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Native pens memoirs
Page 2
4-H honors members
F^ge 4
PCHS, rec hoops updates
Rage 8
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February 7, 2007
Vol. 75, No. 6 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Weekly
PCHS gym construction begins Sweet
MARGARET FISHER
About 70 people watched
or participated as shovels
hit the ground at the site of
the new Perquimans
County High School gym
nasium on Monday morn-
mg.
In the background, con
struction noise could be
heard as Superintendent
Dr. Kenneth Wells
explained to the group clus
tered in front of two school
buses that he lad told crew
workers not to stop work
ing on the long-awaited
new facility. Not even the
cold temperatures were
going to stop the work from
beginning.
The groundbreaking
event was attended by
school board members,
including chairwoman
Gloria Mason, who gave the
welcome speech, town may
ors, and town and county
managers. Also present
were representatives from
A.R. Chesson Construction,
Boney architectural firm
and N.C. Rural
Development and RBC
Centura, both of which pro
vided funding, and faculty,
administrators and stu
dents from Perquimans
County Schools.
Building the new facility
is more than simply replac
ing a building, said James
Bunch, high school princi
pal.
“It’s a future learning
events
PHOTO BY MARGARET FISHER
School and government officials and students broke ground on Monday for the new Perquimans County High
School gymnasium. About 70 officials, school staff and students attended the long-awaited event. The $13
million facility will seat 950 people.
environment for our stu
dents,” Bunch said.
After mentioning how
the state faces challenges in
providing funds to meet
current school needs,
County Manager Bobby
Darden said that the local
school and county boards
have worked hard to get
this project off the ground.
WeUs also commended the
town for moving Jimmy
Hunter Drive so the gymna
sium and renovation proj
ect could begin.
The work is expected to
be completed in 18 months.
“A lot of great things are
going to happen in this
building,” said Larry
Tearry, assistant principal
and athletic director at the
high school.
Occupancy
tax sought
MARGARET FISHER
Perquimans County is
proposing a tourism devel
opment board to adminis
ter an occupancy tax from
hotels and motels should
any be constructed in the
county.
Commissioners voted 3-2
to make a request to legisla
tors to collect an occupancy
tax. Ben Hobbs and Charles
Ward did not approve of the
request. Hobbs and his wife
own and operate a bed and
breakfast. Ward was a
member of a group that
considered building a motel
in Hertford several years
ago, but opted not to build it
when Hertford Town
Council refused to set aside
its water and sewer impact
fee for the business.
The proposal includes a 6
percent occupancy tax, 3
percent of which would be
used by the county to offset
the collection costs. Two-
thirds of the proceeds must
be used to promote travel
and tourism and the
remainder must be used for
tourism-related purposes.
If approved by the
General Assembly, a resolu
tion will have to be passed,
said County Manager
Bobby Darden.
Perquimans is one of the
few counties in the state
that does not currently
impose an occupancy tax.
The 6-member tourism
board will include repre
sentatives from the county,
towns and businesses and
they must reside or work
within the county.
School drop-out rate rises here
MARGARET FISHER
The number of dropouts
at Perquimans County
High School increased for
the 2005-2006 fiscal year.
A total of 47 students, 27
male and 20 female,
dropped out of school by
the end of the school year,
taking the dropout rate to
5.23 percent. That’s up
from 4.18 the year before.
In five previous years,
the highest rate was 5.18 or
46 students in 2003-2004.
Out of the 47 students
who dropped out last year,
28 are white, 18 are black
and one is Asian.
Of six surrounding
counties, the highest rate
is Pasquotank County at
3.94 percent. In descending
order is Camden at 3.36,
Currituck at 3.18, Gates at
3.02, Chowan at 2.38 and
Dare at 2.22 percent
Some students drop out
to take care of pressing
family, financial or person
al matters and later
return, said Brenda
Lassiter, school public
information officer. PCHS
principal James Bunch
encourages his staff to
keep lines of communica
tion open so they are
aware of what’s occurring
in students’ lives away
from school, Lassiter said.
Officials are also testing
ways to keep students in
school, she said.
The state dropout rate is
5.04 percent for 2005-2006.
A year earlier, it was 4.74
percent. Most of the state
increases occurred in five
of the largest school dis
tricts. Statewide, the
majority of students are
black males, between the
ages of 16 and 18 and drop
out in the ninth grade.
The numbers of stu
dents who dropout to
enroU in community col
lege have increased rapid
ly. Attendance is also
another common reason
reported.
“The fact that we see a
significant increase in stu
dents dropping out to
enroll in community col
leges shows that they
understand education will
be important to their
future,” said Howard Lee,
State Board of Education
chairman.
