482-4418
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
50*
Art Turning Heads
Page IB
Town, county OK Partnership
From staff reports
On Monday, the Chowan
County Board of Commis
sioners joined the Town
Council and voted unani
mously to approve the res
olution that paves the way
for the Edenton-Chowan
ECP to
tackle
‘Last Mile’
strategies
Utility co-ops
could help access
By RITCHIE E. STARNES
Editor
Fresh off resolutions
of endorsement from the
Edenton Town Council
and the Chowan County
Board of Commissioners,
the Edenton Chowan Part
nership (ECP) may have
learned its first major proj
ect - devise a plan for the
area’s “last mile” of broad
band connectivity.
ECP board members and
stakeholders filed into the
offices of the Northeast
Commission Monday af
ternoon in hopes of gain
ing a better understanding
of how Edenton-Chowan
:* could tap into MCNC’s fi
v' ber optics, or the “middle
mile” set to run under
ground along U.S. 17. While
they were told various mu
nicipal, healthcare, and
educational entities should
expect access, other busi
nesses and residents will
be required to depend on
other sources to aid with
connectivity Northeast Ru
ral Broadband (NERB) is
the non-profit agency set to
offer such assistance.
As to who exactly will get
access, much of that has
yet to be determined, NERB
chairman, Rear Admiral
Noel Preston (US Navy Ret)
told the group.
“I’m guessing they will
all be a part of it,” said
Preston, referring to the
aforementioned entities.
It is clear that high-speed
broadband technology is
coming to Northeastern
North Carolina. Plans call
for regional businesses and
residents in outlying areas
to be able to tap into Inter
net access that is fast, reli
able and affordable.
Local stakeholders want
to make sure that such bod
ies like town and county
government, Shepard
Pruden Memorial Library,
and the College of The Al
bemarle are among those
guaranteed access.
"I do believe we have cer
tain facilities that deserve
a direct line,” said Bob
Quinn, councilman and
ECP board member.
There are various busi
ness models and technolo
gies that can reach the
“last mile” users-for profit,
non-profit, public/private
partnerships, electrical
co-ops and telecommuni
cations companies. On the
See LAST MILE, 2A
©2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
Partnership to effectively
replace Edenton Chowan
Development Corpora
tion, or Edenton Today.
At its Feb. 14 scheduled
board meeting,-the Town
Council unanimously
(Councilman Steve Biggs
was absent) approved to
CHOWAN HERALD FILE PHOTO
The 1767 Chowan Courthouse is among the state historic sites of the Historic Edenton Visitor Center. A state panel
recommends a two-day reduction in Edenton.
Panel calls for Visitor Center reduction
DCR disputes
alleged savings
By REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
A staff research panel for
the North Carolina Gener
al Assembly recommended
that the Historic Edenton Visi
tor Center be closed on Sundays
and Mondays each week to save
the state money.
But the state Department of
Cultural Resources is arguing
against the rec
ommendation,
as well as one
that would per
manently close
the Museum of
the Albemarle
in Elizabeth
City.
DCR Secre
Cartisle
tary Linda Carlisle said Monday
that her office is “very con
Court date delayed in COA email case
By WILLIAM F. WEST
The Daily Advance
A hearing has been de
layed again in the case of
a woman accused of send
ing a threatening email to
College of The Albemarle
last fall that prompted a
shutdown and an evacua
tion of the campus.
Margaret Monika
change the name of the
ECDC and amend the
economic development
organization’s articles of
incorporation and bylaws
that creates the Eden
ton-Chowan Partnership
(ECP).
That vote would allow
According to
the report, the
Historic Edenton
Visitor Center
had 22,252
visitors during
2010-11. Total
expenditures for
the center were '
listed at $428,720.
'%■ .■■■'■ -
cerned” about the impact the
closings could have on Edenton
and Elizabeth City. Carlisle is
also questioning the amount
of projected savings the moves
would bring.
