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EDENTON NC 27932-1854
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Wednesday, September 2, 2015
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Panel backs revised wind energy amendment
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
The Chowan County Plan
ning Board last week recom
mended a text amendment
to the county’s wind energy
ordinance that adds stricter
regulations but does not in
clude the one-mile setback
and other specifics from the
board’s April proposal.
For instance, the recom
mended text amendment
does not use the 35 dBa
(decibels) noise limit that
was included in recommen
dations from the planning
board in April. The limit in
the current version of the
recommended amendment
is 55 dBa
In addition to the limit
itself, however, the recom
mended amendment also
includes a requirement that
a baseline dBa value be es
tablished for the noise cur
rently existing at the site.
The revised recommen
dation also calls for the
noise measurement to be
taken at the property line
of a non-participating land
owner. A previous version
put forward by County
Planner Elizabeth Bryant
had the measurement being
taken at any occupied build
ing or residence on the non
participating landowner’s
property.
Members of the planning
board said they thought the
property line measurement
would provide a higher level
of protection from noise.
The text amendment as
proposed by Bryant and
modified during discussion
by planning board mem
bers at the board’s Aug. 26
meeting passed with Chair
man Marvin Hare and board
members Bobby Winbome
and Linda Peterson voting
for it, and board member
Jim Leggett abstaining.
Leggett’s abstention counts
as a ‘yes’ vote.
Board member William
Monds, who had been ex
cused from voting on the
text amendment because
of discussions with Apex
about a potential land lease
involving some of his prop
erty, did not attend the mo
tion. Board member Jim
Robison left the meeting,
See AMENDMENT, 4A
Musicians muster to support Parker schools
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Saturday night indown
town Edenton was till
about Martin Parker.
Friends, family find well
wishers crowded a ben
efit at the Edenton Coffee
House to hear some of Park
er’s bandmates from Out 'n
the (’(rid join other musician
friends of his to pay tribute
to the popular drummer
who remains hospitalized
at Vidant Medical Center in
(Ireenville after suffering
a severe stroke just over a
month ago.
Among them was Justin
Holland, who first suggested
th(‘ lienefit to Anita Ander
sen as a way to help raise
fluids for Parker. Andersen
books the talent and acts
as emcee for the live Friday
night shows at the coffee
house. Anderson grabbl'd
the idea and ran with it.
“Marl in hits never met a
stranger." she said as she
greeted the crowd on Satur
day night, ' lilt glad we can
do this to help hint"
Andersen said Monday
that the results of the fund
raising efforts were “ex
tremely successful in both
financial and moral support
for Martin. Quinton and the
family."
"It absolutely exceeded
all our expectations." (llenn
Andersen added
Among the special guests
[terforming in the show Sat
urday night was Parker's
son. Quinton, a musician in
his own right. He expressed
gratitude for all the l< >ve mid
support that have come his
dad's way since his stroke.
Wes Qissiter of B;u\jo
Island introduced a spe
cial song he had written in
Martin's honor, “< lotta Have
the tlroove,” based on one
of Parkers most often-re
Itealed pieces of advice to
See PARKER, 4A
STAFF PHOTOS BY REBECCA BUNCH
Musician friends of Martin Parker sing the Beatles tune “With a Little Help from My Friends” near the end of
Saturday evening's benefit at the Eaenton Coffee House. See more photos from benefit at DailyADVANCE.COM.
Justin Holland (left photo) performs his original composition, “Slow Jammin' Love Song,” in tribute to Martin
Parker, recalling how Parker has always encouraged his fellow musicians to record their own songs rather than
cover those of others. Chuck Hodges performs at Saturday's benefit for Parker.
Town plans to lower electric rates
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writt-r
Town of Kdenton utility custom
ers can expect to see a decrease in
their electric hills starling in ()cto
lx;r, according to town officials.
Consultants for Raleigh-based
Booth <V Associates lJT' have ns -
ornrnended that the town imple
ment an average 11.4 percent reduc
tion for fill customers, with those
rates remaining constant for the
next •'( years. The town has an esti
mated residential customers.
“Rates are effective Sept. 15
and new rates will be reflected in
customer's bills received on or af
ter Oct 10," said (lleiut Andersen,
director of electric utilities for the
towh. “All new rates will lie posted
on the Town < if Kdenton website af
ter they ;ue approved by the town
council at its next meeting on Sept.
8.”
Mayor Roland Vaughan said that
he welcomed the news since the
rate decrease will benefit the citi
zens and businesses in the town.
ill ii iiiiii iiiiii 111 ii
"89076 4481 3" 'O
02009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
“Rates are effective Sept.
15 and new rates will be
reflected in customer's
bills received on or after
Oct. 10. All new rates will
be posted on the Town of
Edenton website after they
are approved by the town
council at its next meeting
on Sept. 8."
