4A THE CHOWAN HERALD, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9,2017
Causey: Volunteer firefighters needed
BY MILES LAYTON AND
PETER WILLIAMS
Cooke Communications
State Insurance Commis
sioner Mike Causey paid a
visit to fire departments in
Bertie, Chowan and Perqui
mans counties recently to
discuss the need for better
ways to recruit and retain
volunteer firefighters.
“One of the problems
across the state is that vol
unteer fire departments are
having difficulty recruiting
and retaining volunteers,”
Causey said during his visit
Aug. 2 to the Edenton Fire
Department. “Across the
state this is a big problem.
That’s why I’m trying to
call attention to local fire
departments about how
important it is that we do
more to recruit vohmteer
firefighters and to help re
tain those firefighters.”
Causey, who also serves
as the state fire marshal by
virtue of his job as insur
ance commissioner, said
the state currently offers
support services to aid re
cruitment efforts but what
may be needed are what
some fire departments are
already offering: incen
tives.
For example, some vol
unteer departments are
adding a small amount
to the pensions firefight
ers receive if they serve at
least 20 years, Causey asid.
Other fire departments pay
for a volunteer’s out-of-
pocket expenses for gear
and equipment as well as
“Causey's got an open ear to hear any
complaints or problems that we have and he's
able to go back and address those with his
people."
Craig Forlines
Edenton fire chief
any coursework they need
for certification.
Causey said another
incentive could be to of
fer lifetime hunting and/or
fishing licenses — as some
other states do — to attract
more volunteer firefight
ers.
“We’re looking at differ
ent opportunities and op
tions to help volunteer fire
departments,” he said.
Causey said based on
conversations he’s had with
fire chiefs around the state,
firefighters are required to
have more and more train
ing each year. That may be
creating a hardship for vol
unteers, he said.
“Every year it seems like
the training requirements
for volunteers seems to
keep going up,” he said.
“That’s another reason it
makes it more difficult to
recruit or retain volunteers,
because people simply
don’t have the time that
they once had.”
Edenton Fire Chief Craig
Forlines said he appreciat
ed the visit by Causey, who
was elected state insurance
commissioner last year.
“It’s always a good op
portunity when he’s here
to discuss current issues
we have,” Forlines said.
“Causey’s got an open ear
to hear any complaints or
problems that we have and
he’s able to go back and ad
dress those with his people.
It’s always good to have a
direct conversation with
our state officials.”
After Causey’s visit to the
Edenton Fire Department,
he and Forlines took in
the buffet of fried chicken,
mashed potatoes and gravy
served up at Bayside Ma
rina and Grill.
“Chief said the buffet was
the way to go,” Causey said,
referring to Forlines.
During lunch, Causey
called his visit to Edenton
“constructive.”
“I learned a lot by talking
with the chief and other fire
fighters,” he said.
Causey, the first Repub
lican insurance commis
sioner in state history, said
he has learned something
from each of his visits with
fire departments around the
state.
“I learn more about that
department, the local com
munity as well as... the con-
STAFF PHOTO BY PETER WILLIAMS
State Insurance Commissioner/Fire Marshal Mike Causey (right) talks to Perquimans
County officials Wednesday afternoon at the Hertford Fire Department.
cerns and issues that the
county commissioners, fire-
fighters or fire department
staff may have to help make
insurance and fire marshal’s
office more user friendly,”
he said. “I learn how we can
be more helpful to the peo
ple that we serve.”
His visit to Edenton also
offered Causey a chance to
do something special.
“Another reason for this
visit was to ride the 1923
REO Speedwagon fire
truck,” Causey said. “Chief
Forlines was chauffeuring
me down all the way down
Broad Street to the water-
front and back to the fire
station.”
During his visit to Hert
ford later in the day, Causey
met informally with local
officials at the Hertford Fire
Department. Also in atten
dance were representatives
from the six volunteer de
partments in the county.
Causey seemed pleased
that Perquimans County
High School has a Fire Acad
emy that trains students
how to become a certified
firefighter. He reiterated
that the lack of volunteers
at small local fire depart
ments is a problem he sees
across the state.
“That’s what we need,”
Causey said about the high
school program. “A lot of
high schools don’t have
that.”
Michael Cartwright, who
teachers the firefighter cer
tification program at the
high school, estimates he’s
had about 25 students grad
uate from the four-year-old
program, nine of them just
this year. He said about 75
percent of those grads have
gone on to join local volun
teer fire departments.
“In much of the state vol
unteers are struggling to re
cruit and retain volunteers,”
Causey said.
Causey also applauded
Matt Leicester for teach
ing an emergency medical
services class at the high
school.
“Thanks for all you do,”
Causey told Leicester.
Solar eclipse coming August 21
TOTAI SOLAR FCUPSF OVE R SOUTH CAROLINA
ON AUGUSI 21 2011"
« ( 0 ’)*
BY PETER WILLIAMS
For the Chowan Herald
Sometimes you have to
be in just the right place
to get an once-in-a-lifetime
experience.
On Aug. 21, the Albe
marle region isn’t exactly
the right place, but it’s
close.
On that day — weather
permitting — area resi
dents will get a pretty good
look at what a partial solar
eclipse solar eclipse looks
like.
To see the full total
eclipse — know as the
‘path of totality’ — you’ll
have to be somewhere
along a roughly 70-mile
swath that goes from Or
egon across the country to
South Carolina.
A total eclipse happens
when the moon complete
ly blocks out the light of
the sun. Total solar eclips
es are not unheard of. One
happens about every year
or every .other year some
where on Earth. But they
may happen in remote
places.
