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"News front Next Door”
FEBRUARY 16, 2011 - FEBRUARY 22, 2011
Christensen announces August retirement
Hertford manager
serving 17th year
By CATHY WILSON
Stq/f Writer
John Christensen says
he will retire at the end
of August after 17 years
as town manager for Hert
ford.
While he has not sub
mitted an official letter of
resignation, Christensen
said he told council mem
bers of his plans during
their Feb. 7 work session.
“I just felt it was ap
propriate that 1 tell them
my plans so they could
LGC says
Winfall’s
finances
improved
Serious financial
problems remain
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
The Local Government
Commission has com
mended WinfaU officials
for increasing their overall
general fund last year, but
also noted serious finan
cial problems that must be
addressed in order to im
prove the town’s financial
condition and operations.
Sharon G. Edmundson,
director for the fiscal man
agement section, wrote
town officials recently that
the town bettered their
general fund balance last
fiscal year by increasing it
revenues and reducing ex
penditures.
Even so, the town stfil
ended the 2010 fiscal year
with a negative unreserved
general fund balance for
the third year in a row.
Edmundson noted that
one reason is that the town
still loans money from the
general fund to the water
and sewer fund. That loan,
she pointed out, now totals
$101,772.
“Enterprise operations,
particularly utilities,
should be self sufficient,
and not rely on tax rev
enues to support their
operations,” Edmundson
wrote. “Many times tax
payers and utility cus
tomers are not the same
groups of people, and the
town is using taxes paid
by its residents to support
a utility operation that is
SeeWINFALL,8
be thinking of what they
want to do,” Christensen
said. “My time with Hert
ford has been wonderful,
and I have enjoyed it. I’m
just ready to move on.”
Christensen, 63, started
his tenure with the town
in December 1993 and
has helped lead council
through several major
projects including updat
ing, improving, and build
ing new water and waste-
water treatment facilities.
Tough economic times
have created challenges
for the town and its citi
zens, but the town has
weathered the storm and
ended up in sound finan-
Weekend
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cial shape, as evidenced
by the town’s latest finan
cial audit.
Christensen says he
feels he’s been through
the worst of economic
times in Hertford, and sees
growth and prosperity for
the town in the future.
“The future for Hert
ford is exciting,” he said.
“There wiU be great op
portunities for Hertford
with the commerce centre.
A lot of things, including
the economy, are going to
get better.”
Christensen feels the
new opportunities that
will come to Hertford
wfil need leadership with
youth, energy, and in
sight.
“Change is not bad,” he
added.
Council members were
surprised by his an
nouncement, he said.
“I don’t want them to
feel this is a bad thing,”
he said. “Hertford will see
a period of growth and
prosperity.”
Christensen said he has
no immediate plans fol
lowing retirement other
than possibly making him
self available for interim
management positions for
small towns.
“We’ll see what opportu
nities pop up,” he said.
STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON
Hertford Town Manager John Christensen informed members of
town council last week that he plans to retire at the end of
August. He was hired in 1993.
STAFF PHOTOS BY CATHY WILSON
Wagon Master Sarah Weeks and her horse Danny Boy (above) enjoy a lunch break during Saturday’s test run for the upcoming Friends to Freedom Wagon
Train, which will be coming to Perquimans County next month. Weeks is excited about the event slated for March 17-20.
Wagon Train passes test run for March trip
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
14
I ideho...yeehah!”
yelled Wagon Master
Sarah Weeks as she
snapped the reins signaling
Danny Boy to pick up his pace
as they approached U.S. High
way 17.
With deputies stopping
traffic on both lanes of the
busy highway, the lone horse-
drawn wagon followed by four
horseriders clip-clopped their
way across the intersection and
onto the next leg of their Satur
day journey
They tried singing the age
old western song Happy Trails
made famous by Dale and Roy
Rogers, but Dashing Through
the Snow was a bit more appro
priate considering the cold Sat
urday morning temperatures.
The sun shone brightly, but
the fierce wind bit boldly as the
tough horsewomen ran a test
run for the upcoming Friends
to Freedom Wagon Train set to
meander through Perquimans
County next month.
“We’re really excited about
the event,” said Weeks. “We
See WAGON,. 8
Hertford firefighters honored for heroics
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Three Hertford firefight
ers were honored by the
town Monday night for en
tering a burning house and
pulling a man to safety.
Mayor Sid Eley present
ed Assistant Chief Robbie
Reed, Lieutenant Rob Hol-
mier, and Firefighter Bri
an ChappeU the town’s life
saving medal, a certificate,
and plaque in recognition
of their heroic actions that
occurred during a house-
fire on Market Street De
cember 20.
“This is one of the great
est times I’d had as mayor,”
said Eley, himself a veteran
firefighter, as he presented
the certificates to the three
young firefighters. “They
are very deserving of this
award in recognition of
their exceptional and pro
fessional efforts.”
The trio was one of the
first fire units to arrive
on the scene and were im
mediately told that the
occupant was still inside
the burning house. With
flames surrounding them,
the men coiild hear 64-
year-old Roary Burrel,
Jr. screaming inside the
See HONORED, 2
STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY VI/ILSON
Hertford Mayor Sid Eley presents plaques to Hertford firefighters Robbie Reed, Brian Chappell and
Rob Holmier for their heroic actions in December when they pulled a man out of a burning home.