n 9' * . / % [§ 1 9 L J m A. M 1 INSIDE Check out our special on Dream Homes of Northeastern North Carolina 482-4418 Wednesday, April 7, 2010 Clerk of Court race heating up By RITCHIE E. STARNES Editor It’s been nearly 16 years since more than one candidate has pur sued the office of the Clerk of Superior Court in Chowan County. Come May 4th voters will head to the polls to cast their ballot for ei ther incumbent Mike J. McArthur or Orville E. Mason, Jr., the county’s only local primary race. For two men whose jobssome times criss cross, the candi- Mason dates are running two distinctly different types of cam paigns. McArthur, 60, sug gests that his ex perience m a ke s him the better choice. “I don’t have to McArthur convince people to vote for Mike McArthur, I’ve got to convince peo ple to burn their gaso line and go vote,” said McArthur, referring to the unpredictability of primary turnout. To get the word out, McArthur has peppered the Chowan County landscape with election signs en route to a fifth term. None read “re elect” as typically dis played for incumbents. In fact, there the same signs that he used in 1994. With no opposition since, they’ve been of no use. Until now. Mason, 57, alleges that McArthur ' is always campaigning and uses his elected position to curry favor. “I don’t think a judi cial office should always be running for office, accepting contributions and holding fundrais ers,” Mason said. “In stead of spending mon ey on a campaign, that money could be going to a better good. What is a contribution?” Instead of taking po litical contributions for his maiden campaign, Mason shuns any fund ing. He asks that any contributions be direct ed to the Boys and Girls Club or the Food Bank. Mason has opted for a grassroots campaign that includes going to See CLERK, 2A DAILY ADVANCE PHOTO BYTOBYTATE An E2 Hawkeye lands on the flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman, March 25. The U.S. Navy is seeking interest from regional airports in hosting a temporary airfield for pilot training with the E2 Hawkeye. iEdenton interested By TOBY TATE Staff Writer if ■f ja t least one regional airport is open to temporarily help | ^^ing the U.S. Navy conduct ‘ training flights for several turbo | prop aircraft. 1 “Given the economic climate, and how scarce dollars are, * especially for the airport, we need | to learn more about the Navy’s 1 interest in Northeastern Region ;j: al,” said Anne Marie Knighton, f, Edenton town manager. NC loses ‘Race to Top’; j, By KRISTIN PITTS . 1" Staff Writer Area school officials say they’re disappointed North Caro lina won’t be receiving any of the ? * millions of federal grant dollars being awarded as part of a new education reform effort. Although North Carolina was one of 16 finalists for the Race to i ■ the Top education grants, federal officials felt the state’s applica Jones faces Dem challenger; 2 GOPs to square off in primary By BOB MONTGOMERY Assistant News Editor Two Republican new comers and a Democrat who’s trying to make a po litical comeback are seek ing the District 4 seat of in 02009 The Chowan Herald All Rights Reserved “We will evaluate potential im pacts and economic benefits and then a policy decision will need to bemade by the airport commis sion and the town council.” Harry Davis, manager at Northeastern Regional Airport in Edenton, said he’d be interested in learning more about the Navy’s proposal, announced Friday, to find regional airfields to support field carrier landing practice operations for its E2 Hawkeye and C2 Greyhound airplanes. The airfield or airfields chosen would only be a temporary fix, according to Navy spokesman Ted tion. wasn’t as strong as those submitted by Delaware and Ten nessee — the two states picked to receive RTTT funding from the $4 billion program. Federal reviewers judged North Carolina’s application weaker in the areas of data systems, prog ress toward raising achievement and closing achievement gaps, state officials’ stance on “making education funding a priority” and state efforts creating “successful Decision 2010 cumbent state Sen. Edward Jones, D-Halifax. Jones, a retired first ser geant with the N.C. High way Patrol, has held the District 4 seat since being appointed in January 2007 to complete the unexpired term of Sen. Robert Hollo man, who died in office. Pri Brown, and not a replacement for the proposed outlying landing field the Navy wants to build at one of five sites currently being studied. “It’s a near-term interim solu tion,” Brown said. “These aircraft are different from jets — quieter, and there are no requirements to obtain private property or build new fields.” According to a press release from Brown’s office, potential airfields must be at least 5,000 feet long, 100 feet wide, be located within 90 nautical miles aircraft See NAVY, 7A conditions for high-performing charter schools and other inno vative schools.” Ron Melchiorre, Camden County Schools superintendent, said he was disappointed that North Carolina — which had sought $469 million — had not been chosen for the RTTT fund ing. He pointed out the review ers’ marks on staff development, saying that the state will have to provide funding if it wants to put or to that, he had served in the state House for two years. Jones, who won election to the seat in 2008, said he’s seeking a second full term in the Senate because he wants to create jobs and improve economic condi Halbert Person of the Month -xvmw SUBMITTED PHOTO Rosalie Miller, librarian at the Shepard-Pruden Library in down town Edenton, sits at her desk behind a stack of books. Miller will be retiring June 1 after 16 years of service. Shepard-Pruden librarian to retire By REBECCA BUNCH Staff Writer She’s worked a few hon orable careers, and at least one she could have suc ceeded. For the last 16 years, Ro salie Miller has worked as the dutiful librarian at the Shepard-Pruden Library in Edenton. Judging from her skills as a photographer - the proof decorates her office walls - Miller could have been a professional. Add her love of traveling reforms in place. Economic con straints have curbed state funds for professional and staff devel opment. “School systems cannot implement major educational reform without the funds to pro vide principals and teachers the professional development they need in order to be successful,” Melchiorre said. “Locally, school systems can only finance a small part (of the cost). For school sys Jones tions. With state gov ernment facing its biggest strain in years, Jones be lieves this is not a time to change leaders. “We have to continue where we left off,” he said, referring to last year’s and she could have been an international travel pho tographer. But, thankfully for the book borrowers here she stayed true to the library. Her commitment ends June 1 when Miller retires. Expect her global exploits to reignite. “I’d love to go on a pho tography safari in Africa,” Miller said. “Wouldn’t that be something?” Her good friend, Pat See MILLER, 7A terns to effect major school re form, more state money is going to have to be provided because locally we cannot do it on our own.” According to a government Web site, the U.S. Department of Education will have about $3.4 billion available for the second phase of the Race to the Top com petition. Gov. Bev Perdue told The’ See SCHOOLS, 3A session. “We’re in a tight bud get crisis right now.” Jones, 60, also notes that because of the way districts are drawn, he has a proven record of working with other legislators in the oth er chamber of the General Assembly. “There are five House (members) that work in my district. We work well to gether,” he said. The 4th Senate District is comprised of seven > counties: Bertie, Chowan, Gates, Halifax, Hertford, Northampton and Perqui mans. To win a second term, Jones will have to get past a See PRIMARY, 4A ? llcfcets $7.00 per plate '■? W v -xm For Tickets: Lynn Perry 331-5393, Frank Jones 482-0305 or Greg Bonner 331-521 ft BiHUiS SH®®? Htflf Proceeds/or Scholarship Funtt Temfic <lds & Other Youth Programs * w® ©b0® IM3

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