—St-
Rountree retires as fire chief
Rage 4
Pirates open hoops season
Page?
10 more teachers certified
Rage 10
Decemberl, 2004
Vol. 72, No. 48 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
P11/C6 i.,,
PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY.
110 W ACADEMY ST -
HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306
4f/.
,'i ■':*l
Weekly
Santa is coming to town Saturday
ERIN RICKERT
More than 33 individuals
and groups will come
together Saturday to partic
ipate in the annual
Christmas Parade.
Jerry Peer, coordinator
of the Chamber of
Commerce-sponsored
parade, said with the help
of Wes Hosteller the “Peace
on Earth” themed event
will begin at Perquimas
County High School at 2
p.m. Saturday, rain or
shine.
While the parade route
will stay the same as last
year, a few things about the
holiday event have
changed.
This year Planter’s
Ridge has donated a 16-foot
Frazier fir Christmas tree
that sits on the courthouse
lawn.
Natalie Brown, co-owner
of the business, said
Monday as she began the
arduous task of decorating
the tree that shq expected
the tree would take close to
5,000 lights to decorate.
In addition to the tree,
Natalie and her husband
and business partner, Lyl,
plan to donate 50 poinset-
tias to decorate the review
ing stand in front of the
courthouse on parade dary.
Peer said the more than
30 participants in the event
are well over last year’s
total.
“Participation in the
parade is definitely better
than in the past,” Peer said.
Yet even with the added
participation. Peer said he
expects the parade to con
tinue on schedule — run
ning its typical hour.
Residents planning to
travel on the parade route
Saturday need not worry.
Hertford Police Chief
Dale Vanscoy said officers
would not start blocking off
Edenton Road, Grubb,
Church and Dobbs streets
until the parade begins.
He suggested individuals
planning to attend, espe
cially in the downtown
area, utilize parking in the
Municipal Parking lot as
well as Missing MiU Park.
Vanscoy said he expects
the largest crowds in the
downtown area.
Chamber Director Sid
Eley said float winners will
be announced from the
downtown reviewing stand
during the parade. Checks
for first through third place
will be awarded to winners
by mail in the amounts of
$50, $25 and $20.
After the parade parents
and children can visit
Santa on the courthouse
lawn. Santa will be assisted
by Keith Burnett of
Inteliport.
At 6 p.m., the Town of
Winfall will celebrate the
holidays with a tree light
ing.
Residents open homes,
businesses for Ramble
Erin Rickert
Across Perquimans
County Thursday, residents
will get into the holiday
spirit as they participate in
the traditional Christmas
Ramble.
The event, put on by The
Perquimans Extension and
Community Association,
will allow residents to tour
decorated homes and busi
nesses in the area from 6:30-
9 p.m.
Featured stops on the
tour include: Dotty’s Bed
and Breakfast and. Cafe at
103 South Church Street,
The Nicholson Tea Room at
PHOTO BY ERIN RICKERT
This 10-foot revolving tree is one of several that will
be seen at Dotty's Bed and Breakfast and Cafe during
the Ramble.
1500 Belvidere Road, Eagle
Pottery at 658 Ocean
Highway South, The Onley
Place at 308 Craney Island
Road and the home of
Chris and Gina Wharton at
285 Riverwood Drive.
While each of the five
stops on the Ramble will
decorate for Christmas,
each one plans a unique
experience for their guests.
The Onley Place on
Craney Island Road, owned
by Steve Casper, was named
after the Onley family who
first purchased the land in
1772.
, Casper has now con
structed a large barn
equipped with dance floor
and dining area where din
ner theatres and square
dances are held.
Fully decorated with five
trees, the barn will be open
for tours and starting at 7
p.m. Casper’s friends and
family will sing Christmas
music.
In Hertford, Craig and
Theresa Christensen’s bed
and breakfast will feature
at least three Christmas
trees including a 10-foot
revolving tree.
During the Ramble the
couple plans to serve hot
apple cider, coffee and
Theresa’s specialty —
caramel pecan turtles.
The couple recently ful
filled their longtime dream
when they opened Dotty’s
Bed and Breakfast and Cafe
a year ago. They said their
choice to be in the Ramble
was to share their love for
Christmas with others.
The Wharton family will
open their newly construct
ed two-story farmhouse to
guests during the Ramble.
