Newspapers / The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, … / Sept. 26, 1996, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
\ September 26, The Perquimans Weekly 350 Vol. 64, No. 38 The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people Hertford, North Carolina 27944 Indian Summer Festival 1996 / PHOTOS BY SUSAN HARRIS Jhousands of people filled the downtown district and water- Summer Festival. Dancing in the streets and parking lots was front park in Hertford for Sa.turday’s 15th annual Indian a favorite pastttime of the festival. Festival draws thousands ' Perquimans County literally took it to the streets Saturday when the 15th annual Indian Summer Festival came to Hertford. “With all that was going on in the surrounding area, we were very pleased with the turnout and the participation that we had,” said festival chairman Paige Eure. “It was just a perfect day.” Local officials estimated that the fes tival drew between 4,000 and 5,000 peo ple to Perquimans County. The downtown business district was lined with vendors selling such diverse items as food, leather, pottery, cook ware and make-up. “Overall, our vendors told us they were real pleased with the festival,” Eure said. “We had such a wide variety of vendors, there was something for everyone.” Something for everyone also extend ed to the venues and entertainment. Downtown featured line dancers, dog gers, square dancers, a trio, a barber shop quartet, the high school band, a soloist, and three bands. Over at the Waterfront Pavilion, activities and music were geared to youth. Joy Untold brought magic, ani mals, clowns, costumed characters, bal loon art and more. There was storytime presented by the Perquimans County Library, pony rides, canoe rentals, games of all kinds, food, face painting, performances by two local alternative bands and a disc jockey. “Having a special place just for youth was one of the best ideas our festival committee came up with,” Eure said. “We had children and teenagers at the pavilion all day long. They really seemed to like4iaving their own area. - .“We felt very fortunate to have two Icrcal bands perform there,” Eure con tinued. “Perquimans County really has some talented young people and I think this festival showed that.” When the waterfront and downtown venues closed in the early evening, the crowd moved to Missing Mill Park to dance the night away to Bill Deal and 'Aiiimon Tharp, the original Rhondels. ' - ' -The crowd we had for BUI Deal was unbelieveable,” Eure said. ■>: A contingent of dancers filled the parking lot, which was turned into a dance floor for the evening. The danc ing began before the Rhondels started playing and continued until the band packed up. “The enthusiasm (for the festival) The Miss Indian Summer Festival pageant was revived for this year’s festi val. An enthusiastic audience enjoyed watching nine Perquimans teens compete for the title of Miss Indian Summer Festival. Contestants were (left to right) Courtney Harris, Kim Stallings, Sarah Knehr, first runner-up Erica Ennis, Miss Indian Summer Festival Brandy Hollowell, second runner-up Jamie Lassiter, Julie Bunch, Crystal Gower and Keosha Beamon. Hollowell crowned Miss Indian Summer Festival 1996 Friday Nine nervous Perquimans County teenagers competed for the title of Miss Indian Summer Festival 1996 Friday night at the kick-off event for the 15th aimual gala. Brandy Hollowell, an accom plished dancer and sophomore honor student at Perquimans County High School, was crowned at the end of the pageant. During the next year, HoUowell will serve as the youth ambassador for the Chamber of Commeijce. First runner-up was Erica Ennis and second runner-up, Jamie Lassiter. Contestants also included Sara Knehr, Kim Stallings, Keosha Beamon, Courtney Harris, Julie Bunch and Crystal Gower. “The girls did a beautiful job,” said pageant chairman Brenda Dad. “I was so proud of all of them. We certainly have a lot of talented young ladies in Perquimans County. In my eyes, all of the girls were win ners for having the courage to per form on stage in front of an audi ence. The experience of participat ing in this pageant will help them as they prepare for college entry and- scholarship interviews and to enter the workforce.” Dail was not the only one impressed with the calibur of pageant contestants. “The pageant was very profession ally organized and presented,” said overall festival chairman Paige Eure. “Brenda Dail and her commit tee did a wonderful job. Our contes tants were all very talented young ladies who well represented our community, and the auditorium was beautiful. I hope that the pageant will become an annual part of our festival.” was fantastic,” Eure said. “People are already talking about next year. All we heard were wonderful comments about everything.” Chamber president Larry Swindell echoed Eure’s statements. “Fantastic is the biggest thing I can say (about the festival),” Swindell said. “The response from the community helped in the number of people who came and shared with us in the event. It was the biggest and best (festival) we’ve had in 15 years. “I think the combination of having the Rhondels, the number of vendors who took part and just the overwhelm ing response from the community with assistance had a great deal to do with the festival’s success. We were also for tunate to have strong leadership and planning skills of our festival commit tee.” Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sandra Smith accepted her position at the Chamber too late to be a part of the planning for last year’s festi val, but was right in the thick of plan ning for 1996. “It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of the planning team for this year’s festival,” Smith said. “Every member of the team, including the sub-committees, did an outstanding job. Our president, Larry Swindell, was there every step of the way offering his assistance. There isn’t enough room to thank each indi vidual personally who helped to make our festival the succes that it was.” Smith said she and the Chamber, organizers of the event, appreciate the support of the community and partici pants. “We hope you had as much fun as we did,”'Smith said. PHOTO BY BRIAN VANDERVUET, THE DAILY ADVANCE Perquimans County economic developer, Robert Baker (right) talks with Richard Baker and Martha Daniels about potential sites for a planned commerce center in Hertford. Extravanganza; economic plug By GINGER LIVINGSTON 'The Daily Advance It was a show of southern hospitality that could have put Scarlett O’Hara to shame. The region’s economic development and business leaders wined and dined over 350 local politicians, state eco nomic developers, private site consultants and business peo ple during the Northeast North Carolina Regional Economic Development Partnership’s Fall Extravaganza at Albemarle Plantation last Saturday. The weekend event, post poned two weeks because of Hurricane Fran, was designed to give potential industrial and development clients insight into the 16 counties that make up the partnership. Chairman Jimmie Dixon said. Unofficially, the event sig naled the resurrection of the commission which this time last year had fired its econom ic and tourism development directors and was being warned by state officials to shape up, or risk losing fund ing for itself and the state’s six other development partner ships. “We are more dedicated and focused than a year ago,” Dixon said. “I want to say this without hurting anyone’s feel ings but I think the commis sion, and the members, decid ed to stop the infighting and get down to business.” Commission members orga nized the site consultants, industrial clients and state economic development offi cials into four groups that toured counties in the region. “We’re trying to get the Department of Commerce farniliar with northeastern North Carolina so when they are asked about the northeast they will be familiar,” Dixon said. Brenda Stroud, special assistant to Peggy Anderson, director of the Department of Commerce’s international division, said the commission did its job. “We’ve seen things we never knew existed and it’s been a plus. I don’t think some of our developers are aware of everything that’s happening in the northeast,” she said. Stroud toured Beaufort, Hyde, Tyrrell, Washington and Martin counties and was sur prised to learn how many peo ple travel through those coun ties on their way to the Outer Banks. Business people from out side the region said they like the things that are happening in the northeast. “I think people and manu facturers in Hampton Roads are looking at the area because sites are starting to develop, bt said Martha Daniels, an asso ciate broker with Riddle Associates, -Inc. The Chesapeake, Va. based com mercial real estate company is currently working for a con struction materials firm inter ested in building a plant in northeastern North Carolina. Hampton Roads industries are fighting crowded condi tions and high land prices. The northeast’s relatively inexpen sive land and close proximity to Hampton Roads, combined with local government efforts to secure infrastructure for its industrial parks, make it very attractive, Daniels said. “They have now made this area economically feasible,” she said. “All they need is a lit tle more practice, it’s coming.” Last year Barnes, a native of northeastern New York, started the process to sell his share of his family retail lum ber business. Barnes said he was interested in starting a specialty millwork business and came to the northeast on the advice of a friend. Three weeks ago he moved his family to Edenton and wants to even tually open his business in Chowan County. Barnes said Edenton and Chowan County officials, along with the Department of Commerce’s Vann Rogerson, helped with his pre-planning. “We’re not use to it being from the North. It almost appeared they’d offer you the keys to their home to use the phone if it would be helpful.” he said. Outside SATURDAY High: Low: 80s 60s PARTLY CLOUDY High: Low: 70s 60s PARTLY CLOUDY High: Low: 70s 60s MOSTLY CLOUDY
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Sept. 26, 1996, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75