P The ERQUIMANS ^KWeeklv .If ®m£teB9 OMiKfeo \Miijjyp "News front Next Door" SEPTEMBER 7, 2011 - SEPTEMBER 13, 20]^CEIVED 50 cents SEP 0 7 zon Indian Summer Fest: Let the fun begin By CATHY WILSON Staff' Writer Craft vendors, enter tainment, antique cars, boat rides, street dance, good food. It’s aU planned for this weekend’s Indian Summer Festival (ISF) in Hertford. Sponsored by Historic Hertford, Inc., this 30th ISF begins Friday night (6-10 p.m.) with a ^ free street dance O and resumes ^ aU day on Sat urday (9 a.m.-5 p.m.). Activi ties are planned , on Church Street 2c5ii and Missing Mill Park with plenty of free parking available at the old Har ris Shopping Center on Saturday. “This year’s festi- val reflects much of what attracted many to the town’s first festival 30 years ago,” said Festival Co- Chairman Joe East- erwood. “When the ISF first began in 1982, people from all over the area came to Hertford to participate in a three-day event that featured not only entertain ment and vendors selling their homemade crafts and delicious foods, but also a street dance. This year, fes tival goers will experience much of the same.” On Friday night, DJ Pete opens the show with tunes from 6-6:45 p.m.-as food and craft vendors line Church Street. The street dance, featuring pop, rhythm and blues/soft rock sounds of the popular band “Wind fall”, gets underway at 7 p.m. A beer garden offering beer and wine wiU be avail able in an enclosed area at the corner of Church and Market streets. A three- drink limit will be im posed, organizers say. See FESTIVAL, 6 If you go ' What: Indian Summer Festival • When: Starts at 6 p.m. Friday, continues through Saturday • Where: Downtown Flertford ' Cost; Free admission, vendors selling food and crafts STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON John and Susan Christensen share a moment dur ing his retirement reception last week. Christensen retires as town manager By CATHY WILSON Staff Writer J ohn Christensen unwrapped the oddly shaped bulky package given to him from several Hertford town employees. He grinned from ear to ear when he realized he had snagged one of the antique street lights that once directed traffic in town. “And, it works, too!” he chuckled as the light turned green as if telling Christensen to go forward and begin the next chapter in his life. The street light was a gift from the public works department to Christensen who retired as town manager last week after nearly 18 years on the job. A reception and luncheon were held in his honor. Comments were made, gifts were given, and awards bestowed. But, Christensen’s legacy to town citizens lies in the financial well-being of the town that has seen tremendous water and wastewater improvements See RETIRES, 12 County makes federal disaster list STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON County and town officials comprise the county’s emergency control group. Here they discuss emergency plans when Hurricane Irene was making its way to Northeastern North Carolina. Residents can seek funds to cover damage By CATHY WILSON Staff Writer Perquimans and five other surrounding counties have been added to the federal di saster list that has been ap proved for both individual and public federal assistance. Residents and local gov ernments in Perquimans, Pasquotank, Chowan, Gates, and Camden counties may now seek federal assistance to help pay for damages from Hurricane Irene. Governor How to apply Residents can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621- FEMA (3362) or HY at 800.462-7585. Beverly Perdue made the an nouncement on Sunday. The declaration enables families and business owners to seek low-interest loans or grants to help them recover. Local governments may also seek reimbursement for costs asso ciated with the storm includ ing debris removal. Currituck County had al ready been approved for fed eral assistance as weU. Preliminary figures show that 87 homes in Perquimans County were damaged during the storm including two that were destroyed and three that suffered major damage. Jarvis Winslow, the coun ty’s emergency management coordinator, said preliminary estimates show the county suffered about $107,000 in damage. That figure does not include the estimated costs of agriculture crop losses or the anticipated cost of debris re moval by local government. Winslow said the cost of debris removal in the county and towns is estimated at nearly $100,000. The amount of crop losses in the county was not avail able at press time. See DAMAGE, 6 Shoaf begins as new Hertford manager By CATHY WILSON Staff Writer It was baptism by fire for Hert ford’s new town manager. Less than a week before his official first day on the job, Hertford Town Manager Brandon Shoaf watched and waited to see what Hurricane Irene would do to the area. He at tended the county’s official emer gency management control group meetings, helped plan emergency response for potential destruction in the town,'and then helped lead re covery efforts including debris pick up from town streets. Shoaf took the reins of leading the town Sept. 1 following the Aug. 31 retirement of 17-year veteran town manager John Christensen. Christensen trained Shoaf for four months prior to retiring. STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON Hertford Town Manager Brandon Shoaf addresses the local NCSTEP volunteers who have worked on planning and developing proposed projects for the past year. Concepts of the projects will be presented to Hertford Council members in October. 89076 A It was on-the-job-training (includ ing budget creation) and seeing how emergencies such as hurricanes are handled that has kept Shoaf busy the past several weeks. “Fm excited and nervous about the job, but I wish we weren’t deal ing with storm stuff,” said Shoaf candidly. “It’s tough to disrupt our departments’ every-day duties. It’s been a tough two weeksifor our pub lic works crews, but I’m thankful debris pick-up is basically all we’re dealing with.” See SHOAF, 12 9/11 anniversary: We will remember By CATHY WILSON Staff Writer From parents feeling iU suspecting the USA was at war with terror ists to four-year-olds not understanding anything other than being scared that day, local residents remember the tragic events of the upcoming 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorists attacks that killed nearly 3,000 innocent people in three different locations around the nation. In a series of four co ordinated suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States, terrorists hijacked and took control of four passenger jets that fateful Tuesday 10 years ago. Two of the planes in tentionally crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York, a third crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, DC, and the fourth plane crashed in a field outside Shanksviile, PA after passengers triec^ to take control of the plane to prevent it from reaching a second target in or near the nation’s capital. “I was in my house talk ing with my son Zachary who was home sick from school,” remembered Sherree Winslow. “I just happened to answer the phone. My husband Scott was on the line and told me to turn on the televi sion. He explained that a, See REMEMBER, 8 47144 2 ing with storm stuff,” said Shoaf See SHOAF, 12 ago. Two of the planes in- See REMEMBER ^ Ihdi^mSIimmeiyEtesiiMaill => HiagtOiKifei Hfeiiit!b>i!!il (>,nnjvc^ Crafts, food, entertainment Free Street Dance Friday Night ’mmmmmmmmrnmr Sept. 9th, 6 to 10 p.m. Sept. 10th, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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