P The ERQUIMANS ^bWKKKT.V PAL hosts photographer France, 3 "News front Next Door” OCTOBER 9, 2013 - OCTOBER 15, 2013 0 9 RECB 50 cents Football team, band rack up wins Food BY PETER WILLIAMS News Editor T | he Perquimans County High foot ball team racked up a key conference football win Friday and the high school band swept its 1-A competition over the weekend. The Pirates came back with 15 seconds left to beat visiting Gates County 34-32 to remain undefeated in Coastal-10 conference play. Kelly Tyson and Eric Copeland were also crowned Queen and King of Perquimans County High School at home coming game Friday night. On Saturday, the 42-membdr band under the direction of director Sarah Fenske, captured best overall band in its division and first place for drum mjyor, second place for visual, first place for percussion, first place for general effects, second place for music and first place for marching. The victories were sweet for Fenske who is in her fourth year as director “Some of these stu dents I started with as freshmen when I was a freshman (teacher),” Fenske said Monday. “The show is basically about teenagers. They have been having a lot of input and I’ve been giving them a lot of say so about creating a pro gram. It’s their show, it’s not just a show I created for them.” The Marching Pirates, led by Drum Major Court ney Langley, performed music with the theme Our Time is NOW! that included Welcome to the Black Parade, Dream On, SUBMITTED PHOTO Perquimans County High band members Joy Spitier (drumiine), Evan Bunch (percussion), Joshua Parker (trumpet), Courtney Langiey (drum major), Daja Feiton (guard), Brandon Shriver (hornline) and Brianne Green (guard) hoid the trophies won Saturday night at the Battle of the Bands in Edenton. PHOTO COURTESY CHUCK PAGELS PHOTO COURTESY CHUCK PAGELS Perquimans’ Raheim Kee runs for a touchdown against Gates County in iast Friday’s homecoming game4. The Pirates were down by six points with 38 seconds left but came back to win 34-32. For more on the game, see page 6. Keiiy Tyson and Eric Copeland were crowned Homecoming Queen and King of Friday night. For pictures of the Homecoming court, see page 7. and Don’t Stop Me Now. And a band victory next door in Edenton was especially sweet. The Battle of the Bands is part of Edenton’s Pea nut Festival. “There was a lot of home crowd there, and we were able to play in front of a lot of fam ily and friends,” Fenske said. “It was a big win, , almost like performing at home and it’s a great start to our season.” On Oct. 26 the band is scheduled to perform at Greene Central High School and on Nov. 2 it will attend a large com petition at Havelock High School. The Class 3-A Curri tuck County High School Marching Knights from Barco, under the direc tion of Lynn Dale, re ceived the Otis Strother Award. Strother served as band director at John A. Holmes High School in Edenton for about 20 years and was instrumen tal in initiating, organiz ing and hosting the Battle of the Bands for many years. Dale was also a longtime band director at Holmes. County seeks money for schools, jobs BY PETER WILLIAMS News Editor Perquimans County officials agreed Monday night to apply for a $1.4 million grant for two indus trial development projects and a program that would put a tabled computer in the hands of most lo cal students. The board also approved three privately funded solar power proj ects worth about $18 million. The grants would come from Golden LEAF, an organization that uses money from a tobacco settle ment to promote economic growth. Perquimans is one of 16 coimties eligible to apply for $ 10 miUion. The maximiun a county could receive is $1.5 million and each county can submit up to three proposals. Perquimans had four plans, in cluding one for a STEM school in Elizabeth City aimed at training students for aviation jobs. The Per quimans commissioners opted not to include that in the Golden LEAF proposal. \^at is included is an $860,000 plan that would provide tablet computers to Perquimans students in grades three through 12. 'The school board had looked at plans that would have tackled grades six through 12 as well as one that would cover aU grades. If the county is going to seek the money. County Manager Frank Heath’s number one recommenda tion was a commercial-sized boat ramp on county-owned property on North Grandy Street near a proposed marine industrial park. He^’s hope is that will spur some economic development from the See COUNTY, 2 BY PETER WILLIAMS News Editor A community program that provides food for up to 200 families a month in Per quimans Cormty is in need of donations to keep the program going. Barbara Roberts, a mem ber of Oak Grove United Methodist Church, said it takes more than $500 a month to provide the ser vice. The group buys food at a bulk rate from the Albe marle Food Bank. The food distribution takes place on the second 'Thursday of each month in the parlfrng lot next to the Hertford Fire Station on Grubb Street. “Historically funding has come from the community,” Roberts said last week. “We originally had a grant from the Duke Endowment, but that ended several years ago. We’re at a point now where we need the commu nity to help. I’m not saying we’re going to close, but we need help.” The (Tates Mobile Food Pantry did close recently. At tlus point Bette But ler, one of tlie volunteers, is hoping that a Singspiration set for Sunday night at the church will raise enough money to pay the Septem ber food bill. “Our funds are gone and we’re a small church,” But ler said. “We can’t afford to do this aU by ourselves.” She said the church has about 70 members but on any given Sunday atten- dence runs about 40 to 50. The church has to pay for food by weiglrt Count ing the delivery charge, it amounts to about 21 or 22 cents per pound. It may not sound like a lot, but one re cent bill was $680. Each family doesn’t get a lot of food. Tliere is some meat as well as canned goods, vegetables and bread. What’s available in Hertford depends on what the Food Bank has on hand See FOOD PANTRY, 2 Business Expo starts Thursday From staff reports The Perquimans County Chamber of Commerce wiU host more than 30 busi nesses for a two-day expo at the Perqui mans County Recreation Center Thurs day and Friday. A celebrity chef challenge Thursday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. will feature Beau tiful Moon Cafe, Church Street GriU and Bakery, Boutine, Living Waters, 'The Car riage House, One Stop Grille, Sweet Sur renders, Tommy’s, Brew 2 Rescue Cafe and Chick-Fil-A. Mascots from local teams will be present, as well as Helen Himter, wife of the late Jim “Catfish” Hunter. Tlie theme is “Pitching a perfect game with Perquimans Chamber of Com merce.” 'Tickets are $10 and are available at the Chamber. Registration deadline is Friday From staff reports Prospective voters in Winfall and Hert ford have until Friday to register for the 89076 7144 upcoming municipal electioits in Perquimans County. 'Hie vote will be held Nov. 5, but one-stop absentee voting begins Oct. 17 and ends Nov. 2. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is Oct. 29. People wishing to register and vote See REGISTRATION, 2 Arts League fi. I* • 7^ STAFF PHOTO BY PETER WILLIAMS A shopper looks at dishes at the arts and crafts show sponsored by the Perquimans County Arts League, Saturday. More than 600 peopie attended the event, which was heid at the Perquimans County Recreation Center. . ^ Forbes Cmil&ry Realty J & Auctions. & Auctions, ‘LLC NCRL#22873 NCAL#9180 252-426-1380«www.forbesuc.com hi: Visit www.forbesuc.com for more details 323 Riverfront Drive, Hertford $184,900 This 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home includes a spacious master bedroom, large living room, kitchen, laundry area, & large detached garage/workshop. The home is situated on 2 acres of land. Property has water frontage, but there is a wooded area blocking both the view & access to the water. New owner will have to apply for a permit to clear a path & build a pier to reach the creek. National Marketing, Local Expertise Featured Property of the Week www.forbesuc.com 252-426-1380