P The
ERQUIMANS
Weekly
"Neivs front Next Door"
OCTOBER 16, 2013 - OCTOBER 22, 2013
Bark For Ufe fundraiser set for Oct. 26,3
(5> . 50 cents
Commissioner concerned about solar Sants
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Perquimans County Com
missioner Matt Peeler fears
the area stands to lose some
of its rural charm if develop
ers start erecting industrii-
sized solar farms where
crops used to grow.
Peeler was the lone “no”
vote last week against two
proposed solar projects.
Construction could start on
two of them as early as De
cember.
Peeler had spoken up in
the past about his concern
over putting solar farms in
rural areas. The county al
lows it but only as a condi
tional use. The board can
require some things to miti
gate the change to the prop
erty, but in the end voted
5-to-l to approve the two
applications.
The fact is solar projects
could be more and more
common. So long as the
plant produces five-mega-
watts or less, Dominion
Power is required to agree
to buy the power based on a
cost formula that is set each
year. Perquimans County
has five solar projects that
are in the planning stage or
have been permitted.
The debate last week cov
ered a wide variety of top
ics. County officials wanted
to hold regular emergency
drills on the solar farms. A
spokesman for Solon, the
Arizona-based developer,
insisted that wasn’t needed.
Unless someone is mow
ing the grass or adjusting or
repairing one of the panels,
Scott Risley said nobody
would actually work at the
farms once they were built.
The plants won’t contain
combustible materials, and
if there were an electrical is
sue the safety devises would
shut it down automatically,
he said.
Risley said he wouldn’t
mind allowing any emergen
cy personnel to visit once to
tour the facility, but he didn’t
see any need to have regular
diifis there every year or so.
“We feel like doing it one
time would be enough,” Ris
ley told the board.
County leaders pressed
Solon for larger landscaping
to shield the facility from
view. Some also wanted
more access roads to get to
the site. The coimty they
said, not Solon, would need
to be able to respond to any
emergency. Two examples
were someone who ran
over their foot with a lawn-
mower or got shocked by
the electricity.
“Atthatpointthe $280,000
that would be cost-proWbi-
tive would be cost needed,”
Peeler told Risley.
Putting a packed gravel
road completely around
See'SOLAR PLANTS, 3
Edenton
church
opens
cafe
■ Opens in Hertford to
fight human trafficking
BY REBECCA BUNCH
Chowan Herald
A recently opened caf4 in
Hertford aims to accomplish
more than just serving hot
coffee and delicious food.
Opened by the Edenton-
based Open Door Church,
the Brew 2 Rescue Cafe that
opened on North Church
Street this fall was estab
lished to raise funds that the
church could in turn donate
to the fight against human
trafficking.
Barbara Mizell, whose
husband Steve pastors the
church, said the response
from the community has
been encouraging. She said
that one of the first things
people ask when they walk
in is what the name of the
cafe means. She said they
are shocked to hear that
North Carolina is among the
most active states in Amer
ica where human traffick
ing occurs, something the
MizeUs learned at a church
conference. They are also
quick to respond.
“I have a donation box (in
the cafe),” Mizell said. “Peo
ple walk in, they don’t want
anything they just want to
give a donation. They’re just
so glad that somebody’s do
ing something about it.”
Funds raised through the
operation of the cafe are
used to partner with two
anti-trafficking organiza
tions, Rescue Her and New
Hope Moldova.
Mizell said the two or
ganizations book-end each
other perfectly because
Rescue Her builds homes
where young people that
have been sold into slavery
can find refuge while New
Hope Moldova provides
transition homes for teens
raised in orphanages who
are put out on their own
once they reach the age of
16 or 17.
“Supporting both of these
efforts allows the church
to help on both ends of the
situation,” Mizell said.
Rachel Krahenbill, who
began attending services at
Open Door in 2006 and of
ficially joined the church a
, See CHURCH, 2
89076 4
7144
Showing Off Businesses
STAFF PHOTOS BY PETER WILLIAMS
Charlie Layden cranks the sausage press during a demonstration Friday at the Business Expo sponsored by
the Perquimans County Chamber of Commerce. The event was held at the Perquimans County Recreation
Center.
