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SHEPHERD PRUDEN LIBRARY
106 W WATER ST
EDENTON NO 27932-1854
CHOWA^ HERALD
482-4418 Wednesday, June 20, 2018 75^
Teach a kid to fish...
Hundreds of children
and their helpers spent
their Saturday morning
testing the waters of the
Edenton National Fish
Hatchery during Kids
Derby Day. The event
offered plenty of time
for kids to hone then-
patience and fishing
skills. — 1B
Honor rolls announced
D.F. Walker Elemen
tary School announces
that the following
students have earned
a place on the A or
A/B Honor Roll for
outstanding academic
achievement during the
fourth nine weeks grad
ing period. — 3A
Council to adopt budget
Town Council is
poised to adopt its an
nual budget at a special
meeting that will be
held at 6 p.m. Monday.
Town Hall’s proposed
budget seeks a one and
a half cent tax increase
needed to shore up ris
ing costs and stagnant
revenue growth. — 6A
Playspace dedicated
Though Colonial
Park has been in opera
tion for several weeks,
Town leaders gathered
on Saturday morning
for the official ribbon
cutting. — 1B
Commission approves budget; tax hike
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
The Chowan County
Commission approved a
minor tax increase when it
signed off on its budget for
2018/19.
And a software glitch will
affect property tax values,
for better or worse.
Instead of the 3.5 cent
tax increase that had been
on the table, commission ¬
PHOTO BY KIP SHAW
Traveling troops of musician brought their chords to Edenton for Saturday’s Music and Water Festival.
Festival offers fun, nostalgia
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
A perfect day greeted
visitors to Saturday’s re
scheduled Music and Water
Festival at the downtown
Edenton waterfront — a
far cry from the rains that
punctuated the skies sev
eral weekends ago when
organizers had to make the
difficult decision earlier in
the month to postpone and
reschedule the event due to
inclement weather.
And while the crowd that
came to this year’s festival
may have been smaller than
in some other years, those
who experienced the event
had a fun-filled weekend
that started with a sunset
paddle on Friday afternoon
followed by a full day of
music, arts and crafts, face-
painting, paddle yoga, good
food and more. Among
those making memories at
the festival on Saturday af-
ers authorized a half cent
tax increase from $0.74 to
$0.74.5 for fiscal year during
Monday’s meeting.
Also, next year’s budget
includes merit pay increase
for county employees with
in certain departments who
will be eligible for as much
as a four percent pay raise.
Also, commissioners
set aside $80K toward the
purchase of a boat for the
sheriffs department. The
PHOTO BY RICKY ROBERTS
Lighthouse in the distance, the Town by the Bay has its charms, particularly for folks
who took in the sights and sounds of the Music & Water Festival.
ternoon were Grace Dobson
Hudson and her daughter,
Ellen, who couldn’t miss out
on the chance to enjoy some
delicious peach ice cream
in a shady spot near the
water. Nearby other visitors
payments will be spread
over three years.
And commissioners
signed off on the Edenton-
Chowan BOE budget for
improvements that make
school safety a priority.
Though the BOE sought a
$75K pay raise for classified
staff, it didn’t come away
empty handed. Commis
sioners opted to slice $50K
from the school system’s
budget because the BOE
munched on cheeseburgers
and hot dogs, courtesy of
some of American Legion
Post 40’s best cooks.
“This is my first time com
ing here,” said Hudson who
lived in Maryland prior to
will no longer need to pay
rent or utilities when moves
to its new location in Au
gust. As such, these funds
can instead be applied to
a salary increase — funds
paid from the school sys
tem’s reserves, not the com
mission coffers. However,
the commission will pay the
$25K difference.
Due to time and space
constraints, a financial
breakdown of the county’s
moving back to Edenton in
1984. “I’ve had a lot of fun.
I went into the lighthouse
and I’m going on a boat ride
once I finish my ice cream.
See FESTIVAL, 2A
budget will appear in the
next edition.
