BERTIE LEDGER-ADVANCE
MARCH 28,20181 A5
The fabric of Bertie County since / 832
Continued
Basket
From A1
pine needle baskets took too
long to make, cost too much,
and students wanted bigger
baskets for their money.
In 1989 Basket moved to
South Carolina to be closer
to the long lecif pines, where
she could collect her own
needles.
She also wanted to be
closer to the Cherokee res
ervation to learn the stories
of respect her grandmother
never knew. She taught her
own children about the cul
ture.
In SC, Nancy was juried
into the SC Arts Commission
as an artist in education.
While traveling to different
parts of the state she found
that split kudzu vines trans
lated into baskets quicker
and easier for students, but
not all areas had a ready
supply of kudzu either.
So she adapted the materi
als to whatever plant species
grew closest to the school.
This insured the availability
of economically viable re
sources for all income lev
els.
Teaching at a rural private
school with no budget for
150 students grades K-12
also helped her create low
cost, environmentally friend-
M
./
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Abbey Sutton works on making a basket at a class held recently at the Bertie Arts Council.
ly, recycled projects.
Students and teacher
learned together how to
make kudzu paperwork. Na
tive stories of respect were
told through that medium,
and encouraged writing
skills. Kudzu paper art be
came a business that helped
feed her family thereby
encouraging Nancy to ex
periment with more basket
forms and functions.
Several colleges have spon
sored Nancy in workshops
for their students and teach
ers, including. Lander, Con
verse, University of SC, Fur
man, and Columbia College.
Clemson University offered
a weeklong Native American
Cultures course taught by
Nancy and her friend Dr. Re
becca Moore. The classes in
cluded basket making for all
Oconee county teachers.
South Carolina and Ala
bama Educational TV have
featured Nancy on several
programs, and South Caro
lina is showing a video of
her coiling a kudzu basket
on their web site this spring
along with a new TV seg
ment.
Bertie Middle School
and the Bertie County Arts
Council offered to the mid
dle school students a basket
weaving class for five days.
Each day students would
meet, work on his or her bas
ket and listen to stories from
Basket.
The students made bas
kets from pine needles and
raffia.
Raffia is a fiber made from
raffia trees used in making
hats, baskets and mats.
On Tuesday, March 6 the
Bertie County Arts Council
hosted a reception for Bas
ket. 1
Guests could talk with
Basket and view or buy her
baskets and other works erf
art, while enjoying refreslf
ments.
On Wednesday, March 7,
approximately 15 adults met
at the Gallery for a basket
making class.
Participants learned how
to pull apart kudzu and
weave an authentic kudzu
basket.
While making baskets.
Basket would tell the par
ticipants stories of her life
or other stories she had
learned.
Leslie Beachboard can be
reached via email at Ibeach-
board@ncweeklies.com.
Contracts
From A1
be board would make
individualized deci
sions based on each
individual teacher. The
contract offer would be
personalized to each
teacher; and
* Option four would
be a one-year contract
and then rolling two-
year contracts. Each
teacher would begin
with a one-year con
tract and then would be
placed on continuous
two-year contracts.
“I recommend option
four. Anyone coming
into the school district
would have a one-year
term, then would be
eligible for two-year
contracts,” said Bertie
County Schools Human
Resources Specialist
Karen Dameron.
“I have a problem
with this option be
cause we are holding
our children hostage if
teachers are perform
ing poorly,” said board
member Tarsha Dud
ley.
“Principals have the
options to not renew
due to poor perfor
mance in the middle of
the contract,” replied
Dameron.
“These options are
giving the school sys
tems much more flex
ibility. You are only
locked in with a teach
er for two years. If you
have a teacher the su
perintendent thought
was not performing dur
ing contract it would be
easier to get out of the
contract,” said Bertie
County Board of Educa
tion Attorney Rod Ma
lone.
“We would make sure
principals go through
observation training
and complete proper
documentation,” said
Dameron.
“But there is still due
process,” asked Chair
man Bobby Occena.
“Yes, there is still due
process. It would still
allow teachers a hear
ing. Teachers can still
be terminated during
the contract for break
ing the rules required
for termination,” said
Malone.
“Option four looks
the best to me. It gives
teachers more informa
tion for learning, espe
cially for teachers in
the first year. It sounds
Relay
From A1
“She will be the guest
speaker for the open
ing ceremony. We still
are working on the en
tertainment for the eve
ning,” said Parker.
The evening’s events
will include the survi
vor/caregiver lap, the
survivors’ reception,
the children’s walk,
which will begin at 8
p.m. and the luminary
service to begin at 9
p.m.
“Any survivors inter
ested in being part of
the event should con
tact us. The survivors
are our heroes. We
have many survivors in
this county of all ages,”
said Jordan.
“We are looking into
ideas for this year’s
theme for the event.
Anyone with ideas
about the theme should
contact us and let us
know about their idea,”
said Parker.
According to Parker,
the organization has
already started accept
ing corporate sponsors
for the event.
Anyone interested in
becoming a corporate
sponsor.should contact
Bertie County Relay for
Life Chairman JoAnne
Jordan at 252-209-7637
or Parker at 252-209-
7149.
The next Relay for
Life planning meeting
will be held at 6 p.m.
Tuesday, April 10 at the
Martin Community Col
lege Bertie Campus.
For more information
about the 2018 Bertie
County Relay for life,
visit www.relayforlife.
com/BertieNC or the or
ganization’s Facebook
page at Relay For Life
of Bertie County N.C.
“We hope this is the
best year yet,” closed
Parker.
