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''News from Next Door"
JUNE 29, 2011 - JULY 5, 2011
RECEIVED
50 cents
Commissioners pass budget, taxrdte
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
County commissioners
passed a $12.2 million gen
eral fund budget Monday
night that includes a two-
cent increase in the ad-va
lorem property tax rate.
Officially a 6-0 vote, com
missioners approved rais
ing the tax rate from 42
to 44 cents per $100 valua
tion.
Commissioners Tammy
MUler-White, Ed Muzzu-
lin, Janice Cole and Sue
Weimar cast the yes votes
with Ben Hobbs and Mack
Nixon not voicing a vote,
which, by board policy,
equates to a yes vote.
County Manager Bob
by Darden, in his earlier
budget message, said even
with the tax increase, Per
quimans would still have
a very favorable tax rate
compared to other coun
ties in Northeast North
Carolina.
Darden said the new tax
rate would up the typical
county homeowner’s taxes
by about $35 annually
Only one person spoke
during Monday night’s
public hearing.
Alan Barnes, a senior
citizen from the Snug Har
bor area, said his income
has gone down so he tries
to live within his means.
“What is your plan to
live within yours?” he
questioned the board.
He voiced concerns over
paying higher tax rates
on property that was last
reassessed when real es
tate saw its highest peak
values.
See BUDGET, 4
Hurricane Drill: BEREADY
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STAFF PHOTOS BY CATHY WILSON
Hertford and county officials work together during a hurricane tabletop exercise in preparation for hurricane season, Thursday night.
Prepare for loss of public services
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By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
I f there was one overall message
heard during a hurricane prepared
ness tabletop exercise for emergen
cy management officials here Thurs
day night, it was this: Residents need
to be ready to evacuate the county
when officials give the order.
If not, be prepared to take care of
yourself with no public services for
five to seven days.
Nearly 100 representatives from a
variety of agencies, organizations, fire
departments, and local government
officials converged on the Albemarle
Commission to work through a make
believe scenario depicting a hurricane
hitting Perquimans County after first
making landfall on the Outer Banks,
then making its way up the Albemarle
Sound to Hertford.
Each group of participants ranging
from certified emergency response
teams in subdivisions to nursing
homes to Harvey Point to county
officials were asked to work together
to determine what actions would be
taken if such an event ever occurs.
Participants were encouraged to
respond as if involved in a real life
event.
“With the weather events we’ve
Michael Cartwright, with the Intercounty Fire Department (left), and Jimmy Spivey, of Du
rants Neck Fire Department, discuss how fire departments will conduct search and rescue
efforts following a local hurricane.
heard about across out nation in the
recent months, weather eVents are
certainly on everyone’s minds,” said
Christy Saunders, emergency manage
ment coordinator from Pasquotank
County who helped facilitate the drill.
“This exercise is to remind us of
what is in our plan and how we would
respond,” added Ashley Stoop, pre
paredness coordinator for Albemarle
Regional Health.
Local firefighters, who are charged
with the responsibility pf first clear
ing paths to sites of destruction and
See HURRICANE, 8
THOMAS J.TURNEY/THE DAILY ADVANCE
A memorial for Miles Shipman was placed near the
site of the June 22 fatal vehicle accident that took
his life on U.S. Highway 17 Bypass in Elizabeth City.
Holiday
Island child
killed in U.S.
17 accident
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
A 10-year-old Holiday Island boy was killed
last Wednesday afternoon when the vehicle
he was riding in overturned after swerving to
avoid a farm tractor on U.S. 17 Bypass in Pas
quotank County.
According to the N. C. Highway Patrol,
Miles Shipman, of West Is
land Tran, was ejected from
the 2000 Ford Explorer driven
by Kimberly Johnson, 39, of
Virginia Beach. Six other peo
ple, including Johnson, were
injured and taken to area hos
pitals.
Police say Johnson was
traveling south on the by
pass when she encountered a
form tractor ahead of her in
a curve. Johnson swerved to miss the tractor
and then overcorrected, the patrol said. The
Explorer flipped over and came to rest upside
down off the roadway.
The large John Deere tractor was driven by
Eddie Cartwright and was displaying proper
slow-moving equipment placards, police said.
On Monday, state police charged Johnson
with misdemeanor death by vehicle in con
nection with the accident. She faces an Aug.
18 date in Pasquotank County District Court,
Trooper J.N. Wood said.
Wood said Johnson also is charged with
driving with a revoked North Carolina
driver’s license and also noted Johnson was
driving with a suspended Virginia driver’s
license.
See ACCIDENT, 8
Shipman
Schools seek waiver
for teacher workdays
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Perquimans County Schools
will keep their 2011-2012 school
calendar as planned despite a
new state law that requires
students to add five more in
structional days diming the
school year.
Members of the Perquimans
Board of Education voted
Monday night to seek a waiver
from the State Board of Edu
cation to use the additional
five days as teacher workdays
that are already scheduled in
89076 47144
this year’s school calendar.
A new state law that goes
into effect July 1 requires stu
dents to receive 185 instruc
tional days a year rather than
the current 180 between Au
gust 25 and June 10. However,
because the law goes into ef
fect so close to the beginning
of the next school year, school
systems across the state may
apply to the SBOE for a waiver
seeking to use those five extra
instructional days as teacher
workdays for this school year
only.
“Of course, there is no guar
antee we will get it,” Super
intendent Dwayne Stallings
said.
Stallings said the only way
See WAIVER, 4
July 4th fireworks show is Sunday
From staff reports
Pack up the lawn chairs or grab a blanket and
head to the local Fourth of July and Unity Day
celebrations in Hertford and WinfaU on Sunday,
July 3.
Sponsored by the Perquimans Chamber of
Commerce in Hertford, an old-fashioned fam
ily celebration is planned at Missing Mill Park
and will feature food vendors, live musical en
tertainment, periauger rides, and of course,
plenty of fireworks.
The celebration begins at 5 p.m. with a
children’s foot parade from Hertford Baptist
Church parking lot to Missing Mill Park. Deco
rated tricycles, bicycles, carriages, wagons, and
anything else pedal-powered may take part in
the parade. Children are encouraged to partici
pate.
Among the food vendors planned at the park
that evening are hot dogs, hamburgers, sau
sages, cotton candy, homemade ice cream, and
more tasty choices.
In addition, two book signings are planned.
See FIREWORKS, 8
STAFF PHOTO
BY CATHY
WILSON
You don’t
know what
you might
see at the
children's
parade
through
Hertford
during the
Fourth
of July
celebration
on Sunday.