BY MILES LAYTON

EDENTON — Chowan County Commission opted not to reappoint Sherronne Battle to the Shepard Pruden Memorial Library’s Board of Trustees.

More on Monday’s Commission meeting appears at the end of this segment of the story.

During Monday’s meeting, Commissioner Anthony Shaffer said Battle should not be reappointed because she doesn’t support library programming for veterans. 

In a statement to the Albemarle Observer, Battle countered that Shaffer is wrong, that she is supportive of veterans.

The Library’s Board of Trustees (BOT) members typically can advise the librarian on issues, manage the SPML Memorial Fund, and appoint members to the regional library board.

Before Shaffer was elected as a commissioner in 2024, Shaffer served alongside Battle after being appointed in a 4-3 vote to the BOT by the Commission in September of 2022.  

Commission appointed Battle to the Board in 2017, and she served two consecutive terms, with her second term expiring in June. Elected in 2022, Battle is a member of the Edenton-Chowan Board of Education. 

“I was disappointed to learn that the Board of County Commissioners did not reappoint me to the Shepard Pruden Memorial Library Board of Trustees, on which I have served for the last 8 years,” she said.

In an interview with the Albemarle Observer, Shaffer, a retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel, explained that when he approached the Board many times to suggest that the library feature programming for veterans, Battle did not support those kinds of forums and programs. Shaffer said though there are programs highlighting “Harry Potter” which he has nothing against, there should be similar programming geared toward veterans’ interests, particularly since there are around 2,800 veterans living in Chowan County. 

A published author, Shaffer said he has extensive contacts with other noted authors who may be interested in visiting, perhaps even speaking in Edenton.  

Shaffer said because Battle has “blocked” efforts to promote veterans’ programming, “It is time for a change” on the Board of the Trustees.  

As with Shaffer, the Albemarle Observer reached out to Battle to see what she has to say.

“Given my ongoing interest in serving and the Board’s recommendation for my reappointment, this news came as a shock,” she said. “I was even more surprised to learn from a reporter that, apparently, a commissioner claimed I should not be reappointed because I have not supported library events featuring our veterans. That would be a completely false assertion. As the daughter of a military veteran, I honor those who have bravely served under the flag of the United States of America.”

Battle continued, “If the commissioner interpreted the Board’s past decision not to hold an event centered on the Edenton Confederate Monument as a lack of support for veterans, he is sadly confused, and perhaps should ask the multiple Board members who did not believe that was a good use of limited library resources.”

Since Battle mentioned the Confederate Memorial, it should be noted that she is a member of the Move the Monument Coalition who is suing the County and Town of Edenton over the placement of the monument.

Active in Edenton, known near and far across Chowan County, Battle said she is going to continue to serve the community.

“I look forward to continuing to serve my community as a member of the Edenton-Chowan School Board and the Edenton-Chowan Educational Foundation, among other roles,” she said.

Commissioners appointed Candy Roth to that slot and reappointed Faison Winborne and Jenny Wells to the BOT. Roth is active in the NC Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, both with the local chapter and statewide. In the past, Edenton Tea Party Chapter NSDAR has played a leading role in the Edenton Steamers’ Military Appreciation Night. Winborne is a talented attorney, and Wells is a top notch librarian at Chowan Middle School.  

Other Business

In other Commission news, no one spoke during a public hearing for Project Teapot which will include the Town of Edenton’s acquisition, renovation and equipping of a building located at 211 South Broad Street, and the construction of a parking deck to be located in the vicinity of 206 and 304 Court Street (the “Parking Deck”).

Chowan County expects to grant the Town of Edenton a total sum of $734,500 pursuant to the Interlocal Agreement in order to:

(i) defray a portion of the $1,400,000 purchase price that the Town of Edenton will pay for the purchase of the Property

(ii) defray a portion of the estimated $200,000 cost that the Town of Edenton will incur for the design and construction of the Parking Deck. The Town of Edenton will be obligated to reimburse Chowan County $634,500 pursuant to terms and conditions set forth in the Interlocal Agreement, copies of which are available for public inspection at the office of the Chowan County Manager located at 305 West Freemason St. Edenton.

Albemarle Observer has done extensive reporting on Project Teapot — see this story — but bears repeating. The source of the funding for the Interlocal Agreement is the Chowan County General Fund. Project Teapot is expected to benefit the public by creating approximately 155 new jobs, diversifies the business composition in Chowan County, providing an occupied downtown building with improvements, increasing pedestrian traffic, increased property and sales tax, and improving parking and other accommodations for the downtown district of Chowan County to better serve the visitors and citizens of Chowan County.

In other news, Commission approved plans at a cost of $24,800 to hire MAPS Group to prepare a classification and pay plan for Chowan County — to be completed by October. MAPS is working with the Town of Edenton too.

Commission approved a $34,900 bid from Chambers Ferry Construction to repair and replace posts, railing and handrails for the Ag Building’s wooden pedestrian bridge.

Commission appointed Derrick Armstead to the Town of Edenton Board of Adjustments. Armstead fills the seat held by Owen Maxwell who does not wish to be appointed. There is a vacancy for a second seat on that Board. Speaking of Armstead, his daughter — very smart, lots of scholarships — is graduating Friday from John A. Holmes High School. Congrats!

Speaking of appointments, EC Toppin was reappointed to the Town of Edenton Planning Board with Haywood Coston being reappointed to the ABC Board, also Courtney Phelps to the COA’s Recreation Advisory Board and Ellis Lawrence to the COA Board of Trustees.