482-4418
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
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Taylor Theater reopens
“Ant-Man and The
Wasp,” the latest super
hero movie based on the
Marvel Comics charac
ters, opened in Edenton
on Thursday but few of
those crowding into the
Taylor Theater were talk
ing about the film. — 1B
Inside Daedalus Yachts
Mention the com
pany ‘Daedalus Yachts’
at Waterman’s Tavern
in Downtown Edenton
and you get a curious
look. Most of the locals
have ‘heard of them’
and most have certainly
seen some of the inter
national team walking
town around this past
year and half. — 4A
Cadets attend camp
While many high
school students enjoy
the break from the
school year six John A.
Holmes JROTC cadets
participated in one the
nation’s premier high
school leadership train
ing camps. — 2B
Alumnus heads to ECU
Like many newly
minted Aces’ alumni
who are attending col
lege orientation sessions
this summer, Savannah
Webb took her first step
toward freedom, a new
life. — 6A
Algal warning issued
A state agency is
warning the public
to avoid contact with
a bluish-green algal
bloom in the Chowan
River off Chowan
Beach. — 2A
Mark your calendars: Town honors Jones
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Edenton businessman
Frank Jones is receiving a
special honor that comes to
very few — he is having a
day named in his honor. On
Monday afternoon, Jones
was joined at Town Hall by
his wife Barbara as well as
representatives of the Eden
ton Baptist Men’s group and
American Legion Post 40 to
watch as Mayor Pro Tern
Steve Biggs signed a procla
mation declaring this Satur
day, July 14 as Frank Jones
Day in Edenton.
On that same day, a break-
fast will be held at Edenton
CHOWAN-EDENTON OPTIMIST CLUB
Chowan-Edenton Optimist Club provided fireworks for an amazing Fourth of July celebration.
Fourth events attract visitors, residents
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Staff Writer
Colonial Park in the
downtown Edenton water-
front proved to be a perfect
place to spend celebrating
Independence Day with
family and friends. Under
blue skies filled with puffy
clouds and cool breezes,
visitors settled on park
benches and got to know
each other on a first name
basis.
Among them were Carl
and Debbie Downing of
Richmond, Va, who said
this was their second time
spending July 4 in Edenton.
“We were here when our
kids were small,” Debbie
said. “Carl’s mom, Dorothy
Chestnutt, lived here. We’ve
also come for the Christmas
tour.”
Carl said he was par
ticularly impressed by that
morning’s ceremony that
included the reading of
the Declaration of Inde
pendence. For a commu
nity such as Edenton that
is steeped in history, it was
the perfect start to the day,
Radke shares tax collection data with commission
Baptist; lunch and dinner
plates will be available at
the Legion. All proceeds will
go toward helping Jones
raise the necessary $20,000
to help with living and other
expenses while he is at Duke
undergoing lung transplant
surgery and afterward as he
will be required to remain
near the hospital for an ex
tended period of time so he
can get there quickly should
the need arise. The opera
tion itself is expected to
cost about $1.5 million, part
of which will be covered by
insurance.
Jones, who appeared to
have been caught by sur
prise by the proclamation’s
he said. Carl praised the
well-organized event hosted
by the Edenton Tea Party
Chapter National Society
Daughters of the American
Revolution and included pa
triotic music as well as a bi
ographical sketch of Joseph
Hewes, an Edenton patriot
who signed the document
on behalf of North Carolina
“We really enjoyed that,”
Carl said. “We’ve had a good
day today. The people here
are so friendly.”
Maya Tillett of Ports
mouth, Va, said it was fam
ily ties that brought her
home too.
“My grandparents live
here so this is not just a cele
bration for us, it’s something
of a family reunion,” she
said. “It’s one of the ways
we make time to spend to
gether on the Fourth.”
“It’s really relaxing and
there’s something for ev
eryone to do,” Tillett added,
“whether it’s eryoying the
good food, the fireworks
and the music or just get
ting a chance to spend the
See FOURTH, 3A
issuance, said he was deep
ly touched by all of the sup
port that has and continues
to be offered community.
“This is unbelievable, this
is quite an honor,” he said.
“I don’t quite know what to
say.”
