Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / July 6, 2011, edition 1 / Page 1
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482-4418 Wednesday, July 6, 201T Chowan, Gates consider AD J pact Room for inmates at Pasquotank jail By REGGIE PONDER Staff Writer Officials from Chowan and Gates counties will be meeting soon to discuss the possibility of part nering with Pasquotank, Perquimans and Camden counties in the Albemarle District Jail. A group of county com missioners and staff from all five counties met Redistricting map splits 3 counties MAP COURTESY NC GENERAL ASSEMBLY This map identifies North Carolina congressional district boundaries for the next decade proposed Friday by Republican mapmakers.The proposal would split three area counties between the 1st and 3rd congressional districts, which include parts of Chowan, Pasquotank and Perquimans counties. Butterfield blasts plan that divides Chowan GOP map also splits Pasquotank, Perquimans By REGGIE PONDER Staff Writer U.S. Rep. G.K. Butter field, D-N.C., blasted a redistricting proposal unveiled by state Republicans Friday that splits three area counties he currently repre sents between two congres sional districts and moves a fourth into another district. “I don’t like it,” Butterfield said, noting he had “represent ed Pasquotank County from the very beginning.” Pasquotank is one of three Vicious dog ban will be lifted By REBECCA BUNCH Staff Writer Edenton leaders are considering amending an ordinance that prohibits residents from owning any bf six breeds of dogs pre viously deemed vicious. The principal change to the existing 2004 ordi nance would be to allow the presence of certain types of dogs previously banned inside the city lim its. But the change would CAC director resigns By REBECCA BUNCH ;staff Writer • Chowan Arts Council Executive Director Mysi Fortenbery resigned as executive director of the Chowan Arts Council ef fective last Friday. * Also, the organization has also changed its hours of operation. It will now be closed on Mondays and has Shortened its hours of op eration on other days. , ! ©2009 The Chowan Herald I All Rights Reserved m ' r * V Wednesday at the Albemar le District Jail for prelimi nary talks about Chowan and Gates joining the dis trict jail. Neither Chowan nor Gates has decided to make the move, and the Al bemarle District Jail Com mission — with represen tatives from Pasquotank, Perquimans and Camden — has not agreed officially to admit new counties. But officials from the different counties agreed Wednesday that the idea of an expanded partnership sounds promising. All the counties — Perquimans and Chowan are the others — di vided between Butterfield’s 1st House District and the 3rd House District represented by U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C. Under the redistrict ing proposal, Butterfield’s 1st District would include all of Elizabeth City and Mt. Hermon Township but the rest of Pasquotank County would fall into Jones’ 3rd District. In Perquimans, East and West Hertford and Parksville Butterfield be linked to a mandatory registration program. Hood Ellis, town attor ney, is scheduled to answer questions about proposed changes to the ordinance at the July 12 Town Coun cil meeting. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. Dog breeds covered un der the ordinance are bull terriers, Staffordshire Bull terriers, American pit bull terriers, Ameri can Staffordshire terri ers, rottweilers and chow In a letter to the non profit arts organization’s membership dated June 30, Fortenbery explained her decision. “After resigning last year as an administrative assistant with CAC, I was asked to stay on and assist the Board with the tran sition that resulted from the departure of their for mer Director,” Fortenbery wrote. “I agreed to extend my temporary position and committed to the CAC for one year as Director,” Fortenbery added. “The year has come to an end and I have enjoyed the time counties said they need to “look at the numbers” closely to make sure that expanding the region al concept will serve the taxpay ers well. Pasquo tank Com Goodwin missioner Cecil Per ry, who is the chairman of the Albe marle District Jail Com mission, said he believes “at the end of the day” it (Winfall) precincts are in the new 1st Hous# District, while Bethel, Belivdere, New Hope and Nicanor precincts are in the 3rd Congressional District. In Chowan, East and West Edenton and Center Hill