r ERQUIMANS
JWEEK LY
Northeast Dragway helps raise
more than $15,000,4
"News from Next Door"
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2015
DEC 16 SECT
50 cents
Panel recommends tighter rules on wind power
LASSITER
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
The Perquimans County
Planning Board is recommend
ing tighter restrictions on wind
power facilities, but not the
one-mile setbacks that some
opponents want.
The recommendation would
require a half-mile setback
from any residence. The set
backs from property lines and
roads would remain as they
are — two and half times the
height of the wind turbine, or
about 1,500 feet or about three-
tenths of a mile based on a 600-
foot-tall structure.
A subcommittee of the plan
ning board was recommending
the half-mile setback include
the nearest property line or
right-of-way, not just a half-
mile to the nearest address.
“I’m not against the project,
but I’m listening to citizen’s
concerns,” said Brenda Las
siter, a planning board member
who served on the subcom
mittee. “I felt like we’ve com
prised and it wouldn’t kill the
project.”
The planning board consists
of Paul Kahl, Lewis Smith,
Donald Manley, A.O. Roberts
and Lassiter. Kahl said he did
not vote because as a rule the
chairman only votes in the
case of a tie, he said. Roberts
opposed the motion.
The planning board
was asked to review the
See RULES, 3
Student projects take Flight
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
R ockets filled the skies
over Hertford Gram
mar School ear
lier this month as part of a
program designed to engage
fifth-grade students in sci
ence, technology, engineer
ing and math.
The NC STARBASE pro
gram began in 1993 with the
N.C. Air National Guard’s
145th Airlift Wing in Char
lotte. To date, it’s served
99 of North Carolina’s 100
counties.
Through a weeklong
program, students were able
to put abstract things like
Newton’s Laws of Motion
into practical use.
“STARBASE has always
been a great program for
students,” said Jason Grif
fin, the principal at HGS.
“The STARBASE program
provided our students with
fun and engaging activities
that align with the national
science standards. The ac
tivities this past week have
introduced our students to
STEM-based careers and
have provided them with
hands-on learning experi
ences centered around sci
ence and math.”
Providing the guidance
were two teams of educa
tors totaling 12 people.
One group came from Fort
Fisher and the other was
from Charlotte.
One of them was Rick
Thomas. He spent 30 years
teaching eighth grade sci
ence.
“I hope that this program
See PROJECTS, 7
STAFF PHOTO BY PETER WILLIAMS
Hoffler,
Lennon
file for
office
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Instructor Rick Thomas (left) watches while ShaMaurie Downing and Caleb Barnard launch their rockets
earlier this month at Hertford Grammar School.
STAFF PHOTO BY ,
PETER WILLIAMS
Instructor Rick
Thomas (left)
shows students
how to pack the
parachute inside
their rocket last
week at Hertford
Grammar School.
Two more candidates
have filed for seats on the
Perquimans County Com
mission.
Last week Alan Lennon
and Joseph Hoffler add
ed their
names to
the list that
includes
incumbent
Kyle Jones.
The other
two in
cumbents,
Janice Cole
and Matt
Peeler have
said they
will not
seek new
terms.
The fil
ing period
for the
March pri-
mary runs until Dec. 21.
Both Hoffler, 75, and Len
non, 39, said they were en
couraged by friends to run
for office.
“I never really considered
running for a political office
before,” Hoffler said. “How
ever, as openings occurred
on the county commission,
many county residents
See FILINGS, 6
Hertford’s Johnson honored with ‘excellence’ award
STAFF PHOTO
BY PETER WILLIAMS
Phil Johnson speaks
last week during a
ceremony honoring
“Men of Excellence”
sponsored by River
City Community
Development and
held at Albemarle
Plantation.
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Phil Johnson, a Hertford
resident and regional sales
manager for Pepsi, was
honored last week as one of
the five finalists for a “Men
of Excellence” award.
The Elizabeth City-based
River City Community De
velopment Corp, put on the
event during a breakfast
program at Albemarle Plan
tation. Twenty-three men
were nominated.
Five of the nominees
were in turn presented fi
nalist awards. The other
four finalists were Petty
Officer Alex Szilagyi, Eliza
beth City Mayor Joe Peel,
Chaplin John Mabus and
community advocate Heze
kiah Brown.
In all 11 of the 21 nomi
nees serve in the Coast
Guard and one is a captain
on the Elizabeth City Police
Department who was also
dressed in his uniform.
That wasn’t lost on John
son, who works for Pepsi.
“I’m looking out on a sea
of blue (uniforms),” John
son said. “That’s big stuff.
I sell Pepsi — a little sugar
and carbonated water.”
James Spaugh, the pas
tor of Bagley Swamp Wes ¬
leyan Church, nominated
Johnson for the award.
“What you say is impor
tant, what you do is impor
tant, but why you do the
things you do is very impor
tant,” Spaugh said.
He cited one example
when Johnson agreed to go
north with recovery crews
after Hurricane Sandy.
Johnson jumped right in
and started shoveling muck
out of a vacant movie the
ater.
“None of the people
knew him (Johnson) and
he was wasn’t selling
See ‘EXCELLENCE’, 2
Democrat to challenge Cook
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
While Rep. Bob Stein
burg remains unopposed,
the state senator who rep
resents Perquimans County
will face at least one chal
lenger next year.
Brownie Futrell an
nounced his candidacy for
the Democratic nomination
for District 1 of the North
Carolina Senate on Friday.
The
seat is
presently
held by
Bill Cook,
a Beaut-
fort Coun
ty Repub
lican who
is seeking
COOK FUTRELL
a third term. Futrell is a portunity and
retired Beaufort County
newspaper publisher.
Colonial BELLS
6 89076 47144
2
leigh,”said
Futrell.
“As your
Sena-
tor, I will
work ev
ery day to
promote
fairness,
equal op-
economic
security for all the people
of northeast North Caro-
“As I have talked to folks . lina.”
around the district, they
tell me they want a senator
that will stand up for the
core issues that families
Futrell is the son of
the late A.E. Futrell who
served three terms in the
North Carolina Senate
, PHOTO BY CHUCK PAGELS
Novice bell players Donna Angell, Joan Earnest, William Cross and Earline Cross try
their hand during a Colonial Christmas program held at the Newbold White House.
See more photos of the event on Page 5.
care about and fight for
their interests rather than
the special interests in Ra-
from 1965 to 1972. He was
See SEAT, 2