Town of Edenton

In case you missed it: Public Works has installed some new tables and seating over at EVM Park on East Water Street!

We’ve already been seeing folks take advantage of the seating and sharing meals together. The views from the park are amazing, so stop by and check it out. Thank you to Public Works!

As a public notice — thru truck traffic on Old Hertford Road is now restricted after a vote by the town council this year. This is due to road width, new stormwater improvements, and safety of residents on the street.

Exemptions include government usage and trash pickup, forestry, property/business owners on the road itself, utilities, and agriculture.

We are very close to entering the top 10 wettest Julys on record in Edenton! We still have about a week left to go before we find out what our total rainfall is for the month.

Football, Cheer, Soccer and Volleyball Registration This Week. Baseball and Softball Registration Starts Next Week.

As a reminder, our summer Cemetery Clean Sweep will be on August 1. Our green shed at the back of Beaver Hill Cemetery will hold any items picked up at the cemeteries. For questions, give Public Works a call!

A hot and humid day is in store before thunderstorms again develop this afternoon. Storms likely last into this evening as they gradually shift inland. Locally heavy rainfall is likely with any storm and isolated flash flooding will be possible, especially in urban locations. Have a great Tuesday!

Christmas Candlelight Tour sales are 10 weeks ahead of where they were last year, according to our friends at the Penelope Barker House Welcome Center.

They advise you secure them as soon as possible to avoid missing out.

The 43rd Annual Christmas Candlelight Tour is already more than 25% sold out! 🎄

Last year's Tour sold out before Thanksgiving, and we are currently 10 weeks ahead of last year's sales.

If you are planning to participate in this year's Tour, please follow the link below to secure your tickets as they are limited and are on-track to sell out in advance:

https://ehcnc.org/events/christmas/

We look forward to welcoming you to Edenton in December for another magical Christmas Candlelight Tour! 🎄

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The Town of Edenton and the Edenton Police Department are pleased to announce that Mr. George Robinson has been named Interim Police Chief, effective Aug. 1, 2024.

While in Edenton, Interim Chief Robinson will step in to lead the police force amidst the retirement of Chief Henry A. King Jr, while upholding the same precedents and professional standards set by Chief King’s leadership. He will also assist the administration with the ongoing nationwide search for a permanent police chief.

Interim Chief Robinson dedicated nearly 30 years to public service in Rocky Mount, rising through the ranks to lead over 200 sworn officers and civilian staff as Police Chief, before retiring.

“We are excited to welcome an interim chief with the breadth of knowledge and competency as Mr. Robinson,” said Town Manager Corey Gooden. “I am confident that his expertise will help us not only locate a new police chief, but continue the trailblazing initiatives of Chief King.”

Interim Chief Robinson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Shaw University and is a graduate of numerous management and leadership training programs, including the Administrative Officers Management Program from NC State University, and the Senior Management Institute for Police from Boston University.

He is a member of the Police Executive Research Forum, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and North State Law Enforcement. He currently serves on the Nash Community College Foundation Board and he is a proud member of the Rocky Mount Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

“It is an honor and privilege to serve both the Town of Edenton and the Edenton Police Department as the Interim Police Chief,” Robinson said. “We will continue to strive for organizational excellence on a daily basis and ensure that our police department continues to provide service of the highest quality as we search for a permanent chief.”

The Town of Edenton is excited to bring Interim Chief Robinson aboard. We thank Chief King for his years of tremendous service to our community and wish him nothing but the best as he moves into the next chapter of his life.

Attached is the agenda for Monday’s Town Council meeting. The meeting begins at 6 PM at the Council Chambers and is open to the public.

There are two Major Special Use Permit public hearings on the docket, one for 213 S. Broad Street and one for 403 S. Broad Street.

We are excited to announce a public feedback and community outreach event at MLK Park on the west side of town on July 31! The park is located around 607 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Avenue.

We have been listening to feedback from residents in that neighborhood and decided to hold an informal meeting at the park to talk with folks about any improvement plans.

