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P I The
ERQUIMANS
CEREMONY TO HONOR VETERANS
Hertford American Legion Post
126 will host a Veterans Day
ceremony today at 11 a.m.
on the historic courthouse green
at the Veterans Memorial.
”Neivs front Next Door"
NOVEMBER 11, 2009 - NOVEMBER 17, 2009
Welcoming committee
PERQUIMANS WEEKLY PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON
Historic Hertford Inc., and local participating downtown merchants sponsored a new billboard giving directions to Historic Hertford.
The billboard promotes the unique town to travelers passing southbound on U.S. Highway 17 north ofWinfall.The cost of the one-year
project was paid for by nine participating downtown merchants and HHI.
Billboard welcomes visitors to Hertford
By Cathy Wilson
Staff Writer
M otorists traveling southbound
on U.S. Highway 17 just north
of Winfall now see an attrac
tive, colorful billboard on the side
of the roadway directing them to
Hertford.
The billboard, promoting the
historic downtown Hertford area,
is funded by nine participating
downtown merchants and Historic
Hertford, Inc. (HHI), the town’s Main
StreetPfogram.
“We’re doing this to promote
the town,” said Ed Muzzulin, with
HHI.
HHI paid for the production
cost of the billboard as well, and
they have a year’s contract for dis
play.
Muzzulin said the downtown
merchants which financially sup
ported the project included: Carolina
Trophy, Out of the Past, Hertford
shire Antiques, The Pink Turtle,
Nickalena’s Deli, Perquimans Arts
League, White’s Dress Shop, Wood
ard’s Pharmacy, and Carriage House
Restaurant.
The billboard encourages visitors
to visit historic Hertford on the Per
quimans, and highlights shopping,
dining, antiques, historic homes and
boating.
The sign directs them to turn right
at the next light, allowing visitors to
travel over the historic S-bridge as
they enter town.
See billboard on Page 10
Denny heads to karaoke finals
Performance Thursday
on the "Oprah’ show
By Cathy Wilson
Staff. Writer
Donnie Denny — Perqui
mans County’s singing plumb
er — has crooned his way into
the finals of Oprah Winfrey’s
“Karaoke Challenge.”
Denny, owner of Standard
Plumbing in Hertford, was
named one of three finalists
on the talk show host’s popu
lar singing segment last week.
He will square off tomorrow
(Thursday) on “The Oprah
Winfrey Show” against two
other finalists — Abraham
McDonald of Los Angeles and
Rob Weddle of Orlando, Fla.
Denny made the finals of
the Karaoke Challenge after
competing on the show Nov. 5
against seven other semifinal
ists. Denny sang “Amazed,”
the Lonestar hit, during his
performance and was selected
for one of the final three spots
in the Karaoke Challenge
based on the votes of audi
ence members and viewers
following the performances.
After the finalists were
Denny
announced
Friday, Den
ny arrived
back at his
Perquimans
Coimty home
from Chicago
where the
television
show is taped.
According to
family members, he flew back
to Chicago on Monday
Denny caught the eye of
“Oprah” show producers in
early October after his family
sent in a video of him sing
ing. A show producer and film
Holman, Lane
win in Hertford
Mummert, Whedbee
keep seats in Winfall
By Cathy Wilson
Staff Writer
One vote does make a differ
ence. Just ask Horace Reid.
Last Tuesday, Hertford vot
ers elected Lillian Anne Hol
man and political newcomer
Ed Lane to Hertford Town
Council, defeating veteran
Horace Reid and two other
challengers, Quentin Jackson
and Lloyd Hodges.
Lane received 194 votes.
Holman, with 138, won over
Vice Mayor Reid by only one
vote, spurring Reid to request
a recount. Jackson received
Holman
Lane
74 votes and Lloyd Hodges re
ceived 39.
Members of the Perqui
mans County Board of
Elections performed a vote
recount early Monday morn
ing, confirming that Holman
received 138 votes, one more
than Reid with 137.
See RECOUNT on Page 10
Camp exec faces
additional charges
By Cathy Wilson
Staff Writer
The former director of Cale
Retreat and Conference Center
faces four additional charges
following indictments handed
down Thursday by a Perqui
mans County Grand Jury.
