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482-4418 Wednesday, September 20, 2017
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Council extends deadline to attract Brew Pub
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
After two years of trying
to close the deal on tire pur
chase of the former North-
east Commission building on
the. downtown waterfront,
the town still doesn’t have a
firm commitment from a pro
spective buyer on the table.
At the Sept. 12 town coun
cil meeting, some council
members expressed frustra
tion with the continued se
ries of delays that have kept
a deal from closing. But the
majority voted in favor of
a proposal by Councilman
Sambo Dixon that would
give Raleigh businessman
John Glover an additional
30 days to make a decision.
Councilman Elton Bond
voted against the plan.
Bond said the residents in
his ward want to know why
the sale is taking so long to
move forward.
“I’m getting hammered,”
he said. “And I can’t answer
their questions.”
Bond said it is hard for
him to understand why the
council was being asked to
extend the Sept. 11 dead
line it had previously given
Raleigh businessman John
Glover to decide whether
he wanted to purchase the
property.
“Why are we extending
it?” an obviously exasper
ated Bond asked. “How
much time are we going to
give this?”
Town Manager Anne-Ma
rie Knighton said the latest
delay centers on concerns
that Glover has about one of
18 proposed covenants con
nected to the sale. That par
ticular one centers .on a re
quirement that would affect
Glover’s ability to change
the use for the building from
a microbrewery and pub at
some point in the future.
She said there was one bit
of good news for the devel
oper. Knighton said that an
exemption from stringent,
state-mandated flood proof
ing of the building could be
possible due to its status as
an historic building. If suc
cessful, that effort would
involve seeking a variance
from the local Board of Ad
justments, she said. Town
officials are currently work
ing to make sure the build
ing is “absolutely eligible,”
Knighton said.
Councilman Steve Biggs,
who has repeatedly object
ed to selling the property
for commercial use due to
its proximity to a public
park, has opposed the sale
as have Bond and Council-
woman Norma Simpson
who have also cited the
location as one where chil
dren play therefore making
it an inappropriate place for
the business to operate.
And Biggs pointed out
that Glover has yet to per
sonally provide answers to
a series of questions posed
by Councilman Bob Quinn.
Knighton pointed out that
town staff had reviewed and
answered the questions sub
mitted last May.
Bond questioned why the
same amount of time and ef
fort wasn’t being put into a
continued search to bring a
second grocery store to the
community.
Councilman Jimmy Stall
ings said that work contin
ues to be done to bring in
another store but efforts
See COUNCIL, 4A
Witnesses
share
details of
crash
BY PETER WILLIAMS
For the Chowan Herald
A helicopter that crashed
in a field in Perquimans
County this month had re
cently undergone inspec
tions, but witnesses report
ed seeing smoke trailing
behind it before it crashed.
The National Transporta
tion Safety Board released
the preliminary findings
Tuesday morning. The full
investigation could take a
year to 18 months.
The six-year-old Euro
copter was equipped with
an on-board audio and
video recording system but
the unit was damaged by
heat. However, the memory
device remained intact, ac-
cording to the report. The
unit was sent to the NTSB
See CRASH, 4A
Festival
poised to shell
out memories
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
the Edenton Peanut Fes
tival may be nearing its 50th
birthday — it marls its 42nd
this year on Saturday, Oct.
7 — but organizers always
strive for ways to keep the
event interesting. This year
will be no exception.
Marching Aces Band Di
rector Lynn Dale said that
this time around he and
other band supporters plan
to reach out to former mem
bers of the band that has its
roots in the 1930s.
“On Friday night, the night
before the Peanut Festival,
we plan to host tailgating in
See FESTIVAL, 4A
A man of all seasons
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
On Sunday afternoon under
stormy skies local residents gathered
at the Elizabeth Vann Moore Park on
the waterfront to celebrate the dedi
cation of a long-awaited monument
honoring Dr. Hugh Williamson of
Edenton, a signer of the U.S. Consti
tution.
Mayor Roland Vaughan offered
those attending a warm welcome and
noted that the project — shepherded
from the start by Edenton Tea Party
Chapter NSDAR members Virginia
Wood and Beth Taylor—marked the
successful conclusion of a decades-
long effort.
