c Toon crochets flag Rage 3 Parenting Power F^ge6 Sports updates Pages '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

Page Text

This is the computer-generated OCR text representation of this newspaper page. It may be empty, if no text could be automatically recognized. This data is also available in Plain Text and XML formats.

Return to page view