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Wednesday, February 8, 2017
WWW.CAROLINACHRYSLER COM 1252-335-0724 11001 HALSTEAD BLVO
ELIZABETH CITY
Senior Center repairs awaiting insurance settlement
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Chowan County plans to
move ahead with repairs to
the flood-damaged Senior
Center once the insurance
settlement is resolved.
County Manager Kevin
Howard explained the pro
cess at the meeting Mon
day of the Chowan County
Board of Commissioners.
Several members of the
public addressed the board
during the public comment
period, urging swift action
to repair the facility and get
popular programs such as
fitness and billiards back in
full swing.
Commissioner John
Mitchener echoed those
concerns in his comments
later in the meeting.
“I want everyone to listen
to them," Mitchener said of
the concerns expressed by
the public.
John Powell, Shari Far
less, Ann Forehand, Barba
ra Ramsey and Jerald Perry
all asked the board to move
quickly in repairing the Se
nior Center.
Powell mentioned
the importance that the
center’s fitness pro
grams have for many peo
pie in the community. He
said he has used the fitness
equipment four or five days
a week himself. He noted
that on average 140 people
a day sign in.
Farless said the Senior
Center has been recognized
as a Center of Excellence
and indicated that the desig
nation might be in jeopardy
if the facility was not re
paired soon. She also men
tioned the popularity of the
Silver Sneaker and Silver Fit
programs.
Forehand said she and
others benefit from the fit
ness programs at the cen
ter.
“We need y’all now to
bring our Senior Center
back so we can use it,” she
said.
Ramsey pointed out that
fitness equipment, two com
puters, a ping pong table
and resource library had all
been lost in the flooding.
Perry said he would like
the commissioners to give
as much consideration as
possible to the restoration
of the Senior Center.
Howard said the Senior
Center was damaged in the
severe flooding last fall and
See SENIOR, 2A
j RELATED STORIES
| ■ Chamber honors service to com
1 munity with awards awards - IB
| ■ McArthur, Rocky Hock Ruritans
| honored for service-4B
STAFF PHOTO BY REGGIE PONDER
Donna H. Winborne (right) accepts the 2016 John A. Mitchener Jr. Business Person of the Year Award from Jennifer Bergevin.
WiNBORNE is Business Person of the Year
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
Accountant Donna H. Winbome is the
2016 recipient of the John A. Mitch
ener Jr. Business Person of the Year
Award.
Jennifer Bergevin presented the award
to Winbome Thursday night at the annual
Edenton-Chowan County Chamber of Com
merce awards dinner. The dinner was held at
the Links at Mulberry Hill.
A visibly surprised Winbome thanked the
Chamber for the award.
“This means a lot,” Winbome said. “Thank
you.
hi presenting the Business Person of the
Year Award, Bergevin described Winbome
as someone who makes others happy; puts
others first; shows a genuine concern for
those around her, is genersous, helpful and
the first to show up with a helping hand; and
takes the time to listen.
Bergevin said Winbome is a true leader in
business and the community, who believes
in investing time and energy in young gradu
ates and is focused on serving clients and
providing employees with a nice place to
work every day. She cares about employees
as people and has remained strong in the
midst of great struggles, Bergevin said.
Winbome truly is one of the kindest,
smartest, most generous, hardworking and
compassionate people she has ever met,
Bergevin said.
STAFF PHOTO BY REGGIE PONDER
Brian Harvill, 2017 president of the Edenton-Chowan County Chamber of Commerce,
enjoys a light-hearted moment with Lisa Turner, the 2016 president.
When Winbome arrived at the podium to
accept the award she remarked that as she
listened to Bergevin’s description she kept
wondering who in the world she could be
talking about.
In addition to presenting the Business
Person of the Year Award and other awards
recognizing community service and commu
nity spirit, the Chamber also took a moment
to reflect on the past year and look ahead to
the rest of this one.
Lisa Turner, tire Chamber’s 2016 presi
dent, recognized special guests and said it
was great to see all the improvements at the
Links at Mulberry Hill.
Turner cited activities during the past year,
See BIZ, 2A
Town, county proclaim ‘2016 Aces Football Day*
BY REQQIE PONDER
Editor
A rare joint session of the
Chowan County Board of
Commissioners and Eden
ton Town Council was con
vened Monday to adopt a
joint town-county resolution
proclaiming this Friday as
2016 Aces Football Day in
honor of the team’s trip to
the 2A state championship
game in December.
The resolution states that
the town and county wish
0
02009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
to honor “2016 Aces play
ers, coachere, cheerleaders,
managers, teachers and the
fans that supported the Aces
during their championship
season"
Tire Aces finished second
in the state in the 2A clas
sification, falling to the Re
idsville Rams on Dec. 17 in
the 2A State Championship
game.
During the playoffs lead
ing up to that game the Aces
defeated Beddingfield High
School 46-22, Kinston High
School 61-33 and Northeast
ern High School 35-21.
The Aces won the 2A East
ern Regional Championship
on Dec. 9, defeating South
Columbus High School 60
14
The resolutions urges, all
citizens on Friday to “reflect
upon the dedication and de
termination that enabled this
team to become the Eastern
Regional Champions.”
Chowan Board of Com
missioners Chairman Jeff
Smith and Edenton Mayor
Roland Vaughan remarked
that it was an especially hap
py event that had brought
the two boards together for
the meeting.
The county commission
ers and town council passed
the resolution unanimously.
Edenton-Chowan Schools
Superintendent Rob Jack
son, members of the school
board, teachers and adminis
trators from John A. Holmes
High School, and players
See FOOTBALL, 2A
STAFF PHOTO BY REGGIE PONDER I
Town, county and school officials join Edenton Aces
football players and coaches In celebrating the 2016
2A Eastern Regional Chajmplons, the Edenton Aces.
Local man
arrested
on drug
charges
BY REGGIE PONDER
Editor
An Edenton businessman
was arrested last week on
cocaine possession and driv
ing while impaired charges.
John Lee Allen Gay, 54,
oi c ountry
Club Drive
in Edenton,
was ar
rested Jan.
31 at 7:15
p.m. and
charged
• W lLll pus
session of GAY
cocaine with intent to sell
and deliver, and with driv
ing while impaired, accord
ing to John McArthur of the
Chowan County Sheriff’s
Office.
Gay operates John Gay
studios in downtown Eden
ton.
Gay was released shortly
after the arrest when he
posted bond, according to
McArthur. Gay had been
placed under $10,000 se
cured bond on the drug
charge and $1,000 unse
cured bond on tire DWI
charge.
McArthur said the arrest
was tire result of a joint
See GAY, 2A
Survey
looks at
access to
broadband
BY PETER WILLIAMS
The Perquimans Weekly
The Hertford-based Albe
marle Commission is con
ducting a survey of the 10
county area to find out what
kind of broadband Internet
is really out there.
Chowan Comity Commis
sioner John Mitchener put
in a plug for the survey Mon
day night at the meeting of
the Chowan Comity Board
of Commissioners, noting
the importance of Internet
access for everyone from
business owners to public
school students.
Albemarle Commission
Director Cathy Davison said
once the commission gets
the full picture and finds out
what people what and need,
it can work with industry
and government to fill in the
gaps.
“As part of our ongoing
planning and economic
development work for the
region, we realized that we
couldn’t leave broadband
access and infrastructure
out of the equation,” Davi
son said.
Davison believes having
broadband services isn’t a
luxury, but something the
See SURVEY, 2A >