School board goes digital
Page 7
Pirates trample Roanoke
Page 6
Fire grant
Page 5
Subscriber of the Week:
’ T Whitlev
5 . LOv
gl*r St,;, ,BE CEIVEC
V
H-
OCTl
October 1, 2008
Vol. 76, No. 40 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
ff
'News from Next Door**
35 cents
Vanscoy
blames
manager
for HPD
problems
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
A second former town po
lice chief has come forward
saying the problem with the
town’s police department
isn’t in the department, but
with town management in
stead.
Former Chief Dale Vans
coy, who lead the depart
ment for almost 11 years,
says town management
fails to support the police
department, and that micro-
managing on the town man
ager’s part undermines the
department heads’ abilities
to do what is best for the de
partment.
“1 got tired of knocking
my head against a wall,”
said Vanscoy regarding
why he left the Hertford
Police Department back in
March. “In my resignation
letter, I wrote that the differ
ence between management
and myself would never be
worked out and that it was
hurting the department.
I was tired of fighting a
battle I could not win and
wouldn’t be compromised.
“I was really going to
stay out of this (local police
issues). I worked here for
16 years and I will always
support the Hertford Police
Department. But, 1 saw the
blame being shifted and
the town blaming someone
else. I decided it was time to
stand up,” Vanscoy said.
Vanscoy’s remarks fol
low those of Brian Riddick
who resigned in August
after serving as interim
police chief for only five
months. Last month, Rid
dick, who now works for
the Perquimans County
Sheriffs Department, told
The Perquijmans Weekly
that police turnover is high
due to lack of support from
town management. He also
said that the department
badly needed equipment to
be replaced, but received no
support from the town.
Vanscoy, who now works
for the Edenton Police De
partment, says he brought
grants for both equipment
and personnel to Town
Manager John Christensen
each year Vanscoy was
CONTINUED on page 2
HMmihr
Thursday
High: 74 Low: 55
Sunny
Friday
High: 76 Low: 57
Sunny
Saturday
High: 76 Low: 59
Sunny
•89076"
7143
A.
_
tSSJI" , I
sa- It!*''.
i' .
)■
A
■
Perquimans Weekly photo by CATHY WILSON
EACH SEPTEMBER, FAMILY AND friends of Jim "Catfish" Hunter walk through Hertford to raise thousands of dollars for the
Jim "Catfish" Hunter ALS Foundation. This past Saturday dawned clear and fair for the annual walk, which begins and ends
where Hunter first made a name for himself on the mound, at Perquimans County High School. The foundation, organized
by Hunter and his friends and neighbors before his death from complications of ALS in September 1999, raises funds for
research and patient support services. A new clinic bearing his name has opened recently at Pitt Memorial Hospital thanks
to funds raised through events such as the Walk to D'Feet ALS.
Village residents say “thanks”
Fire victims
host lunch
for those who
gave aid
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Some baked desserts or
helped serve the food. One
even played music on the
organ. Others sat at tables
and just smiled at their
very special guests.
No matter how they par
ticipated, the residents,
family members and staff
of Albemarle Village said
thanks last week to the local
volunteers and other folks
who lent a helping hand fol
lowing a fire at the indepen
dent living facility on Aug.
21. Lunch was served to
members of the three volun
teer fire departments who
responded
in one of the apartments
forced the evacuation of 38
residents from the entire
36-apartment complex. No
one was injured during the
fire.
“This is just our way of
thanking you all,” she said.
“And to let you know that
you are certainly not taken
for granted. From the fire
fighters who jeopardized
their lives for us to the ones
who brought us a drink of
water, we say thank you and
we want you to know that
we are here for you too.”
The luncheon was made
possible by donations
from residents, their fam
ily members, area grocery
stores, and the facility.
Penfound touched on
how everyone puUed to
gether that day, noting that
the quick response of fire
fighters not only saved the
building and residents, but
their possessions as weU.
Employees at nearby Albe
marle Com
i
-.■wi
Perquimans Weekly photo by CATHY WILSON
ALBEMARLE VILLAGE RESIDENTS, THEIR families and staff
showed appreciation to those who came to help when a fire in
one of the complex's apartments caught fire on Aug. 21. Lunch
was served to firefighters, EMTs, emergency management,
the Red Cross, staff from Coastal Carolina Family Practice and
those who work in the Albemarle Commission building.
(Hertford,
Bethel and
W infall),
EMS. emer
gency man
agement.
Red Cross,
Coastal Car
olina Fam
ily Practice,
and the
Albemarle
C o m m i s -
Sion.
While not
everyone
was able to
attend, those
who did
feasted on
ham rolls,
beef croissants, chicken
wings, potato salad, veggies,
and a host of mouth-water
ing homemade desserts.
