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P11/C5
PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
110 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306
9/28/2004.
PERQUIMANS
September 29, 2004
Vol. 72, No. 39 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Weekiy
35 cents
Gregory
steps down
as county
manager
Darden
assumes
position
ERIN RICKERT
Staff Writer
After spending the good
part of 17 years as county
manager, Paul Gregory is
fincilly passing his duties
onto someone else.
“I’ve got to give up some
of the stress,” Gregory
said. “I’ve had two heart
attacks and I just need to
slow down. I am not going
to go away, just slow down.”
In a farewell gathering
Monday night, Gregory’s 35
years of achievements and
sacrifices were recognized
by those close to him.
Gregory, who devoted
eight years to teaching and
another 10 years as the
director of social services
before accepting his .posi
tion as Perquimans’ second
county manager, said he
enjoyed all the time he
spent working.
Bobby Darden, the assis
tant county manager wUl
take over Gregory’s posi
tion Thursday.
“Bobby was hired two
years ago to step into this
position and he’s ready,”
Gregory said.
Darden was hired in
September 2002 and has
been working alongside
Gregory ever since.
“Paul has brought me
along slow,” Darden said. “I
am looking forward to
working with county
employees and commis
sioners and finishing pro
jects Paul has started.”
Darden said he envisions
the water system and the
repair and expansion of
Perquimans High School as
the main projects of focus
for the upcoming year.
Darden said upgrades
and renovations to the
water system and the high
it
\
Scores of well-wishers
attended a retirement
reception for County
Manager Paul Gregory
Monday, including former
clerk to the board of
county commissioners
Jeanne White (above).
Gregory turns over the
county reigns to Bobby
Darden (left) Thursday
afternoon.
school would take place to
help improve water capaci
ty and plan for the growing
community.
Gregory was joined by
his family, government offi
cials from Perquimans and
the surrounding wunties,
and a host of friends for
Monday’s reception, which
was held at the county’s
new recreation/communi
ty center in the
Perquimans Commerce
Centre.
Whitehurst named
Teacher of the Year
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Chris Whitehurst once
expected to be on stage
before audiences playing
the music that gives mean
ing to his life.
But the stage upon
which Whitehurst finds
himself standing these
days is a classroom filled
with high school students
— students who play at dif
ferent levels for different
reasons. And seeing those
young people learn disci
pline, commitment, team
work and the value of the
arts is worth more to him
than all the applauding
audiences he may have per
formed for had he not
decided to become a music
educator.
The instrumental music
instructor at Perquimans
County High School was
recently named Teacher of
the Year for Perquimans
County Schools.
Whitehurst started out
as a music industry studies
major with a concentration
in music business adminis
tration at Elizabeth City
State University. As a
requirement of his scholar
ship at ECSU, Whitehurst
had to perform community
service, a requirement he
fulfilled by working with
local high school bands. His
love of performing was
soon matched by his joy at
seeing students grow
through music. By the time
Whitehurst transferred to
East Carolina University
after his sophomore year,
he knew he was meant to
ll-- \
Perquimans County Schools Foundation vice president
Randy Lassiter takes a swing at the foundation's sec
ond annual golf tournament that raised about $5,000
for support for local students and teachers.
Perquimans County Schools honored its Teachers of
the Year Monday night at the school board meeting.
Stephanie Fuller, Chris Whitehurst, Lisa Jones and
Rodney Lyons were honored at the school level.
Whitehurst was named the district Teacher of the Year.
Duffers swing for
public education
teach.
He began looking for
opportunities in the educa
tion field, and was hired as
the percussion instructor
for the PCHS Marching
Pirates during his student
years at ECU. A full-time
music position was open at
Perquimans when
Whitehurst graduated from
ECU in December 1998, and
Whitehurst was tapped to
fill that spot. He has served
at director of bands at the
high school since that time,
instructing and directing
marching band, symphonic
band, concert band, jazz
ensemble and percussion
ensemble, in addition to
music theory and music
appreciation.
According to letters of
recommendation in his
Teacher of the Year portfo
lio, Whitehurst has earned
the respect of students, par
ents, colleagues and those
involved in music educa
tion for his dedication to
his students, willingness to
mentor students and music
educators, and his commit
ment to excellence through
the growth of each individ
ual student.
While the music groups*
he directs have earned
numerous awards under
his leadership, he is known
as an instructor who
emphasizes personal
responsibility, commit
ment, work ethic and team
work over trophies.
Whitehurst was chosen
from a field of four educa
tors — one representing
each of the county’s four
schools — by a panel of
Continued on page 10
With temperatures in the
low 80s on a beautiful
breezy fall day, more than
100 ladies and gentlemen
grabbed their clubs and
headed to the golf course in
support of public educa
tion.
The challenge for the day
was more than a hole-in-
one, an eagle or a birdie.
“The challenge is to
improve educational oppor
tunities for local students,”
said Foundation vice presi
dent Randy Lassiter. “I am
not a golfer, but I have spon
sored a team in the golf
tournament for the past
two years, as have many of
the Foundation board mem
bers. It is a way we are able •
to devote time and
resources to improve edu
cation for students in our
local schools.”
The Foimdation received
financial assistance from
the Coastal Rural Systemic
Initiative at Appalachian
State University to fund the
initial stages of organiza
tion. Now, in its third year
of operation, board mem
bers are working to pro
mote and support academic
achievement and scholarly
research by students and
school employees through
scholarship and grant
awards.
This year's golf tourna
ment was the second of its
kind and board members
are anticipating that the
golf tournament will be an
annual event. Last year's
tournament enabled the
Foundation to offer a $1,000
scholarship to a graduating
senior and to offer financial
Continued on page 10
Causeway
reopens
over
weekend
Sinking
asphalt closes
road for three
weeks
ERIN RICKERT
Staff Writer
PHOTOS BY ERIN RICKERT
After three weeks of
detour signs and going the
“long way around,” area
residents can once again
travel on the Hertford
causeway.
The bridge was closed
for the second time in two
years after a concrete slab
that once supported close to
23-feet of the causeway
sunk.
Ronnie Sawyer, county
maintenance engineer at
the North Carolina
Department of
Transportation, said the
sinking occurred gradually
over the course of about a
year.
During that time, the
NCDOT filled low areas
with asphalt.
Sawyer said that asphalt
was used so often that when
the actual repairs were fin
ished Friday, 40 inches of
asphalt had been used to
temporarily repair the
problem.
The causeway, which
Sawyer said cost $40,000 to
repair, is the second project
of its kind he has seen in
his five years with the
NCDOT and he said it is
possible Hertford will see
this again.
“We do not have money
for a big project right now,”
Sawyer said. “Right now we
are repairing them [sec
tions of the causeway] as
they faU.”
The causeway has not
yet been added to the
NCDOT’s Transportation
Improvement Program’s
list of planned construc
tion projected for the next
seven years.
Sawyer said he is not
sure if or when the cause
way will be added.
Sawyer did, however, say
that the NCDOT has a traf
fic control program in place
if the problem does reoccur.
Weekend
Weather
THURSDAY
High: 76
Low: 56
Partly Cloudy
Friday
High: 77
Low: 58
Mostly Sunny
Saturday
High: 80
Low:582
Parry Cloudy