Businesses strut their stuff at Expo
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
T he Perquimans
County Recreation
Center was a one-
stop place for information
on local businesses, food
and services for two days
last week.
The center hosted
the Perquimans County
Chamber of Commerce’s
annual business expo.
Vendors were there to pro
vide information as well
as put on demonstrations
of their products.
Charlie Layden was
there with his brother -
Bobby to show how
Layden’s Supermarket in
Belvidere makes its own
sausage.
Most of the prep work
was done ahead of time,
but both men showed
how it was mixed, the
spices added and the meat
extruded into a casing.
Vendors and guests also
Crowds gather during a sneak peak Thursday night for the Perquimans County
Chamber of Commerce Business Expo.
got work hands on to tie
the sausage.
The business may make
600 or 700 pounds of sau
sage at the local business
during the week of Christ
mas. And it’s all done by
hand using a press that is
cranked by hand.
“Once you do 400
poimds you get used to
it,” Bobby Layden told the
crowd.
The business is run by
the third generation of
the family. Doug Layden
runs it now, and had help
Thursday night during
a special preview from
the fourth generation
— grandsons Ashton and
Chandler.
See EXPO, 2
Fields
named
top
principal
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
The principal at Perqui
mans Central School has
been named the principal of
the year for the Perquimans
Cotmty school system.
Melissa
Fields, a
native of
Winfall, got
her start in
1993 as a
teacher at
Central. In
the school’s teacher of the
year.
In 1997 she became the
media coordinator there, a
position she held until 20O9
when she was named assis
tant principal at Perquimans
County Middle School. In
2011, she returned to Cen
tral as principal.
“It was such an honor to
be named Principal of the
Year, but I really look at it
as recognition for the hard
work of the entire staff of
Perquimans Central School,”
Fields said last week. “1 am
blessed to work with one
of the greatest staffs, and
this honor is a reflection of
a team effort. When you
work with talented people
and they are empowered to
tap into their strengths, it is
a true win for students.
“I think spending so many
years at Perquimans Central
School has given me a very
rich understanding of the
content and expectations
for this developmental level.
1 also think I have a better
imderstanding of the day-to-
day operations of the school
because I have worked in so
many different roles within
the school. I also. have
strong relationships with
staff and the community
See FIELDS, 2
Hertford to host progressive dinner in Dec.
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
r
Downtown Hertford will
host a six-station progres
sive dinner with an 18th
century theme on Dec. 8
from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m.
The idea is visitors will
start at the Perquimans
County Courthouse and
proceed to different sta
tions to ei\joy their meal.
Hertford Baptist Church,
Hertford United Method
ist Church and Holy Trinity
Episcopal Church will all
play a part in the program.
Tickets are $30 each
and include the meal, en-
tertaiiunent and a carriage
ride. They will be available
at the Perquimans County
Chamber of Commerce,
118 W. Market St. through
Nov. 19 or until aU 200 tick
ets are sold.
“This is all about ben
efiting downtown Hertford
and promoting the history
of the town,” said Alvin
Mizelle, one of the organiz
ers of the event..
The Methodist church
is set to host a 50-member
choir and will also be the
station where the salad is
served. The Carriage House
will host the soup coiuse
and the Baptist chiuch will
host the entree.
The dishes are named
with Perquimans Coimty in
mind. The appetizer will be
called “Angels of Perqui
mans.” The soup is “Kilco-
canen Bisque, the salad
“Yuletide Salmagundi, the
entree is “Quaker Groan
ing Board and the dessert
is “Old World Fare.”
A portion of Perquimans
County was deeded to
George Durant in 1661 by
Kilcocanen, the king of the
Yeopim Indians. Salmagun
di is a (fish that originated
in the early 17th century in
Eiigland. It is comprised
by cooked meats, seafood,
vegetables, fruit, leaves,
nuts and flowers and
dressed with oil, vinegar
See DINNER, 2
-C»ry K
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