In response, the Joint Leg
islative Program Evaluation
Oversight Committee, which
White, 18, was sched
uled to appear Thursday
in Pasquotank County
District Court, but the
hearing has been reset to
April 5, White’s attorney;'
Sam Dixon of Edenton,
advised court officials in
a letter.
Dixon said April 5 is the
next date Judge Robert
Trivette is in Pasquotank
the ECDC’s functions to
be absorbed by the recent
ly created ECP.
^EQDC, or Edenton To
day, will be regarded as
ECP, pending final ap
proval of the ECDC board
of directors who has al
ready tentatively agreed
District Court.
That date is available
for his firm and also for
attorney John Leidy, who
is representing COA’s in
terests.
A hearing has been de
layed for various reasons
since as far back as Oct.
31.
A hearing was set for
Feb. 2, with Trivette to
to the change.
ECDC’s board members
will remain as the core of
ECP, which will have addi
tional board members, 15
with voting privileges and
two ex-officio members
(Town Manager Anne Ma
rie Knighton and County
requested the Feb. 14 report, has
named a subcommittee to study
the findings. Rep. Julia Howard,
R-Iredell, said in an email Mon
day afternoon that Rep. Edgar
Starnes, R-Caldwell, would head
the committee.
The report cited “low visita
tion” due to being located in a
small community as its reason
for recommending the two day
a week closing in Edenton. The
local visitor center ranked third
on a list within the report that
ranked the sites having the
highest net state cost per visitor
for the year.
According to the report, the
center had 22,252 visitors dur
ing 2010-11. Total expenditures
for the center were listed at
$428,720.
Personnel costs at the center
were $339,765; purchases/ser
vices were $86,444.
Having Historic Edenton and
See HISTORIC, 3A
preside, but the matter
had to be reset because a
state witness had a family
medical emergency.
The threat was reported
the morning of Oct. 3.
White, of Tyner and at
the time an Elizabeth City
State University student,
was arrested later in the
evening, charged with
misdemeanor cyberstalk
Manager Zee Lamb).
In addition to respec
tive town and county
representatives, ECP will
also have a private sector
component.
The amendments would
See PARTNERSHIP, 3A
Council
taps
Simpson
for seat
By REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
The Edenton Town
Council has chosen Norma
Simpson to complete the
unexpired council term of
Phyllis Britton, who died
late last
year.
Simp
son — one
of three
Third
Ward resi
dents who
applied
to replace
Britton — was nominated
by Councilman Willis Priv
ott to fill the seat during
council’s regular monthly
meeting on Feb. 14.
Neither of the other
two applicants — the Rev.
Roscoe Poole and Amelle
O’Leary — received a nom
ination. Instead, the coun
cil voted unanimously to
have Simpson finish the
remaining two years, of
Britton’s four-year term.
After the vote, Simpson,
who was seated in the
audience along with the
other two applicants, said,
“Thank you.”
Mayor Roland Vaughan
said a swearing-in ceremo
ny for Simpson will take
place at a special meeting
later this month so that
her family and friends can
be with her for the occa
sion.
“This (delaying the
swearing in) will also give
(Simpson) the opportunity
to be brought up to speed
on the issues important to
the town,” Vaughan said.
Vaughan said Town Man
ager Anne-Marie Knighton
and other town staff would
be briefing Simpson prior
to her first official meeting
on Feb. 27.
Vaughan also thanked
Poole and O’Leary for their
interest in serving.
Poole said last Wednes
day afternoon that he felt
Simpson would do a good
job on the council.
“I wish her well,” Poole
See SIMPSON, 3A
ing and released on an un
secured bond.
Dixon wants the court
to throw out White’s state
ment to Elizabeth City po
lice because he believes
what she told police was
obtained in violation of
her rights to remain si
lent and have an attorney
present during question
ing.
Eat In or Take-Out
DO
Pancake Breakfast
for the Edenton/Chowan Boys & Girls Club
X« u Saturday, February 25 I 8AM - 11:00AM
Club Edenton UMC Family Life Center
$7