As we look towards our future one of the bright spots in our economy has been wind generation.

This industry has made over 350,000 new jobs and is growing. Unfortunately for our country the greater amount of these towers are manufactured overseas leaving only two plants in Ohio producing them.

A plan came to me that our proximity to Nucor steel, the existence of a rail spur, the Chowan River for moving raw materials and a industrial park gives us a golden opportunity to establish a wind generator manufacturing and assembly facility.

We already have skilled workers and fiberglass people attached to our boating industry.

There is money available for such an undertaking from the Golden Leaf Foundation and the newly established federal tax credits.

We as a community have two opportunities: one is to establish a home grown industry, two, is to solicit one of the Ohio companies to enter into a southern operation using their expertise.

We are looking at a host of well paid jobs both semi-skilled and high skilled.

We must approach this matter as a concern for the greater good of our community and our country.

CEEG's (Chowan/Edenton Environmental Group,http://www.green.embarqspace.com) small groups held their organizational meeting on January 31, 2009. There were four groups - Alternative Energy (including Green Buildings), Energy Conservation, Recycling and Grants/Fund raising. After a productive two hours, the small groups identified issue and concerns within their areas and set a time for the next meeting. If you are interested in joining one or more of these groups, please note the following dates:

Alternative Energy: 10:00AM 2/14/09 First Presbyterian Church: Contact Vero Brentjens vaamb@yahoo.com
Energy Conservation: 10:00AM 2/21/09 Agricultural Ext. Building. Contact: Shair Farless shari_farless@ncsu.edu
Recycling: 7:00PM, 3/10/09 First Presbyterian Church. Contact: Dennis Robison robisode@embarqmail.com
Grants/Fund Raising: 10:00AM 2/14/09 First Presbyterian Church. Contact: Robbi Salak tomrobbi@net-change.com

I am Isabelle Boehling, the founder and president of the LiveGreen club at John A. Holmes High School. Our club is focused on recycling and improving the environmental conditions in Edenton, beginning with John A. Holmes. You may have seen our article in the paper on January 28th, but if not I would like to give you a brief synopsis of the current project we are taking on.

The dishwasher in the cafeteria at the high school has been broken and out of use now for about two years. The alternative to washable, plastic trays: Styrofoam. Every day, nearly 800 Styrofoam trays are dumped into our landfills, from our high school alone. Aside from the fact that this Styrofoam is NOT biodegradable, it also emits toxins, Benzene and Styrene into the groundwater. It is a fact: Styrofoam is atrocious for the environment. Therefore, LiveGreen is here to help.

We recently got our plan approved by the School Board to begin raising funds to purchase a new dishwasher and stop using Styrofoam trays in the cafeteria. Our goal is to have a new dishwasher installed by the end of this school year. However, we cannot accomplish this task alone. We have partnered with the Chowan Edenton Environmental Group (CEEG). We are also looking for other community involvement, you, for assistance.

If you are interested in our project and "Going Green" please contact me by clicking on "Contributed by: Isabelle". You may also make tax-deductible donation to CEEG (memo: "LiveGreen"). Your tax-deductible donation will go directly to the dishwasher fund. Please send contributions to:

CEEG (LiveGreen)
C/O: Isabelle Boehling
103 Old Fish Hatchery Rd.
Edenton, NC
27932

Thank you and I hope that you will show interest in our cause.

In reference to my earlier letter about Chowan Commissioners restricting freedom through a ban of smoking outside government buildings, below is a news article from the 1/27/09 NY Times, ( see: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/us/27belmont.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=smoking%20ban&st=cse) illustrating a logical extension of where such policies lead. Elected leaders are contantly confronted with the decision of "how much loss of freedom is too much?" and when to use force to prevent one citizen from hurting another. Do you restrict the freedom of everyone in order to keep smoke from offending one citizen?

From Robert Steinburg
Do not fall for this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A call came in moments ago from D. C. from a purported Economic Relief Company wanting to reduce your credit card interest rates. Asked for all CC info. This is a scam!! With all this stimulus talk folks are confused. When I became inquisitive caller hung up. Please advise your employees and friends.

The number on caller ID was Washington, D. C. 202-747-7345

Editor: For more information on current fraud schemes go to: <a href="http://www.fbi.gov/majcases/fraud/fraudschemes.htm">http://www.fbi.gov/majcases/fraud/fraudschemes.htm</a>;

The following emails were recently exchanged on the subject of the Chowan Citizens Oversight Committee, now renamed the "Citizens Advisory Group" which will be involved with the 2009 Budget. Also, see below the annual payments incurred by the county to pay for loans on new buildings.

The environmental movement has sensitized all of us to the potential health risks of mercury in our daily lives. We are now aware of the mercury contamination in seafood and the airborne mercury pollution produced by coal-burning power plants.

Energy-saving lightbulbs - CFLs - contain a small amount of mercury as do all fluorescent bulbs. We should take precautions to reduce dispersal of fragments and powder in the event of breakage. However, a recent Chowan Herald Letter to the editor - "The Dark Side of CFLs" published on January 21 - focuses upon mercury contamination from breakage while disregarding the airborne mercury produced by coal-fired power plants - Edenton's electricity source.

From William Miller
To all:
Why is the Town of Edenton considering the purchse of a piece of land from John Dowd for $800.000 that Mr. Dowd bought in 2006 for $214,000?

Has the Town fully investigated the environmental challenges of that land purchase?

Here are some other factors to consider when you talk to elected officials and/or Town Council people:

The Edenton Little Theater, which has been inactive for several years, is currently seeking directors for plays. Contact Bruce King at 482-3376 to express interest or for additional information.

This is a letter urging the citizens of Edenton to attend the February 10th meeting of the Town Council - 6 pm at the Council Chambers.

The Council has voted 3-2 to purchase with the help of taxpayer funded grant money, property on both sides of Coke Avenue where it meets E. Church St. for the construction of a public park.

In my opinion this is the greatest boondoggle next to the Justice Center. The Town Council needs to reign in their spending. The state is broke, the county is broke. Their theory of it not costing the tax payers anything is totally flawed, because where did the grant money come from? the taxpayers. If they are set to spend money it should be for job creation, soliciting companies to relocate here, and or create home grown business.

You can call the your councilman, e-mail him/her or voice your opinion at the meeting. Phone numbers and addresses are available on the Town of Edenton web site.