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"News front Next Door" p^g g 2 2011 2, 2011 - FEBRUARY 8, 2011
Ground broken on new marine park
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Moving forward even
in tough economic times
by preparing the area for
growth will create future
opportunities for this area,
said NC Secretary of Com
merce Keith Crisco last
week during groundbreak
ing ceremonies for the Per
quimans Marine Industri
al Park.
“Finding your niche
within the marine indus
try, or how it can be adapt
ed to yoim facility, makes
this an exciting time,” he
added.
Firm files
to build
wind farm
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Iberdrola Renewables
(IR) filed an application
with the N.C. Utilities
Commission last week be
ginning the process of try
ing to site a wind turbine
farm in the flat farmland
known locally as “the des
ert”.
IR Spokesperson Paul
Copieman said the com
pany is considering cre
ating the Desert Wind
Power Project that would
include 150 wind turbines
on 20,000 acres of flatland
that transcends both Per
quimans and Pasquotank
counties.
The 300-megawatt proj
ect could generate enough
electricity to power be
tween 55,000-70,000 North
Carolina homes, would be
expected to create more
than 400 construction
jobs, and up to 20 perma
nent jobs. If approved,
construction on the proj
ect could begin as early as
the end of this year.
“Iberdrola Renewables
has been working with the
communities, landowners,
multiple state and federal
agencies, and conducting
various studies on the po
tential project since 2009,”
said Copieman in a press
release. “The filing today
represents the first step of
many regulatory reviews
that must be completed be
fore Iberdrola Renewables
makes a final decision on
the project...If developed
as proposed, the project is
expected to bring substan
tial economic benefits to
the area.”
Copieman said under
See WIND FARM, 8
Weekend
Weather
Friday
High: 46 Low: 32
Light/freezing rain
Saturday
High: 51 Low: 37
Light rain
Sunday
High: 53 Low: 35
Mostly Sunny
89076 4
7144
Crisco was one of sev
eral keynote speakers to
address a room full of local
and regional government
leaders, boat builders,
wind energy businesses,
and governmental agen
cies that gathered to kick
off the marketing cam
paign for the park located
in the Perquimans Com
merce Center adjacent to
the Perquimans River.
The 72-acre park, sur
rounded by 300 additional
available acres, will even
tually offer a 16 and a half
acre 10-ft. deep water basin
that officials believe will
lead to future boat build
ing and marine trade in
dustrial opportunities that
will provide local jobs. The
park is owned and devel
oped by the North Caroli
na Seafood Park Authority
(NCSPA), the same state
agency that owns Wan-
chese Seafood Industrial
Park in Dare County.
“This is a big deal for
us,” said Ben Hobbs, chair
man of the Perquimans
Board of Commissioners.
“We’re excited to have a
place where marine busi
nesses can come and locate.
We wish we were using big
machines today instead of
shovels to move dirt, but
this is a big step for us, and
we’re glad we are here.”
Hobbs pointed out that
the park is an economic de
velopment project between
the county and towns of
Hertford and Winfall that
depends on federal, state
and/or grant money.
“We do wish the state
and federal budgets were
in better shape, and that
the grant situation would
be better as far as funding
is concerned, but we’re
moving ahead anyway,” he
added.
Bob Peele, executive
STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON
N.C. Secretaiy of Commerce Keith Crisco spoke Thursday during
the groundbreaking for the new Perquimans Marine industriai
See PARK, 4 Park.
Going once,
Going twice,
SOLD!
STAFF PHOTOS BY CATHY WILSON
Chamber Director Sid Eley (above, ieft)) and auctioneer Jake Forbes stir up the bidding on a framed photo of baseball
legend Catfish Hunter during the annual Chamber of Commerce banquet and auction fundraiser Friday night. Local dentist
Dr. Douglas Periy (top photo) surprised Stacey Forbes by giving her a birthday gift - a box of “goodies” valued at $665.
Forbes, whose husband is a patient of Dr. Perry’s, was very grateful for the birthday surprise.
