Lady Pirates still perfect
Rage 9
Lady Tigers end with win
Rage 9
NC Ag students in demand
Rage 6
October 26, 2000
Vol. 68, No. 43 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
The ONLY NEWSPAPER FOR AND ABOUT Perquimans County AND ITS PEOPLE oi3i65 110200 01 **cooi
PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
no W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD NC 27944
Perquimans
n
i OCT 2
□
Schools superintendent resigns Monday
Hertford gets funds for period lighting
Bridge, Church
Street blocks to
get new look
JEREMY DESPOSITO
The Daily Advance
The longest “S” bridge in
the country is also set to
become one of the most scenic.
Hertford Main Street
Coordinator Belinda
Washlesky announced last
week that, as expected, the
town had received $240,320 in
federal grant funds for a pro
ject that will include putting
1920s-era light poles on the S
bridge.
The project, which includes
$60,080 in matching funds from
Perquimans County, will
install 13 lights on either side
of the 72-year-old bridge,
which spans the Perquimans
River just north of town, and
along both sides of Church
Street for one block downtown,
from Grubb Street to Dobbs
Street.
Funding for the beautifica
tion project, which comes from
a pool of funds called TEA-21
Local officials gathered by the S-bridge Friday to celebrate receipt of a federal grant that
will install 1920s lighting on the bridge and two blocks of Church Street, as well as bury
utility lines. i
grants, will also allow the town
to move its overhead electric
utilities underground in those
areas, Washlesky said.
“You can look forward to
visual signs of progress on this
project in about a year. And,
once complete, much beauty
will be added to an already pic
turesque community,” she
said.
Hertford's TEA-21 applica
tion envisions a three-phase
project costing $551,000. The
grant covers phases one and
three.
Please see GRANT, page 13
Gregory Todd
will retire on
Dec. 31
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
The school board and cen
tral office personnel are reel
ing this week, the result of the
unexpected; resignation of
schools superintendent
Gregory T. Todd Monday
night. His resignation is effec
tive Dec. 31.
Todd said Tuesday morning
that he has accepted the posi
tion of executive director of
Tarboro-Edgecombe Habitat
for Humanity. The unit is the
second largest in the five-state
southeast region, Todd said.
“Since the flood (in
September 1999 associated
with Hurricane Floyd), they’ve
had just all kinds of demands,”
Todd said. “They’re going to
work with the regional Habitat
organization.”
The timing of his resigna
tion came somewhat as a sur
prise to Todd, also. He said he
was looking at another 2-3
years in education before retir
ing. But a call from Habitat
asking him. to talk to them
about the position about two
weeks ago changed his plans.
Todd said the offer gives
him “a good flow into retire-
SmmMi
SviiMIM
■WMIHiL
Gregory T. Todd
ment, yet still giving and con
tributing to a community and
giving to an organization. I can
draw retirement and still con
tribute.”
School board chairman
Waiter Leigh said after the
public announcement of the
resignation Tuesday morning
that Todd will be difficult to
replace.
“That is a tough one,” said
Leigh. “He knocked a big hole
in us (with his resignation).”
Leigh said while the board
is disappointed to ,see Todd
leave, its members were able to
reflect on the good things he
brought to the school system'
and the community
Please see TODD, page 13
No-excuse voting
available in N.C.
Registered voters who
can’t get to the polls on elec
tion day can still cast a ballot.
North Carolina now offers
two methods of casting bal
lots other than appearing in
person at the polling place on
election day, absentee by mail
and absentee one-stop.
Absentee by mail is the
traditional way to cast a bal-
, lot if a voter cannot be at the
polls on election day. Any reg
istered voter is authorized to
vote by mail an absentee bal
lot in any primary or election
conducted by the county
board of elections under any
one of five conditions:
• The voter expects to be
absent from the county dur
ing the entire period that the
polls are open on election day,
• The voter is unable to be
present at the voting place
because of sickness or dis
ability,
• The voter is incarcerated
and is not a convicted felon
Daylight Savings
Time ends early
Sunday morning.
