SMALLTOWNGIRL
Leslie Beachboard encourages
everyone to enjoy the season
A4
FOURTH&LONG
David Friedman has a few
requests of the Jolly Ole’ Elf.
A8
CARPENTERSTOOLS
Pastor Wallace Phillips says
enjoy the simple things.
A9
Bertie
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ASKEWVILLE > AULANDER > COLERAIN ♦ KELFORD
LEWISTON WOODVILLE
lERRY HILL > POWELLSVILLE > ROXOBEL > WINDSOR
Windsor Christmas tradition carries on
LESLIE BEACHBOARD
Managing Editor
WINDSOR - It has become
a Wndsor Christmas tradi
tion.
The Windsor/Bertie
Chamber of Commerce and
the Bertie Arts Council host
ed horse and carriage rides
two nights last week.
Participants gathered
at the Bertie County Arts
Coimcil to be picked up by
one of several carriages of
fering rides.
Participants would be
driven through downtown
Wmdsor to see the town’s
Christmas decorations by
the horse drawn carriages.
According to Windsor/
Bertie Chamber of Com
merce Executive Director
Lewis Hoggard, it was a
great turn out of partici
pants on both nights the
rides were offered.
“The weather was per
fect for both nights. It was
not too cold for everyone
to come and eiyoy a horse
and carriage ride aroimd
the town. There were a total
See CARRIAGE, A5
LESLIE BEACHBOARD/BERTIE LEDGER-ADVANCE
The Windsor carriage rides are a fun event for the entire family.
GOVID-19 cases
slowly rising in
the district
First Omicron variant
case found in region
LESLIE BEACHBOARD/BERTIE LEDGER-ADVANCE
Retired Lt. Col. James Lee was the keynote speaker at the 2021 Wreaths Across America ceremony at Hillcrest
Ceremony. This was the first year the ceremony has taken place at this cemetery.
Tradition continues, new one begins
LESLIE BEACHBOARD
Managing Editor
WINDSOR - A tradition of
honor continues and a new
tradition begins.
The local Wreaths Across
America ceremonies were
held last Saturday (Dec. 18)
at two Windsor cemeteries.
The first ceremony was
held at noon at Edgewood
Cemetery. This event has
taken place annually since
2011.
The second ceremony
was held at 2 p.m. at Hill-
crest Cemetery. This was
the first year the ceremony
was held at this cemetery.
At Edgewood Cemetery,
Windsor Mayor Lewis Hog
gard welcomed more than
50 participants to the event,
which takes place at ceme
teries nationwide.
“Welcome and thank
you for joining us here to
day as we celebrate with
2,700 other locations. The
mission is to remember
the fallen, honor those that
serve and their families and
teach the next generation
the value of freedom, "said
Mayor Hoggard.
United States Navy Re
tired Captain Ken Rome
See WREATHS, A5
LESLIE BEACHBOARD
Managing Editor
WINDSOR - The COVID-19
positive case count is begin
ning to increase throughout
the health district.
The Albemarle Region
al Health Services (ARHS)
provided an update on
Tuesday, Dec. 21 in addition
to the weekly surveillance
report showing the updat
ed information on vaccines,
active cases, fatalities and
facility outbreaks. The re
port includes Bertie County,
and seven other counties,
which are part of ARHS, in
cluding Camden, Chowan,
Currituck, Gates, Hertford,
Pasquotank and Perquim
ans counties.
This update will serve as
the weekly update. There
will be no update given on
Friday, Dec. 24 due to the
Christmas holiday. The next
release will be on Thesday,
Dec. 28.
The Albemarle Regional
Health Services is reporting
that the Omicron variant
has been detected in a lab
confirmed test in Chowan
County.
While every lab con
firmed case is typed to de
termine the particular virus
strain a sampling is done of
all cases submitted in order
to determine what strains
are currently circulating.
“We are currently seeing
a rise in COVID-19 cases
across the state and the
country. With the identifica
tion of the Omicron variant
in the ARHS region, we are
reminded that our efforts
to stay safe and healthy are
cruciM,” said Albemarle
Regional Health Services
Health Director R. Battle
Betts Jr, MPA.
“While we do not want to
cause any additional alarm
or panic, it is important to
See COVID-19, A3
Playing Santa: County DSS workers collect gifts for children
GENE MOTLEY
For the Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSOR - One mi^t
say they are ‘elves’ doing
their part to help fill Santa’s
sleigh.
Members of Bertie Coun
ty’s Department of Social
^rvices Child Welfare Ser
vices branch wrapped up
their weeks-long drive of
collecting toys, all of which
will be used to make for a
/n this edition
brighter Christmas for chil
dren throughout the county.
“We get donors and spon
sors, some fi"om larger or
ganizations, some just ordi
nary community membeis,
some from churches, and
they donate to the Bertie
County DSS for children
who are less fortunate in
the community,” said CWS
Director Abi Johnson.
Around the conference
room are not just gifts, large
and small, but also Christ
mas trees of aU sizes, in
cluding some special ones.
“We can it the Angel
Tree,” Johnson continued.
“We don’t just offer for the
ones in our caseload, but
we also provide for children
in the general local commu
nity who are in need.
“All of these will be dis
tributed, and if we have
See DSS, A5
GENE MOTLEY/FOR THE BERTIE LEDGER-ADVANCE
Bertie DSS workers are playing elves for Santa.
dOOD MORNING,
Page Myers
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