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The Perquimans Weekly
Vol, 66. No. 30
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Sheriff resigns
Lane leaving
July 31 to accept
new position
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Perquimans County
Sheriff David Lane submit
ted his letter of resignation
Monday. He w'ill leave office
on July 31.
Lane said Tuesday he is
leaving to pursue other job
opportunities outside the
area. He declined to say
where he will be going or
what his new position will
be. He said he is leaving
now because the opportuni
ty might not be available at
the end of his term in
December.
County Manager Paul
Gregory confirmed Tuesday
that Lane did give Gregory
a letter of resignation on
Monday. Gregory said the
county commissioners will
meet next week to accept
Lane’s resignation and to
appoint an interim sheriff.
Lane, 44, is in his first
term as sheriff. In the
Democratic primary on
May 5, D.A.R.E. officer and
former deputy Ralph
Robinson, 70, defeated Lane
1,012 votes to 832 votes.
. Serving as sheriff of
Perquimans County has
been one of the most satisfy
ing experiences of his life.
Lane said. But Lane did not
enjoy his last campaign or
the lies and half-truths he
claims were circulated in
the days leading up to the
election.
“I did want to set the
record straight before 1 left
here,” Lane said.
Lane said contrary to
Robinson’s claim that Lane
fired him, the D.A.R.E. offi
cer was not an employee of
the Perquimans County
Sheriffs Department at the
time and therefore could
not be fired.
“How could I fire some
body who retired in
December of ‘95?” Lane
asked.
The sheriff said Robinson
was hired as the D.A.R.E.
officer under a contract that
ran from Sept. 1, 1997-May
31, 1998. Robinson was
asked to turn in his car and
uniforms at the expiration
of the contract. Lane said.
Lane also said that funds
are available to operate the
D.A.R.E. program during
the 1998-99 school year.
“Drug raids, and drug
related arrests by the sher
iffs department are almost
non-existent,” Robinson
stated prior to the election.
Lane, however, said that
arrest reports on file in his
office discredit that claim.
He said the sheriffs depart
ment has confiscated over
$400,000 in drugs and made
over 90 drug arrests during
his tenure. The department
has also received $9,554 in
drug revenue from the
state, he said.
The sheriff added that
the sheriffs department has
helped send 14 drug dealers
to federal prison through
work with other agencies.
Robinson also blasted
Lane because the sheriffs
department was not a mem
ber of a drug task force.
Lane said he has a signed
contract with the state
Department of Crime
Control and Public Safety
Joint Counter Task Force.
Through that agency. Lane
said his department has had
access to equipment, per
sonnel and other resources.
He said when he was first
elected, he was part of a
move to organize a 5-year
task force, but the grant to
fund the operation was not
approved. Lane said 2-year
programs often begin to
show results just as the
funding ends, and local gov
ernments many times
choose not to fund them.
Lane said he considered
joining the task force of
which Pasquotank County
is presently a member, but
would have had to find the
$54,000 within the budget
for that fiscal year. That
would have meant losing
two employees or two vehi
cles, Lane said, cuts he felt
would be detrimental to the
Perquimans department.
Lane said even though
the Perquimans County
Sheriffs Department is not
formally a member of the
Pasquotank task force, his
department has worked
cooperatively with task
force officers and other area
law agencies on drug-relat
ed cases as well as other
cases.
Pasquotank County
Sheriff Randy Cartwright
confirmed Tuesday that he
has worked with Lane on
several occasions. He said
Lane had never refused to
cooperate wdth his depart
ment.
Robinson also said prior
to the primary that five offi
cers hired by Lane had
resigned.
“The other deputies that
were hired to replace these
officers were not indige
nous to this county,”
Robinson said.
Lane said that he was
born in Chowan County,
and spent part of his child
hood years in Perquimans.
He went into the U.S. Army
after attending high school
in Edenton, and settled in
Hertford upon his retire
ment. His father has lived
in the county for about 30
years. The sheriff said that
his mother’s family has
lived in Perquimans County
since the early 1700s.