precincts are in the 1st House District while Rocky Hock, Wardville and Yeopim are in the 3rd District. The new 1st District in- , eludes 23,520 people from Pasquotank, of which 10,653 are white and 11,397 are black. The district includes 5,638 people from Perquimans, 3,349 of whom are white and 2,091 of whom are black. In Chow an, 9,037 live in the new 1st District, 4,470 of chows and their offspring. During the June 27 coun cil meeting Town Manag er Anne-Marie Knighton said that a registration fee of $25 per animal would be charged under the plan. Also, each animal would be required to have a microchip implanted in its body for identification purposes. The town’s decision to revisit the wording of the ordinance follows a deci sion last spring by Superi will be better for all the counties if they can find a way to work together. Chowan Board of Com missioners Chairman Eddy Goodwin said at the meeting that right now Chowan is just involved in fact-finding and doesn’t want to “get the cart before the horse.” The first steps for Chowan are to see the district jail facility and meet the people they would be working with if they be came part of the district jail. Goodwin stressed that or Court Judge Toby Fitch to dismiss charges brought by the town against an East Carteret Street resi dent. In dismissing the charges, Knighton said, the judge expressed con cern that the ordinance was “potentially unconsti tutional." Police Chief Jay Forten bery discussed the ruling with town attorney Ellis, who in turn prepared an See DOG BAN, 2A PHOTO FROM CAC WEBSITE USED WITH PERMISSION Mysi fortenbery (second from far right) holds up a ribbon as the Chowan Arts Council prepares for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new downtown location in November 2010. Chowan and Gates are “not in deliberations” right now but are still studying their options. Chowan needs to do something because it has a jail that is 30 years old and too small, he said. He also emphasized that Chowan has a commitment to Gates County to provide a place to house inmates from Gates. “We can’t leave them out in the cold,” Goodwin said. “It’s a package deal. Y’all have to take a little boy and his dog, too.” Goodwin’s comments whom are white and 4,226 of whom are black. Butterfield was swift and unequivocal in criticizing the Republicans’ redistricting proposal. He said he has worked hard for Pasquotank and finds it indefensible that the GOP-led Legislature would split the county. “There is no legal justifica tion for it,” Butterfield said. “There is no voting rights justification for it. Pasquotank County is being split to serve the cause of partisan advan tage. The voting Rights Act does not require this. Neither See REDISTRICT, 3A apparently were intended partly to reassure Gates County Sheriff Ed Webb, who had expressed a con cern that Gates would be “left out in the cold” if Chowan joined the Albe marle District Jail. Goodwin said if it comes to negotiations, Chowan and Gates will negotiate as one with the Albemarle District Jail Commission. Chowan and Gates coun ties first need to reach an agreement on how to move See ADJ, 2A Town OKs budget Biggs mum on dissension By REBECCA BUNCH Staff Writer The town council voted 4-1 during a special meet ing held June 27 to adopt the proposed 2011-2012 budget that calls for no property tax increase nor any increase any fees. Mayor pro tem Steve Biggs represented the lone dissenting vote, but refused to say why during the meeting or later when asked by the Chowan Her ald. Neither did he offer any commentary during the Council's delibera tions. Biggs did say, how ever, that he would explain his reasons privately to those individuals who sought an explanation. Councilwoman Phyllis Britton was absent. The adopted budget or dinance contained four changes from the proposed budget the Council had been reviewing in recent weeks. See BUDGET, 3A First Cotton Blossom SUBMITTED PHOTO/CHOWAN COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE Wayne Parrish of Parrish Farms found this cotton bios- :' j som on his Wildcat Road farm, June 24. Above, his chil dren, Landen, 8, and Ainsley, 4, show off the blossom, the first one reported to the Chowan County Extension Office this year. The cotton variety is Delta Pine; the crop was planted April 25. *»*'■* ^ ‘;,ll„Mllli ,i,i ,, tS M rfl : V-.v.-:." ; '
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
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