QUIMANS
EEKLY
"News from Next Door”
SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2023
$1.50
rn SCAN ME
PAGE 3
Area restaurants
to get taste of
national attention
PAGE 3
Davenport,
Tisdale earn
scholarships
PAGE 4
Milot: Other
intelligent life
possible, so
why wouldn’t it
travel?
Hotel Hinton project gets key OK for tax credit
SAGA: ‘Part 2’ approval will
allow renovations to start
BY VERNON FUESTON
Staff Writer
EDENTON — Plans to
redevelop the former Ho
tel Hinton have passed a
second critical step toward
receiving a Historic Preser
vation Tax Credit — a key
ingredient to jump-starting
costly renovations to the
building many in Edenton
have described as a crime
haven and eyesore.
SAGA Realty and Con
struction, which owns
the former hotel, recently
learned its application for
a 20% Historic Preserva
tion Tax Credit to help de
fray renovation costs had
received “Part 2” approval
from the National Park Ser
vice.
Sumit Gupta, CEO of
SAGA Realty and Construc
tion, said receiving the ap
proval is significant because
it allows the company to
move forward with renova
tions of the hotel, knowing
the 20% tax credit is avail
able.
“Part 2 approval was a
very important milestone
for the development,” he
said in an email Friday. “It
was a lengthy process that
took over eight months.”
Gupta previously said not
knowing whether the Hotel
Hinton project would qual
ify for a Historic Preserva
tion Tax Credit was a major
stumbling block to starting
the costly renovations.
Gupta said the company
is currently negotiating with
financial institutions regard
ing loans for the project.
“If all goes well, we hope
to have everything in place
by early 2024 to move for
ward with producing our
final construction and re
lated documents,” he said.
“This phase will take a few
months, and hopefully, by
mid to late 2024, we can
move into the actual con
struction phase. Our goal
is to start construction as
soon as we can.”
According to the National
Park Service website, appli
cants for Historic Preserva
tion Tax Credits, or HPTCs,
have to pass three steps to
determine if their renova
tion project is eligible for
the 20% tax credit The first
step determines whether the
building to be renovated is a
“certified historic structure”
and contributes to a histor
ic district recognized by the
Park Service. SAGAs Hotel
Hinton project had already
See HOTEL, A2
CHOWAN HERALD
SAGA Realty and Construction, which owns the former
Hotel Hinton, recently learned its application for a
20% Historic Preservation Tax Credit to help defray
renovation costs had received “Part 2” approval
from the National Park Service. The approval is a
key development to getting the building’s renovation
started.
Big boost
Edenton considers
tweaks to social
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Camp Cale recently received a $25,000 grant from Southern Bank that will go toward the cost of installing a high-
ropes course at the camp in Perquimans County. The cost of the ropes course is around $200,000.
district proposal
Southern Bank donates $25K to Camp Cale
Camp raises $50K toward $200K
cost of building high-ropes course
BY PAUL NIELSEN
Staff Writer
HERTFORD — Camp Cale’s cam
paign to raise funds for a new high-
ropes course recently got a m;yor
boost.
Southern Bank awarded the Cale
Community Foundation a $25,000
grant toward the cost of the approx
imately $200,000 cost of the project
at the 86-acre summer camp that sits
along the Perquimans River. The Cale
Community Foundation supports ac
tivities at the camp.
The camp is named for the Cale fam
ily, who first gave land to the Chowan
Baptist Association for a camp on the
site six decades ago. Camp Cale’s web-
site says its mission is to “Share Christ,
Develop Faith and Build Community.”
Camp Cale Executive Director Matt
Thomas said that around $50,000 has
been raised for the project, with the
rest of the donations coming from in
dividuals.
“We hope to the have the rest of the
money raised here in the next three
to four months so we can have it (the
high-ropes course) up before next
year’s summer camp,” Thomas said.
“We have had a couple of individual
gifts in the $5,000 to $10,000 range.”
Southern Bank Executive Vice Presi
dent-Regional Executive Jason Waugh
tel said the bank is committed to help
ing the communities it serves.
“Southern Bank is proud to pro
vide its contribution toward the Cale
Community Foundation,” Waughtel
said. “Our bank is firm in its commit
ment to the communities we serve
and this contribution is part of that
commitment, locally. Leadership at
Southern Bank believes that commu
nity involvement is part of the over
all experience our brand represents.