Glenn Andersen
Director, electric utilities
"'nit' sale of generating assets by
Electricities to Duke Energy will
finally bring across the board rate
reductions to our municipal elec
tric customers, both residential and
commercial, thereby putting more
money in the pockets of our citi
zens ;uid businesses,” he said. “It’s
Ixen a long time coming but now
we can enjoy competitive rates for
the next (linn1 years at a stable rate
per kilowatt hour.”
To illustrate the difference in
monthly cost to customers, Ander
sen said that under the old rate a
residential customer's average cost
would lie $137 for a thousajid kilo
watt hours. In contrast, the same
kilowatt horn's at the new rate
would cost a customer $123.lift.
Andersen noted that the rates
charged for Small General Service
(Small Commercial Businesses),
I’ltblic Housing (Housing Author
ity) ;utd Huge Power (Industrial or
Customers with large demtuid) are
;iLso being reduced.
“Cost reduction for these cus
tomers depends on energy use, so
percentages will vary, however, the
average reduction for these cus
tomers is also approximately 9.4
l>ercent," Andersen said.
Utility customers who are
charged special rates — such as
those with solar panels on their
rooftops — and Coincident Peak
customers — those who generate
their own power during “peak’' sys
tem conditions will also see a dif
ference.
“The details of the changes to
these rates art* more complex, and
affect less titan 10 customers iit the
town of Edenton,” Andersen said.
“If the customers affected by these
rates have <uty questions, they can
contact me directly.”
Andersen stud that the electric
rates cluirged by the Town of Eden
ton luive held steady since 2009^
maintain
teacher
assistants
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Officials in the Edenton
C'howan Schools say they
have no plans at this time
to cut jobs — preferring
instead to wait and see the
finalized budget adopted by
the N.C. General Assembly.
The legislature last week
signed a continuing budget
resolution but has yet to
adopt a final budget.
“The school system does
not have any current plans
to lay-off personnel in ad
vance of the state budget
being approved," Superin
tendent Rob Jackson said.
“I remain hopeful that the
state will fully fund teacher
assistants and the drivers
education program.”
School board chair Jolm
Guard said he and other
school board members fully
support Jackson’s recom
mendation on handling the
situation.
“We’re gonna go on faith,”
Guard said, “and keep things
as they are for now,"
The approach here differs
from the decision made in
some other school systems
to let teacher assistants
go because of uncertainty
about the state budget. For
example, the Elizabeth City
Pasquotank Board of Edu
cation last week voted to let
go nine teacher assistants.
Guard said that while
the school board obviously
would not have a decision
from the legislature in time
for its Sept. 1 meeting he
hoped that things would
See ASSISTANTS, 2A
Chowan loses more
than 5th of workforce
from staff reports
Lalxrr statistics show ( ho wan
( oiinty hits lost more than ;i fit tit
of its lalM>r force since tin1 reees
sion hit in 3)08.
Chowan reported 107 fewer
unemployixl in May 2015 in com
parison with prmnxession num
Ix-rs, but the county also saw
1,492 workers leave the local
workforce since tlie start of the
recession, 'll cit s a 20.9 percent
decrease in workforce, nearly
mirroring the 20.8 percent drop
in the nuiniter of unemployed.
Only tlirve counties in the
stale have seen a greater |>ercent
loss in labor force during this pe
riod.
Neighlxtring Washington
County lost 1,4.50 workers - 22.1
percent of its workforce.
Nearlty Tyrrell Coiuity lost
546 workers - 25.2 percent of its
workforce.
The biggest percent loss in
workforce was in Graham Coun
ty, which lost 1,49(3 workers
-31.8 percent of its workforce.
Meanwhile, Meckler ibt lrg
Comity lias seen a 22.6 percent
increase in its workforce, Wake
County a 20.9 percent increase,
SIGNIFICANT DROP
■ Only three counties in the
state have seen a greater percent
loss in labor force.
Union County a 20.8 percent
increase, and rural Johnston
County - located just east of tire
Triangle area - has seen a 16.5
jjercent increase.
Ami unemployment rates for
May:
Chowan - 7.2 [>ercent, 1.3
percent over the state rate; em
ployment down 1.3 percent dur
ing the past year
Bertie - 7.6 percent. 1.7 per
cent over the state rate; employ
ment down 0.2 percent during
the past year
Gates - 5.6 percent - 0.3 per
cent below the state rate; env
ployment up 1.2 percent during
the past year
Perquimans - 7.5 percent,
1.6 percent over the state rate;
employment down 0.9 percent
during the past year
Washington - 8.7 percent 2.8
percent over the state rate; em
ployment unchanged during the
past year. * ,