ADAPC auction, brunch
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Local authors to be honored
Rage 3
Sports
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HERTFORD, NC
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Perqui
January 30, 2002
Vol. 70, No. 5 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
EEKLY
Counties
begin OLF
defense
Navy training
field opposed by
officials
CHIP ROMANOVICH
The Daily Advance
Officials from five area coun
ties met Thursday to begin a strat
egy they hope will keep a pro
posed United States Navy practice
airfield out of northeastern North
Carolina.
County commissioners, county
and town managers, mayors and
support staff gathered at the
offices of the Albemarle
Commission and began organiz
ing a detailed regional plan
against an Outlying Landing Field
the Navy has proposed for either
Perquimans, Hyde, Bertie,
Carteret, Washington or Craven
counties.
The group, which includes rep
resentatives of Perquimans,
Pasquotank, Bertie, Hyde and
Chowan counties, formed a com
mittee to guide their actions
before and after a scheduled
February meeting with North
Carolina’s delegates in
Washington, D.C.
“It didn’t take us long to figure
out this was bigger than a county
issue — this is a regional issue,”
said Perquimans County
Commissioner Charles Ward.
“What we want to do is make sure,
with the limited resources we
have, to make the most of it.”
A group of officials, perhaps as
many as 10, will travel to the
nation’s capital Feb. 7 and make
their pitch against the practice
fields before Sens. Jesse Helms, R-
N.C. and John Edwards, D-N.C.
Also expected to attend the meet
ing are state Reps. Walter Jones
(R) and Eva Clayton (D).
Thursday’s meeting in Hertford
generated a steering committee
that will examine everything from
the proposal’s anticipated nega
tive impact to the regional econo
my, to environmental concerns
regarding the Great Dismal
Swamp.
Before they appear in
Washington, D.C., county leaders
will gather as much information
as possible and try to keep ahead
of the Navy’s final decision.
Nearly every county represent
ed Thursday has already begun
letter writing campaigns. They
agreed, however, that more speciT
ic plans were necessary.
The collection of county offi
cials discussed asking for an envi
ronmental impact study on the
project, along with working with a
consultant to develop projections
of lost revenue and the impact on
the region’s tourist industry.
“I think we’re just beginning to
see how we have to work together
as a region,” said Pasquotank
County Commissioner Matt Wood.
“We’re just getting organized. I
think there’s a lot of things we
need to research.”
Officials will also explore rais
ing funds they believe will be a
necessary part of any movement
against the Navy.
“I think it’s a step in the right
direction,” Hyde County County
Manager Bryan Steen said of the
meeting. “We need to be adamant
and unrelenting. What is being
asked of us is an an unfair burden
to any county. They call it an OLF
- I think it’s more synonymous
with an outhouse. That’s what you
get.”
Honoring employees
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
The Board of Education reognized the achievements of several of its employees Monday night vyith
a reception prior to the board meeting. Honored were Public InformaJjpjj^Pfficer Brenda Lassiter
recently earned a North Carolina Public Relations Association Blue Ribbon Award for Photography.
Teachers Tracy Gregory and Linda Mewborn earned National Board Certification. Dianne Winslow
was named Bus Driver of the Month for January. Sadot Mendez was recognized as an Olympic torch-
bearer.
Landmark presents plan
SUSAN R. HARRIS
About 80 people listened and reviewed the 5-year
plan for downtown Hertford during a public pres
entation by Landmark Design Group last
Wednesday evening hosted by the Hertford Main
Street Program.
Hertford Mayor Sid Eley said the play is a “snap
shot in time,” and its flexibility will allow the town
to take advantage of unexpected opportunities. It is
an extension of “A Vision for Heritage Tourism,”
planning done when Hertford was designated a
Heritage Tourism Pilot Community in 1998.
Major components of the plan included business
development, planning and zoning, utilities
removal and relocation, streetscapes, courthouse
grounds. Academy Green and Dobbs Street, sig
nage and identity, parking improvements and
waterfront improvements.