Come on out and speak with our staff, we will be on site and ready to chat with you about your ideas and thoughts for the space. See you there.

What better way to introduce our new Police Captain than with an Employee Spotlight? Week Forty-Seven of our series is all about David LaFon!

As Captain at the Edenton Police Department, David will oversee patrol, organize community outreach, manage internal investigations, and work closely alongside the chief, among many other things. We are thrilled to have a longtime public servant of his caliber on our team and look forward to working with him in continuing to keep Edenton safe.

He comes to EPD by way of the N.C. Forest Service, where he was Chief of Law Enforcement, and he is also a volunteer firefighter for the Edenton Fire Department!

Join us in welcoming him to the police force, and we will see y’all next week! Have a great weekend!

UPDATE (7:04 PM): This watch has been canceled as storms have moved through.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect until 9 PM tonight. Heavy rain and damaging wind gusts are the primary threats, should storms occur.

Our Electric Department is HIRING!

We are seeking applicants for a Groundman/Apprentice position, which performs entry-level work in the construction, maintenance and repairs of electrical distribution lines, tree trimming and related line clearance work to receive the necessary skills and experience to progress in the apprenticeship program. This position will also require the operation of various trucks and equipment such as line trucks, backhoes, trenchers and bucket trucks.

For the full description and requirements, as well as to obtain an application, visit the Jobs page on our website!

We are pleased to share that our first phase of neighborhood park improvements is wrapping up at Paxton Lane Park, Griffith Park, and Stratford-Hawthorne Park! Courts are paved and pavilions are installed.

The second phase could consist of any playground improvements, remaining infrastructure/lighting upgrades, potential sidewalk connections, etc. Once we evaluate our remaining ARPA funds, we will allocate them as evenly as possible to the project.

Morgan Park is the subject of a grant application that we are waiting patiently for news on. MLK Park is also on the list, but we are still examining the site to best determine how to suit that neighborhood.

Thank you to our community for all of the feedback and support as we’ve embarked on this journey. More is to come!

The Town of Edenton and Chowan County, NC are pleased to announce that we have received $40,000 in grant funding from North Carolina’s America 250 NC initiative, for a project to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026!

America 250 NC is led by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The grants will fund the multi-day Edenton Tea Party 250th Anniversary Celebration on October 25-26, 2024!

“We are thrilled to receive this grant and to contribute to the statewide effort to celebrate our nation’s history,” said Edenton Mayor Hackney High. “This funding will enable us to create engaging and educational experiences for our residents and visitors, highlighting Edenton's rich history and its signicance during the Revolutionary War period and beyond.”

“The grant monies we have received will allow us to throw one heck of a tea party! We plan to use the grant funds to educate and celebrate Edenton and Chowan County, as the Cradle of the Colony,” said Chowan County Chairman Bob Kirby.

Events that weekend will include a concert, parade, keynote lecture, living history demonstrations, and more, and will feature the Grammy-nominated, three-time IBMA award-winning all-female bluegrass band, Sister Sadie, as well as the Colonial Williamsburg Fife & Drum Corps and the Tryon Palace Fife & Drum Corps!

The weekend will also host the launch of a new children's book, "Within Our Power: The Story of the Edenton Ladies' Tea Party.” All grant-funded events are free and open to the public – take a peek at Visit Edenton, NC’s website to view the full schedule.

Much more to come, so stay tuned!

The heat index in Downtown Edenton is currently estimated around 119°. It has fluctuated all afternoon between 115° and 120°. 🔥☀️

Our message is the same as it’s been before: if you are working outside, drink plenty of water and try to take some breaks.

Check on those vulnerable to heat such as young children, the elderly, and your pets.

Another Excessive Heat Warning today. Relief should come by late week.

Dangerous heat event peaks today with Heat Advisory or Excessive Heat Warnings for all but coastal Worcester County, MD until 8PM. A few storms may sneak into the region late this afternoon into the evening with strong winds the main threat from any storms

Something we are particularly proud of here in Edenton is the Chowan Arts Council!