Chamber auction raises $7,000
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
S tacey Forbes was cel
ebrating her birthday
with family at the annual
Chamber of Commerce banquet
and auction fundraiser Friday
night when she received quite a
surprise.
Dr. Douglas Perry, a local
dentist, bought one of the three
mystery boxes auctioned off
without seeing what’s inside.
Instead of opening it to see what
he bought for $450, he gave the
box to Forbes as an impromptu
birthday gift.
“Oh my gosh. I can’t believe
this. That’s so generous of you,”
exclaimed a surprised Forbes as
she and Perry both unwrapped
the plastic tub that held items
valued at $665.
Inside, Forbes found a weekend
pass for an Enterprise rental car
valued at $240, matted artwork, a
leather handbag, numerous gift
certificates, a carrying case for
a laptop, and many other items.
It’s a birthday present she will
remember forever.
Perry, dentist to Stacey’s
husband Jake, just grinned when
asked why he would give the box
away, sight unseen.
“I heard it was her birthday,
so why not give it to her?” said
Perry.
The three mystery boxes were
a new addition to the one and
only annual fundraiser held by
the Chamber during the year.
Nearly 200 ticket-holders en
joyed a meal catered by Captain
Bob’s and bidding on donated
items during both silent and
regular auctions.
Chamber Director Sid Eley
said about $7,000 was raised
during the fundraiser to support
the Chamber.
Auctioneer for the evening was
Jake Forbes whose quick tongue
rattled off sales of wood
See CHAMBER, 8
Athletic
complex
design
approved
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
The Perquimans Board
of Education recently
gave the go-ahead to start
preliminary engineering
design work for a new out
door athletic complex.
Board members gave Al
bemarle & Associates, Ltd.
(AA) notice to proceed on
performing site evalua
tion and assessment, con
ceptual planning, meet
ings, cost estimating, and
electrical operational cost
estimates.
County commission
ers have funded $35,000
for the study that begins
the project to be located
on property across from
Perquimans County High
School.
James L. Overton, Sr.,
president of AA, said he
would like to start on the
site assessment immedi
ately.
Currently, the school
system has a committee
working on the project
that is expected to be built
largely from donations
and future fundraisers.
The committee consists
of the superintendent and
assistant superintendent,
the high school princi
pal, athletic directors at
both the high and middle
schools, the system’s di
rector of maintenance,
and the county manager.
Overton indicated he
hopes to present final con
ceptual graphics to the
board in April.
Last year, the board of
education agreed to a five-
year option on 33 acres of
farmland across from the
high school ovraed by Dr.
William Nixon of Wilm
ington, a PCHS graduate.
Plans call for the facility to
include a football field and
a track, along with dress
ing andweight rooms.
Head Start bus runs in ditch
No children were
iiyured in accident
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
No children were injured
'Tuesday morning when a
Head Start bus, operated by
the Economic Improvement
Council based in Winfall,
ran into a ditch on Mead’s
Loop in Hertford around
8:30 a.m.
Hertford Police Chief Joe
Amos said it appeared that
the driver of the bus be
came distracted and simply
ran into the ditch. Speed
was not a factor in the ac
cident, he added.
Perquimans EMS was
dispatched to the scene af
ter the driver, whose name
was not immediately avail
able, apparently suffered an
anxiety attack, Amos said.
At the scene, seven chil
dren, ages 4-5, who were on
board the bus at the time of
the accident, vvere seated
in two police cars to keep
warm until a second EIC
bus arrived to transport
them to the Winfall school.
The children, bundled
up in winter coats and
hats, sat quietly holding
their backpacks in the
back seat of the police
cars, but smiled, laughed
and waved through the
cars’ windows.
The accident was inves
tigated by Officer Allen
Peterson with the Hertford
Police Department.
STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON
A bus operated by the Economic Improvement Council Head Start
program based in Winfall ended up in a ditch Tuesday morning on
Mead’s Loop in Hertford. Seven students were onboard at the time.
No injuries were reported, but EMS was called for the driver.