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The
ERQUIMANS
New Hope UMC celebrates
200 years Page 5
Perquimans youth have
‘Fishy Fun’ Page 7
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"News from Next Door"
JUNE 17, 2009 - JUNE 23, 2009
JUN 1 7 2009
Congrats, class of 2009!
THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY PHOTOS BY CATHY WILSON
Kaci Chappell gives the thumbs-up sign after receiving her diploma from Perquimans County High School on Thursday.
90 Pirate grads
walk the stage
By Cathy Wilson
Staff Writer
W atching her daughter
Deborah inarch onto
the stage to receive
her diploma, Susie Swindell
experienced the feeling most
parents get when their child
graduates from high school.
“She’s not supposed to be
graduating yet,” said Swin
dell. “She’s still a little girl.
The kids are ready to gradu
ate, but the parents aren’t!”
The younger SwindeU, and
89 other seniors at Perqui
mans County High School,
graduated Thursday night
on Memorial Field before an
overflow crowd. Parents and
grandparents wiped tears
from their eyes, or whooped
with joy as the graduates re
ceived their diplomas from
Superintendent Dr. Dwayne
StaUings and Board of Educa
tion Chairman Wallace Nel
son.
Nelson encouraged the
graduates to follow the
nine “Cs” of leadership as
defined by author Lee la-
cocca: curiosity, creativity,
communication, character.
courage, conviction, charis
ma, confidence, and common
sense.
Valedictorian Jaclyn Win
slow challenged her feUow
graduates to do hard things
in life.
“Anyone can do what is easy,
but those who choose to ac
complish difficult tasks make
a difference in the world,” she
said. “See every day as a gift
and look for the best in every
situation. Look back on the
memories you’ve made and
the lessons you’ve learned. A
foundation has been laid for
you and now it’s time for you
to build on it. The decisions
you make in this critical time
will determine the person
you become. Don’t be afraid
to dream big.”
Salutatorian Chase Baccus
cautioned the graduates mov
ing on to a new stage in their
lives.
“Throughout these last
four years the teachers in this
school have tried to teach us
hard work and disciple, and
for our entire lives our par
ents have taught us morals
See GRADS on Page 10
b
Balloons, flowers, cards and well-wishes filled graduation
night for the 90 graduates at Perquimans County High School,
Thursday. Below: Deborah Swindell and mom Suzy share a
moment following graduation.
r
Policeman’s
termination
questioned
By Cathy Wilson
Staff Writer
Petitions bearing 124 signa
tures were presented to Hert
ford council last week calling
the firing of the town’s only
African-American police of
ficer “wrongful.” Petition
ers seek the reinstatement
of Clifton Johnson who was
terminated from the depart
ment May 15.
Chief Joe Amos said he
could not comment on why
Johnson was terminated
because it is a personnel
matter. Town Manager John
Christensen echoed Amos’s
comments.
“The town cannot discuss
Johnson’s employment un
less he releases the town to
do so,” Christensen said. “He
was given a release form at
the council meeting recently,
but did not give us a signed
form before leaving that
meeting.”
Johnson says he doesn’t
know why he was fired.
“I was not given a reason
for being terminated,” said
Johnson. “I had no clue it
was coming. I still don’t have
any answers.”
Johnson said he was told
by Amos to file a grievance
through the town’s griev
ance process. When Johnson
met with Christensen to be
gin that process, Johnson
said he was told he didn’t
have any rights because he
was still a probationary em
ployee when terminated.
Johnson was hired June 6,
2008 by a former police chief.
New employees are proba
tionary for six months, but
police are considered proba
tionary for 12 months by the
state, explained Amos.
“What I don’t understand
is why I was told to train an
other new probationary offi
cer while I, myself, was still
on probation,” said Johnson.
“She (new officer) was re
leased after just six months
of probation.”
Johnson pointed out that
when he was first hired, he
had no supervision.
“My immediate supervisor
was on leave for six or seven
months,” he said. “I had no
supervision.”
Several members of the
community spoke in fa
vor of Johnson, including
Tony Riddick, a member
of T.R.U.T.H, The Rightous
United Through Harmony.
Last fall, the group organized
a late-night street patrol on
weekends to help ease ten
sions on King Street when
the police department was
short-staffed and without a
chief.
Riddick voiced concerns
over violent crimes in the
area, including several
unsolved murders, espe
cially on King Street. Police
See OFFICER on Page 2
No tax hike for WuifaJl,
roads budget reduced
By Cathy Wilson
Staff Writer
Winfall residents won’t
face a tax hike in the 2009-
10 fiscal budget approved by
council last week. Water and
sewer fees will remain the
same as well.
The approved general fund
budget totaling $459,975 re
tains last year’s ad valorem
tax rate of 41 cents. The gen
eral fund budget, which is
$44,000 less than last year’s,
does not provide for salary
increases for town employ
ees.
Projected sales tax rev
enues for the town are down
by $5,500. The new budget
also does not include grant
money for recycling, po
lice or the fire department.
Winfall’s police budget is un
changed from 2008-09.
Because of an increase in
insurance costs, the town’s
administrative budget in
creased by $5,800. The roads
and grounds department was
reduced by $44,300.
The 2009-10 budget goes
into effect July 1.
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 86 Low: 71
Scattered Storms
Friday
High: 89 Low: 74
Isolated Storms
Saturday
High: 89 Low: 73
ScAHERED Storms
Perquimans sees spike Church helps those hit by hard times
in food stamps usage
Clothing, food,
prayer available
From staff reports
Nearly 1,000 more area resi
dents have been added to coun
ty food stamp rolls in the past
five months — largely due to
more people losing their jobs,
social service workers in the
five-county area say.
In N0 vember, department of
social services offices in Pas
quotank, Perquimans, Cur
rituck, (iamden and Chowan
counties reported that 11,545
residents were receiving food
stamp benefits.
In April, that number
jumped to 12,480 recipients
— an increase of 935, or 7.5
percent.
Perquimans saw the area’s
Inside
Read policeman’s story
about going through foreclo
sure. See page 10.
largest spike in food stamp re
cipients over the five-month
period. In November, the
county had 1,624 residents
receiving $196,786 in benefits,
and in April that number rose
to 2,065 residents receiving
$269,919 in benefits. The aver
age monthly payout per recip
ient grew from $121 to almost
$131.
Perquimans Department of
See STAMPS on Page 10
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
A cool mist was falling,
but that didn’t dampen then-
spirit.
Volunteers cooked and
dished out mounds of hot
scrambled eggs and sausage
underneath a tent set up in the
middle of Dobbs Street one re
cent Saturday morning. Piles
of clothes topped other tables
lining the sidewalk.
“It’s all free,” said Pastor
Suzette Hayes of Press To
ward the Mark Ministries as
she encouraged folks walking
by to join them for breakfast,
pick up needed clothing, or
just to pray
iTPfB 'Wi
lO P ”
THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
PHOTQ BY
CATHY WILSQN
The small Hertford church,
with about 50-70 members,
tried to help the community
that is hurting from the eco
nomic slowdown, she said.
“We just really wanted to
reach out to the community by
offering free food, free clothes,
and prayer,” said Hayes. “We
get calls every week from
Tiffany Foreman
volunteered to help
feed others recently
during a free food
and clothing give-
a-way sponsored
by Press Toward the
Mark Ministries.
people in the community who
are trying to decide whether
or not to feed their families,
clothe them, or pay the elec
tric biU. They just can’t make
it during these hard times.”
Several church members
have lost their jobs, or have
See CHURCH on Page 10