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PERQUIMANS
WE E K LY
"News from Next Door" APRIL 22, 2015
PCMS softball rack up wins, 9
50 cents
Bill could impact Perquimans board
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
A bill in the General As
sembly would inject parti-
sian poltics into North Caro
lina’s school board elections
and as a consequence keep
Steve Magaro and other fed
eral employees from serv
ing.
Magaro was retired from
the military when he was
elected to the Perquimans
County School Board in
2012. He subsequenty took a
job with the Department of
Homeland Secutiry/FEMA
in the national exercise divi
sion.
That did not violate the 76-
year-old federal Hatch Act
because the school board
race was non-partisan. The
Hatch Act prohibits employ
ees in the executive branch
of the federal government
from engaging in some
forms of political activity.
Magaro said when he
heard the
North Car
olina bill
was being
proposed,
he went to
the chief
counsel of
Homeland
Security to
MAGARO
ask about the impact. He
said he was told it would
preclude him from being a
school board member.
Magaro and other school
board members in the Albe
marle oppose putting politics
back into local school board
races. Magaro also said the
Hatch Act could have a chill
ing effect on some local
races where federal employ
ment is high, like Fayette
ville and Jacksonville.
“The Hatch Act prohib
its any partisan activity,
not just running for office,
but I can’t go out and cam
paign for somebody else,”
Magaro said. “If you look at
other states where they did
go with partisan races, the
results were not he best re
sults. School boards should
not be partisian. It’s very
dangerous to use our youth
as a pawn in someone’s po
litical agenda”
The Hatch Act was meant
to keep federal employees
from swinging an election
in someone’s favor. Magaro
scoffs at the idea he has that
much power.
“I’m the lone ranger, and I
feel like the lone ranger (on
the school board). I can’t
understand the logic that I
could say ‘I’m a federal em
ployee, you have to listen to
me.’”
Top school board offi
cials in the Albemarle seem
universally opposed to a bill
that would introduce parti
san politics to school board
elections.
Susan Cox, the chairman
See BILL, 2
SBC: Businesses
need a good plan
PiG on the Perquimans held
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
It takes more than love to
run a business.
Ginger O’Neal says it
takes a plan.
The director of the Small
Business Center (SBC) at
the College of The Albemar
le spoke with Perquimans
County business leaders
last week. The event was a
monthly breakfast meeting
sponsored by the Perqui
mans County Chamber of
Commerce.
O’Neal said there is help
available for those wishing
to start or grow a business,
but it takes work.
“Don’t talk to me about
doing something because
you love it,” O’Neal said. “If
it’s just a passion, then it’s
a hobby. If you are doing it
as a hobby, fine, but if you
really want to make money,
do it the right way.
“You need a business plan
if you’re going to be a suc
cess,” O’Neal said. “If you
don’t have one, you need to
get one. You fail to plan and
you plan to fail.”
O’Neal said the center is
there to help business own
ers and potential business
owners but some clients
come in expecting every-
thing will be done for them.
“I’m not writing your
business plan for you and
there is no free money out
there to start-up your busi
ness. There are few grant
opportunities, but they are
few and far between.”
STAFF PHOTO BY PETER WILLIAMS
Ginger O’Neal, the director
of the Small Business
Center at College of The
Albemarle, speaks last
week at Perquimans
County Chamber breakfast
event
STAFF PHOTOS BY PETER WILLIAMS
Banks may be willing to
help a starting business, but
O’Neal stresses that they
will want to see how they’ll
get their money back.
While many business put
all their eggs in one basket
with Internet marketing,
O’Neal said there is a seg
ment that will be missed.
“I still like flyers, and
there is an audience that
is not Internet savvy,” she
said.
She Facebook and social
media have their place in
a marketing plan, but they
shouldn’t be the only form
of advertising.
“Use your newspaper, use
your social media, use your
e-mail. Make a plan on how
See SMALL BIZ, 2
Mike Adams of Edenton Baptist Church hands a sample of pork barbeque to a visitor to Camp Cale on
Saturday. The camp was hosting the annual Pig On The Perquimans fundraiser. The camp is trying to raise
money to replace the bunkhouses pictured in the background. See more photos from the fundraiser
event online at www.DailyAdvance.com
Janine Guill (left) and Buddy
Grasty judge the looks of
pinewood derby race cars
Saturday at Pig On The
Perquimans at Camp Cale.
6 area Marinas hope to lure boaters this season
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Albemarle Plantation and
five municipal marinas are
hoping to attract transient
boaters to pay a visit.
The “Albemarle Loop”
campaign is funded by the
Plantation with moral sup
port from the towns of
Elizabeth City, Hertford,
Edenton, Plymouth and Co
lumbia.
The idea is to entice
boaters off the beaten path
of the Intracoastal Water
way (ICW) and get them to
spend a few days. All of the
marinas will offer free dock
space for 48 hours and most
offer amenities like water,
electricity or restrooms.
Jack Atwell, a Plantation
resident, said it’s like get
ting a “free two week vaca
tion.”
Atwell said he got the
idea after talking with Don
na Stewart, the director of
the Dismal Swamp Canal
Welcome Center. The wel
come center gets some of
the ICW traffic, but is con
sidered a secondary route
because it’s not very deep
— six feet — and because
the locks that control the
water flow only open four
times a day. Even so, the
canal gets between 1,500
and 2,000 boats a year pass
ing through.
For her part, Stewart said
Atwell deserves the credit
for taking the ball and run
ning with it by producing a
full-color brochure and Web
site — www.albemarleloop.
See MARINAS, 2
Simmons honored
by Habitat group
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Guy Simmons has a back ¬
ground in corporate finance,
not construction.
6 " 89076 47144
But the 70-year-old Hert
ford resident said working
with Chowan-Perquimans
Habitat for Humanity a re
warding experience.
For his efforts, Simmons
was named the Volunteer
of the Year for the group re
cently.
Simmons originally
moved to Edenton in
2
See SIMMONS, 2
Saturday event focused on safety
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
An Edenton doctor
who specializes in family
and sports medicine will
be among the speakers at
this Saturday’s Week Of
The Young Child event at
the Perquimans County
Recreation Center.
The event features 25
informational, education
or activity stations. All are
geared toward children
and child safety. The event
runs from
10 a.m. un
til 2 p.m.
Some of
the new
er addi
tions this
year will
be about
home and
fire safety and Dr. Brian
Bunn’s talking about
sports safety.
“We’re really lucky
to have him,” said Kelly
Herr, a spokeswoman for
Vidant Chowan Hospital.
“He really wants to get
more involved in the com
munity and help out when
he can.”
Bunn will be talking
about hydration, and how
to prevent concussions.
Vidant Chowan Hospi
tal is the organizer for the
Chowan County Safe Kids
Coalition, which is putting
on the Week of the Young
Child event in conjunction
with Chowan/Perquimans
Smart Start Partnership.
Vidant Chowan Hospitals
Community Health Im
provement Coordinator,
Kate Bunn is the chair
for the Chowan County
Safe Kids Coalition and
she will be conducting car
seat safety checks at the
event.
Susan Nixon, the execu
tive director of the partner
ship, said poison control
is a big issue for children.
One place to look is in the
See EVENT, 2