P I The
ERQUEMANS
I^.KWeekly
Inside Today! Letters To Santa - 6A,
"JVeu's from Next Door”
DECEMBER 25, 2013 - DECEMBER 31, 2013 2 2 50 cents
Lack of state support concerns economic officials
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Economic officials ex
pressed concerns last week
that the northeastern part
of the state is being left out
when it comes to North
Carolina’s efforts to attract
jobs and industry.
Richard Bunch, regional
marketing manager for the
Northeast Conunission,
addressed the Perquimans
Coimty Economic Devel
opment Board on Thurs
day. Also speaking was
Dave Goss, the Perquimans
County economic develop
ment Erector.
The county has depend
ed on the Rural Center in
the past for some economic
help, but that is effectively-
gone. Instead the state set
up the Rural Infrastructure
Authority.
It’s lead by Patricia Mitch
ell, the assistant secretary
of the new Rural Economic
Development Division of
the Department of Com
merce.
“She was here a couple
of weeks ago,” Goss told
the board. “She’s aware of
our situation, but I’m not
sure the governor is.”
There are 15 members on
the RIA and Gov. Pat Mc-
Crory, Senate Pro-Tern Phil
Berger and House Speaker
Thom 'Mis each appointed
five of them. None came
from the Albemarle area.
One of McCrory’s appoint
ments was a Bertie employ
ee of the N.C. Department
of Commerce. One of Tillis’
appointments is a farmer
from Washington County.
“It gives you some idea
how we’re perceived,” Goss
said. “We’ve got to struggle
to make ourselves seen.”
The Northeast Commis
sion is facing the loss of all
funding as of June and will
have to find other ways to
advance its’ mission. Bunch
told the group. He said the
commission was formed
about 20 years ago because
area counties were finding
See SUPPORT, 3
Bugniazet
assumes
new library
position
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
After three and a half
years heading the Perqui
mans Coimty Library, Judi
Bugniazet is taking on new
role that will keep her in
touch with Hertford but give
her broader authority.
Bugniazet has assumed
the role of director of the
Plymouth-based Pettigrew
Regional Library system.
'The network includes four
libraries, including the ones
in Perquim^ and Chowan
counties as well as 'IVrrell
and Washington counties.
She now has responsibili
ties over all four.
For now
she spreads
her time be
tween the
two jobs
until the
Hertford
position is
fiUed. And
she’ll have
BUGNIAZET
plenty of say in deciding
who does that.
“My replacement is de
cided by tire director of the
library system — that’s me
— and the committee, but
the director is in charge of
hiring.”
The Pettigrew system
pays for the local librarian
but the bulk of the funding
responsibilities lies with the
county.
Bugniazet said she plans
meeting with Perquimans
County officials again in
January and she’s also re
opened the application
process to draw more ap
plicants. An advertisement
posted on-line fists the sal
ary at $37,125 a year. The
qualifications include a
Master’s degree in library
science from an American
Library Association-accred
ited institution; minimum
three years of public library
experience; supervisory ex
perience and be eligible for
certification by North Caro
lina Public Library Certifica
tion Board.
“It’s a bad time a year to
post jobs like this. We’re
usually swamped with re
sumes. Hopefully after the
holidays we’ll get more.”
Bugniazet holds bach
elor degrees in drama and
English from UNC-Ashe-
ville and a master’s degree
from UNC-Greensboro.
One thing Bugniazet
didn’t get to do in her three
and a half years in Hertford
is something she still wants
to do, now as regional di
rector. She wants to see a
new library in Perquimans
County.
'The issue is money. The
plan is for a new library
See BUGNIAZET, 3
89076 47144
il
PHOTOS BY CHUCK PAGELS
The Perquimans County High School Band and Chorus present their annual Christmas Concert in the school
auditorium, Tuesday, Dec. 17. In addition to a concert of music for the holidays, there will also be a display of
student art work by the high school art classes.
