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Library gets new equipment
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Hathaway loves dogs
Page 9
Frasier firs are N.C. grown
Rage 10
December 15, 2004
Vol, 72, No. 50 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
The
P11/C6
PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
110 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306
Perquimains
Weekiy
Grant money to help expand Winfall park
ERIN RICKERT
A grant, recently award
ed to Winfall, wiU provide
funds needed to complete
the boardwalk overlooking
the Perquimans River in
Winfall Landing Park.
The GAMA grant, part of
the Public Beach and
Coastal Waterfront Access
Program, will supply 75
percent of the funds needed
to finish the 240-foot long, 7-
foot wide walkway — the
final of three phases
designed to beautify the
park.
The project, costing
close to $19,500, will be paid
for in part by $14,625 in
GAMA grant funds. An
additional match of $4,875
by the town was required
in order to receive the
grant money.
The money for the match
will be provided through a
sponsor, according to
Winfall Mayor Fred Yates,
who refused mention of the
sponsor’s name.
Yates said the project
could begin as early as the
first of the year once a con
struction company is cho
sen — meaning completion
of the boardwalk could
come as soon as February
2005.
“Once we award the bid
[to a construction compa
ny] you are looking at 30
days completion depending
on the weather,’’ Yates said.
“We should be able to find
someone [contractors] pret
ty quickly.’’
The new boardwalk will
attach to the existing 200-
feet of walkway obtained in
the first phase of the park
project through money pro
vided to the town by a 1995
GAMA grant. Upon comple
tion, the new boardwalk
wiU not only provide added
recreation for citizens, but
will serve as a precaution
ary measure, according to
Yates.
“Safety is number one
right now,” Yates said.
“Right now there is nothing
to stop the children from
going into the water. This
should provide that.”
Yet this project is not the
end of work planned for the
3.37-acre park.
Continued on page 12
Store
clerk
cited by
ALE
SUSAN R. HARRIS
A local convenience
store clerk was cited recent
ly for selling tobacco prod
ucts to a minor, according
to Alcohol Law
Enforcement Agent
Marilyn Gaboon.
Lucy Riddick received
the citation.
Gaboon said the agency
ran an operation in
Perquimans on Nov. 26,-
sending an underage cus
tomer into 13 stores in the
county. Only One Stop sold
to the minor, Gaboon said.
Gaboon said that her
office operates in the 16
counties of the northeast,
and that operations are run
every month. The counties
to be targeted come to the
regional office from
Raleigh, she said.
The purpose of the oper
ations is to try to get the
rates of sale to minors
down, and hopefully, curtail
the use of tobacco products
by underage users.
Gaboon said her agency
has found that regularly
running operations in
counties reduces the inci
dence of sales to minors.
The agency runs about 60
operations per month in the
region.
“1 think over the years
that we’re making a dent in
it (underage sales),”
Gaboon said.
ALE officers recruit
teens to pose as buyers for
the operations, often with
the help of schools. Once
chosen, the minor goes into
a store outside his own
Continued on page 7
IWpUf^
Man aids capture
of his carj acker
ERIN RICKERT
A recent car chase that
brought a citizen and law
enforcement from two
counties together in pur
suit of a carjacker ended
Dec. 5, with the successful
capture of 46-year-old
Elizabeth Gity resident
Tony Geclphus Gibbs.
The chase was spurred
when Gibbs of 405 New
Jersey Road, Elizabeth Gity
stole a 2000 Ghevrolet
Silverado truck from the
driveway of West Grubb
Street resident Jeffrey
Vaughn.
Vauglm was enjoying the
afternoon with his family
that Sunday when a man
was spotted walking across
the front yard of their
Hertford home.
Thinking nothing of this
very usual occurrence, the
Vaughn’s went on with
what they werp doing.
Minutes later, at approxi
mately 4:10 p.m., Vaughn’s
wife Mattie alerted him
that his Ghevrolet truck
was leaving the driveway,
but neither Vaughn was
behind the wheel.
It was then that Vaughn
grabbed the keys to the
family’s Nissan Altima and
followed his stolen truck
while dialing 911 on his cell
phone.
Continued on page 12
No Puff Daddy and his rap group invited cancer patient Julie White on stage at
Perquimans High School with them to discuss her personal health battle resulting
from tobacco use.
Anti-smoking message is
personal for sub teacher
Holiday open house
set at Newbold
In collaboration with
Ghowan Regional Health
Gare Foundation and the
SADD and SURGE teams at
Perquimans Gounty High
School, guest speakers are
invited annually to present
on the dangers of tobacco.
