Cool cars hang out here
f^ge 2
Prayer conference coming to HBC
Rage 7
PQ wins district hunter safety title
Page 8
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4
%
April 4, 2007
Vol. 75, No. 14 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Weekly
OLFis
need
MARGARET FISHER
U.S. Navy officials say
they need an outlying land
ing field and they need it in
North Carolina — ideally
halfway between Naval Air
Station Oceana in Virginia
Beach, Va., and Marine
Corp Air Station Cherry
Point in Havelock.
And the reason why they
say they need an OLF —
although they have one in
Chesapeake, Va. — is
because of increased need
for training during surge
operations. During those
times, there could be as
many as five carriers with
jets vying for practice time
at Fentress, as well as at an
alternative OLF site.
Just how often does that
happen? Ted Brown, U.S.
Fleet Forces Command
spokesman for the Navy,
said that the Navy has had
surge operations “a couple
of times” since the
Department of Homeland
Security was set up nearly
five years ago.
After the terrorism
attack on the twin towers
in New York, the Navy had
to increase its capabilities
in training and readiness.
Brown said. More carriers
than previously required
have to be ready to go with
in 30 days, and carriers in
the Pacific may be relocat
ed to the Atlantic, if neces
sary, he said.
“The Navy needs to be
able to deploy five carri
ers,” Brown said, although
he added that it would be
unlikely
The Navy’s preferred
OLF site C in Washington
County is situated halfway
between the two bases
where F/A-18 Super
Hornet fighter jets are sta
tioned. Brown said that the
location of Site C will
allow pilots to fly to the
OLF, practice carrier take
offs and landings and
return to their bases with
out having to refuel during
the exercise.
The cost? Jeopardizing
the lives of pilots and
birds, millions of dollars
in aircraft equipment and
disturbing thousands of
waterfowl and the only
habitat for rare red wolves.
No problem. The Navy
says that all can be man
aged in the more than
200,000 acres of the
Pocosin Lakes National
Wildlife Refuge surround
ing Pungo Lake.
At a recent public hear
ing in Perquimans, a dis
play board stated that the
number of bird-aircraft
strikes were low on other
military bases located near
wildlife facilities. While
the exact number was not
mentioned, one thing is
certain — low does not
mean none.
The Navy claims to use
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service data in drawing
Continued on page 12
PAL show
PHOTO BY MARGARET FISHER
A gallery filled with unique and varied pieces awaits those who view the PAL l\/lembers Show exhibit on
display through April 13 at the PAL Gallery in Hall of Fame Square. Read about in on page 2.
Mickey’s
moves to
WoodviJle
MARGARET FISHER
Mickey’s Sales & Service
moved from Elizabeth City
to Woodville in December
and is now manufacturing
a line of cleaning products.
Bill Summerour and
Irving Jones bought the
business, which sold janito
rial supplies and fishing
tackle, in 1987. The two
dropped the fishing prod
ucts and now carry clean
ing and office supplies.
Less than a month ago,
the two formed WES-J and
began producing their own
line of products. Their
plant is capable of produc
ing up to 3,000 gallons a day
Mickey’s celebrated a
grand opening last
Wednesday in the former
Skills Inc. building.
The company produces a
variety of cleaning sup
plies, about 25 percent of
which are earth-friendly.
Summerour said that the
company plans on produc
ing about 80 percent green
products in the near future.
“We’ll be doing almost
all earth-friendly prod
ucts,” he said.
Mickey’s supplies whole
sale orders for schools, hos-
PHOTO BY MARGARET FISHEF?
Mickey's Sales & Service moved from Elizabeth City to
Woodville, and the cleaning product manufacturer and
janitorial supply sales company celebrated the move;
with a ribbon cutting last week.
not only earth-friendls^, but.
will not cause harm when
accidentally ingested. Yet,
this product, created in
Russia, will kill germs and
can be used to sterilize
instruments and food serv-
pitals, restaurants and
other companies, but retail
customers can also pur
chase individual items at
the store.
The business sells all
purpose cleaners, floor
cleaners and strippers,
idefoamers, degreasers, dis
infectants and other types
of janitorial supplies.
