The
ERQUIMANS
See photos from last weekend’s
Friends to Freedom Wagon Train, Page 8
(.
/
"Neivs front Next Door"
MARCH 23, 2011 - MARCH 29, 2011
Shoaf to be new town manager
STAFF PHOTO BY
. CATHY WILSON
Hertford Plan
ner Brandon
Shoaf will be
the town’s
new manager
following the
retirement of
John Chris
tensen, effec
tive Sept. 1.
Christensen to retire
at the end of August
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Brandon Shoaf will be Hertford’s
new town manager following the
planned summer retirement of cur
rent manager John Christensen.
Shoaf, who has served as town
planner for the past four years,
will become town manager Sept. 1.
Christensen pl^ns to retire the last
day of August.
Christensen says Shoaf will re
main as planner, zoning administra
tor, and Main Street manager until
that time, but wUl become more in
volved in the day to day managerial
duties immediately.
“By involving him in everything
I do now, this training period will
help keep him up to date on the
town’s operations,” he said. “This
See SHOAF, 4
Wagon train inspires memories
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
T ears formed in her
eyes as Dawn Dozier
Hare rode over the
causeway and historic
S-bridge by horse-drawn
carriage Saturday
Years ago as a chUd
growing up in Hertford,
she would cross that same
path daily to feed and
water her pony boarded
on the Cove Grove Skin
ner farm out on Old Neck
Road.
“Every day, I’d make
that same trip,” remem
bered Hare. “Today, it was
pretty emotional for me.
It brought back a lot of
memories.”
Hare and her husband,
Worth, of Edenton, par
ticipated in the Friends to
Freedom Wagon Train in
Perquimans County over
the weekend, traveling a
total of 25 miles over two
days from the Newbold-
White House to Belvidere
on Friday and then back
to Hertford on Saturday
They dressed the part bf
Quakers riding in their
wagon as part of the ride
that commemorated the
Great Migration of Quak
ers from Perquimans to
the Northwest Territories
in the early 18th and 19th
centuries.
As owners of the Eden
ton Carriage Company,
they brought several
wagons to include in the
Wagon Train, and ran the
wagon driving competi
tions Sunday morning.
“Belvidere and Hert
ford welcomed us with
open arms. That was so
exciting. It would be so
awesome if we could have
it every year,” said Hare
of the local Wagon Train
. f-
STAFF PHOTOS BY CATHY WILSON
The Friends to Freedom Wagon Train rolls into historic downtown Hertford Saturday, greeted by a large, appreciative crowd.
experience.
Roger Manning, of
JamesviUe, agreed.
“It was a very well
organized ride,” he said.
“I think it went weU.
Hertford and Belvidere
came out in droves to
support us and we really
appreciate it. The local
law enforcement officers
went above and beyond
to make sure we stayed
safe on the roads. It was
great.”
Wagon Master Sarah
Weeks said she was
pleased with the weekend
events even though the
Hertford camp site was '
moved at the last minute
from the Newbold-White
House to the field adja
cent to the Perquimans
Recreation Center follow
ing a heavy rain.
“A lot of thanks go to
County Manager Bobby
Darden who let us use
this area. The land at
NWH was just too wet,
but the field here at the
rec center was higher and
a lot dryer,” said Weeks.
Quaker Academy teachers
await the train in Belvidere.
“While we came in close
to our low estimate of
attendees (100), consider
ing the wet conditions, I
reaUy don’t feel that we
could have handled any
more than that.”
Weeks noted that about
65 people took part in Sat
urday’s parade through
Hertford. Visitors lined
Church Street watching
as the wagons and horses
roUed by, some driven
by men and women in
Quaker costumes while
others wore the usual
western attire.
The number of partici
pants in Friday’s parade
in Belvidere was slightly
less, but that didn’t
squelch the fun times in
that small neck of the
woods.
About 400 people
turned out in Belvidere
to celebrate the Wagon
Train with vendors, live
entertainment, wagon
rides, food, fun, and
promoting the historical
homes and buildings in
that area.
Weeks said aU went
weU at the Belvidere
camp site, too, with the
exception of one truck
and horse trailer that
accidently drove into a
ditch.
“Luckily, the horse was
not in the trailer,” she
said. “The guys managed
to pull the truck and
trailer out with other
trucks and a bulldozer.”