Leslie Beachboard can
be reached via email at
lbeachboard@ncweek-
lies.com.
NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATORY
POLICY AS TO STUDENTS
The member schools of the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools
prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin with
regard to educational programs, admissions policies, scholarship and financial aid
programs, athletic, and other school-administered programs.
Lawrence Academy
Pre-Kindergarten - Grade 12
Phone: 252-482-4748 • Web: www.lawrenceacademy.org
Member Schools of the North Carolina Association of IiHlependent Schools
704.854.8531
wwwjicais.org
NCAIS
Nouli Coroltna AiMcxilion of lndepenl«nl Schools
like this option would
help with teacher reten
tion,” said Vice Chair
man Emma Johnson.
“Yes, but if a teacher
does not do well in the
first year, then we are
stuck with them,” re
plied Dudley.
“The new options un
der the new program
replace tenure. Tenure
cannot be acquired in
North Carolina any
more. If you already
have tenure then you
can keep it, but it is no
longer portable,” said
Malone.
Johnson made the
recommendation to
select option four, giv
ing teachers a one-year
contract and then two
year rolling contracts
thereafter.
The board passed the
measure unanimously.
Leslie Beachboard can
be reached via email at
lbeachboard@ncweek-
lies.com.
NOTICE OF PRIMARY ELECTION
BERTIE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
A Primary election will be held in Bertie County on Tuesday, May 8,2018 to vote on Federal, State
and County Offices and County Sales and Use Tax. The polls will be open for voting on that day from
6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at each of the 12 polling places. The polling places are located at:
Coleraini Precinct
Colerain Municipal Building
101 Winton St., Coierain
(Old Colerain Fire Department)
Mitchellsl Precinct
Hexiena Community Building
1427 Early Station Road, Aulander
Roxobel Precinct
Kelford Fire Department
106 N. Main St., Kelford
Windsor2 Precinct
Askewville Fire Department
105 Askewville South Railroad St
ColerainZ Precinct
Powellsville Town Hall
106 E. Main St., Powellsville
Mitchells2 Precinct
Aulander Community Building
116 S. Commerce St., Auiander
Snakebite Precinct
Mt. Ararat Baptist Church
305 Cowtrack Road, Windsor
Woodville Precinct
Lewiston Woodville Fire Dept
103 W. Church St., Lewiston Woodviile
Indian Woods Precinct
Indian Woods Missionary Baptist Church
2330 Indian Woods Road, Windsor
Merry Hill Precinct
Merry Hill-Midway Fire Dept
109 NC Highway 45N, Merry Hili
Windsorl Precinct
Windsor Community Building
201 S. Queen St., Windsor
Whites Precinct
Perrytown Fire Department
848 Perrytown Road, Colerain
All residents of Bertie County who are registered to vote with the Bertie County Board of Elections
may vote in this election. Any person who is already registered to vote need not re-register to vote
for this election. Those voters who are registered unaffiliated may vote in the Primary Election.
Unaffiliated voters will be given a choice of ballot at the polling places. Those residents of the county
who are not registered to vote must register before Friday. April 13.2018 at .5:00 p.m. in order to be
eligible to vote on Election Day. However, a North Carolina resident who is qualified to vote, but
misses the 25-day deadline for voter registration may register and vote during one stop early voting
only, and will be required to provide documentation of their identity and residence. Voters who wish
to change their party affiliation or who have changed their name or address must notify the Board
of Elections in writing by Friday - April 13,2018 at 5:00 pm. Voters who fail to notify the Board of
Elections of a change to their name or address must update their information when presenting to vote,
and may be required to vote a provisional ballot.
One Stop Absentee (early) voting will begin on Thursday, April 19 and end on Saturday, May 5 at the
following locations
BERTIE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS OFFICE
210 W WATSON ST
WINDSOR. NC 27983
Thursday, April 19 - Friday, April 20 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday, April 23 - Friday, April 27 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Monday, April 30 - Friday, May 4 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 5 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
POWELLSVILLE TOWN HALL
106 E MAIN ST
POWELLSVILLE. NC 27967
Thursday, April 30 - Friday, May 4 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 5 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
The Board of Elections will meet on April 17, April 24, May 1, and May 7 at 5:00 PM; on May 18
at 10:00 AM; and at other times as may be necessary for the purpose of approving absentee ballot
applications.
Absentee ballots are allowed and requests for an absentee ballot must be made using the State
Absentee Ballot Request Form, (available on the State Board of Elections website, at the County
Board of Elections office and at all one-stop early voting sites), and received in the Bertie County.
Board of Elections office or any one-stop early voting site by 5:00 PM on Tuesday - May 12018.
Completed absentee ballots must be returned to the Bertie County Board of Elections by 5:00 PM on
Election Day (ballots received by mail after this time will be timely if received within three business
days and postmarked by Election Day).
Canvass Day will be held at 11:(X) a.m. on Friday, May 18 at the Bertie County Board of Elections.
Voters who require assistance with casting their ballot are entitled to assistance by an appropriate
person of their choice or an election official. Registration facilities and polling places are accessible
to the elderly and handicapped. Curbside voting is available for voters who are not physically able to
enter the polling place.
Persons with questions about registration, location of polling places, absentee ballots, early voting
at One-Stop locations or other election matters may contact the Bertie County Board of Elections at
(252)794-5306.
BERTIE COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS
Carol Woodard, Chairman
Visit us online at http://www.ncsbe.gov or www.co.bertie.nc.us/departments/elections/elections.html