P I The
ERQUIMANS
5VEEKLY«
4/&
"Neivs from Next Door''
JUNE 26, 2013 - JULY 2, 2013
Albemarle
'aMuHaii®
50 cents
JUN 2 6 a
Statement fuels rumors of AP’s second phase
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Chinese investors may
end up developing the 1,40(>-
acre second phase of the Al
bemarle Plantation, but offi
cials in Perquimans County
say it’s not a done deal yet.
Last week the top eco
nomic development official
in Pasquotank County made
annotmcement in a meeting
of the Elizabeth City-Pas-
quotank County Economic
Development Commission.
Wayne Harris is executive
director of the group.
“A group of Chinese in
vestors have purchased
Phase n of Albemarle Plan
tation,” Harris said. “That is
1,400 acres and they will be
announcing their specific
development plans in Sep
tember.”
Harris said he got the
information from a “very
reliable source, but second
hand.”
Dave Goss, the economic
developer iir Perquimans
County, did not dismiss the
chance that such a develop
ment may occur, but said it’s
not to that point yet.
“I think that’s a little pre
mature,” Goss said about
the statement by Harris.
“I’m really shocked some
body would be making an
announcement like that.”
What is true is 1,500 acres
aljacent to Albemarle Plan
tation is being sold through
a foreclosure auction. The
sale started in March and
includes a 10-day upset bid
process.
As of last week, a Green
ville company was the
high bidder on most of the
See 2ND PHASE, 2
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STAFF PHOTOS BY PETER WILLIAMS
People.walk down Church Street in downtown Hertford Friday night during the monthly “Friday Night Stroll.” Vendors were on hand with items
to sell and music was provided on the courthouse lawn. The next Stroll happens July 19.
Melanie Owen
(left), Katie
Toney and Bill
Toney sing
Friday night
during the
downtown
stroll in
Hertford. Also
performing
was a
group from
Lighthouse
Tabernacle.
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Efforts
vowed to
protect
river
BY PETER WILLIAMS'
News Editor
Some property owners in
Perquimans and Pasquotank
counties could get a small
property tax break if ffiey
take steps to keep poDution
out of the Little River.
It may be a part of the
river that not a lot of people
see. The northern part is near
Parkville.
But what happens there
impacts the quality of the
water downstream, and en
vironmental officials want to
take snrall steps now so they
won’t have to tackle a bigger
problem later.
The initiative was launched
in February to reverse loss of
vegetation and the creation
of unfiltered drainage from
decades of farming and de
velopment
Dwayne Hinson is a wet
land specialist working on
the plan.
“It takes a long time to
mess it up and it takes a long
time to clean it up,” Hinson
said. “It’s not to die point'
where it’s a significant im
pact, but I guarantee you if it
gets to the point the Clhowan
River did where people
wouldn’t even use the river,
people will speak up.”
In die 1970s the Chowan
River was in trouble. Steps
were taken to reverse the
damage and they hkve
helped. Hinson doesn’t want
to see the litde River get to
that point
“We’ve got measures
where we can have our cake
and eat it too.”
The problem with litde
River isn’t coming from one
source.
“Everybody plays a role in
it,” Hinson said.
The problems have im
pacted animal populations,
weakened flood mitigation
and led the U.S. Environmen-
See PROTECT, 2
Student wins state essay contest
HOUSE ANNEX
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
A rising sophomore at Perqui
mans County High School won the
top prize offered by the N.C. Asso
ciation of County Commissioners
for her essay.
Moniqua Gallop, a student of
Brandon Young, wrote the winning
submission on the topic of the
importance of local government.
With it came a $500 cash prize.
89076
7144
She did so after Perquimans
County Manager Frank Heath
came and spoke to all three of
Young’s classes.
Young said Heath’s effort really
made an impact.
“A lot of die kids didn’t, under
stand the importance thai local
government plays,” Young said last
week. “Mr. Heath spoke on things
like the recreation center, the se
nior center and the public library.
These aren’t things ffiat local gov
ernment has to provide, but he told
the students that the coimty did it
to make oiu" lives better. You could
see it in their eyes that the kids
were interested.”
The speech hit home to many
students who tended to thiiTk it
was only decisions made in Raleigh
and Washington diat mattered.
“I think it opened up the eyes
of a lot of ninth and lOdi graders,”
Young said.
All three classes were assigned
the task of writing ah essay, and
the top five from each class was
chosen to advance.
“When I told Moniqua she won,
she was happy, her family was hap
py and I was happy for her.”
Young said she plans set the
money aside for college. Her goal,
he said, is to be a pediatrician.
Heath said he was happy to
See CONTEST, 2
k FOR 5
:i
IN 1670
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Moniqua Gallop (left) stands with Perquimans County Schools
Superintendent Dwayne Lassiter and teacher Brandon Young
outside the courthouse annex after last week’s presentation.
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