Assistant District Attorney
Michael Johnson said two
true bills of indictment were
handed down against Stephen
Wayne Carter. Each indict
ment alleges one count each
of taking indecent liberties
with a child and first degree
sex offense involving a child
under the age of 13.
Carter, age 50, of 257 Camp
Cale Road, now faces six
charges involving three dif
ferent victims, Johnson said.
Carter
Carter was
first indicted
back in July
No trial
date has been
set.
Asof Thurs
day, Carter re
mains free on
bond.
Carter was
and charged
first arrested
July 1.
At the time of his initial ar
rest, court documents banned
Carter from having any con
tact with a child under the age
of 18 except his own child, and
banned him from the prop
erty
Cale Retreat is a summer
See CARTER on Page 10
%
crew later visited him at his
church. South Mills Church
of Christ, where he sings
with a praise group once a
month. They filmed him sing
ing at church and he was also
interviewed for the show at
his home on Justin Avenue.
His minister, Ron Stuart,
said Denny sang with the
praise group this past Sunday
between trips to Chicago.
“We’re proud of him,” said
Stuart. “He’s a little numb
right now, a little shocked.
He’s a good man, a hard work
er, and we’re trying to support
him in any way we can.”
PERQUIMANS WEEKLY PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON
Local church members and others give support to Barnabas House,
a Christian residential program to help released inmates and others
reintegrate into society and become productive community members.
A recent dinner explaining the program featured speakers from a simi
lar program in Boone. Among those supporting Barnabas House are:
(from left) Mark Futtrell, Robbie and Rita Collie, Wayne Ownley, Chad
Byrd, Billy Rich Jr., and C.D. White.
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 61 Low: 46
Few Showers
Friday
High: 65 Low: 50
Partly Cloudy
Saturday
High: 66 Low: 51
Few Showers
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New finance officer named Barnabas House
offers shelter, help
6 "89076 47143 5
By Cathy Wilson
Staff Writer
The finance director for the
schools in a nearby county
will become the new finance
officer for Perquimans Coun
ty Schools later this month.
Pearline Bunch, of Wind
sor, will take over the finan
cial operations of the schools
following the retirement
of , 24-year veteran Frances
Hammer. Bunch, who has
worked with the Bertie Coun
ty Schools for 21 years, be
gins her new duties here Nov.
23. Hammer, who has given
31 years to the Perquimans
County Schools, will end her
run Nov. 20.
“1 am looking forward to my
position as finance officer in
Bunch
Perquimans
County,” said
Bunch. “1
love meeting
new people
and accept
ing new chal
lenges. Ev
eryone that I
have met so
far has been
so warm and friendly and
1 feel at home already. I am
looking forward to meeting
the rest of my colleagues
and am excited about work
ing with my new team. Ev
ery school system’s purpose
is to provide our children
with the best education pos
sible so they can compete on
a local, state, national, and
global level. A part of this is
to ehcourage them and moti
vate them to be the best that
they can be. 1 intend to do all
I can for the children of Per
quimans County. If you can
touch a child’s life and see
them grow and reach their
potential, that is the greatest
reward there is.”
Bunch, a graduate of East
Carolina University with a
degree in accounting, earned
her master’s degree in gen
eral administration from
Central Michigan Univer
sity. She began her career
with Bertie Schools in 1989
as a cost clerk assistant and
TIMS operator for the sys
tem’s transportation depart
ment before .advancing to
See BUNCH on Page 10
By Cathy Wilson
Staff Writer
A local non-profit organiza
tion is trying to create a Chris
tian residential program
to help released inmates or
those with life controlling is
sues reintegrate into society
and become productive com
munity members.
Barnabas House of North
eastern North Carolina,
Inc., made up of Christians
throughout this area, is seek
ing to find the right property
on which to develop the proj
ect. The non-profit organiza
tion is. currently raising funds
to support it.
Organizers are looking for
the right property in a rural
area, possibly Perquimans
County
Named after the Biblical
character who was known
for his wise encouragement
of others by pointing the way
to the Lord, Barnabas House
is lead by men who believe
deeply in God, in His love for
others including prisoners,
and in spreading that love by
extending loving hands when
needed.
Men leaving prison need
See BARNABAS on Page 11