Rep. Bob Steinburg, R-Chowan,
offered a timeline detailing the prog
ress of the project that had its start
in a conversation between Wood and
Taylor, who had just been elected re
gent of the local DAR chapter, in May
of 2000.
Wood proposed two visions to
Taylor — first that the DAR host a
July 4 ceremony where the Declara
tion of Independence could be read
A large crowd attended Sunday’s ceremony for a monument dedicated
to Hugh Williamson.
each year on Independence Day on
the Courthouse Green adjacent to a
monument honoring Joseph Hewes
of Edenton, who was a signer of the
document.
“This vision has been happening
each July 4 for 18 years,” Steinburg
said.
The second vision would take a bit
longer to achieve, he noted.
“That was to have a monument
erected in homage to Hugh Wil
liamson, a signer of the U.S. Con
stitution,” Steinberg said. “A monu-
See WILLIAMSON, 5A
PHOTO COURTESY OF NANCY
NICHOLLS/CHOWAN TDA
The beauty of historic
sites such as the Penelope
Barker House is one of the
reasons so many people
from across the country
visit Edenton each year.
Tourism
dollars
add up
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Attracting visitors to our
community equals a sub
stantial contribution to local
revenue.
Figures recently released
by Visit North Carolina
show that spending by visi
tors to Chowan County to
taled 21.27 million dollars in
2016, an increase of 6.2 per
cent over the previous year.
Chowan County Tour
ism Development Author
ity Chairman Don Faircloth
said the increase clearly
demonstrates the signifi
cance of having visitors hear
about and visit the county.
“The increase in visitor
spending shows the impor
tance of the hospitality in
dustry in Chowan County,”
he said. “The value of coop
eration and collaboration
within our county to help
grow this industry contin
ues to be significant. As we
move forward, we look to
inviting more visitors to ex
perience and share our rich
See TOURISM, 2A
Like us On FACEBOOK at
/EDENTON-CHOWANHERALD
6 "89076 44813 1
©2009 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
Chowan County Regional Fair opens Sept. 26
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Come one, come all to the
71st annual Chowan County
Regional Fair.
The annual fair runs be
tween Sept. 26 and Sept.
30 at the American Legion
Fairgrounds.
“There will be plenty
do with acts that cover all
ages,” said Becky Wilder,
vice president of the Chow
an County Regional Fan
Board of Directors. “There
is something for every age.
This is Our 71st year, so we
hope everyone will come
out and enjoy what we have
to offer. It’s a tradition for
many families.”
The giant train display
is coming back with a new
location for an even bigger
display. It is called the LED
Railroad Circus ran by Ed
die and Lisette Diehl. The
Kid Popular Marionettes are
coming back after a three
absence with a whole new
act. Macnally’s Pig Racing
is also returning for a sec
ond year along with a new
Bike Stunt show by CW Tri
als. And there will be much,
much more fun for fairgo
ers.
Gate admission tickets
are $8 for 36” and taller at
the gate. Advance tickets
sales end Saturday (Sept.
23) with prices at $6 per tick
et and they can be found at
local Duck-thru food stores
and at the Fair office.
Parents, look at that pric
ing:
■ Tuesday Special — El
ementary & Middle School
students admitted FREE
with paying adult.
■ Wednesday Special
— K-12 students admitted
for HALF PRICE.
■ Thursday Special — 60
and over admitted FREE,
K-12 admitted for HALF
PRICE.
■ Friday — No dis
counts
■ Saturday Special —
(active) Military Discount
— half price gate admission
for all family members 36”
and taller.
Enter and win! There’s
over $40,000 cash available
in prize money for your
handiwork. You may enter
your exhibit from 1 p.m.
and 5 p.m. Saturday and/or
Sunday between 1 p.m. and
See FAIR, 6A
YNIGHTS
LIGHTS
I
0
DAN LEGION FAIRGROUNDS Tuesday, September 26 - Saturday, September 30, 2017
ess (1317 West Queen Street), Edenton, North Carolina • Take exit 224 off US 17 and North about two miles to the Fairgrounds