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'P47c3***********5-blGIT 27944
PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
110 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306
The
October 9, 2002
Vot. 71, No. 42 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
J:^QUIMANS
Weekly
Darden is new
assistant
county manager
Virginia .
native glad to
be back in
small town
PCRA CELEBRATES JOLLIFICATION NC repS
back
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Bobby Darden was ready
to get back to his farm
roots, small-town life and
local government.
The assistant county
manager position in
iPerquimans County
^emed a good opportunity
to fin those needs. And the
local county commission
's felt Darden could ably
fill the newly-created posi
tion.
Darden began his tenure
in Perquimans County on
Aug. 26, and is presently
focusing on planning and
zaoning. He wlH eventually
become more involved in
economic development.
A native of Southampton
County, Va., Darden grew
up on a peanut farm. He
earned his undergraduate
degree in agricultural eco
nomics from Virginia Tech
before pursuing a masters
in business administration
from East Carolina
University.
Darden was zoning
administrator for the town
of Plymouth for a year,
then was town administra
tor in the Hertford County
seat of Winton for three
years. From there, he spent
over two years in
Richmond, Va. at the
Virginia Resources
Authority, where he worked
with counties and towns in
financing water, waste-
water and solid waste pro
jects.
But city traffic, a desire
to be closer to family and
wanting to raise his chil
dren in a more rural envi
ronment brought Darden
and his wife to Perquimans
County
“My family and I are
tickled to death to get back
in Northeastern North
Carolina and back closer to
family,” Darden said. “It
was a chance to get back in
local ogvernment and a
quality of life issue. We’re
right in the middle of aU
our families now.”
Darden’s family still
lives in Southampton
County, while his wife has
family in Currituck and
Beaufort counties. The
Dardens want Sam, 2 1/2,
and Hayes, 10 months, to
grow up with grandparents
and extended family
The assistant county
manager said that
Perquimans can expect
growth as a result of the
new Highway 17 Bypass
around Elizabeth City. He is
impressed that the county
has enacted a zoning ordi
nance in anticipation of
future growth along the
corridor.
“The county staff is very
friendly and very knowl
edgeable,” Darden said.
“I’m really impressed with
the thought process that
has gone into planning. The
commissioners and staff
are thinking ahead for
development. The 17
Bypass will open up
Perquimans, and tlie coun
ty has addressed things
coming up over the next
few years.”
Darden said that the zon
ing ordinance, which went
into effect Oct. 1, primarily
affects Highway 17, making
commercial development
along the highway more
restrictive, while for the
most part not affecting
bona fide farming opera
tions.
Under the zoning ordi
nance, all new construction
wm require a zoning per
mit before a buHding per
mit can be issued. Darden
said some lot sizes and
dimensional areas will be
affected by zoning, but any
subdivisions approval
prior to the effective date of
the zoning ordinance are
grandfathered.
As peanut dust fids the
Perquimans County air,
Darden is breathing in the
familiar smeU and learning
about his new job and new
home.
PHOTOS BY ALICE BREWIN
Saturday night, the twang
of bluegrass and other
folk music could be heard
amidst the revelers at
PCRA's Jollification event,
held at the Newbold-
White House. The popular
annual event was sold
out and the "Ballahack
Bluegrass Boys" com
posed of Edgar Lee Lane,
Dickie Sanders and Ken
Luton entertained the
large crowd. Fear of mos
quitoes kept the event
indoors. A barbecue din
ner was prepared by
Tarheel Smokers.
Teacher assistants
return to school
SUSAN R, HARRIS
Teacher assistants are
returning to school — as
students.
Regulations in the fed
eral “No Chid Left Behind
Act” require more educa
tion for teacher assistants.
Present employees were
not grandfathered and
staff must be in compli
ance by Dec. 31, 2005. AH
new hires must have at
least a two-year degree.
Perquinians County
Schools Personnel
Director Brenda Dail said
she carefully monitored
the discussion of the act,
and the local school sys
tem began meeting with
teacher assistants last
year to prepare them for
the changes and offer
ways to meet the new
guidelines.
The system is working
through the N.C.
Department of Labor on
an apprenticeship pro
gram, as weU as through
COA, ECSU and the N.C.
