HECBIVIB JAN i 0 2uiia Featured church: New Bethel Page 5 ■ -sk&Msm Liverman is No. 2 principal in region Page 4 P3'C2‘"“ i'LRQU'fJj 1 r 'J W . January 30,2008 Vot. 76, No. 5 Hertford, North Carolina 27944 **News from Next Door** County offOLF site list CATHY WILSON Staff Writer Perquimans County is officially off the list. Last week, Navy officials announced that the county is one of five sites no lon ger under consideration as potential outlying landing field sites. Other locations not being considered any longer are sites in Bertie, Craven, Hyde, and Wash ington/Beaufort counties. Localities making the Navy’s short list and still being considered include Hales Lake that straddles Camden and Currituck counties and Sandbanks in Gates County as well as Sussex, Surry and South ampton counties, Va. “Obviously, the informa tion that came out is great news for the entire county,” said Stan Winslow, presi dent of the Perquimans Chapter No OLF. “It is what the Perquimans OLF has i)een working towards for the past several years. I want to thank the OLF committee, the county com missioned, Bobby Darden, and especially the county citizens who helped get the Navy to listen to us and help the decision made come to a reality. “Perquimans County has finally gotten relief from this situation, but our neighbors in Camden and Gates are now under the gun,” he added. “We need to support them in their battle to keep the OLF from com ing to their communities.” The Navy will initiate a new Environmental Im pact Statement on the five sites under consideration to analyze the impacts of construction and operation of an OLF to support field carrier landing practice training requirements for aU carrier air wing aircraft based at NAS Oceana and Naval Station Norfolk. The Navy plans to hold public scoping meetings on the new EIS this spring. The new EIS is expected to take 30 months to complete. County Manager Bobby Darden voiced happiness over being left off the short list, but vowed the county’s support for efforts to keep an OLF from siting in the region. “We’re glad we’re off the list,” said Darden, “and the county is going to continue to oppose it...This is a good thing for us, but we still want to keep it (OLF) out of the region.” In response to the Na vy’s announcement. Sen. Richard Burr said, “It has always been my hope that the Navy and the State of North Carolina could find a location for an OLF that was acceptable to both the military and the local com munity. It was clear that some of the previously pro posed sites were opposed by North Carolinians and I am pleased that those sites are no longer under con sideration ... It is crucial the Navy listen to the local community when consider ing these sites. This lengthy process has been difficult on many North Carolin ians, and I hope that the Navy can foUow the siting process and find a resolu tion to this matter.” Perquimans Weekly photo by CATHY WILSON UNITED STATES SENATOR ELIZABETH Dole presents a ceremonial check for $242,900 to the Hertford Volunteer Fire Depart ment for the purchase of a new heavy rescue vehicle. USDA Rural Development provided a $142,900 low interest loan and a $100,000 grant to finance the truck which is still being built. Also on hand for the Sunday afternoon ceremony was John Cooper (far left), state director of the USDA Rural Development. Dole visits Hertford - with money CATHY WILSON Staff Writer She arrived in a gas-ef ficient compact car. She posed for pictures with lo cal citizens and listened as folks talked about issues. She asked for prayer to un dergird her when dealing with challenging matters in Washington. But, the main reason for the United States senator’s visit to Hertford was to dole out the money! U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole signed a ceremonial check for $242,900 Sunday afternoon to finance a new heavy rescue vehicle for the Hertford Volunteer Fire Department. USDA Rural Develop ment provided a $142,900 low interest loan and a $100,000 grant for the town to purchase a 2007 Freight- liner heavy rescue vehicle which wiU replace a 1992 model that is no longer capable of providing EMS and rescue support in the community. “I applaud the Town of Hertford for securing this significant funding,” said Dole. “Our firefighters are there in times of need and are literally on the front lines defending our home land. It is so important that they have adequate facilities and equipment so that they can safely do their jobs and protect the communities they serve.” John Cooper, USDA Rural Development state director, said the town re ceived a 4.5 percent fixed rate on their 20-year loan to help pay for the truck which wiU include the Jaws of Life. “Local firefighters are one of the first to respond in a time of need,” said Cooper. “USDA Rural De velopment is pleased to assist with the purchase of a new rescue vehicle which will enable the Hertford Volunteer Fire Department to respond more quickly during an emergency. We are grate ful to Senator Dole for her support of Rimal Develop ment programs... She re ally, really does care. She recommends the program and continues to fight for funding so we can help you.” Also attending the ser vice held at the fire depart ment was Betty Jo Shep- heard, field representative for U.S. Senator Richard Burr. “I know how important the USDA is' to this part of the state,” said Shepheard. “We want to see you get ting the things you need in rural North Carolina.” USDA Rural Develop ment and local govern ments in Perquimans