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Rage 6
August 21,2002
Vol. 71, Na 34 Hertfo^ North Caroliiu 27944
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
About 150 people attended a public meeting about
the proposed military outlying landing field in
Northeastern North Carolina held at Perquimans
County High School last Tuesday night.
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PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
110 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306
Perqu
Weekly
Residents vow to fight OLF
SUSAN R. HARRIS
If you build it, they will
come.
And that’s exactly the
reason a grassroots effort is
underway to fight the
Navy’s proposed construc
tion of an outlying landing
field in Northeastern
North Carolina which will
bring the roar of Super
Hornets to the area.
The Perquimans NO
OLF Committee hosted a
public meeting at
Perquimans County High
School last Tuesday night
to pass along information
about the negative effects
an OLF would bring to the
county. Organizers also
encouraged all present to
continue their letter-writ
ing and email campaign
and to attend the public
hearing set for Sept. 3 at
Perquimans County High
School enmass.
Ben Hobbs, chairman of
the Perquimans County
Board of Commissioners
and chairman of the
regional steering commit
tee organized to fight an
OLF in Northeastern North
Carolina, said the action of
local residents to fight an
OLF has made a difference.
“We truly believe that we
were the preferred site in
the beginning,” Hobbs said.
But Perquimans County
residents did not take the
news that their new neigh
bor may be a stop-and-go
landing field lightly. There
were six counties in
Northeastern North
Carolina that either stood
to be the new home of the
OLF or were next door.
People in Perquimans sub
mitted over half the letters
and made over half the con
tacts with federal officials
speaking out against an
OLF.
In addition, Hobbs said
county commissioners
received over 200 letters.
Hobbs encouraged atten
dance at the Sept. 3 hear
ing.
“We need to prepare for
the public hearing,” he
said. “We need to pack this
place.”
County commissioner
Charles Ward has also been
a vocal opponent of the
landing field.
“Back in January ... we
knew we were in serious
trouble,” he said, adding
that at one time
Perquimans was the only
OLF site being considered.
That changed, he said,
because of the outpouring
from residents against the
OLF.
Continued on page 8
It’s humcane season:Prepare
SUSAN R. HARRIS
The area has been so
lucky for so long,
Perquimans County
Emergency Management
Coordinator Harry
Winslow worries that one
day the luck will run out
and area residents won’t be
prepared for a major hurri
cane.
“We have not had a seri
ous hurricane in so many
years, I think we get com
placent,” Winslow said last
week.
With hurricane season
in full swing, failure to be
prepared is a concern for
Winslow.
“Early preparation is the
key (to protecting life and
property),” he said.
And Winslow has reason
to be concerned about early
preparation. There are over
11,000 residents in
Perquimans County, and
only one Red Cross
approved shelter, roads in
low-lying areas prone to
flooding, and a county split
by a river. Add to that the
number of people it takes
to adequately monitor and
prepare for the onslaught
of a major hurricane, and a
storm can become a major
undertaking.
Winslow is always alert
to the first warnings that a
storm may move across the
area. He and other emer
gency and law enforcement
personnel kick into high
gear when a direct hit is
predicted. They discuss if
and when roads should
close and a shelter should
open, using a plan that is
already in place.
“Planning can’t be done
two hours before the storm
hits,” he said.
Often, the Outer Banks
are the first to evacuate.
But with only one shelter
in Perquimans, local offi
cials don’t open here until
those ocean areas are evac
uated so that folks on the
beaches move further
inland and there is shelter
available for locals.
At peak tourist season, it
takes 28 hours to evacuate
Ocracoke, 18 hours for Dare
County and the beaches
and 12 hours for Currituck.
When the decision is
made to open the shelter,
which is at Perquimans
Middle School, school,
health department, rescue,
fire, social services, law
enforcement and Red Cross
personnel are all called
upon to assist.
Ambulances are posi
tioned on both sides of the
river so that rescue person
nel can answer calls with
out the danger of high
winds across the Highway
17 bypass bridge and flood
ing on the causeway.
Volunteer firefighters man
stations, becoming the eyes
and ears for Winslow and
others at the central com
mand center, which is in
the courthouse annex.
School cafeteria and cus
todial staff, and health
department, social ser
vices, rescue, law enforce
ment and Red Cross person
nel must report to open the
shelter.