They also offer work
shops to teach people how
to use those products.
In fact, Summerour’s
vision includes building a
training center to teach
people such skills as how to
strip floors and clean rest
rooms.
They are currently work
ing on manufacturing a
green disinfectant that is
ice areas.
They sell or lease high
powered hand dryers that
reduce paper waste and use
90 percent less energy than
standard restroom dryers.
Summerour keeps his
phone handy to answer cus
tomer questions and fill
their orders.
“I think we’re the best
company of our size for the
service,” Summerour said.
“Customer service is nurn-
ber one and will always be
number one.”
Central School wins state award
MARGARET FISHER
Out of more than 50
school districts across the
state to compete,
Perquimans Central School
won the N.C. Association of
School Administrators
Trailblazer Award in the
elementary school catego
ry
The award, in its second
year, recognizes achieve
ments that have forged
ahead in the state’s
accountability program
through innovation and
excellence in
education.“Our awards
program is an annual cele
bration of the best and
brightest in North
Carolina’s public schools,”
Continued on page 12
Tippy
canoe
dumps
two
MARGARET FISHER
Ronnie Duncan, 18, and
his 13-year-old cousin were
stranded in Muddy Creek
when their canoe capsized
during a fishing outing.
The two young men
spent about 40 minutes in
the swampy water waiting
to be rescued on March 26,
said Perquimans County
Sheriff Eric Tilley.
They had been fishing
about two hours, each lean
ing towards the opposite
side of the 16-foot wide-
belly canoe. Shortly after 5
p.m., both leaned over the
same side and the boat
tipped over.
Duncan, who lives at 148
Mill Road in New Hope, and
his cousin remained stand
ing in the shallow water for
about 10 minutes until
someone noticed them from
the shore, Tilley said.
The boys’ feet were sink
ing in the sticky mud below
the water. Eventually, they
turned the canoe over, fUled
it with water and sunk it so
they could stand on top of
it, Tilley said.
William Ray Chappell,
who owns the adjacent
I property, retrieved the two
from the water. A U. S. Coast
Guard helicopter arrived
just as they were getting
into the rescue boat, Tilley
said. Perquimans County
Water Rescue and
Emergency Management
also responded.
No injuries weire report
ed by the two boat ers.
TWo
men
shot
MARGARET FISHER
Two shootings that
police believe are unrelat
ed happened over the last
week.
On March 27 at about
11:20 p.m., Hertford Police
responded to an unidenti
fied call that shots had
been fired in Dogwood
Mobile Home Park.
Sgt.Brian Riddick and
officer Bud Reynolds scout-
fid the area, but didn’t find
anyone, said Police Chief
Dale Vanscoy. Then dis
patch notified Riddick that
Chowan Hospital had
admitted a gunshot victim.
Wadelle Harvey told
police he had been driving
through the mobile home
park when he heard gun
shots and some of them hit
his vehicle, Vanscoy said.
After Harvey drove
away, he felt a pain in his
side. Then he realized he
had been shot, Vanscoy
said.
He drove to a friend’s
house and the friend took
him to the hospital about
15 minutes after the inci
dent.
Police canvassed the
neighborhood, including
Pineridge Mobile Home
Park. A couple of residents
reported hearing gunshots,
but'most said that they did
not see or hear anything,
Vanscoy said.
The bullet had entered
the left side of Harvey’s
abdomen and stopped on
the right side. Hospital offi
cials planned to airlift
Harvey to Greenville, but
the helicopter broke down,
Vanscoy said. Harvey was
released the following day.
Police found shell cas
ings and tire tracks in
Dogwood. They also found
that Harvey’s brother’s
vehicle had been shot at
twice while parked in the
neighborhood.
Police retrieved the shell
casings, bullet fragments
and a bullet from the vehi
cles and area and are send
ing them to the State
Bureau of Investigation in
Greenville. The investiga
tion is pending.
In a second incident,
Devon Thatch, 21, claims
he was shot, although no
Continued on page 12
Weather
Thursday
High: 63, Low: 40
Sunny
Friday
High: 59, Low: 39
Sunny
Saturday
High: 59, Low: 38
Mostly Sunny