Southern Bank is thankful for the op ¬
portunity to contribute to this com
munity endeavor.”
Erin Thomas, Cale Community
Foundation communications coordi
nator, said camp outdoor activities at
the camp currently include swimming
and water sports like sailing, kayaking
and canoeing. There is also an archery
range, ax throwing, a low ropes course
and rock wall among others, she said.
Thomas said around 600 campers
will attend Camp Cale this summer. The
summer staff numbers around 20.
There were six one-week sessions
called “Kids Week” for children ages
7-12-years old this summer. The final
session starts Sunday.
There was also a “Youth Week”
held earlier this month for youth ages
12-15-years old. Also, a day camp is
scheduled for Aug. 7-11.
Camp Cale also features a confer
ence center and multi-purpose build
ing on its campus and its facilities
can be rented to outside groups when
camp is not in session.
Hours could be shortened
on Sundays, weekdays
BY VERNON FUESTON
Staff Writer
EDENTON — Edenton
Town Council last week
continued its discussion
of a proposed downtown
“social district” that would
allow customers to pur
chase single servings of
beer or wine and carry
them around parts of the
downtown and waterfront
areas.
The proposed district
extends from Queen Street,
down Broad Street to the
waterfront, from the Her
ringbone Restaurant to
Broad Street, and down
West King Street to the
See EDENTON, A6
Cunningham runs
on fairness in gov’t
Retired FBI employee recently
appointed to Winfall seat
BY REGGIE PONDER
Staff Writer
WINFALL — Cynthia
Gale White Cunningham
said she’s hoping to retain
her seat on Winfall Town
Council by rimning on a
platform of fairness and
transparency in local gov
ernment.
Cunningham was re
cently appointed to a va
cant seat on the council
CUNNINGHAM
and was
sworn in
about two
weeks
ago.
C u n -
ningham
is one
of three
candi
dates
seeking two seats on the
Winfall Town Council in
the Nov. 7 town election.
Arnetta Ormond and
Christopher Richardson
See CUNNINGHAM, A2
Edenton fall election candidates address gun violence
Hopefuls propose more police,
more youth, rec programs
BY VERNON FUESTON
Staff Writer
EDENTON — Gun vi
olence and other violent
crime is not just a problem
for large towns and big cit
ies anymore. Increasingly,
it’s also a problem in smaller
communities like Edenton,
as police departments and
elected officials struggle
BERGERON
DIXON
to respond to an uptick in
violent crime, particularly
shooting incidents.
A number of candidates
for
6
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2
town office in Eden
ton’s Nov. 7 election
said responding to
gun violence and
other violent crime
will be a key priori
ty for them if they’re
elected. The Chowan
Herald recently asked
each candidate on the
HIGH
GILLIARD
GREEN-
OVERTON
SELLERS
INGLIS
TURNER
violent crime
in Edenton if
elected? How
should the town
pursue
problem,
this
and
what solutions
would you offer
that officials ar
en’t already pur
suing?
ballot, including two who
are running unopposed, for
their thoughts about the gun
violence problem, and what
solutions they would offer
to curbing it.
All eight candidates re
sponded. They discussed
a number of possible solu
tions, proposing everything
from a citizen task force, a
greater police presence on
the streets and stiffer pen
alties for violators to more
recreational opportunities,
more job training and more
affordable housing opportu
nities.
Candidates on the Nov.
7 ballot include Hackney
High, a First Ward councilor
who’s running unopposed
for mayor, and Sam Dixon,
an incumbent councilor
who’s running unopposed
for re-election to his Second
Ward seat.
Three candidates are
seeking the council’s open
First Ward seat; three oth
ers are running for at-large
councilor. The three First
Ward candidates are Bob
Turner, Travis Gillard and
Stephanie Bergeron. The
three candidates for at-large
councilor are Patrick Sell
ers, Kay Green-Overton and
Susan Inglis.
CH: How would you
address the problems of
gun violence and other
Sellers: “Head on. Gun
violence is on the rise all
over the country, and in the
towns that surround Eden
ton. But Edenton has never
settled for the status quo,
and we definitely should not
settle on this issue.
’’Edenton needs a larger
police presence, more of
ficers working at all times.
This will take more money,
See CANDIDATES, A6