Library, Rotary teams for taxes
Rage 2
Club donates books to PCMS
Page 4
SURGE team visits Central School
Rage?
P10/C5
HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306
i
^^8 0 2 2005*
February 2, 2005
Vol. 73, No. 5 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
rifiKQtllMANS
Weekly
Propane truck wreck forces evacuations
Traffic
rerouted for
nine hours
ERIN RICKERT
Traffic near US 17 was
rerouted for close to nine
hours and residents were
evacuated from their
homes last Wednesday
after a Hollowell Oil truck
carrying 9,000 gallons of
propane gas overturned
into a ditch on Wiggins
Road.
The accident occurred
just after 3:30 p.m. as the
driver, 31 year-old
Pasquotank County resi
dent Stephan M. Parsons,
attempted to make a left
turn off US 17 onto Wiggins
Road. Propane in the
truck’s tank shifted, caus
ing him to loose control.
Harry Winslow, emer
gency management coordi
nator for Perquimans
County, said while no leak
age occurred, he was still
forced to reroute traffic and
evacuate the area due to the
potential danger posed by
the combustible material.
Winslow said traffic on
US 17 at the New Hope
Road, Old Neck Road and
BemWry Road intersec
tions was diverted until
close to 1 a.m. Thursday as
officials worked together to
secure the area.
During that time,
Winslow Said nearly 25
homes and the Perquima;ns
County Juvenile Detention
Center were evacuated.
Winslow said Red Cross
responded to the scene —
providing hotels for at least
three residents and food
both for responders and
evacuated residents.
A command post was
also set up at the scene
where responders, which
included the Winfall and
Hertford Fire Departments,
Hertford and Winfall Police
Departments, State
Highway Patrol,
Perquimans County
Sheriff, North Carolina
Department of
Transportation, EMS and
Regional Haz Mat officials,
met at least four times for
briefings before carrying
out plans.
Three wreckers from
Elizabeth City and two
more from Ahoskie were
called in to assist with
Continued on page 9
PCHS student
hits PCMS bus
CHRIS WHIPPLE
The Daily Advance
A school bus en route to
Perquimans Middle School
was rear-ended at a stop
early last Wednesday, caus
ing bumps and bruises but
no serious injuries, a
school official said.
The accident happened
at about 7:20 a.m. on New
Hope Road, near the inter
sections with US. Highway
17, according to Brenda
Lassiter, a spokeswoman
for Perquimans County
Schools.
The bus was struck from
behind by another student
who was on his way to
Perquimans County High
School, Lassiter said. The
student, whom she declined
to identify because he is a
minor, was rounding a
curve in his pickup truck
and apparently didn't see
the bus idling at the stop,
Lassiter said.
Lassiter said the student
was driving with a limited
permit.
The bus was finishing its
final pickup before the
reaching the school when it
was struck. Of the 23 stu
dents on board at the time,
11 were transported to
Albemarle Hospital for
observation.
The substitute bus dri
ver, Diana Eagle, and the
student driving the truck
Continued on page 10
Two quartets from the Albemarle Sounds Barbershop
vocal group will deliver singing valentines across
Perquimans, Chowan and Pasquotank counties.
Proceeds benefit choral music programs in schools in
all three counties.
Singing Valentines benefit
school music programs
ERIN RICKERT
For years, quartets from
the Albemarle Sounds have
exercised their vocal cords
serenading husbands,
teachers, mothers, girl
friends and others with
love songs during the
Valentine’s holiday.
This year, they-will con
tinue their tradition, as
they deliver, in four-part
harmony, two love songs
and a rose to valentines in
Perquimans, Pasquotank
and Chowan counties.
Though the Edenton-
based barbershop chorus
does charge $25 for their
service, proceeds from the
singing valentines go
toward improving vocal
music programs in schools
across the three counties.
Gil Burroughs, director
of the Albemarle Sounds,
said the idea for the pro
gram was spurred several
years ago from concern
about the decrease in
singing among today’s
■PHOTO OOUHTESY PERQUrMANS COUNTY SCHOOLS
Winfall firefighter Kelvin Roberson assists with the clean-up after a pick-up truck
rear-ended a Perquimans County Schools bus last Wednesday on New Hope Road.
