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MENTON NC 27932-1854
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482-4418 Wednesday, December 9, 2015
50"
Officials seek safe operation of drones
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Concerns over public
safety are resulting in the
development of policies
governing the use of drones
on the grounds of the Eden
ton-Chowan Schools and
the Northeastern Regional
Airport.
The school board unani
mously adopted a policy at
its Dec. 1 monthly meeting
- making it the first school
system in North Carolina to
do so, according to Superin
tendent Rob Jackson.
The policy allows for the
use of drones by students
and staff of the local school
system provided the drones
are operated in compliance
with school and FAA regula
tions.
“Any representative of
Edenton-Chowan Schools,
including but not limited
to, staff members, stu
dents, coaches, sponsors
or parents representing the
school district or any of its
affiliated clubs shall oper
ate any and all district aerial
drones in accordance with
this policy and all applica
ble Federal Aviation regu
lations and shall report any
inappropriate use of an UAV
(Unmanned Aerial Vehicle)
to the school principal, su
perintendent, or other des
ignated school district offi
cial,” according to language
contained in the policy.
The policy also requires
that local residents and
others not associated with
the school system obtain a
signed consent form from
Jackson or his designated
representative for each
planned use. FAA regula
tions must also be followed
in that instance.
Jackson said that the
school system became in
terested in developing a
policy after a couple of in
stances where a drone was
brought to sports-related
events at the high school.
After checking with state
officials for guidance, he
See DRONES, 4A
STAFF PHOTO BY REBECCA BUNCH
D.F. Walker Elementary students sing Christmas songs for guests attending this year’s tree lighting ceremony in downtown Edenton, Friday. See more photos on page 3A.
Resident finds health issues near Wis. wind facility
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
One of the local residents
who has been pushing for
a more stringent wind en
ergy ordinance in Chowan
County spoke to the county
commissioners Monday
night about wind turbine
related health concents she
had learned about during a
visit to a wind fann in WLs
cousin.
Harriet DeHart reported
at the commissioners’ meet
ing Monday night about her
visit to the Shirley wind farm
in Brown County, Wiscon
sin. DeHart explained that
she selected that particular
wind energy facility to visit
partly because she once
lived briefly in Wisconsin.
But she sjiid she ;ilso
picked that facility because
she understood that she
would be able to get a realis
tic picture of what residents
in that area thought. DeHart
said she didn’t want to go
to a dog and pony show but
wanted to talk to people
who lived near the wind
farm.
Charlottesville, Va-based
Apex Clean Energy Inc.
has proposed a utility-scale
wind energy generation fa
cility along the Chowan-Per
quimans line on farmland
and Weyerhauser-owned
timberland.
A group of local citizeas
that includes Del lart has pe
titioned county officials to
adopt more stringent wind
energy regulations that the
citizeas say would better
protect public health, safety
and welfare. More than 600
local residents have signed
a petition supporting the
stricter regulations.
DeHart noted that she
had watched the process of
the Chowan County's Wind
Energy Ordinance being
changed by the coimty com
missioners at the request
of the developer of the pro
posed wind farm. Since then
she has been watching the
process of local residents
submitting a petition seek
ing a more stringent ordi
nance, she said.
DeHart said she had want
ed to learn more about wind
energy facilities. So she and
her husband visited the Wis
consin site, where they rode
around and knocked on
doors, she said.
They noticed signs at all
the entrances to the wind
See WIND HEALTH, 4A
Wood remembered for service
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
John Gilliam Wood III of
Edenton, who established
a long and distinguished re
cord of service to the com
munity, died Tuesday, Dec.
1 at his home. He was 90
years old.
Mayor Roland Vaughan
said that Wood along with
a group of his contempo
raries was instrumental in
0
£,2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
recruiting Seabrook
Blanching, a Penn
sylvania-based com
pany, to come to
Edenton and in help
ing to
establish Peanut
Drive, the area ad
jacent to Seabrook,
as art industrial par k
WOOD
School teacher
once upon a time,”
Vaughan said. “Then
in my college days
when 1 came home
I would get together
at the Woods during
the holiday season.
That was quite a
treat. Nellie Jones
that tcxiay is home to Jun
to’s Jumtos, Regulator Ma
rine and a numtor of other
businesses.
“That area lias since be
come a great asset to the
community,” Vaughan said.
Vaughan said on a more
personal note that he had
known Wood all lus life.
“He was my Sunday
would play the piano and
everybody sang Christmas
songs.”
Vaughan recalled that
Wood was a great storytell
er and particularly loved to
share stories with the cliil
dren in his life.
“I think I’ll remember him
See WOOD, 2A
Input sought in Public Art Initiative
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Almost 250 responses have been re
ceiver! so far to an online survey designed
to go hand in hand with plans for the start
of a Public Art Initiative in the commu
nity.
Those wisliing to complete the survey
can visit www.surveymonkey.eom/r/EPAI.
Geraldine Plato, who has been lured by
Destination Downtown Edenton to help
lay the groundwork for the effort, returned
to Edenton last week to meet with citizens
in a town hall gathering. She also spent
time talking with members of the local
Racial Reconciliation Group in an effort to
gather information so that her final recom
mendations can contain ideas that reflect
the diversity of the local population.
Plato told both groups that the beauty
of the town complemented by a successful
public art program would enhance efforts
to bring visitors to town.
“It (initiative) can be a real economic
engine for the community,” she said.
Marianne Miller, a member of the Rec
onciliation Group, said she felt with all the
creativity in the community a Public Ait
Initiative would be a perfect fit here.
“I’ve never seen more creative, artistic
people anywhere than J have here," she
said.
Local author Kate Ahem observed that
while many people come here for the his
tory there is also a “contemporary rich
ness" that can be found among those who
live here.
Among the ideas discussed was a por
trait project that would involve a public
See PUBLIC ART, 3A