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Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Finlay, Coleman, Brothers NOTABLE In 2018
ROGER COLEMAN
Boys & Girls Club unit director,
Brothers, an advocate for children
race sen.
Top Ten News
Stories of 2018,
Part2-4A
Director
guides
pantry’s
growth
BY MILES LAYTON
Staff Writer
Edenton-Chowan Food
Pantry Director Roger Cole
man is the natural choice as
one of our newsmakers of
the year.
“I have been fortunate
enough to have been a part
of the food pantry for the
past three years — perhaps
the best three years of my
life,” he said during a recent
interview. “When one comes
to the party as a servant,
however, and begins to be
treated as the guest of honor,
it’s time to leave the party.”
There’s no denying that
Coleman is the face of the
organization that feeds
thousands of families each
year. One look inside the
voluminous pantry reveals
much, particularly when
compared to larger counties
or places few and far be
tween in Appalachia. Cans
of vegetable, tuna and other
See COLEMAN, 2A
BY NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON
Editor
During a recent December
meeting of the Chowan County
Board of Commissioners, several
advocates spoke in favor of the
Boys and Girls Club, which was
in the process of leasing the first
floor of the old D.F. Walker build
ing. One name that was men
tioned over and over was Susan
Brothers.
Brothers, is the unit director
for the Boys and Girls Club of
Edenton/Chowan. To put her
multi-faceted job into the sim
plest of terms, she is responsible
for creating and scheduling pro
grams at the club.
She also makes sure the par
ticipants stay “on task” when it
comes to doing their homework,
she said.
Every few weeks almost like
clockwork, a new email about
an event the boys and girls par
ticipate in comes to the Chowan
Herald’s inbox. The activities
range from a Veterans Day cer
emony to caroling with at nurs
ing homes to writing thank you
letters to the custodial staff.
They’ve even planted bushes.
Students attending the club
are also encouraged to practice a
healthy lifestyle and taught how
to deal with bullying through
such programs as Triple Play and
Healthier Lifestyle, as well as
physical activity.
According to Executive Di
rector Elizabeth Mitchell, the
Boys and Girls Club focuses on
academic success, character
and leadership development
and healthy lifestyles. When you
think about it, that’s a lot to focus
on, but somehow Brothers and
her amazing group of employees
and volunteer prills it off every
day during the school year.
For example, during Power
Hour, a significant event in the
life of the club, children do their
homework and get help if they
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Boys and Girls Club Edenton Unit Director Susan Brothers stands
with children who participate in the after school program.
need it.
Brothers said that one of the
greatest needs of the club -
which serves kids in grades K-12
- is for more volunteers to help
at the club.
“We’d especially like to en
courage young people to volun
teer with us at the club,” she said.
“And another thing I hope to do
is get more parents involved.”
During a recent Chowan
County Board of Commission
meeting, Brothers was among
those who made an impassioned
plea for the board to approve the
Boys and Girls Club lease agree
ment for the first floor of the old
D.F Walker building. In the past,
Mitchell has said the space will
allow the organization double its
capacity and offer a program for
high-schoolers.
“From 11 am. to 6:30 p.m.,
people call us everyday hoping
for an opening,” Brothers said.
“We can serve so many more
kids if we have the space.”
The board approved the lease
and now the Boys and Girls
Club can look at expansion and
moving closer to the students it
serves.
The organization is in the pro
cess of raising $100,000 to match
a capital campaign contribution
from Dr. John Phillips, a native of
Edenton.
See BROTHERS, 2A
NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON/
CHOWAN HERALD
Jennifer Finlay, Shepard-
Pruden Memorial Library
Librarian, stands outside
the library’s building.
Librarian brings newspapers,
books, films to Chowan County
BY MILES LAYTON
Staff Writer
Shepard-Pruden Memorial
Library’s lead librarian deserves
accolades as a newsmaker of the
year because she goes above and
beyond to give Chowan County a
top notch library.
Let’s note the obvious. Every
time someone walks into the li
brary, it’s a warm feeling. There
are activities for children and
adults.