The plan addresses facade improvements down
town, installation of appropriate signage to guide
people through town, renovation and development
of properties, consideration of a design review
process, financial considerations, phasing in utili
ties improvements, streetscapes — including the
new street light project already underway,
enhanced gateways to the community to draw peo
ple into the business and historic areas, more park
ing, and taking advantage of the waterfront with
enhancements at Missing Mill Park, pedestrian
piers, water-oriented gateways such as a marina
and dock, waterfront walkways and island
improvements.
The plan may be reviewed at the Hertford Main
Street Office in the Visitors Center on Market
Street.
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Chris Lane, president of the Perquimans County
Restoration Association, Chair of the Heritage Tourism
Development Council and a Hertford Main Street
Board member, discusses the 5-year plan for down
town Hertford with the staff of Landmark Design
Group at last week's public presentation.
New addresses must be used after Feb. 4
From Staff Reports
If you want to get your mail,
make sure your address is right.
Most Perquimans County resi
dents were assigned new addresses
to be used with the enhanced 911
emergency response system. Gone
are the rural route and box num
bers. Each residence now has a
street name and number address.
Hertford Postmaster Billie
Simpkins has notified residents
served by that post office that effec
tive Feb. 4, mail not addressed with
the street name and number may
be returned to its sender. If the
sender requested address service
change, the sender will be notified
of the new address. If not, the mail
will be returned stamped “No such
number.”
Simpkins added- that the post
office is obligated to deliver mail to
both addresses for 12 months dur
ing a change like Perquimans has
undergone. The Hertford Post
Office delivered to both addresses
for 18 months.
Those who have not notified
everyone of the new mailing
address should do so immediately.
For information on official
addresses, caU the county tax office
at 426-7010. The county assigned
the new addresses as part of its
mapping, E-911 project.
Mold
still
plagues
Central
ANNA GOODWIN
MCCARTHY
Correspondent
Perquimans Central
School students may have
to wait until next year
before the mold and mildew
problem at their school is
fixed.
“It is time for us to take
action,” said Perquimans
County Schools
Superintendent Kenneth
Wells. •
Parents have been con
cerned about the health of
their children. Wells said in
his Superintendent’s
Report to the Perquimans
County Board of Education
Monday night.
Wells said some parents
had statements from their
children’s physicians and
the results of asthma and
allergy tests stating that the
children were allergic to
mold.
All of the carpet in the
school will have to be
removed to significantly
reduce the mold, said Wells.
Separation in the
school’s tile is another
result of the moisture in
the school. Repairs will also
have to be made to the tile.
“Timing is going to be
critical.”
Wells said they would
probably have to wait until
this summer when the stu
dents and teachers are out
of the building to remove
the carpet.
Improvements will be
made throughout the
remainder of the school
year. Expansion joints will
be fiUed in on Feb. 15.
The carpets, are cleaned
“sporadically” during the
school year using the hot
water extraction cleaning
method, said WeUs.
Wells said that it was a
costly endeavor that will
certainly have an impact on
the budget.
The Board of Education
will consult with the Board
of Health and the
Perquimans County
Commissioners before the
next board meeting on Feb.
25 to decide what action is
appropriate for this matter.
According to the
Environmental Protection
Agency’s website, “studies
show that one-half of our
nation’s 115,000 schools
have problems linked to
indoor air quality.”
The website also states
“failure to respond prompt
ly and effectively to poor
indoor air quality in
schools can cause severe
consequences,” and, “these
include an increase in
short- and long-term health
problems (leading to more
absenteeism), a greater risk
that school rooms or build
ings wiU have to be closed
and students and staff tem
porarily relocated, and
potential liability prob
lems.”
For more information,
visit
www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/mo
ldresources.html
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/
pubs/moldresources.html>
or www.epa.gov
http://www.epa.gov>.