Dancing with the Ruritans
Page 4
Donate blood
Page 2
Pirates sail through first round game
Page 10
Law/Court report
Page 10
JL
February 25,2009
Vol. 77, No. 8 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
^*News from Next Door**
35 cents
County
wants
chunk of
stimulus
package
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Perquimans County has
submitted a $17.4 million
economic development/in
frastructure par^kage in
hopes of snagging a tidbit
of the state’s estimated $6
billion portion of the feder
al economic stimulus pack
age approved last week.
The project would fund
the construction of the
marine seafood industrial
park planned for the Com
merce Centre. Design and
engineering work for the
project should be completed
by the end of March.
The county is seeking
$12.6 mUlion to construct a
17.5 acre inland basin and
Perquimans River access
channel; $2.75 million to
increase Hertford’s sewer
plant capacity from 700,000
—1 million gallon per day;
$1.05 million to construct an
elevated water storage tank
in the park; $200,000 to ex
tend water and sewer lines
in the proposed marine
park; and $800,000 to widen
existing roads, construct
one new service road, and
buUd an additional marine
park entrance.
Last year, the county
signed a letter of intent with
the state Seafood Industrial
Park Authority to provide
70 acres in the commerce
center to the authority and
enter into a partnership
to develop a marine park.
County officials expect an
operating agreement to be
signed this year.
Officials estimate that
the park, when fully devel
oped, wiU include over 20
businesses with approxi
mately 400 employees.
The Commerce Centre
was created in the mid 1990s
when the county bought
over 400 acres of land next
to the Perquimans River
less than a half mile from
Hwy. 17. Infrastructure
was implemented over the
years, and today, the coun
ty’s main economic devel
opment focus has nine busi
nesses operating there with
over 50 employees.
Thursday
High: 65 Low: 51
Partly Cloudy
Friday ‘
High: 68 Low: 46
T-Showers
Saturday
High: 50 Low: 41
Few Showers
6 "'■89076
7143
POLITICKIN
^ 5 zma
i
Photo courtesy PERQUIMANS COUNTY SCHOOLS
U.S. senator RICHARD BURR recently visited Perquimans High School to congratulate Principal James Bunch on the success
of staff and students at Perquimans High by earning the highest overall student composite for all high schools in the turn
around program. During Burr's hour-long visit, he spent the majority of his time with staff, discussing the need for strong
public schools. He also engaged in a questionand answer session with teachers providing details of the economic stimulus
legislation. Here he speaks with school board chair Wallace Nelson and county !:6mmissioner Tammy Miller-White, also a
faculty member at the high school, about the federal economic stimulus package.
Two local road projects may be funded
Two county
roads on state
highway plan
are ‘shovel
ready’
From staff reports
Perquimans County has
two highway improvement
projects included on the
state highway department’s
“shovel ready” projects that
may be funded by the feder
al economic stimulus pack
age.
North Carolina received
$838 million for transporta
tion improvements through
the federal economic re
covery plan approved by
Congress on Feb. 13 and
signed by President Barack
Obama. The total includes
about $735 million for high
way and bridge projects and
about $103 million for tran
sit, including aviation, bi
cycle and pedestrian, ferry,
public transportation and
rail projects.
“This funding will help
us move forward with need
ed transportation improve
ments as well as create and
sustain job opportunities
for North Carolinians,”
Transportation Secretary
Gene Conti said. “We’re in
the process of working with
communities across the
state to determine which
projects would best help us
meet both these goals.”
Included on the list
is a $4 million project to
strengthen the pavement
on Highway 17 between SR
1227 to SR 1101. In addition,
replacing a bridge on the
county line between Per
quimans and Chowan coun
ties is also on the list. The
bridge project on Rt. 37 is
estimated at $500,000.
NCDOT plans to let high
way and bridge projects
funded through the first
half of its share to contract
by June.
In November, NCDOT
began identifying about $5
bfilion in highway/bridge
improvements and about $1
billion in projects for other
modes that could be ready
quickly, and is now working
to narrow down the initial
list. Projects ultimately se
lected for funding will ben
efit communities across the
state and help a wide range
of industry partners.
