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WEDNESDAY, April n, 2011
Serving All of Person County Since 1881
Copyright The Courier-Times inc. 2011 All Rights Reserved
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Our 129th Year — No. 34
Roxboro, North Carolina
Two Sections — 20 Pages
www.personcountylite.com
Classes resume at BHCS after 'amazing journey'
Bethel Hill students return to school that was heavily damaged during April 16 tornado
By GREY PENTECOST
C-T Staff Writer
greypentecost@roxboro-courier.com
Everything was reportedly back to
normal Monday at Bethel Hill Charter
School (BHCS)s, as the classrooms were
filled again for the first time since a tor
nado hit the campus on April 16.
The storm caused extensive damage
to the school, including numerous bro
ken windows. The hardest hit was the
gym, which had part of the roof torn
off. Volunteers mobilized and quickly
began clean up and repair efforts that
continued through last week, which was
spring break for BHCS. Right after the
storm, BHCS Principal John Betterton
declared that school would be back in
session as scheduled on Monday of this
week, and it was.
Betterton said they were even able
to get back into the cafeteria, where
the floor tiles were replaced. He said he
had been afraid the project wouldn’t be
completed by Monday. The cafeteria’s
broken windows have yet to be replaced
and remain boarded up. One section
of the roof on the main building still
needed work, said Betterton, but that
was finished on Tuesday.
Because the gym is not yet habitable,
and may not be for the rest of the school
year, the students had their PE classes
on the playground. In the event of rain,
Betterton said, those classes would be
held in the auditorium.
Fifth-grade teacher Anne Wolfe said
she didn’t run across any problems dur-
ingthe course of the day, and commented
that she was happy students didn’t have
to miss a day
In Liz Duncan’s fifth-grade class,
students were led in a discussion about
the tornado damages to the campus
and wrote about the event in their
journals. In Duncan’s classroom, dam
aged windows and ceiling tiles had to
See CLASSES back page
PHS' Allison Bowers named
Teacher of the Year for PCS
North's Dustin Martin, South's Derek Edmisten are semifinaiists
By GREY PENTECOST
C-T Staff Writer
greypentecost@roxboro-courier.com
Person High School (PHS) math
teacher Allison Bowers was named Per
son County Teacher of the Year (TOY)
for 2011-12 Tuesday evening.
Bowers received the honor at a ban
quet held at the Homestead Steakhouse.
She succeeds fellow PHS teacher Gina
Lunsford, and will go on to compete at
the district level.
Bowers graduated from Meredith
College in 1987 with a degree in second
ary education mathematics. In 1995, she
completed a master’s degree in educa
tion at North Carolina State University.
Bowers has been teaching for 24 years,
her first 12 spent in Durham County. She
joined the faculty at PHS in 2002.
“Mrs. Bowers’ performance is out
standing in all of her teaching areas,”
commented PHS Principal Steve Hester.
“Her consistent teaching demonstrates
organization and planning, a dynamic
and engaging style, and the most effective
methods for student success.”
In addition to her classroom teach
ing, Bowers serves as Student Council
advisor. Rocket Fuel Leadership Camp
advisor, mathematics department chair,
drop-out prevention mentor trainer and
waiver committee representative. She
has also mentored beginning teachers
over the years.
In introducing Bowers at the TOY
banquet, Hester commented, “Her
level of dedication and commitment is
unmatched, and to top that off, when
you have a group of struggling students
and you need a solution, Allison Bowers
says, T’ll take them, and we’re going to
See PERSON back page
Commissioners approve resolution
seeking Internet service for entire county
By TIM CHANDLER remaining signatures were reportedly Commission Chairman Jimmy Claj
^ r ^ ^ - 4X1.. Xl.. I...X4X..X-.
By TIM CHANDLER
Courier-Times Editor
tchandler@roxboro-courier.com
The Person Board of County Com
missioners last week unanimously
approved a resolution supporting high
speed Internet service to all Personians
who currently don’t have access.
Commission Vice Chairman Kyle
Puryear initially proposed a resolution
to commissioners in support of high
speed Internet service to residents of
the Julian Oakley Road. After discus
sion, however. Commissioner Sam
Kennington offered a substitute mo
tion to approve a resolution in support
of Internet service to all residents of
Person County who currently don’t
have service.
The petition presented by Puryear
to his fellow commissioners consisted
of 94 signatures, 56 of which listed Ju
lian Oakley Road as their address. The
remaining signatures were reportedly
from residents in the “immediate sur
rounding area” of Julian Oakley Road.
Puryear credited Larry Culley and
Nancy Seagroves for their efforts in
making the petition possible.
“They did a really outstanding job
of making their voice heard,” Puryear
said.