Model Teacher
Consortium to develop
programs and courses to
get aU , teacher assistants
who choose to participate
into federal compliance by
the deadline.
There are 45 teachers
assistants in the schools,
10 of whom have degrees.
“On the Edge” in
place at PAL
PHOTO BY ALICE BREWIN
Doris Reinheimer's tole painted stool is part of PAL's
"On the Edge, Something Diffrerent" show.
ALICE BREWIN
Staff Writer
For the rest of the
month, the Perquimans
Arts League gallery will
continue to host its mem
ber’s show. It is worth a
look, even if only to see
what some artistic citizens’
works are featured in this
exhibit.
PAL Gallery Committee
chairperson Nancy
Reighard, an exhibitor her
self, is quite pleased with
the quality of the works
represented.
One of the standouts in
the show is artist Audra
Orlikowski whose painting
“Nightwatch” gives a ten
der representation of moth
er and child.
However, the show is
about to be replaced.
Beginning in November,
the gallery will feature a
Christmas shop which will
be home to aU sorts of art
works and crafts available
for purchase.
“Our quilters usually
make things. We will have
assorted Christmas decora
tions, and we usually have
Christmas cards,” a smil
ing Reighard says.
Allowing for those last
minute shoppers, she adds,
“The shop will be here
through the 31st of
December.”
Gallery hours are
Tuesday—Saturday, 11
a.m.—3:30 p.m.
Resident
complains
about new
waste fee
SUSAN R. HARRIS
A small businessman
complained to commission
ers Monday about the solid
waste fee bill he received
for the first time last
month.
Robin Trueblood said he
located his barbershop in a
residential area in the
county to avoid taxes and
fees generally charged
within the city limits.
County manager Paul
Gregory said all small busi
nesses listed in the county
tax office were charged this
year. Gregory said the alter
natives were to raise the
residential rate or bill
small businesses.
“Businesses should pay
because that makes every
body’s (fee) stay down,”
Gregory said.
The cost of going with a
private solid waste compa
ny would be higher than
the $75 annual fee, Gregory
said.
He added that farm oper
ators are not presently
being charged, and that
commissioners needed to
discuss that in an upcom
ing work session.
Commissioner Shirley
Wiggins said that if other
small businesses are
charged, farmers should be
charged, also.
Gregory will have
employees at the county
convenience centers moni
tor dumping to determine if
there are other small busi
nesses using the centers
that are not being billed.
Craven
for OLF
SUSAN R. HARRIS
County commissioners
announced Monday in reg
ular session that the entire
North Carolina delegation
in Washington, D.C. has
supposrted split Super
Hornet squadrons and an
outlying landing field in
Craven County
“AU the North Carolina
delegation is on board,”
commissioners chairman
Ben Hobbs said. “They aU
support alternate 4-A.”
Senator John Edwards,
according to county offi
cials, would not at first
commit to helping his con
stituents fight an OLF in
Northeastern North
Carolina and support
Craven County’s bid for the
OLF and to have some of
the Super Hornet
squadrons home-based at
Cherry Point. But Hobbs
said Monday that he is now
in support of that alterna
tive.
Hobbs said the represen
tatives of the Northeastern
North Carolina counties
that have banded together
to fight an OLF in the area
meet with their attorney
and lobbyists last Thursday
for an update.
Commissioner Charles
Ward said the fight is not
over yet, however. He added
that political winds can
change very quickly
The commissioners
approved the sale of a two-
acre lot in the commerce
centre to Lyl and Natalie
Brown. The Browns will
pay $20,000 for the parcel,
$10,000 at closing and the
balance at the end of one
year with interest at the
prevaUing rate charged by
Centura Bank at that time.
At the request of WinfaU
Mayor and Elizabeth City
State University spokesper
son Fred Yates, the commis
sioners declared Oct. 27 as
ECSU Day in Perquimans
County. Activities are
planned at the university to
raise funds for its capital
projects program on that
date. Yates said informa
tion would be available on
the activities soon.
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 77
Low: 62
Showers
Friday
High: 75
Low: 64
Rain
Saturday
High: 78
Low: 63
Few Showers