SHRIMP BY THE BAY ATTRACTS HUGE CROWD
THE DRAM TREE SOCIETY HOSTS FIRST GATHERING
Perfect Night for a Preservation Presentation
THE DRAM TREE SOCIETY TAKES ROOT ON BARKER HOUSE PORCH
It was a perfect night for a preservation presentation encouraging future preservationists to participate in Edenton's continued preservation.
Edenton Historical Commission Director of Marketing, Development and Community Events Patti Mordecai along with Commission board members planned the event hosted by Mary Ann and Robert Daniel, Sallie and Ryland Elliott and Caroline and Marshall Ellis. The Barker House Porch overlooking the harbor’s cypress was the perfect platform for the gathering.
The event marked the beginning of a new branch of the Edenton Historical Commission, bringing residents together to help carry the town’s preservation efforts into the next generation.
The cypress tree in Edenton’s harbor is referred to as the Dram Tree with an interesting folklore history.
The society’s name draws on Edenton’s maritime lore. According to local tradition, sailors paused at a harbor cypress known as the Dram Tree to share a small drink of rum and toast a safe voyage, leaving a supply for those who followed. More colorful versions of the legend warn that bad luck awaited crews who neglected the custom.
Young and upcoming area families with a passion for preservation where invited to the event with the hope of attracting new members to participate in the commission.
Held Oct. 15 on the Barker House porch, the gathering introduced the society with cocktails and conversation in a setting closely tied to the commission’s work.
“Preservation for the Next Generation,” was Commission member Charles Davis’ take away message as he outlined the purpose behind the evening. The new branch is being formed to involve the next generation of Edentonians in the preservation of both place and lifestyle.
That mission builds on the work of the Edenton Historical Commission, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preservation projects and education in Chowan County. The commission sponsors the annual Christmas Candlelight Tour, maintains the Barker House Welcome Center and supports other preservation efforts that help make Edenton a special place for generations to come.
The Barker House offered a fitting starting point. As a welcome center maintained by the commission, it connects visitors and residents with the town’s past. Thursday’s gathering turned attention toward the people who will help sustain that work in the future.
The society’s cypress image gives the new organization a distinctly local identity. Standing in the harbor, its roots surrounded by water and its branches spreading above the shoreline view, the tree provides a natural symbol for an organization seeking to grow from an established preservation tradition.
With the launch of the Dram Tree Society, the commission is extending an invitation to another generation to take an active role in caring for the places and community traditions that define Edenton.
An impressive turnout brought a noticeable enthusiasm to the gathering. Chef Cheryl Orr once again provided a flavorful selection of artisan appetizers before some guests enjoyed a trolly tour around town.
Preservation efforts rock on... the Barker House porch
Residents with an interest and roots in the past gathered at the Barker House last week to welcome and encourage a younger generation to join the town wide effort of preserving the past for the future by joining the Edenton Historical Commission.
SHRIMP LOVERS CONVERGE ON GREEN FOR FRIED SHRIMP DELIGHT
Edenton Chowan Chamber Hosts Shrimp by the Bay
Shrimp by the Bay hosted a tent filling crowd.
Shrimpers, of sorts, gathered from far away towns to enjoy the Edenton-Chowan Chamber of Commerce annual Shrimp by the Bay shrimp feed. Huge plates of perfectly prepared shrimp along with standard accompaniments were enjoyed by just short of 300 guests.
The yearly event has become a friends, neighbors and family tradition.
This year the event snuck in just before the rain dampened many spirits over the weekend. Saturday’s storm blew through Edenton earlier on Saturday morning, clearing sidewalks of window shoppers and proved to be a lengthy washing. The Edenton Farmers Market opened to a supportive umbrella toting crowd.
After last week’s Taste of the Inner Banks and this week’s Shrimp by the Bay, the courthouse green will be closed for a time to those seeking a gathering. Courthouse green culinary events have slowed down. However, for those concerned about next weekend’s meal, St. Ann’s is holding a take out only Fried Chicken Dinner Sale on Saturday Oct. 24 from 4:00 – 6:30 p.m. TAKE OUT ONLY...
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FIRE and POLICE DEPARTMENTS AWARDED FUNDING
GOODWIN SECURES ANOTHER WIN FOR EDENTON
NC State Representative Ed Goodwin presented Edenton Town Manager Corey Gooden with a check for $250,000 on Thursday, October 15, in support of Edenton’s public safety infrastructure.
