AEMC annual meeting set
Rage 2
Health group earns state honor
Rage 4
Force amaryllis for holidays
Rage 9
November lU i003
ft I'- ' Vol. 71t No. 47 Hertford. North Carolina 27944
■: V, / P15/C6
PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
110 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306
Perquimans
Weekly
Hertford man stabbed, dies in E. City
CARRIE OLSON
The Daily Advance
- An argument at an
Elizabeth City house esca
lated into a fight that left
one man dead and another
charged with murder
Friday evening.
Elizabeth City police
were called to a distur
bance at 224 East Broad
Street at 7:30 p.m., where
they found Lathan
Alexander Felton Jr., 67, of
the 400 block of Ballahack
Road in Hertford, with a
stab wound.
Felton was taken to
Albemarle Hospital, where
he later died. According to
obituary information,
Felton was a retired
employee of the U.S. Coast
Guard Base in Elizabeth
City.
Police arrested John
Wesley Turner III, 48, of
224 E. Broad Street, and
charged him with murder
after Felton died, according
to a written statement from
the police department.
Turner was being held
without bail Saturday at
Albemarle District Jail. He
is scheduled to appear in
District Court in
Pasquotank County
Monday.
Sgt. Jason Banks, chief
of investigations at the
Elizabeth City Police
Department, said officers
are investigating the argu
ment that led up to the stab
bing.
Banks declined to say
what caused the alterca
tion, citing the need to pro
tect the investigation.
(Contact Carrie Olson at
colson@coxnews.com)
Thursday
is ACS
smokeout
Thursday is the 27th
annual Great American
Smokeout.
The day is sponsored by
the American Cancer
Society in its quest to
encourage smokers to stop
smoking and commit to a
healthier lifestyle.
According to the ACS,
there are currently over 52
million smokers in the
United States. Fifty-five
percent are men and 45 per
cent are women.
Tobacco use remains the
Single most preventable
cause of death in the U.S.,
the ACS reports. More than
400,000 Americans die each
year from tobacco-related
diseases. Every 72 seconds
someone dies from smok
ing.
Smoking causes more
‘deaths than alcohol, AIDs,
illegal drugs, car crashes,
fures, murders and suicide
combined.
Statistics show that 75
percent of all coronary
heart disease is due to
smoking cigarettes, and
that 49 percent of children
2-11 years are exposed to
secondhand smoke in their
homes. Studies have shown
this to be a major contribu
tor to lung illnesses such as
bronchitis, pneumonia and
asthma.
According to the
Wisconsin chapter, ACS,
more than four in five
smokers say they want to
quit.
The American Cancer
Society offers cessation
programs. For information,
caU 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit
222.cancer.org.
Honoring veterans
* i
/
The Perquimans County High School Army ROTC participated in a Veteran's Day
ceremony at Hertford Grammar School last week. The unit was formed this school
year, and operates under the leadership of Lt. Col. Evans at John A. Holmes High
School in Edenton. Because Perquimans didn't have the facilities to implement the
program, a contract was signed with Chowan County Schools to allow a
Perquimans unit to work from their facilities. ROTC participants travel to Edenton
under the agreement. Local guidance is provided by Principal Hans Lassiter and
guidance counselor John Wells, who helped initiate the program.
Thach resigns as
football coach
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Perquimans County
High School head football
coach Harrell Thach
resigned last week.
Thach confir med Friday
that he submitted a letter of
resignation last Monday.
“I just don’t feel like I
can continue (as head
coach),” Thach said.
PCHS Principal Hans
Lassiter said Tuesday that
he can not comment on per
sonnel issues that have not
come before the school
board.
“The board will consider
an issue relative to that on
Monday the 25th,” Lassiter
said.
Thach declined to say
why he had chosen to
resign, but did stress that it
was his decision, that he
was not asked to give up his
post.
“I always said that when
I went out it would be on
my own terms,” Thach
said.
Thach just completed his
fifth straight season as
head coach.
Four years prior to that,
he served as athletic direc
tor with no coaching
duties. Before becoming
athletic director, he
coached varsity and junior
varsity football as both a
head and assistant coach,
and during his tenure has
also served as head coach
for both girls and boys bas
ketball and track.
Thach said he served as
an assistant under eight
different head football
coaches and has worked
under at least eight athletic
directors.
The veteran coach was
serving as both head foot
ball coach and athletic
Take care when frying turkeys for Thanksgiving meals
UL no longer
certifies
turkey fryers
due to fire
hazards
A longtime food favorite
in the southern United
States, the delicious deep-
fried turkey has quickly
grown in popularity thanks
to celebrity chefs such as
Martha Stewart and Emeril
Lagasse.
