loss as the community
lost its unofficial matriarch
with Friday’s death of Eliza
beth Vann Moore at age 97.
Chowan - Edenton lead
ers recognized Moore as the
area’s leading historian and
activist with countless works
to her credit. She was the one
locals and historians turned
to for the most accurate, de
tailed information about the
area’s history. Moore served
on numerous historical com
missions and was frequently
revered by similar organiza
tions for her service and im
peccable authority on events
and people related to Eden
ton - Chowan where she had
lived since 1933.
Sambo Dixon, a longtime
friend and neighbor, de
scribed Moore as the con
summate historian who
researched for the sake of
disseminated accuracy, in
stead of profit.
“She knew everything
til
i ill
V 6b"89076b44813
©2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
Portrait of an artist
Local artist T. John F. Becker sits besides one of his portrait paintings of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, the product of extensive
research, following the inspiration of Jay Winik's April 1865. Behind him hangs portraits of his own children, Patrick and Anne.
Painting sustains Edenton man’s gift
RITCHIE E. STARNES/CHOWAN HERALD
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
Pieces of his craft can be found in
a number of Edenton homes, not
to mention courthouses scat
tered across the state.
For a man whose professional ca
reer includes stints as a reporter, thes
pian, stage designer, financial analyst,
realtor, stock broker, and production
manager that have taken him to vari
ous pockets of the world, it’s John
Becker’s evolution as an artist that
sustains him today. What began on the
periphery of Becker’s diverse career
more as a hobby eventually became
Elizabeth Vann Moore
about the history of Eden
ton and she always did it for
free,” said Dixon, referring
to the assistance that she
gave fellow historians and
writers.
“I am going to miss her
more than I can say, “ said
Linda Jordan Eure, site man
ager for the Historic Eden
ton Visitor Center. “I have
known her for 27 years, and
she was a good friend to me.
She gave training programs
for our staff in the 1980s and
See MOORE on Page 4A
“Portrait painting is not something that you
do. You do one job, do it well. People see it
and want you to do it for the them. ”
T. John F. Becker
Edenton resident and portrait painter
the consistent part of his work. '
Becker, a native of England whose
career has included global journeys,
has borrowed from his former oc
cupations to become the consummate
portrait painter.
“Portrait painting is not something
Smokers take last drag in restaurants, bars
By Rebecca Bunch
Staff Writer
This week, Sunday morn
ing was different for Vir
ginia Davis. Instead of
lighting up her cigarette
and enjoying a hot cup of
coffee inside the warmth of
Nixon Family Restaurant
in Rocky Hock, she found
herself out in the cold.
After finishing her break
fast inside the restaurant,
the Tyner woman took ref
uge from the frigid temper
atures inside her husband’s
pick-up truck, parked out
side where she promptly lit
up.
And she vowed to con
tinue doing so rather than
give up her beloved Win
ston Lights in the wake of a
statewide ban that prohib
its smoking inside restau
rants and bars.
“I don’t like it (ban) one
bit, and you can quote me
on that,” Davis said defiant
ly. “I feel like the govern
ment’s got better things to
do than pick on smokers.
"If anything it’s made me
more determined than ever
to smoke,” she added. “I
don’t want to quit. If I have
to sit at home to do it, then
I’ll sit at home and do it.”
* Davis said she began
sneaking cigarettes when
V, • v ■: ' ■ . s>
that you do,” Becker said. “You do one
job, do it well. People see it and want
you to do it for them.”
Word-of-mouth advertising has
worked well for Becker who estimates
See BECKER on Page 3A
REBECCA BUNCH/CHOWAN HERALD
Virginia Davis smokes in her husband’s truck outside Nixon Family Restaurant, Sunday morning. Davis
used to smoke cigarettes while enjoying a cup of coffee inside Nixon's before a new state law prohibits
smoking inside restaurants and bars went into effect.
she was 13 years old. .
“That’s 55 years ago and
I’m still here,” Davis said.
Davis, who had vascular
surgery about 15 years ago,
said she quit once for about
six months because her
doctor got on her about it.
* But she started again one
evening years ago when she
became anxious because
she thought her husband
had been in an accident.
Most days, she said, she
smokes about a pack a day
- a habit she has no plans to
change. '
That’s my privilege if
Chowan
leaning
toward
ECBH
County to vacate
Offices by year’s end
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor '
Plans to allow East Caro
lina Behavioral Health to
continue to manage Chow
an County’s mental health
services improved Monday
night.
The Chowan County Board
of Commis
sioners gave
ECBH a ring
ing endorse
ment after
it showed a
unanimous
show of
hands that
the com- '
missioners
Rascoe
favored the continued rela
tionship. Before the board
can make it official, a public
hearing must be held.
“East Carolina Behavioral
Health has provided excellent
services for us,” said County
Manager Peter Rascoe. “We
really don’t have many op
tions. The state is highly
recommending that we enter
negotiations with East Caro
lina Behavioral Health.”
The New Bern based ECBH
stepped in at the state’s re
quest last year after Albe
marle Mental Health Center
suffered a financial collapse
and could no longer serve
various state counties, in
cluding Chowan, as con
tracted. Consequently, many
of the counties previously
See ECBH on Page 3A
I want to smoke,” Davis
said. “The way I look at it,
it’s nobody’s business but
mine.”
But, the spirit of the new
state law, which took effect
Jan. 2, is aimed at protect- J
See SMOKERS on Page 2A
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