Arts League plans
active year... page 3
The
Festival Photos
pages 3 & 10
Local Sports
Pirates Roll Past Edenton...page 7
Subscriber of the Week:
Judith Rucker
P1/C1 >'**********CAR-RT LOT**C-O01
PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
110 W ACMIEMY ST 
HERTFORD, HC 27944-1303
/
I
September 12,2007
Vol. 75, No. 37 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
^'News from Next Door*'
r-.
'np>'
Perquimans Weekly photos by CATHY WILSON
THOUSANDS TURNED OUT FOR Saturday's Indian Summer and Hearth Harvest festivals. The day-long
events featured entertainment, food and fun for all ages. Indian Summer brought an old-fashioned
street fair to downtown Hertford, complete with musical entertainment on the courthouse green,
games and rides, vendors along Church and Market streets, and traditional fair foods. There was also a
car show at Missing Mill Park and a lawn mower pull past the park off of Clark Street. At the ca. 1730
Newbold-White House, the past came alive with
artisans, costumed interpreters, house tours and
games and activities that may have taken place
on the site during its history. Festival-goers en
joyed beautiful early fall weather.
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Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 81
Low: 68
Scattered
T'storms .
Football Friday
High: 82
Low: 67
Isolated Fstorms
Saturday
High: 82
Low: 62
SCAHERED
T'storms
Red Cross needs blood, help
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Although the emer
gency appeal for blood has
passed, there is still a criti
cal need for blood dona
tions in the area.
Blood drives will be held
next week in two locations
around Perquimans County.
The American Red
Cross will hold drives both
at New Hope United Meth
odist Church on Sept. 17
from 3:30 — 7:30 p.m. and
at Albemarle Plantation
on Sept. 20 from 11 a.m. — 4
p.m.
Individuals age 17 or
older who weigh a mini
mum of 110 pounds and are
in generally good health
may be eligible to donate
blood. All blood types are
needed.
Over the past two weeks,
the local blood inventory
dropped to dangerously
low levels including a one-
day supply of critical blood
types such as 0-, O-i-, B-,
and A-. Red Cross officials
issued an emergency ap
peal for blood donors and
additional blood drives
were held.
A blood drive was held
at the Perquimans County
Recreational Center last
Tuesday, and Red Cross of
ficials were ecstatic at the
turnout. Sixty-two persons
came out to donate, giving
47 units of blood. Normal
turnout for Perquimans
County is 30-35.
“We thank everyone who
participated,” said Georgia
Donaldson, American Red
Cross area account man
ager. “We apologize that
their wait was longer than
usual. Our turnout was al
most double the norm.”
Still, more is needed. In
addition to blood donors,
the Red Cross needs volun
teers.
Donaldson put out a plea
for area volunteers to help
during the blood drives,
performing tasks such as
registration or serving re
freshments.
Anyone interested in
volunteering should con
tact Peg Kennedy, direc
tor of volunteers, or Betty
Lou Campbell, blood ser
vices coordinator, with the
Greater Albemarle Area
Chapter of the American
Red Cross, at 335-2185 or by
emailing camnbellbl.gaa-
carc@embarQmail.com
Perquimans Weekly Photo by CATHY WILSON
SCHOOL ELECTRICIAN PETE MANSFIELD moves a con
duit box during construction in the English depart
ment at Perquimans County High School. Moisture
and mold were found growing on walls in the wing
causing school officials to move students to other
parts of the school while construction removed and
replaced ceiling tiles and wallboard. Once construc
tion is complete, school officials will continue to
monitor the classrooms for moisture.
High school wing
closed for mold
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Students and teachers
have been moved out of
the English department at
Perquimans County High
School after mold was
found growing on walls.
Walls and ceiling tiles
are being torn down and
replaced.
School
officials hope
to reopen three
English classes
Monday that
were closed
when mold
was found.
and the 3200
sq. ft. wing
is closed
down and
being treat
ed with an
anti-growth
concentrate
to prevent
mold from
occurring
again.
Mainte
nance Direc
tor Jonathan
Nixon said,
provided all supplies come
in as expected, he hopes
to have construction com
pleted so the wing can re
open with students back
in their normal English
classrooms by Monday.
School officials acted
quickly after the mold and
moisture were first spot
ted in one classroom by a
staff member the first day
of school. Administrators
conferred with regional
health officials, students
were relocated immedi
ately to other areas of the
school, and a letter went
home to parents notifying
S oSrhave “
Nixon added that the roof
being off this summer dur
ing replacement also added
to the problem.
A drain located in the
courtyard has been uncov
ered to help control water
run-off.
The wing is closed to the
rest of the school to keep
mold spores or dust from
spreading
during the
demolition,
construc
tion and
cleaning
process.
In an ef
fort to be
proactive,
school of
ficials de
cided to
replace all
ceiling tiles
in the wing
since tiles
are porous and tend to hold
mold spores. More manage
able 2x2 ft. tiles are replac
ing the large 2x4 ft. tiles.
Wallboard and insula
tion showing any indica
tions of moisture or mold
are also being replaced
with new material that
is moisture, mildew and
mold resistant. During the
construction process, the
school will also upgrade
wiring, in the wing and re
place the classrooms’ glass
partitions with solid walls.
Maintenance staff is do
ing much of the work dur
ing school hours; however
noted no health problems
relating to the moisture,
mold and mildew.
“Initially, we were just
going to fix the wall where
the mold was found, but
once we started digging,
we found more moisture in
other areas of the wing,”
said Brenda Lassiter,
spokesperson for the coun
ty school system.
Three classrooms in the
wing were impacted from
moisture believed to come
from a leaky roof that was
replaced over the summer.
In addition,' water run-off
from the adjacent school
courtyard apparently
seeped into the wing, add
ing additional moisture.
The moisture, combined
with hot temperatures and
high humidity this sum
mer, apparently caused the
mold to form on the walls.
night in order not to im
pact instructional time for
the students, is performing
the work that can’t be done
in-house.
Nixon estimates the cost
of remedying the moisture
and mold problem between
$10,000-$12,000, not includ
ing in-house labor.
Of course, with mainte
nance employees focusing
on the high school’s wing,
regular maintenance is
sues in the division are
starting to pile up.
“We have a backlog of
maintenance issues at the
other schools,” said Nixon.
“Right now, we’re only re
sponding to life safety is
sues.”
Lassiter said school of
ficials would continue to
monitor the situatipn in
the classrooms, eveh'after
construction is completed.