Don't forget to
move your clock
back one hour
before going to
bed Saturday
night. Check
your smoke
detector
batteries^ too.
who has lost citizenship
rights,
• The voter is observing a
religious holiday
• The voter is a precinct
official/observer/employee
of the county board of elec
tions.
The voter or the voter’s
near relative may send a
signed written request to the
county board of elections
office. The request msut be
received in the office no later
than the Tuesday prior to the
election. The election is Nov.
7, so requests must be
received by Oct. 31.
Each request must be
signed by the voter or the
voter’s near relative, and
include the voter’s name and
0
address as they appear on the
registration records, and the
address where the ballot is to
be mailed.
If the voter is qualified.
Please see VOTE, page 13
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High*. 75
Low: 54
Partly Cloudy
Friday
High: 73
Low: 51
Mostly Sunny
Saturday
High: 76
Low: 51
Partly Cloudy
Students use Expo for career planning
Schools and the business
community came together last
week for the fourth annual Job
Ready Business Expo in
Edenton.
Ninth graders from
Perquimans, Gates and
Chowan county schools attend
ed the educational career plan
ning experience on Thursday.
Students interviewed business
people and industry represen
tatives employed in a variety of
jobs to find out job, training
and education requirements
needed in today’s workforce.
On .Thursday evening,
eighth grade students from
Perquimans attended the
Expo. The interviewed busi
ness participants and will use
what they learned to develop a
career path as they enter high
school next year.
The eighth grade band from
Perquimans Middle School,
under the direction of Da;^
Ziemba, performed selections
including The Star Spangled
Banner, Freedom’s March and
Hail the Conquering Heroes. As
a surprise for principal Anne
White, the Marching Tigers
played Eye of the Tiger as the
finale to their performance.
Harrell Thach, Teacher of
the Year for Perquimans
County High Schoo, was guest
speaker for this year’s Expo.
He talked to students about
being successful in today’s
workplace. He encouraged stu
dents to believe in themselves
and to strive for success in
their lives. He told them to
never be satisfied, always look
ing for a way to better them-
The Marching Tigers (above) entertained those who attended the Thursday evening session
of Job Ready Business Expo 2000 last week. The band eighth graders played under the direc
tion of David Ziemba. PCHS Teacher of the Year Harrell Thach (below) was speaker.
'•lijSt' ^
^dives or someone around Further, Harrell’s coaching
or someone around
them.
In a recent letter of recom
mendation written for Thach
by former PCHS principal
Elaine Pritchard, she states,
“Noteworthy is the energy,
innovation and versatility of
Harrell Thach. Aside from his
teaching responsibilities,
Harrell has taken the time to
become certified in the area of
academically gifted, is an EMT
as well as lieutenant on the
Perquimans County Rescue
Squad, is captain of the
Volunteer Firemen, and has
earned his black belt in karate.
record is noteworthy as seen in
his carrying teams in basket
ball, football and track to con
ference and regional titles.”
Thach credits his successes
to always being willing to
stand up for what he believed
and the three Ds — desire,
determination and discipline.
The Job Ready Expo is a
joint venture of the Edenton-
Chowan ■ Chamber of
Commerce and the Job Ready
programs in Chowan, Gates
and Perquimans county
schools. It was held at the
National Guard Armory.
Trick-or-
treat safely
Hertford Police Chief Dale
Vanscoy said those planning
to trick-or-treat in Hertford
should plan a safe Halloween
experience.
Vanscoy said trick-or-
treaters should be age 12 and
under, be accompanied by
adults, and be on the street
between the hours of 5 and 8
p.m. Trick-or-treaters should
go to those houses with a front
yard or porch light on.
Reflective costumes that are
not too long are best.
Motorists are advised to
watch for ghosts and goblins
darting out into the streets.