r
December 24, 2008
Vol. 76, No. 52 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
**News from Next Door**
Officers
make
holiday
brighter
for kids
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Usually, a trip to the po
lice station isn’t much fun
for most folks.
But for two local chil
dren Monday night, time
spent with local law en
forcement officials was
not only fun, but also
helped make Christmas a
happier holiday for them.
The Perquimans Sher
iff’s Department and
Hertford Police Depart
ment joined forces this
holiday season to bring
Christmas joy to two verj^
special children. Rayy-
imah Jordan, a pre-k stu
dent at Central School, and
Larry Gutmann, a sixth
grader at Perquimans
County Middle School,
were treated to Christmas
cookies, drinks, and lots
of goodies underneath
the Christmas tree at the
Hertford Police .station
just two days befofe Santa
arrives. Gifts for the two
children underneath the
Christmas tree included
everything from under
garments to baby strollers
to toolboxes.
Jordan, of Hertford,
squealed with delight as
she opened one of her gifts
to reveal a simple tube
of toothpaste, something
on the bathroom cabinet
that most people take for
granted. But for the little
girl with the big grin who
has four brothers and sis
ters, an individual tube
makes her feel even more
special.
“My very own tube
of toothpaste,” she ex-
Perquimans Weekly photos by CATHY WILSON
RAYYIMAH JORDAN (ABOVE) IS
all grins after opening her pile
of presents Monday night at the
Hertford Police Department. Lar
ry Gutmann proudly shows off
his new toolbox to Perquimans
Sheriff Eric Tilley and Hertford
Police Chief Joe Amos. The two
local law enforcement agencies
joined forces this year to help
make Christmas a little brighter
fd tvs > lucky children.
claimed as she excitedly
unwrapped anaccompany-
ing gift of two toothbrush
es which she immediately
said she would share with
her older sister.
Her favorite presents
she received were a doll
baby, doll stroller, and a
playpen, she said.
Gutmann, on the oth
er hand, lives out in the
county and enjoys work
ing with his hands. He
received a professional
looking toolbox along
with numerous tools to
put in it. He also received
games, clothes, and a spe
cially requested butterfly
yoyo.
“This is so much fun,”
he grinned as he tore into
his stack of gifts.
Sheriff Eric Tilley said
his department has tried
to help make Christmas
brighter for children need
ing a little help for several
years. This year, Bobbie
Amos, one of the sheriffs
school resource officers,
helped organize the gift-
giving, and brought in do
nations from individual
members of the Hertford
Police Department as
well.
Enlisting help from the
local police chief was easy
for Amos...he’s her hus
band. The three law en
forcement officers, as well
as Town Manager John
Christensen and wife, Su
san, helped make Christ
mas one to remember for
two very lucky children.
Please note our
news deadline
for the
Dec. 31 edition is
Dec. 29 at noon.
Yule log highlight of Newbold White
open house
VHtaBOMD
HMmihhi
Christmas Day
High: 59 Low: 40
Few Showers
Friday
High: 58 Low: 50
Mostly Cloudy
Saturday
High: 67 Low: 62
Cloudy
6""89076 47143
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
A stiff wind blowing in
off the Perquimans River
made it difficult to ignite
the annual yule log cer
emony held Friday night at
the Newbold-White House
(NWH).
It took the Lord Mayor
(Sid Eley) a couple of tries
to get the log lit as it lay
inside a vented metal half
barrel. Finally, when the
flames illuminated the
night sky, those who made
the trek along the lantern
lit pathway from the Visi
tor’s Center to the historic
brick house took part in
the traditional ceremony
experienced centuries ago
by Quaker settlers. Visitors
made wishes for the new
year as they poured wine
over the smoldering log,
capping off an evening rich
in musical talent, history,
and good eats.
Ken Ries, dressed as the
colonial property owner,
told the story “The Candle
in the Window” inside the
candlelit Newbold-White
House as Julie Stamper
played the harp.
The Visitors Center was
packed as members of the
Albemarle Chorale per
formed holiday melodies.
Cakes, cookies and warm
mulled cider were enjoyed
around live Christmas trees
decorated with handmade
period ornaments. Real lit
candles glowed in the win
dows.
In addition to the sing
ers, the Albemarle Youth
Orchestra strings delighted
the crowd with their tal
ents.
Volunteers with the
Perquimans County Resto
ration Association helped
with the evening including
handing out samples of the
first batch of the NWH label
muscadine grape cider, de
pleting their stock before
the end of the evening. A
second batch was sched
uled to arrive Dec. 23 and
be available for sale after
Christmas.
Perquimans Weekly photo by CATHY WILSON
HERTFORD MAYOR SID ELEY, serving as Lord Mayor at New
bold-White, lights the yule log Friday night.
Hunger
hurts;
givmg
heals
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
A woman has no elec
tricity in her home, so she
warms her food in a tiny
pan over a kerosene heater.
A family of four includ
ing two smaU children don’t
have food for a Christmas
dinner.
Many more come with
some of the same needs;
no water, no electricity, no
food.
Each week, Rosemary
Smith, director of the
Open Door Food Pantry in
Perquimans County, sees
the same type of problems,
but with the economic
downturn, the faces and cir
cumstances are changing.
In fact, this year, she has
seen 175 new families walk
through the door needing
help, bringing the number
of families served this year
to nearly 500. Last year,
they helped 300 families.
‘There are a lot of fami
lies who are just strug
gling,” said Smith.
This Christmas, howev
er, more donations are com
ing in to help the Open Door
put food on the table. While
a doUar amount wasn’t
available. Smith said more
donations than usual are
arriving since the onset
of the food pantry benefit
Hunger Hurts, Giving Heals
started in November by The
Perquimans Weekly, The
Daily Advance, and The
Chowan Herald. Monetary
donations to the Open Door
and the Albemarle Food
Bank provide the stock
from which food assistance
is provided. Open Door also
provides emergency assis
tance for utility bills.
Volunteers picked out
food that could be warmed
in a pan over a kerosene
heater for the woman with
no electricity.
Food boxes and frozen
turkeys providing Thanks
giving meals were given out
to 231 families this year.
And, two Christmas an
gels arrived just in time
with homemade bread and
boxes of food to provide that
family of four with a special
Christmas dinner.
“We are truly blessed.
Our churches, schools, and
civic groups here in Perqui-
imans County are simply
the best. Whenever we have
a need, they come through
for us,” said Smith. “People
in this county are really
trying to help others.”
While Smith is impressed
with the generosity of the
community, she is also im
pressed with the honesty of
those who need assistance.
“One lady who was
signed up to receive food
called to say she had re
ceived food from a church
and she didn’t feel fight to
take food a second time,”
said Smith. “She wanted it
to go to someone else. An
other family was helped be
cause of the honesty of that
lady. She didn’t feel it was
right for her to take two
boxes of food.”
This time of year is when
the most donations come
into Open Door, Smith said,
but the need continues
throughout the year.
3S.WS4