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“News from Next Door
HISTORIC HAPPENINGS
Update on events and activities in Hert
ford — A2
KIDS’ CORNER
Agriculture on — B2
THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2020
THIS WEEK IN NC HISTORY CHURCH
County music star Randy Travis was
born May 4, 1959 in Union County. — B3
Apply Jesus' example in time of anxiety
— B5
Hertford Council Works to Improve Transparency
Town Will Buy Waterfront Properties
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Hertford Town Council ap
proved plans Monday to pur
sue the purchase of two wa
terfront properties on West
Grubb Street.
Following a closed session
meeting conducted via Zoom
that lasted nearly an hour and
a half, council voted 4-1 with
one abstention to buy proper
ty located at 212 and 216 West
Grubb Street for $225,000 with
the financing for the purchase
coming from First National
Bank. Purchase price is close
to the tax value for the two
parcels of property - $221,600
for the land and the building.
Mayor Earnell Brown along
with Councilmen Ashley
Hodges and Jerry Mimlitsch
voiced their support for the
purchase while Councilman
Quentin Jackson voted against
the measure and Councilman
Frank Norman abstained,
which by state law a vote to
abstain counts the same as a
Audit Findings Addressed
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
State Treasurer’s Office
has analyzed an audit that
reveals “serious operational
problems” within the Town
of Hertford’s finances during
the past fiscal year.
Town Hall has responded
to these concerns by imple
menting a corrective plan of
action that includes policy
changes.
Prepared by Jeff Best, a
certified public accountant
See AUDIT, A3
2 Added
to ABC
Board
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Hertford Mayor Earnell
Brown and Town Council dis
agree on changes made to ex
pand the membership of the
JACKSON
ABC Board.
By a coun
cil vote of 4-1,
Councilman
Quentin Jack-
son and Town
Manager Pam
Hurdle were
recently ap
pointed to the
ABC Board -
thus expand-
ing Board’s membership from 3
to 5 seats, plus the store’s gen
eral manager, Don Keaton.
Mayor Pro tern Ashley Hodg
es along with Councilmen Jerry
Mimlitsch, Frank Norman and
Jackson voiced their support
in favor of the appointments
while Brown was the dissent
ing vote. Hurdle was appointed
as an ex-officio member of the
board.
Regulated by state law, the
ABC Board is responsible for
hiring decisions and oversight
of affairs of the liquor store
that provides a steady stream
of revenue to Town coffers.
ABC Store is located on
town property, though the con
tents of the store belong to the
state. Board meetings are pub
lic, allowing citizens to voice
concerns.
Brown said the ABC store is
one of Hertford’s dependable
revenue sources -100% of then-
net profits go into the Hertford
General Fund. She said there
is no need to change a system
that isn’t broken.
“I found no need to change
the dynamics of the existing
ABC Board,” she said. “They
have been functioning in an
efficient and responsible man
ner, consistently contributing
to the much needed Hertford
revenues. I did not find it a val
ue added or warranted to first,
induct a fifth ABC Board posi
tion then support a self-nomi
nation (Councilman Jackson)
to fill that position.”
Hodges shared his reasons
for expanding ABC Board.
“ABC Store profits constitute
an important part of the Town
of Hertford’s budget each year,
so it’s logical to pay close atten
tion to how the store is admin
istered,” he said. “Clearly the
current Board has done a great
See ABC BOARD, A2
1 89076 47144
Vol. 86, No. 18
@2020 Perquimans Weekly
All Rights Reserved
6
2
See WATERFRONT, A2
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Molly High,
now a survivor
of COVID-19,
recently
donated
plasma that
is filled with
the antibodies
needed to fight
the virus. She
is a former
Edenton
resident who
now lives in
Austin, Texas.
Her father,
Hackney High,
is the county
attorney for
Perquimans
County.
Round-up
Mayor Gives
Fireside Chat
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
round-up of all things
Perquimans County...
News of Hertford Town
uncil dominated cover ¬
High Atop a Silver Lining COVID-19
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
News these days is filled with
fear mongering stories about
COVID-19 that usually include
dark statistics about the number
of people infected, those who
are suffering and those who have
died.
Rather than root in that hog
trough of bad news, this newspa
per took a different path - a story
of hope about someone who re
covered after being exposed to
the coronavirus.
“The message that I would give
others is that the virus is real, but
there are a lot of survivors like
me and there are ways to help
See COVID-19, A3
Hertford
Jonn A. Holmes High School Class of 2013, Molly High has gone onto
a successful career as a technology consultant for Oracle Corporation.
Grammar School
Honor Roll for the Third Quar-
ter
Grade 3
A Honor Roll
Angelica Ainslie, Chase Baker,
James Byrum,
Brody Dail, Chloe
Davis,
Drew,
Hodges,
Jethro,
Pollock,
Quimby,
Ethan
Laciana
Tarragano,
Eliza
Izaak
Jacob
Eden
Alay-
na VanHorn
AB Honor Roll
Ariana Almodova, Bella Basnight,
Landon Brinkley, John Chain, Tay
lor Cox, Madison Davenport, Cassid-
ey Graham, Paige Guertin, Franco
See HGS, A5
HONOR ROLLS
EDITOR’S NOTE
Even when school doors are closed, academic
achievement is important, so the Perquimans Week
ly is dedicated to posting these Honor Rolls, which
start on the front page. Published as promised,
these are the Third Quarter Honor Rolls for each of
Perquimans top schools.
Perquimans County
Middle School
Honor Roll for
the Third Quar
ter
6th Grade
Principal’s List:
William Byrum,
LileeAnn Estes,
Katie Fisher, Ty
ler Gregory, Aven
See PCMS, A5
age in this week’s edition.
All that started early one morning
last week when my phone started
blowing up with news of Council
man Quentin Jackson’s appoint
ment to the ABC Board.
Later I watched/listened to a
council meeting conducted via
Zoom that was either hit or miss,
depending on the tech gods. Not
happy that I gave up an evening
with my family to stay tuned to that
meeting, but came up short.
Next day, my phone started beep
ing about how Councilman Frank
Norman compared Mayor Earnell
Brown to Hitler. More on that page
A4. Hertford Town Council is never
boring - long meetings, yes - but
never boring.
While I may be practicing social
distancing by kayaking or sailing if
you reach out to me, I will always
take time to respond via email
See next week’s newspaper to
learn more about Lizzy Story.
Perquimans County
High School
Honor Roll for the Third Quarter
9th Grade
A Honor Roll
Benjamin Anderson. Carissa Bak
er, Jonathan Banks, Kenneth Barnes,
Tyequasha Bembry, Dayne Colson,
Maura Colson. Joleigh Connor, Mack
enzie Davenport,
Reagan Elkins, A1-
icen Fain, Olivia
Ferris, Ryan Hans-
ley, Craig Horton,
Aidan Mummert,
Lilian Sablon, Ar
iana Salupo, Eby
Scaff, Meadow Stacey, Noah Swinney,
Breanna Vaughan, Aiden White, victo
ria Williamson, Macon Winslow
AB Honor Roll
Abigail Baker, Logan Bennett,
See PCHS, A5