When school ends, the summer
reading program begins. There
are family friendly movies shown
at the library.
For adults, the Library’s Arm-
chair Traveler Series celebrated
the 350 year anniversary of Chow
an County.
Not only that, but there’s tons
of research materials that Jenni
fer Finlay has used in her weekly
columns to illuminate us about
Chowan County’s fascinating his
tory.
Finlay wears nice running
shoes — why? — because she
used to work at athletic apparel/
shoe store. She also walks around
town — a lot—during her breaks.
She’s swam in San Francisco Bay
- that’s wicked cool too. She of
fers an eclectic frame of thinking
that make one of most interesting
personalities in our neck of the
woods.
As to policy initiatives, check
it out (a play on words that will
make more sense in a moment).
If you’ve noticed, Finlay has
taken charge of ideal that ex
tends, at least for some people,
to celebrate the accomplish-
See FINLAY, 2A
Report shows
strengths,
weaknesses
Emergency officials review the
successes, failures of November drill
BY PETER WILLIAMS
Perquimans Weekly News Editor
Area emergency officials did a lot
of things right during a disaster drill in
November but there are areas where
they can do better, a report shows.
A 56-page “After Action Report”
looked at how area fire, EMS, law
enforcement, Albemarle Regional
Health Systems and Vidant Chowan
Hospital responded during the ex
ercise. Chowan emergency officials
were also involved.
The drill involved a van that ran
into the side of a train in Winfall. The
van was carrying “plague” and the
container leaked, contaminating the
area and sending a plume through
the area north of Winfall.
“With any drill, the hope is to iden
tify things we as first responders are
doing good and to note areas where
we can improve,” said Jonathan Nix
on, Perquimans County’s emergency
management director. “The partici
pation by so many of our county and
partner responders is a good remind
er of the teamwork necessary to pro
vide quality service.”
The responding agencies were
judged in five areas. In four of them,
the report found they were able to
perform the tasks “with some chal
lenges.” In the fifth area, the report
said the tasks were performed with
“major challenges.”
The most troublesome area in
volved demonstrating the ability to
direct, coordinate and control emer-
See REPORT, 3A
PGR: Thieves
put their lives
in danger
BY NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON
Editor
Those stealing from a solar farm in
Ryland are putting their lives at risk.
That is the message Pine Gate Re
newables wants to emphasize while
offering a $1,000 reward for informa
tion leading to an arrest for larcenies
occurring on its facility.
According Chowan County Sher
iff’s Office Det. John McArthur, the
thefts date back to October 2017. The
most recent theft was reported on
Dec. 7.
McArthur said that copper cable
is being stolen from the solar farm,
which is currently operational.
The solar facilities are transmit
ting high voltage energy throughout
the site’s infrastructure, said Claudia
Weeks, preconstruction and sustain
ability coordinator with Pine Gate
Renewables.
“We want to warn residents of the
See THIEVES, 2A
6
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Santa’s helpers bring holiday to less fortunate
Rec Department, gov. agencies
holds annual ‘A Day with Santa’
BY NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON
Editor
Santa and his helpers were busy
Dec. 20 at the old D.F. Walker gym
as they helped the community
spend “A Day with Santa.”
For more than 20 years, the event
has assisted Chowan County resi
dents who need a little help during
the holiday season with gifts and
activities for children.
In the center of the gym floor was
Santa Claus himself. With the help
of some “elves” — John A. Holmes
high school students and others —
he talked with boys and girls who
came the event.
The rec department and other
governmental agencies started
gathering applications for “A Day
with Santa” near the end of Octo
ber, according to Gwen Brown,
chairperson of the event. This year,
over 400 kids were served through
See HOLIDAY, 3A
NICOLE BOWMAN-
LAYTON/CHOWAN
HERALD
Santa poses for
a photo while
a girl eyes the
toy box during
“A Day with
Santa," Dec. 20
at the old D.F.
Walker gym.
©2018 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
RESILIENCE: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope
at Taylor Theatre
Thursday, January 10th, 2019 at 4:00 pm.
4 film about Adverse Childhood Experiences