received SEP 11, 20,, P The ^ ERQUIMANS "Netvs from Next Door" SEPTEMBER 14, 2011 - SEPTEMBER 20, 2011 50 cents Storm damage victims seek FEMA heip By CATHY WILSON Stajy Writer Local officials encourage county residents who suf fered damage from Hurri cane Irene to register with FEMA in order to seek fed eral help in recovery. Jarvis Winslow, county emergency management coordinator, said residents must first register with FEMA before any federal financial help can arrive. “Once the residents get their FEMA package, they need to read the entire package,” he said. “Don’t just read the first couple of paragraphs and decide you don’t meet the require ments. Read the package completely.” Perquimans is one of six area counties added tq the federal disaster list ap proved for both individual and public federal assis tance following Hurricane Irene. Families and busi ness owners may seek low- interest loans or grants to help pay for damages that occurred during the storm. Local governments may also seek reimburse ment for costs associated with the storm including debris removal. CAMA help Permits offered for storm repairs, P. 9 Residents recovering from hurricane damage should also complete a disaster loan application from the Small Business Indian Sumnner Fest is fun in the -W. V' PHOTO COURTESY PAM HADDEN Downtown Hertford was bustling with visitors during this year’s Indian Summer Festival held Friday and Saturday.The festival also celebrated its 30th anniversary. Festival celebrates 30 years, still growing By PETER WILLIAMS The Daily Advance T he Indian Summer Festival turned 30 Saturday, but the annual street festival was not showing any signs of aging. Although exact estimates weren’t available, organizers and merchants said attendance at the weekend event was more than last year. “It’s much bigger than last year,” said Susan Cox, who orga nized the entertainment for this year’s festival. “Being that it’s our 30th an niversary, we brought back the street dance that we used to do. That drew a good crowd Friday night.” This year Cindy Elliott led a demonstration of the dance-fit ness program Zumba, and that was followed by a demonstra tion of the Korean martial art Taekwondo by the Tae Kwon Do Institute. Young boys showed they could split wooden boards with just their hands or feet. “Anytime you get kids involved, you will draw a crowd,” Cox said. AU the crowds on Church Street didn’t translate in extra busi ness for Erie Haste, the owner of Hertford Hardware for the past 51 ■iV THOMAS J. TURNEY/THE DAILY ADVANCE A youngster tries to knock over a pile of cans with a ball, Saturday. years. But that was OK. “People don’t come to these things to buy appliances or lawnmowers,” the 76-year-old businessman said. “This is good for downtown.” Pam Hadden, however, said some businesses in town were very busy including Woodard’s, White’s Dress Shoppe, and Gregory’s. “Of course, Woodard’s had a constant line for ice cream,” she added. Babette Greenwood and her husband Art stood outside the hardware store watching the Tae kwondo demonstration. They’ve lived in the Elizabeth City area for about six years, but this was the first time they’ve attended the Indian Summer Festival. “It’s nice,” Babette Greenwood said. More festival photos See our picture page from this year's festival, P. 8 Festival visitors who didn’t use the shuttle system provided for Saturday’s events faced long walks through Hertford’s historic areas. The Greenwoods took the shuttle. Hadden said the train ride for children and the tractor pulling a trailer giving passengers a ride to the action was “wonderful”. She also appreciated the tents with tables and chairs set up in park ing lots for people to rest while enjoying their food purchased from vendors. “That was great,” she added. n“In times past, there was no place to sit. It woffid be even bet ter to have more seating available throughout the town. There are a lot of senior citizens that just go home because they are tired. If they had some place to sit other than in front of Woodard’s, I think they would stay longer and spend more money” Daryl MUler had the perfect seat to take in the crowds. He See FESTIVAL, 4 Holiday Island asks to end water, sewer service By CATHY WILSON Staff Writer The Holiday Island Property Owners Association has filed a request with the state utilities commission to discontinue water and sewer service to the camping 89076 4 7144 sections of Holiday Island. The application for utility' service to be discontinued was filed Sept. 6 by Steven J. Levi- tas, an attorney with Kilpatrick Townsend, a law firm in Raleigh, on behalf of the local property owners association. The appli cation also seeks an expedited hearing on their request to close the campground’s wastewater treatment facility. The application indicates dis continuing the utility service will impact 96 water and 95 sewer customers. The application states HIPOA seeks to discontinue fur nishing the public utility service because there is “no reasonable probability of this applicant re alizing sfrfficient revenue from its customers to make repairs and improvements to the sewer system required...” The application states that no one else proposes to furnish the utility services but notes that “customers have recently ex pressed some interest in acquir ing the system.” Residents of the camping areas say they wiU lose their homes if HIPOA stops offering water and sewer service since lots in those areas are not large enough to site private septic systems. Many of the residents live in the camping sections yedr-round. The application includes a clo sure plan from Cavanaugh & As- See SERVICE, 4 Arts & Crafts Show^ Administration even if they don’t seek to borrow money. “Registering with FEMA is the first step toward di saster recovery,” said state Emergency Management Director Doug HoeU. “The See FEMA, 4 Grand Smith From staff reports A 56-year-old Perqui mans County man remains in the Albemarle District Jail under $470,000 secured bond after being indicted on five felony sex crimes involving a girl under age 12. Investigator Shelby White, with the Perqui mans County Sheriffs Department, said James Smith of the 100-block Fir Street faces two counts of indecent liberties with a child, two counts of first degree sex offense, and one count of first degree child rape. A special grand jury in dicted Smith on the charg es Sept. 1. He was arrested without incident on Sept. 8, White said. The investigation begah last May when the alleged female victim reported the incidents that occurred in the Snug Harbor area over six years ago. White added. Year’s top principal is PCHS’s Lassiter From staff reports Chant Lassiter, princi pal of Perquimans Coun ty High School, is the 2012 WeUs Far go Prin cipal of the Year for Per quimans County , .. Schools. Lass'tei’ She was selected in a program sponsored by the North Carolina Depart ment of Public Instruction and WeUs Fargo. Lassiter served as the as sistant principal at PCHS from September 2008 until June 2010 at which time she was promoted to principal. Under the first year of her leadership, PCHS stu dents met expected growth standards, the school was named a school of prog ress, students met adequate yearly progress, and the See LASSITER, 4 Saturday, September 24 *10 am - 4 pm Perquimans County Recreation Center Over 40 juried artists & craftsmen Door Prizes • Food Admission Artist Demonstrations $2.00 Perquimans Arts LeagueJ