•wn
ACT grants
Page 5
Maynard comes to Newbold-White
Page 2
Lady Pirates win
Page 7
Jackson retires after 30 years with town
Page 4
"■-/vy ■■
January 21,2009
Vot, 77, No. 3 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
^^News from Next Door*^
Miin-iin iim iimdiiimi'iii |[ -III Mini r-rni-|,iirT.ii
PCHS
turns
TOBY TATE
The Daily Advance
Perquimans County
High School made the top 20
on the state’s “turnaround”
list, finishing sixth. The
school, which posted an
overall 71.9 percent com
posite on the end-of-course
tests, had the highest score
among thd schools recog
nized.
Former Gov. Mike Eas
ley started the High School
Turnaround Initiative in
2005, when he asked the
state Department of Public
Instruction to assist’ low-
performing high schools
where proficiency on end-
of-grade tests fell below 60
percent.
With the support of the
Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, 35 schools be
gan receiving assistance
from DPI during the 2006-
07 school year as part of a
three-year cycle. The next
year, the program added 31
high schools and 57 middle
and elementary schools.
■ High schools are identi
fied for turnaround based
on their performance com
posite.
This measure describes
the percentage of student
test scores that are at or
above the proficiency level.
All high school students
take end-of-course tests in
five core subjects: algebra I,
English I, biology, U.S. his
tory, civics and economics.
All schools had a per
formance composite below
60 percent in the 2005-06
school year.
The benchmark for
schools in the 2007-08 school
year was also below 60 per
cent.
According to DPI data,
Perquimans High School’s
composite score in 2006-07
was 57.813 percent.
The score had improved
to 71.9 percent a year later,
giving the school a “turn
around” percentage change
of 14.087—sixth best among
the 54 schools surveyed.
North Brunswick High,
in Brunswick County, had
the best turnaround per
centage in 2007-08 of the 54
schools.
CONTINUED on page 10
WtaMwn
Thursday
High: 48 Low: 33
Sunny
Friday
High: 56 Low: 43
Partly Cloudy
Saturday
High: 53 Low: 31
Showers
Perquimans Weekly photos by CATHY WILSON
THE PERQUIMANS COUNTY NAACP celebrated the life of Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. Monday afternoon at Melton Grove
Missionary Church with spirited music and enlightening,
messages. Guest speaker was Dr. Gilbert Vaughn of Eden-
ton. (bottom right). At left, NAACP President Fred Yates
presents the 2009 Unsung Hero award to Shirley Skinner.
Vaughn keynotes King Day program
CATHY WILSON
staff Writer
Nothing is going to
change until change finds
you.
While the world is harp
ing on the Democratic
theory that change is com
ing with the. inauguration
of Barack Obama as the
nation’s 44th president.
Dr. Gilbert Vaughn says
instead, change starts
within the individual.
“When you think you
can vote in a change, know
that nothing’s going to
change until change finds
you,” Vaughn told those at-
tending the Monday after
noon service honoring the
life and work of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. at Melton
Grove Missionary Church.
“If you don’t see injustice,
know that you ARE injus
tice.”
Monday’s service
was sponsored by the
Perquimans County
NAACP.
Vaughn gave a passion
ate message highlighting
how people need to get se
rious &bout God, and be
come dedicated Christians
who are willing to work
for the right changes as Dr.
King did.
“What we’ve got before
us is an uphill battle,” he
said. “God is looking for
a change...! have a dream
of men who will do what
God wants them to do. All
answers can be found in'
the Bible. -Our first love
.isn’t civil rights or social
injustice. Our first love is
to know what God is doing
and what He says.”
Like’s Dr. Kings’s Chris
tian involvement and lead
ership in the nation’s civil
rights movement, Vaughn
believes that ministers
need to follow his example
and once again become ac
tive in the NAACP.
“I have a dream to
day that every pastor in
Perquimans County will
become a member of the
NAACP. What’s wrongwith
the NAACP? All the minis
ters have run off. I have a
dream that one day we will
see a NAACP where men
and women of God will be
at the forefront,” he said,
standing behind an alter
flanked by photos of both
King and Obama.
Vaughn’s words were
embraced by the spirit-
filled singing of the Melton
Grove choir and congrega
tion that included young,
old, blacks and whites.
