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''News front Next Door"
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OCTOBER 5, 2011 - OCTOBER 11, 2011 50 cents
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No power agreement yet for planned wind farm
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
With just three months
left before construction
needs to begin, the com
pany proposing to build a
commercial wind farm in
Perquimans and Pasquo
tank counties still has not
snagged a power purchase
agreement (PPA) for the
sale of electricity gener
ated by wind-blown tur
bines.
Craig Poff, senior busi
ness developer with Iber
drola Renewables and the
company’s front-line nego
tiator on the Desert Wind
Energy Project, said the
company is still actively
working to secure a PPA.
Once a PPA is obtained,
the proposed 300-megawatt
wind project must then
go before the company’s
investment committee for
approval before the project
can be termed “a go”.
In order to qualify for at
tractive federal tax incen
tives earmarked for renew
able energy projects, the
local wind farm must be
up and running by the end
of next year.
“Yes, the clock is ticking
and the deadline of Decem
ber 31,2012 is not moving,”
admitted Poff
Poff indicated Atlantic
Wind, LLC, a subsidiary of
IR, is “tidying up the engi
neering and permitting”
Habitat begins house on Dobbs
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
jk prU Thompson
was super
excited as she
carried a load of
building materials
from the tractor-
trailer to the storage
area. She made her
way to the back of
the lot, walking by
the large concrete
slab that wUl be the
foundation for her
new home.
“I’m super ex
cited,” said the young
Perquimans County
native whose family
was selected by the
Chowan-Perquimans
Habitat for Human
ity to build their new
home on Dobbs Street
in Hertford. More
than 40 volunteers
from area churches,
the CPHH organiza
tion, and athletes
from Perquunans
County High School,
helped unload the
supplies Friday
morning.
The entire pre
cut four bedroom,
three bath home was
assembled by New
Hope Construction
in another state,
then disassembled,
loaded onto a tractor
trailer and shipped to
Hertford. Each piece
is labeled and ready
to be built by volun
teers.
“This is pretty
awesome,” added
Thompson, whose
husband Bob is assis
tant kitchen manager
and assistant chef at
River House Res
taurant in Edenton.
They have four yovmg
'W
J
STAFF PHOTOS BY CATHY WILSON
Among the volunteers helping to unload supplies are Coach Justin Roberson (right) and his athletes from Perquimans County High School.
children between the
age of nine years and
eight months, and
they now live in Snug
Harbor.
“It is so wonder
ful to see all these
people come together
to work for a good
cause,” she said. “It’s
really nice.”
This house will
be built on a slab
foundation rather
than a crawl space
hopefully making the
house more energy
efficient. The house
will also feature a
pre-finished metal
room.
The lot was do
nated to CPHH by the
town of Hertford.
Organizers stress
that Habitat for
Humanity homes are
not a handout; they
are a “hand up”. The
recipients get the
homes at a discount
ed price because of
the volunteer labor
of HFH members.
However, all recipi
ents, of HFH homes
must have a steady
income sufficient to
make the payments,
pay the taxes, and
maintain the home.
The recipients
must also invest
at least hundreds
of hours of “sweat
More than 40 volun
teers turned out Friday
to unload supplies
and begin building the
Chowan-Perquimans
Habitat for Humanity
house on Dobbs Street.
equity” into the
construction of their
home or other HFH
activities. All recipi
ents are counseled on
budgeting and home
maintenance as well.
Payments made
by the recipients of
HFH homes go back
to the local chapter
to support the future
construction of
homes for additional
families in the area.
process now.
“Just to be clear, this
project has never been ‘a
go’. We’ve always indicat
ed that once permits and
a power purchase agree
ment are in place that the
See WIND FARM, 8
Firm
picked
for EMS
building
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer ‘
Colvot Construction will
renovate the former Al
bemarle Electric building
into the new home for the
county’s emergency ser
vices.
Colvot won the construc
tion bid from county com
missioners after providing
the lowest of four bids to
renovate the existing build
ing and to build a new 45 x
60 storage addition.
Both projects combined
are expected to cost just
under $200,000 with the
project expected to be com
pleted in about 180 days.
Commissioners also
agreed to borrow up to $1.4
miliion from East Carolina
Bank to pay for the pur
chase of the building, its
renovation and equipment
for the new home for coun
ty agencies. The loan is ex
pected to clpse by Oct. 5.
The actual purchase
price is $840,000 for the
large office building, ad
ditional storage buildings,
and four acres of land.
Commissioners plan
to renovate the build
ing to house the county’s
emergency services and
emergency management
agencies, and 911 commu
nications center.
County Manager Bobby
Darden said some renova
tions would be needed to
transform the large garage
area into ba: . for EMS am
bulances.
Darden pointed out that
See BUILDING, 8
H.I. waste plant
hearing Dec. 15
By CATHY WILSON
. Staff Writer
The North Carolina Util
ities Commission will hold
a public hearing in Decem
ber regarding an applica
tion to close the waste-
water treatment plant at
Holiday Island.
Gail L. Mount, deputy
clerk for the commission,
signed the paperwork
Monday scheduling the
public hearing Dec. 15 in
the Perquimans County
Courtroom at 9 a.m.
The Holiday Island
Property Owners Associa
tion, Inc. (HIPOA) asked
permission from the com
mission back in August
to discontinue providing
water and wastewater util
ity service to the camping
sections of Holiday Island.
89076 47144
HIPOA’s application to the
commission states there is
no reasonable probability
the property owners asso
ciation will raise enough
money from utility cus
tomers to make needed
repairs and improvements
required by the state.
Last month, HIPOA also
agreed to negotiate with
Holiday Island utility cus
tomers regarding the pos
sible transfer of the plant
to a new entity to be creat
ed by the customers in or
der to keep the wastewater
and water available to the
camping areas. HIPOA has
agreed to withdraw its ap
plication to close the plant
if that transfer occurs pri
or to action by the NCUC.
Barbara Bostwick,
HIPOA first vice president
who actually signed the
application to close the
plant, wrote in an email
that HIPOA has nothing in
writing regarding any pos
sible transfer of the plant
See HEARING, 8
Hertford Fire On Fire At Convention
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I.;
PHOTOS COURTESY ED LEICESTER
The Hertford Fire Department won four of six events and earned the “Best Department” award during the Albemale Firemans
Association’s Annual Firefighter’s Day held Saturday in Plymouth. Team members include: (l-r, kneeling) Rob Hollmier, Eli Lahr,
Jonathan Nixon and Brian Chappell; (l-r, standing) Billy Layden, Jared Stanton, Jonathan Stevenson, Matt Woodell, Parker
Newbern and Greg Benton.