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The
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''News front Next Door"
MARCH 2, 2011 - MARCH 8, 2011
A new look for Pirates baseball, 6
Local Scout reports
to N.C. Legislature, 2
Life on the farm - wind farm, that is
By CATHY WILSON
Stajf Writer
■■his past harvest
I season, Illinois farmer
I Frank Legner III
combined his soybeans in
the fields as wind tur
bines churned out energy
around him.
The Livingston County
farmer raises 2,400 acres
of corn and soybeans on
his family farm, much of
which is surrounded by
the 300 megawatt Streator
Cayuga Ridge South Wind
Farm (Cayuga Ridge). Ca
yuga Ridge, which has 150
wind turbines, is the larg
est wind project developed
by Iberdrola Renewables
(K) as of May 2010. It is
the same size as the wind
project proposed by IR for
the desert area straddling
Perquimans and Pasquo
tank counties.
Like the crops that grow
on his land, Legner took
his time before leasing his
Illinois land to IR during
the Cayuga Ridge wind
farm siting process.
“We went to Iowa to see
one (wind project),” he
said during a telephone
interview. “We actu
ally parked in the yards of
farmers and talked with
them to find out how it
worked for them, and what
they would do differently
We researched it thor
oughly before we signed.
We were one of the last
ones to sign here. Once you
sign, you are in it for the
long haul.”
Legner said farming
operations continued with
Tr
Perquimans
S. *
Legner Farms in Livingston County,
rounded by wind turbines.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LEGNER FARMS
i., produces soybeans and corn.in farming operations sur-
little changes made based
on land leases since the
wind farm went into opera
tion just over a year ago.
“We are able to do our
day to day farming opera
tions,” he said. “We have
made a few minor changes
here and there, but we
evolve with it.”
His advice to local farm
ers whose land wUl be used
for the local wind project?
“As with any walk of
life, use due diligence,” he
said. “Go see one. Become
educated on it as much as
possible. Figure out how it
win fit in with your long
term operations.”
Legner has created a
website for Legner Farms
and several photos on the
site show farming opera
tions with the large wind
turbines in the back
ground.
Cayuga Ridge was the
largest wind farm oper
ating in niinois when it
reached commercial opera
tion last March. The Ten
nessee Valley Authority,
the nation’s largest public
power provider, buys pow
er from the Cayuga Ridge
wind farm project under
a 20-year power purchase
agreement.
Local wind project
The North Carolina
Utilities Commission will
hold a public hearing in
Elizabeth City next week
on the Desert Wind Project
(DWP), a proposed 300
megawatt wind farm that
includes 150 wind tur
bines. The public hearing
wiU be held March 10, in
the Pasquotank County , ,
Courthouse Courtroom B
beginning at 7 p.m.
According.to the ap
plication filed with the
state utilities commission.
Atlantic Wind LLC (ovraed
by IR) plans to build the
project on 20,000 acres in
Perquimans and Pasquo
tank cormties and wfil con
sist of meteorological tow
ers, conductors, switches,
substations, a maintenance
building, and up to 150
wind turbines generating
750-950,000 megawatt hours
per year. The operation
win connect to an existing
230 kilovolt transmission
line owned by Dominion
North Carolina Power. The
project area is bound by
U.S. Highway 158 to the
north, U.S. Highway 17 to
the south and east, and
County Road 1002 to the
west. After construction,
only 1-2 percent of the
-project area will be used.
The rest of the land will
continue to be farmed or
used for forestry purposes.
The turbines’ height at
the highest blade tip posi
GRAPHIC COURTESY APPLICATION FILED WITH STATE UTILITIES COMMISSION
The bold boundaiy lines indicate the outline of the proposed
Desert Wind Project planned for Perquimans and Pasquotank
counties, according to a map included in Atlantic Wind LLC's
filings with the North Carolina Utilities Commission.
tion would be a maximum
of 575 feet.
Both Perquimans and
Pasquotank counties
have approved ordinances
regulating wind turbines
including setback, sound
and shadow flicker re
quirements.
Construction is ex
pected to begin in 2012 and
be in service by January
2013. According to the ap
plication paperwork, the
wind farm wfil be operat
ed by 15-20 full time work
ers consisting of a plant
manager and technicians
overseeing maintenance
done on the turbines. A
control center in Portland,
Ore., home of IR, wfil
continually monitor and
contrc ’ me local facility
and wifi provide remote
operation and control of
the turbines as well as col
lecting data from them 24
hours a day
The energy output is
estimated to be enough to
power 55-70,000 homes.
According to the ap
plication, the local wind
project is needed to help
electric power suppliers in
the state meet the Renew
able Energy and En
ergy Efficiency Portfolio
Standard (REPS) require
ments. Under the law,
investor-owned utilities
in the state are required
to meet up to 12.5 percent
of their energy needs
through renewable energy
resources or energy ef
ficiency measures by 2021.
Rural electric cooperatives
and municipal electric
suppliers must meet a 10
percent REPS require
ment by 2018.
IR is in discussions with
See WIND FARM, 2
Wagon Train on entertainment trail
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Excitement is mounting
for the Friends to Freedom
Wagon Train slated to ride
through Perquimans County
in two weeks.
