IN THIS GAME A TIE WINS...
GUYS WITH TIES MENTOR MIDDLE SCHOOL TIE-TYING STUDENTS
"There is courage, loyalty, and affection reflected in Odin's eyes ...It made me think...", Adachi
Law Enforcement, Local Mentors Prepare to get Knotty
A lesson in ties, character and community service
If you see a lot more young boys wearing neck ties locally, it may have to do with the recent Chowan Middle School’s annual Guys With Ties event.
A necktie can take a few attempts to get right. Adults often miss the length line-up of wide and narrow ends of the tie and must begin again. At Chowan Middle School’s “Tied for Success: Knot Your Average Workshop,” that was part of the lesson.
Principal Brittney Lopez welcomed the students and mentors and explained the day’s activities.
Tie tying mentors from the Chowan County Sheriff’s Office, the Edenton Police Department, the Chamber of Commerce, the Edenton-Chowan School Board, Regulator Marine, Colony Tire along with representatives from the Elizabeth City Alumni Chapter, Kappa Alpha PSI.
Assistant Principal Carisa Copeland also took part in the program, and school counselor Chris Gilliam introduced guest speaker Dan Moreno, youth pastor at Ballard’s Bridge Baptist Church and an Army veteran.
Moreno urged students to think about the choices they make when no one is watching. Small decisions, repeated over time, help shape a person’s character, he said.
“Character isn’t a destination you reach. It’s a muscle that you build over time,” Moreno told the students.
He used the challenge of tying a knot to make a point about perseverance. A tie may come out too short, too long or tangled on the first attempt. The response is to take it apart and try again.
“Success doesn’t come from being perfect the first time. It comes from taking a deep breath and starting over,” he said.
Local mentors helped students learn different knots and offered tips on professional dress. The workshop also gave students a chance to ask questions and talk with mentors about lessons they had learned growing up. One mentor, Nasim Hunt a former student at the school who previously participated in Guys with Ties as a student, returned last week as a mentor representing Regulator Marine.
The mentoring initiative uses positive role models, conversation and community support to help young men build confidence and leadership skills. Its program describes a tie as a symbol of character, responsibility and readiness for opportunity.
Along with a tie, students took home a lesson in character, responsibility while getting a glimpse of volunteer community service from the highly respected mentors.
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A WEEKEND OF EVENTS....IN ONE DAY
Join in the Fun… It’s Not too Late to sign-up for the Nut Run & Parade.
With summer in the rearview mirror the annual Peanut Festival will march everyone into the spirit of fall as the 51st annual Peanut Parade and Festival takes place on Saturday, October 3rd with a great line-up of fun activities. The Nut Run is back this year with 10K at 7 a.m. followed by 5K at 8:30 a.m.. For the very ambitious individuals, run both races to qualify for the 15K Challenge. Enjoy a one-of-a-kind race experience through the scenic streets of historic Downtown Edenton and the rich farmland of Chowan County—home to generations of peanut growers. Sign-up at: https://bit.ly/47bpq5J .
This year, awards will be given on the Courthouse Green before the start of the parade at 10 a.m. The Cupola Colonial Market opens at 9 a.m. in the Cupola Gardens and runs til 4 p.m. The artisan makers return this year including some of the favorite vendors from last year including vendors displaying antiques, pewter, and other art. The perfect holiday gift from one of these hand-crafted vendors possibly awaits at the many quality booths. The market runs until 4 p.m..
The Paradedown Broad Street begins at 10 a.m.. Don’t forget to bring your chair. There is still time to join the parade with those shiny classic tractors, highly decorated golf carts, possibly a winning float along with classic and anitque cars. Sign up at bit.ly/47d2VNP.
Hold on the renownedSenior Center Dancer return again this year. For the first, there will be awards for parade participation including: Grand Peanut Award (Best overall entry); Peanut Butter Cup Award (Sweetest entry); The Peanut Patch Award (best agricultural entry); Nuttiest Entry Award (Most fun/most spirited); and the Peanut in the Rough Award (most unexpected entry). Festival activities follow the parade on King Street and the Courthouse Green. Activities include live music surrounding the green, Albemarle Queen Boat Rides on the Albemarle Sound. For a unique view to most, the ride offer a wide eyed view of the shore and town. For a close up view and a shoreline hug tour, Capt. Mark and the Liber-Tea offer an on the water electric launch tour. Hop on board either of these vessels for a view of Edenton worth remembering.
