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Library hosts book signing
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Give trees a check-up
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Recreation basketball update
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January 25, 2006
Vol. 74, No. 4 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
-1“'C5
PERQUIHKBS COUST7 LIBRAP7
110 W ACiiDEMT ST
HEP^-OED, SC 27S44-1306
Perquimans
Weekiy
Schools earn state safety award
Lock-down
drill part of
safety plan
MARGARET FISHER
Perquimans Central
School halls were filled
with law enforcement,
emergency and school offi
cials as part of a lock down
drill that took place last
Friday.
It’s just one of a number
of safety drills the schools
practice annually, helping
aU four schools in the coun
ty to be the recipient of the
Triple “S” Super Safe
School award for 2005-2006.
The award is given to
schools for providing a safe
learning environment for
children and educators.
“Fm really proud that
each school has been recog
nized for the tremendous
effort that they put into
safety,” said
Superintendent Kenneth
WeUs.
The schools routinely
have driUs covering inci-
k'./;-TIS
-
* H'
PHOTO BY MARGARET FISHER
dents involving fire, torna-
When Code Red was announced at Perquimans Central School during an intruder
lock down drill, law enforcement, emergency and school officials swarmed the
building to account for all the students. Principal Billy Stallings prepared the group
for the exercise. The school was one of four that won the Triple "S" Super Safe
School award for 2005-2006.
Stallings. of last week’s drill,
does, hurricanes and evac- “This is part of our safe . The lock down drill pre-
uations, said Central school plan - county wide pares students and staff on
School Principal BiUy and school,” Stallings said Continued on page 9
County purchases
voting machines
Touch-screens
chosen
MARGARET FISHER
The Perquimans
County Board of Elections
got the voting machines
they wanted after meeting
with county commission
ers last week.
After the board present
ed the disadvantages of
the optical scan and
advantages of the Direct
Record Electronic voting
machines, the commis
sioners approved purchas
ing the higher priced
iVotronic DRE’s or touch
screen units.
“The Board of Elections
obviously felt like it was
the best way to go, even
though they are more
expensive,” said County
Manager Bobby Darden.
Three board members
voted yes and two didn’t
vote, constituting two yes
votes, Darden said.
The $106,000 Help
America Vote Act Election
Fund grant is to be used
first to pay the $175,000 ini
tial cost. The county will
be able to split the $61,000
over two years, Darden
said. This year, funds will
likely come from reserve
funds or additional rev
enues brought in before
July, he said.
Election Board Director
Eula Forbes said that the
precinct workers are
already familiar with the
DRE, so training will go
faster. Some of those work
ers presented the differ
ences between the two
types of units, made by
Elections Systems &
Software, to commission
ers.
“(Precinct workers)
were a very positive influ
ence for the commission
ers to purchase the DRE’s
because they’re the ones
that will actually be using
the equipment,” Forbes
said.
Continued on page 9
Two help feed Katrina workers,
find unity in shattered gulf region
MARGARET FISHER
Two Perquimans County
women started the year by
helping to feed more than
150 relief workers in the
hurricane-torn area of
Long Beach, Miss.
Dottie Hall and Pam
McCabe, along with Hall’s
sister, Ann Beeson of
Newport News, Va., spent a
week near the gulf prepar
ing meals and taking in an
eyeful of devastation.
“I have wanted to go ever
since the wind stopped -
knowing the devastation
and help that was needed,
and that maybe, I could do a
little,” Hall said.
The three traveled
together, but were part of a
volunteer group of 15
Jehovah’s Witnesses, most
ly from the Newport News
area, that went to work in
food service between Jan. 2-
6. Other groups came from
the northeast, mid-west
and southern states.
Groups typically stay about
a week, but one elderly cou
ple, who came from
Canada, had been working
there for nearly four
months, HaU said.
HaU was familiar with
the area before Hurricane
Katrina swept through the
gulf. She had talked to peo
ple there before arriving, so
she had an expectation of
the destruction she would
encounter.
