July 3,1997
The Perquimans
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350
Voi. 65, No. 26
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Inside
1^'
DauidLane
What DO you
Qb?by
Sean Jackson
Pages
BeMdere takes
youth league
season, tourney
championships
Pages 6,7
%
Bethel
Ruritans
work for
Community
^ Page 2
Perquimans County
an
All of Us Care
Community
June’s theme:
Get out of a rut
All of Us need a little change to
get out of a rut. Write that long
overdue letter or make phone
calls to folks you haven’t spo
ken with in a while. Try some
thing new. Start that project or
stop that bad habit. Get
involved in a new organization
or activity in your community.
Plan a new adventure. Take a
different route to work. Check
out a library book on an unfa
miliar subject. Try something
that you haven’t done in a long
tiem. Stop and smell the flow
ers. Take a walk. Go tly a kit.
Visit someone who could use
some company. Doing some-
• Ihjng little for someone can
■ often boost your energy!
For All of Us Care
;; information, contact
Sandra Smith
Chamber of Commerce
426-5657
pjmj
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
The historic S-shaped bridge crossing the Perquimans River
wiii be ciosed to traffic beginning Monday. NCDOT wiii begin
repair work on the bridge that shouid iaet for approximateiy 8
weeks. Traffic wiii be rerouted to U.S. Highway 17 Bypass will
the bridge is closed for repairs. The entire steel span and road
way will be replaced.
S-bridge to close for repairs
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
The distance between
Winfall and Hertford will get
longer when the S-bridge link
ing the county’s two towns
closes for major repairs on
Monday.
Hertford Town Manager
John Christensen said
Tuesday that state department
of transportation officials
expect the repairs to take
about eight weeks. The steel
understructure of the bridge
will be torn out and replaced
and a new concrete roadway
poured.
During the time the bridge
will be closed, traffic will be
routed to follow U.S. Highway
17 Bypass.
Some Hertford residents
have requested that town offi
cials ask the state to close the
historic bridge to truck traffic.
The residents say trucks are
taking a toll on the structural
integrity of the bridge, and
they believe that once it can no
longer be repaired, Hertford
will lose the unique distinc
tion of the S-shaped corridor,
the only structure of its kind
in the United States.
Habitat raises $10K
The Gold Nall campaign for
Habitat for Humanity has
raised nearly $10,000 toward
the first Habitat house in
Chowan and Perquimans
counties.
That good news was
announced to the Chowan-
Perquimans Habitat board by
Development Committee
Chairman Bill Haley at the
board’s July 1 meeting.
The most recent gift
received by Habitat was a
$1,000 check from St.
Catherine’s Guild of Holy
Trinity Church in Hertford.
Additional funds were
received prior to the start of
the Gold Nail Campaign in
February.
According to Habitat’s pres
ident, Jim Robison, gifts to
Habitat have come ftom as far
away as New England and
New Mexico. The New
England check came from a
traveler who stopped at the
McDonald’s in Edenton, saw a
poster, and mailed in a contri
bution along with a note that
sending a gold nail wasn’t nec
essary. Haley’s niece, Cindy
Russell of Albuquerque, visit
ed the area in the spring and
later sent a check.
All papers for certification
of the local affiliate have been
filed with Habitat for
Humanity and tax exempt
501(c)3 status is assured.
A Habitat committee has
been working with officials in
Edenton and Hertford to locate
property and an accelerated
tax sale is possible, according
to Robison.
Locating a qualified family
has been more difficult than
raising the funds, Robison
said. Applications continue to
be accepted. ’Those desiring to
become home owners, to move
out of substandard housing
and who have limited incomes
should call 482-8521 for infor
mation on becoming a Habitat
homeowner.
Through Habitat, qualified
applicants are assisted in the
construction of a home.
Habitat homeowners must
contribute a specified number
of hours toward building the
home. Low-interest loans with
affordable monthly payments
are made available for ffie pur
chase of the property. After
that, homeowners are expect
ed to help with construction
projects for other Habitat fam
ilies.
In its 21st year. Habitat
hopes to build or renovate
4,000 in 1997 in the U.S. alone.