Deputy Darlene Jacobs,
Lane’s cousin, can also
trace her roots in
Perquimans County back
200 years, although she her
self did not move here until
a few years ago.
Lane added that Deputy
Billy Spruill has lived in the
county 12 years and his wife
is a county native, as is
Deputy Dean Cartwright’s
wife.
In addition, the husband
of department secretary
Bonita Williamson is a
native.
The sheriff said« that
leaves only two employees
with no roots in
Perquimans County.
“Sheriff (Julian) ‘Little
Man’ Broughton gave Ralph
a chance to work in the
sheriffs department when
he moved here from New
York,” Lane said. “Am I not
supposed to give qualified
people the same opportuni
ty to work in the communi
ty that he got when he
moved here?”
Lane said he did not
argue with Robinson’s
claims during the campaign
because he thought his
record of service spoke for
itself and because drug
arrests and other issues had
been published in the news
paper.
Robinson could not be
reached for comment.
Teen indicted for rape
School report
leads to arrest of
family member
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
An Elizabeth City teen was
arrested last month and
charged with sex crimes
involving a juvenile family
member.
David Cartwright, 18, of
1190 Four Forks Road,
Elizabeth City, was arrested
on June 19 and charged with
first degree rape of a child and
indecent liberties. He was
released on bond, which was
set at $10,000 secured for the
rape charge and $120,000 unse
cured for the indecent liberties
charge.
According to Perquimans
County Chief Sheriff’s Deputy
Dean Cartwright, the investi
gation into the charges began
in March when Deputy Kevin
Byrd was contacted by
Perquimans County Schools.
No TIME TO WASTE
Crews are working long hours in an effort to complete the renovation and construction at
Hertford Grammar School prior to the opening of school for students on Aug, 24.
HGS set for completion by
first day of school August 24
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Hertford Grammar School
is a beehive of activity as con
tractors work against the
clock to get the facility reno
vated prior to the students’
first day of school on Aug. 24.
M.B. Kahn Construction
Company officials reported to
the school board Monday night
that all contractors and sub
contractors are pushing to fin
ish the project by the late-
August deadline.
“Everyone is working really
hard to try to pull this off,”
said senior site manager
Randy Range.
The water and sanitary
sewer hook-up at the site was
finished last week.
As of Friday morning when
the progress report for last
week was completed, Hitt
Electric and Virtexco Corp.
had completed wall rough-in
and had begun the overhead
rough-in. Sprinkle Masonry
was scheduled to top out exte
rior CMU walls on July 17,
with interior walls to be com
plete by July 22. Brick work
was about 65 percent complete.
The steel erection and roof
decking by the steel workers
was 100 percent complete.
Work continued through the
weekend in an effort to com
plete the roof
Window installation had
begun by Tuesday in the new
building.
Metal studs in the building
were about 75 percent com
plete and sheetrock was being
hung.
The mechanical loft was
complete and the HVAC units
placed on the loft. Duct work
should be complete by Friday.
Curbs and sidewalks were
set to be begun on Wednesday.
Work is also in full swing at
the new Central School site in
Winfall.
There, exterior masonry
wall installation is complete in
wing A and 95 percent com
plete in wings B and C.
Interior masron wall installa
tion is complete.
Brick installation is 95 per
cent complete in wing A, 80
percent complete in wing B
and 20 percent complete in
wing C.
Above-grouind plumbing
rough-in is 90 percent com
plete in wing A, 75 percent
complete in wing B and 90 per
cent complete in wing C.
Mechanical duct installation is
80 percent complete in wings A
and C.
Structural steel is complete,
as is the hollow metal door
frame installation. Metal stud
installation is complete in
wing A, 80 percent complete in
wing B and 95 percent com
plete in wing C.
The standing seam roofing
installation is 35 percent com
plete on wing A.
Drywall installation and
exterior window installation is
set to begin this week.
Site utilities are scheduled
to begin the first week of
August.
Kahn’s project engineer
Derek Faulkenberry said the
project is on schedule.
