Letter-writing workshop
Rage 2
Farm bill forum set
F^ge3
Sports updates
F^ges 6,7
September 25, 2002
Vol. 71, No. 40 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
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110 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306
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Internationally renowned speaker Pam Stenzel
addressed integrity with students at Perquimans
County High School last week. Stenzel promotes teen
abstinence and character training in her quest to
lower teen pregnancy and STD rates among teens.
Stenzel promotes
abstinence,
integrity at PCHS
“Let's face it! Today's
teenagers are in a whole
new arena when it conies to
sexually transmitted dis
eases,” Pam Stenzel tol stu
dents at Perquimans
County High School recent-
On an average, teens
have 2.3 sexually transmit
ted diseases. In 1967, one
out of 32 high school stu
dents had a sexually trans
mitted disease. By 1983 that
number had jumped to one
^out of 18. According to 1998
'statistics, one of four high
Ischool students had a sexu
ally transmitted disease.
Today that number is one
■in two. Unbelievable statis
tics, but true, according to
Stenzel.
Teens are facing conse
quences that previous gen
erations couldn't even
imagine. That is why it is
so important to make sure
..that today's teens hear
straight talk about sex,
about the consequences,
about the life and death
choices that they meet
every single day, she said.
" Stenzel is an interna
tionally renowned speaker
who promotes teen absti
nence and character train
ing. Her experiences
taught her that before teen
.pregnancy and STD rates
could decline, attitudes of
teens toward sex first had
to change.
Desiring to bring about
that change, Stenzel started
speaking nationally full
time and is in great
dempd both in the U.S.A.
and in other countries such
as Mexico, Australia,
Ireland, and Canada.
In preparation for
Stenzel’s appearance at
PCHS, a community work
shop was held last year at
the high school. Parents,
students and the communi
ty were invited to view her
video “A Time to Wait for
Sex.” The workshop was
sponsored by Parents
Encouraging Responsible
Choices , Grant and
Abstinence Education.
Realizing that teens today
are faced with numerous
sex-related problems, the
program was organized in
an effort to promote absti
nence among our teens.
“I can't make your deci
sions for you, and I can’t go
on dates with you because I
don't have time,” Stenzel
said. “My goal here today is
for no One to be able to leave
Perquimans High School
and say, ‘But nobody told
me... I didn't know."
Remember, a good choice is
one before you have sex!”
Stenzel took her message
to several high schools in
the Albemarle area during
her visit here.
Parents appeal to board
Millers say
PCHS unfairly
disciplined
their son
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Parents of a Perquimans
County High School stu
dent believe their child was
unfairly disciplined after
his involvement in a fight
at school.
Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis
Miller took their case to the
school board Monday
night, challenging the
board to review the situa
tion and take action.
The board did discuss
the incident in closed ses
sion later in the meeting.
Upon returning to open ses
sion, the board passed a
motion supporting the deci
sion of school personnel
and the superintendent in
resolving the matter. High
school principal Dwayne
Stallings and assistant
principal Elonza Joyner
were in the closed session.
“The board listened to
his concerns as presented,”
Superintendent Ken Wells
said Tuesday morning.
“They wanted to provide
some kind of response as
quickly as possible.
“I am confident that the
right decision was made by
the principal and I am con
fident that the right deci
sion was made by the
board,” he continued.
Wells said that when
Jarvis Miller visited his
office after his son’s sus
pension, Wells told him
that he would investigate
the situation, and that if he
felt Miller’s son was sus
pended in error or that the
incident had not been han
dled appropriately at the
school level, he would over
turn the actions taken at
the school.
But Wells said his inves
tigation found that the dis
ciplinary actions taken
were appropriate and in
accordance with school pol
icy
The Millers contend that
their son received harsher
punishment than the other
two students involved
because the other two stu
dents were athletes.
According to the Millers,
some football players were
directed to carry footballs
around with them on Sept.
11. The exercise was an
attempt to overcome fum
bles on the football field.
They contended that play
ers were told not to drop
the football, and that they
would face action at prac
tice for each time they did
drop the ball.
“The ball should never
have been in the class
room,” Mrs. Miller said.
“As soon as they told me
that (football players were
carrying balls around
school), a red flag went up.”
The parents said that
while he was in history
class, their son was seated
between two football play
ers. One was carrying a
football, the other was not.
The Millers said the player
not carrying a football
knocked the ball out of the
hands of the player carry
ing the football. The ball hit
the Millers’ son in the tem
ple. He told them he saw a
bright light after being hit.