Plans call for nightly enter
tainment in two popular spots
to help welcome the horse
and wagon riders expected to
come to the county from vari
ous parts of the state. The fun
begins March 17-20.
Riders will begin arriving
March 17 at the Newbold-
White House (NWH) campsite
in preparation for the actual
ride that begins the next day.
Sponsored by the Perqui
mans County Restoration As
sociation (PCRA), the three-
day equestrian wagon trail is
expected to draw hundreds to
the event that will commemo
rate the great migration of
Quakers from Perquimans
County and other areas of
j
FILE PHOTO
The Friends to Freedom Wagon Train will ride through Perquimans
County March 17-20.
the South during the late 18th
and early 19th centuries.
The commemorative event
is not an accurate reenact
ment but will include people
in a variety of costumes and
horse-drawn buggies and
wagons as well as horseback
riders in modern dress.
In addition to the NWH
campsite, a second campsite
will be held in Belvidere. Rid
ers wfil travel from NWH to
Belvidere on March 18 where
they will camp overnight and
enjoy the hospitality of Bel
videre folks. Beginning at 3
p.m. in Belvidere that Friday,
the public may enjoy food,
kid games, hay rides, craft
vendors, and live music at the
areas of Layden’s Store and
the community building.
The Belvidere Volunteer
Fire Department will offer
hamburger steak plates for
$8.
Tickets are available from
Belvidere firefighters or at
the NWH.
Entertainment in Belvi
dere will include a camp fire
and a country music show
featuring Barbara Jean and
Company (Tanya Saunders
and Lacey Jean).
The Saturday ride (March
19) will take riders from Bel
videre over the historic S-
bridge and back to the NWH
for camping.
Saturday evening’s enter
tainment line-up at NWH
includes parading through
downtown Hertford at 3 p.m.,
then enjoying food and fun
back at the campsite.
See TRAIL, 3
Snug Harbor
man hit by car
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
An 18-year-old Snug Harbor man was
injured Feb. 23 when he was struck by
a car while walking on Snug Harbor
Road.
Trooper J.F. Langley Jr., with the
North Carolina Highway Patrol, said
Anthony Shawn Cohen was walking
on Snug Harbor Road just southeast of
Dogwood Drive around 7:22 p.m. when
Cohen apparently tried to get out of
the path of one vehicle and accidently
stepped in front of another vehicle trav
eling in the opposite direction.
Cohen was struck by a 1998 Chevrolet
driven by 24-year-old Scott Decker, also
of Snug Harbor, police said.
Cohen was taken by Perquimans
EMS to Chowan Hospital where he was
treated for a broken leg and other inju
ries and later released.
Neither alcohol nor speed played a
part in the accident. Trooper Langley
said.
No charges were filed.
Weekend
Weather
Friday
High: 60 Low: 47
Mostly Cloudy
Saturday
High: 67 Low: 55
Mostly Cloudy
Sunday
High: 73 Low: 39
SCAHERED T-STORMS
Educators, band to raise funds for Bell family
6 89076 4
7144
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
A group of educators
and friends from around
the state will come togeth
er Saturday night to enter
tain and help raise money
to benefit the family of
Lesley AUigood Bell, a
Hertford Grammar School
teacher who died in Janu
ary.
The Fun’Raisers will
play music and entertain
at Perquimans County
High School March 5 from
6-9 p.m. as a tribute to the
former nationally board
certified teacher, teacher
of the year, and instruc
tional specialist. Funds
raised will assist the fam
ily which includes her
husband, James, and two
young daughters.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
and tickets are $10 each.
“We have just been to
gether since December
and formed this group
specifically for the Lesley
Bell Tribute Concert and
Fundraiser,” explained
Dave Edwards, band mem
ber. “The band consists
of musicians who have a
total of 50 years of com
bined experience in live
performance. Four of
the members are current
educators, three of whom
work for the North Caro-
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lina Virtual Public School
and the Exceptional Chil
dren Director from Dare
County Public Schools. We
wanted to use our God-giv
en talents to help the Bell
family raise money to off
set the enormous medical
bills incurred during Les
ley’s sickness. We believe
that music is also a way to
bring people together in a
positive setting.”
Edwards said the band’s
name is a play on the word
fundraisers.
“We took out the ‘d’
so that people would see
that we want to have ‘fun’
while raising money for a
great cause,” he added.
Bell died Jan. 21 after
being diagnosed with can
cer just a few month ago.
She taught fifth grade and
had 25 students this year,
said Perquimans County
Schools Public Informa
tion Officer Brenda Las
siter. She had taught in
the school system for over
12 years.
She was a former Teach
er of the Year, and re
ceived her National Board
certification.
In fact, school officials
say BeU had been promot
ed to instructional spe
cialist when she developed
health problems.
As usual, BeU began her
school year enthusiasti
cally and was attending a
work session last fall when
she began to feel badly.
She left school and drove
to the hospital. That was
her last day at school.
Bell suffered several
health issues and was
eventually diagnosed with
cancer in the fall.
She was team captain
for the HGS Relay for Life
team and had worked tire
lessly to help raise thou-
See CONCERT, 2