This year's guest speaker,
Sterlen Barr also known
as No Puff Daddy, is the
GEO of Rapping About
Prevention Inc., is a health
educator and motivational
rap artist. He educates,
inspires, motivates and
encourages youth to stay
healthy and tobacco-free.
Recently he delivered a
high-energy presentation
using facts, humor, person
al experience, audience
participation, and a live rap
performance to students at
Perquimans Middle School
and Perquimans High
School.
During his presentation
at the local middle and high
schools, Barr invited Julie
White to speak. Julie, a
substitute teacher for
Perquimans Gounty
Schools, allowed Barr's
message to become real as
she shared her personal
testimony of lung cancer.
“My name is Julie White.
I am your favorite substi
tute teacher,” she said.
The students cheered,
voicing approval of her
words. She continued by
removing her scarf and
showing her hair loss,
resulting from the
chemotherapy treatments
which she is undergoing.
“The message I want to
share with you (students) is
never pick up a cigarette. If
you don't start....you don't
have to stop. If you already
smoke....stop!” White said.
“The emotional message
delivered by Julie White
made this year's message
personal,” said Principal
Hans Lassiter.
Continued on page 12
ERIN RICKERT
The annual Golonial
Christmas Celebration at
The Newbold-White House,
sponsored by the
Perquimans County
Restoration Association,
will take place from 6-8:30
p.m. Friday.
“We usually have several
hundred people come out
and we are expecting an
excellent turnout this
year,” said Chris Lane,
president of the
Perquimans County
Restoration Association.
The free event will not
only allow guests the oppor
tunity to tour the historic
1730s home, but also enjoy
live Christmas music and
the lighting of a yule log."
Local talents performing
in the Visitors Center
include Jiolie Stamper, par-
Dotty’s offers hot meals, cozy accommoiiations
ERIN RICKERT
Craig and Theresa
Christensen searched all
over the United States for a
bed and breakfast they
could caU their own, only to
discover the perfect fit
months later in Hertford.
Originally from Lake
Tahoe, Nev., these former
Harrah’s casino dealers
began work on Dotty’s bed
and breakfast and cafe in
summer 2003.
Now, just over a year
later, the couple celebrated
the opening of both the cafe
and the bed and breakfast
with a Chamber-sponsored
ribbon cutting Friday.
The cafe, which opened
last week, operates from 7
a.m. — 3 p.m. Wednesday —
Sunday, but Theresa said in
a month the two plan to
reevaluate not only the
hours but also the menu for
changes.
Menu items include waf
fles, French toast, wraps,
hamburgers, PhiUy cheese
steaks, hoagies, nachos,
sticky buns, homemade
turtles, espresso beverages
and an array of salads.
In addition to their regu
lar menu items the
Christensen’s plan to serve
new daily specials not rou
tinely featured for $4.95.
Theresa said plans to
furnish a corner of the cafe
with a loveseat, books and
board games for guests to
use could be added as soon
-
PHOTO BY ERIN RICKERT
The Chamber of Commerce sponsored a ribbon cut;
ting for Dotty's Bed and Breakfast and Cafe Friday.
as next month.
“We want to be part of
the community,” Craig
said. “We hope we can be as
accommodating as every
one else has been so far.”
The couple, both avid
guests of bed and break
fasts, dreamed of opening
something similar for
years.
Now their bed and
breakfast, which opened
two months ago, has
already had seven guests.
While the Christensen’s
said the project has cost
them more money and time
than they expected, they
both agreed it was all worth
it to help ensure the beauty
of the building lives on.
“Our main reason for
coming was to preserve the
house,” Theresa, who has a
minor in historic preserva
tion, said. “It has been a
labor of love.”
Continued on page 10
lor harpist, who will per
form at 6 p.m.
At 6:30 p.m. Julie will be
joined by flutist Ken Ries,
violinists Hannah and
Courtney Lane will take
stage at 7 p.m. and the
Perquimans High School
Jazz Ensemble wiU end the
night with music begin
ning at 7:30 p.m. and ending
at 8:30 p.m.
Harpist Elizabeth
Hawthorn will entertain
guests touring in the
Newbold-White House from
7:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Natalie Bero, who helps
coordinate the event annu
ally, said their main event,
the lighting of the yule log,
is a tradition they have
been carrying out at the
Newbold-White House for
years.
Traditionally the yule
Continued on page 10
Weekend
Weather
THURSDAY
High: 53
Low: 33
Sunny
Friday
High: 55
Low: 37
Few Showers
Saturday
High: 54
Low: 36
Partly Cloudy