Biggs read the proclama
tion during the brief cer
emony. It includes these
words written in tribute to
Jones: “Frank Jones has
dedicated his life to serving
his community as a faithful
member of the Edenton-
Chowan Kiwanis Club, a
deacon at St. Anne Catholic
Church, a member of Amer-
See JONES, 3A
‘Life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness’
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
The Edenton Tea Party
chapter of the National
Society of the Daughters
of the American Revolu
tion hosted the traditional
reading of the Declara
tion of Independence as
part of the Fourth of July
festivities. More than 500
people attended the ser
vice with District Court
Judge Meader Harriss
reading the document.
Harriss spoke in a de
termined, firm voice that
brought the words to life
that inspired the colonies
to throw off their chains
and become a new na
tion.
“We hold these truths
to be self-evident, that all
men are created equal,
REBECCA BUNCH/CHOWAN HERALD
Monday, town leaders enacted a proclamation declaring
Saturday as Frank Jones Day in the Town of Edenton.
(Left to right) Mayor Pro Tern Steve Biggs, Frank Jones
(holding proclamation) and his wife Barbara Jones
strike a pose for posterity.
that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that
among these are life, lib
erty and the pursuit of
happiness,” Harriss recit
ed to a crowd gathered at
the Courthouse Green.
Noted musician and
retired educator Joseph
Manley led the National
Anthem and sang Ameri
ca the Beautiful. Unanim
ity Lodge #7 laid a wreath
at the base of the monu
ment honoring Joseph
Hewes, one of the signers
of the Declaration of Inde
pendence. Retired Navy
veteran Frank Jones III
talked about Hewes’ life.
“Because of men like
Joseph Hewes, we enjoy
the life, liberty and justice
See DECLARATION, 4A
Ballot
begins
to take
shape
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
As of Tuesday morning
before the press dead
line, here is the latest up
date of candidates have
who filed for Edenton-
Chowan Board of Educa
tion or as a Soil and Wa
ter Conservation District
supervisor.
As soon as the fil
ing deadlines close, the
Chowan Herald will be
publishing profiles of
these candidates.
Filing for four of the
seven seats on the BOE
ends Friday, July 27.
George A Nelson of
Drummond’s Point and
Maxine Mason of Tyner
filed have for the at-large
seat.
Ricky Browder filed
for re-election to BOE for
District 2, Seat 2.
BOE District 3 Seat
1 candidates are Nancy
Heiniger and Gil Bur
roughs, who is running
for re-election.
I The filing period for
two of the three seats as
a Soil and Water Conser
vation District supervisor
ended July 6.
John T. Layton and
Matthew Floyd have filed
as candidates for Soil and
Water District Supervisor.
Worth noting, when
filing for District Court
Judge ended June 29, Dis
trict Court Judge Meader
Harriss of Edenton, who
is running for re-election,
was only name on the bal
lot for that judicial race
for District 1/Seat 3.
And District Attorney
R. Andrew Womble of
Edenton is the only candi
date in his bid for re-elec
tion for District 1.
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©2018 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
6
0
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
County Tax Administra
tor Melissa Radke offered
an eloquent number-driven
snapshot of the tax collec
tions for 2017/18 during the
Chowan County Commis
sion meeting held July 2
- a couple days before the
county celebrated the birth
day of a new nation inspired
by a tax revolt.
Unlike the Colonist’s as
sertions to Britain of “No
taxation without represen
tation,” the county elects its
representatives to make fis ¬
cal policy.
“Taxation with represen
tation ain’t so hot either.”
— humorist Gerald Barzan.
A county tax depart
ment’s duty is to calculate
and collect the taxes that
fund schools, infrastructure
and law enforcement. Com
missioners authorized a half
cent tax increase from $0.74
to $0.74.5 for 2018/19 fiscal
year in June.
Required by state law, a
county tax administrator
presents a Property Tax Set
tlement report that shows
the commission what the
tax department has accom ¬
plished. Commissioners ap
proved the report that had
to be accepted before the
county tax office is autho
rized to move forward with
next year’s tax levy.
During fiscal year 2017/18,
more than $9 million dollars
of property taxes was col
lected with about $1,244
million in personal taxes
and more than $15,000 from
velucle taxes for a total of
about $10.2 million.
The total of real prop
erty that is delinquent
— $160,377 — and personal
See RADKE, 3A
MILES LAYTON/
CHOWAN HERALD
County Tax
Administrator
Melissa Radke
delivers a
very detailed
power-point
presentation
about tax
collection
during a recent
Chowan County
Commission
meeting.