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SHEPHERD PRUDEN LIBRARY
106 W WATER ST
EDENTON NC 27932-1854
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
With the N.C. Senate back
in Raleigh and the House
expected to return Thurs
day, supporters of historic
preservation funding are
still holding out hope for the
program’s prospects this
legislative session.
Although the existing his
toric preservation tax cred
its program did not make it
T
JOHN COLLINS PHOTO
Jerry Calhoun, left, son of the late Emmett Wiggins, talks with retired Edenton airline pilot Jim Baker, right, on Sneak
Preview Day at the 1S86 Roanoke River Lighthouse. Wiggins owned the lighthouse for many years maintaining It as a
private residence. For more about the reopening of the Roanoke River Lighthouse, see story, photos, 4B.
Jackson updates school board on facility improvements
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Superintendent Rob
Jackson gave school
board members an up
date on the status of capi
tal outlay projects dur
ing their Aug. 4 monthly
meeting.
Jackson said that carpet
replacement in six class
Officials consider southern
fire station possibilities
> h ' ' ; *• ' .
■ Substation, new fire
tax district among ideas
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
As Chowan County offi
cials consider how to fund
a fire substation that could
ease insurance rates in the
southern part of the county,
02009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
into the fi
nal version
of the state
budget,
N.C. De
partment
of Cultural
Resources
Secretary
Susan
Kluttz this week sent a mes
sage to supporters of histor
ic preservation legislation:
“It’s not over. The legislature
KLUTTZ
rooms at White Oak El
ementary School is nearly
complete. Furniture has
been ordered for John A.
Holmes High School. Jack
son said,he was especially
pleased that additional
chairs and racks would
be available in the Holmes
band room when students
return to school.
“I’m especially excited
one idea that keeps floating
to the top is the prospect of
a separate fire tax district
for the area that would ben
efit from the substation. , £
For some time how,
county officials have been
talking about the possibility
of building a substation to
enhance fire coverage, and
improve homeowners’ in
surance rates, in the south
ern part of the county.
A committee of county
commissioners studying the
issue met last month and is
slated to meet again during
the first week of Septem
is not officially a4joumed.
You can still make a differ
ence.”
. local leaders have
stressed how important his
toric preservation has been
to Edenton. Mayor Roland
Vaughan made the case in
an op-ed this spring in the
Raleigh News and Observ
er.
Kluttz encouraged legisla
tors to consider supporting
historic preservation in any
about that item because
it means the band is grow
ing,” Jackson said.
Jackson said the news
was not as positive re
garding another project,
one that would have re
placed cafeteria windows
and doors with counter
parts that were safer and
more energy efficient.
That project, Jackson
ber.
County Manager Kevin
Howard said this week that
providing fire coverage that
Could improve insurance
rates for homeowners as far
out from Edenton as Drum
mond’s Point would require
either two substations or a
rural volunteer fire depart
ment
If enough volunteers
come forward to operate a
rural department and citi
zens of the area support a
referendum to create a
See STATION, 3A
economic development or
financial bill.
Rep. Bob Steinburg, R
Chowan, has pushed for the
historic preservation tax
credits and said this week he
believes it still might be pos
sible to get the existing tax
credits extended through
the end of the current fiscal
year - June 30,2015 - which
would give lawmakers time
to consider new ways to
support historic preserva
said, has been put on hold
due to the width of the ex
isting windows, he said.'
The type of windows the
school system had hoped
to purchase are not avail
able in the dimensions
they need, Jackson said.
The capital outlay
budget also calls for the
school system to spend
$20,000 for replacement
Former Edenton Police Chief
C. Harvey Williams dies at 78
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
When former Edenton
Police Chief Charles Har
vey Williams Sr. died Aug.
7 at age 78 he left behind
a lot of good memories in
the hearts of those who
worked alongside him.
Among them is Rosa
Bunch, who was hired as a
records clerk for the Eden
ton Police Department in
the early 1990s and contin
ues in that role today.
“He was a great man and
a great boss," said Bunch.
tion.
Kluttz said grassroots sto
ries about the importance
of historic preservation to
towns and cities across the
state are making an impact
“Everyone agrees that
historic preservation brings
jobs and economic develop
ment into small towns and
urban downtowns,” Kluttz
said. “It has been shown
many times over that saving
one building has a ripple ef
Hospital eyes
costs, revenues
in wake of cuts
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Vidant Chowan Hospital continues to look for
ways to trim expenses and grow outpatient ser
vices as it faces a tight squeeze from a second con
secutive year of Medicaid reimbursement cuts in
the state budget, hospital officials said this week.
The recently adopted state budget cuts more
than $45 million from Medicaid reimbursements to
hospitals, bringing the total reduction over the past
two years to more than $200 million, according to
data compiled by the N.C. Hospital Association.
Vidant Chowan Hospital President Jeffrey Sack
rison explained that Medicaid is an important
source of revenue for the hospital.
Sackrison said about 55 percent of the revenue
at Vidant Chowan Hospital comes from Medicare
and about 20 percent comes from Medicaid.
The hospital’s concerns regarding the state
budget have to do with Medicaid, which is partly
funded by the state.
The hospital is facing a reduced rate of reim
bursement through the Medicaid program The
hospital receiving less money for each Medicaid
funded patient it treats.
Sackrison pointed out the reductions this year
are on top of steep reductions last year.
Hie hospital is taking a close look at expenses.
“We’re looking very hard at cutting our expens
es,” Sackrison said.
The hospital continues to look for savings in
purchasing and is able to take advantage of vol
ume discounts by being part of the Vidant system.
Sackrison said the hospital is always looking at
the cost of supplies and at the cost of service con
tracts.
In fact, Sackrison pointed out the hospital is
doing a case-by-case evaluation for each piece
f
I
See Hospital, 2A
lighting in the schools.
Board member Gil Bur
roughs asked whether
replacing existing light
ing with LED lighting was
being made a priority. He
said he strongly believed
that it should be.
Jackson said he was
uncertain as he only
came on board as super
intendent in early July.
“He was
honest,
and firm
when he
needed
to be.”
Bunch
said that
the for
mer po
lice chiefs granddaughter
played in a lot of sports
related activities with her
daughter, so that gave her
the chance to see and talk
with Williams for many
years after he retired from
active duty with the depart
WILLIAMS
feet for a whole community
in so many positive ways.
Let’s capitalize on our agree
ments and work together on
finding a solution.”
Since 1976, historic pres
ervation incentives provid
ed by the state and federal
governments have helped
bring in more than $1.7 bil
lion in private investment to
the state while preserving
See FUNDING, 2A
But, he. said, his strong
preference if he had been
in on planning the budget
would have been for LED
lighting.
Fellow board member
Gene Jordan concurred
that the school system
needed to carefully con
sider its purchases.
“We need to make wise
decisions,” he said.
ment
“He was a kind man who
loved his family and cared
a lot about others. I really
ei\joyed the chance to see
him and talk with him at
the games,” Bunch said. “I
will miss him.” j.
Retired Edenton Police
Officer Rhonda Copeland
said during an interview
earlier this year that Wil
liams hired her and sup
ported her work as a patrol
officer and later as the first
female detective on the
See WILLIAMS, 3A
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