Imogene Penfound, site
manager for the facility,
presented certificates of ap
preciation to those who
helped after a kitchen fire
mission and
Coastal Car
olina Fam
ily Practice
helped calm
the resi
dents and
kept them
comfortable
following
the evacua
tion that hot
day.
T h e
American
Red Cross
responded,
set up a tem
porary shel
ter inside
the com
mission’s building and fed
them lunch and helped es
cort them back and forth to
their apartments to gather
needed items such as medi
cation.
EMS workers were on
the scene helping including
administering oxygen to at
This is just our
way of thank
ing you all.
And to let you
know that you
are certainly
not taken for
granted.
Imogene
Penfound
Village site manager
least one resident.
When the lunch was over,
several guests thanked the
residents for preparing the
luncheon in their honor.
“What happened was a
tragedy, but it could have
been so much worse,” said
Darlene Harrell, nutrition
program director for the Al
bemarle Commission. “But,
out of the bad comes good...
this luncheon.”
She remembered how
the residents were brought
into the commission build
ing that day nervous and
upset. But, she said. Pen-
found quieted them by say
ing a beautiful prayer.
“You cordd just see and
feel the calmness spreading
in the room,” Harrell said.
Bethel Volunteer Fire
Department Chief Jeff Proc
tor thanked the residents,
saying firefighters aren’t
used to being thanked by
being fed.
“We reaUy appreciate
it,” he added.
Bob Reed, chief of the
Hertford Volunteer Fire
Department, also thanked
everyone for the luncheon,
and reminded the residents
to caU on them whenever
they had a problem.
“Just call, and we’U be
here to help,” he said.
Carolyn Self with the
American Red Cross told
the residents the Red Cross
workers enjoyed the time
spent helping them. She
also thanked them for the
luncheon.
“This was nice for us.
Usually, we’re the ones
feeding people!” she joked.
.“We’re the quiet guys work
ing behind the scenes that
you don’t hear much about.
..No matter what the disas
ter, we’re there working to
take care of you.”
Sid Eley, mayor of
Hertford and member of the
fire department, said the re
sponse and team effort that
was seen at the Albemarle
Village fire was one of the
greatest things about this
locality.
“Everybody was helping
everybody. It worked like
clockwork,” he said.
He reminded the resi
dents that the town appre
ciates Albemarle Vfilage
and said it is one of the best
additions to the town.
Police
chief
hired
Amos coming
from
Mt. Gilead PD
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
The town of Hertford has
a new police chief.
Joseph Thurman Amos
III, chief of the Mt. Gilead
Police Department, was
hired by Town Manager
John Christensen Sept. 22.
Amos is expected to com
plete his paperwork and
be on the job within two
weeks.
Amos said Monday he
hasn’t officially resigned
from his position with Mt.
Gilead yet, but will do so
when his Hertford paper
work is completed.
Amos comes to Hertfotfd
with 11 years of experience
in law enforcement. His
wife, Bobbi, is also a school
resource officer and an in
structor holding a training
coordinator certification.
Amos is also a specialized
instructor for the state, he
said.
They are the parents of a
10-year-old boy.
Amos comes to Hertford
after serving as chief since
January 2007. In addition;
he has also served as senior
police detective in Hender
son, a reserve police offi
cer for Franklinton, and
assistant police chief for
Youngsvfile.
Additional experience
includes serving as a public
service officer for Morgan-
ton, a support officer for the
state’s general assembly,
and as an assistant chief of
EMS and rescue in North
ern Wake County.
Amos is currently work
ing on his bachelor’s degree
in criminal justice.
His vast list of training
ranges from liability issues
for law enforcement super
visors to advanced K9 han
dler. In addition, he comes
with experience in crimi
nal investigations, public
affairs, undercover work,
crime prevention, comput
er and identity theft.
He has also served as a
canine handler, detective,,
member of a tactical team
and received a meritorious
service award for perform
ing CPR on an infant. He
received law enforcement’s
highest award when he re
ceived the Medal of Valor
from Henderson for his
efforts in stopping a man
from jumping off a bridge
in an attempt to commit
suicide.
He is also a member of
the Mount Gilead Volunteer
Fire Department.
While his resume given
to the town listed many at
tributes, Amos comes to
Hertford leaving unusual
circumstances in Mt. Gil
ead.
According to The Mont
gomery Herald newspaper,
the town hired a second po
lice chief Sept. 3 following
weeks of emergency town
board meetings and meet
ings with attorneys.
In an article written by
Tammy Dunn, the Mt. Gil
ead Town Board officially
CONTINUED fon page 2