P The
ERQUIMANS
. A LWE E K LY
"News from Next Door" MARCH 5, 2014-MARCH 11, 2014
50 cents
Two more solar projects proposed
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
The same company that
first proposed building a
100-acre solar power proj
ect in Perquimans County
more than three years ago
will be back before the
county planning board
next week to ask for condi
tional use permits for two
more. *
Solar Green LLC’s origi
nal project was off U.S.
17 near the Perquimans-
Chowan County line.
One of the ones being
reviewed next week is in
Winfall and the other is a
92-acre site near County
Line Road and south of
Drinking Hole Road.
The Winfall board is slat
ed to hold a public hearing
on Monday at 6:30 p.m.
The county planning board
meets the next night at 7
p.m.
The county has already
approved three other so
lar projects, including the
original. Combined the five
solar projects would cover
527 acres, the largest of
which being 155 acres.
That’s small compared
to the potential footprint
of the wind farms that have
been proposed.
The Desert Wind project
that would straddle the
Perquimans-Pasquotank
county line would cover
25,000 acres. It’s been
stalled and no construc
tion has taken place.
A second wind farm
has been proposed on the
other side of the county.
Apex Clean Energy, Inc.
has proposed a 10,000-acre
See PROJECTS, 7
SUBMITTER PHOTO
Robin Todd works with second-graders at Perquimans Central School recently.
Fired teacher
gets job back
Todd recognized for volunteer work
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
R obin Todd’s academic
achievements alone should
be enough to qualify her for
a presidential recognition, but that’s
not why President Obama honored
her last month.
Todd was given the President’s
Volunteer Service Award for what
she does outside the classroom at
Perquimans County High School.
The senior spent more than 200
hours volunteering within the past
year. That works out to be nearly
four hours a week, 52 weeks a year.
She manages it on top her work
in the classroom and her after-
school job as a scorekeeper at the
Perquimans County Recreation
Center. The job keeps her busy most
every weekday night plus Saturday.
Yet in the classroom, she’s an
academic superstar.
She’s been a straight “A” student
her entire life. She’s part of the
Academically or Intel
lectually Gifted (AIG)
program and in
ninth grade she
started taking
college courses
on-line.
She racked
up 18 semester
hours for college
during her first
with children there after
k class.
Part of that urge
to be a teacher
i could be because
I her mother,
■ Yvonne Honza,
I works at a
* church pre-
school. Robin also
has two younger
three years in high
school and is on track
to accumulate 33 college
credit hours by the time she
walks across the stage at PCHS for
graduation in June.
And unlike some incoming col
lege students, Todd also has a clear ,
vision of what she wants to do.
“I’d always thought I wanted to
get into health care, that is what I
really wanted,” Todd said last week.
“But when I started working with
kids, everything changed.”
Twice a week, Todd goes to Per
quimans Central School and works
sisters.
Todd said she’s been
volunteering in some
fashion for as long as she can
remember.
“In ninth grade I started docu
menting it (volunteering) and start
ing my own fundraisers.”
She’s been heavily involved as
a volunteer for Relay For Life, an
event that benefits the American
Cancer Society. She’s also been
involved in getting her classmates to
also pitch in. The team has raised
SeeTODD,7
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
A teacher who took the
Perquimans County Schools
to court after she was de
nied career status and fired
in 2012 was back at school
this week.
School board attorney
John Leidy confirmed Mon
day that Vanessa Joyner had
been offered her job back
and was scheduled to re
turn to Perquimans County
schools on Monday.
Both a Superior Court
Judge and the N.C. Court
of Appeals ruled that the
school system was wrong
by not granting Joyner ca
reer status — also known
as tenure. The courts ruled
Joyner deserved to get her
job back plus back pay.
The cost of defending
Joyner’s lawsuit has been
largely home by the N.C.
School Board Trust. The
trust has represented the
school district in the case
since July 17, 2012. Ac
cording to Brenda Lassiter,
a school spokesman, the
school district has spent
$7,809 in local money on the
lawsuit.
The school system and
Joyner are in negotiations
over the issue of back pay.
Joyner had six years of ex
perience in the Perquimans
Schools when she was let
go in May 2012. A teacher
at that levels earns about
$31,000 a year from the state
plus gets local supplements.
Last fall Joyner was teach
ing in the Bertie County
school system.
Ralph Hollowell, the
school board member who
brought up issues with
Joyner’s performance, said
last week he was ready to
let the issue go.
“I caught heat, but I did
what I thought was right,”
he said last week. “I’ve
learned that no matter what
See JOB BACK, 7
Newcomers
to get shot at
local boards
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
There will
be at least
four new 1
members (
on two lo
cal boards
after the May 6
election in Perquimans
County.
As of the deadline Fri ¬
day, four people had filed
for one of the three slots
on the comity board. Foui-
people also filed for the
three openings on the
school board.
Only one of the sitting
comity commissioners
— Ed Muzzulin filed for
another term and only
Ralph Hollowell is seek
ing another term on the
school board.
Ben Hobbs and Tammy
Miller-White did not seek
re-election to the county
board.
Long-time school board
member Walter Leigh also
didn’t file.
School board member
Wallace Nelson decided to
instead file for the comity
commission. Leigh was
first elected to the school
board in 1990. Nelson was
on the school board from
1992 through 2000, and re-
joined the school board in
2006.
Neither Perquimans
County Sheriff Eric Tilley
or Clerk of Court Todd
Tilley has any opposition
and will run unopposed.
Hollowell, 47, filed last
'fuesday. He originally
wasn’t sure he would seek
a second term on school
See NEWCOMERS, 7
PCHS to host Ambassadors
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
An all-star basketball
team that includes Sheriff
Eric Tilley, Hertford Mayor
Horace Reid plus coaches
and staff from the school
system and other members
of the community will be
playing March 17 in a char
ity game at Perquimans
County High School against
the Harlem Ambassadors.
The cheerleaders will
also include school staff
and Winfall Mayor Fred
Yates.
Making sure all the rules
are followed will be fom of
ficials including Judge J.C.
Cole and Hertford Police
Chief Doug Freeman. The
announcer will be Clerk .of
Superior Court Todd Tilley
according to Brenda Las
siter, a spokesperson for
the school system.
In the audience will be
Quinyotta Pettaway, a for
mer Perquimans basketball
star who is wrapping up
her college playing career
at Clemson University.
See AMBASSADORS, 7
Perquimans Weekly wins awards
From staff reports
The Perquimans Week
ly won second place in
the General Excellence
category at the annual
6 89076 47144 2
f
awards ceremony hosted
by the N.C. Press Asso
ciation last week.
The announcement
came during the group’s
annual winter meeting in
Chapel Hill on Thursday.
The Tideland News
of Swansboro won first
place for general excel
lence for community
newspapers with a circu ¬
lation of less than 3,500.
The Perquimans Weekly
placed second and The
News-Journal of Raeford
was third.
Of The Perquimans
Weekly, the judges wrote
“strong editorials, good
flow of news throughout,
advertising is well done.”
See AWARDS, 7
EARLY START ON JOB SEARCH
STAFF PHOTO BY PETER WILLIAMS
Stephanie Fuller shows off a computer program dealing with speech pathology
during a career and college fair held at Perquimans County High School, Thursday.
Nearly 20 business and agencies participated in the GEAR UP event. GEAR UP aims
to encourage students who might not otherwise consider college a glimpse at what
higher education can do and what careers it can lead to.