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"News front Next Door" NOVEMBER 16, 2011 - NOVEMBER 22, 2011 50 cents
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Carver to serve as interim poiice chief
Carver; ‘I wasn’t hired to clean house. I’m here to make sure this ship is sailing on the right course.’
By CATHY WILSON ^
Staff Writer
A retired, 30-year veteran
of law enforcement will
serve as interim chief for
the Hertford Police Depart
ment.
Mike Carver, a resident
of Gatesvihe, began his du
ties Monday morning fol
lowing the town’s termina
tion of Joe Amos as police
chief on Friday
Amos was fired by Hert
ford Manager
Brandon Shoaf for
allegedly violating
town policies and
police department
rules by posting a
link to a news story
regarding a town
council candidate
on the Hertford Po- Carver
lice Department’s
Facebook page just prior to
last week’s town elections.
The link was to a news story
by a Norfolk television sta
tion on candidate
Quentin Jackson’s
arrest for failing to
pay court-ordered
child support.
The Facebook
page has since been
taken offline.
Shoaf immedi
ately began looking
for an interim chief
and hired Carver over the
weekend.
“After meeting with him
about the expectations
through this transition pe
riod and careful consider
ation, 1 decided he would
make an excellent fit in this.
position,” said Shoaf. “One
of his specialties is com
munity-oriented policing
and his ethical and profes
sional reputation is what
drew me to call on him.”
Carver retired as deputy
chief from the Kitty Hawk
Police Department after
a 30-year career in law
enforcement that began
with the Elizabeth City Po
lice Department. He also
worked for the Nags Head
Police Department.
“His experience and atti
tude will be a great asset to
us and his knowledge of aU
aspects of the administra
tion of a law enforcement
agency wUl serve us weU,”
Shoaf added..
Carver met with Hert
ford’s police officers Mon
day morning. He said he
looks forward to working
with them.
“I wasn’t hired to clean
house. I’m here to make
sure this ship is sailing on
the right course,” Carver
said. “The citizens of this
town are our customers.
We are here to serve and
protect. I expect the depart
ment to treat our custom
ers as nicely and courte
ously as we can. I am not
advocating we hold hands
See CARVER, 11
Honor veterans best by enjoying freedoms
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
T he best way to honor
veterans is to not
take for granted the
freedoms for which they
served, fought and died.
Tom Culver, a member
of American Legior;^Post
126, told a large crowd Fri
day morning that the best
way to honor American
veterans of all wars is to
practice the freedoms they
fought so hard to protect.
“I believe the best way
to honor our veterans is
not with a ceremony, a
day off, or a cookout; but
by not taking for granted
those freedoms for which
they served to obtain and
maintain,” Culver told
the crowd. “Use your
freedom to worship in
your place of choice to
draw strength and guid
ance from God and pray
for those in authority. Use
your freedom of speech
to learn to understand
and to build up. Use your
freedom to vote thought
fully and prayerfully. Give
back to your community
and the country which has
allowed you the opportuni
ties you have had.”
A cold, stiff wind may
have chilled the fingers of
those listening to ceremo
nial speakers, but hearts
were warmed by the spe
cial recognition given to
veterans who served in the
Korean War, sometimes
referred to as “the forgot
ten war.”
From June 25,1950, to
July 27,1953, US. soldiers
who fought in Korea paid
as painful a price as sol
diers in any other war in
the nation’s history, said
Culver.
Culver pointed out that
according to the Depart
ment of Defense, 33,686
US. troops died in battle
See VETERANS, 11
STAFF PHOTOS BY
Mike Ellis, a veteran of the U.S. Navy, snaps a crisp salute during the Veterans Day observance Friday in Hertford.
CATHY WILSON
!f
A large
crowd
attended
Friday’s
Veterans
Day cer
emony
on the
county
court
house
square.
Shoaf fires Hertford
police chief Amos
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Chief Joe Amos was
fired Friday afternoon
for allegedly violating the
town’s personnel policy
by posting political in
formation on the Hert
ford Police Department’s
Facebook page.
Town Manager Bran
don Shoaf said he ter
minated Amos at 5 p.m.
Friday after determining
Amos not only violated
89076
47144
the town’s personnel pol
icy but the police depart
ment’s general conduct
rules as well.
“Since Nov. 8, you and
I have spoken on several
occasions about an inci
dent involving a ‘town’
webpage...,” a copy of
Shoafs termination let
ter to Amos reads. “After
talking with you about
the above referenced in
cident, I believe this was
a horrible judgment call
on your part and conse
quently has caused me to
lose confidence in your
ability to lead our police
department.”
See TERMINATION, 9
Reid: Change on the way
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Change.
It was a political slo
gan that helped Barack
Obama become the first
African-American presi
dent of the United States
three years ago. It appears»
to be the same reason be
hind the first black mayor
being elected in Hertford.
Sixty-nine-year-old
Horace Reid Jr. defeated
incumbent Sid Eley Tues
day, Nov. 8, by an almost
17 percent margin to
become the town’s first
black mayor-elect.
Making history is noth
ing new to Reid. He was
also the town’s first black
councilman. Reid was
first elected in the 1990s
STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON
Hertford’s Mayor-elect Horace Reid Jr. shares a laugh with his
wife, Louise, in their Hertford home.
and served on town coun
cil for 12 years until he
lost his re-election bid in
2009 by only one vote.
“In talking with the cit
izens, a lot of them said
the town just needed a
change,” Reid said of his
mayoral victory “Young
people say they have
nothing here to do; others
say there are no jobs here.
See REID, 11
new
mayor
Reid beats Hertford
incumbent Eley
From staff reports
Horace Reid Jr. made
history last week, defeat
ing incumbent Sid Eley
to become Hertford’s first
African-American mayor-
elect.
According to unofficial
results, Reid received 274
votes or 54 percent of all
votes cast to Eley’s 188
votes or 37 percent. Lloyd
Hodges finished third in
the three-candidate race,
garnering 45 votes, or just
under 1 percent.
“I am very appreciative
to the citizens of Hertford
for their votes and trust in
me,” Reid, 69, said Tues
day, Nov. 8, after the votes
were tallied. “I appreciate
all that they have done to
make this day beneficial.
I want to thank aU the
people who assisted me
in making this day a com
plete success.”
Eley, who congratulated
Reid as soon as the votes
were counted, said he had
enjoyed his 20 years with
the town of Hertford, the
past 12 as mayor.
“I think you have a good
mayor,” Eley, 64, said. “I
have enjoyed working on
the board with him. I wish
him the best of luck.”
Eley was referring to
Reid’s previous service
as a member of Hertford
See MAYOR, 9
Stroll set
for Friday
From staff reports
This month’s Friday
Night Stroll will feature
a variety of musical en
tertainers, good food and
other vendors.
Slated to be held Friday
from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on
the historic com-thouse
green, the fun-filled event
will include music by Bill
and Katy Toney as well as
the New Hope Christian
Fellowship Youth Worship
team.
There will be hot dogs
available as weU as hot
chocolate and baked
goods.
Craft vendors will be in
attendance.