482-4418
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Schools collect food for
local food pantry — 4A
50*
Food pantry sees increased demand
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
While there has been an
estimated 20-plus percent
increase in the demand for
services from the Eden
ton-Chowan Food Pantry
over the past 12 months,
the community has risen to
the challenge, according to
Food Pantry Director Ray
Wells.
“The community has
been very generous in
providing for those who
needed their help," Wells
II....--. -.
Roy Harrell
Harrell,
former
mayor,
dies at 83
■ Served as mayor of
Edenton for 19 years
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Former Edenton Mayor
Roy Harrell died Monday.
Harrell, 83, had served as
mayor for 19 years. He had
also served several terms on
the town council
Town Manager Anne-Ma
rie Knighton said she would
always remember Harrell
for his love of service to the
community.
“He loved being mayor,”
Knighton said. “And I think
in particular he got a lot of
satisfaction and joy from
seeing the town’s recreation
department grow. I think he
was proud of the recreation
programs that were devel
oped over the years that he
served as mayor.”
Knighton, a Massachusetts
native, said that she and Har
rell shared a love of baseball
“He knew I was a big base
ball fan, especially of the
Boston Red Sox, and when
we would see each other in
the years after he left office
we would talk about base
ball,” Knighton said.
Councilman Willis Privott,
who recently retired after
more than 30 years of service
on the town council, shared
some memories of Harrell as
well
Privott said that Harrell
had a deep love for Edenton
and its people — especially
those that did not have as
much as others.
“Roy always had the best
interests of the town and the
people at heart in everything
he did,” Privott said “He was
always trying to lift people
up.”
Privott said that when he
was a brand new council
member Harrell took him
See HARREL1,2A
6
©2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved'
said, “and we’ve been able
to meet that need.”
But- he cautioned the
community not to discon
tinue its support now that
the holidays have passed.
Wells expressed grati
tude to those who have
held events and given pri
vate donations. He also
offered his thanks to the
Edenton-Chowan Schools
for the Lock Up Hunger
fundraiser that is taking
place now and to the Uni
tarian group that will be
hosting a Fill Up the Pantry
Getting Guns off the Streets
PHOTO COURTESY EDEN TON POLICE DEPARTMENT
These guns were received during the recent gun buy-back conducted by the Edenton Police Department.
Edenton Police conduct gun buyback
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Town officials say they
are pleased with the re
sults of a gun buyback
carried out in mid-De
cember by the Edenton
Police Department.
Police Chief Jay Forten
bery said that he had
been uncertain what the
response might be to the
event that was held Dec.
18-19. But he was encour
aged by the outcome, he
said.
Roper woman gives birth to New Year’s baby
From staff reports
Nineteen year-old Kadi
jah Holley of Roper is the
mother of the first baby
bom at Vidant Chowan
Hospital in Edenton in the
year 2014.
Holley said she was sur
prised but excited to find
out that her daughter Kali
yah was Chowan County’s
New Year’s Baby.
The baby was bom at
4:12 p.m. on Jan. 1.
“I was really surprised,”
Holley said on Friday
morning. “I didn’t find out
that she was the New Year’s
Baby until yesterday.”
• : ..'v
f.. ’ % f:
See BABY, 2A
Police seek New Year’s Day robber
From staff reports
Police are asking for the
public’s help in locating a
gun-wielding robber who'
held up an Edenton con
venience store on New
Year’s Day.
Police Chief Jay Forten
bery said that the incident
fundraiser on Feb. 22 at the
Nothin’ Fancy Cafe & Mar
ket in Edenton.
“It is always encourag
ing to see young people
become aware of what the
need is and want to help,”
Wells said. “And the UU
group put on a tremendous
fundraiser for us last year.
We’re looking forward to a
very enjoyable evening of
delicious food for a good
cause.”
Wells said he also
See PANTRY, 2A
“The gun buyback went
pretty well,” Fortenbery
said. “And it helped us get
some guns off the street,
which is a good thing.”
