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Wednesday, May 1 3, 2015
Students: ‘Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers’
■ Science students take
stand against invasive hydrilla
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Science students from John
A. Holmes High School led
a discussion at Arrowhead
Beach Saturday about the need
to control the invasive water
weed hydrilla
Among the public officials
who turned out for the event
was Rep. Bob Steinburg, R
Chowan, who noted he missed
Gov. Pat McCrory’s speech at
the Elizabeth City State Univer
sity Commencement in order
to attend the Arrowhead Beach
gathering.
The event was held at the Ar
rowhead Beach Clubhouse and
was sponsored by the Arrow
head Beach Property Owners
Association.
Steirtburg said that since be
ing elected to the N.C. House
of Representatives in 2012 he
had learned much about hy
drilla He thanked Holmes High
School science teacher Steve
Karl and the students for their
work to raise awareness of hy
drilla and how to stop it from
spreading.
Steinburg said it was refresh
ing to see young people taking
this issue on and providing
leadership on it.
“This is an extremely serious
issue that none of us should
take lightly,” Steinbilrg said.
Without constant vigilance,
the Chow.'in River’s usefulness
as a commercial waterway
- including its use by barges
serving the Nucor Steel plant
in Bertie County - could be
threatened, according to
Steinburg.
“This waterway
could very easily be
choked off," Stein
burg said.
A successful
strategy will re
quire participation
by other counties in
addition to Chowan,
Steinburg said.
The state is putting
See HYDRILLA, 4A
STAFF PHOTO
BY REGGIE PONDER
«.x_ Pictured is the
logo seen on
the backs
of students
T-shirts.
Beneath
the logo,
not in photo,
is written:
‘Stop Aquatic
Hitchhikers!'
Norris
leaving
for job
in Florida
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Town of Edenton Public Works Di
rector John Norris has resigned. He
has accepted a position as division
director of storm water, streets and
traffic for the city of St. Petersburg,
Fla
Town Manager Anne-Marie Knigh
ton said she was sad to receive his let
ter of resignation last week because
he has been an outstanding employee
who Ls highly respected by those he
supervises.
In a letter to the mayor and town
council, Knighton said Norris had
told her that besides Edenton, St.
Petersburg — a city where there is a
population of 250,000 people — was
the only other place he really would
love to live and work. He and his fam
ily will be leaving later this month to
move there. His resignation will be
come effective May 29.
“He always told me Edenton was
his dream job, and tire only other
place he would consider moving to
was St Petersburg,” Knighton said.
“This city has an incredible reputation
in the national world of public adnrin
istration — so career-wise, this is an
incredible opportunity for John.”
“As a manager 1 am crashed to lost1
a valued member of our team but 1
am also very' proud that a member of
our team is joining tlris outstanding
See NORRIS, 4A
STAFF PHOTO BY REBECCA BUNCH
Pastors Randy Pierce and Jonthan Downing were among the speakers at Thursday’s National Day of Prayer observance inside the
1767 Chowan Courthouse. Pierce is pastor at First Assembly of God, while Downing and her husband Andy are co-pastors at Shalom
International. See story and more photos from National Day of Prayer on SB.
Lassiter named CMS principal
From staff reports
During a special meeting
Monday, the Edenton-Chowan
Board of Education approved
John Lassiter to become the
principal of Chowan Middle
School effective July 1.
Lassiter was recommended
for the position by Superinten
dent Rob Jackson following a
two-month application and se
lection process.
Lassiter will follow Tanya
Turner, who wiJ] serve as as
sistant superintendent for the
school system next school
year.
“1 ant very excited that
Chowan Middle School will
continue to et\joy outstanding
service from a principal with
lifelong ties to the area" Jack
son said. “Mr. Lassiter’s proven
ability in instructional leader
ship will help to ensure that the
school continues to be regard
ed as one of the finest Middle
Schools Ln the state.”
Lassiter is currently an as
sistant principal at Currituck
High School serving in that role
for tire past two years. I‘nor to
Iris role as assistant principal,
he began his teacliing career
at Jolui A. Holmes High School
in 2009 as a math teacher and
later moved to Perquimans
County High School to teach
before entering into school
See LASSITER, 4A
School meal prices to rise in 2015-16
From staff reports
Meals in the Edenton
Chowan Schools will get a
little more expensive when
school starts next fall.
Breakfast prices for stu
dents will rise from the cur
©2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
rent $1 to $1.25 at the start of
the next school year, a move
that Karen lynch, child nutri
tion director for the school
system, said was being nec
essary because of increased
costs.
“We have not increased (the
cost of) breakfast in six years,
so we need to (raise) the price
due to increased food costs,”
she said.
'lynch explained to the
school board at its May 4
meeting that the cost of
school lunches would need to
increase by ID cents next year
to meet federal requirements.
“The USDA (United States
Department of Agriculture)
requires that school districts
work towards meeting the
$2.70 per meal price for paid
students (at lunch),” lynch
said. "The $2.70 amount equals
what the USDA gives us for a
free student meal minus what
we receive from USDA for a
paid student meal.”
The board unanimously
voted to approve the request
ed increase for both meals.
FILE PHOTO
Edenton's
Cody Byrum
slides into
home
against
Currituck
during a
game in
this year’s
Albemarle
Easter
Tournament.
Aces at home tonight
in first round of plavoffs
From staff reports
The Edenton Aces baseball team
is at home tonight for the first round
of the 2A staff playoffs.
The team will host South Lenoir
today (Wednesday) at 7 p.m.
The team didn’t want to capture
a conference championship on the
heels of a loss, but that’s what hap
pened anyway last Tuesday. That
didn’t stop the Aces from polish
ing off their Northeastern Coastal
Conference title in style Thursday
by beating Pasquotank 7-2 at Hicks
Field.
Edenton (14-5, 10-2 NC(') could
have made it official last Tuesday at
last-place Hertford County, but took
a 2-0 defeat in Ahoskie.
Instead, second-place First Flight
(9-7, 8—4) helped the Aces’ cause the
same day by falling to Bertie.
Against the Panthers, Austin
Melton was 3-for-d with three RBIs
and a homer.
Patrick Downum notched an RBI
double mid Cody Parks brought in
two runs with a double.
Cole Turner started and threw
five innings while Matthew Benfield
came in for the final two framos
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