The state budget allocation includes $125,000 for the Edenton Fire Department. The funds will be used to advance the development of construction, design and engineering plans for a proposed fire station and emergency services training facility at 115 Hicks St.. The Police Department’s $125,000 allocation will be used to replace aging patrol vehicles.
“The $250,000 in grant funding represents an important investment in Edenton’s public safety infrastructure. For our Police Department, the funding will allow us to replace aging patrol vehicles with modern, reliable equipment that will improve officer safety, enhance daily operations, and support employee morale and recruitment efforts. For the Fire Department, this funding will advance the development of a world-class Fire Station and Emergency Services Training Facility,” said Gooden. “ By supporting the preparation of design and construction documents for the Fire Department, this investment will move the project closer to becoming shovel-ready and position the Town to pursue future construction funding,”
Gooden expressed the Town of Edenton’s Mayor and Town Council, Administration, Police Department, and Fire Department are extremely grateful for Representative Goodwin’s continued support and commitment to our community.
“We sincerely appreciate Representative Goodwin’s recognition of Edenton’s needs and continued efforts to help our community strengthen essential public safety services. This investment will have a lasting impact on our employees, residents, and the future of Edenton,” said Gooden.
IN THE PICTURE
(L to R) Town Manager Corey Gooden; Police Department Administrative Assistant Rachel Cade; Fire Engineer Kevin Holton; Fire Chief Scott McGuire; Police Department Administrative Assistant Tawanda McKiver; Rep. Ed Goodwin; Fire Captain Josh Biggs; Police Sergeant Rusty Michaels; Firefighter Corey Riddick; and Police Sergeant Austin Wynn.
Enjoy the Food, Spill the Tea, Coming to Edenton
DINNER AND A PLAY.....
...SPILL the TEA
Edenton Tea Party musical to open new performing arts center at John A. Holmes HS
The women of the Edenton Tea Party will take center stage in their hometown when Spill the Tea! becomes the inaugural production at the new John A. Holmes Performing Arts Center.
Performances are scheduled for Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. The final performance falls 252 years to the day after the Edenton Tea Party. Admission is free, but tickets must be reserved at www.spilltheteamusical.com.
Created by Edenton native Laurie Edwards, the musical draws inspiration from the 51 women who signed a declaration on Oct. 25, 1774, pledging their support for a boycott of British goods. Their actions provide the foundation for an original story and score that combine history, humor and the relationships of a town caught up in revolution.
Led by Penelope Barker, the women took a public stand at a time when they could neither vote nor hold public office. Their declaration attracted attention far beyond Edenton, with news of their protest reaching London.
For Edwards, bringing the musical home gives the production special meaning.
“There’s something pretty magical about watching this story unfold where these women actually lived and made history,” Edwards said.
Spill the Tea! portrays its characters as friends, spouses and neighbors navigating both everyday tensions and revolutionary change. The story brings Revolutionary-era Edenton to life, with part of the action extending to London.
The score blends pop, orchestral and traditional Broadway styles. According to the production announcement, the show takes a humorous and sometimes irreverent approach while recognizing the significance of the women’s decision to make their voices heard.
The hometown production marks a new chapter for local performing arts, opening the John A. Holmes Performing Arts Center with a story rooted in Edenton’s history. It also joins the celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence.
Spill the Tea! is funded in part by a grant from America 250 NC, a program of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Sponsors include Colony Tire & Service, Regulator Marine, Dr. and Mrs. Alex Kehayes, and Willful Entertainment
MAIN STREET EDENTON HAS A BROAD REACH
Main Street update reports $9.2 million in downtown investment
The numbers are impressive. The accomplishments have contributed to Edenton's growing popularity. Nearly $9.2 million in public and private downtown investment was reported in Main Street Edenton’s annual update to the Edenton Town Council Tuesday evening, along with progress on redevelopment projects and plans for a new public park.
Mayor Hackney High introduced Executive Director Ches Chesson, who outlined the nonprofit’s work and explained its finances, board structure and oversight of Project Teapot.
Chesson said the presentation also responded to public comments and questions about providing more frequent updates on the organization’s activities.
The organization’s accompanying report listed $4,885,200 in public investment and $4,302,200 in private investment downtown. It also recorded three facade improvements, three building improvements and a net gain of seven jobs.
Volunteers contributed 795 hours, valued at approximately $24,000, through 12 volunteer events, according to the report.
Main Street Edenton’s work centers on economic development through historic preservation, with programming organized around preservation, innovation and cultivation, Chesson said.