DWI checkpoint nets 40 criminal, traffic violations
BATmobile, 19
officers involved
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Nineteen law enforce
ment officers with five dif
ferent departments joined
forces Saturday night to
crack down on drunk driv
ing.
A DWI license check on
US 17 near the high rise
bridge, complete with
Blood Alcohol Testing Mo
bile Unit, checked drivers
for a variety of violations
in addition to driving
while impaired.
Police say 40 criminal
and traffic violations
were cited between 8
p.m.-2 a.m.
“This was not really
part of any campaign,”
explained Hertford Police
Chief Joe Amos, whose
department sponsored
the check point. “We just
held the checking sta
tion as an effort to help
reduce DWIs as well as
keep the public informed
about the dangers of
drinking and driving. I
think that the checkpoint
went very well. We had
good participation, and
the checkpoint removed
some illegal drivers and
impaired drivers off the
road before they could
hurt anyone or cause any
property damage.”
The mobile unit, better
known as the BATmobile,
*
nv
k
niti.
\\\
4’‘"
t
. Mlkiai
t
(hlfim
STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON
Area law enforcement officers manned a drunk-driving check point Saturday evening on
U.S. Highway 17. Departments participating included Hertford,Winfall, Elizabeth City, Eden
ton and the North Carolina Highway Patrol.
was parked in the middle
of US 17 and housed
three magistrates during
the checkpoint.
Violations found dur
ing the check included
one driving while intoxi
cated, six driving with
license revoked, and 26
other traffic violations
See DWI, 4
MAR t 3 201'
Family
not told
of murder
plea deal
DA: Office says it
tried to find family
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Delma Leigh admits he’s not
the most upstanding citizen in
Hertford.
“I’ve got a rap sheet as long
as the town,” he said, stretch
ing out his arms wide indicat
ing the length of his run-ins
with the law.
But, he’s also a father...a fa
ther whose son, Jamal Fletch
er, was shot and killed nearly
three years ago in an appar
ent drive-by shooting on King
Street.
The man accused of his
son’s mimder, Travis Reaves,
accepted a plea agreement on
a lesser charge of voluntary
manslaughter March 10 in
Beaufort County in front of
Superior Covurt Judge Way-
land J. Sermons, Jr. As a re
sult of the plea agreement.
Reaves received a minimum
of 61 months and a maximum
of 83 months in prison. Reaves
received credit for 974 days
— more than 2.5 years — he’s
already spent in jail. He also
was ordered to pay $4,770 in
restitution.
Leigh says he and Jamal’s
mother, Cynthia Fletcher,
found out about the plea agree
ment by reading the newspa
per last week.
Both Leigh and Fletcher say
they were never contacted by
the district attorney’s office
about the court date, or told of
the plea agreement, or that the
case was being heard in Beau
fort County rather than in Per
quimans.
“It’s just not right,” said
Leigh. “There wasn’t anyone
there to speak for my son or
nothing. It’s like my son didn’t
have no family.”
“I know if they (district at
torney) had a charge on me,
they would have found me,” he
added.
Fletcher, who lives in Ra-
See DEAL, 4
MOA to
celebrate
Perquimans
From staff reports
The Museum of the Albe
marle in Elizabeth City will
celebrate Perquimans County
Day on Sunday from 2-5 p.m.,
with various speakers, exhib
its, and refreshments.
An interesting selection of
guest speakers includes Ben
Hobbs, Lynwood Winslow, Doug
Layden, and Janice Boyce who
will teU of a history that spans
the period of human settle
ment as well as their personal
reflections of county life before
the Internet age. Visitors can
see a collection of Perquimans
artifacts in the “Our Story”
display upstairs and peruse as
sorted exhibitors in the lobby
Author Jean Oaks wfil sign
copies of her book of poems
titled “Diggin Dirt”.
There is no charge to attend.
The museiun is located at 501S.
Water Street. For information
call 335-1453.
RELAY
FOR LIFE
ROCKH HOCK
2^
f Sponsored by the Rocky Hock
Ruritan’s Relay for Life Team |
$10.00 i
E.A. SWAIN
AUDITORIUM
SATURDAY, APRIL 16'", 7:30 PM
EDENTON, NO
Tickets Available at various locations or call 252-221-4875 or 252-340-3438. Email rockyhock opry@live.com