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Wednesday, February 10, 2010
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Plans to sell liquor at Sandy Point were foiled
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
County email records
show that there was an un
dercurrent to bring liquor
by the drink to Sandy Point
until efforts ran aground.
After the 900-acre Sandy
Point was the beneficiary
of special legislation and
a Chowan County , land
use plan alteration that
County
behind on
collecting
late taxes
From staff reports
Collection of Chowan
County tax delinquencies
has stalled.
, County Manager Peter
Rascoe told the Board of
Commissioners during
its Feb. 5 meeting that the
slow collections were pri
marily due to a lack of per
sonnel.
“We’re getting somewhat
behind on collecting tax de
linquencies each month,”
Rascoe said. “We’re start
ing to get an accumulation
of tax delinquency that we
haven’t had."
He indicated that the
county needs to address
funding administrative
support. Rascoe said the
addition of a tax collec
tor clerk could offset the
problem, particularly with
such duties as wage gar
nishment.
Despite the rise, Rascoe
said collections have gen
erally not been a problem.
“Overall, it’s been good,
but delinquencies are
creeping up because we’re
getting behind administra
tively,” Rascoe said.
Filing
period for
elections
opens
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
Two incumbents and
three political newcomers
filed for election Monday,
the start of the filing pe
Decision
f 2010
riod for May’s primary
John Mitchener, Chris
Brabble, and Jeff Smith
filed to run for county com
missioner. Sheriff Dwayne
Goodwin filed for a second
term while Michael McAr
thur is seeking a fifth term
See FILING, 2A
* ©2009 The Chowan Heralc
> All Rights Reserved
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i
changed
the set
back re
strictions
along the
Albemarle
Sound to
accommo
date high
Copeland er density,
developer
Sam Young sought to add
liquor by the drink to the
Snow "Fisher" man
SUBMITTED PHOTO
David and Jessica Buchanan pay homage to the area’s fishing heritage by building this snow “fisherman” during a snow
fall that occurred nearly two weeks ago. The area dodged a second dose of snow accumulation on Saturday.
Assistant principal reaches at-risk students
Editor’s note: In honor of Black History
Month, the Chowan Herald will feature an Afri
can American in each edition during the month
of February. Those featured include locals who
have made significant contributions to their
community.
Gatling makes difference with
pupils at Chowan Middle
By REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
For parents like Virginia Elliott, knowing
that Phillip Gatling is on the job means they
know their children are in good hands.
Gatling, assistant principal at Chowan Mid
dle School, has earned a reputation for devel
oping a rapport with at-risk students and help
ing thefti succeed in school. Along the way, he
teaches them life skills too.
“He’s willing to work with kids and give
project. Chowan County
does not permit the sell of
mixed drinks.
When Young was in
formed that he would
need to pursue a private
club, such as a sports club
for shooting or tennis, he
balked.
Young wrote in a Jan.
24, 2008 email to Cliff Co
peland and Peter Raseoe,
“We are going to have to
get more creative. In the
first instance, we will not
be able to satisfy the limi
tation/criteria, to wit:
an establishment’s gross
receipts for club,activities
shall be greater than its
gross receipts for alcoholic
beverages.” There will be
more whiskey sold than
bullets or balls.”
Young added that plans
called for Sandy Point to
CMS
them a chance,” Elliott said, “and I admire
him for that.”
Elliott currently has one child still at the
middle school and another who has moved on
to John A. Holmes High School. She said he
still keeps tabs on both of them and lets her
know what he finds out.
“Since he has been there (at Chowan), he
include several establish
ments that would sell whis
key.
Rascoe said Young’s
email caused him to put
the brakes on any planning
research on the developer’s
behalf.
“It was obvious that I
had done all that the coun
ty could do on a planning
question,” Rascoe Said.
“Anything more would
have to be done by the de
veloper.”
Rascoe had presented
Young and Copeland with
the rules for meeting the re
quirements of a spots club
like Albemarle Plantation
in Perquimans County.
State regulations re
quire a sports club’s gross
receipts for club activities
See LIQUOR, 4A
Officials
to decide
on child
support
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
Chowan County com-'
missioners will soon de
cide whether to outsource
its child support enforce
ment, a move that could
. eliminate five jobs.
The county could opt
to privatize the services,
joining the preference of
other area
counties
looking for
ways to re
duce oper
ating costs.
Chowan is
one of the
few that
run a pro
gram inde
pendent of
a state regional office that
several other area counties
use.
County Manager Peter
Rascoe informed com
missioners at the board’s
Feb.l meeting that while
initial figures supported
the move toward privatiza
tion, he said new data from
Clifton Hardison, director
of Department of Social
Services, indicated that
the matter warrants fur
ther evaluation.
“It appears the numbers
are closer' than they were
two weeks ago,” Rascoe
said. “We’re making sure
that we’re counting every
dollar that we’re recoup
ing.”
Rascoe said a meeting
scheduled for Thursday
should shed more light on
the issue with the Board of
Commissioners faced with
See CHILD, 2A
STAFF PHOTO BY REBECCA BUNCH
Phillip Gatling, assistant principal at Chowan Middle,
shows off a banner outside the school that reads “Be
Respectful, Be Responsible, Be the Best You Can Be!"
has done a wonderful job,” Elliott said. “My
daughter and I were just talking about that
earlier today.”
Gatling has a lot of motivation to try and
reach these kids. He knows that for some of
them, he may be one of the few positive male
role models in their lives.
Gatling said often the boys he befriends
have fathers who are either in jail or have been
killed due to violence. He knows that winning
their trust will not be easy but relishes the
challenge.
Gloria Horton, a teacher at the school, said
his focus on helping students learn self-esteem
as well as appropriate behavior at school and
at home has definitely brought results.
i See GATIING, 4A