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Wednesday, November 16, 2016
departs Edenton - 6B
Future of Timbermill Wind Project in question
Chowan grants final approval
for Timbermill wind permit
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
The Chowan County
Board of Commissioners
gave final, formal approval
Monday night to the con
ditional use permit for the
Timbermill Wind Project.
But officials in neighbor
ing Perquimans County
rejected the permit, plac
ing a giant question mark
over the future of the 300
megawatt wind energy gen
eration facility proposed for
the Bear Swamp and Center
Hill areas of Chowan and
Perquimans.
The project by Charlottes
ville, Va-based Apex Clean
Energy Inc. is designed to
include 105 wind turbines,
48 of which would be locat
ed in Chowan County and
the balance in Perquimans.
The Perquimans County
Board of Commissioners
voted 3-2 Monday not to
approve the permit for the
project.
It was not yet clear Tues
day morning what the im
pact of the Perquimans deci
sion would be on the project
as a whole.
Don Giecek, Apex’s senior
manager of project develop
ment, on Tuesday indicated
the compant remains com
mitted to developing wind
energy in northeastern North
Carolina
“While we are disappoint
ed in last night’s decision,
we remain as committed as
ever to bringing safe, clean
renewable wind energy,
and the jobs and spending
that go with it, to Northeast
North Carolina,” Giecek said
in response to the Perqui
mans vote. “According to the
county’s own outside con
sultant, our application satis
fied all of the requirements
in the county ordinance, and
our plan exceeded all of the
See CHOWAN, 7B
Perquimans rejects
Timbermill Wind Project!
BY PETER WILLIAMS
The Perquimans Weekly
The Perquimans Coun
ty Commission rejected
a plan for a $300 million
wind power project by a
3-2 vote Monday night.
A mzyority of the five
members favored the
project, but individually
three of them had issues
with at least some aspect
of Apex Clean Energy’s
proposal.
Commissioners had to
vote individually on four
issues. All five commis
sioners agreed Apex had
met the burden of proof
on two of them - that
the use would not dam
age pubic health-safety
and secondly that the
project met the require
ments of the county’s
ordnance. But when it
came to the question
of if the project would
“substantially” injure
adjoining property own
ers, both Commission
ers Fondella Leigh and
Wallace Nelson weren’t
convinced it wouldn’t.
The issue came down
to what “substantially”
means.
See PERQUIMANS, 2A

BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Bright sunny skies
greeted those at
tending this year’s
Veterans Day ceremony
Friday at the Chowan
County Veterans Memo
rial.
Vietnam veteran Frank
Jones was the featured
speaker at the event spon
sored by Edward G. Bond
Post 40 of the American
Legion. Jones, a U.S. Navy
veteran who served as
a submariner during the
deadly conflict, today is
the owner of the Down
town Cafe and Soda Shop
in Edenton.
In his opening remarks,
Jones spoke about his
love for Edenton where he
and Iris wife Barbara have
made their home for the
past 20 years.
“As many of you know,”
he said, “I am not a native
of Edenton, but I like to
tell people that 1 got here
as fast as 1 could.”
“I believe Edenton has a
unique character and walk
ing about mindful of the
history and significance of
the things that have taken
place here is an awesome
experience," Jones added.
“Walking near the Albe
marle Sound, especially in
the early morning, is to let
your spirit soar as another
new day arrives.”
On a more serious
note, Jones expressed
his personal appreciation
for their service to all the
veterans present at the
ceremony.
“I would like to thank all
the veterans present here
today for having served in
some capacity in the mili
tary of the greatest nation
on the face of the earth,”
he said. “I know you don’t
need the thanks, but you
deserve it.”
“When 1 see a veteran 1
see someone who I know
is a patriot, who 1 know
loves his or her country,
and someone who made
the decision to serve and
sacrifice for the common
good,” Jones added. “I see
someone who made that
awesome decision at some
point in their life to write
a check to the United
States of America for an
unknown amount up to
and including his or her
life. There is no other com
mitment that compares to
that."
See VETERANS, 4A
STAFF PHOTOS BY REBECCA BUINCH
Members of the John A. Holmes High School JROTC present the colors during the annual Veterans Day
Ceremony held last Friday, Nov. 11 at the Chowan County Veterans Memorial in Edenton.
Winners cite business experience among reasons for victory
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Experience in business and
being able to connect with vot
ers through face-to-face conver
sations were among the reasoas
winning candidates in the contest
ed races for county commissioner
in Chowan County cited for their
victories in last week's General
Election.
All three contested races for
seats on the Chowan Board of
Commissioners featured candi
dates who were not incumbents.
In District 2, Commissioner
Alex Kehayes had decided not to
seek reelection, A fellow Repub
lican, former Chowan Planning
Board member Patti Kersey, won
the seat in the Nov. 8 election,
defeating Democrat Derrick Wad
sworth.
Republican Ron Cummings
defeated Democrat James “Jill”
White in the District 1 race. White
had defeated incumbent Commis
sioner Emmett Win borne in the
Democratic Primary.
In the race for the at-large seat
on die board, Democrat Don Fair
cloth defeated Republican Brian
Ferraraccio. The current occu
pant of the at-large seat, Repub
lican Keith Nixon, did not seek
reelection.
Commissioner Greg Boiuier ran
unopjxised in District 3.
Kersey credited the connection
she had been able to make with
voters on a personal level with
helping her win the election.
“1 tlunk it was not really any par
ticular issue, although 1 did have
gatherings where I would talk
about things I think are important
in local government,” Kersey said.
One of die issues people ex
pressed concern about was taxes,
she said.
“Folks don’t want to see their
taxes go up. I think that’s one that
gets their attention,” she said.
Kersey also noted that she did a
lot of door-to-door campaigning.
“I have been knocking on
doors since June,” Kersey said. “I
knocked on hundreds of doors.”
Kersey’s opponent, Wadsworth,
also mentioned how actively
Kersey campaigned for the seat.
“She worked really hard and
See ELECTION, 2A
Dixon named to Hurricane Matthew recovery panel
From staff reports
Edenton attorney Sambo
Dixon has been named to
Gov. Pat McCrory’s 32-mem
ber task force on rebuilding
areas damaged by Hurri
cane Matthew.
©2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
Dixon is the Albemarle’s
only representative on the
panel, which is chaired by
Thomas Stith, McCrory’s
chief of staff.
“I think the priority right
now is trying to get every
body in a habitable place,
back into a quality living ar
rangement and out of shel
ters," Dixon said Monday
when asked about what he
thought the priorities should
be for the task force. “I think
trying to get compensation
for those who’ve suffered
losses through small busi
ness loans and other means
should also be a priority so
that necessary repairs can
be made.”
Dixon said he also thought
the committee should take a
close look at flood plain is
sues, particularly turning its
attention to areas that have
flooded repeatedly.
McCrory’s Hurricane Mat
thew Recovery Committee
was scheduled to hold its
See DIXON, 7B
FILE PHOTO
Chowan County
maintenance
workers and
Recreation
Department
staff work to
clear debris
and ruined
furnishings from
the Chowan
Senior Center
after Hurricane
Matthew.
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