County have enjoyed a long-standing relationship that has provided funds for riiuch needed projects over the years ranging from fire trucks to county-wide wa ter service. Hertford Fire Chief Bob Reed pointed out that Rural Development loans and grants have helped the town acquire several trucks including an engine in 1994, another engine in 2002, and now the heavy rescue truck in 2008 which is stiU being built. Hertford Town Manager John Christensen voiced his support of the USDA Rural Development Com munity Facilities Program and what it has meant to the town. “Their support of our fire department has al lowed us to have the equip ment to meet the needs of our citizens and provide an excellent level of ser vice,” he said. “Without the grant and low interest loan, we would not be able to afford this heavy rescue truck which is needed to respond to the accidents throughout our county and help get the injured to the hospital as quickly as possible.” Mayors Sid Eley of Hertford and Fred Yates of WinfaU both attested to the projects gained in then- respective towns through funding provided by Ru ral Development over the years. Mack Nixon, chairman of the Perquimans County Board of Commissioners, said the citizens of the county today have coun ty-wide water available, school projects buUt, and the current regional jail project ongoing thanks to help from Rural Develop ment. Rural Development has helped other fire de partments in thq county gain apparatus ^siwejl. Dole, who in various po sitions has served under five presidents, commend ed Cooper and his team for bringing in more money than any other state di rector in America. When thanked by local leaders for her stand in helping re move Perquimans County from the Navy’s list of po tential sites for an outlying landing field (OLF), Dole reiterated her conviction to continue working for Camden, Currituck and neighboring Gates coun ties which include sites stiU on the list. “I have been meeting with these counties and I won’t support any site for an OLF without broad lo cal support,” she said. Filing period for primary opens F’eb. 11 CATHY WILSON staff Writer Candidates seeking to run in the May 6 primary must file their intentions with the local board of elec tions next month. Eula Mae Forbes, di rector of the Perquimans County Board of Elections, said the filing period for candidates wishing to run is Feb. 11 at noon until Feb. 29 at noon. Local seats up for grabs this year include th];-ee po sitions on the county com missioners’ board, three seats on the board of edu cation, and the Register of Deeds position. Forbes said county com missioner seats currently held by Democrats Mack Nixon and Shirley Wig gins and Republican Sue Weimer are up for election this year, as are the non partisan board of educa tion seats currently held by Helen Shaw, GaU Hfil and William Byrum. The Register of Deeds position, currently held by Democrat Deborah Reed, is also up for election. Also slated to appear on the May 6 ballot wUl be sev eral state contests includ ing governor, lieutenant governor, commissioner of agriculture, secretary of state, superintendent of public instruction, and court of appeals. Federal offices included in the primary are the of- Wreck claims local man A 74-year-old Hertford man died Monday morning when the pick-up truck he was driving collided with a tanker truck traveling northbound on Highway 17 in Perquimans County. According to North Carolina Highway Patrol Trooper T.F. Langley Jr., DUlard Elmer Ward, of 535 Swingate Road, was killed when the 2007 GMC pick-up truck he was driving pulled out of Woodland Church Road in front of a 2006 Mack tractor-trailer. Ward was at tempting to cross Highway 17 to Chapanoke Road, po lice said, when the tanker truck struck the Ward ve hicle in the driver’s side. The tanker truck is reg istered to Advantage Tank Lines from Canton, Ohio, and was driven by Ardell Wayne Byrum, 62, of Eliza beth City. Langley said no fuel es caped from the tanker dur ing the collision. No charges were filed in connection with the wreck. Members of Intercounty Volunteer Fire Department and Perquimans County EMS responded. Man shot at Wynne Fork Court George Moore of Wynne Fork Apartments was shot in the leg Jan. 23 just outside the apartments on Wynne Fork Court. Hertford Po lice are stiU looking for the shooter. Moore apparently was in a vehicle with three other passengers when he was shot as he attempted to get out of the car. Members of Perquimans EMS treated Moore at the scene and transported him to Church Street where he was later flown to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital by Nightingale helicopter. Members of the Hertford Police Department are in vestigating the shooting. Police believe the shoot ing occurred during an at tempt to rob Moore. The police department is currently following several leads and seeking several possible suspects for ques tioning. flees of president, senators, and members of congress. At the primary election, voters registered as Demo crats will receive the Demo cratic ballot. Voters regis tered as Republicans wUl receive the Republican bal lot. Unaffiliated voters will get to choose which ballot they want to vote on. Demo cratic or Republican. All the county’s regis tered voters wUl be eligible to vote for school board CONTINUED on page 2 IWlMiHai Thursday High: 52 Low: 39 Partly Cloudy Friday High: 64 Low: 40 Few Showers Saturday High: 55 Low: 38 Scattered Showers

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