The Miller’s son told his
parents he got up to hit the
See discipline, page 10
Gas company joins Chamber
Eastern North
Carolina Natural Gas
Company, LLC recently
joined the Perquimans
County Chamber of
Commerce.
EasternNC is a new
local natural gas distribu
tion company formed
jointly by the Albemarle-
Pamlico Economic
Development Corporation
(APEC) and Progress
Energy to bring service to
14 counties in northeast
ern and eastern North
Carolina. Primarly
designed to serve as an
amenity for economic
development efforts in the
region, including
Perquimans County,
EasternNC will also oper
ate local distribution sys
tems for residential, insti
tutional, and industrial
customers in Hertford
and Winfall. EasternNC
wiU operate as a public
utility regulated by the
N.(^. Utilities
Commission.
The 14-county natural
gas project is being con
structed using $188.3 mil
lion in state bonds and a
$22 million investment by
Progress Energy. The
transmission and distrib
ution systems in
Perquimans County are a
part of the project’s first
construction phase, with
the entire project slated to
be finished by late 2004.
EasternNC Natural
Gas’s web site is
www.encng.com.
5%
Commerce
welcomes
Perquimans County Chamber of
Executive Director Sid Eley (right)
Eastern North Carolina Natural Gas Company, LLC as
new members of the chamber. Representing Eastern
NC Natural Gas is Community Relations Director
Peter Rascoe.
Carolinas ALS groi
Working out
The ALS Association
Carolinas Chapter has been
renamed the ALS
Association Jim “Catfish”
Hunter Chapter to honor
the Major League Baseball
Hall of Earner. The
Carolinas Chapter and the
Jim “Catfish” Hunter ALS
Foundation have joined
forces in a new partnership
that will better serve the
needs of those affected by
Lou Gehrig’s disease in the
Carolinas. This marks the
latest step in a long-stand
ing friendship between the
two organizations.
The ALS Association
North Carolina Chapter
was founded in 1988 to
serve the needs of ALS
patients and caregivers. In
2000, the Chapter expanded
its services to include
South Carolina and became
known as The Carolinas
Chapter. Currently, the
Chapter’s services include
raising money for ALS
research, providing sup
port programs for persons
with ALS, and raising
awareness about ALS
through local and national
advocacy
The Jim “Catfish”
Hunter ALS Foundation
was established after
Hunter was diagnosed with
amyotrophic lateral sclero
sis in September 1998.
Friends in Hertford, with
Hunter’s support, created
the Foundation to focus
attention on this deadly dis
ease, to help promote
research that will lead to a
cure, and to provide patient
support. On Sept. 9, 1999,
Hunter succumbed to com
plications of ALS and the
effects of a head injury He
was 53 years old.
The Chapter and the
Foundation have worked
closely over the past sever
al years on many programs
and events. The new part
nership that has been
established will bring more
recognition to ALS and
help the Chapter meet the
growing needs of the ALS
community. The Jim
“Catfish” Hunter ALS
Foundation will continue
as a separate charitable
organization with an
umbrella of administrative
support and financial
reporting provided by the
newly named Chapter.
Winfall seeks new board member
Student athletes demonstrated the new equipment in
the renovated PCHS weight room Friday night.
SUSAN R. HARRIS
The Town of WinfaU is
looking for candidates to
fill a vacant seat on the
town’s governing board.
Board member Alice
Rowland, elected last
November and seated in
December, died on Sept. 8,
leaving a spot on the
Winfall Town Council.
Winfall residents inter
ested in serving on the
board should submit a
resume and state why they
would like to serve on the
board and their qualifica
tions for service.
Per the town’s charter,
applications will be
reviewed by the town coun
cil and a replacement will
be chosen by the board.
Applications for the posi
tion are being accepted
through Oct. 4. They may
be submitted at the town
office Monday—Friday, 9
a.m.—4:30 p.m.
The town is also seeking
a full-time police officer.
According to town clerk
Gloria Mason, the position
was created by the receipt
of a grant from the N.C.
Department of Crime
Control and Public Safety.
The officer will serve under
present chief and sole
Winfall police officer David
Shaffer.
Applications -are being
accepted from certified offi
cers at least 21 years of age
until the position is filled.
For information on
either position, call the
town office at 426-5015 dur
ing the town’s regular busi
ness hours.
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 77
Low: 66
Scattered Tstorivis
Friday
High: 85
Low: 68
Isolated T'storms
Saturday
High: 80
Low: 60
Scahered T'storms