Newspapers / The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, … / Nov. 2, 2000, edition 1 / Page 1
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The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County and its people Lady Pirates win tourney Page 9 Boone speaks at dental school F^ge6 2nd graders enjoy farm tour Page 11 The 013165 110200 01 -if-tf-COOl PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY no W ACADEMY ST HERTFORD NC 27944 —J Perquimans November 2, 2000 Vol. 68, No. 44 Hertford, North Carolina 27944 -J I i_. i ' Tuesday: Election Day 2000 Perquimans County voters Will make many choices next Tuesday at the polls. Those who cast ballots will signal choices for a new President, governor, county commission ers, US. Senator, N.C. Senator, judges, bond issues and more. One-stop voting will contin ue through Friday at 5 p.m.On Tuesday, the polls will open at 6:30 a.m. and will close at 7:30 p.m. Voters must vote in the precinct in which they are reg istered and in which they reside. People may vote at: Belvidere: Bevidere Community Building, Highway 37 Bethel: Bethel Ruritan Building, Snug Harbor Road . East Hertford: Perquimans County Courthouse, Downtown Hertford New Hope: New Hope Community Building, New Hope Road Nicanor: Whiteston Community Building, Community Building Road \ Parksville: Winfall Community Building/Parksville Ruritan Building, Catherine Street West Hertford: Hertford Grammar School, Dobbs Street Halloween message Flu shots recommended Mary Jones' delightful Halloween decorations have a serious message for drivers speeding along Church Street: Slow down. Jones and her sons enjoy the whimsical seasonal display. Senior Vaccination Season 2000 is underway. Health and human service agencies and organizations from the five-county area served by Albemarle Regional Health Services are trying to educate the public, especially senior citizens, about the importance of getting influen za and pneumonia vaccina tions. Vaccination sites are being set up by the regional health department in each county throughout the month. In addi tion, private physicians offer the vaccinations. Each year in the United States, more than 40,000 people die due to complications from influenza and pneumoccocal disease. Although many of these deaths could have been prevented by vaccinations, flu and pneumonia continue to post a major public health problem. This is especially true among senior adults, who are more likely to develop life- threatening illnesses from these infections. Flu and pneumonia shots are especially important for' persons with diabetes. People with diabetes are about three times more likely to die with flu and pneiunonia than people without diabetes. During flu epidemics, individuals with diabetes are six times more likely to be hospitalized than people without diabetes. As part of its education and outreach programs, Albemarle Regional Health Services and partners in each county it serves, sponsor vaccination clinics to encourage senior cit izens to get shots. In Perquimans Coxmty.'nlln- ics will be held: Nov. 3,9,13,21, and 29,10:30- 12:30, Senior Center Nov. 4, 10-2, Snug Harbor Health Fair Vaccinations are also avail able at the county health' department, Monday—Friday,; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Thursday evenings, 5-7, throughout the Senior Vaccination Season. Those who prefer to get the shots from their own doctor should call the doctor’s oflicq: for information. / * Medicare Part B pays 100 percent of these vaccinations, so most Medicare consumers will have no out-of-pocket expenses for these shots. Private insurance companies can be billed for the vaccina tions. The cost for the shots varies depending on the health care provider. For more information, call the health department at 426- 2100, Albemarle Home Care at 338-4351 or your doctor. Five seek seats on board of county commissioners nn IS these con cerns before the Board of 'SUSAN R. HARRIS • Editor Three county commission ers will be elected Tuesday, but each voter may choose only one of the five candidates run ning for the seats. Under the electoral system approved for the county by the U.S. Justice Department, all candidates for county commis sioner and school board run at large, and each voter may choose only one candidate. Each board is composed of six members, with three seats up for election in alternating four- year terms. Sole incumbent Shirley Wiggins, who is presently chair of the board, is seeking her third term in office. F^ormer chairman Mack Nixon is also asking voters to re seat him. Wallace Nelson, who just came off the school board in June, is running for a commis sioners seat for the first time. Political newcomers Randy Lassiter and Vernon Hammons rcund out the local ballot. Wiggins, Nixon and Lassiter are Democrats; Nelson and Hammons are Republicans. Each candidate was sent a questionnaire by The Perquimans Weekly with ques tions about their candidacy. They were asked to complete their answers in writing and return them to the newspaper. Following is the information they submitted. Why are you running for office? Hammons: I am retired and therefore have the time to rep resent our citizens of Perquimans County. Every month I will be holding a meet ing at 7:30 p.m. in one of our six precincts to hear from the people and formally bring center, and water in New Hope. What quali- Hammons Commissioners. Being your commissioner for the next four years is my job, not a sideline or secondary thing. Lassiter: Our county and its people have many needs and concerns. An internal leading compels me to bring a fresh perspective, innovative think ing hrid a new approach to county government. My expe rience with business, family matters and responding to peo ple will enable me to be pro ductive and effective. Nelson: I grew up in Perquimans County and chose to