■3
Rayburn earns
state honor
Rage 3
M 2 5 7,1117
July 25, 2007
Vol. 75, No. 31 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Weekly
Man
iiyured
in wreck
Monday
CATHY WILSON
Editorial Assistant
A single vehicle acci
dent Monday morning in
Belvidere sent one man to
Sentara Norfolk General
via helicopter.
Trooper M. J. Kerrigan
with the North Carolina
Highway Patrol said Jose'
Antonio Reyes, 38, of
Corapeake was injured
when the 2001 Ford pick
up truck he was driving
wrecked on Highway 37
around 8:16 a.m.
Traveling westbound,
the truck rounded a curve
when it ran off the road
way, overcorrected, rolled
over crossing the center
line, and landed in a ditch
on the opposite side of the
roadway. Reyes was not
wearing a seal belt when
the accident occurred.
Kerrigan said neither
alcohol nor speed con
tributed to the accident.
Members of the
Perquimans Volunteer
Rescue Squad responded
and transported Reyes to
meet Nightingale, which
landed at the Perquimans
County Softball Fields in
Winfall.
Belvidere/Chappel Hill
Volunteer Fire
Department assisted at
the scene of the accident,
and the Winfall volunteer
firefighters helped coordi
nate Nightingale's landing
on the ball field.
To our readers
No, it’s not your
imagination. This
week’s, edition really is
a little narrower.
We’ve converted to a
smaller newsprint size,
whcih we call the
“web” for short.
The Perquimans
Weekly is now printed
on a 24-inch web —
that’s the width of two
printed pages, side by
side. Through last
week, the newspaper
was printed on a 25-
inch web.
The change was
made for three reasons:
(1) It saves newsprint;
(2) It saves costs; and (3)
It saves trees. The
change reflects the Cox
Newspapers “Cox
Cares” initiative, focus
ing on environmental
issues. (See the web-
link “Living Green” on
Dailyadvance.com.)
The length of the
newspaper is the same
—21 inches of print
space, and the web con
version has not affect
ed any content. If you
have any questions,
call or email us: 426-
5 7 2 8;
pwpublisher@earthlin
k.net
Susan Harris
Editor & Publisher
Hail from the chief
Ensign Christopher Pulliam, President George W. Bush, and father Scott Pulliam, a retired chief petty
officer with the Coast Guard, pose for pictures following Ensign Pulliam's graduation from the
United States Coast Guard Academy May 23. Ensign Pulliam, of Hertford, is a graduate of Perquimans
County High School.
Pullian graduates from Coast Guard Academy
CATHY WILSON
Editorial Assistant
While most college
graduations are memo
rable, Christopher
Pulliam's commence
ment was especially
poignant. Not only did
he receive his commis
sion as an officer in the
United States Coast
Guard from his father,
but he met the president
of the United States as
well.
The 23-year-old
Hertford resident gradu
ated from the United
States Coast Guard
Academy on May 23 in
New London, Ct. He
received his commission
as ensign from his
father, Scott Pulliam, a
retired chief petty offi
cer with the Coast
Guard. President George
W. Bush was also on
stage and. helped with
the presentation as well.
“It was one of the
most exciting moments
of my life,” said Pulliam.
“Meeting the president
was quite an honor, but
having my dad there
with me was very spe
cial. I could not have
done this without the
help of my parents.”
The president con
gratulated Pulliam on
his accomplishments,
and then posed with him
for pictures.
Proud papa Scptt also
shook hands with the
president, but complete
ly forgot the command-
er-in-chiefs presence
when son Chris walked
on stage.
“At that moment, all I
could see was Chris, and
I completely stepped
right in front of the pres
ident of the United
States to hug my son,”
said Scott. “This was
Chris's day, and even the
president being there
couldn't take that away
from my son. It was an
awesome experience.”
After taking pictures,
the president gave Scott
a Texas style slap on the
back, saying “God bless
you and God bless your
son,” words that
impressed both Pulliam
men immensely
Pulliam graduated
with honors in 2002 from
Perquimans County
High School. With his
father stationed at the
Elizabeth City Coast
Guard base for 10 years,
Chris grew up admiring
the search and rescue
teams flown out of the
local base. As a young
boy, he dreamed of
becoming a pilot and
even considered joining
the Air Force. But, after
attending a religious
retreat as a teenager, he
decided he'd rather fly to
save lives than take lives,
so he set his sights on
the Coast Guard. His
goal is to one day attend
flight school and pilot
helicopters for search
and rescue missions for
the Coast Guard.
Competition getting
into the academy is
tight, and Christopher
was concerned his
College Board scores
weren't high enough for
entrance. He didn't
believe a student from a
small town in North
Carolina had a chance of
being accepted. Anxious,
he threw his academy
application into the
trashcan.
“It got close to the
deadline for sending in
that application,”
remembers his mother,
Gina, “so I asked him
where the application
was so we could send it
in. He told me he didn't
think he would get in, so
he threw it away. We
made him dig in the
garbage can and find
that application.”
He did apply, and his
concerns rang^ true
when he first received a
rejection letter. But a few
weeks later, he received
a second letter asking
him to attend the Naval
Academy Prep School to
help him prepare for the
Coast Guard Academy,
the smallest of the
nation's four military
academies.
Pulliam attended the
Navel Academy Prep
School for a year where
he learned study skills
that helped him com
plete the next four years
in the academy, which
earned him a degree in
government. The first
two years were especial
ly tough. Twenty-one
semester credits are
required during the first
two semesters, as well as
taking part in a competi
tive sport.
Even though the 6'3”
Pulliam ran cross-coun
try, played baseball, and
competed on the school's
hunter safety team in
high school, he chose to
row in college. He served
as a member of the acad
emy's men's crew team
for four years.
Ensign Pulliam is cur
rently attending board
ing officer school in
South Carolina. He is
assigned to the US.
Coast Guard cutter
Dependable and is
scheduled for deploy
ment to the Caribbean
next month.
Board
new
SUSAN HARRIS
It was a night of change
at the regular school board
meeting Monday night,
with a new superintendent
sworn in and a chairman
and vice chairman chosen
for the coming year.
Dwayne Stallings, tapped
several months ago to
replace
Stallings
retiring
superin
tendent
Kenneth
Wells, was
formally
sworn in
and
presided
over his
first school
board meeting. The meet
ing was held at Central
School, which earlier host
ed a reception in Stallings’
honor.
Stallings’ first order of
business was to preside
over the
election of
a chair and
vice chair
of the
board for
the coming
year.
W a 11 a c e
Nelson
was named
chairman
with the support of fellow
members William Byrum,
Gail HiU and Gloria Mason.
Walter Leigh and Helen
Shaw voted for Leigh for
chair.
Nelson
abstained.
Walter
Leigh
retained
his post as
vice chair
man with
votes from
B y r u m ,
Leigh, Shaw and Nelson.
Nelson
n
Leigh
Hill backed
abstained.
Mason, who
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 86, Low: 36
Isolated Tstorms
Friday
High: 88, Low: 73
Scattered Tstorms
Saturday
High: 90, Low: 73
SCAHERED T'STORMS