Christmas Greetings
and
Letters to Santa
Rages 9-14
P15/C6
PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
110 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306
December 24, 2003
Vol. 71, No. 52 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
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PERgtlMANS
Weekly ^
NCHP urges motorists to drive carefuily
RALEIGH - The North lisions in North Garnlina is hiaViwQTro if , .. . ^
RALEIGH - The North
Carolina State Highway
Patrol is urging thousands
of motorists who wiU be
traveling North Carolina's
roadways this holiday sea
son to slow down and work
with the Patrol to ensure
everyone has a safe holiday
season.
The leading cause of col
lisions in North Carolina is
speed. The Patrol will be
increasing the number of
Troopers and Motor
Carrier Enforcement offi
cers on the interstates and
heavily traveled corridors,
targeting aggressive and
impaired drivers.
“Holiday travel can be
very dangerous on our
highways if people don't
obey the laws and use com
mon sense when they trav
el,” said Colonel Richard W.
Holden, Patrol Commander.
“We take impaired driving
very seriously and urge
everyone to make the right
choice — don't drink and
drive.”
During the holidays, the
Patrol will also be partici
pating in the state's “Booze
It and Lose It” anti-drunk
driving campaign and the
national Combined
Accident Reduction Effort,
(C.A.R.E). Sobriety check
points are being held
throughout the state dur
ing the entire week.
Last year during the
Christmas and New Year
holiday weekends, 18 peo
ple were killed.
The 2003 Christmas holi
day period begins at 6 p.m.
on Wednesday, Dec. 24, and
ends at midnight on
Thursday, Dec. 25.
The New Year holiday
period begins at 6 p.m. on
Wednesday, Dec. 31, and
ends at midnight on
Thursday, Jan. 1.
Drivers and passengers
are also reminded to wear
seat belts, slow down, and
allow plenty of time to get
to your destination.
Motorists with cellular
phones can report safety
hazards to the Highway
Patrol by dialing *HP (*47)
toll free.
Dressed in Holiday style
■1^
‘vj» S
All across Perquimans
County, lights twinkle and
lawns are decked for the
holidays. Just about
everything on the lawn of
this home off Lake Road
(above) is awash in lights.
In Matthews Acres (right)
lights glisten all across
the front lawn and a huge
tree twinkles through the
windows.
m
I
On the road to Billy's
Beach, a house is outlined
in icicle lights with light
ed garland along the
porch rails.
A variety of lighted deco
rations adorns this lawn
on Old Neck Road.
L«5#J
Superintendent Ken Wells (second from right) and
principals Melvin Hawkins, Billy Stallings, Ed Williams
and Hans Lassiter celebrate state recognition for
preparing to proactively address a critical incident
that might occur on a local school campus.
Schools ready
for incidents
on campus
This waterfront home
(left) uses wreaths, out
door lights and spotlights
to draw attention to its
Christmas splendor.
School officials hope the
training and documenta
tion can be placed on a shelf
and never used.
But in the event a Criti
cal incident does occur on a
local school campus,
administrators, faculty and
staff at all sites are pre
pared to take action.
The Perquimans County
School system is being rec
ognized by the Attorney
General's Office and the
Department of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency
Prevention for preparing
proactively to address a
critical incident occur
rence on campus.
Early last year, the
Attorney General's Office
and the Department of
Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention —
Center for the Prevention
of School Violence mailed
every school in the state of
North Carolina a critical
incident response kit.
These kits contained a
booklet and video about a
school with an active shoot
er on campus.
Since the distribution of
these tools, hundreds of
schools have met the rec
ommendations found in
both the video and booklet.
In an effort to recognize
these schools, the Attorney
General's Office and the
Department of Juvenile
Justice and Delinquency
Prevention have estab
lished the Critical Incident
Response Kit Recognition
Program.
To be recognized,
Perquimans County
Schools had to meet the fol
lowing three criteria:
assembly of two Critical
Incident Response Kits;
completion of School Site
Survey form (which pro
vides important informa
tion to emergency respon
ders about the school); and
viewing of the video “A
Critical Incident: What to
do in the First Twenty
Minutes” by school staff.
Holiday deadlines
The Perquimans Weekly
will close at noon on
Wednesday, Dec. 24 and
remain closed on Dec. 25
and 26 in observance of the
Christmas holiday.
Deadlines for the Dec. 31
edition will be Monday, Dec.
29 at noon.
The office wiU also close
on Thursday, Jan. 1 in
observance of the New
Year’s holiday.
Deadlines for the Jan. 7
edition of the newspaper
will be on Friday, Jan. 2 at 5
p.m.
Regular deadlines for
news and advertising are
Friday at 5 p.m.
Regular office hours are
Monday—Friday, 8 a.m.—5
p.m.
Call 426-5728 for further
information.
Holiday
Weather
THURSDAY
High: 50
Low: 30
Mostly Sunny
Friday
High: 54
Low: 32
Mostly Sunny
Saturday
High: 56
Low: 33
Mostly Sunny