I
Court:
Teacher
wrongly
fired
■ Appeals court agrees
Joyner treated unfairly
BY WILLIAM F. WEST
The Daily Advance '
'The N.C. Court of Ap
peals has agreed with a
lower court that a former
Perquimans County school
teacher was wrongly de
nied tenure before being
fired, calling the Perqui
mans school board’s deci
sion-making in the case “ar
bitrary and capricious” and
based on “vague and unsub
stantiated allegations.”
In a
decision
released
'Tuesday, a
three-judge
panel unan-
i m o u s Ty
rejected
lOYMCD the Per-
JUTHtK quimans
Board of Education’s ap
peal of a Superior Court
judge’s ruling that teacher
Vanessa Joyner was treated
unfairly when she was fired
in May 2012.
The 18-page ruling, writ
ten by Appeals Court Judge
Chris Dillon, agrees with
Superior Court Judge Wil
liam R. Pittman’s ruling that
Joyner should be rehired,
granted tenure and award
ed back pay.
Joining Dillon in the
See TEACHER, 2
Crowd bids farewell to agriculture director
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
More than 150 people
turned out last week to
say thanks to a man who
has helped lead an indus
try worth more than $103
million a year.
Lewis Smith is retiring
as of Jan. 1 as director of
the Perquimans County
office of the N.C. Cooper
ative Extension Service.
His departure also leaves
a vacancy in the Pasquo
tank County office. That’s
a post Smith has also been
filling on an interim basis
since 'Travis Burke left al
most three years to take
the regional post. After
Jan. 1 both positions will
be vacant and the future
of the extension service is
in flux.
Agriculture, not includ
ing forestry, is the single
largest moneymaker in
Perquimans County with
gross income of about $63
million. Smith has been
the point man for the
state for farmers seeking
information or help. The
Pasquotank income figure
is $45.3 million. In Perqui
mans County alone, agri
culture makes up about
68,000 acres.
The two-hour going
away party Wednesday at
the Perquimans County
Recreation Center was
4'
M-.'
lighthearted. It included
an adapted version of the
theme song from the Andy
Griffith Show.
Jewel Winslow, who’s
worked under Smith for
STAFF PHOTO BY PETER WILLIAMS
Lewis Smith holds his
granddaughter Abigal
while speaking to guests
at a retirement party held
for him at the Perquimans
County Recreation Center
Wednesday.
the past 18 years, came
up with the skit and per
formed it. It went to the
tune of the original show
about Sheriff Andy Tay
lor from Mayberry from
the 1960s. It’s a show that
remains in re-runs more
than 50 years later and
Smith is a fan. The origi
nal song starts with “well
take down your fishin’
See SMITH, 4
Nelson reflects on serving on state education board
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Perquimans County may
not have a lot of political
clout in Raleigh, but for a
year it had a voice on the
state board that oversees
education in North Caro
lina
Now Wallace Nelson
steps down as of this month
and has the time to reflect
on that service.
Nelson is a long-time
member of the Perquimans
County School Board who
in 20i2 was honored as
the N.C. School Boards
Association’s Raleigh Ding-
man award winner. With
the honor came a one year
term as a non-voting mem
ber to the N.C. State Board
of Education.
Nelson said he made it
clear early on that
he simply wouldn’t
be wanning a chair
during the two
days each month
the board met in
Raleigh.
“I kept telling
them you’re going NELSON
to get tired of hear
ing this before the end of
the year," he said.
\^at he found was the
voting members
of the state board
listened and often
asked Nelson for his
input on issues.
“I can say that
during this last year
they’ve heard how I
felt,” Nelson said. “I
was free to express
my concerns about how
policies effected small rural
school districts! They really
embraced me and gave me
the opportunity to i^eak
my mind.”
'There are 13 voting mem
bers on the state board,
including the lieutenant
governor and the state
treasurer and 11 members
Eqrpointed by the governor.
Nelson was one of seven
non-voting members. 'The
See NELSON, 2