North Carolina's First Lady visits Columbia - The Coastland Times

North Carolina’s First Lady visits Columbia

Published 10:44 am Friday, June 7, 2019

: Kristin Cooper, First Lady of North Carolina, was in Columbia on May 25 to celebrate the 26th anniversary of the Partnership for the Sounds. While in the Columbia Theater, Joe Landino, a Tyrrell resident for 58 years, right, explained the functions of the hand-cranked Irish potato grader, which was built in his hometown of Atlanta, New York and donated by Al Hollis. Ray McClees photo

Kristin Cooper, First Lady of North Carolina, and Natalie Cooper, middle daughter of the state’s First Couple, visited the Columbia Theater and Pocosin Arts and took a short cruise on the Scuppernong River on May 25.

The First Lady was special guest of the Partnership for the Sounds, which celebrated its 26th anniversary with events in Tyrrell, Hyde and Beaufort counties.

The women arrived at the theater at 11 a.m., escorted by four State Highway Patrol and SBI agents. They met and talked with about 40 people after official greetings were extended by Tyrrell commissioners chairman Tommy Everett and Columbia Mayor James Cahoon. David Clegg, Tyrrell manager-attorney and chairman of the Partnership’s governing board, presided.

Get the latest headlines sent to you

Among Columbia Theater’s broad collection of Tyrrell history, the First Lady found a potato grader, crab pot and 17-foot pound net boat to be interesting artifacts, all of which were unfamiliar to the Oklahoma native.

Cooper said she intends to visit all 100 North Carolina counties, and Tyrrell was No. 69. She went to Hyde and Beaufort later that day.

The First Lady toured Riverside Lodge and learned more about Pocosin Arts’ nationally recognized School of Fine Craft.

Then Walter Davenport conducted a brief cruise on the Scuppernong River in the Partnership for the Sounds’ river-roaming pontoon boat.

Cooper’s official duties ended at 9 p.m. at the Estuarium in Washington, after which she and her entourage returned to Raleigh by automobile.

North Carolina’s First Lady Kristin Cooper, an Oklahoma native, learned about Walter and Ray Davenport’s 1975 pound net boat from Tommy Everett, chairman of the Tyrrell board of commissioners, while she was in Columbia May 25 to celebrate the 26th anniversary of the Partnership for the Sounds. At left are school board chairman Lee Scripture and Columbia Mayor James Cahoon. Ray McClees photo

Kristin Cooper toured the Columbia Theater Museum May 25 while celebrating the 26th anniversary of the Partnership for the Sounds. North Carolina’s First Lady paused for a group photo with Tyrrell County commissioners. From left are Lawrence Swain, Carl Willis, Cooper, Tommy Everett (chairman), Jordan Davis, and county manager-attorney David Clegg. Commissioner Nina Griswell was absent. Courtesy photo

READ ABOUT MORE NEWS AND EVENTS HERE.