To contribute to Habitat,
mail your donation to
Chowan-Perqulmans Habitat
for Humanity, P.O. Box 434,
Edenton, N.C. 27932-0434.
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PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
A flag with an Independence Day theme on Punch Alley is a
good reminder that Perquimans County can enjoy fireworks at
nightfall in Missing Mill Park on July 4th. Hamburgers and hot-
dogs will go on sale at 6 p.m. The day will kick off with a pan
cake breakfast, 7-10 a.m., at the American Legion hut.
Brian Center celebrates 10th anniversary
Brian Center/Hertford cele
brated its 10th anniversary on
June 25.
In the begirming, the center
was owned by The Brian
Center Management
Corporation. 'The first staff at
the site included present
Administrative Assistant Judi
Wills and Business Office
Manager Edith Cooper.
The first resident to move
into the center was Millicent
“Dolly” King. By February
1988, aU 78 beds in the center
were full.
Brian Center has seen many
changes over the last 10 years.
Almost 800 residents have
become a part of the Brian
Center family.
Responding to changes in
patient care, Brian Center
expanded its therapy services
about four years ago. Eight
fulltime therapy staff members
provide physical, occupation
al, speech and respiratory
therapies on both an inpatient
and outpatient basis.
In August 1995, The Brian
Center Corporation merged
with Living Centers of
America.
'The residential health care
industry continues to change.
Once a facility where people
came expecting to live the rest
of their lives, many residents
now have short-term stays.
The goal of residential care
centers is to offer the therapy
and care necessary to allow
residents to return to their
homes if possible. And the mis
sion is always to provide the
highest quality of life for resi
dents, whether their stay is
short- or long-term.
Brian Center has Five
Foundational Values—enthu
siasm, excellence, leadership,
integrity and compassion. 'The
center’s motto continues to be,
“We make a difference.”
Current department heads
include Joe France, adminis
trator; Terri Smith, director of
nursing: Aretha Kelly, social
worker; Debbie Spence,
dietary manager; Don
Overton, director of environ
mental services; Suzanne
Williams, activity director;
and Cooper and Wills.
Chowan’s
Williams
goes to
Central
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
The guard will soon change
at Perquimans Central School.
The school board approved
the appointment of Edward J.
Williams Monday in special
session to serve as principal at
Central School effective July 1.
Williams will fill the position
vacated by the retirement of
Gary Stubbins.
Williams comes to
Perquimans from D.F. Walker
Elementary School in Chowan
County. He served as assistant
principal there from 1985 imtil
resigning to come to
Perquimans County Schools.
He was signed to a two-year
contract here.
'The new principal received
his bachelor’s degree from Lee
College in Cleveland, Tenn.,
and his masters from the
University of Tennessee in
Chattanooga. He holds a B.S.
in social science and a masters
of arts in education school
administration.
Williams began his career
as an elementary grades
teacher in Georgia in 1972. He
accepted a position at E.A.
Swain Elementary in Chowan
County in 1976. He holds prin
cipal, intermediate teaching
and mentor licenses.
In a related move, the board
approved the appointment of
Chris Barber as director of
instruction. She will serve as a
half-time administrator and
half-time Title I director.
Barber was formerly assistant
principal at Central School
and the Title I director. There
will no longer be an assistant
principal at Central School.
Pam Price, who now serves
as the schools’ pre-school
development coordinator, will
assume the duties of director
of exceptional children effec
tive in August upon the resig
nation of Brenda Terranova
Umphlett.
Elonza Josmer will become
a carrer services/instructional
specialist at Perquimans
County High School. Joyner
has been on staff at the school
as a vocational teacher for
many years.
Also among the personnel
items approved during
Monday’s session was the
reassignment of Robert
Turner from vocational busi
ness/physical education
teacher at the high school to
health and physical education
teacher at the same facility.
Turner’s new position was for
merly held by W.G. “Pete”
Hunter, who retired recently.
Schools public relations
director Brenda Lassiter said
the board will meet as neces
sary over the next few weeks
to fill vacancies.
Outside
THURSDAY
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PARTLY CLOUDY
MOSTLY SUNNY
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CHANCE OF RAIN