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HERTFORQ. HC 2f3i4 1T >'o
JAN 2 3
January 23, 2008
Vol. 76, No. 4 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
*^News from Next Door^*
35 cents
Town
seeks
funds
CATHY WILSON
staff Writer
The town of Hertford is
seeking funds to construct
canoe and kayak launch
facilities at Missing Mill
Park.
Last week, members of
Hertford Town Council
agreed to submit a pre-ap
plication for federal funds
to the North Carolina Pub
lic Beach and Coastal Wa
terfront Access Fund. Town
Planner Brandon Shoaf is
seeking cost estimates for
the launch facilities in or
der to determine how much
the town will apply for. If
the CAMA group deter
mines that Hertford’s pro
posal is a good project, the
town wUl then be asked to
officially apply.
The Division of Coastal
Management awards more
than $1 million annually
in matching grants to local
governments for projects
to better pedestrian access
to beaches and waterways.
The North Carolina Parks
and Recreation Trust Fund
provides funding for the
Public Beach and Coastal
Waterfront Access Pro
gram.
Some past projects in
Missing MUl Park that have
been funded by such grants
include the park’s board
walk, shore stabilization,
gazebo pier, and the picnic
shelter.
Shoaf said many canoe
ing and kayaking enthusi
asts use the park area as a
launch site for the numer
ous paddle trails created on
the Perquimans River.
HPD gives
annual
report
Members of the Hertford
Police Department made
16 arrests, worked 21 ac
cidents, patrolled on foot
605 hours, and drove 15,514
miles during the last quar
ter of 2007.
In October, November
and December, town police
wrote 78 citations for
CONTINUED on page 10
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Perquimans Weekly photos by CATHY WILSON
DR. WILLIE GILCHRIST, CHANCELOR at Elizabeth City State University, reflected on the "I've been to the mountain top"
speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during King's birthday observance Monday afternoon at Saunder's Grove Missionary
Baptist Church. A teary eyed Tammy Miller-White (inset) accepts the NAACP Image Award from local NAACP President Fred
Yates during the observance.
Gilchrist speaks at King Day event
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. was a man of God first.
With that in mind, the
crowd that gathered at
Saunders Grove Mission
ary Baptist Church Mon
day to celebrate the birth
day of the slain civil rights
leader did so with prayers,
songs of joyous praise,
mime, remembrances, and
encouragement from a col
lege chancellor not to turn
King’s dream into a night
mare.
Approximately 100
men, women, teens and
children, black and white,
listened as Dr. Willie Gil
christ, chancellor of Eliz
abeth City State Univer
sity, reflect on King’s “I’ve
Been to the Mountaintop”
speech given before strik
ing sanitation workers in
Memphis, Tenn. the day
before King was assassi
nated back in 1968.
G r 0 w -
ing vio
lence and
family dis
cord could
turn King’s
dream into
a night
mare if
something
doesn’t
change,
Gilchrest
warned.
“Unless
we bring
families
back to-
g e t h e r ,
we’re heading toward that
nightmare,’’ Gilchrest said
to a rousing “Amen” from
the audience. “We need to
teach our children how
to work, how to be obedi
ent, to respect their lead
ers. Parents are forgetting
their roles and are allow
ing others to raise their
children.
“Martin Luther King,
Jr. didn’t talk about vio-
We are living
that dream
today, but we
are very much
on our way to
turning it into a
nightmare.
Willie Gilchrist
ECSU chancellor
lence,” Gil
chrest said.
“He talked
about love.
He brought
blacks and
whites to
gether. We
are living
that dream
today, but
we are very
much on our
way to turn
ing it into a
nightmare.
We need to
stop showing
a lack of re
spect for each other.”
Senator Ed Jones re
minded folks that King
brought people together
by opening a door.
“It’s about opening the
door for others, and when
you do, leave that door
open for others to walk
through. Make a difference
by coming together, pray
ing together in one accord.
We can certainly pray that
we will somehow keep his
legacy alive,” Jones said.
I^p. Annie W. Mobley
encouraged those in at
tendance to take a stand as
King once did.
“Dr. Martin Luther King
would have all of us stand
for what is just,” she said.
“Make sure you are stand
ing for the right thing.”
Fred Yates, president
of the Perquimans Coun
ty NAACP said King was
about unifying people,
bringing them together.
“Through the word of
God, Dr. King paved the
way,” Yates said.
