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April 16, 2003
Vol. 71, No. 16 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
P6/C5 -
library
110 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306
iKvuliTiANS
Weekly
Winfall celebrates progress
Town hall,
park pavilion,
veterans
memorial
dedicated
SUSAN R. HARRIS
It was a big day in a
small town.
Winfall celebrated its
progress Monday with the
dedication of its new town
hall/community building,
veteran’s memorial and
park pavilion.
U.S. Congressman Frank
Ballance was the guest
speaker for the event,
which brought out over 100
people including elected
officials from Winfall,
Hertford and Perquimans
County, and school and
business leaders.
Winfall Mayor Fred
Yates was noted by many
who spoke during the cere
mony as a man who has led
the town forward. He has
tenaciously gone after
grants and low-interest
loans to help Winfall
improve its services, facili
ties and the quality of life
of its 554 residents.
The new town hall pro
ject came after Yates talked
a Virginia developer into
donating prime waterfront
acreage to the town for a
park and space for town
offices, which had grown
woefully inadequate in the
old town haU.
The new, 3,116 square
foot facility houses the
town’s administrative
office and police depart
ment. The town haU meet
ing room is designed to be
multi-functional, allowing
for town and community
functions to be held on the
premises.
The facility was built
with grants and low-inter
est loans.
The day opened with the
dedication of the park
pavilion to Jake Chesson,
who served for almost 30
years on the town council.
Joining Chesson for the
occasion were his children.
Dr. Parker Chesson, Luther
Chesson and Anna
wi ft
Congressman Frank Ballance, D-N.C., speaks to those attending the ribbon cutting
of the new town hall in Winfall Monday morning.
Copeland, and Luther’s
Chesson’s grandson, Luke.
The event also included
the unveiling and dedica
tion of a monument in
honor of Winfall’s veter
ans. Shirley Wiggins,who
retired as a nurse captain
in the U.S Navy and is
Winfall’s highest-ranking
veteran, spoke on behalf of
the town and veterans. She
said all communities
should honor with a memo
rial those willing to lay
down their lives for their
country.
Henry Ormond of
American Legion Post 362
and David Shaffer of
American Legion Post 126
also participated in the
unveiling ceremony.
A ribbon cutting for the
new town hall was spon
sored by the Perquimans
County Chamber of
Commerce.
Winfall has enjoyed
progress for the past sever
al years. A new fire station,
wastewater collection sys
tem and curbing and gut
tering which is stUl under
way have aU been under
taken by the town in the
last 10 years.
The former town hall,
which at one time also
housed the fire department,
will now be used as a main
tenance facility for the
town.
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Henry Ormond of American Legion Post 362 assists
with the veterans' memorial dedication.
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Jake Chesson and Congressman Frank Ballance unveil
the plaque in the Jake Chesson Pavilion.
Hertford votes to
allow tattoo shop
on U.S. 17 Bypass
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Dreamcatchers Body
Art got the green light to
continue operating on U.S.
Highway 17 Bypass
Monday night.
Acting on a recommen
dation from the Town of
Hertford Planning Board,
Town Council voted to
allow tattoo establish
ments to operate in C-2
zones with the condition
that they not be located
within 500 feet of a school
or church. A clause that
the businesses be located
in free-standing struc
tures was taken out of the
recommendation.
Although the Planning
Board recommended
allowing tattoo business
es, Town Manager John
Christensen sent a memo
to council members ask
ing that they consider the
town’s strategic plan
before making a decision.
Christensen noted that
the town did a comprehen
sive review of zoning and
landuse throughout the
town, including the gate
way areas at the town lim
its. Christensen said coun
cil should determine if a
tattoo business on U.S. 17
Bypass would be in keep
ing with the gateway plan.
His recommendation was
that tattoo establishments
not be allowed within 400
feet of U.S. 17 Bypass or
Church Street.
Dreamcatchers owner
Steve Cannady brought
over 20 people with him to
the council meeting.
Cannady said he tried
to be respectful when he
chose the site for his busi
ness. He named at least 10
businesses that have bene-
fitted from
Dreamcatchers.
Cannady presented
photographs from the
town’s gateways and aban
doned buildings through
out town, telling council
lors that his property is
clean and does not present
a poor image for the town.
The business owner
said that his building is
not advertised as a “tattoo
parlor,” which can have
negative connotations for
some people, but as a
“body art studio.”