Winslow said residents
should pay close attention
to news forecasts and moni
tor television stations in
the Hampton Roads area
for news of evacuation
announcements and shel
ter opening in Perquimans.
Those in mobile homes
and low-lying areas should
he especially watchful, he
said. When a direct hit is
predicted, those residents
should seek shelter with
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This hurricane chart prepared by the National Weather Service shows that
Perquimans County has felt the impact of numerous storms since 1866.
family or friends or go to
the local shelter when it
opens.
Other residents should
move lawn ornaments and
furniture, and take precau
tions for large windows.
Every household should
have sufficient supplies to
last three days, including
water, non-perishable
foods, medications, battery-
operated radios and flash
lights, and pet supplies.
When going to a shelter,
people should take bedding,
medication, snacks, and
quiet entertainment such
as books, puzzles, cards,
board games or a radio
with earphones. Pets are
not allowed in the shelter.
Before leaving, people
should let family or friends
know they are leaving,
unplug appliances, turn off
gas, gather important
papers, make provisions
for pets and lock the doors.
Continued on page 8
Cross
Country
Homes
opens
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Cross Country Homes of
Eastern NC, Inc. opened
the doors of two model
homes at its grand opening
celebration last Thursday
Located on Ocean
Highway (U.S. Highway 17
South), the company offers
quality modular homes at
affordable prices, accord
ing to owners Tommy and
Shelley Layden.
Cross Country is an
authorized builder for All-
American Homes.
Shelley Layden said
homes are built with 2x6
exterior walls on 16-inch
centers with 2x10 floor
joists on 16-inch centers,
the same construction as
stick-built homes. They are
built ina climate-controlled
\^nfall prepares for festival
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Cross Country Homes of Eastern NC, Inc. held its grand
opening last Thursday. The company offers modular
homes from its location on U.S. Highway 17 South. A
ribbon cutting for the business was held by the
Perquimans Chamber of Commerce.
factory in Rutherfordton,
protecting them from the
weather during construc
tion. She said prospective
home-owners can expect
four months from order
date to move-in date.
The Laydens saw a need
for their type of business in
the area.
“We are a model home
center that specializes only
in system-built homes and
one of the reasons for
bringing it into the area is
because the need is here,”
Shelley said.
“Northeastern North
Carolina seems to be a
highly developing area.”
There are four basic
Continued on page 8
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Winfall Landing Park
will become the newest
venue at the Indian
Summer Festival.
Donna Mummert, a
WinfaU resident and mem
ber of the town’s
Beautification Committee,
is organizing events at the
park.
“We’re very excited and
we’re very grateful that
they’ve included us,”
Mummert said about the
town’s participation in the
annual festival.
So far, Mummert said,
people have been very
receptive to the expansion.
An opening ceremony at
9 a.m. on festival day. Sept.
14, will he followed by
entertainment under the
park pavilion, children’s
games, boat rentals and
rides and the opening of
booths with business and
community service infor
mation.
Set to perform are the
Ellis Temple Praise
Dancers, the Perquimans
County Middle School
band, David’s Red Barn
Gang, a disc jockey and
Wild Streak Band.
Perquimans Heritage,
Inc., a local non-profit
working to enhance life on
the county’s waterways,
worked Saturday in Winfall
preparing for the festival.
PHI will organize river
events at both Winfall
Landing Park and Hertford
Municipal Park for the fes
tival.
Winfall Landing Park
features a clean family
environment, offering
handicapped access to the
waterfront boardwalk, a
small playground area,
restroom facilities, a cov
ered pavilion and ample
parking, Mummert said.
In addition to parking at
the park, there will be
parking at Central School
with a shuttle to the park.
Another, change in this
year’s festival will be the
street dance. The dance
will feature Guta, a band
playing an eclectic variety
of music. It will be held in
downtown Hertford on
Friday night from 7—10
p.m.
On Saturday, downtown
Hertford, the Hertford
Municipal Park, Missing
Mill Park and Winfall
Landing Park will all be
Indian Summer Festival
venues. The Hearth &
Harvest Festival will run
simultaneously at the
Newbold-White House.
Shuttle buses will run con
tinuously between the
venues all day.
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 89
Low: 71
Partly Cloudy
Friday
High: 93
Low: 71
Isolated T'storms
Saturday
High: 93
Low: 71
Isolated T-storms