CHOWA^HERALD
482-4418 Wednesday, February 6, 2019 75*
Inside:
Health,
Wellness &
Fitness
- 4-5B
Billy Bass sworn in as Edenton fire chief
Hopes to work with
community on fire prevention
BY NICOLE BOWMAN-
LAYTON
Editor-
Long-time Edenton fire-
fighter William “Billy” Bass
Jr. was sworn in as fire chief
Friday in front of a standing-
room only crowd at town
council chambers.
Bass has been with the
fire department for 29
years. Among his many ac
complishments with the de
partment is being the town’s
first responder certified
through the state and work
ing on state HAZMAT team.
He also has served at the
training officer.
Bass began working with
the department when he
was 22 years old, first as
a volunteer and then full-
time.
“This is much more than
a job,” he said. “It is a way of
life. I’ve grown up here. I’ve
been measured and trained
by some of the best guys
around the area.”
Bass also thanked the
firefighters now under his
leadership.
“I now have a great group
of guys who I have the privi
lege to work with alongside
and now have the honor to
lead,” he said.
The firefighters work 24-
hour shifts 10 days a month,
which can put strain on re
lationship.
“There are many people
here today that I would like
to thank for their help and
support over the course of
my firefighter career,” Bass
said. “I thank my wife Jen
nifer for putting up with
me for 29 years. Many peo
ple don’t realize what our
schedule like.... Working 24-
hour shifts, 10 days a month,
we miss a lot of birthdays,
Christmases, holidays and
special events.
“On top of all that, we train
several nights a month and
are constantly being called
away to actually fire calls
in the middle of the night
— sometimes in the middle
of dinner, ballet recitals and
even a best friend’s wedding.
I know sometimes, Jennifer
must have felt like a single
parent.
“But knowing I have her
support to continue my
education and do the job I
love for the last 29 years has
made it worthwhile.”
Bass also thanked his
three daughters for their
support.
“I missed a lot of birth
days, holidays and school
See BASS, 2A
NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON/CHOWAN HERALD
Edenton Fife Chief William “Billy” Bass Jr. (center) speaks
while Mayor Roland Vaughan (left), Fire Department
Chaplain David Lafon, and retired captain Gary Swanner
listen Friday at the town council chambers.
County OKs
loan for
ambulance
State honors county’s work
on 350th celebration
BY MILES LAYTON
Staff Writer
Chowan County Commis
sion’s agenda at Monday’s
meeting included recogni
tion from governor’s office,
the purchase of an ambu
lance and a report from the
Recreation Department.
First up, the board re
ceived a copy of a proclama
tion from Gov. Roy Cooper
that was made in honor of
the county’s yearlong 350th
celebration. Bob Hopkins,
site manager of Edenton
State Historic Sites, and
Nancy Nicholls, Tourism
Development Authority di
rector, displayed the nicely
framed proclamation ac
knowledging the work the
community has done to pay
tribute to its history.
In other news, commis
sioners approved a loan
from BB&T intended for
the purchase of an ambu
lance that will cost around
$130,000.
County will put down
nearly $66K as payment to
ward the principal for the
financing agreement that
calls for two years to pay
off the balance of the ambu
lance — not new but refur
bished and built to last.
County Manager Kevin
Howard said a new am
bulance would cost about
$200,000. Plans for the am
bulance’s purchase were
set in motion during last
summer’s budget cycle.
In other matters, Recre
ation Department co-direc
tors Shannon Ray and Brian
Chappell offered a report
that details the activities of
fered by the Edenton-Chow
an Recreation Department.
Unlike Chowan County,
many places near and far
don’t offer Sunfish classes,
swimming lessons, football,
cheerleading, volleyball and
award-winning state cham
pion Little League softball.
Kids can learn how to run
• a5K (3.1 mile) race or go to
' See LOAN, 2A
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6
PHOTOS BY NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON/CHOWAN HERALD
Amy Roberson, owner of Finders Keephers, speaks after receiving the first Edenton-Chowan Chamber of
Commerce Small Business of the Year award. The award was presented by Deborah Lee (right), former chamber
Chamber holds annual banquet
Community member honored
for outstanding work
BY NICOLE BOWMAN-
LAYTON
Editor
A strong supporter of
Edenton’s small business
es and downtown area
received the first Eden
ton-Chowan Chamber of
Commerce Small Business
of the Year award at the
chamber’s annual banquet.