Fortenbery said that
the first day of the buy
back his department
purchased two shotguns,
six rifles and nine hand
guns. On the second day,
they purchased three BB
guns.
“All total for both days
we bought 17 firearms and
three BB guns and spent
a total of $940,” Forten
occurred around 7 am. on
Jaa 1 at the X-Mart in the
700 block of North Broad
Street
The suspect was de
scribed as a black male,
medium in build, wear
ing black clothing, with
a black trash bag tied
around his head, but with
bery said. “We think this
is a great way to get extra
guns off the street and
we will evaluate the cost
effectiveness of the pro
gram before scheduling
another session.”
The police chief noted
that the BB guns that were
purchased were rifles.
“Many BB guns today
look just like real guns,”
Fortenbery said. “Parents
need to be careful about
allowing children to play
with these weapons unsu
pervised.”
a hole also cut out so he
could see, Fortenbery
said.
The suspect, after pro
ducing a handgun and af
ter getting an unspecified
amount of money, left the
store in a green Chevrolet
Blazer or a GMC Jimmy
with a roof rack, Forten
' •>
The town had budgeted
a thousand dollars in seed
money for the project,
said Town Manager Anne
Marie Knighton. She said
town officials would talk
with the town council
about the initial results
of the program and a de
cision would be made
about whether to contin
ue it. Funds raised from
this first effort could be
used to help fund future
buybacks, Knighton said.
“That’s sometlung we’re
considering,” she said.
~ STAFF PHOTO BY
REBECCA BUNCH
Kadijah Holley,
19, of Roper (at
left) is the proud
mom of the first
baby born at
Vldant Chowan
Hospital during
the new year.
Above, she holds
L her daughter
I Kaliyah, as her
own mother
Sheronda Holley,
also of Roper,
looks on. Kaliyah
weighed 6 lbs.,
9 ozs. at birth,
hospital officials
said.
bery said. Fortenbery said
the vehicle was last spot
ted going east on Park Av
enue, with the vehicle not
having a license tag.
Fortenbery said Monday
that anyone with informa
tion that might help solve
the case is encouraged to
call the police at 482-5144.
FILE PHOTO
In this Chowan
Herald
file photo,
volunteers
Jeanette
Drew and Bob
Zembraski
back boxes of
food that will
be distributed
at the Edenton
Chowan Food
Pantry.
Hardison
named
interim
manager
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Clifton Hardison has
been named interim coun
ty manager for Chowan
County.
The Chowan Board of
Commissioners appoint
ed Hardison to the post at
the board’s regular meet
. ing Monday night.
Hardison will continue
to serve as director of so
cial services for the coun
ty. He has been the social
services director for four
years.
The board made the in
terim appointment as the
commissioners continue
to search for a county
manager to replace Zee
Lamb.
Lamb, who started last
week as county manag
er in Nash County, was
Chowan’s county manag
er for two years.
Before coming to the
Chowan County Depart
ment of Social Services,
Hardison spent 10 years
with the Martin County
Department of Social
Services — including five
years as assistant director
of the department.
Hardison is a native of
Martin County. He holds
a bachelor’s degree from
Ml. Olive College in busi
ness, with a concentration
in management and orga
nizational development.
He has taken courses in
local government admin
istration from the School
of Government at the Uni
versity of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill.
Chairman Keith Nixon
pointed out during the
meeting Monday that
Hardison had been with
the county through two
hurricanes.
After the meeting, Hard
ison recalled that DSS had
set up emergency shelters
in 2011 in the aftermath of
Hurricane Irene.
The board appointed -
Hardison unanimously on
a motion by Commission
er Emmett Winbome.
Hardison thanked the
board for its vote of con
fidence and then took a
seat at the .county man
ager spot to assume his
duties as interim county
manager.
Winbome asked Hardi
son, partly in jest, what
the county should do
about revaluation.
The county is in the
midst of the revaluation
process, in which proper
ties in the county are as
signed new values for tax
See HARDISON, 2A
. . , ‘ .< . 4