Bero honored
Rage 2
Tarkington copes with amputation
Rage 4
Pirates get a win
Page 7
Thi
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HERTFORD, t-y-'
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April 18,2007
W. 75. Wo. 16 Henfori. Worth Carolina 27944
PerqtjimAns
Weekly
New
super
Stallings
tapped by
board to lead
schools
SUSAN HARRIS
A veteran of
Perquimans County
Schools was chosen to
serve as superintendent
Tuesday morning.
Assistant
Superintendent Dwayne
K
Stallings,
Dwayne
Stallings
50, will
move up
to the lead
adminis
trator’s
spot effec
tive Juh
1.
“It was
obviously
a career
advancement, but I see it
mainly as an opportunity
to influence more stu
dents, teachers, fellow
colleagues and adminis
trators,” said Stallings.
“Perquimans is where I
want to complete my
tenure. The sense of
community, the knowl
edge and expertise of the
staff and their ability to
build relationships with
students is impressive
and is the reason the
school district is so suc
cessful. ”
Stallings came to
Perquimans County
Schools in 1993 as assis
tant principal at the high
school. He went on to
serve as principal at both
the elementary and high
school levels, and was
named Principal of the
Year in 2001.
For the past four years,
he has been assistant
superintendent, super-
Continued on page 12
A mighty wind
■
PHOTOS BY PHIL HARRIS
April has been filled with weather events from snow flurries to
this past weekend's torrential rains, thunder and lightning, and
strong, gusting winds. On Sunday afternoon, winds ripped
through the Belvidere farm of Virginia Winslow, bringing havoc to
outbuildingsy. Much of the debris had been cleaned up by noon
on Monday, but the winds continued to blow through Tuesday.
Even ducks on the river had to paddle furiously in the choppy
waters. Emergency Management Coordinator Jarvis Winslow said
Tuesday morning that he received no reports of damage.
Com
new
fuel
crop
MARGARET FISHER
Corn was a staple food
eaten by American
Indians. Today, young and
old enjoy the juicy ker
nels fresh off the cob or
dried and ground for grits
or breading.
But high fuel costs have
people seeking cheaper
and more readily avail
able forms of energy, such
as corn. And corn is easi
ly grown throughout the
state.
Interest in corn as a
source of ethanol has
caused prices to rise
recently
“Corn is higher today
(in price) than it has been
in years,” said Lewis
Smith, field crop agent for
the Perquimans County
Continued on page 12
Commission gets economic development grant
MARGARET FISHER
Albemarle Commission
received a nearly $40,000
grant for economic develop
ment planning for 2007.
The grant came from the
U.S. Department of
Commerce’s Economic
Development
Administration as part of
the $119,000 state funding to
help meet the economic
development needs of dis
tressed communities.
Albemarle Commission
uses the funds to develop
its comprehensive strategic
plan for each fiscal year.
In Perquimans County,
the Commission is focused
on five project areas. These
are providing infrastruc
ture around the Commerce
Centre, working out a
Strategic Plan for
Economic Development,
tourism-related efforts,
attracting industry into
currently vacant buildings
and developing the down
town.
Bert Banks, new execu
tive director of the
Commission, said he has
met with Perquimans
County Manager Bobby
Darden and Hertford Town
Manager John Christensen
to discuss economic needs.
“Infrastructure is most
ly what they’re looking
for,” Banks said.
The Commission assists
by writing grants, securing
project funding and identi
fying priority road needs
for the N.C. Department of
Transportation.
The Commission is in
the process of interviewing
for an economic develop
ment planner — a position
that is crucial for carry out
the 2007 projects.
“This is a real hole in the
organization,” Banks said,
“and we need to get that
hole filled as soon as possi
ble.”
Transportation planning
is a large part of the
Commission’s work. The
Rural Planning
Organization provides
about $80,000 in support of
road and bridge improve
ment needs in the 10-coun
ty region. Those needs are
compiled each year for
DOT’S Transportation
Improvement Program.
One of the recommenda
tions made to Banks is to
create a planning network
where key planning offi
cials could meet on a regu
lar basis for discussions.
Another specific area of
concern in Perquimans is
to renovate dilapidated
houses for the elderly.
Albemarle Commission
hopes to be able to provide
a planning and zoning offi
cial that will be available to
help small towns who can
not afford to pay for a full
time position. Banks said.
Rose Pointe Community gets nod from commissioners
MARGARET FISHER
After months of working
through county commis
sioners and public con
cerns, Rose Pointe
Community, a planned unit
development in Old Neck,
got the go-ahead for condi
tional re-zoning and build
ing at a special called meet
ing on Monday.
“I must say, this has been
the most thorough process
we’ve been through,” said
Mack Nixon, commissioner
chairman.
The county hired a con
sultant, Roger Waldon, of
Clarion Associates in
Chapel Hill, to study the
proposal submitted by Rose
Pointe developers.
The county approved the
development with a num
ber of changes to the origi
nal application.
The planning board had
recommended 840
dwellings based on 1.42
dwellings per acre on the
591-acre property. Waldon i
recommended that unus
able wetland areas be
removed from the calcula
tions and there be two'
dwellings per acre. That!
raises the total number of
dwellings to 962.
“It seems that usable
land is a better way to cal
culate this,” said commis
sioner Ben Hobbs.
The building will be
done in two phases. Phase
One will include 600 units.
Lot widths will be 50 feet;
and side setbacks will be 7'
feet for up to 30 percent of
the lots and 10 feet for at
least 70 percent of the lots.
The development will
include a pond with two
lifts that will take boats to
and from the river without
creating a disturbance in
the creek. The lifts can
move 18 boats in an hour,
said County Manager
Bobby Darden.
Based on a recent traffic
study that looks at the next
GRAPHIC COURTESY PERQUIMANS COUNTY MANAGER/ROSE POINTE
An artist's rendering of the developed
Rose Pointe Community.
10 years of expected devel
opment, the developer is
required to provide turn
lanes at the Union Hall/Old
Neck roads intersection at
Bundy Road and the inter
section at New Hope and
Union Hall roads.
Commissioners asked for
another turn lane at U.S.
Highway 17 at Union Hall
Road.
Off-site infrastructure is
required to be completed
within one year or before
the 301st building permit.
On-site infrastructure
must be completed before
the first building permit is
issued.
Rose Pointe will build a
$12 million wastewater
treatment plant and even
tually seU it to a private
company to operate and
maintain. The plant will
use a membrane technolo
gy that produces no dis
charge.
In addition, they will
have to cost-share their
water supply. They have
until August 2007 to tap
into water to be supplied
from Pasquotank County.
However, if an agreement
for water is not made by
August 2007 with
Pasquotank, then the devel
oper will have to provide
alternative water.
The developer is
required to create berms
and buffers using some
evergreen shrubs. They
also must provide protec
tion for large trees on the
property.
Curbside trash pickup
and recycling will be done.
No private docks or board
walks will be allowed.
Developers relieved
fears brought up at the
meeting by saying that
eagles known to be nesting
in the area will be protect
ed.
Weather
Thursday
High: 60, Low: 45
Showers
Friday
High: 64, Low: 47
Mostly Qoudy
Saturday
High: 66, Low: 50
Sunny