Three positions remain for schools staffs
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Perquimans County Schools
Personnel Director Brenda
Dail told school board mem
bers Monday that there are
only three faculty positions
left to be filled in the school
system for the 1998-99 school
year.
Still to be hired are a special
education teacher, fifth grade
teacher and elementary coun
selor.
The board approved the fol
lowing appointments Monday:
Andrea Boone, English,
PCHS; Johanna Broyles,
Spanish, Central; Margie
DeAngelis, sixth grade
math/science; Patricia Gallop,
second grade; Terry Mallory,
second grade; Daniel Mullens,
social studies and coach,
PCHS; Deanna Peyer, first
grade; Shonda Pittman, busi
ness education, PCMS; Patrick
Reid, English, PCHS; Lynette
Trueblood, eighth grade sci
ence/math; and Darlene
Walton, math, PCHS.
The transfer of Spanish
teacher Sadot Mendez from
Central School to the middle
school was also approved.
Dail also announced that
superintendent Gregory Todd
accepted the resignations of
sixth grade math/science
\
teacher Doris Alligood and
teacher assistant Linda Logan
as well as the retirement
notice of teacher assistant
Barbara Lyons on behalf of the
board.
Latoya .Parker was
approved as a substitute.
Monday’s board meeting
opened with the swearing in of
new board member Charles C.
Cheezum and incumbents
Marjorie Rayburn and Walter
Leigh. Outgoing board mem
ber Helen Hunter was recog
nized with a plaque.
Wallace Nelson and Leigh
were re-elected chairman and
vice chairman of the board,
respectively. ,
Deputy Cartwright said the
incicents allegedly occurred
over a period of time.
Cartwright was indicted by
the grand jury the week of
June 8, and was subsequently
arrested.
The case is scheduled to be
heard in Perquimans County
Superior Court this week.
Sheriff, wife
victims of
anonymous
campaign
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Events that occurred during
the May primary election cam
paign season will make Sheriff
David Lane think twice before
seeking public office of any
kind again.
Lane said he, his wife and
his employees received mail
bearing derogatory messages
from anonymous senders,
most of his campaign signs
were destroyed, nails were put
in his driveway and he and his
wife were awakened one night
by shots fired in front of their
home.
The sheriff, who resigned
Monday effective July 31,
brought the mail received by
both he and his wife to The
Perquimans Weekly Tuesday.
There were mock campaign
signs for both Democratic pri
mary sheriffs winner Ralph
Robinson and former deputy
Ersal Overton sent to the sher
iff at his office. The pho
tographs of both men were
taken in the sheriffs depart
ment offices and both were in
department uniforms.
A sympathy card sent to
Lane at his former address on
Grubb Street bore the typed
message, “So sorry about los
ing your popularity in your
bid for re-election. You just
started to late to be try to be
sheriff
“You are a has been. Our
first sheriff to only be a one
term sheriffl
"Thank God.”
It was signed by “The
Ladies Group.”
While Lane said he accepted
the anonymous mail directed
at him as part of politics, he
said he was angered that a per
son or persons upset his wife
by sending her postcards at
home, at work and at the cou
ple’s former address.
“Personally this did not
affect me but when they tor
mented my wife, that was the
end of the line,” Lane said. “It
was dirty, cruel and very
unprofessional to hurt my wife
and attack my employees. My
wife had nothing to do with
this election.”
One card read, “Mrs. Lane,
Whos dating who and whos
being true in the sheriffs
dept.? Or does your husband
discuss his dept, with you?”
“Mrs. Lane, What does
David Lane and Bill Clinton
have in common? Bill has his
female intern — David has his
female deputy! Doesnt it make
you wonder whats going on?”
another read.
Lane and female deputy
Darlene Jacobs are first
cousins.
Lane produced 13 items
mailed to him, seven to his
wife, one to his family, one to
Mr. and Mrs. David Lane and
one to his deputies. He said he
threw the first six or seven he
received in the trash.
Since the election, at least
two sheriff’s department
employees have received
anonymous cards.