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SHEPHERD PRUDEN LIBRARY
106 W WATER ST
EDENTON NC 27932-1854
482-4418
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
‘Musicians for
Martin’ Aug.
29 to benefit
Parker — IB
50*
County OKs raises for sheriff’s office, jail, 911
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
The Chowan County
Board of Commissioners
on a split vote Monday ap
proved the reinstatement
of the “career ladder” pay
plan in this budget year for
employees of the sheriffs
office, jail and 911 center.
Sheriff Dwayne Good
win made an appeal on
behalf of his officers at
Monday’s meeting of the
county commissioners and
said he would pay for the
raises without increasing
his budget by using savings
from lapsed salaries and
pursuing new revenues by
housing state or federal in
mates at the jail.
The motion by Commis
sioner Ellis Lawrence to re
instate the pay plan passed
with Commissioner Keith
Nixon and Chairman Jeff
Smith voting against it, Nix
on and Smith said they sup
port employees but were
concerned about the timing
of the action.
Timing concerns stem
both from the decision
coming in the middle of the
budget year and from the
commissioners not having
seen the audit report for the
2014-20i5 budget year in
order to gauge the health of
the county’s reserves.
Lawrence’s motion also
directed County Manager
Kevin Howard to study
the salaries of employees
in other departments and
bring back a report to the
commissioners for their
consideration.
A number of commis
sioners acknowledged the
potential for dissatisfaction
among employees if one de
partment appeared to have
been singled out for pay
hikes.
Goodwin in his appeal for
the raises told the commis
sioners that since 2007 he
had lost 15 employees be
cause of salary.
Starting pay for a Chow
an deputy is slightly less
than $32,000 a year. The
sheriff said the county has
difficulty competing with
nearby counties, state agen
cies and other employers.
Goodwin pointed out he
See RAISES, 4A
Schools charged to ‘play to win’ at kickoff event
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Steve Lassiter sounded
like a coach as he chal
lenged teachers, principals
and other employees of the
Edenton-Ch< >vvan Schools
with a goal fpr the 2015-2016
school year Play to win.
And Lassiter, a Chowan
County native wh< > is princi
pal at Paetolus Elementary
School in Pitt County and
the state's 2015 Wells Fargo
Principal of the Year, is ev
ery bit a coach - or mentor,
a term he especially likes -
in his work at Paetolus and
statewide.
Everything an educator
does has the potential to
leave a lasting impression
on a cluld, Lassiter said
in Iris keynote address at
Friday’s Edenton-Chowan
Schools Back to School
(’onvocation.
“Are you committed
fully for t>eing a champion
for (‘very child this school
year and beyond .’ " lassiter
asked.
Lassiter challenged those
at the convocation to invest
ing quality time in children,
knowing that it c;m inspire
them and help them discov
er that greatness lies within
them.
See CHARGED, 4A
STAFF PHOTO BY REGGIE PONDER
Steve Lassiter, a graduate of John A. Holmes High School who is the state's 2015 Wells Fargo Principal of the Year, helps measure a cookie as a judge
in the Ultimate Oreo" spirit activity at the Edenton-Chowan Schools Back to School Convocation. See more photos from convocation on page 6A.
Legislators help schools kick off new academic year
\STAFF PHOTOS BY PEGGIE PONDER
Rep. Bob Steinburg, R-Chowan (left), and Sen. Erica Smith
Ingram, D-Northampton, each spoke at Edenton-Chowan Schools
Back to School Convocation at Rocky Hock Baptist Church, Friday.
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Sen. Erica Smith-Ingram, D
Northampton, recalled in her re
marks at the Edenton-Chowan
Schools Back to School Convoca
tion holiday that when she began
as a teacher in the Northampton
County Schools, her child support
was more than her take-home pay.
“The old ex was good for some
thing, because my child support
was more titan my take-home pay
as an educator," she said.
Smith-Ingram said she had de
cided to become a high school
teacher in Northampton County af
ter returning front a mission trip to
Uganda in 199.1 She left her good
paying government jolt and took a
$50,(X)()-a-year pay cut to become a
teacher, she said.
But teachers and other educa
tors need to be paid a saktry com
mensurate with the importance of
what they do as shapers of eliil
dren’s minds, slit' said.
“That is why 1 get up every morn
ing and 1 fight the good fight for y< >u
in the (ieneral Assembly," Smith-In
gram said. “I will continue to fight
until we have the' respect that we
deserve.”
Rep. Bob Stein burg, R-C’howan,
said the I louse is working to main
tain teacher assistants in the state
budget and is struggling with the
Senate over that issue.
“1 feel extremely confident that
at the end of the day the 1 louse
position to maintain teacher assis
tants is going to prevail,” Steinburg
said.
Steinburg said if he took arty
shots at the Senate, he was exclud
ing from his comments Smith-In
gram, whom he said was support
ing the House position on teacher
assistants.
Smith-lngnun thanked Steinburg
for the clarification.
See LEGISLATORS, 3A
Town eyes economic
study on sale of building
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
The Eden ton Town Council
has asked town staff to prepare
an economic impact report on
the two proposals that have
been submitted by prospective
buyers of the former Northeast
Commission Building.
The report is exptvted to be
ready in time for the council’s
Aug. 24 work session.
6
0
©2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
MORE INSIDE
■ Sailing class volunteers ask to
keep Sunfish space - 2A
During the council’s Aug. 11
monthly meeting, council mem
bers agreed it would be in the
town’s best interest to have staff
analyze tire economic impact ,
of tire two proposals from pro
spective buyers of tire building,
sometimes referred to as tire old
ice plant.
(lire of tire development
groups trying to acquire tire
property Ls headed by John
See STUDY, 3A
Clam right! Steamers take Petitt Cup
Edenton
Gastonia
10
4
BY OWEN HASSELL
Sports Editor
On the 10-year anniversary to the day
of their second-ever championship, the
Edenton Steamers found the perfect
way to celebrate.
Why not win another?
That task was completed Friday in a
sweep of Gastonia in the Coastal Plain
ejoLeague’s Petitt Cup championship se
ries, lieal ing the Grizzlies KM at Hicks
Field to negate a need for a third game
in the (test-of-three series.
Edenton won at Gastonia 15-3 a day
earlier to set up the opportunity for the
team's third CPL crown in history, and
first in front of its home farts.
See STEAMERS, 4A
STAFF PHOTO
BY THOMAS
J. TURNEY
Edenton’s
Mick Fennell
kisses the
Petitt Cup
after the
Steamers
defeated
Gastonia for
the Coastal
Plain League
title, Friday.
See
slideshow
of game at
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