StiU, she described her
first day of touring the
neighborhoods as “unimag
inable.” ;
“You could ride for miles
and see nothing but slab
after slab,” she said. “A lot
of debris, but nothing large
enough that even looked
like a home. Sometimes
you’d see a set of steps or
rod iron steps leading to
nowhere.”
Hall said she remem
bered that the area was
known for its spectacular
live oak trees. But she was
n’t expecting to see refrig
erators perched in the
broad-limbed branches or
clothes stuck tightly
around them from the force
of moving water.
There were few cars and
people moving about. But
there were mangled cars
that looked like they had
been rolling over for some
time, she said.
Hall said that one sight
was particularly heart
breaking. Apparently, there
were people who had found
or brought chairs and set
them in front of their prop
erty. Occasionally, she
would see a middle-aged
couple sitting in the chairs
- usually facing what was
once their home. Just sit
ting and looking.
Sisters Ann Beeson (left) and Perquimans resident
Dottie Hall put icing on cakes for about 150 of
Jehovah's Witnesses volunteering in Long Beach, Miss.
The two traveled with another resident, Pam McCabe,
to an area devastated by Hurricane Katrina to help
feed relief workers.
One piece of property
had a memorial wreath
hanging on a tree. Below
was a picture of an elderly
couple. “There were no
remains of the house at all
-just the slab,” Hall said.
The railroad tracks were
more or less the dividing
line between the totally
devastated gulf area and
the less devastated inland
area. The .three women
worked and slept on the
inland side.
On Sunday, they attend
ed an orientation to learn
Continued on page 9
Stained glass, photography on exhibit at PAL gallery
Glass art lets artist’s
light shine
MARGARET FISHER
Carlton Dozier never took a class in the
art of stained glass. He read two books
from the library, purchased the minimum
equipment and made a napkin holder.
Ten years ago, Dozier retired as a chief
operator at a water treatment plant in
Elizabeth City. That’s about the time he
began to consider trying his hand at some
type of art medium. Since making his first
stained glass piece, he’s been perfecting
his skills.
Dozier has an exhibit at the Perquimans
Arts League gallery that runs until Feb. 6.
His pieces include table lamps, flowerpots,
stepping stones, boxes, sun catchers and a
table lamp.
The artist works in a shop behind his
home in Pasquotank County. It took a week
to make the floor lamp, he said.
Continued on page 8
c
Beauty in
black and white
PHOTO BY MARGARET FISHER
Martha Harper, a photographer from Durants Neck,
critiques photographs at the Perquimans Arts League
exhibit featuring photographer Edward Sanford and
stained glass artisan Carlton Dozier. The exhibit will
take place through Feb. 6 in the gallery at Hall of Fame
Square.
MARGARET FISHER
Edward Sanford sees everything in
black and white, but he also sees the
shades of gray in between. Sanford is a
photographer who focuses mainly on black
and white rural scenes and abstract tex
tures.
The artist’s works are on display at the
Perquimans Arts League gallery through
Feb. 6. Most of his photos portray the ordi
nary as extraordinary. Like a cat waiting
for the right moment to pounce on its prey,
Sanford spends more time checking out a
potential site, then waits until just the
right moment to snap the picture.
“My goal is that I know what the picture
is going to look like when it comes out of
the fixer,” he said.He knows before he
presses the Shutter exactly what shade of
gray the different elements of the photo
Continued on page 8
Workshop
strengthens
mentoring
skills
MARGARET FISHER
A mentoring workshop
sponsored by Communities
in Schools of North
Carolina was held in
Hertford just in time for
National Mentoring Month.
Last week’s workshop
was designed to attract
community and faith-based
organizations that would
like to start or increase a
mentoring program. The
program focused on how to
understand youth better
and find grant money.
District Court Judge
Carlton Cole was the guest
speaker.
Nancy Barrows, execu
tive director of
Communities in Schools of
Perquimans, also assisted
with the workshop. About
25 people participated in
the workshop held at
Albemarle Commission,
she said.
Continued on page 9
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 51, Low: 30
Sunny
Friday
High: 56, Low:37
Mostly Sunny
Saturday
High: 60, Low: 44
Mostly Cloudy