The official 2003 Indian Summer and Hearth & Harvest program is in this newspaper September 10, 2003 Vol. 71, No. 37 Hertford, North Carolina 27944 The jPT4/C5 PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY 110 W ACADEMY ST HERTFORD, NC i _ ■ .^J9/2003 MANS Weekly 35 cents RE. has new meaning at PCHS Lassiter concentrates on making students accountable SUSAN R. HARRIS Students at Perquimans High should take healthful living class, which is basic health and physical educa tion, as seriously as they take math and English. Failure to dress out for physical education and par ticipate in the classroom in health could lead to a fail ing grade in healthful liv ing, which is required by the state for graduation. And failing healthful living has taken on new conse quences at PCHS. Principal Hans Lassiter sent letters home last week with students stating that school officials are con cerned because of the num ber of students not dress ing out for physical educa tion or participating in health class. He outlined a new policy that could have negative consequences for students over their four years in high school. “If, in the event you/your child fails health and physi cal education due to non participation, you/your chhd wiU not be ^owed to take health and physical education again until their senior (12th grade) year,” Lassiter wrote in the letter addressed to students and parents. “This class is a requirement for gradua tion, so successful compel- tion of it is expected!” Because healthful living is required before students can take other health and physical education clasess such as advanced physical education, weight training and strength training, stu dents who fail healthful liv ing because of non-partici pation and have to take it again in their senior year could not take the advanced classes. Students with a physical malady such as a broken bone, students for whom dressing out in gym clothes violates a religious belief, and students who are phys ically ill and can be made worse by participating in physical education may be exempt from some compo nents of the policy. Failure to cooperate in healthful living is not the only concerns Lassiter has about the school. Students arriving at school too early, lack of parental involve ment, punctuality, responsi bility, literacy, race rela tions safety, and respect for others and for facilities are also on Lassiter’s mind these days. Lassiter said students should not be dropped off until about 7:30 in the morning to ensure that suf ficient staff is on site to provide a safe environment. Continued on page 6 D’feeting ALS A'- V: & Over 250 pairs of feet strolled through Hertford Saturday morning for the fourth annual Walk to D'Feet ALS, which benefitted the Jim "Catfish" Hunter ALS Foundation. Among the participants was George Wallace (above in foreground in motorized chair), an ALS patient from Virginia. Walking with Helen Hunter (right, second from right), widow of Jim "Catfish" Hunter and a member of the board of directors of the Foundation, were (left) board member Tommy Harrell and his wife Sherry, who helped organize the Foundation and the walk, and Mae Carr. Helen Hunter said almost $32,000 has been turned in from the walk to date and funds continue to be received. Superior Water Systems donated water for the walkers and Albemarle Plantation provided a golf cart. Hunter said the rescue squad, local law enforcement and Perquimans County Schools helped with the event. I Saturday is festivals day in Perquimans SUSAN R. HARRIS Saturday will bring something for everyone in Perquimans, when the annual Indian Summer and Hearth & Harvest festivals win be in full swing. Indian Summer activi ties get underway at 9 a.m. at both Missing MUl and Winfall Landing parks," while the day begins at the Newbold-White House for Hearth & Harvest at 10 o’clock. The festival finale is set for 6 p.m. at Missing MiU Park when the Atlantic Fleet Band will perform. The military musicians and vocalists wowed festi val-goers last year, and are back by popular demand. Fireworks, a first for the festival, wiU burst during the band’s final set. Entertainment, games, vendors offering a variety of merchandise and infor mation, and food will be available at both parks aU day Travel between the parks will be simple for those La*.. Dental assistant Kim Harris gets a quick, painless den tal impression from Holly Rogerson with the use of Toothprints, a dental identification system for safe guarding children. The impression is kept by parents, and provides an impression, DNA and a scent should they ever be needed. Jack Boone,D.D.S. donated the Toothprints kits to the local SPCA. Impressions will be taken at the Indian Summer Festival for a tax- deductible $5 donation to the SPCA. who like the river. Water taxis will ferry folks from one park to the other for only $1 per ride aU day. There wUl also be shut tles between the two parks. the Newbold-White House, downtown and several park-and-ride lots. At the Newbold-White House, Perquimans County’s history will be highlighted with 18th cen tury crafts, entertainment, activities and food. Lunch, which will be available for sale, will include Brunswick stew, apples and hoe cakes cooked over an open hearth. Festival organizers remind those who plan to attend events that bikes, skate boards, roller blades or animals — even those on leashes — are not allowed in the parks. All park rules must also be observed. Mark Saturday on your calendar, bring your lawn chair, and plan to spend a day taking in the sights and sounds of Perquimans County’s “festival day.” For complete details on the festivals, including an entertainment schedule, vendor information and parking, please see the fes tival booklet inserted in this newspaper. Duke concerned about bridge on Hwy. 37 in Winfall SUSAN R. HARRIS Lucky Duke is worried that someone will be unlucky. The Holiday Island resi dent, who is a truck driver, is concerned that the small bridge near the county soft- ball fields in WinfaU wiU. be the site of an accident. It is not wide enough, Duke said, for two large vehicles to safety pass. Duke’s main concern is that school buses and trucks share the road in the morning and afternoons, and that someone unfamil iar with the bridge’s width may not yield as he does when he meets another wide vehicle on the bridge. “It’s really dangerous,” Duke said. “It’s just not wide enough for large vehi cles to pass. “A lot of children travel that road and something needs to be done about it.” Duke could not attend last week’s county commis sioners’ meeting, but did have someone attend and bring the issue to the board on his behalf. In addition, Duke has made calls to Senator Marc Basnight, Representative Bill Culpepper and Gov. Mike Easley about his con cerns. Hertford water grant SUSAN R. HARRIS The Town of Hertford received notification of a $400,000 water grant from the Rural Economic Development Center last week. The funds are to drill a new well in order to pro vide service to the Perquimans County Commerce Centre, upgrade the water treatment plant, construct a new 500,000 gal lon water tank, clean and paint the existing 500,000 water tank, and demolish the existing 100,000 gallon tank. Hertford Mayor Sid Eley said N-C. Senator Marc Basnight was a great help in getting the grant approved. Rolf Blizzard, the Director of Special Projects and Research in Basnight’s office worked with the town on the grant. Hertford was one of 64 communities across the state to receive a share of almost $20 million in Rural Center grants. The funds are from the Clean Water Bond and will be used for water and wastewater sys tem improvements. “As rual North Carolina endures unsettling econom ic times, we’ve got to make sure we protect the founda tion of our rural communi ties so they can build new opportunities for the future,” said Rural Center President Billy Ray Hall. “That means ensuring they have plentiful, clean water.” Hertford’s grant was funded under the supple mental grant category, from which 31 of the grants, totalling $9.8 million were funded. Supplemental grants serve as matching grants for funds from other sources and may be used only after the other funds have been expended. The Rural Center is a pri vate, non-profit ortganiza- tion whose mission is to develop sound economic strategies that improve the qualify of life in rural North Carolina. At present, he is encour aging local residents to pay special attention to their driving while' approaching the bridge, and to call, write or email government and transportation officials with their concerns. Duke assisted with a petition drive in Holiday Island requesting that the state take over roads there, and said he may initiate one for the Hwy. 37 bridge. Weekend Weather THURSDAY High: 79 Low: 63 Partly Cloudy Friday HiGH:81 Low: 68 Partly Cloudy Saturday High: 85 Low: 68 Scahered Showers , ■ ' ‘