NOV 1 4 2012
P ^ NOV 1
ERQUIMANS
. .['WEEKLY
’Weirs from Next Door"
NOVEMBER 14, 2012 - NOVEMBER 20, 2012
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STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON
Peeler, Jones, Cole elected
Incumbent Commissioner Janice Cole (left) greets a voter last
Tuesday afternoon in front of the historic Hertford courthouse.
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Incumbent Janice
Cole retained her
seat on the board of
commissioners and
will be joined by new
board members Kyle
Jones and Matthew
Peeler following last
week’s election.
Deborah Reed,
who ran unopposed,
won another term as
register of deeds.
Last Tuesday, Cole,
Jones, and Peeler
were elected to the
three contested seats
on the Perquimans
County Board of
Commissioners. Ju
lie Stamper Phelps,
the fourth candidate
seeking one of the
three seats, came in
fourth place.
Cole lead the way
with 2,491 votes com
pared with Jones
(2,138), Peeler (1,000),
and Phelps (577).
“I am thankful to
the voters for their
support and confi
dence in me,” said
Cole who stayed on
the go last Tuesday
not only campaign
ing for office but car
rying out her duties
as chairman of the
Perquimans Demo
cratic Party. “I will
continue to work
hard and in the best
interest of the coun
ty.”
Cole carried four
out of six voting pre
cincts in the county
including Belvidere,
East and West Hert
ford, and Parksville.
Jones carried two
precincts including
the two largest voter-
packed areas - Bethel
and New Hope.
“I’m beyond grate
ful. I want to thank
Ben Hobbs and Sue
Weimar for their
support, Mack Nixon
for putting up with
all my questions,
and everyone who
had the confidence
in me to vote for
me,” said Jones. “I
look forward to get
ting started and I
See ELECTED, 5
By REGGIE PONDER
Staff Writer
C haplain Corbin
Cherry expressed
his admiration for
America’s veterans — and
his disdain for those who
disrespect veterans or the
flag they served under
— during the sixth annual
Veterans Day observance
at the
Perquimans County
Courthouse Monday
Cherry, a retired field
and hospital chaplain,
gave a harrowing account
of a young man who
returned from combat in
Vietnam and struggled to
walk again after losing
three limbs. When the
triple amputee had begun
to walk again after an ar
duous course of physical
therapy, Cherry encour
aged him to walk across a
bridge as a symbol of his
recovery.
The young man agreed
to take the walk if Cherry
would accompany him.
A television station and
a newspaper came out to
cover the event.
Cherry related that
someone who saw the
media coverage of the
walk across the bridge
sent the wounded warrior
a vicious note that called
him a “baby killer” who
had gotten exactly what
he deserved.
“Folks, that’s what
many Vietnam vets got
when they returned
home,” Cherry said. He
recalled being spat upon
himself as he walked
through airports wearing
his uniform.
PHOTOS BY REGGIE PONDER/THE DAILY ADVANCE
Hunter Joyner (left) of Boy Scout Troop 150 accompanies the American Legion’s Pete Perry as they present the U.S. Marine
Corps flag during a Veterans Day observance on the lawn of the Perquimans County Courthouse, Monday.
But the event Monday
morning was all about
respect and appreciation
for those who served in
Vietnam and all other vet
erans. Vietnam veterans
were a special focus of
this year’s event.
Organized by American
Legion Post 126, with
assistance this year from
Post 362, it was the sixth
annual Veterans Day
observance on the court-
house lawn.
“We started it the year
before we got our monu
ment and we decided to
continue it,” explained
Post 126 Commander
Preston Spear.
The post’s annual fund-
raising raffle also was
held in conjunction with
Veterans Day.
Spear said this year’s
fundraising raffle grossed
some $13,000 and the post
expects to clear $5,000-
$6,000 after all expenses
See VETERANS, 4
Chaplain Corbin Cherry speaks during to the crowd on the court-
house lawn during the Veterans Day service, Monday.
County
man dies
in Dare
accident
From staff reports
A Perquimans County
man was killed Sunday
when the dump truck he
was driving collided with
another dump truck dur
ing state Department of
Transportation operations
in Dare County.
Michael Brad Stevenson,
36, of Hertford, was pro
nounced dead at the scene,
according to 1st Sgt. R.A.
Moreau of the N.C. High
way Patrol. Stevenson was
part of a DOT crew work
ing to remove sand from
the road in the wake of
Hurricane Sandy, accord
ing to Moreau.
The road was closed to
public traffic at the time of
the accident. The crash oc
curred around 1:10 a.m. on
N.C. 12, about three miles
south of Bonner Bridge.
Moreau said the truck
Anderson was driving
stalled in the road because
of a mechanical problem.
The truck that Stevenson
was driving was headed
south and rear-ended the
truck that Anderson was
driving, Moreau said.
The truck that Anderson
was driving spun around
and overturned following
the collision, and the truck
Stevenson was driving
burst into flames, accord
ing to Moreau. Funeral ar
rangements for Stevenson
are with Twiford Memorial
Chapel, 405 E. Church St.,
Elizabeth City
Jones: Perquimans’
youngest commissioner
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
At the age of 27, Kyle Jones
is believed to be the youngest
person elected county commis
sioner in Perquimans.
While no records could be
found to substantiate that
claim, neither local histori
ans nor county officials could
remember anyone younger be
ing elected as county commis-
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sioner in the
modern day
era.
Running for
elected office
as a political
youngster is
nothing new
for Jones, how
ever. He filed to
run for the Sth District House
of Representatives seat at the
age of 20 back in 2006 while
still attending East Carolina
University He turned 21 (legal
age to hold state office) just
prior to the election which he
eventually lost to veteran for
mer legislator Howard Hunter.
He knew he had an uphill
battle challenging a veteran
6
2
See JONES, 9
Hagan covers list of topics on visit
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Funding support for
the proposed marine
industrial park, support
for the historic S-bridge,
help for educating the
youth, more support for
smalltown Mom and Pop
shops, and low-regulated
property owners asso
ciations were just a few
of the topics discussed
with U.S. Senator Kay
Hagan Friday during
her Conversations with
Kay visit at the county’s
new emergency services
building.
Sitting in small
groups, elbow to elbow
around rectangular
tables, the Democratic
senator talked one on
one with the local folks
PHOTO COURTESY C PAGELS
U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., meets with local residents during her Conversations with
Kay visit Friday morning at the county’s new emergency services building.
and listened intently
to their concerns. She
commented on each is
sue, politely pointed out
what is a state or local
matter instead of fed ¬
eral, and pointed folks
in the right direction for
additional information
or help. She took in proj
ect handouts which she
gave to her assistants
for follow-up. She also
instructed her note-tak
ing assistants to make
contacts on behalf of
See HAGAN VISITS, 2
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