Gina, who originally
County native pens
book on his WWII
experiences
Lane will sign
his book
PHOTO BY ERIN RICKERT
Guests who enjoy the
annual Extension
Christmas Rathble
Thursday will see hand
made pottery such as
these angels at Eagle
Pottery. Owner Sherri
McNeill even plans to
allow those interested to
try their hand at her pot
tery wheel.
grew up in the area, said
the family chose to feature
their home on the Ramble
because it helps support
the community.
“We have gone to the
Ramble for years,”
Wharton said. “It’s lots of
fun.”
The Wharton’s said they
hope to have family enter
taining guests with not
only a tour of their home
featuring a 12-foot
Christmas tree, but music
played on their baby grand
piano.
At The Nicholson House
Cafe and Tea Parlor, own
ers Paul and Deborah
Byrum thought the Ramble
was a great opportunity to
allow people to view the
end result of nearly two
years of restoration and
Continued on page 3
Saturday
' ERIN RICKERT
Kerry L. Lane, 81-year-
old World War II veteran
and aythor, will visit
Hertford to sign his newest
book Satui-4ay.
A native of Hertford,
Lane will sign his second
book, “Guadalcanal
Marine” from 10:30 a.m.-
12:30 p.m. at M. James
Booksellers on Market
Street.
The 352-pages of the
book recount his experi
ence serving in World War
II and offer insight to what
life was like for him grow
ing up in the area.
Lane’s wife Connie said
she encouraged Lane to
write the book mainly so
the first hand history
would be documented for
the family. ,
Melanie M. James,
owner of the bookstore,
ordered 40 copies of the $35
book for the signing and
she said she has already
had one person purchase a
book early.
James said she expects a
good turnout at the signing
because of Lane’s ties to
the county.
“We have an awful lot of
veterans in the area,”
James said. “Some may
have even grown up with
him [Lane].”
Lane lived in
Perquimans County until
''x\
Hertford native Kerry
Lane was captured on
film during his stint gs a
Marine in World War II.
the age of 16 when he left to
join the Marines.
Lane’s father, John, and
mother, Elsie, owned a
farm on US 17 where his
father grew pumpkins and
his mother sold dolls.
In 1971, after 32-years of
service with the Marines,
Lane moved to
Spotsylvania, Va. where he
is now the owner and oper
ator of Post Oak Farm.
Local runners give all in ultimate competitions
ERIN RICKERT
(Editor’s Note: Earlier
this fall The Perquimans
Weekly brought readers a
two part series on area run
ners. This is an update to
their stories.)
Leslie Piercy and Mick
McCiung are two residents
who enjoy a challenge so
much that last month they
traveled to opposite ends of
the US. just to compete.
In Philadelphia, Penn.
57-year-old McClung fin
ished his fifth marathon
and in Panama Beach, Fla.
47-year-old Piercy added
her first Ironman to her list
of more than 300 road
races.
The Ironman, a race-
known by runners as the
highest of all competitions,
tested Piercy’s dedication
with a 2.4 mile swim, 112
mile bike ride and a 26.2
mile race.
Piercy said she original
ly set a goal to finish the
race in around 12 hours —
five hours less than the cut
off time of the competition.
Yet clocking in at just a
few minutes more than 15
hours Piercy still, cele
brates her victory.
“It was great,” Piercy
said. “It was a real spiritual
journey for me.’^
For McClung, victory
was not only finishing his
i-' ^
•s.,-
Mick McClung is all smiles after finishing his fifth
marathon in Philadelphia, Penn, recently.
fifth marathon with a time
of 4 hours and 34 minutes
but also helping raise
money for the needy.
“It was a good race and a
good cause,” McClung said.
During the marathon,
his second in Philidelphia,
McClung wore a T-shirt
covered in the signatures
from donors who partici
pated in a campaign creat
ed by the runner and
Rosemary Smith, director
of Open Door.
Together the two came
up with the “Running for
Hunger,” campaign to help
provide money to aid needy
residents through Open
Door.
Continued on page 4
Weekend
Weather
THURSDAY
High: 58
Low: 36
Sunny
Friday
High: 55
Low: 32
Partly Cloudy
Saturday
High: 52
Low: 34
Mostly Sunny