While some people rave
about this tasty creation.
Underwriters Laboratories
Inc.'s safety experts are
concerned that backyard
chefs may be sacrificing
safety for good taste.
“We're worried by the
increasing reports of fires
related with turkey fryer
use,” said John
Drengenberg, UL consumer
affairs manager. “Based on
our test findings, the fryers
used to produce those
great-tasting birds are not
worth the risks. And, as a
result of these tests, UL has
decided not to certify any
turkey fryers with our
trusted UL Mark.”
Here's why using a deep-
fryer can be dangerous:
• Many units easily tip
over, spUling the five gal
lons of hot oil within the
cooking pot.
• If the cooking pot is
overfUled with oU, the oil
may spUl out of the unit
when the turkey is placed
into the cooking pot. Oil
may hit the burner/flames
causing a fire to engulf the
entire unit.
• Partially frozen
turkeys placed into the
fryer can cause a spUlover
effect. This too, may result
in an extensive fire.
• With no thermostat
controls, the units also
have the potential to over
heat the oil to the point of
combustion.
• The sides of the cook
ing pot, lid and pot handles
get dangerously hot, posing
severe burn hazards.
If you absolutely must
use a turkey fryer, here are
some tips for s^er use:
• Turkey fryers should
always be used outdoors a
safe distance from budd
ings and any other material
that can burn.
• Never use turkey fry
ers on wooden decks or in
garages.
• Make sure the fryers
are used on a flat surface to
reduce accidental tipping.
• Never leave the fryer
unattended. Most units do
not have thermostat con
trols. If you don't watch the
fryer carefuUy, the oil wiU
continue to heat until it
catches fire.
• Never let children or
pets near the fryer when in
use. Even after use, never
allow children or pets near
the turkey fryer. The oil
inside the cooking pot can
remain dangerously hot,
hours after use.
• To avoid oil spUlover,
do not overfUl the fryer.
• Use well-insulated
potholders or oven mitts
when touching pot or lid
handles. If possible, wear
safety goggles to protect
your eyes from oU splat
ter.
• Make sure the turkey
is completely thawed and
be careful with marinades.
OU and water don't mix,
and water causes oil to
spUl over, causing a fire or
even an explosion hazard.
• The National Turkey
Federation recommends
refrigerator thawing and to
allow approximately 24
hours for every five pounds
of bird thawed in the refrig
erator.
• Keep an all-purpose
fire extinguisher nearby.
Never use water to extin
guish a grease fire.
Remember to use your best
judgement when attempt
ing to fight a fire. If the fire
is manageable, use an aU-
purpose fire extinguisher.
If the fire increases, imme
diately caU 9-1-1 for help.
• Even after use, never
aUow chUdren or pets near
the turkey fryer. The oU
inside the cooking pots
remains dangerously hot,
hours after use.
For more information on
frying turkeys, contact
Extension Agent Juanita
BaUey at 426-7697.
director until 1996, when
the school board adopted a
policy that stated that if at
aU possible, coaches should
not serve a dual role as
coach and athletic director.
At that time, Thach
opted to keep his athletic
director post and resign
from the head footbaU job.
Assistant coach Andy
Hunt was brought up as
head football coach for two
years, before the system
hired Bobby Rast for a year,
followed by Jim Stewart,
who served one year.
Then, Thach resigned as
athletic director and reas
sumed the head football
coaching position.
Bob Turner, who also
served as head girls basket
ball coach, was tapped for
as AD. Although the board
had adopted its policy on
dual roles. Turner was
allowed to continue to
coach basketball during his
tenure as athletic director.
In fact, Thach is the only
Athletic Department staff
person for whom the rule
has applied.
When asked if any of his
assistants would resign
with him, Thach said he
did not know. He said that
he has not suggested to any
of them that they give up
their duties.
“I would not do that,”
Thach said.
Thach said he has
enjoyed his years as a
coach at Perquimans and
wUl miss working with stu
dent athletes.
“Fve enjoyed coaching
these kids,” he said. “The
kids have been fantastic
here at Perquimans.
“I wish the school luck in
fmding a new coach and I
wish the kids luck in
achieving the highest goals
set for them.”
Does Thach feel that
coaching is in his future?
“WiU I ever coach
again?” he asked. “Yes, I
would be interested.”
Weekend
Weather
THURSDAY
High: 62
Low: 46
SCAHERED T'STORMS
Friday
High: 61
Low: 47
Showers
Saturday
High: 68
Low: 53
Few Showers