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PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
514 S CHURCH ST
HERTFORD NC 27944-1225
NS
. Weekly
Winfall Parade, 7
"News from Next Door”
WEDNESDAY, DECEMEBER 12, 2018
75 cents
Superintendent to take Beaufort County job
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Perquimans Schools
Superintendent Matthew
Cheeseman’s last day on the
job will be Jan. 1.
He’s leaving to take the
superintendent’s job in
Beaufort County, a system
with 14 schools. Perquimans
has four.
Some school board mem
bers said privately they were
a little bit
surprised
at tire de
parture,
but others
said it was
inevitable.
In April
Cheese
man was
one of
two finalists for the job of
superintendent in North
Dakota, but did not get the
job. At the time Cheeseman
said he did not seek out the
position, but was instead
contracted by a recruiter.
The job would have paid
twice the roughly $100,000
he makes in Perquimans
County.
Cheeseman has three
years remaining on his con
tract. The contract requires
he give the board 60 days
notice, but on Friday school
board members agreed to
let him leave early. He plans
to start work in Washington
on Jan. 2. Assistant Superin
tendent James Bunch will
serve as interim superinten
dent.
Dr. Anne White, the chair
of the school board, said the
school system is in a better
shape thanks to Cheese
man.
She noted some of the
huge differences that he has
made during his tenure.
“Academic achievement;
leadership development;
creating strong, collab
orative, diverse leadership
teams in all schools and
system wide; development
of the athletic complex; pro
moting positive school/com-
munity relationships; salary
supplement increases for
certified and non-certified
staff; and creating a happy
school community were
noted specifically.
“Mr. Cheeseman thanked
the board for affording him
the opportunity to serve
as their leader and for the
support of the board and
the community during his
tenure. He indicated that he
has enjoyed Ms tenure with
the school system and the
Perquimans County com
munity and will always be
grateful for Ms first oppor-
See JOB, 2
Aples
explains
leaving
board
Christmas Wishes
Charter
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Hertford Councilman Ar-
cMe Aples is stepping down
so he can spend more time
in retirement with his wife.
APLES
Aples
a n
nounced
last month
that he
would be
leaving
the town
board in
early Janu
ary, but did
not explain why. His term
isn’t up until December
2019. In November Aples
said he would explain it at
the town’s regular board
meeting on Monday.
When it came time on
the agenda for concerns
from the councilman, Aples
told Mayor Horace Reid he
would go ahead and speak
at that time instead of wait ¬
*«»
school
faces
a fight
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
ing until the end of the meet
ing.
“I might as well kill the el
ephant in the room,” Aples
joked to the audience.
Aples said when both he
and his wife retired from the
U.S. Air Force, they agreed
to move to Hertford seven
years ago for retirement.
Lora Aples is from Hertford
and Aples is from New Or
leans.
So much for retirement
and travel.
Top, Perquimans County High School’s winning card was created
by Raquelle Allen. The winning verse ‘Carolers singing, church
bells ringing and Christmas lights as far as you can see. Wishes
of snow, that warm candlelight glow, that’s what Christmas looks
like to me,’ was written by Lauren Winslow. See The Perquimans
Weekly next week for more cards and letters to Santa. Right,
Perquimans County Middle School winning card by Hailey Scott.
The winning verse “Christmas is... time to spend with people you
adore, time to give love and much more” was by Emma Smith.
Bottom left, Perquimans Central School’s winning card was
created by Izaak Pollock. The winning verse ‘Christmas is not just
presents and a tree. It is family and caring to me,’ was by Natalie
Bunch. Bottom right, Hertford Grammar School’s winning card
was created by Chloe Ward. The winning verse ‘Christmas is a
joy when children receive toys. Christmas is a time to celebrate
because Jesus was born. Christmas is merry and it sweet like a
berry. Christmas is a bright holiday just like the lights at night. Oh
how Santa loves his milk and his beard is like silk. Christmas is a
time to say Merry Christmas’ was by Mattison Winslow.
See APLES, 2
Public school officials say
a proposed charter school
in Perquimans County could
in effect create a segregated
system with wMte students
going to the public school
and black students going to
the charter.
An application for the
Elaine Riddick Charter
School was filed with thS
N.C. Department of Public
Instruction in October. Un
der the proposal, the school
could open next year but
one board member said it
will be 2020.
In the first year, the
school intends to enroll
120 students in grades K-
3. The next year, fourth
grade would be added and
by the fifth year, a total of
250 students in grades K-7
would be enrolled. Eventu
ally eighth grade would be
added as well.
Superintendent Matthew
Cheeseman said Perqui-
mans schools have already
lost 48 students who now
attend the Northeast Acad
emy for Aerospace and
Advanced Technologies
(NAAAT) in Elizabeth City.
With each student who
See CHARTER, 2
Muzzulin makes case for changing tourism funding
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
In his final meeting as a
county commissioner, Ed
Muzzulin urged the remain
ing
Board members to turn
the position of tourism de
velopment director into a
county job, not a contract
position.
MUZZULIN SMITH
In early 2017, the board
hired its first and oMy part
time staff member, Tour
ism Director Sharon Smith.
However the money to
pay her salary came from
the same pot of money the
f Tourism Development Au
thority uses to put on events
to increase tourism. Smith
makes $23,175 a year.
Muzzulin, the outgoing
chair of the TDA board, said
that should change.
“I think what Sharon
Smith has done so far is a
really great start,” Muzzulin
said earlier this month. “But
the effectiveness of the po
sition is limited because of
the lack of hotel/motel op
tions, resulting in limited
‘lodging tax’ funds collected
wMch are the only available
moMes to support the posi
tion.
“I am asking the commis
sioners to consider putting
the position on the county
payroll in your 2019 budget
deliberations so that all the
TDA funds can be used to
support the mission of the
TDA”
The county’s Tourism
Development Authority is
funded by an occupancy
tax paid by people who stay
in temporary rentals at Al
bemarle Plantation, or at
a bed and breakfast inn or
Airbnb. The lodging tax oMy
generates about $7,500 of a
$37,000 budget. The TDA
also gets almost $22,000
from the county, $5,150
from the Town of Hertford
and 2,575 from the Town of
See TOURISM, 2
Judge grants extension in Jackson case
Colonial Christmas
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
A judge agreed Wednes
day to postpone the assault
trial of Hertford Town Coun
cilman Quentin Jackson un
til Jan. 16 so his attorney can
have more time to prepare.
Jackson is accused of
punching Councilman Sid
Eley in the head on Oct. 1.
The District Attorney’s of-
JACKSON
fice filed
charges of
assault on
a govern
ment offi
cial.
Court
appointed
Attorney
Preston
6 89076 47144
Assistant District Attorney
Holly Metzger urged the
judge to let trial proceed
Wednesday.
Tyndall
told District Court Judge
Eula Reid that Wednesday
was the first day he had a
chance to talk to his client.
2
“We have seven witness
es here right now,” Metzger
said. “We are ready to go
today.”
Judge Reid said in fair
ness to Jackson, she would
grant Tyndall’s request.
Jackson said the alter
cation happened when he
asked Eley a question about
Eley’s support for the Per
quimans Democratic Party.
Jackson said Eley stood up
closed to him and was vis
ibly mad. He said he asked
Eley served times to “get
out of my face” and when
Eley didn’t, he struck Eley
on the side of his head.
SUBMITTED
PHOTO
Julie Phelps
plays the
harp during
the Newbold
White House
Christmas
program last
year. It will be
held this year
on Friday
from 5:30
p.m. until 8
p.m.