New this yqar is a
cohort graduation rate
which follows students
who entered as freshmen
and determines how many
of them graduated four
years later. /
“This takes a better pic
ture of the graduation
rates,” Lassiter said.
Out of 167 students, 119
of them graduated in four
years, giving PCHS a
cohort graduation rate of
71.25 percent.
These students entered
the freshmen class at
PCHS in 2002-2003 and
graduated there in 2005-
2006. It includes those stu
dents who graduated in
summer 2006.
The cohort dropout
number of students is 44,
including 19 males and 25
females, 28 whites, 14
blacks, one Asian and one
American Indian.
The highest number of
dropouts through the four
years of the class of 2006
occurred in junior year
when 22 students dropped
out. The least amount of
dropouts (two) occurred
during senior year.
Dwa3me Stallings, assis
tant superintendent, broke
Continued on page 11
Hertford’s own version
of the popular TV offering
“Antiques Roadshow” will
arrive in town on Saturday,
Feb. 17 during the third
annual Sweetheart
Weekend. The Antique
Appraisal Fair will be from
10 a.m. — 4 p.m at the
Hertford United Methodist
Church at 200 Dobbs Street.
Textiles, guns, gems and
furniture will be among the
many items accepted for
appraisal. Tickets are $10
per item.
Experienced appraisers
such as Edward and Henry
King from S^affolk, Va.; Ed
Fearing; Thomas Hampton
and Ed and Virginia Perva
will be among those on
hand to help owners value
items.
Also during the day, the
annual silent auction will
be held at Hertfordshire
Antiques frbm 10 a.m. — 5
p.m. Located at 134 N.
Church Street,
Hertfordshire is one of the
most highly acclaimed
antique shops in the north
east.
Proceeds from the events
will benefit Historic
Hertford, Inc., Hertford’s
Main Street Program.
At 6 p.m., the Friends of
the Vineyard from the
Newbold-l^ite House will
present an International
Wine Tasting and Food
Pairing. Six wines from
France, Italy and Chile will
be offered along with inter
national foods which com
pliment the wines.
The historic George E.
Major House, 131 West
Market Strdet, will be the
site of the wine tasting. The
extraordinary Colonial
Revival, built over 100 years
ago, is a romantic residence
with a double-pile center
hall.
‘ Albemarle Chamber
Players, led by Nancy and
Charles Jones of Hertford,
will charm attendees with
string music from the
seven-member group. A
silent auction and raffle
wiU also be held during the
candle-lit affair.
Tickets are $15. Proceeds
will go toward the planting
of the vineyard at the
Newbold-White House.
Advance tickets are sug
gested and available for all
events. They are available
at the Perquimans
Chamber of Commerce at
the Visitors’ Center or by
caUing 426-5657 or 426-3700.
Rose Pointe rezoning thorny issue
MARGARET FISHER
County commissioners tabled a
proposal for a planned unit develop
ment in Old Neck on Monday night.
About 70 people filled the upstairs
courtroom during the hearing.
The developer, R.A. Management
located near Charlotte, has proposed
a 962-lot PUD on 591 acres off Bundy
Road. The subdivision. Rose Pointe,
would be situated at the mouth of
the Perquimans River and Suttons
Creek in property zoned historic
agriculture.
David Luddy of R.A. Management
asked commissioners for a condi
tional use permit to rezone the prop
erty for a PUD. He compared it to
Phase 2 of Albemarle Plantation.
After residents gave their input,
commissioners stated their con
cerns.
“I’d like to secure a consultant to
analyze and review what’s been pre
sented to us,” said commissioner
Tammy Miller-White. “That would
make everone feel more comfortable
with the project.”
The concern wasn’t as much the
residential subdivision, itself, but an
issue about two hoists planned at the
mouth of the creek that would take
boats to and from Suttons Creek and
the development’s planned lake.
Resident Dick Todd expressed
concerns that if 50 percent of the
residents owned boats and 10 percent
of them decided to go boating one
day, there would be a congested line
up of boats in the creek waiting to be
hoisted. In a storm, he stated, there
could be a potential for damaged
boats. He suggested that the hoists Ije
placed away from the mouth.
Luddy answered by saying the
matter could be looked into but there
would likely be environmental con
cerns with wetlands further up the
creek.
After the hearing, Michael Smith,
who lives at the mouth of the creek,
said that it takes about 15 to 20 min
utes for each boat to be hoisted and,
therefore, hoisting boats could be an
all-day endeavor.
Continued on page 2
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 46, Low: 27
Parry Qoudy
Friday
High: 41, Low: 28
Parry Cloudy
Saturday
High: 46, Low: 29
Partly Cloudy