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Spring 2011
Edition
Available at
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"News front Next Door"
MARCH 30, 2011 - APRIL 5, 2011
50 cents
Free swim lessons for PCS kindergarteners
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SUBMITTED GRAPHIC
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Kindergarten students
at Perquimans Central
School win participate in
swimming lessons at the
YMCA later this spring.
Monday night, members
of the Perquimans Coun
ty Board of Education
learned that the school’s
133 kindergartners will
participate in the YMCA’s
AU Kids Swim program
held in partnership with
the Albemarle Regional
Health Services Child Fa
tality Prevention Team.
From May 31-June 3, seven
kindergarten classes will
be bused from their school
in WinfaU to the YMCA
in Elizabeth City to take
swimming lessons from
9-11 a.m. each morning.
They will return to school
in time for lunch.
“This swimming initi
ate promotes water safety
awareness for students
with classroom visits and
four actual swimming les
sons in the pool...,” said
PCS Principal Melissa
Fields. “In a community
like Perquimans that is
surrounded by water, this
type of education is of crit
ical importance to prevent
future child fatalities...Al
lowing our students to par
ticipate in the free swim
lessons will provide many
of them with life saving
skills and strategies that
they may not get other
wise. This would be a great
benefit not only to the stu
dents and families in PCS,
See LESSONS, 8
STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON
Ray Wirrslow (l-r), Sylvia Wyatt and Anne McMullan look at the newest Perquimans exhibit addition at the Museum of the
Albemarle - the Theophilus White house great room, circa 1735.
Locals discuss traditions
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
O f aU the historical data and
artifacts talked about and
shown Sunday afternoon
during the county’s special day
at the Museum of the Albemarle
(MOA), one of the oldest won’t be
found there.
The Durant Family Bible, dated
in 1599 and believed to predate
the King James Version by 12
years, was donated by the Durant
family to the University of North
Carolina Library George Durant,
who was born in England in 1632,
eventually came to America and
bought land in 1661 between the
Perquimans and Little rivers that
is now known as Durants Neck.
His family Bible is believed to be
one of the oldest in the United
States today
That historical tidbit, as well
as many others, were presented
during the Perquimans County
Day at MOA that featured county
residents speaking on things of a
i
STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON
Sybil Hobbs Skinner (left) discusses furniture making with Carlton Davenport
(center) during Perquimans County Day at Museum of the Albemarle, Sunday.
See MUSEUM, 8 Doug Layden (right) traced the history and traditions of hog harvesting.
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STAFF GRAPHIC BY CATHY WILSON
Concealed carry
permits on rise
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Area instructors say more
people are leaning how to
safely carry concealed weap
ons out of fear for the protec
tion of family and property.
Scott Perry, a NRA-certi-
fied instructor, says his re
quested concealed gun carry
classes, held once a month,
are scheduled through May.
He’s been teaching classes
monthly since August.
“I see more men actually
in class, but receive more
calls from females,” he said.
“The reason for taking the
class? They want to protect
themselves.”
Another local instruc
tor, Hertford resident Lloyd
Hodges, agrees.
“There is a lot of interest
now that is fear-based,” said
Hodges who has over 50 years
in law enforcement and mili
tary service. He has taught
concealed carry classes here
for the past six mpnths.
“I see a number of older
women who live alone and
are afraid to go out at night
without some type of ‘help’,”
he said. “I always ask my stu
dents why they feel they need
to carry a concealed weapon.
One student said because it
was ‘cool’. I told that student,
you don’t need one. You’re
not ready”
According to the Perqui
mans County Sheriffs De
partment, the number of
concealed gun permits has
increased drastically over
the last three years. Based
on figures for the first two
months of 2011, that trend is
expected to continue.
Concealed gim permits
here rose from 17 in 2007 to 37
in 2008, then spiked at 73 in
2009 after President Barack
Obama took office as presi
dent.
“There was some talk then
about the fear of people los
ing their firearms rights af
ter the president took office,
so there was a big push to get
weapons then,” remembered
Sheriff Eric Tilley “But, that
didn’t happen, and people
are still coming in here to get
permits. There is someone at
the front window every day
picking up a gun permit ap
plication packet.”
“I think people now are
just more knowledgeable
about what’s going on around
them,” said Tilley “Unfor
tunately, when the economy
goes down, crime goes up.”
Concealed carry permits
here dipped to 59 last year,
and as of Feb. 28, 18 con
cealed carry permits have
been issued this year. If the
trend continues for 2011, the
See CONCEALED, 8
Friends seek help
for animal shelter
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
A new group has formed
to help the Tri-County
Animal Shelter in Tyner
which serves Perquimans,
Chowan, and Gates coun
ties.
Barbara Yates, from
Edenton, is a member of
the Friends of the Ani
mal Shelter and recently
appeared before county
89076 47144
commissioners asking the
county to partner with the
group to work towards a
goal of having a model, ru
ral shelter operated with
the best management prac
tices.
“Currently the shelter
has dismal statistics - a
high number of animals
entering the shelter, low
adoption rate, and high eu
thanasia rate,” said Yates.
“We are asking you to part
ner with us to help stop
the bleeding at the shelter.
If together we can reduce
the number of incom-
See SHELTER, 8
Children’s Festival this Saturday
The Chowan/Perqui
mans Smart Start and
the Albemarle Smart
Start Partnerships will
host a Children’s.Festi
val on Saturday at the
Perquimans County
Recreation Center to
kick off the Week of the
Young Child.
Children from Perqui
mans, Bertie, Camden,
Chowan, Currituck,
Gates, and Pasquotank
counties will enjoy free
special events at the
center from 10 a.m. to 3
p.m.
At least 10 free edu
cational and safety in
struction booths will
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Lots of fun-filled activities v/ill be available for area children Saturday during the Children’s Fes
tival sponsored by the Chowan/Perquimans Smart Start and the Albemarle Smart Start Partner-
See FESTIVAL, 8 ships at the county recreation center.The festival is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.