Past Chamber president
Deborah Lee presented the
award to Finders Keephers
owner Amy Roberson at
the banquet held Thursday
at American Legion Post
, 40.
The chamber created the
award in an effort to recog
nize a company that is lo- f
cally owned and operated.
“These entrepreneurs are
dedicated to the economic
growth and quality of life,”
Lee said. “This award will
NC First Lady Kristin Cooper visits Edenton
Took Harriet Jacobs tour,
attended slavery forum
From Submitted Reports
North Carolina’s First
Lady Kristin Cooper, mem
bers of the African Ameri
can Heritage Commission
(AAHC), and North Caro
lina’s ninth Poet Laureate
Jaki Shelton Green, visited
Historic Edenton State His
toric Site on Thursday, Jan.
31.
The group was treated
to a wonderful luncheon
Chip Pruden, 2018 Chamber president, shakes
the hand of 2019 president Rachel Johnson after
receiving a plaque Thursday during the Edenton-
Chowan Chamber of Commerce banquet.
recognize a strong business
that positively influences
the county, has economic
viability, has innovative
products and services, pro
vides exemplary customer
service encourages and
provides professional de
velopment of staff.”
Lee said Roberson is
a walking billboard for
Chowan County by always
at The Table at the Inner
Banks Inn. The group then
was taken on a guided
Harriet Jacobs Tour by In
terpretation Coordinator
Andrew Cole, with the His
toric Edenton State Historic
Sites.
The Harriet Jacobs’ guid
ed walking tour explores
five places mentioned in Ja
cobs’ narrative “Incidents in
the Life of a Slave Girl.” Site
Manager Bob Hopkins pre
sented Cooper with a copy
of the Jacobs’ narrative.
The group was then invit
ed to Beverly Hall, the home
promoting and showing up
for activities and events.
“Inside this retail shop if
you walk in it’s a service-
based business, but you
will find a community sec
tion where they advertise
other local businesses in
Edenton,” Lee said of Find
ers Keephers. “They pro
vide space for small busi
nesses to rent where they
of Edenton town councilor
Sambo Dixon, where they
had a chance to relax be
fore attending the Africa to
Carolina Community Meet
ing at the 1767 Chowan
County Courthouse.
The Africa to Carolina
Initiative serves to iden
tify, acknowledge and mark
sites in North Carolina
where enslaved Africans
disembarked directly from
the African Continent. The
AAHC chose to initiate this
initiative after receiving a
See COOPER, 2A
might not otherwise have
been able to afford a work
place.” .
Roberson, an Edenton
native, said she was sur
prised and honored to re
ceive the first small busi
ness award.
“Thank you very much,”
she said. “I just I put my
heart and my soul into my
business.”
Roberson told the au
dience about a line from
Rachel Hollis’ book “Girl,
Wash Your Face,” in which
Hollis writes, “You are
more than what you have
become.”
“For some reason that
line just really suck out
to me, because I feel like
today’s effort is never
enough,” Roberson said.
“You’re always better than
where you are right now,
and you always need to be
striving for what’s next. I
feel like that’s what I try to
See BANQUET, 4A
Layton,
Ford
to lead
board
Chowan County residents
to lead foundation
From Submitted Reports
The board of advisers
of the Chowan Communi
ty Funds Foundation an
nounces a new advisory
board president and vice
; president.
Lynne Layton was
named board president.
She is a Chowan County
native, John A. Holmes
High School and Peace
College graduate and a lo
cal mortgage lender with
BB&T. She married her
high school sweetheart
and has two grown chil
dren and a grandson.
Dr. Robert Christian
Ford was named board
vice president. He is the
See BOARD, 3A
Edenton
receives
$110K grant
Will fund Queen Anne Creek
bulkhead replacement
■
From Submitted Reports
I Edenton is among 12
coastal communities that
will get more than $1.1
million in grants to im
prove public access to
coastal beaches and wa
ters, Governor Roy Coo
per announced recently.
See GRANT, 7A
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Interpretation
Coordinator
Andrew Cole
(right) takes
first lady Kristin
Cooper(second
right), members
of the African
American Heritage
Commission
(AAHC), and North
Carolina’s 9th
Poet Laureate
Jaki Shelton
Green (left) on the
Harriet Jacob’s
tour Thursday in
Edenton.