Last week, the depart
ment added $92.8 million
in highway and bridge im
provements that would be
funded through the stimu
lus plan to the list of proj
CONTINUED on page 2
Phase II offers quality consignments
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Don’t call it a thrift shop.
The bargains discovered
at Phase II Consignments
are selected from a variety
of quality new and used
items found in this upscale
consignment shop.
The Perquimans Cham
ber of Commerce held a
ribbon cutting Feb. 19 at
the new shop located in the
Ken-Nix Plaza just outside
of Elizabeth City on Hwy.
17 South.
Owner Linda Strobel
offers men, women’s chil
dren’s clothing and accesso
ries as weU as home decor,
household items, furniture,
linens, dishes, silver, crys
tal and china, collectibles,
toiletries, gifts, and even
toys.
Consignments are ac
cepted daily and remain on
the floor for 60 days. Sales
are split 50/50 with the
store.
“This is a win-win situ
ation,” said Strobel. “The
consignor earns needed
cash and the consumer gets
a bargain.”
The store, managed by
Brad Strobel, opened in
January and has signed ap
proximately 100 consignors
so far. Gently used qual
ity in-season clothes are
accepted if freshly cleaned,
pressed and on hangers.
Purses, shoes, belts and
jewelry are also accepted
any time. No appointments
are necessary to place an
item on consignment.
The shop sets the selling
price, and the consignors
can receive their split from
sales at any time.
With the June bridal sea
son just around the corner,
the unique store has wed
ding dresses, party dress
es, prom dresses and even
mother-of-the-bride dresses
also in stock.
A precious baby room
includes clothes from Fel
ton and Peaches & Cream,
among other name brand
items, a baby crib, and even
a twin-stroUer.
Furniture pieces avail
able included a wing chair,
dining room set, Bombay
chest and mirror, among
others. Delivery can be ar
ranged for large pieces.
Phase II Consignments
is open Monday through
Saturday, 10 a.m.—6 p.m.
For more information, call
333-1334.
Perquimans Weekly photo by CATHY WILSON
THE PERQUIMANS CHAMBER OF Commerce held a ribbon cut
ting at Phase II Consignments Feb. 19 for the unique upscale
consignment shop located in the Ken-Nix Plaza just outside of
Elizabeth City on Highway 17 South.
lYateT
IChristensen
paid
Winfall pays
Hertford part
of $35K bill;
deducts $18.5K
for expenses
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
The town of Winfall has
paid Hertford a portion of
the almost $35,000 Hertford
was seeking for treating
Winfall’s waste water for
almost a year.
The
$16,286.82
check from
Winfall to
Hertford
reflects de-
ductions
for engi-
neering
services
and equip
ment in
stalled.
Hertford officials were
seeking $34,867 from their
neighboring town, saying
WinfaSi had not paid them
since March 2008.
W i n -
fall’s may
or says if
Hertford
doesn’t
accept
the lower
amount as
payment
in fuU, of
ficials win
seek the
help of USDA in resolving
the matter.
“The Town of Hertford
will examine the accuracy
of the gross amount due
and the deductions to deter
mine if they are appropri
ate under the terms of the
contract and respond to the
town of Winfall within 30
days,” stated Hertford Town
Manager John Christensen
in response to receiving the
check last week.
Mayor Fred Yates, in a
letter to town customers
recently, stated that while
both Winfall and Hertford
agreed on the amount owed,
WinfaU deducted from that
amount the cost of engi
neering services and equip
ment needed to accurately
measure Winfall’s waste-
water volume.
WinfaU contends that
the wastewater treatment
contract between the two
towns required Hertford to
furnish, install and main
tain at its own expense,
necessary metering equip
ment and other required
devices of standard type
satisfactory to both seUer
and purchaser for properly
measuring the quantity of
wastewater delivered.
“The Town of Hertford
did not install equipment
which properly measured
the wastewater flowing
from the town of WinfaU
which led to inaccurate
bUling,” Yates stated in his
letter. “In addition, under
paragraph 9 of the contract,
the town of Hertford agreed
to indemnify the town of
WinfaU against any loss,
costs or expenses related
to faUure of the wastewater
system.
“Because of the faUure
CONTINUED on page 2