The organization has increased its facade grant budget from $6,000 last year to $10,000 this year. Building and business owners can apply for a $2,000 matching grant for exterior improvements, including awnings, window treatments and painting.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, Chesson said, and the organization hopes to continue expanding the program.
Several downtown projects are moving forward, although Chesson was cautious about predicting completion dates.
The Court Street parking area opened earlier this week, with parking lot striping still being finished. An elevator remains the final step in completing the building associated with Project Teapot.
Chesson said the goal is for Provalus to have staff working in the building by the end of October, but he stopped short of promising a completion date after earlier expectations had not been met.
Edenton Commons, the event venue at 213 S. Broad St., is under construction, with a target of completing the first floor by Dec. 1 and opening before the end of the year, he said.
Main Street Edenton is also developing plans for a pocket park at 207 S. Broad St. Conceptual designs have been prepared, and the organization is working on a capital campaign to pay for the project.
The proposed park would provide a public gathering space, restrooms on that side of Broad Street and a connection between Broad Street and the Court Street parking area.
Chesson said the working name is the Little Park, emphasizing that it would be an urban park rather than a parking lot.
Downtown parking remains a recurring topic at quarterly merchant meetings. With the Port Street project opening, Main Street Edenton plans to introduce signs directing motorists to parking areas away from Broad Street.
Chesson said discussions with the police chief include possible enforcement of downtown parking limits. Any changes would follow a period of directing motorists to available parking and educating the public, he said.
Financial transparency was another focus of the presentation.
Chesson said the organization had received its annual financial report from its accountant and was preparing its Form 990, the federal filing required of tax-exempt nonprofits. The filing will be available to the public upon request and posted online once filed, he said.
Main Street Edenton’s revenue comes from the town’s contribution, sponsorships, grants, private donations and event income.
The accompanying financial summary listed total revenues of $467,819 and expenses of $375,953. Government funding was listed at $200,000, with sponsorships providing $58,950 and grants $31,542.
The town’s support helps stabilize the budget while the organization builds other revenue sources, Chesson said. A goal is to develop events that produce net income that can be put back into programming.
Expenses include events, advertising, facade grants, special projects, payroll and professional services. Accounting and legal work are outsourced, and training helps the two-person staff keep up with its responsibilities, he said.
Chesson also explained Main Street Edenton’s role as developer and manager of Project Teapot. Project Teapot LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the nonprofit and is associated with the project’s New Markets Tax Credit financing.
Project funds are held in a separate account that Main Street Edenton cannot directly access, he said. Monthly payment applications, compliance documents and draw requests must be submitted before funds are released to an operating account to pay contractors. Construction consultants also review the work and payment requests.
The organization’s board combines appointed seats representing public and community organizations with elected members serving staggered two-year terms. Chesson said board members review and sign conflict-of-interest statements annually.
Main Street Edenton has also helped Edenton become a certified North Carolina music destination. Its website will provide information on music venues, performances and local musicians.
Looking ahead, downtown trick-or-treating is scheduled for Oct. 31. The 2027 calendar includes Boogie on Broad April 16, Rockfish May 15 and the Peanut Festival Oct. 2.
Chesson said Boogie on Broad typically draws 2,500 to 3,000 people downtown. About 65 to 70 percent of this year’s Nut Run participants came from out of town, he said.
The organization also tracks volunteer hours, new businesses, jobs and public and private investment for its annual state report. Chesson credited event coordinator Timmy Turner’s volunteer meetups with helping connect residents to local nonprofits and opportunities to participate.
Chesson, Turner and Main Street's progress has been monumental over the past years and is the envy of neighboring communities and throughout eastern North Carolina counties. The organization and its leaders received high praise at the annual NC Main Street Conference on both the regional and state wide stage increasing Edenton's reach and reputation as a charming, inviting, destination town.
Area Restaurants Tease Palates for Charity...
EATING SO OTHERS MAY
It was a culinary adventure for charity. A palate tease pleasing an overflow crowd of tented tasters sampling flavors from Edenton, Elizabeth City and Hertford eateries joining together to raise funds and awareness of food insecurities.
The line-up of restaurants offering samples of their specialties pleased the crowd of close to 200 people enjoying samples of She Crab Soup, BLT’s in a cup, BBQ pulled pork and along with delightful cream puffs.
While guests enjoyed a variety of flavors and mingling conversations, the chefs and staffs of the participating restaurants deserve a round of applause for leaving their home bases on a Saturday night to donate time, staff and ingredients.