In other news, property
taxes will be adjusted for
landowners across Chowan
County. Due to a software
glitch which occurred dur
ing the 2014 revaluation,
the value of 6,000 parcels —
1,922 of which are in town
— will be affected.
“The error was discov-
See COMMISSION, 3A
King
to be
sworn in
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
The official swearing-
in ceremony for Eden
ton Police Chief Henry
King will take place at
3:30 p.m. Tuesday within
Town Council chambers.
The public is invited to
attend.
N.C. Secretary of State
Elaine
Marshall
is sched
uled to
attend
the event
for King,
who was
hired in
April.
KING
King takes over from
Daroyll Brown, who has
been serving as interim
police chief since Janu
ary, following Jay Forten-
bery’s retirement in De
cember.
King’s first day on the
job was May 7.
Before coming to Eden
ton, King was a 17-year vet
eran of the Rocky Mount
Police Department. As
captain within that police
department, King was a
commander of its criminal
investigations division. He
managed investigations of
both major and property
crimes in that role.
In recent weeks, Eden
ton Police Department has
been active not only with
more patrols, but on social
media. A recent posting to
Facebook, led to the arrest
of a man accused of mul
tiple vehicle break-ins.
Saturday morning, King
attended the official rib
bon cutting ceremony with
his young son to dedicate
the new playground at Co
lonial Park.
See KING, 2A
Legion ball in swing
With high school
baseball season over,
American Legion base-
ball is back and already
a month away from the
postseason. — 2B
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UPCOMING
OME GAMES
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0
Town seeks grocery store
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Citizens and town officials continue
to be frustrated by the community’s lack
of success in attracting a second grocery
store. But, officials say, that doesn’t mean
they have given up trying to attract one.
During the town council’s June 12
monthly meeting Councilman Elton Bond
Jr. said he continues to be asked by those
he represents in his ward for updates on
the situation.
Councilman Jimmy Stallings, who
serves as a liaison between the town
council and the Edenton Chowan Part
nership, the economic development arm
of the community, said that while many
efforts to resolve the situation have been
handled quietly that doesn’t mean officials
have abandoned efforts to have a second
grocery store open here.
“There has been a lot of due diligence
on this,” he said. “You can’t force anyone
to come but I want people to know that
there’s been a lot of work, a lot of effort
put into getting somebody to come.”
Stallings said reports from citizens
posted on social media suggesting other
wise are simply not true. He added that
efforts to attract another grocery store
would continue despite speculation to the
contrary.
“It’s frustrating,” said Councilman Craig
Miller.
Much of what is involved is a numbers
game. There are currently three Food Lion
stores in Elizabeth City — one a former
See STORE, 2A
JUNE 20 @ 7PM
VS MOREHEAD CITY MARLINS
ALBEMARLE BANK & TRUST
NIGHT, ALL-YOU-CAN EAT
CONCESSIONS
JUNE 22 @ 7PM
VS PENINSULA PILOTS
MASCOT NIGHT,
KIDS RUN THE BASES
County poised for
economic growth
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Chowan County’s leaders
met last week to learn more
about the economic devel
opment taking place in our
back yard.
Movers and shakers
learned that Colony Tire is
expanding its warehouse,
Regulator Marine is growing
by leaps and bounds, efforts
to attract a second grocery
store, how the former dye
plant is poised for rebirth
and that Jimbo’s Jumbos is
JUNE 24 @7PM
VS MOREHEAD CITY MARLINS
CHURCH BULLETIN NIGHT,
SUPER HERO NIGHT
expanding.
“The Edenton Chowan
Partnership — a joint public
and private economic devel
opment organization — is
paving the path for future
opportunities and growth,”
said Mallory Denham, ex
ecutive director for the part
nership.
Within the weeks ahead,
the Chowan Herald will
be publishing stories that
show how this tiny corner
of northeastern North Caro-
See GROWTH, 2A
JUNE 26 @ 7PM
VS WILSON TOBS
BERTIE COUNTY NIGHT,
TWO FOR TUESDAY