Scenes from local holiday events
Pages 4 and 5
December 10, 2008
Vol. 76, No. 50 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
^^News from Next Door**
Canine
attacks
rampant
in Snug
Harbor
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
County leaders are tak
ing a second look at their
animal control ordinance
following complaints of
numerous dog attacks in
the Snug Harbor area. Most
of the attacks were against
other dogs, not humans.
County commissioners
instructed County Man
ager Bobby Darden to meet
with Sheriff Eric TiUey
and the county attorney to
see what needs to be done
to strengthen the ordinance
that’s already on the books.
“We’ve gotten reports of
dogs attacking leashed dogs
on streets where people
walk on,’’ said Commis
sioner Sue Weimar. “We
need something stronger in
our ordinance, something
with teeth in it,”
Last Monday night,
Wynn McCaUister, presi
dent of the Snug Harbor
Property Owners Associa
tion (SHPOA), gave com
missioners a stack of unof
ficial reports detailing dog
attacks, some going back as
far as 2006. Out of a dozen
reported attacks, half of
them involved dogs on Dog
wood Drive.
“Neighbors don’t feel
safe in Snug Harbor,” said
McCaUister. “Dogs at large
have challenged people
walking their dogs or rid
ing bikes. There have
been some serious attacks
against dogs on leashes.
We can only imagine what
would happen if there is a
chUd involved. It’s gotten
so bad that a couple of resi
dents who walk their dogs
now carry sidearms.”
Perquimans County does
not have a leash law, an or
dinance that prohibits dogs
from running at large. Both
towns in the county, how
ever, prohibit dogs running
at large within town limits.
McCaUister also said
that the SHPOA is working
on drafting dog policies for
the residents of the Snug
Harbor subdivision.
In conducting research
to help combat the dog at
tacks, McCaUister asked
CONTINUED on page 9
UNtaAUBi
Thursday
High: 54 Low: 42
Rain
Friday
High: 51 Low: 33
Few Showers
Saturday
High: 52 Low: 37
Partly Cloudy
6'"■89076"
7143
IVID
n ffiaa
The grand illumination
(top photo by Cathy
Wilson) and Christ
mas parade (bottom
photo by Susan Harris)
brought the Christmas
spirit to Hertford last
week. (Photos on 4, 5.)
Illumination, parade welcome holidays
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Little ones’ eyes twinkled and the
older folks watched in amazement
as the town’s Christmas splendor
iUuniinated the night air Thursday
nighf.
The grand iUumination on the
courthouse cast a warm glow in
Hertford, ushering in the official
start of the holiday season.
Perquimans County commis
sioners and the mayor of Hertford
flipped the switches at 6:30 p.m., iUu-
minating not only the official 17-foot
Christmas tree, but several other
trees, bushes, light poles, and build
ing outlines throughout the town.
Luminaries, fiUed with glowing
lights shimmering off decorative
sUver ribbons, lined the courthouse
sidewalks and reflected remem
brances of loved ones.
Lush long-needle pine wreaths
dressed with cheerful red ribbons
hung from the historic courthouse
windows brimming with lit electric
candles as weU.
In addition to the luminaries, this
year’s iUumination ceremony fea
tured a larger Christmas tree, a 17
foot fir tree brought in from a West
Jefferson Christmas tree farm.
Musical ensembles from
Perquimans Middle School provid
ed a musical backdrop to the holiday
light show.
The holiday event wns sponsored
by Historic Hertford, Inc., the town’s
Main Street program.
SUSAN HARRIS
Santa came to town Satur
day, pushing a Christmas parade
through Hertford under Carolina
blue skies while lots of excited
boys and girls of all ages littered
the streets to catch a glimpse of the
Jolly Old EU.
Tagged one of the biggest and
best parades ever by Chamber of
Commerce Executive Director Sid
Eley — and by many heard com
menting on the streets — the holi
day affair featured bands from
Perquimans High, Northeastern
High and Elizabeth City State
University, along with beautifully
decorated floats, trucks filled with
holiday well-wishers, horses, vin
tage vehicles, mini cars, dancers,
Smokey Bear, boats, military units,
emergency responders and more.
Float winners in the church
category were Bagley Swamp Wes
leyan, first; Hertford United Meth
odist, second; and Hertford Baptist,
third. Youth groups earning honors
were 4-H, first; and Cub Scout Pack
150, second. Recognition in the civ
ic division went to Hertford Rotary,
first; Perquimans County Senior
Citizens, second; and Albemarle
Senior Games and Buccaneer Shri-
ners, third.
(More photos, pages 4 and 5.)
Woman
faces
A woman exiting a down
town bank Dec. 2 was ac
costed by a would-be robber
asking for money.
According to Hertford
Police Chief Joe Amos, the
woman was walking out of
RBC Centura around 2 p.m.
when she was approached
by a man holding something
in his hand and demanding
her money.
Police believe the item in
his hand was either a knife
or a wrench.
The woman ran away
screaming and the man fled
the area in an older van,
possibly a Ford mini-van
with temporary registra
tion plates.
The suspect is described
as a white male about six
feet tall in his 50s with
blond or gray hair. Police
believe the man may have
been seen in the downtown
area prior to the attempted
robbery.
Investigation is continu
ing. Anyone with informa
tion should call the Hertford
Police Department at 426-
5587. Callers may remain
anonymous.
During this holiday sea
son, Amos urges citizens to
call police if any suspicious
activity is seen.
Couple
attacked
Two adults have been
charged in connection with
a Nov. 29 fight on Pennsyl
vania Avenue during which
two people were injured.
According to the Hertford
Police Chief Joe Amos,
Anthony Williams and So
nya Knight, both of Meads
Loop, are being held un
der $50,000 bond. Williams
is charged with common
law robbery and inciting
to riot while Knight faces
two counts of assavdt with,
a deadly weapon as well as
inciting to riot.
Police were called to 609
Pennsylvania Ave. around 2
a.m. after a 29-year-old man
and his 20-year-old wife
were injured when they
were reportedly attacked
by five people who jumped
out of a vehicle in front of
CONTINUED on page 9
Blaze destroys Snug Harbor garage Thursday
A fire destroyed a Snug
Harbor garage and blis
tered a neighboring house
Thursday afternoon.
Firefighters managed
to prevent the blaze from
spreading to the main
house on the property and
to the home next door.
According to Bethel Fire
Chief Jeff Proctor, the ga
rage at 110 Creek Trail was
fully involved when fire
fighters were called just af
ter 4 p.m. The intense heat
from the blaze threatened
homes on either side of the
garage, including a two sto
ry log cabin.
A vehicle inside the ga
rage was totally destroyed.
The building was declared
a total loss.
Firefighters from Bethel
and Hertford fought the
blaze. EMS responders
stood by ready to assist as
did Jarvis Winslow, emer
gency management coordi
nator.
Proctor said the cause of
SUBMITTED PHOTO BY STACY JONES
FLAMES LEAPT SKYWARD LAST
Thursday when a blaze totally
destroyed a garage owned by
Randal and Anne Carper in
Snug Harbor.
Perquimans Weekly photo by CATHY WILSON
ONLY FRAMING REMAINED
UPRIGHT on Friday morning.
the fire is listed as undeter
mined, but that the owner
believes it started around a
lawn mower used not long
before he looked out and
saw flames.
According to
Perquimans County, the
property is owned by Ran
dal Kent Carper and Anne
B. Carper.
M
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