The Broad St. Diner’s She Crab Soup was a huge. Steve and Mary Pat Gaffney have become known for their signature Broad St. Diner dish. The soup will be available beginning Saturday at the Edenton Farmers Market. Ronnie Bates took time out from the recent opening of The Capital Pizza Tavern to support the event with new menu samplings.
A Taste of the Inner Banks, regional restaurants and community members gathered under a rain pattered tent on Edenton’s Courthouse Green to benefit the Food Bank of the Albemarle.
The gathering had a mission that reaches well beyond the tasting tables: helping neighbors across northeastern North Carolina put food on their own tables.
Inspired by the former Taste of Edenton, the event revived a local tradition with a regional focus. Organizers announced that sponsorship support would allow all ticket proceeds to go directly to the Food Bank of the Albemarle.
Helping make the evening a success were Timmy Turner of Main Street Edenton; Leslie Hogan, CAC Board member, along with James Beard Award winning chef and event judge Ricky Moore; Denise Barnes, owner of The Venue; and Edenton-Chowan Chamber of Commerce President Susan Creed, bartender for the evening. Sponsor Kellogg Supply’s employees enjoyed VIP table service, while “Island Gerry” Maddox provided the music.
The evening also brought Hogan, former director of College of the Albemarle’s culinary program, together with two former students: Marsharel Moore now chef and owner of the Electric Garden, and Ashley Tedrow, a COA graduate and former lab assistant who now teaches cooking to area high school students through COA. For those hungry for another local offering, Broad Street Diner will feature she-crab soup at the Edenton Farmers Market beginning Saturday, with the soup also available at the diner.
Participating kitchens included Bistro Tropical, Blake’s Bistro, Broad Street Diner, Capital Pizza Tavern and Carolina Moon Bakery. College of the Albemarle, Cypress Creek Grill, Currituck BBQ, Downtown Roots, Electric Garden and Waterman’s Grill also joined the culinary lineup.
Together, the participants offered a chance to discover different kitchens in one setting while supporting a shared community cause. Beneath the trees on the historic green, tents and tables provided an informal backdrop for an evening centered on food and fellowship.
Chef and cookbook author Ricky Moore was also on hand, with copies of his SALTBOX Seafood Joint cookbooks displayed at his table. The James Beard Award-winning chef, whose Durham restaurant celebrates North Carolina seafood, was announced as the event’s guest judge for the Outstanding Dish Award and presenter of the People’s Choice Awards.
While the tasting highlighted the pleasures of sharing a meal, its beneficiary works year-round to make nutritious food available to people facing hunger. Based in Elizabeth City, the Food Bank of the Albemarle partners with more than 100 nonprofit and community organizations across 15 northeastern North Carolina counties, including Chowan, Bertie, Martin and Perquimans. These local partnerships help bring food assistance closer to the people who need it.
Among those partners is the Edenton-Chowan Food Pantry, a member agency of the Food Bank. The pantry also participates in its network of backpack programs, which provide children with food for weekends when school meals are unavailable. Other backpack partners include Good Shepherd Food Pantry, Ahoskie Food Pantry, Camden Food Pantry, Eagles Wings Food Pantry, Food for Thought and Currituck Extension Foundation. Through these organizations, support for the Food Bank helps reach families and children throughout the region.
For the restaurants, volunteers and guests gathered on Courthouse Green,was a celebration of local food with a special ingredient, an act of generosity—helping make the next meal possible for a neighbor.
Framing the Aces’ legacy
Simple request becomes a major woodworking project for Lucas Belton
When Lucas Belton received a call from John A. Holmes High School asking whether he could build a frame for some sports memorabilia, the request sounded straightforward.
Then came the jerseys, awards and trophies — enough to require a box truck to transport the multi framed collection to his studio.
For Belton, the owner and artist behind Rustic to Reclaimed, the assignment grew into a massive woodworking project using 1,000 feet of cypress. The result is a collection of substantial wooden frames designed to protect and bring order to the school’s athletic history.
These are frames within frames. Individually framed jerseys and awards slide into larger protective wooden surrounds, with the collection divided into sections by category. The design brings pieces of different sizes and styles together within a consistent framework while retaining their individual presentations.
Spread across Belton’s studio, the finished sections reveal the scale of the undertaking. Long rows of awards sit alongside broad displays holding several jerseys. Stacks of completed frames rise beside piles of lumber, their warm brown finish highlighting the sweeping grain of the cypress.
