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"Netvs front Next Door"
February 24, 2010 - March 2, 2010 FEB 2 ^ 2010
New athletic complex plan set in motion
Board of Education
accepts land option
By Cathy Wilson
Staff Writer
The Perquimans Coun
ty Board of Education
has taken the first step on
their journey to create a
new athletic complex.
Monday night, board
members accepted a five-
year option on 33 acres
Benton
helped
Haitian
relief
By Cathy Wilson
Staff Writer
Lt. Commander Gregory
L. Benton, better known as
“Greg” around Hertford,
was probably one of the
few people onboard the
USS Nassau who didn’t get
to hold her..
But, thanks to Benton,
and the other engineers
who work under him, their
work keeping the multipur
pose amphibious assault
ship Nassau operational
provided a sr3fe i|^^n for
a newborn baby who be
came separated from her
mother following the 7.0
magnitude earthquake in
Haiti on Jan. 12.
According to the U.S.
Navy, she became known
as the “baby in the box”
after arriving on the ship
Jan. 23 in a small box
bearing the label “Baby in
box-do not throw away”.
The infant was taken care
of by the ship’s medical
personnel and eventually
reunited with her mother
Jan. 31 when a Haitian
woman came aboard USNS
Comfort looking for her
newborn baby girl. The
baby aboard the Nassau
fit the baby’s description.
Medical personnel on both
ships verified through in
vestigation that the wom
an was indeed the baby’s
biological mother and a
tearful reunion occurred
on the Nassau.
“It was probably one of
See BENTON, 2
Weekend
Weather
Friday
High: 48 Low; 31
Mostly Sunny
Saturday
High; 48 Low: 33
Cloudy
Sunday
High: 49 Low: 32
Mostly Sunny
of farmland across the
street from Perquimans
County High School. The
land will be donated to the
school system by Dr. Wil
liam Nixon for use as an
athletic facility.
“The Perquimans Coun
ty Board of Education
has worked diligently to
secure an option for the
land across from the high
school for the students of
Perquimans County,” said
Superintendent Dwayne
Stallings.
“We ap
plaud Dr.
Nixon and
his fami
ly’s gener
ous con
tribution
and look
forward
to hosting
athletic and other events
on this new site, hopefully
in the near future.”
Public Information Of
ficer Brenda Lassiter
said long range plans call
for the facility to include
a football stadium and
track, a soccer field, prac
tice facilities for football
and soccer, tennis courts,
and locker rooms, conces
sions, and restrooms.
Lassiter indicated that
the design and future con
struction of the complex
would include input not
only from board members,
but from county com
missioners, high school
administration, and the
school system’s athletic
department.
In addition, raising the
funds to pay for the proj
ect would also be a joint
effort between the board
of education, county com
missioners, and from the
community.
“The commissioners are
well aware of this project
and are onboard,” said
County Administrator
Bobby Darden.
“We realize the county
will be an integral part of
the funding process, but it
will also include a county
wide community effort.”
The option for the land
will expire in five years if
no action is taken to move
the project forward during
that time, Lassiter added.
Dr. Nixon, a former resi
dent of the county, gradu
ated from Perquimans
County High School.
Scout's honor
SHAWN ROCCO/NEWS & OBSERVER
Aaron Perry, 16, (l-r) from Troop 164 in Gates County, Corby Bunch, 14, from Troop 150 in PerquimansCounty, and Brad Mattox, 16, from Troop 127 in
Currituck County, march on Fayetteville Street in Raleigh on Feb. 8 in observance of the 100th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America.
Bunch takes part in BSA 100th celebration
By Cathy Wilson
Staff Writer
T he temperature was in the
low 30s on Feb. 8, but 14-year-
old Corby Bunch was too
proud of his uniform to be con
cerned about being cold.
The Hertford Boy Scout was
chosen to represent Perquimans
Coxmty and Troop 150 during the
recent 100th anniversary of the
Boy Scouts of America recogni
tion at the North Carolina state
capital. He and 99 other scouts,
representing the state’s 100 coun
ties, marched down Fayetteville
Street to the capital buUding in
Raleigh where they met with
Gov. Beverly Perdue.
“I was very proud to march
down the street to the capital in
my scout uniform carrying the
Perquimans County flag,” said
Bunch. “It was very cold, but I
wanted my uniform to show so I
would not wear my coat.”
“It was quite a sight to see,”
added his mother. Crystal Bunch,
who also serves as a scout leader.
“It was an overwhelming view
to see aU of our 100 scouts car
rying their coimty flags. Each
scout was asked to bring their
county flag to show pride in their
county.”
Other scouts from the area
representing the other six coun
ties in the region included; Eagle
Scout Daniel Godfrey of Troop
158 (Camden), Life Scout Chris
topher Cartwright of Troop 164
(Chowan), Life Scout Frank Re
uter of Troop 182 (Currituck), Ea
gle Scout Aaron Perry of Troop
164 (Gates), Webelos Scout Bailey
Outlaw of Pack 170 (Pasquotank),
and Tiger Scout Christopher Po-
korny of Pack 117 (Dare).
Following their march, the
See SCOUTS, 4
Hagan meets and greets in Hertford
By Cathy Wilson
Staff Writer
His words were short and to the
point, but fiscal conservative Ben
Hobbs told U.S. Senator Kay D-N.C.,
Hagan why he believes jobs are
scarce in an area that relies heavily
on small businesses.
The Perquimans commissioner
spoke went straight to his point
during Hagan’s visit to the area
Friday regarding local employment
opportunities, or more importantly
the lack of them in Northeastern
North Carolina.
“Small businesses are concerned
over mandates, over the health care
costs, over cap and trade. They are
fearful of those things and what the
government is doing with them,”
said Hobbs. “Until that fear goes
away, there won’t be anyone hired.”
Hobbs also pressed Sen. Hagan
on the increasing national deficit
that is expected to reach $1.6 tril
lion this year.
“The counties are concerned that
the state and federal governments
will pass the massive deficit that’s
been created on down to the coun
ty,” he added. “You know, at some
point, the chickens are going to
come home to roost.”
“Deficit spending-that’s what
keeps me awake at night,” Hagan
answered Hobbs. “We’ve got to come
to terms with this deficit problem.
We can’t aU of a sudden start cut
ting and cutting with this recession
we’re experiencing, but we’ve got to
get this under control.”
See HAGAN, 2
CATHY WILSON/PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Hertford Mayor Sid Eley presents U.S. Senator Kay Hagan D-N.C., a ceramic
turtle as a symbol of hospitality from the town during Hagan's brief stop at
the Albemarle Commission last week.
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