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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 2019
75$
Look for
Albemarle
Magazine
inside today
HATS OFF TO THE
Study: County
to have fewer
child residents
PHOTOS BY MILES LAYTON/CHOWAN HERALD
Mortar boards fly high in the air soon after the Class of 2019 receives their diplomas during Friday's
commencement service for John A. Holmes High School.
Aces turn tassels at ceremony
BY MILES LAYTON
Staff writer
While Superintendent
Rob Jackson adjusted his
academic robes and re
galia, Aces’ seniors were
straightening their blue
and gold graduation
gowns, placing mortar
boards on their heads and
getting ready for Friday’s
commencement cere
mony.
“Pomp and Circum
stance” played as 144 se
niors from John A. Holmes
High School entered the
stadium that had grass so
perfectly trimmed it was al
most like being a putting
green at the Masters.
Class of 2019 earned
nearly $5.5 million in schol
arships - second highest in
school history. Graduation
rate was 92 percent —
Class of 2019 among Holmes’ best
BY STEPHEN WOOD
T onight we come to
gether to celebrate
with our Class of
2019 as one of those life
time milestones that ap
pears to be the ending of
an era. This era included 13
years of school that has
helped shape their lives,
hopefully put a focus on a
career, guided them in the
direction in which they are
about to follow, and did
not limit them to only cer
tain opportunities. On
stage tonight there are
some significant people
Sarah Williams smiles as she returns to her seat with
her diploma.
highest in school history.
During their time as Aces,
these students have won
baseball and track state
championships, finished
the season as state runner-
up in football, and com
peted at the highest levels
who have helped these
soon to be graduates in
those 13 years of school.
Mr. Gene Jordan, Chair
man of the Edenton
Chowan Public Schools
Board of Education; Dr.
Rob Jackson, Superinten
dent of Edenton Chowan
Public Schools; Mrs. Sheila
Evans, Principal of White
Oak Elementary School;
Mrs. Michelle White, Prin
cipal of D. F. Walker Ele
mentary School; Mr. Alton
Campbell, Principal of
Chowan Middle School;
See WOOD, A5
in sports and academics.
Lessons from a Presi
dent
Salutatorian Brady Arm
strong introduced JAHHS
Teacher of the Year for
2018-19 Victoria Brinson, a
history teacher.
PHOTO COURTESY KIM ULLOM
John A. Holmes High School Principal Stephen Wood's
speech recalled the Class of 2019's numerous
achievements during their time in the classroom and
on the playing field.
MORE
Victoria Brinson’s speech -
A4
Graduation photos - Bl
Valedictorians’ speeches - Bl
Underclassman awards - B4
Also see Chowan Herald’s
Facebook page for more
videos and photographs.
“In 2015 she started
teaching in Edenton-
Chowan Schools and has
since become a Nationally
Board Certified teacher.
While being a classroom
teacher, Mrs. Brinson has
fulfilled many other roles,”
said Armstrong, who will
attend Middle Tennessee
State University in the fall.
“She coaches the volleyball
and JV basketball teams, is
See ACES, A5
Number of students will
decline within 10 years
BY MILES LAYTON
Staff writer
A demographic study
released by the Edenton-
Chowan School system
indicates that the student
population may be de
creasing within the next
10 years.
Though the study was
to be presented Tuesday
after press time, the
newspaper was given an
advance copy to review.
Edenton-Chowan Board
of Education requested
the study that was com
piled by McKibben De
mographic Research of
Rock Hill, SC.
The study said the data
used for the forecasts
comes from sources in
cluding statistics pro
vided by the state, school
system and U.S. Census.
The study may provide
policymakers some
Proposed solar
facility ordinance
changes tabled
Board wants more time
to look at amendement
BY NICOLE BOWMAN-
LAYTON
Editor
The Chowan County
Commissioners will re
visit amending the
county’s zoning ordi
nance regarding solar en
ergy facilities at its July
15 meeting.
A proposed text
amendment was pre
sented to the board dur
ing its Monday meeting.
The board has an oppor
tunity to amend the zon
ing ordinances once ev
ery quarter.
The document was
made during the week-
end, and presented to the
commissioners Monday.
Commissioner Larry
McLaughlin asked that
the hearing on the pro
posed amendment be
continued, so the com
missioners can have
insight as they discuss
planning for future facili
ties needs as to whether
to build a new high
school or renovate John
A. Holmes Higli School.
The study is a forecast
of historical and current
trends, so it is not neces
sarily a projection as to
what the future holds.
For example, the study is
unable to take into ac
count what would hap
pen if Interstate 87 is
completed, nor it is able
to consider present and
future initiatives that are
being undertaken by the
Edenton-Chowan Part
nership to attract busi
ness and industry. Recent
multi-million dollar ex
pansions by Colony Tire
and Regulator Marine
suggest Chowan County’s
economic base is bucking
trends by growing, in
contrast to many areas in
eastern North Carolina.
See POPULATION, A2
MEETING
The Chowan County Board of
Commissioners will meet at
6 p.m. July 15 at the Public
Safety Building.
MORE
Senior Center moving - A3
enough time to look over
it. The motion was ap
proved, and the hearing
was reschedule to the
July 15 meeting.
According to the docu
mentation, the proposed
text amendment incorpo
rates some of Commis
sioner Bob Kirby’s pro
posals, as well as changes
by the county planning
board and county attor
ney.
Board Chair Patti
Kersey agreed that the
proposed amendment
hearing be rescheduled.
See SOLAR, A2 .
Town council learns latest on algae, street paving
Proposed budget calls
for fee, electric rate hike
BY MILES LAYTON
Staff writer
Edenton Town Council
worked through a busy
agenda recently that in
cluded updates about al
gae and street repairs.
During the June 11
meeting, Chowan-Edenton
Environmental Group pro
vided an update about the
green algae that tends to
invade Edenton Bay and
the Chowan River from
time to time.
Colleen Karl said ex
treme hot, dry weather and
southwest winds likely
caused the minor blooms
during the past several
weeks. CEEG is working
with state and federal
agencies researching and
monitoring algae blooms.
Recently, the algae ap
pears to have disappeared
between the Chowan River
Bridge and Edenton Bay,
perhaps because of the
rainy weather and power
ful wind-driven waves that
smacked the shorelines, so
maybe the
only green
citizens will
be seeing
any time
soon by the
bay will
come from
the Optimist
Club’s Fourth of July Fire
works display.
In other news, no one
offered any comment dur
ing the public hearing re
garding the town’s budget
for Fiscal Year 2019-20.
The proposed total bud
get of $20.5 million calls for
a zero increase to the
town’s tax rate, which
stands at 40 cents. The
budget does call for $1.50
increase in fees to pay in
frastructure needs, as well
as a 1.5 percent electric
rate increase.
The budget is expected
to be considered for adop
tion during Special Council
Meeting that starts at 6
p.m. Monday, June 24, in
Council Chambers.
In other matters, a pub
lic hearing was held
See COUNCIL, A2
Vol. 84, No. 25
What's Happening in Chowan County
6 "89076 44813 ,ll 0
Obituaries - A2-3 calendar 63 „
Classifieds....B7-8
©2019 The Chowan Herald
All Rights Reserved
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Peggy B. Parks Sports B2
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