The hub for all things creative within our community, this nonprofit does incredible work to promote the arts and provide a space for artists and artisans to showcase their work.

Stop by and see them on West Water Street! You’ll be glad you did.

It’s not always fun working in 95° heat to get the power back on, but our guys do a great job.

A huge thank you, as always, to Edenton Electric, for their timeliness, skill, and professionalism.

UPDATE: All power (should be) restored! If you continue to experience issues, call dispatch. (6:15 PM)

⚠️ (4:50 PM) We are currently aware of a power outage in the Poplar Neck Road, Haughton Road, and Soundside Road areas. Crews will respond accordingly.

We apologize for the inconvenience and will work as quickly as possible to restore.

We are reopened here on E. Church; big thanks to Public Works!

Be careful out there today! For the full briefing, visit townofedenton.com/weather.

Dangerous heat continues today & likely peaks on Tuesday. Heat Advisories and Excessive Heat Warnings are in effect 10am-8pm today. Tuesday will see slightly higher heat index values of 110-115° across the southeast, with 105-110° elsewhere

UPDATE: The street is reopened.

⚠️ Just a reminder! A portion of East Church Street will be closed starting around 7 AM this morning for underground repairs. It will be reopened when repairs are complete.

The specific closure area may give or take a few feet, so be aware of changing conditions today. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Update: This has expired.

A ⚠️ Severe Thunderstorm Warning ⚠️ is in effect until 6:15 PM. Watch for strong wind gusts!

The dog days of summer are back! Heat index values could top 110° by Tuesday.

Make sure to take breaks if working outside, drink plenty of water, and keep an eye on your pets and those vulnerable to heat.

Saturday Update: Rain has been the hot topic for the last few days. While the sun is now shining again, we thought we’d give what may be the last update for this event!

We’ve registered 3.1 inches of rain downtown since Thursday. That’s half of our average for the whole month!

Get ready for more heat, the National Weather Service is calling for upper 90s across the area on both Monday and Tuesday.

Since yesterday morning, our downtown gauge has picked up another 2+ inches of rain. More is potentially on the way before tomorrow night.

Just this week alone, we’ve seen two-thirds of our average rainfall for the entire month!

Alright, y’all. This is important. We need your input on a survey! NCDOT is proposing several projects in our area for the next 10 years. They are seeking public feedback. Here are some projects they are considering:

• A new sidewalk running down Queen Street between Twiddy Avenue and U.S. 17.
• An extension of Soundside Road (N.C. 94) to the N. Broad Street interchange with U.S. 17.
• A “western connector” extending Luke Street from the medical center down to Dr. MLK Jr. Avenue and Albania Street, with a new road and new bridge.
• New box hangars at Northeastern Regional Airport.
• Modernizing Rocky Hock Road.
• Upgrading U.S. 17 to a freeway in Bertie and Perquimans counties + an interchange in Merry Hill.

If you support any of these projects, please visit the SURVEY — the link is in this image or posted in the comments below.

DIRECTIONS:
• The survey can ONLY be taken on computer, it will NOT work on mobile devices.
• Once you pull up the map, select Chowan County from the dropdown menu, and then click on any projects you are interested in.
• Click the green checkmark if you support it, the red X if you do not. Select as many as you’d like!
• Once you have selected everything you wish to do (you can explore other state projects as well), click FINISH on the right hand side. This is very important, or it will not register your feedback.

Please remember that these are NOT Town of Edenton projects. Any comments left on this post will not be considered official feedback to NCDOT, please take the survey.

The survey closes on Wednesday! Please share!

Happy Friday y’all! Say hello to Alden Winslow, our 46th Employee Spotlight!

Alden, as part of our streets crew, helps to maintain all of our town-owned roads and sidewalks. On top of that, he also works to keep the stormwater system running, while also cutting our ditches and right of way areas.

This is (roughly) the HALFWAY point of our Employee Spotlight series! We are almost one year in, with just over 90 employees total. See y’all next week!