The last time a total
eclipse was visible in North
Carolina was in 1970. Be
fore that, it was 1900.
If you want to wait for
the next one, it’s in 2078. If
you miss that, there is an-
Optometrist Dr. Peter Mitrev urges people to
use common sense if they want to view an
eclipse no matter if it's total or partial.
12 Noon
12:15 p.m.
[Rumble’!
F - on the 
'Roanoke
K 2017 ; ?
Sunday, August 13
Opening Ceremonies
Virginia Outlaw Drag Boat Assoc. Races
Sponsors
SunEnergyl
Dominion North Carolina Power
Stella's Cafe
Feyer Ford and Lincoln
Southern Bank
Roanoke Beacon
Domtar
Mediacom
David's Trash Service
Duck Thru Food Stores
Jernigan Oil & Propane
Vidant Bertie Hospital
Vidant Chowan Hospital
Magic 95.9
Golden Skillet
Tideland EMC
102.5 The Shark/Dixie 105.7
Washington County
Travel and Tourism
other one in 2099.
The total eclipse will
pass over the far western
part of North Carolina in
cluding Bryson City and
Murphy. There the total
eclipse may last between 2
minutes 39 seconds to two
minutes and 30 seconds.
In South Carolina, the
cities of Greenville and
Columbia are within the
“path of totality.” Charles
ton is too, but just barely.
If you don’t want to
travel hours and hours for
something that may only
last for three minutes, you
can be prepared to enjoy
what you do have right
here at home.
Important safety tip:
Don’t stare at the sun.
Second safety tip: Sun-
glasses alone won’t stop
you from doing permanent
damage to your eyes.
If you want to learn
more about eclipses, the
Khan Planetarium at Eliza
beth City State University
is one place to go.
It’s named for Dr. Sul
tana Khan and she can put
on a program for groups of
at least 20 people. Even if
you don’t have a group that
large, Khan said call her at
335-4759 and she can ar
range smaller groups into
a larger group to accom ¬
modate everyone.
Khan said the education
al star show is not specific
to this eclipse coming up
in August. It’s more gener
ic to show what an eclipse,
why it happens and how
to view it. The program is
geared toward elementary
school-age children, but
Khan said adults should
get something out of it as
well.
Just don’t expect to see
Khan at the ECSU plane
tarium come Aug. 21. She’ll
be in South Carolina. She
said she booked her room
months ago.
If you want to make
the trip but are concerned
about cloud cover, Khan
said NOAA will offer a
forecast of where the best
place to view it may be.
Khan said she’ll be moni
toring that when she goes
to South Carolina.
If you can’t make the
trip, a visit to NASA’s web
site may be your best deci
sion.
“They will do an actual
video feed of the eclipse,”
Klan said.
Optometrist Dr. Peter
Mitrev urges people to
use common sense if they
want to view an eclipse no
matter if it’s total or par
tial. He works at offices in
IMAGE COURTESY OF GREAT AMERICAN ECLIPSE.COM
A map shows the route of the total eclipse over South
Carolina.
Elizabeth City, Kitty Hawk,
Nags Head, Edenton and
Washington.
Looking directly at the
sun for more than a few
seconds poses risks, Mit
rev said.
“They don’t recommend
looking directly at the sun
for any length of time.”
While it may not im
mediately blind a person,
Mitrev said it could create
a condition that causes
problems later. He recom
mends looking at optical
supply stores for the prop
er filter, and says sunglass
es alone aren’t enough. He
stressed do no look at the
sun through binoculars
or a scope because it will
make the damage worse.
Dr. Scott Matthews, an
optometrist who practices
in Williamston, said star
ing directly at the sun for
over 10 or 15 seconds car ¬
ries the risk of solar reti
nopathy.
“Sometimes it’s revers
ible. You could have vision
loss for a couple of days
and get better.”
Based on his research,
the mentally handicapped
may be at a higher risk of
doing damage to their eyes
because they won’t appre
ciate what is happening.
“With solar retinopathy,
the only thing you can do
is hurry up and wait. There
are no medications to
make it better. It could be
years worth of damage, or
weeks, or days.”
It’s also possible the eyes
will never totally heal.
For more on the eclipse,
visit:
https://eclipse2017.nasa.
gov/
or
http://www.eclipse2017.
org/2017/viewing.HTM
8:00 a.m.
9:00 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
11:15 a.m.
Afternoon
7:30p.m.
9:15p.m.
Saturday, August 12
5K Color Run - (919) 675-9811
Washington Co. Back-to-School Festival
U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter Demo
Opening Ceremonies
Virginia Outlaw Drag Boat Assoc. Races
Jet Boat Demo - Henry AAorrls
440th Army Band Concert
''Fireworks on the Roanoke"
Stop by and check out our
Daily Specials
Subs • Wraps • Chicken • Salads
Spaghetti • Sandwiches • and More.
For more information, call 252-793-9101
Eat In or Take Out
Mon - Ham-Spin • Tue - Thur llam-9pm
Fri & Sat llam-lOpm • Sun - Ham-4pm
all seasons self
sroraae
For the seasons of your life!
ALL SEASONS SELF STORAGE....
for the seasons of your life!
Throughout life, we are caretakers of
the things that matter to us.
At ALL SEASONS SELF STORAGE,
we offer storage solutions that help
bring order to your life and preserve
those things you hold dear.
Allow us to help you with your
storage needs.
1212 N. OAKUM ST, EDENTON
252-482-2019
www.allseasonsselfstorage.us