Fred Yates, president
of the NAACP, presented
its Unsung Hero award for
2009 to Shirley Skinner in
recognition of her selfless
giving to others whenever
needed.
Schools
focus on
dropout
rate
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Dee Winslow is the new
est team member to focus
on keeping kids in school.
As the school system’s
new dropout prevention
coordinator, she will work
with the system’s counsel-
or/parent coordinator and
social worker to help pre
vent students from drop
ping out of school. The lo
cal effort is funded through
a $150,000 dropout preven
tion grant received fronr
the state.
County youths “at
risk” of dropping out of
school in grades 6 — 12 at
Perquimans middle and
high schools wUl be served.
Winslow wUl coordinate aU
program activities at the
two schools as well as with
other agencies.
Winslow, of Hertford,
is a former social worker/
clinical counselor and su
pervisor with the Albemar
le Mental Health Center
in Elizabeth City. She is a
graduate of East Carolina
University with a masters
degree in criminal justice,
a bachelor of science in
criminal justice from Eliza
beth City State University,
and an associate’s degree
in criminal justice from the
College of The Albemarle.
The goals of the drop
out prevention project in
Perquimans are to imple
ment, expand, coordinate,
and evaluate a comprehen
sive dropout prevention
program; provide academic
assistance for at-risk stu
dents to maximize their
academic potential; create
a more personalized learn
ing environment; and to
provide staff development
for all staff to improve ap
propriate identification in
early intervention and pre
vention techniques.
The school system is
partnering with Communi
ties in Schools, Governors
One-on-One, Perquimans
2020 Vision Coalition, and
the Ministers Council in
Education to make the proj
ect successful.
Students who are eli
gible include those with
long-term suspension or
expulsion, and those at risk
of dropping out due to dis
cipline, attendance or aca
demic failure.
CONTINUED on page 10
Snug Harbor residents want Bethel property cleaned up
6 "89076"
7143
Residents: County
hasn’t enforced junk
rules on property
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Snug Harbor residents say they
aren’t surprised with the recent ar
rest of WiUiam H. “Pork Chop” Fel
ton Jr. on illegal drug charges.
While he resides on Snug Har
bor Road, they wiU quickly point
out that the properties raided Jan.
9 are not located inside the cor
porate limits of the Snug Harbor
subdivision. In fact, he lives about
three miles from the Snug Harbor
entrance.
But, Snug Harbor residents say
they have complaineji to local gov
ernment officials about the proper
ties occupied or controlled by the
Feltons since 2003.
“We have petitioned the board
of commissioners four times over
the years trying to have the junked
vehicle ordinance enforced on that
property,” said Annis Murphy, a
Snug Harbor resident for the past
12 years. “Nothing ever seems to get
done. They keep saying they don’t
have the money to enforce it.”
Felton, who has a record of felo
ny drug convictions, was busted af
ter sheriff’s deputies and an agent
with the State Bureau of Investiga
tion raided the properties located
at 704 and 696 Snug Harbor Road.
Over $62,000 in cash, two small
safes, firearms and 30 grams of
marijuana seeds were seized.
According to Perquimans Coun
ty tax records, both properties are
owned by WiUiam H. Felton Sr. who
resides at 883 Pender Road.
Felton Jr., 50, is charged with
possession with intent to manu
facture, seU, deliver marijuana;
maintaining a dwelling for the
purpose of manufacturing, seUing,
delivering marijuana; maintaining
a vehicle for the purpose of manu
facturing, seUing, delivering mari
juana, and possession of firearms
by a felon. He is currently being
held in Albemarle District JaU un
der $25,000 bond.
The raid was the result of an
undercover investigation that
spanned several weeks.
FoUowing the raid. Sheriff Eric
TiUey reported the home’s living
conditions to social services after
finding a four-year-old chUd at the
residence living in what he termed
“filth.”
Murphy said Snug Harbor resi
dents have worked hard to clean
up the subdivision, and they have
been trying to get the eyesores on
Snug Harbor Road leading to the
subdivision cleaned up as weU.
“There’s no other way to get
into Snug Harbor than by going by
those properties,” she pointed out.
“There’s one way in and one way
out.”
Residents presented petitions
to county commissioners regard
ing those eyesores in 2003,200, and
2007.
According to Zeke Jackson, the
CONTINUED on page 10