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"News front Next Door"
AUGUST 17, 2011 - AUGUST 23, 2011
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Students face changes when schools open
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Students returning to
school next week will see
several changes that will
impact their school day
from the time they get on
the bus in the morning
New coaches, personnel changes
Read more about the changes students face — 8A
through programs held af
ter school.
Approximately 1,745 stu
dents are expected to cross
the thresholds of the doors
to the Perquimans County
Schools Aug. 25, said Bren
da Lassiter, the system’s
public information officer.
This year, change is in
the air-mostly because of
state budget cuts and other
mandates.
While the bus routes
are still the same, school
officials say students may
see two different bus driv
ers each day; one driving
the morning route and
another driver delivering
students home by bus in
the afternoon.
Lassiter says six bus
routes may be affected.
“Because we have so
many bus drivers who
School starts 'reel' soon
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FILE PHOTO/THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Area youngsters will soon trade in their fishing rods for school books. The first day of classes for students attending Perquimans County Schools is Aug. 25.
Friday Night Stroll continues Bridge
Downtown event is this
Friday starting at 5 p.m.
opening
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
delayed
Chamber officials say Friday
Night Strolls have been successful
in its inaugural season and plans
caU to continue the entertaining
monthly evenings into the faU.
From staff reports
i-"
“The strolls have
been well received.
People here seem to
he pleased. It is an
opportunity to do
something a little
different. ”
FILE PHOTO/THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Home-baked goods and fresh vegetables were offered on the historic Courthouse
green during Friday Night Stroll, June 17. The event Is schedule this Friday.
Susan Cox
Chamber president
Chamber President Susan Cox
said she is pleased that the area
has supported the project for the
last three months. Special enter
tainment performs the third Fri
day evening of the month in front
of the historic county courthouse.
Vendors offering food, crafts, and
89076 47144
information line the sidewalks.
The next stroU is set for Friday
night from 5-8 p.m.
This month’s stroll features a
mixture of gospel music, line danc
ing, good food, and plenty of fun for
everyone.
Select businesses wiU be open
late, pony rides wiU be available
for the kids on the Hertford Baptist
Church lawn, and a reception wUl
be held at Perquimans Arts League
welcoming artist PhU Alden and
his works.
Frank Heath and the New Hope
Christian Church Youth Group
wUl sign and share music Friday
evening. The Perquimans Coimty
Senior Citizens Center’s Line Danc
ers wUl perform as weU.
Author Kaye FusseU Long wUl be
on hand for a book signing, and Cox
says she hopes Long and Mike Fus-
sell wiU sing too.
Cox says plans are being formu
lated to have a focus on back to
school for the September stroU, and
October’s stroU may wrap around
the upcoming faU season.
“The stroUs have been weU re
ceived,” said Cox. “People here seem
to be pleased. It is an opportunity to
do something a little different.”
“The heat kinda got us last month,
and if the heat comes back strong
this month, that’s OK,” she added.
“September and October’s weather
shoiUd be very pleasant.”
The historic S-bridge
and Causeway wiU remain
closed until Sept. 9.
Randy WUliams, with
the North Carolina Depart
ment of Transportation'
said crews are working
hard to complete mainte
nance work on the bridge
by the original reopen date
of Aug. 25, but fears aU the
work needed can’t be com
pleted in time.
“There is so much rust.
It (bridge) is in such bad
shape, we just can’t get it
done in time,” he said.
The bridge and Cause
way were closed Aug. 1 for
repair work with crews
hoping to get it reopened
by the time school buses
begin roUing Aug. 25.
Approximately 130 re
pair orders have to be com
pleted before the bridge
can be reopened for traffic,
he said.
WhUe the road wUl be
close to vehicle traffic, the
bridge wiU remain open to
boat traffic.
work other jobs in the
school system, some
routes wUl have split driv
ers,” she explained. “One
driver may drive the bus in
the morning, but not in the
afternoon, and vice versa
See CHANGES, 8
crash
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
An 18-year-old Wil-
liamston man was in criti
cal but stable condition
Monday after being ejected
from the pick-up truck he
was driving during an ear
ly morning crash on New
Hope Road.
Officials
believe
Roberson was
not wearing
a seat belt
at the time
of the crash.
Trooper FT. Langley,
Jr., with the North Caro
lina Highway Patrol, said
Clayton Edward Roberson,
Jr. was thrown from the
1992 Dodge pick up truck
around 3:43 a.m. Monday
morning while traveling
on New Hope Road near
the intersection with Old
Neck Road. The driver of
the truck, he said, was
“traveling a little too fast,”
lost control, overcorrect
ed, struck a stop sign and
a ditch, causing the truck
to overturn before catch
ing on fire. Roberson was
thrown about 30 feet and
landed in the roadway
where he was later found
by two men traveling to the
Deep Creek Road area.
Perquimans EMS re
sponded and transported
Roberson to Albemarle
Hospital in Elizabeth City
and later air-lifted to Sen-
tara Norfolk General Hos
pital.
According to Suzanne
See CRASH, 2
From staff reports
Investigation is continu
ing into the cause of a fire
that occurred in a Castle-
ton Drive home last month.
Fire was discovered in
the utility room and attic
area on July 29. Firefight
ers extinguished the fire
within minutes and con
tained the fire and water
damage to those areas of
the home located at 507
Castleton Drive.
Owner Deborah Snyder,
who was not at home at
the time of the fire, said
the house was in the fore
closure process earlier in
the summer but she was
able to puU it out of foreclo
sure several weeks before
See FIRE, 2