The wood provides a striking border for the Aces’ blue and gold, the white jerseys of East-West All-Star participants, and college and professional uniforms represented in the collection.
Among the pieces is a red Atlanta Falcons jersey bearing the name Chesson and the number 81. Its accompanying plate identifies Wes Chesson and his years as a wide receiver from 1971 to 1974. Nearby are framed Aces football jerseys, each with its own identifying plaque.
The collection also reaches beyond the football field. A swimming display includes blue racing shorts, a yellow cap, a medal and a photograph honoring James “Ches” Chesson’s 2008 state championship in the 100-yard freestyle. Other sections hold rows of conference awards recognizing team achievements.
Together, the pieces tell a story of individual accomplishment and shared school pride. Names, numbers, photographs and awards connect the athletes who wore the uniforms with the teams and community they represented.
Accommodating that variety required more than repeating a single frame design. Belton’s wooden surrounds had to fit everything from large jersey displays to smaller award plaques, creating sections suited to the contents while giving the overall collection a unified appearance.
What began with a phone call about a frame became a project measured in a truckload of memorabilia and 1,000 feet of cypress.
For Belton, the finished work puts his craftsmanship around another kind of handiwork: the athletic legacy built by generations of Edenton Aces.
ADACHI REVIEWS VERITY
You may consider leaving Mother at home...
By Darryl Adachi
If you are an Anne Hathaway fan, 2026 is turning out to be a bonanza year for you. You may have read my reviews of The Devil Wears Prada, The Odyssey, and The End of Oak Street. In one, Anne plays a charmingly efficient problem solver for a major fashion magazine. In another, she is the long-suffering wife of a Trojan War hero trying to find his way home. And in yet another, she goes head-to-head with dinosaurs in an effort to save her family after their neighborhood is catapulted 100 million years into the past.
These are remarkably diverse roles for one actor to tackle in a single year. What else could she possibly do, I wondered? Apparently, quite a lot more.
Verity, now playing at the Taylor, tells the story of Verity Crawford, a best-selling novelist who has suffered a devastating car accident that has left her catatonic and unresponsive. Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer who is offered a lucrative opportunity to serve as a ghostwriter, completing the remaining books in Verity’s popular series. She accepts the assignment and moves into the Vermont home of Verity and her husband, Jeremy Crawford, where she begins sorting through Verity’s mountain of notes, drafts and ideas.
While staying at the Crawford home, Lowen grows close to Jeremy and the couple’s young son, Crew. Before long, she and Jeremy develop a mutual attraction and begin an affair. Then, while working through Verity’s papers, Lowen discovers a hidden, unpublished autobiographical manuscript written by Verity herself.
The manuscript contains disturbing confessions, including passages describing Verity’s deep resentment toward her children, one of whom had previously drowned in a boating accident. Horrified by what she has read, Lowen shares the manuscript with Jeremy. It is at this point that the movie shifts from a slow-burning examination of the Crawford family dynamic and Lowen’s developing relationship with Jeremy into a bona fide mystery thriller.
That said, for the benefit of those reading this review, I should probably be more precise: Verity is an erotic mystery thriller.
Yes, dear readers. While the Taylor has entertained us this year with superheroes, characters from classical literature, and the bond between a man and his dog, our movie-going community has apparently ventured into the realm of — dare I say it? — s-e-x in films.
I will say that there is no shortage of seduction, skin and sheets in this movie, an observation that is, of course, relative depending on one’s views on the subject. I tend to draw the line on films like this by asking myself, “Would I be comfortable watching this movie with my teenage son or daughter sitting next to me — or, worse yet, my mother-in-law?”
You be the judge.
The film quickly evolves into a series of surprising revelations, an ill-advised attempt to resolve an emerging problem, and, ultimately, a denouement that leaves you questioning just about everything that came before it. The movie runs two hours, but it sometimes feels as though everything that really needs to be seen happens in the final 20 minutes.
I won’t deny that parts of the film are left unresolved and open to interpretation. In fact, as I sit here writing this review, I find myself wondering what really happened.
For those who enjoy heading out after a movie and discussing it over a cup of coffee, that can be a good thing. Some movies are meant simply to entertain us. Others are more ambiguous and multi-layered, forcing us to debate what actually happened and what it all means.
Verity falls into that latter category.
For those who gravitate toward this type of film, it may certainly be worth a visit to the Taylor this week. However, you might want to consider leaving Mother at home.
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