The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County and its people
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May 17, 2001
Vol. 69, No. 20 Hertford. North Carolina 27944
The
I'.I
cov^t"
KLY
Jordan is state track champ Memorial
PCHS senior
wins 2 events
in track meet
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Perquimans’ Chad
Jordan sprinted to two
state championship finish
es Saturday.
The senior took the 100
ceases
School board
to announce
new leader
Monday
SUSAN R. HARRIS
The new superintendent
of Perqumans County
Schools will be announced.
Monday.
Board Chairman Walter
Leigh issued a press
release last week stating
that the board will hold a
press conference at 7 p.m.
Monday at the school’s
administration offices on
Edenton Road Street to
make the announcement.
The board is scheduled to
hold its nionthly business
meeting at 7:30 p.m.
Board members began
the search for a new chief
administrator upon the
resignation of Gregory
Todd in November. Todd
resigned as of Dec. 31 to
accept the executive direc
tor’s position with Habitat
for Humanity in Tarboro.
The first order of busi
ness for the board was the
appointment of James P.
“Pat” Harrell as interim
superintendent. The
Perquimans native and for
mer principal, assistant
superintendent and super
intendent has provided
seamless leadership since
Todd’s departure.
Applications for the
position were accepted
through the office of board
attorney John V. Matthews
Jr. Board members
reviewed application pack
ages, then set interviews
with top candidates in
April.
The new superintendent
is expected to begin work
July 1.
meters with a time of 10.97,
then ran the 200 in 22.46. He
added an eighth place in
the long jump at the state
meet in Raleigh.
Jordan provided light
ning speed and agility on
both the football and track
teams during his tenure at
Perquimans High. He was
an anchor of the track
team the past two years,
where he dominated the
100-, 200- and long jump
competitions.
Jordan’s wins paced the
Pirates, who placed seventh
in field of 32 at the state
meet.
Michael Everett was
fourth in the 300 hurdles;
Ben Godfrey, sixth in the
3200 meters and eighth in
the 1600 meters; and Micah
Felton, 12th in triple jump.
The 4x100 relay team was
ninth and the 4x800 team,
15th.
The Lady Pirates placed
20th of 32 teams.
Ashley Brothers wwas
fourth in the 100 meter hur
dles and fifth in the 200
meter dash. Kia Jones
placed eighth in 300 meter
hurdles; Charlsie Perry,
ninth in high jump; and the
4x200 relay team, 10th.
Old Timers victorious
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
The Geritol crowd
proved their mettle
Saturday, winning the
two Old Timers games
played before light
ning halted the action.
The 1997 state champi
on softball team, with
help from a couple of
'96 grads and former
coach Karen Booker,
won 6-3. Old Timers
took the JVs 6-5. Rob
Woodard and John
Nixon were i^inners in
the homerun derby
that raised ; $560 for
the Jim "Catfish"
Hunter ALS Founda
tion. Downtown was
alive with visitors for
the annual Spring
Fling, held in conjunc
tion with Old Timers
Day by the Historic
Hertford Business
Association. Merchants
reported brisk sales.
Daily Advance photo
service set
for Hayes
CHIP ROMANOVICH
The Daily Advance
A memorial service has
been set for former county
commissioner and Winfall
Town councilman Elbert C.
“Bert” Hayes.
Hayes’ life will be cele
brated at a service at 10
a.m. Friday at Holy Trinity
Episcopal Church. The
family wiU receive friends
after the service in the fel
lowship hall at Hertford
United Methodist Church.
Though he was a native
of Texas and lived around
the world for much of his
life, Hayes was remem
bered as a tireless advocate
for Perquimans County
and Albemarle Hospital.
The 67-year-old former
county commissioner,
Winfall town councilman
and hospital trustee died
May 5, apparently after suf
fering from heart trouble.
Although a staunch
Republican, Hayes earned
the admiration of mem
bers of both political par
ties as well as those he
served with on boards and
civic organizations.
“I have nothing but the
utmost respect for him,”
said Winfall Mayor Fred
Yates, who sometimes
butted heads with Hayes
when the two served
together. “He cared about
the whole community. He
was genuine in his beliefs.
He believed he really was
helping people.”
While the two may not
have always agreed, Hayes
took the time to explain
himself and his opinions -
and he always listened to
what the other side had to
say, Yates said.
“We wasn’t bosom bud
dies,” Yates said. “We cer
tainly had our run-ins. But
I respected his opinion and
he respected mine. He was
an important member of
Town Council.”
While Hayes may have
been outspoken, colleagues
say he was also compas
sionate, especially in his
work as a member of the
hospital Board of Trustees.
Hayes began serving on the
hospital board in March
1999, working on the strate
gic planning, master facili
ty and by-laws committees.
New railroad signs put up
The N.C. Department of
Transportation has
installed new waring sig
nals and automatic gates at
three roadway crossings of
the Chesapeake &
Albemarle Railroad in
Pasquotank and
Perquimans counties
The new devices
replaced antiquated con
trol systems and gate-arm
mechanisms at Forest Park
Road, at Church Street in
Elizabeth City, and at
Grubb Street in Hertford.
Installation of the new
equipment at all three
crossings cost $334,596 with
90 percent provided by the
federal government and 10
percent by NCDOT. The
railroad and the state will
split the cost of maintain
ing the crossings protec
tion devices.
The Chesapeake &
Albemarle schedules two
freight trains daily over the
three crossings. The trains
may operate at speeds up to
25 mph.
The three projects were
done as part of a compre
hensive statewide program
to enhance highway safety
by adding or improving sig
nals and gates at public
railroad crossings.
Mechanical warning
devices of some sort are in
place at more than 2,200 of
North Carolina's 4,400 pub
lic crossings.
Appreciating local history
Four tourists from
Brazil visited
Hertford Friday,
stopping at the his
toric Newbold-White
House for a tour. The
visitors are rhembers
of a Rotary Club in
Brazil, visiting an
Albemarle-area club.
While here, they
took in the rich his
tory and beauty of
the surrounding
countryside.
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Hayes
He also
headed the
physical
relations
committee.
“Bert
was always
one that
would ask
the tough
questions.
He was not afraid to speak
out,” said Ernest Sutton,
hospital board chairman.
Pasquotank County
Commissioner Matt Wood
said he worked with Hayes
only a short time, but was
impressed.
“I liked Bert,” Wood
said. “He always said what
was on his mind. He very
aggressively represented
his constituents, made sure
Perquimans County was
represented on the hospital
board,”
During Hayes 25-year
career in the U.S Navy, he
specialized in the manage
ment of health care facili
ties. Don Witosky, the hos
pital's vice president of
financial services and
interim president/CEO,
said that experience made
Hayes a valuable hospital
board member.
“Although he was very
active in other community
organizations, he took his
hospital responsibilities
very seriously,” Witosky
said.
Because of his heart
trouble, Hayes also spent a
lot of time in the hospital’s
cardiac rehabilitation unit.
It was a unique position
that allowed him to also
view the hospital’s opera
tions as a patient, Witosky
said.
“He was an acutely
observant person,”
Witosky said. “From the
board perspective, he was
our eye out there.”
Hayes was also a volun
teer for the Perquimans
Chamber of Commerce,
the Newbold-White House
and the Meals-on-Wheels
and Tri-County Hospice
programs. He was also
involved with the Hertford
Rotary Club and the
ParksviUe Ruritan Club.
He is survived by his
wife, Jimmye, and three
daughters.
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 76
Low: 61
Scahered Showers
Friday
High: 80
Low: 62
Partly Cloudy
Saturday
High: 83
Low: 61
Partly Cloudy