January 28,
12
013165 10/09/1999 *C20
110 U ACADEMY ST
The
HERTFORD NC 27944
LBRARY r-,p
1 'JAN 2? 1999'!
350
Vol. 67, No. 4
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Durant’s Neck Post Office survives
Petition, Jones’
help save smallest
post office east of
Raleigh
PW *
By JEREMY DESPOSITO
The Daily Advance
It may be the smallest active
post office east of Raleigh, but
Durant’s Neck had enough
clout to fight off efforts to close
the mail center this month.
When word spread recently
that the Postal Service hadn’t
renewed the local post office
ocntract, residents sent a peti
tion to Rep. Evan Clayton, D-
N.C., requesting that the office
be kept open.
The expected closing date
was Jan. 12, and a district
change putting Perquimans
County in the 3rd District rep
resented by Walter B. Jones, R-
N.C., at the beginning of the
year, delayed action. After
receving the news from
Clayton’s office, however,
Jones encouraged the Post
Service to grant a six-month
extension to “help ensure a
possible future renewal.’’
A spokeswoman for Jones’
office said they were shocked
at how quickly the Postal
Service granted the extension.
If,**’*'*’****"^!^.
Daily Advance photo
At 28 square feet, the Durant’s Neck Post Office in Perquimans County may be one of the
msallest post offices in the country. Located inside the New Hope Country Store, the tiny post
office recentiy got a new iease on life. Residents learned that, thanks to U.S. Rep. Walter B.
Jones’ help, it will not be closed as U.S. Postal Service officials had originally planned.
Housed in the New Hope
Country Store, the 28-square -
foot post office is the “last
example of a rural post office
in Eastern North Carolina,’’
Jones said. Established in
1830, the office contains 32
individual boxes for phtrons
and services daily mail to 13
customers. Perquimans
County considers Durant’s
Neck Post Office among one of
its historical locations, accord
ing to Jones, and it is trying to
maintain it as part of the
Heritage Tourism Program
under the North Carolina
Department of Commerce’s
Division of Tourism.
Jones continued, “Helping
to preserve this special part of
our history is as important to
the Perquimans County com
munities as it is to the entire
district.”
Lee Stallings, who currently
leases the building housing the
post office, said six months
will be enough time to file
paperwork and switch the title
to his name.
“As far as I know. I’m buy
ing the building in June,”
Stallings said. “The Postal
Service will bypass some of
the paperwork, so I under
stand.”
The tiny post office is conve
nient for the out-of-the-way
community, whose residents
would have to travel 15 miles
to either Elizabeth City or
Hertford to the next nearest
post office, Stallings said.
Stallings said his lack of
ownership of the building was
the cause for the planned clo
sure. He said the Postal
Service’s decision was “kind of
a way of getting rid of it.”
“I’m pleased we were able to
get this extension,” Jones con
tinued. “The postal authorities
indicated that they are confi
dent the contract will be
awarded and the Post Office
will remain open and function
al in the years to come.”
Jones said Stallings will
have the option to purchase
the building after July 1, and
his subsequent position as
postmaster wUl secure contin
ued business at the tiny post
office.
GED, AHS New band strikes up at middle school
classes set
COA is offering free GED
classes in Perquimans County.
GED and AHS classes are
available at Perquimans
County High School and
Perquimans Learning Center
for those who would like to
epim their high school equiva
lency certificate or obtain a
high school diploma. Also,
adults who would like to learn
to read or improve their read
ing skills may enroll at the
center.
Enrollment guidelines for
Basic Skills classes have
changed. Students, regardless
of educational attainment,
may attend Basic SkUls classes
to study any area in which
they feel they need help. No
cut-off scores are required for
enrollment. High School stu
dents are also eligible to
enroU.
Classes are being offered at
Perquimans County High
School, Tuesdays and
Thursdays, 6-9 p.m. and at
Perquimans Learning Center,
Monday—Thursday, 9 a.m.-2
p.m. Both sessions end on May
13.
Details are available by call
ing 335-0821, ext. 2250, or visit
ing the class site to talk with
the instructor.
6th grade band
back after 8-year
hiatus
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
These days when the band
strikes up at Perquimans
Middle School, sixth graders
get a chance to make some
noise.
Sixth grade band was added
to the curriculum at the mid
dle school Monday. Students
were allowed to sign up to take
band during their exploratory
periods. Those who signed up
will attend instrumental
music class each day, accord
ing to Perquimans Middle
School Principal Anne White.
Perquimans County Schools
Director of Instrumental
Music David Ziemba is
instructing the sixth grade in
addition to the seventh and
eighth grade classes.
Ziemba held an information
meeting for parents last week
in preparation for the new pro
gram.
The school board aj)proved
using available state funds to
hire a second band instructor
for the second semester of the
1998-99 school year in
December. Christopher
Whitehurst, formerly an inter
im percussion instructor for
the Marching Pirates, was
hired earlier this month to fill
that slot. Whitehurst will
teach at the high school.
Ziemba has lobbied for a
second band instructor posi
tion for several years due to
strong student interest in the
music program. Increasing
enrollment at both the middle
and high school levels forced
the system to begin band in
the seventh, rather than the
sixth, grade in 1990-91.
Last fall, Ziemba and Band
Booster officers spoke with the
board about the need to add
additional faculty in the band
program due to its growth.
While board members
okayed the available state
funds for an instrumental
music position, they also made
it clear that the position is
interim. If the school district
loses the state position next
year through a decrease in
average daily membership this
year, it may not be filled with
local funds, board members
said in December.
In the meantime, sixth
graders, their parents and
middle school faculty and staff
Perquimans County Schools Director of Instrumental Music
David Ziemba (right) speaks with sixth grade parents about the
new band program for that grade level. Sixth graders began tak
ing band Monday for the first time in over 8 years.
are enjoying the first few days
of the expanded musical pro
gram at the school.
