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NOV 1 0 2010
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Pirates ready for playoffs, 7
Switching emergency
frequency wiii be costiy, 8
"News from Next Door"
NOVEMBER 10, 2010 - NOVEMBER 16, 2010
Race to the Top funds coming to
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Perquimans County
Schools expects to receive
$59,000 each year for the
next four years in Race
to the Top (RttT) federal
grant funds won by the
state.
Those monies will be
used by the local school sys
tem in a variety of ways as
directed by the state, from
updating outdated technol
ogy to focusing on reading
in grades 3-8.
The funds are part of the
Vets give
a hand
for park
project
From staff reports
An artistic bronze cast
ing of a special veteran’s
right hand that wiU be in
cluded in the North Caro
lina Veterans Park will
follow this year’s Veterans
Day observance on Thurs
day.
American Legion Post
126 will sponsor the an
nual ceremony honoring
local veterans on the court
house lawn beginning at 11
a.m. Speaking wiU be Mack
Nixon, a veteran who also
serves as'chairman of the
Perquimans County Board
of Commissioners. Assist
ing win be members from
the Perquimans County
High School band, Hert
ford Boy and Cub Scout
troops 150, and members
of Post 126.
Following the annual ob
servance, the unique event
of creating a molded cast
of a veteran’s hand will
occur.
Each county in the state
has been asked to select
one veteran to have a
bronze cast created of his
or her right hand to in
clude in the state veterans
park which is scheduled to
open July 4 in Fayetteville.
Based on the recommen
dation from Preston Spear,
the county’s veterans offi
cer, county commissioners
recently selected Corbin
Cherry to represent coun
ty veterans in the new park
project. An artist will trav
el to Perquimans County to
mold Cherry’s right hand,
the hand raised when tak
ing the military oath of
service.
His hand cast will be
part of a wall that will
See VETERANS, 4
Weekend
Weather
Friday
High: 63 Low: 46
Partly Cloudy
Saturday
High: 63 Low: 45
Mostly Sunny
Sunday
High: 63 Low: 47
Partly Cloudy
6 89076 A
7144
$400 million federal Race
to the Trop grant won by
North Carolina, one of
only 12 nationwide.
The grants are designed
to spur public school inno
vation and continue school
improvement across the
state.
According to Brenda
Lassiter, Perquimans’ pub
lic information officer, the
local school system sub
mitted its required plan
of action on how the local*
school system would use
the funds on Monday
Perquimans is set to re-
^ ceive a
total of
B $237,156
over four
|V years.
Ip L a s -
^ siter said
a large
chunk
of the
funds is
earmarked to help make
aU schools wireless and to
support technology/infra
structure upgrades in all
facilities.
Also, $40,000 will go to
wards paying for staff de
Stallings
velopment in preparation
for new standards listed
in the schools’ course of
study, $30,000 to support
reading/literacy in early
education for grades 3-8,
$19,000 for help pay for
mentors to help new teach
ers, and $19,000 in curricu
lum support in an effort to
place students in the best
math or science classes
based on testing, among
other projects.
Local RttT funds are
distributed based on last
year’s Title 1 and federal
stimulus funds appropria
tions.
Perquimans ranks in
the middle when compar
ing grant funds expected
by neighboring counties.
Camden County Schools
is slated to receive $60,935
over four years while Cur
rituck County should re
ceive $102,694. Edenton/
Chowan Schools should
receive $330,957 over four
years while Pasquotank
Coimty is earmarked to re
ceive $899,359.
Each school division had
to file their plan of action
by Nov. 8 in order to receive
the funds. Local schools
expect to receive the fimds
in late November or early
December.
Race to the Top funds
must be spent in direct
support of the state’s plan
focusing on creating great
teachers and principals,
quality standards and as
sessments, turnaroimd of
lowest achieving schools,
and data systems to im
prove instruction.
The state’s plan strives
to ensure that aU students
will graduate and be career
and college ready
The Sound of Music Past
STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON
Band Boosters President Jennifer Bunch shows the interactive band display that dates to 1945, currently showing at the Perqufmans Arts League Gallery.
Historic band display showing at PAL
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
D on’t be surprised if you
see the loc^ high school
band members running
instead of marching these days!
Members of the Perquimans
County High School Marching
Pirates are trying to raise funds
to perform at Walt Disney World
next spring. Also, an interac
tive band memorabilia display
dating back to 1945 is currently
showing at the Perquimans
Arts League Gallery. And, plans
call for appearances at upcom
ing events and holiday parades.
Jennifer Bunch, president of
the local hand boosters, said it’s
a busy time for the students,
and band boosters alike.
She is especially excited over
the historical band display at
the PAL gallery which includes
scrapbooks, uniforms, batons.
signs, and much more.
“Did you know that President
Lyndon Johnson actually pro
vided uniforms for the march
ing unit years ago?” asked
Bunch. “I didn’t, but there’s
information in the display tell
ing about when that occurred.”
While displaying historical
information about bands in the
past, current band members are
busy selling candy, fresh fruit,
wrapping paper and other items
just in time for the holidays in
an effort to raise enough money
to travel to Florida next March.
Band director Sarah Fenske
told members of the Perqui
mans Board of Education
recently that the trip would
cost about $550 per student.
Members will sell fruit, sell
candy and other items, and cook
chicken dinners to help pay
See BAND, 4
Muzzulin, Miller-White win
Hobbs, Tilley claim
election victories
From staff reports
Political newcomer Ed
Muzzulin is slated to be
sworn in as a new county
commissioner next month
after winning one of three
commissioner seats during
last week’s election.
Muzzulin (D) joins in
cumbents Tammy MiUer-
White (D) and Ben Hobbs
(R) to be sworn into office
during the next commis
sioner meeting Dec. 6.
Incumbent veteran com
missioner Charles Ward
(D) lost in the four-person
Hobbs Miller-White
race for three seats on the
board.
Hobbs, the lone Repub
lican seeking reelection
on the board, garnered the
most votes with 1,524. Muz
zulin followed him with
1,066 votes, and Miller-
White with 799 votes.
Ward lost his seat by
finishing fourth with 671
Muzzulin
Tilley
votes, according to unoffi
cial tallies.
Muzzulin, 66, has nev
er held a political office
before, but campaigned
tirelessly throughout the
county for the past several
weeks.
In thanking the vot-
See ELECTION, 2
■Pumpkin Party
PCS PHOTO
Students at Hertford Grammar School received free
pumpkins recently, just in time to make pumpkin pies
for Thanksgiving. The pumpkins were provided by Maty
and JoeWhite of Hertford.