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ERQUEMANS
iLWEEKLY
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"News front Next Door"
MAY 18, 2011 - MAY 24, 2011
Bunch honored at Eagle Court of Honor, 3
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Planners hear wind farm opposition
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
The gentle breeze of
opposition to a proposed
large-scale wind farm blew
into the county planning
board meeting last week.
While not gale-force yet,
County Planner Donna
Godfrey said several peo
ple spoke May 10 in oppo
sition as well as in support
of the project that calls for
up to 150 wind turbines to
be erected on land strad
dling Perquimans and Pas
quotank counties. It was
the first time any opposi
tion to the planned project
has been vocalized at pub
lic meetings conducted by
the county. The change in
direction came during the
planning board’s discus
sion of a conditional use
permit requested by Atlan
tic Wind, LLC, a subsidiary
of Iberdrola Renewables,
to construct the project in
the area known locally as
the Desert.
The most surprising gust
came from the U.S. Navy
that is currently studying
whether or not the pro
posed wind facility might
hamper radar operations
at a base on the Currituck
County/Chesapeake, Va.
line.
Members of the plan
ning board took no action
on the request last week,
but agreed to consider the
STAFF. PHOTOS BY CATHY WILSON
Firefighters froirr Hertford, Bethel and Winfall conduct live burn training at an abandoned house on Church Street in Hertford, Saturday.
Firefighters train by burning house
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
A rea firefighters received
valuable experience
Saturday when three area
departments took part in a joint
live burn training exercise on
Church Street.
Hertford Fire Chief Todd Tilley
said training went extremely
wen, especiaUy for 14 firefight
ers who experienced going into
a burning structure for the first
time.
Burn on
See more photos from
Saturday's live burn exercise,
page 7.
Firefighters from Hertford,
Bethel and WinfaU departments
biorned the vacant house located
at 213 Chirrch Street near Holy
Trinity Episcopal Church during
the exercise that was led by certi
fied instructors from Elizabeth
City Fire Department. Church
Street was closed from King to
Dobbs Street during the training
exercise! In all, 47 firefighters
participated.
“We had no problems at aU,”
commented Tilley. “There was
one dead tree branch that caught
on fire high in a tree, but we were
able to extinguish that with the
Even in the rain, local firefighters trained and gained valuable experience Saturday during a live burn training exercise
at 213 Church Street on Saturday. About 35-45 firefighters participated.
ladder truck.”
“It was a good day,” he added.
“A long day, but a very good one.
The training and experience for
our firefighters was invaluable.”
Lead Instructor Michael
Cartwright and other instruc
tors took turns showing 14 teams
of firefighters how to attack fire
inside the blazing house. As one
team of firefighters entered the
blazing house, a back-up team
stood ready outside if needed.
Tilley said training actually be
gan in January for the firefighters
in preparation for the live burn.
While the morning was over
cast with occasional showers, the
afternoon brought clear skies, a
hot sun, and warm temperatures.
Members of the ladies auxil
iary set up a place where firefight
ers could rest and replenish with
cold water and snacks.
Members of Perquimans
EMS were also on hand to assist
if needed.
matter again last night
(Tuesday).
In a letter delivered to
both Perquimans and Pas
quotank planning officials,
Lt. Cmdr. D.L. Huber in
dicated that preliminary
See OPPOSITION, 8
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
A lone 'gunman robbed
a male clerk inside the
small country Bethel Store
aroimd 5 p.m. Sunday after
waving a sawed-off shotgun
and demanding money.
‘The clerk
said the
gunman pointed
the gun at him
and started
screaming. ”
Eric Tilley
Perquimans sheriff
Witnesses say the black
male gunman was wearing
dark clothes with a scarf
tied around his face. He
left the scene with another
suspect in a creme-colored
Chrysler heading towards
Snug Harbor Road, wit
nesses told police.
The car, registered to
Christopher Stephan
Posten of the 1400-block
of Harvey Point Road, was
found parked on Third Av
enue by sheriffs deputies
and impoimded for inves
tigation. The car was still
warm fi-om ruiming when
deputies arrived.
Perquimans Sheriff Eric
Tilley said Posten, age 19,
turned himself in aroimd
midnight later that evening.
He is charged with armed
robbery with a dangerous
weapon, second degree
kidnapping, and assault by
pointing a gun. He is held
in Albemarle District JaU
under $95,000 bond.
TUley said Posten gave
police . the cash reported
stolen during the robbery,
and also helped police re
cover the gun which was .
hidden beside the road off
Creecy’s Lane.
“The clerk said the gun
man pointed the gun at him
and started screaming,”
said Tilley “The money
from the cash register was
taken and the store’s bank
bag was also taken. We be
lieve about $200 in cash was
taken. I am proud of my of
ficers for locating the car
so quickly and following
through with it.”
The incident is stiU un
der investigation.
Strolling starts Friday
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Another weekend of ac
tivity is set to begin Friday
evening when the Perqui
mans Chamber of Com
merce kicks off its monthly
Friday Night Stroll in his
toric downtown Hertford.
89076
47144
Starting at 5:30 p.m., ven
dors will offer food, fun,
music, artisans, plants,
produce, and much more
on the courthouse square
until 8 p.m. Pony rides will
be available for children on
the grassy area behind the
Hertford Baptist Church.
Several downtown mer
chants wfil be open late.
Other businesses will be
available to offer informa
tion.
See STROLLING, 8
Nei^bors stop suspected break-in
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Neighbors looking out
for each other helped area
law enforcement stop a
suspected burglary in
progress last Wednesday.
Perquimans Sher
iff Eric TiUey said four
Edenton residents were
arrested following a sus
pected break-in at a home
on Cottonwood Drive near
Winfall. A neighbor called
police after seeing four
Boston
C. Twine
K. Twine
T. Twine
people and an unfamiliar
white car in the neigh
borhood. A neighbor saw
the vehicle back up to the
garage of one house and
three people had gotten
out of the vehicle, Tilley
said. The neighbor con
fronted the female who
was left in the car, and she
then drove away in the ve
hicle, but. then returned.
The three others fled on
foot,, police said.
“Apparently, they were
communicating on cell
phones,” said Tilley “We
believe the female was
trying to pick them in the
car in the area.”
Deputies arrived and
detained the driver of the
vehicle, and then found
guns, computers, and
See BREAK-IN, 8