return here a'fter completing college and settle to raise my family. I believe everyone owes society their talents and inter ests and I am interested in giv ing of myself to the communi ty that I really care about. I feel my experience and back ground in community and state level organizations and boards provides valuable insight into county gover nance and in some way that can contribute to making our community an even better place to live. Nixon: I was encouraged to run by a number of people in the county. I feel that being a past commissioner brings experience to the board. Wiggins: I ani serving in my eighth year as Commissioner. We have started some projects that I would like to see com pleted. Some profitable indus try in our Commerce Centre; a recreational facility for our children and a larger senior Lassiter ties/talents/abilities do you possess that you think would make you a good commissioner? Lassiter: A passion for peo ple. An understanding of human behavior and stimulus, sound business practices and economic reasoning. I under stand the fundamental needs of people, have a keen awareness of what’s going on in the coun ty ' Nelson: I believe my back ground and experience pro vides me with knowledge of how to be responsive, open minded, and cooperative in working with boards and com missions. I believe my record of service, on our Board of Education, at College of The Albemarle, on the Governor’s Council, the Legislative Study Commission, etc. is evidence that I can work with others to get things done to improve an organization. I hope to carry that same cooperative spirit to our county commission and work with each of you for the betterment of our county. I can be open-minded and receptive to all points of view before making a decision. I also believe I offer you experience and at the same time, offer you new ideas and approaches. Nixon: The people^ of Perquimans have elected the to office for 16 years. I have held the position of Vice Chairman and Chairman during these years of service. 1 now serve as Chairman of the Economic Nelson Development Board and a member of the Northeast Partnership which is an appointment by Governor Hunt. Wiggins: Leadership qualities that I bring from the military. Being retired I have time to serve in this capacity. I have lived in other parts of the world and this makes me appreciate this land that we live in more. And I will work hard to keep our county a wonderful place to live. Hammons: I know how to listen, gather information and act. As a degreed Industrial Engineer and 28 years with IBM, I have held various func tions in industrial engineer ing, management, long range planning, marketing and sales. My background in industrial engineering and management' has honed the analytical skills, logical thinking, and people come first attitude that your commissioner should have. If elected, what would be your number one priority? Nelson: Our county needs to have a well thought out plan for our future growth and development. Perquimans County will grow; the only question is when. Too long we have taken a reactive approach to the development that has occurred in our county. We seem to not plan adequately for development and as a result, the taxpayer must step up and pay to “fix” problems that were not adequately planned for. The commissioners have the responsibility to step forward and create a vision for where they see Perquimans County in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, and then to develop a plan to fulfill that vision. A failure to Nixon plan is a plan to fail. My number one priority is to encourage the commission to undertake that process and plan for our future while preserv ing the her itage and character of our county that we hold dear. Nixon: We need an addition al source of water on the east ern side of the Perquimans River. Several options are available that have to be con sidered. ' Wiggins: To make sure clean water is available to all our citizens in Perquimans County. To get rid of all out door toilets. Water is a great concern in the New Hope area. We need to do something about it. Hammons: Hold the line or reduce taxes by making sure our Perquimans County Government is prudently man aged. Lassiter: Establish goal ini tiatives and good communica tion; dialog between fellow commissioners and the people served is essential to address an priority. We need to expand education and career opportu nities and plan for our chil dren’s future. What is the most pressing issue the county commis sioners are/should be deal ing with presently? TJixon: Water issues on the New Hope side of Perquimans, looking at the salaries of coun ty employees, coimty planning and economic growth. ,, Wiggins: Developing our Commerce Centre. We have invested a lot of money in acquiring this land. Hammons: Improving our quality of life through deliber i ^ ► I Vi Wiggins ate well-man aged growth. Lassiter: Unity of pur- pose. Regardless of the issue, com- missioners need to research every option before acting. Every attempt to promote posi tive growth should be consid ered. Nelson: As I have already stated, planning for the future is vital, and the industrial paric is a centerpiece of that future. We must work hard to develop our park and bring in much needed job opportunities for our citizens. Everyone in east ern North Carolina has a pieoe of land with a sign on it'that says “industrial park.” What we have to do is think of ways to make ours different and that may include development''of the waterfront for public use. • Continued on Page 7 Weekend Weather Thursday High: 75 Low: 54 Partly Cloudy Friday High: 73 Low: 51 Mostly Sunny Saturday High: 76 Low: 51 Partly Cloudy
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
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Nov. 2, 2000, edition 1
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