Shopping on Broad Street. Some of the best shopping in Eastern North Carolina is on S. Broad Street. Make sure to visit Edenton’s unique shops owned and operated by independent shop keepers who hand select each item sold in their stores. The Edenton Farmers Market is also celebrating the Peanut Festival. Shop local farmer’s booths and unique vendors located on North Broad Street. The Battle of the Bands starts at 2 p.m. at the John A. Holmes High School. Watch local and regional marching bands compete, electrifying the afternoon.
The Peanut Parade is sponsored by Main Street Edenton and Visit Edenton.
MOVIE REVIEW
ADACHI'S REVIEW PROMOTES DOG HUGS
By Darryl Adachi
The fifty-first and latest edition of the reality television game show Survivor recently began its new season on CBS. The basic premise of the series is that a group of strangers is isolated in a remote location and forced to work together and compete in challenges for rewards. With minimal tools and food, the contestants must build shelters, make fires, and forage to survive the elements. By competing in and winning physical and mental challenges, contestants can earn items such as food or gear.
The TV series came to mind as I watched The Heart of the Beast, currently playing at the Taylor, although I doubt that any of the contestants who have appeared on the show over the past 25 years would have made it through what Brad Pitt and his canine companion managed to endure during their first day or two in the Alaskan wilderness.
Pitt plays James Belmont, a retired Army Special Forces veteran. He and his loyal but traumatized combat German Shepherd, Odin, fly a seaplane deep into the Alaskan wilderness in search of peace and quiet. While piloting the plane, James suffers a heart attack, causing a violent crash in a remote, unforgiving region. Although both survive the impact, James is weakened by his heart condition and injuries. Stranded miles from civilization, the pair must navigate a brutal 58-mile trek back to safety while facing harsh weather, rugged terrain, wolves, and bears.
This is somewhat different from what Survivor contestants are expected to do. In one challenge, contestants had their hands tied behind their backs and were forced to tear chunks of meat from a massive hanging roasted pig carcass using only their teeth. They then ran over and spit the chewed meat into a basket to see who could accumulate the heaviest pile. Another challenge had them flying kites, while yet another involved shuffleboard. No wolves. No bears. No frozen mountains to traverse. Survivor is less a show about survival than it is a show about grown-ups being asked to do silly things.
The Heart of the Beast offers its audience a genuine survival story, so much so that you quickly realize you want James with you if zombies ever take over the world, as movies would have us believe they eventually will. It would prove fruitless to go up against James in any of the Hunger Games, and he would have given Mad Max a good run for his money.
Over the course of several days, James survives plane crashes, falls that would leave most people bloody and battered, multiple heart attacks, and wounds that would leave most of us curled up in a ball and whimpering in pain. The movie has its share of intense moments—so much so that a friend decided that enough was enough and left before the movie was over. The more hardened (and perhaps slightly more masochistic) among us chose to stay until the end and were rewarded with a sequence that all devoted dog owners could easily relate to.
Pitt is very good in his role as James, but the film belongs to Odin, portrayed by a German Shepherd named Uber (official pedigree name Makovon Heisenberg), who worked as a real-life mountain rescue and companion dog in New Zealand. Odin is the canine version of John McClane from Die Hard, the ultimate survivalist, seemingly incapable of being overwhelmed by any challenge.
There is courage, loyalty, and affection reflected in Odin's eyes, along with a fierce determination to do whatever he can to protect his human companion. It made me think—briefly—about possibly getting a second dog, more along the lines of Odin. I don't wish to be misunderstood here. My little Enzo is a wonderful companion whom I love dearly, but would he be able to track me down and drag my unconscious body out of a river, I wonder? Or would his emergency assistance be limited to simply licking my face? Something to consider.
While many may immediately see this film as an action-heavy blockbuster, it actually focuses more on the quiet, powerful, and unconditional bond between a wounded man and his dog as they rely on each other to endure a series of life-threatening challenges. While few of us may share our lives with a dog like Odin, we can certainly relate to the inexplicably deep connection and devotion that people and dogs share. The Heart of the Beast affords viewers a good reminder of that, and if only for that reason, this 100-minute film is worth the price of admission.
Warning: Chances are the film will bring tears to your eyes (no worries—Odin doesn't die) and give you good reason to hug your dog when you get home.
Former President celebrated for helping bring historic woodwork home
For Vonna O’Neill, historic preservation has never been simply about protecting an old building. It is a commitment—a promise to carry the dreams of earlier generations forward.
That commitment was celebrated during a gathering in the Cupola House gardens honoring O’Neill for more than 21 years of service to the Cupola House Association, including four years as its president.
The evening included tributes from association leaders, a proclamation from Edenton Mayor W. Hackney High Jr. and the presentation of gifts recognizing O’Neill’s lasting contributions to one of Edenton’s most treasured landmarks.
