482-4418
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
See 1B
3 local schools make ABCs
CMS earns
high marks
By KRISTIN PITTS
The Da i ly Advance
The majority of schools
in the area’s five school
districts made expected
growth on state standard
ized testing last year, while
nearly half exceeded ex
pectations by achieving
“high growth” and three
achieved the highest sta
tus awarded for test per
formance, state officials
announced Thursday.
^In the Edenton-Chow
an Schools, three of the
district’s four schools met
or exceeded their growth
targets on the testing.
Only John H. Holmes High
School failed to meet its
expected growth target, ac
cording to the N.C. Depart
ment of Public Instruc
tion.
Edenton-Chowan Su
perintendent Allan Smith
said that he was pleased
with the district’s results
on the ABCs.
“I am
very
pleased
with the
rate of
growth
that was
demon
strated in
virtually Smith
all grade
levels and content areas,”
Smith said. “All in all, I
was pleased to see that the
rate of growth was very
high.”
When asked about , the
high school’s performance,
Smith said it had come
very close to meeting ex
pected growth.
“It was extremely close,”
Smith said.
News of Holmes’ latest
academic misstep comes
less than two weeks af
ter learning that the high
school failed to meet Ade
quate Yearly Progress tar
gets for the 2009-10 school
year, marking the fifth
straight year. Smith, how
ever, touted Holmes’ prog
ress with AYP.
Every Edenton - Chowan
school with the exception
of John A. Holmes High
School, which had a com
posite score of 77.6, made
expected growth. Chowan
Middle School, with a com
posite score of 76.6, was
the only school to report
high growth. D.F. Walker
Elementary had a compos
ite of 66.8 percent while no
composite score was listed
for White Oak Elementary
School on the DPI website.
The middle school, D.E
Walker and White Oak
were earned “School of
Progress” status.
All four of the schools
in the Perquimans County
Schools met their expected
growth targets for student
testing performance in
2009-10, according to the
See SCHOOLS, 7A
American
Expo Time
lap!
■ ' - ■ '
1 ’ •* " ‘:
STAFF PHOTOS BY REBECCA BUNCH
Proud grandad Matthew Sopher of.Washington, (top) is joined by grandsons Nathan Sopher, 3, and Jake Souza, 10, as he sits in the
driver’s seat of a McCormack Farmall tractor during the American Legion Expo. Riders from the Northeast District 4-H Equine Drill
Team (above) run through their paces in the show ring at the American Legion, Saturday afternoon.
Steamers to play for championship
STAFF PHOTO BY THOMAS i. TURNEY
Gene Perry looks over com plants at the Pasquotank and Per
quimans farm tour, July 30. Heat has damaged much of the
area’s com crops. * >
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
With most of the dog days
of August still ahead, the
general consensus is that
this has been one of the
hottest summers already.
For most it’s a judgment
call,, but with the rest of
the country experiencing
record heat typically found
in the South, some national
meteorologists have called
this summer the hottest on
record.
Between the frequent
perspiration and soaring
electric bills here in Eden
ton-Chowan, locals attest
See HEAT, 7A
k '
escrow to use as a deposit
for the artists, the release
stated.
Instead, Vick used the
proceeds to pay off unrelat
ed debt. The concert never
occurred and the Danville
Harvest Jubilee never re
paid.
Evidence also revealed
that Vick duped other in
vestors, including some
from Wyoming and Cali
fornia, who were on hand
to testify at the sentencing
phase. Vick had also repeat
edly promoted fictitious
concerts by Tracey Law
rence. Vick used the money
to pay himself and others a
salary and personal debts
unrelated to the concerts.
supervised release after his
prison term and ordered to
pay restitution.
U.S. Attorney George
E.B. Holding announced
that Vick pleaded guilty
on April 12 that included
a probe by the Federal Bu
reau of Investigation. At
that time, it was revealed
that Vick duped investors
and defrauded the Danville
Harvest Jubilee, a non-prof
it organization, amid prom
ises that he would deliver a
concert featuring Big and
Rich in the summer of 2009
in Danville, Va.
