482-4418
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
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| Transcripts tie Copeland to Tault’
Staffers kept log
of discussions
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
Former County Man
ager, Cliff Copeland ac
knowledged responsi
bility for the Capstrat
controversy that cost
county taxpayers $260,000
for what has since been
deemed suspect assis
tance, according to con
versation transcripts.
Medallion Memorial
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Harry Rosenblatt of Edenton made this montage honoring the life and military service of his late stepfather, Harry Kadis, seen in the photo
(top left).The montage also includes Kadis’ discharge papers from the U.S. Army, and the medallion Rosenblatt ordered to be affixed to Kadis’
gravestone in a New York cemetery.
Memorializing veterans’ service
By REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Anew benefit for veter
ans is available, and
one of the first to take
advantage of it is Edenton
resident Harry Rosenblatt.
The benefit is a bronze me
dallion that can be installed
- or affixed on the grave mark
ers of veterans who were
buried in a non-military
cemetery without a military
headstone on their grave.
Familiar faces seek school board re-election
From staff reports
Two incumbents on the
Chowan County Board of Edu
cation have filed to run for re
election, the only ones so far.
District 1 representative and
the board’s Vice Chairman
Gene Jordan filed last Friday,
the first day available, accord
f ing to Rebecca Lowe, Board of
©20Q9 The Chowan Herald
i All Rights Reserved -
31st ANNUAL
Fabulous 4“ ol July
Then
C ounty
Manager
Peter
Rascoe
detailed
an April
29, 2009
conversa
tion with Copeland
Copeland.
The conversation oc
curred at 8:30 a.m. in
the parking lot at John
A. Holmes High School
parking lot after a Rota
ry Club breakfast. It was
“This is a brand new ben
efit which became available
on the first Monday in June,”
said Mike Nacinsik, chief of
the Communications Divi
sion for the Department of
Veterans Affairs’ National
Cemetery Administration.
“At the present time, less \
than half a dozen of them l
have been ordered. People
are just finding out about
them.”
Rosenblatt was one of
them. He said he couldn’t
Elections director. Kay Wright,
who holds the seat for District 2
filed Monday. She’s pursuing a
fourth term.
Jordan has served two six
year terms on the board with
his sights on another.
Jordan was the only person to
file, Friday.
Like most board of education
members, Jordan knows with
out question that his biggest
challenge if re-elected will be
working on the district's bud
get.
“All of oqr funding entities
are really stressed right now,”
Jordan said. 'Tm afraid it’s go
then that
Copeland
initiated
a discus
sion with
Rascoe,
accord
ing to the
log that
Rascoe included
copious
detailed conversations
between Copeland and l
county - employees that
occurred when confront
ed by the retired man-;
ager and after Chowan’^
remember where he read
about the benefit, but decided
he would like to order one for
the grave of his stepfather,
Harry Kadis, who died Sept.
3,2009 at the age of 104.
But Rosenblatt found it
difficult to get any informa
tion because the medallions
were so new. He contacted
an area VA office. And his
friend, Retired Col. Harvey
Binns made some calls on
Rosenblatt’s behalf. “But it
was difficult to get any infor
ing to be a struggle.”
In order to navigate tough fi
nancial times, Jordan says he
plans to continue speaking with
government officials, and on a
more local level, work to main
tain a positive relationship be
tween the school board and the
county commissioners.
Beyond the financial side,
Jordan says he’d like to see the
district place a greater empha
sis on improving its math and
science education.
Jordan says he’d also like to
work on bringing and keeping
talented teachers in the school
system.
COME TO EDENTON’S WATERFRONT
EAT DINNER AND ENJOY
NORTH CAROLINA'S LARGEST
tiier the water fireworks Mr
near financial collapse,
i “(Copeland) did com
ment about Capstrat say
ing ‘That was my fault.
Things got hectic’ and he
said ‘I assumed the town
was cdntributing to it
and they were not. (May
or) Roland (Vaughan)
says he didn’t say it, but
he just doesn’t remem
ber saying it,”’ Rascoe
wrote.
When asked last week
about his comments,
Copeland again accepted
responsibility.
“I was responsible,”
Copeland said. “I was the
county manager at the
time and that’s how the
system works.”
Copeland admitted,
however, that he did not
know that staffers were
documenting his com
ments.
On September 4, 2009
at 3:15 p.m., Copeland
told County Clerk Su
sanne Stallings “he al
ways thought the town
was paying their share.”
Copeland paid Cap
mation,” Rosenblatt said.
That is something the mili
tary is working to change.
The National Cemetery
Administration has created a
Facebook page that contains
helpful information for those
interested in learning more.
A helpful question and
answer section about the
medallion is also available
online by visiting www.cem.
va.gov.
See MEDALLION, 2B
“We need to continue trying
to attract high-quality people,”
Jordan said. “If we can get high
quality people, we need to find
new ways to hold on to them. We
have to sell our county and sell
our town and make sure that
young people who are going into
teaching see our name.” .
A message left for Wright was
not immediately returned.
Filing for the Edenton-Chow
an school board runs through
noon July 30. The filing fee is
$30.
(Daily Advance staff writer Kristin
Pitts contributed to this story)
ORIGINAL BEACH PARTY
POPULAR AMONG ALL AUDIENCES
* TRIBUTE TO OUR ARMED FORCES
PATRIOTIC SALUTE TO AMERICA
'i •> ■
strat, a Raleigh lobbying
firm, to assist on several
projects and allegedly
without the knowledge
and required approval
of the Board of Commis
sioners.
Chowan County and
Capstrat have received
subpoenas to turn over
documents to federal au
thorities investigating
the county’s near finan
cial collapse in 2008. The
U.S. Attorney’s Office for
See COPELAND, 2A
County
set to hire
interim
manager
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
The Chowan County Board of
Commissioners expect Tuesday
night to approve the hiring of an
interim county manager (after the
Chowan Herald’s press deadline).
Commission Chairman Eddy
Goodwin confirmed Tuesday morn
ing that the county has set its sights
on Paul Parker, formerly of Pender
County.
Parker has been spotted at the
Public Safety Center Where the coun
ty manager’s office is undergoing a
move from the county office build
ing.
A meeting has been called for
Tuesday night so commissioners can
officially vote on Parker’s hiring.
Parker last worked as Pender
County’s facilities and property
manager until leaving to pursue
the interim job here, according to
Sandy McIntyre, a Pender County
Human resources spokeswoman.
Prior to that position, Parker served
See MANAGER, 2A
Steinburg
narrowly
misses prize
for funding
NC House District 2
candidate third out of 63
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
N.C. House District 2 candidate
and political newcomer Bob Stein
burg got his first taste of an election
and while he came
up on the short end,
there’s plenty to cel
ebrate.
Steinburg finished
third out of 63 Re
publican candidates
vying for the NC
Republican Party
House Committee
favorite candidate
with the top vote getter collecting
$4,000 for campaign funding. No GOP
incumbents were eligible.
With two days left in a race that
started June 1 and ended at midnight
last Friday, Steinburg held a narrow
Steinburg
See STEINBURG, 2A j i
M
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CHILDREN!!!
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