"News from Next Door" OCTOBER 31, 2012 - NOVEMBER 6, 2012 OCT 3 1 2012 50 cents
Hurricane Sandy easy on county
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Hurricane Sandy sent wind
and rain to the area over the
weekend, but no damage was re
ported in the county other than a
few minor power outages.
“We dodged a bullet this time,”
said Hertford Manager Brandon
Shoaf Monday afternoon.
Members' of the Perquimans
County Control Group met twice
over the weekend to receive up
dates from the National Weather
Service and .to receive input
from the state emergency man
agement office.
“The county control group
did meet in the Emergency Op
erations Center on Saturday and
Sunday to monitor the storm’s
progress, but no official action
was needed in declaring a state
of emergency or mobilizing
assets,” said County Manager
Frank Heath. “To my knowledge,
the county experienced very
minimal effects from the storm
and because of the wind direc
tion blowing water out into the
sound, flooding has not been an
issue.”
While county and town offi
cials had prepared for the pos
sibility of bad weather, they
were relieved when no damage
reports were received.
See SANDY, 11
Chamber Hosts Business Expo
STAFF PHOTOS BY CATHY WILSON
Lureen Williams (right) of The Silver Fox of Hertford discusses gift selections with customers during Saturday’s Expo sponsored by the Perquimans Chamber of Commerce.
Winners in the Chefs and Sweets Challenges held during the Old Fashioned Business
Expo Friday (l-r) Nancye Fergurson of Twysted Turtle, Jessica Dillon of Sweet Surrenders
and Grill, Ashley and David Smith, both of Captain Bob’s.
Promoting Perquimans County during the weekend Expo were (l-r) Bob
Peele, Perquimans Marine Industrial Park, and Dave Goss, county eco
nomic development consultant. Over 30 vendors participated in the two-
day event held at the Perquimans County Recreation Center.
Last week for early voting
Red Cross needs
blood donors now
Drive is Thursday
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Thursday’s blood drive
at the Perquimans County
Recreation Center is just
in time.
With much of the East
Coast still reeling from the
impact of Hurricane San
dy, American Red Cross of
ficials are urging people to
give blood in communities
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not impacted by the storm
since numerous blood
drives have been cancelled
because of the weather.
“The storm has already
caused the cancellation of
Red Cross blood drives in
the region, and more can
cellations are expected,”
said Autum Mihm, direc
tor of communications for
the Eastern NC Region of
the American Red Cross.
“This has resulted in the
loss of several hundred
units of blood and plate
lets so far. The Red Cross
has shipped blood prod
ucts to hospitals in the af
fected area in advance of
the storm as patients will
still need blood and plate
lets despite the weather. If
anyone is eligible, especial
ly in places not affected by
See BLOOD, 11
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Early voting continues
to be brisk during the
final week leading up to
the Nov. 6 general elec
tion.
According to the Per
quimans County Board
of Elections, 2,191 voters
have already cast their
ballots.
Early voting continues
at the county board of
elections office this week
on weekdays from 8 a.m.-
5 p.m. and ends on Sat
urday from 8 a.m. until 1
p.m.
Director Eula Mae
Forbes encourages coun
ty residents who still
need address changes
and to register to vote to
do so now.
“Now is the time to do
it,” she said. “Don’t wait
until election day”
Polls will open around
More on This Story
See sample ballot — 4
the county on election
day from 6:30 a.m. until
7:30 p.m.
Polling places in
clude: East Hertford-
Perquimans County
Courthouse; West Hert
ford-Hertford Grammar
School; Bethel-Bethel Ru-
ritan Club building; New
Hope-Durants Neck Ruri-
tan Club building; Nica-
nor-Up River Friends
Meeting; Parksville-Win
fall Ruritan Club build
ing; Belvidere-Belvidere
Ruritan Club building.
Local elections include
four candidates running
for three seats on the
county board of commis
sioners, county registrar
of deeds, and one, candi
date for the Soil and Wa
ter Conservation District
Supervisor.
Democrat Janice Cole,
the only incumbent com
missioner seeking reelec
tion, faces challenges by
Democrat Julie Stamper
Phelps and Republicans
Kyle Jones and Matthew
Peeler.
While county voters
may only vote for one
person, the top three
vote-getters will be, elect
ed to serve on the board
of commissioners.
Two county commis
sioners, Sue Weimar and
Mack Nixon, are not seek
ing reelection this year.
The incumbent county
register of deeds, Demo
crat Deborah Reed, is
seeking reelection with
no opposition.
Wayne Hurdle is also
on the ballot running
unopposed for a Soil and
Water Conservation Dis
trict Supervisor.
See VOTING, 11
County
hopefuls
talk local
issues
From staff reports
Four candidates are seek
ing three seats on the Per
quimans County Board of
Commissioners in the Nov.
6 general election.
Democrat Janice Cole,
the only incumbent com
missioner seeking reelec
tion, faces challenges by
Democrat Julie Stamper
Phelps and Republicans
Kyle Jones and Matthew
Peeler.
While county voters may
only vote for one person,
the top three vote-getters
will be elected to serve on
the board of commission
ers.
Two county commission
ers, Sue Weimar and Mack
Nixon, are not seeking re-
election this year.
The Perquimans Weekly
asked commissioner can
didates three questions re
garding local issues. Their
responses are printed be
low in alphabetical order:
1) What additional
steps do you feel the
county should do to in
crease economic devel
opment in Perquimans
County?
Janice Cole: Before we
speak of additional steps,
I think it is worth pointing
out what
steps are
ongoing.
The Per
quimans
Industrial
Marine
Park has
great po
tential and
the county
Cole
has a part-time paid inde
pendent contractor who ag
gressively explores poten
tial businesses for the park
and throughout the county
He reports to the economic
development committee,
which is comprised of
county commissioners and
officials of our two munici
palities.
In order to be attractive
and inviting to businesses,
we need to continue to keep
our tax rate low, be willing
to negotiate incentives, and
maintain an educated work
force that can be trained for
the skills sought by any po
tential businesses.
Kyle
Jones: It’s
no secret
that we’d
love for
there to be
more job
opportuni
ties in Per
quimans
Jones
County But, it would be
remiss of me to not state
See CANDIDATES, 4
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