To obtain instruments for
students who otherwise will be
unable to join the band, an
instrument drive is underway.
A call is out to those willing to
donate used instruments to the
program.
Also, individuals, clubs,
organizations, churches or
businesses may donate new
instruments in honor or in
memory of a special person.
The instruments will become
the property of Perquimans
County Schools and will bear
the inscription of the donor
and honoree.
Donations of any size are
being accepted and will be
pooled to purchase instru
ments.
All donations are tax
deductible.
For information on donat
ing to the band program, call
Christy Boyce at the middle
school at 426-7355.
McKay takes over reigns as COA president on Feb. 1
7th president
former VP at
Guilford Tech
, Dr. Sylvester McKay, Vice
President for Curriculum and
Instructional Technology at
Ouilford Technical
• Community CoUege, has been
hired by College of The
Albemarle’s Board of Trustees
as the college’s seventh presi-
r dent.
, Dr. McKay, who will begin
Ihis new position Feb. 1,
replaces Dr. Larry
Donnithorne, who left COA in
yjune of 1998 to become the
president of Colorado
Christian College in Denver,
'CO.
Dr. McKay has served as the
Vice President for Curriculum
and Instructional Technology
at Guilford Tech since 1993.
While at GuRford Tech, he also
served as the Director of
Research and Planning. Before
his employment at Guilford
Tech, Dr. McKay served as the
Director of Research for the
North Carolina Department of
Community Colleges. Dr.
McKay has also served the
North Carolina Community
College System in the class
room. He was a Department
Chair and psychology instruc
tor at Wilson Technical
Community College.
Under Dr. McKay’s leader
ship at Guilford Tech, the
school added five new degree
programs and developed more
than 20 collaborative agree
ments with other community
colleges. The college has
accredited numerous health
and engineering technology
programs, and expanded artic
ulation agreements with the
public schools and fouf-^year
colleges. GTCC has developed
strong linkages to business
and industry in the communi
ty.
Dr. McKay has considerable
experience in the area of dis
tance learning. He has present
ed papers on the subject to the
League for Innovation in the
Community College,
Computers on Campus
National Conference,
Conference on Information
Technology, and North
Carolina Community College
Association of Instructional
Administrators. He was also a
member of the Distance
Learning Task Force for the
North Carolina Community
CoUege System.
Dr. McKay’s affiliations
include membership in the
Association of college
Administration Professionals,
North Carolina Council on
Black American Affairs, North
Carolina Association of
Community College
Instructional Administrators,
and the National Association
of College Administrators. He
has also been active in the
Greensboro Chamber of
Commerce.
Dr. McKay is a three-time
graduate of North Carolina
State University. He earned a
B.S. degree in psychology from
program
needs
helpers
the school in 1975. In 1983 Dr.
McKay received an M.S.
degree in psychology from
N.C. State. He went on to com
plete his Ph.D. in school psy
chology from N.C. State in
1990. He also has done gradu
ate work at Washington State
University. In 1998, Dr. McKay
graduated from the Executive
Leadership Institute, League
for Innovation in Community
CoUeges, and in 1995 he gradu
ated from the Community
CoUege Leadership Institute of
the North Carolina
Community College System
and North Carolina State
University. Dr. McKay is also
a graduate of the North
Carolina Community College
System Executive
Management and Leadership
Institute.
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Just one hour a month of
volunteer time could help
ensure that some homebound
senior citizens get the nutri
tion they need.
Myra Mock, Volunteer
Administrator with the
Albemarle Commission, said
volunteers are vital to the
nutrition for the elderly pro
gram. And while she really
appreciates those who con
tribute an hour each week to
the program, being able to
count on someone to lend a
hand an hour each month is
also a boost, she said.
Mock said she is aware
there are those who may be
unable to pledge a lot of time
to the meals program due to
work schedules and other con
flicts. Some potential volun
teers think they have to sign
up for weekly stints, she said,
and she’s trying to get the
word out that the program
needs volunteers no matter
how much time they can
devote. Stand-bys are also
needed.
“Let’s say a Sunday school
class decides to deliver on the
third Wednesday of each
month,” Mock said. “That
would be great. It wouldn’t be
a burden on any one person
because they could take turns.
They could even assign two
people to deliver each time,
mayhe one to drive and one to
run the meals in. That way, if
one or the other got sick or
had an emergency, there is
always someone to deliver.”
Five days a week, the nutri
tion program operates in
Perquimans and the nine
other counties served by
Albemarle Commission. Here,
an average of 26 meals are
served at the Senior Center
and about 40 are delivered on
three routes. Twenty volun
teers assist with the program.
Anyone age 60 or over may
be served at the Senior Center.
Those receiving home-deliv
ered meals must be 60 or over
and meet the program defini
tion of “homebound.” Spouses
and other caregivers of the
homebound may also qualify
for a meal. Neither component
of the program is based on
income. However, funds and
volunteers must be available
to add new deliveries to the
home-delivered list and to add
meals at the congregant site. If
routes are full, those deter
mined to be eligible for home-
delivered meals go on a wait
ing list.
Perquimans is budgeted for
38 home-delivered and 33 con
gregant meals each weekday
through a combination of
local, state and federal funds.
It is suggested that those who
get meals donate 75 cents per
meal if they are financially
able. The program also accepts
other donations. The contribu
tions stay in the county in
which they are collected., and
are used to increase the meal
aUotment.
Mock is trying hard to get
the word out that volunteers
are vital to the program. She’U
speak to church and civic
groups and to businesses, and
wiU set up a booth at fairs and
other events to let people know
about the nutrition program
administered by the
Albemarle Commission. For
information, call Mock at 426-
5753, ext. 113.
mm