A highlight of the af
ternoon program was the
presentation of the lo
cal NAACP Image Award
to Tammy Miller-White,
who tearfully accepted the
award from Yates. Yates
described Mfiler-White as
a dedicated mother, mate,
church member, school
system employee, and
community servant.
Country Store offers home cooking
CATHY WILSON
STaff Writer
The New Hope Country
Store and Grill has new
owners and they are incor
porating down-home coun
try cooking into their new
daily menu.
Lane and Audrey Fox,
along with young son Aus
tin, took over the small
convenience store and res
taurant last summer. Since
then, the former Currituck
residents have changed the
menu to include several
homemade items like veg
etable soup, chicken noodle
soup, banana cake, ham
steaks, pork chops, fresh
ground hamburgers, choco
holic cake, pot roast, collard
greens, navy bean soup and
cabbage with ham.
“We tried to switch from
a fast food menu to country
cooking, comfort foods,”
said Audrey.
The non-smoking facility
also serves as the Durants
Neck Post Office as well as
a computer repair shop aind
notary service. The restau
rant offers free wireless in
ternet for those wishing to
bring in their lap top com
puters.
Elsie Butler manages the
store, and she insists her
full breakfast menu featur
ing homemade home fries
will fill up even the hearti
est of eaters.
“We have the best home
made biscuits and gravy in
New Hope,” she grinned.
Winter hours are Mon
day through Saturday 6
a.m. until 8 p.m. and from 9
a.m. — 6 p.m. on Sunday.
The New Hope Country
Store and Grfil is located
at the intersection of New
Hope and WoodviUe Roads.
For more information, call
264-5455.
Vi
Perquimans Weekly photo by CATHY WILSON
THE PERQUIMANS COUNTY CHAMBER of Commerce held a rib
bon cutting at The New Hope Country Store and Grill Saturday
morning, welcoming new owners Audrey and Lane Fox. Cutting
the ribbon for the occasion is their nine-year-old son, Austin.
The convenience store/restaurant also serves as the Durants
Neck Post Office, a computer repair shop and notary service,
and offers wireless internet.
Morris
tapped
for MLK
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Town Commissioner Jo
Ann Morris has been ap
pointed by Governor Mike
Easley to serve on the
state’s Martin Luther King
Jr. Commission. She wUl be
the first Caucasian to serve
on the Commission.
Representative Annie W.
Mobley nominated Morris
for the appointment.
“We go back many
years...and I know her to
be sincere, committed and
dedicated on whatever task
she embarks,” said Rep. Mo
bley. “When I got the oppor
tunity to nominate some
one from the Perquimans
area, I jumped at it. Serving
on the Commission is an
extension of what Jo Ann
Morris stands for. She is the
first Caucasian to serve in
the history of the Commis
sion, and I am excited about
that.”
Morris began serving
her four-year term Dec. 1
on the commission that
strives to encourage ap
propriate ceremonies and
activities across North Car
olina relating to the obser
vance of the legal holiday
honoring Dr. Martin Lu
ther King Jr.’s birthday. In
addition, the commission
provides advice and assis
tance to local governments
and private organizations
across the state regarding
observing that holiday, and
it promotes awareness and
appreciation of the life and
work of Dr. King.
“I am very pleased to do
it,” said Morris who has
served on Hertford Town
Council for a total of six
years. “I am convinced that
we are in greater danger
from divisiveness within
this country than we are
from outside the country.
Our Pledge of Allegiance
says ‘indivisible.’ We need
to learn what that means.
We have to learn to live and
work together.”
Morris says the Commis
sion is working on a project
to encourage and revive the
knowledge of Dr. King’s
non-violent philosophy, es
pecially to young people
across the state.
“It’s sad, but some of
our youth don’t know who
Dr. King is,” she said. “The
Cdmmission is very con
cerned about the excessive
violence evolving in our
society. His philosophy of
non-violence was a catalyst
for where we are today in
many ways. He certainly
embodied non-violent coop
eration. He achieved prog
ress through non-violent
demonstrations and meet
ings. His influence and
organization emphasized
non-violence. We want to
make more people aware of
his contributions.”
Morris retired as a state
juvenile court counselor in
1996 after serving a total of
25 years. She has resided in
Hertford for 40 years. She
believes strongly in giving
back to the local commu
nity.
“I feel you have to give
back to your community,”
she added. “When Rep. Mo
bley asked me to serve, I felt
it was my responsibility to
take it on.”