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106 W WATER ST
EDENTON NC 27932-1854
482-4418
Wednesday, December 18, 201 3
Look for Santa
letters Inside
50*
Board seeks public input in superintendent search
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
The school board will
hear a report at its Jan. 6
meeting on progress being
made in a search for a new
school superintendent.
Edenton-Chowan
Schools Superintendent
Allan Smith will be leaving
his position at the end of
the 2013-2014 school year.
Board of Education
Chairman John Guard said
that when launching its
searching the school board
reached out to the N.C.
School Board Association.
Personnel from that office
will be assisting them in
reviewing applications and
compiling data from an on
line survey seeking input
from citizens as well as
teachers and other school
staff about characteristics
they think are important in
a school superintendent for
the community, he said.
“We’re trying to make
the best decision and find
the best person to lead the
Edenton-Chowan Schools
hopefully for many years,”
Guard said.
The online survey di
rected toward citizen input
asks them to rank skills
and personal abilities such
as people skills, knowl
edge of technology and
a willingness to consider
new ideas. Guard said the
survey created for school
personnel is similar but
contains some different
questions.
Guard said the school
board is hoping for many
responses from the com
munity to the online sur
vey which can be accessed
from the Edenton-Chowan
Schools website.
The application process
began Nov. 21, Guard said,
and ends Jan. 21. Online
comments must be submit'
ted by Jan. 2.
“If people feel comfort
able using a computer to
complete the survey we
want to encourage them to
do so online,” Guard said.
For those who don’t, he
said, printed copies of the
survey are available frorti
the school system’s cen
tral office on West Queen
Street and at the Shepard
Pruden Library in down
town Edenton.
Anyone with questions
about the online survey
may contact the school
system’s central office At
482-4436.
Seeing the Sights
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PHOTO COURTESY WAYNE WOODBURY
Guests visit the historic Elliott-Sitjerson House during last weekend’s Candlelight Tour. |
Candlelight tour draws large crowd
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer .
ust over 1,700 people
purchased tickets for
this year’s Candlelight
Ibur, according to Gregg
Nathan, executive director
of the Edenton Historical
Commission that sponsors
the tour.
Nathan said that made
the tour — held Friday and
Saturday — the third most
successful in the event’s
32-year history. He said he
thought the creation of a
user-fnendly online ticket
purchase system was a big
part of the reason.
“People could purchase
tickets when we weren’t
here, when it was conve
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
A family-owned restau
rant started nearly two de
cades ago by the kite Murray
Nixon will close its doors
for the last time on Dec. 29.
Ricky Nixon and his sister
Lynda Harrell, co-owners of
Nixon’s Family Restaurant
on River Road, said the de
cision was a difficult one to
make but that the downturn
€>2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
nient for them,” Nathan
said. “I think that worked
really well for us.”
Susan Wood, who co
chaired the event, agreed.
She said that ticket sales
this year were strong and
credited the convenience
of the online system with
helping to boost atten
dance.
“Having our new online
system worked well for the
tour,” Wood said.
Nathan said that Friday,
the first day of the weekend
tour, was a perfect day
for visiting Edenton and
because of predicted heavy
rainfall on Saturday many
people came then.
See TOUR, 3A
in the economy and the re
sulting drop in new custom
ers combined with the rising
cost of doing business with
suppliers made it necessary.
“This was daddy’s
dream,” Harrell said Sunday
afternoon, looking around
the restaurant filled with
Nixon family photos as din
ers filled their plates after
church on Sunday. “We re
ally don’t want to do what
we’re doing but we have no
choice.”
Nixon said that 19 years
ago when his father opened
the newly established busi
ness on Valentine’s Day the
location was ideal. There
were companies such as
See NIXON’S, 3A
ITi in ii ra iMr t—iff i ii i iw mu mn>ipt m i ii— i m ■ •TrrM—i
STAFF PHOTO BY REBECCA BUNCH
Part-time Edenton resident Rita Bigner, left, and her sister Bettie McDade
of North Myrtle Beach, SC look at some gift items at the Barker House
Saturday afternoon during the Candlelight Tour. f
--iz--i-,—
CHOWAN HERALD FILE PHOTO
Visitors to Nixon's Family Restaurant fill their plates from the buffet which
features some of the area’s best country cooking. The restaurant, located
on River Road In Edenton, will be cidslng its doors Dec. 29.
STAFF PHOTO BY REGGIE PONDER
Author Troy Kickler signs a copy of
“The King’s Troublemakers” during
a book-signing event at the Barker.
House Friday afternoon. _
Historian !
signs books
at Barker
House
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor ..
A unique offering in connection
with this year’s Candlelight Tour was
the opportunity to have historian
Ttoy Kickler sign and personalize a
copy of his new book on Edenton’s
contribution to the founding of the
American Republic.
The first printing of fielder’s new
book, “The King’s Troublemakers,”
arrived at the Barker House just in
time for the tour this past weekend,
and Kickler made his made to town
to sign copies of the book on Friday
afternoon.
“I wanted to remind people that
the founding occurred in places
other than Boston and Philadelphia
— and Edenton had an important
role,” Kickler said of the book’s focus
on local founders.
The book is published by the Eden
ton Historical Commission and is on
sale at the Barker House.
Jerry Climer,, chairman of the
Edenton Historical Commission,
said the book signing was an ideal
event to hold in conjunction with
the tour. Climer noted the event was
impromptu — scheduled after the
books unexpectedly arrived in ad
vance of the tour.
The commission plans to have
Kickler return early next year for a
more widely publicized event so he
can sign books again and possibly
present a lecture on Edenton’s role
See SIGNING, 3A
Smoke, fire
mar house
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
A fire in the kitchen area dant
aged a house on Granville Street
Monday night — but the family was
unharmed
In addition, firefighters and com
munity volunteers removed Christ
mas gifts from Jeff Thatcher’s home
at 201S. Granville St, and were hope- ■?
ful that the presents would be OK
The fire started in the kitchen area
Set* FIRE, 3A
"'Come join Us As We CeUhroU ST. PAUL S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 5:30 PM CHILDREN’S SERVICE
Our lord's Birthn , ' • ^_..,_.. 10:30 PM SPECIAL CHRISTMAS MUSIC
11:00 PM CANDLELIGHT COMMUNION
5> C CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE
Ihc Rgv. Dr. Rob MacSwainl 10:00
ST. PAUL’S, 101 W. CHURCH ST.
Rev. James G. Reed, Interim Rector
v{.
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invites you to our
CHRISTMAS
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