Puryear also noted that CenturyLink
had increased the high speed Internet
capability in Person County
“We can’t forget about the people who
do have it,” Puryear said.
Commission Chairman Jimmy Clay
ton agreed with the substitute motion
from Kennington, noting, “the need
for this is greater than a lot of people
realize.”
CenturyLink has been working
throughout the county to provide high
speed Internet service to Personians.
The company has said that it plans to
provide Internet service to 95 percent
of Person County residents when its
work is complete.
Teacher of the Year Allison Bowers and BOE Chairman Gordon Powell
See COMMISSION back page
Sheriff's deputies probe
Friday armed robbery
BOE approves policies
on RIF procedures
By TIM CHANDLER
Courier-Times Editor
tchandler@roxboro-courier.com
INSIDE Wednesday
By GREY PENTECOST
C-T Staff Writer
greypentecost@roxboro-courier.com
Agenda
Commentary
Editorial
Extension Notes
Lifestyle
Mini-Page
Obituaries
TV Listings
... A2 Classified
... A5 Do You Know....
...A4 Entertainment..
... B6 Legal Notices...
B4-5 Looking Back...
Movies
Sports
..B8-9
A3
B2
B9
A3
A2
A6-7
6 9 6
At its April meeting, the Person
County Board of Education approved a
policy revision and adopted a new policy,
both regarding reduction in force (RIF)
procedures.
After discussion with the board at
torney, said Person County Schools
Human Resources Director Dan Hol
loman, revisions were made to policy
7920: Professional Personnel Reduction
in Force. The primary addition involved
the superintendent’s notification proce
dures, should the school board vote to
implement a RIF.
The new policy - 7921: Classified
Personnel Reduction — is one recom
mended by the North Carolina School
Board Association.
“Unfortunately,” said Holloman,
“based on how the budget’s going right
now, this is an issue that we’d rather
not discuss, but we need to have it on
our radar.”
The policy states that with “prior
See SCHOOL back page
The Person County Sheriff’s Office
is investigating an armed robbery that
took place at Fran’s Stop & Shop at 5221
McGhee’s Mill Rd. Friday afternoon.
The robbery reportedly took place
just after 2:15 p.m. Friday.
Accordingto a sheriff’s office incident
report, four persons were in the store
at the time of the robbery. No one was
injured during the robbery.
Witnesses at the scene told sheriff’s
investigators that a suspect entered “the
store dressed all in black with something
in a black trash bag,” according to the
robbery report.
The suspect was dressed in all black
and also had on black gloves and a
black ski mask. In addition, what was
believed to be a black piece of lace was
used to shield the eyes and mouth of
the suspect.
The suspect reportedly pulled a
shotgun out of the trash bag, banged
the weapon on the counter twice and
then fired a shot into the ceiling, the
report read.
The suspect reportedly dumped a
cash drawer, along with money into
the trash bag before exiting the store
on foot.
Person County Sheriff Dewey Jones
said the suspect did not speak during
the course of the robbery.
Jones said the suspect fled on foot
down CP&L Access Road beside the
store and that tracking dogs were used
during the investigation, but no arrests
had been made in the case as of Tuesday
afternoon.
Anyone with any information is
asked to contact the Person County
Sheriff’s Office at (336) 597-0500.
Person County Farmers'
Market set for Saturday
opening on boulevard
By PHYLISS BOATWRIGHT
C-T Staff Writer
pboatwright@roxboro-courier.com
Photo submitted
READY TO OPEN — The Person County Farmers' Market will open on Saturday morning at its location on
North Madison Boulevard in the parking lot of Person Industries.
The new Person County Farmers Mar
ket, located in front of Person Industries,
on North Madison Boulevard, will open
for the 2011 season on Saturday.
Carl Cantaluppi, Area Horticulture
agent with the N.C. Cooperative Exten
sion Service in Person and Granville
counties, said a large variety of veg
etables, meats and plants produced by
area growers would be available.
The market was built after Cantal
uppi applied for and received a $30,000
Community Grant from the RAFI-USA
Organization to build the 100 by 45 foot
structure. Person County government
provided $14,000 for the installation of
electrical outlets, overhead lights, and
a sign for the roof.
The Person County Tourism Devel
opment Authority has rented a large
billboard located above the market.
Sixteen vendors have already signed
up to sell at the market this season, said
Cantaluppi, and the market is expected
to draw many customers, he said, “as
21,000 vehicles pass the location daily, ac
cording to North Carolina Department
of Transportation traffic counts.”
Meats for sale on Saturday will
include pasture raised Angus beef
steaks, roasts and ground beef, as well
as pork, chicken and farm fresh eggs,
said Cantaluppi.
Vegetables available will include
See COUNTY’S back page