Much of the evening focused on an accomplishment once thought impossible: the return of the Cupola House’s original 1758 interior woodwork after 106 years at the Brooklyn Museum.
“Vonna believed we could get it back, and she worked diligently to make that happen,” Sam Dixon said.
Dixon recalled how O’Neill helped bring together a delegation that traveled to New York to meet with Brooklyn Museum officials. She then continued pushing the project forward as the historic woodwork was carefully removed, packed, transported down Interstate 95 and returned to Edenton.
Reproduction woodwork was removed from the house, allowing the original panels and architectural elements to be reinstalled in the rooms for which they were created.
“That is something that no one ever thought was possible,” Dixon said. “Because of Vonna, it became a reality.”
Dixon also recognized the devotion of O’Neill’s late husband, Denny O’Neill, who previously served as president of the association. Together, the couple spent more than a decade caring for the house, welcoming visitors, supporting historical scholarship, raising funds and doing the everyday work required to protect the landmark.
“They didn’t simply serve the Cupola House,” Dixon said. “They loved it. They nurtured it, and they made sure it was shared with the public.”
O’Neill became emotional as Dixon spoke of her husband and the devotion they shared.
“Vonna, you brought everybody together to make this happen,” Dixon said. “You kept the dream alive.”
Flora Hall Wood Davis, the association’s incoming president, thanked the organization’s members and those who laid the foundation for its preservation work.
“It is going to be the future that will carry this forward for the next 100 years,” Davis said.
She also recognized the state funding that supported the recent restoration work and thanked Ed Goodwin, Robert Leath and the craftspeople and preservation specialists who helped return the original woodwork to its historic setting.
“What an amazing piece of history we are all living to see, witness and be a part of,” Davis said. “It is indeed a miracle.”
Although grant funding made the restoration possible, Davis reminded those gathered that members and donors remain the heart of the organization. Their contributions pay the bills and support the continuing maintenance and preservation of the house and gardens.
Mayor High then read a proclamation recognizing O’Neill as a civic leader, preservationist and advocate who has devoted many years to enriching Edenton’s history, heritage and character.
The proclamation cited O’Neill’s pivotal role in returning the original woodwork, her leadership in establishing a task force for the house’s long-term preservation and her creation of the Cupola House Community Christmas Tree program.
It also recognized her service to the Friends of the Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library, the Albemarle Chorale, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
High proclaimed Sept. 20, 2026, as “Vonna O’Neill Day” in Edenton.
Sam Dixon and the association presented O’Neill with a custom Cupola House etched platter honoring her “unwavering dedication” to the preservation of the Cupola House and her service as association president from 2022 to 2026.
Karen Foley, publisher of Edenton Social Light, presented O’Neill with a keepsake book filled with photographs, memories and tributes collected from people who have worked alongside her.
O’Neill accepted the honors while directing much of the credit toward the board and the many people who supported the association.
“This isn’t done in a vacuum,” she said. “I had the great honor of having just a fabulous board. They all worked. You don’t get here without having people who are dedicated.”
O’Neill described preservation as a commitment to see dreams through and never lose hope. Efforts to reclaim the woodwork stretched back decades, she said, including letters written to the Brooklyn Museum during the 1960s and a campaign later renewed by her husband.
When Edenton representatives learned in 2023 that returning the woodwork might finally be possible, the association did not yet have the necessary funding. That uncertainty did not weaken their resolve.
“If we had to mortgage our houses, it didn’t matter,” O’Neill recalled.
She compared that determination to the actions of the Edentonians who came together in 1918 to purchase the deteriorating Cupola House and save it from possible demolition.
O’Neill said the Cupola House is the only American building of its era known to have recovered and reinstalled its original woodwork.
She then challenged everyone present to bring two or three new members into the association, stressing that preservation must remain a shared community responsibility.
“Love is like a chain reaction,” O’Neill said. “With the Cupola House, for me—and probably for a lot of you—it is a love story.”
That love was deeply intertwined with her life with Denny, who continued working on Cupola House projects until just days before his death.
“It meant that my husband lived five more years than initially thought because he was committed to the Cupola House,” O’Neill said. “He worked on Cupola House things up until 10 days before he passed away. Now, that’s commitment.”
As she prepared to pass the leadership of the association to Davis and her board, O’Neill assured the membership that the historic property would remain in dedicated hands.
Her presidency may have ended, but the legacy celebrated that evening will remain visible inside the Cupola House—in the original woodwork returned to its rightful home and in a community inspired to continue protecting it.
“I will always love the Cupola House,” O’Neill said.
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