Several people spoke on
Cannady’s behalf, refer
ring to his reputation as a
fair and respectable busi
nessman, an ordained
minister, someone who
participates in business
and community events,
and a businessperson
known for keeping his.
premises neat and clean.
Gary Gurganus of
Elizabeth City said he was
a customer of
Dreamcatchers when it
was located in Elizabeth
City He said he chose to
do business with Canady
because he does not allow
drinking or smoking in
his facility
Cannady added that he
abides by the law strictly,
requiring everyone to pre
sent identification. He
said he will not provide
tattoo service to anyone
under age 18 or body
piercing to anyone under
age 16 per state law.
Carlton Davenport and
Marvin Hunter Sr. voted
in favor of the measure,
while Horace Reid voted
against it. Mayor Sid Eley
initially said
Dreamcatchers would be
allowed to operate by a 2-1
vote, but Christensen
reminded Eley that Eley
also had to record a vote.
After several minutes
of sUence followed by var
ious comments on the
pros and cons of the busi
ness being located in
Hertford, Eley recorded a
“yes” vote, adding that he
hopes Cannady wiU even
tually move off of U.S. 17.
Information on the accident that happened on
Monday morning at the intersection of U.S. Highway
17 and New Hope Road was not available from the N.C.
Highway Patrol at press time on Tuesday
Relay for Life is May 9
Relay for Life teams in
Chowan and Perquimans
counties are busy raising
money in a variety of ways
from car washes to sup
pers to antique sales.
The 20 teams are gear
ing up for the American
Cancer Society’s signature
fund-raising event. Relay
for Life, which wUl take
place at John A. Holmes
High School May 9-10.
Relay is a fun-filled
overnight event designed
to celebrate cancer sur
vivors and raise funds for
research and programs
offered through the
American Cancer Society.
Prior to the event, teams
hold fundraisers to raise
money. During the event,
teams of people take turns
walking or running laps.
Each team tries to have at
least one team member on
the track at all times.
Relay for Life began in
1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt
took it upon himself to
run/walk around a track
in Tacoma, Washington for
24 hours. Dr. Klatt clocked
83 mUes, and raised $27,000
to support the ACS mis
sion: The nationwide com
munity based, voluntary
health organization dedi
cated to eliminating can
cer as a major health prob
lem by preventing cancer,
saving lives, and diminish
ing the suffering from can
cer, through research, edu
cation, advocacy, and ser
vice.
The Chowan and
Perquimans Relay for Life
began in 1994. In 2002, the
local event had 27 teams
and raised over $92,000.
The southeast division
raised $34 million, and it is
projected that in 2003,
Relay for Life nationwide
wUl raise funds in excess
of $1 biUion.
The power of Relay is
that it allows a community
to grieve for those lost to
cancer, and to celebrate the
lives of those who have
survived. For the newly
diagnosed. Relay offers a
chance to meet someone
who has survived the same
type of cancer. For the
cancer patients in treat
ment, Relay provides an
opportunity to share with
others. For the long-term
survivor, Relay brings
community recognition of
the struggle and closure to
a trying time in life.
The Relay event
includes a survivors lap
and a luminary ceremony
during which luminaries
are lit in honor and memo
ry of cancer patients.
For more information
about Relay, call Shannon,
Ray at 482-9968, Brenda
Newbern at 426-
Residents upset over roadside trash dump
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Perquimans County has
five manned trash collec
tion centers and a landfill,
but .still there are those
who dump trash on road
sides.
Residents in the Beech
Springs community are
outraged that some person
or persons have dumped
tires, old furniture and
appliances, and old bank
papers, letters and even
documents from student
files at Chowan Junior
High School dated in the
late 1980s on Layden Road.
Names on documents
include Mr. and Mrs.
Graham Trent, Granette
Trent and Maria Trent.
County Manager Paul
(•itc.
Gregory said residents in
the community have called
continued on page 7
This pile of trash spills onto the roadway on Layden
Road in the Beech Springs community. Neighboring
residents are upset that one or more people are
choosing their community as a trash dump.
Weekend
Weather
THURSDAY
High: 74
Low: 54
Partly Cloudy
Friday
High:76
Low: 53
Partly Cloudy
Saturday
High: 73
Low:53
Partly Cloudy