Danville Harvest Jubilee
paid Vick $75,000, followed
by another $10,000, which
was supposed to be put into
From staff, reports
An Edenton concert pro
moter was sentenced Mon
day to 2 % years in federal
prison after pleading guilty
to wire fraud whereby he
bilked investors of nearly
$1 million, according to the
U.S. Department of Justice.
John Burton Vick, 37,
was sentenced in a federal
court in Greenville. Vick is
also required to adhere to a
02009 The Chowan Herald
* All Rights Reserved
Concert promoter sentenced I Heat takes toll on many
and a violation of her employment contract.
But, court records show that the school
system claims such transfers are within the
boundaries of the contract, provided there is
no change in the rate of pay Felton was earn
ing $4,950 per month, plus a local supplement
paid twice yearly Felton alleges that school
board policies preclude systems from assign
ing administrators to positions where they
are not properly licensed.
“They’re attempting to enforce one part of
the contract while ignoring another part,” Fel
ton said.
In a June 23 affadavit of Michelle Maddox,
schools human resources officer, she counters
that again the system is within its rights.
“Employees can be transferred to positions
whereby they do not have a license as long as
they are eligible for a provisional license,” the
affadavit reads. Edenton-Chowan schools ar
ranged for Felton to get proper licensure at the
system’s expense, but that Felton cancelled the
provisional license, court records show. ,
See FELTON, 4A
license to complete
her transfer from
an assistant prin
cipal at Holmes
High School to a
career develop
ment coordinator
at Chowan Mid
dle.
“I feel it was
unreasonable for
what the board
asked me do,” Fel
ton said Monday
The Board of
Education has
kept unanimous
step with Smith’s
recommenda
tion that Felton
be transferred - a
move Felton con
siders a demotion
‘They’re
attempting
to e'nforce
one part of
the contract
while
ignoring
another
part.”
Mary L Felton
Former school
administrator
Superintendent
suspends
former school
administrator
By RITCHIE E. STARNES *
Editor
The former school administrator that filed
suit against Edenton-Chowan schools said she
has been suspended without pay and is set to
be fired.
Mary L. Felton said Superintendent Allan
Smith informed her on July 23 that she was
suspended without pay for what he deemed to
be her insubordination. She added that Smith
also informed her that he was going to rec
ommend her termination. Felton has refused
Smith’s request that she obtain a counselor’s
sula-Forest City matchup,
go to dailyadvance.com.
In Monday’s victory at
Gastonia, the Steamers
trailed 1-0 in the eighth in
ning when they scored five
runs.
Brian Billigen ignited
the rally with a bases-load
ed single that careened off
the first base bag and plat
ed Billy Burns and A.J.
Rusbarsky. Jake Magner
then followed with a three
run home run that scored
Billigen and Brian Blasik.
See STEAMERS, 7A
Forest City semifinal se
ries, which was scheduled
to conclude Tuesday night,
the Steamers will have at
least one more home game
to help sustain interest in
their fund-raising efforts.
If Peninsula is the op
ponent, the Steamers will
open on the road with
Games 2 and 3 at Edenton
Friday and Saturday night.
If Forest City makesthe fi
nal, Edenton will host the
opener Thursday, then go
on the road for the rest of
the series.
For results of the Penin
the Gastonia series.
“We want to play as many
games as we can here to
help them raise money,”
said Barrows, referring to
the Steamers’ fund-raising
drive that needs to bring
in $50,000 by Labor Day to
ensure the cash-strapped
franchise will play again
next year.
During Sunday’s 2-0 win
over Gastonia at Hicks
Field, the team announced
it had reached 20 percent
of its goal.
Pending the outcome of
Game 3 of the Peninsula
By CHIC RIEBEL
Daily Advance
They’re back.
After completing a two-'
game sweep of Gastonia
in the semifinal round
of the Petitt Cup playoffs
Monday night, the Steam
ers will make their first
appearance in the finals
since winning their sec
ond straight Coastal Plain
League title in 2005.
In doing so, the Steam
ers fulfilled a mission out
lined by left fielder Peter
Barrows after Game 1 of