Sweetheart of a weekend set
ERIN RICKERT
Already popular in the
past for Hertfordshire
Antiques’ silent auction,
Valentine’s weekend
recently gained momentum
in Hertford with the addi
tion of three events.
The weekend now fea
tures the traditional silent
auction, tea and crumpets,
an appraisal fair and the
presentation and showing
of the second art installa
tion by Public Artist Maura
Bordes Cronin.
“We [Historic Hertford
Inc.] built on the silent auc
tion because multiple
events bring more to down
town,” said Wendy Jewett,
Historic Hertford, Inc.
Program manager.
Proceeds raised during
these events fund projects
designed to help improve
the community
While there is no cost to
attend the public art show
ing or the silent auction,
tickets for tea and crum
pets are $5 and $10 per item
for the appraisal fair.
Jewett said those inter
ested may purchase tickets
in advance at the
Perquimans County
visitors Center on Market
Street or at the events.
Jane McMahon, owner
of Hertfordshire Antiques,
who started the weekend
with the St. Valentine’s Day
Silent Auction five years
ago, said even after just a
few years the auction has
grown.
McMahon said now the
size of the event and the
community interest is
much larger than in the
past — bringing in nearly
$500 to help support the
Hertford Downtown
Beautification project last
year alone.
McMahon, who expects
the auction to match last
year’s donation, said close
to 200 antiques and col
lectibles will be up for bid
ding from 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Feb. 12 and noon-3 p.m. Feb.
13.
A large turn of the cen
tury oak chest with mirror
will be one of the largest
items among things like
Continued on page 9
youth.
Burroughs said while
this nationwide program
has been in place for many
years through the Society
for the Preservation and
Encouragement of
Barbershop Quartet
Singing in America, the
Albemarle Sounds will
complete their seventh year
with the program this sea
son.
“Sometimes the arts get
the short end of the stick,”
Burroughs said. “The
national organization is
about singing and we are
trying to encourage singing
for everybody.”
Last year. Burroughs
said the quartets delivered
close to 70 singing valen
tines, raising nearly $1,400
for area music programs.
This season The Echoes
and Two by Day and Two by
Night, are the two quartets
that will perform the
singing valentines in
homes, restaurants, schools
Continued on page 9
Art to highlights trailheads, history
ERIN RICKERT
The beginning stages of
the second art installation
by Public Artist Maura
Bordes Cronin is underway
and expected to be complete
near the end of March.
Cronin, a public artist
from Massachusetts, came
to Hertford after she was
chosen for the Art and
Community Landscapes
Residency Program last
summer.
The project, called
Risers, is the second phase
of a three-phase proposal
by Cronin designed to high
light the importance of
area history and natural
conservation as it relates to
the Perquimans County
Blueway/Greenway Plan.
Over the course of the
next two months, Cronin
Continued on page 10
Youth
arrested
for
thefts
ERIN RICKERT
Two Perquimans County
High School students were
recently arrested after
Hertford Police were able to
connect them to a string of
break ins dating back as
late as last year.
Jamie Dwayne Walker,
16, of 112 Brace Ave. and his
classmate Justin Lee, 17, of
550 White Hat Road were
arrested just days apart
after police linked them to
break ins at the
Perquimans' County
Library, Perquimans
County High School and
two homes.
Hertford Police Chief
Dale Vanscoy said police
were able to connect the
boys to the crimes after an
officer discovered Walker
stuck in a ditch on
Ballahack Road behind the
wheel of a Pprquimans
County Schools truck in the
early hours of Jan.l7.
Vanscoy said Walker and
Lee had taken the vehicle
from the school bus garage,
but Walker had dropped
Lee off before he was dis
covered with the vehicle.
Later that day at about
10:45 a.m. police received a
call from the school report
ing a break in at their
portable classrooms that
left four doors damaged,
four 25-inch televisions
stolen and a few broken
windows — tipping officers
off to the boys’ connection
to the crime.
“Through the incident
with the truck and the
Continued on page 9
PHOTO BY ERIN RICKERT
risers
Public artist Maura Bordes Cronin works on the
component of the Blueway-Greenway project.
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 49
Low: 34
Showers
Friday
High: 50
Low: 31
Few Showers
Saturday
High: 52
Low: 33
Partly Cloudy