ERQUIMANS
WeekLY
Schools celebrate Walk to School Day, 10
"Vens from Next Door"
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2015
0CT2 RED
50 cents
Hertford boat ramp project delayed
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
It will likely be July be
fore construction starts
on an industrial-sized
boat ramp at the Perqui
mans Marine Industrial
Park.
When the county was
first awarded a $308,000
grant from Golden LEAF
in June 2014, officials
had hoped the property
would be finished by ear
ly 2015.
However the project
has drawn more intense
state review because
the cost is expected to
exceeded $500,000. The
State Construction Of
fice gets involved when
that threshold is reached.
The N.C. Wildlife Com
mission, a state agency, is
providing the remaining
funds and the county is
providing a match in the
form of 4.6 acres of land.
An official with the
State Construction Office
said a design contract was
approved Oct. 5 with Cri-
ser, Troutman and Tanner
Consulting. The official,
who declined to give his
name, said the Wilming
ton-based firm expects to
complete the design and
schematic portions of the
design by Dec. 11. That
leaves the construction
and final design phases,
which are expected to
be complete by March
15. The total cost of the
design contract was
$66,650. He said typically
that would represent 10
percent of the total proj
ect, which would make
that $666,500.
Another issue is the
state prohibits marine
construction during
the period from Feb. 15
through June 30.
Mark Hamlett, the en
gineering sections chief
for the Wildlife Commis
sion, said it’s normal for
the commission to part
ner with a local govern
ment willing to provide
the land for a ramp, but
he said as far as he knows
this will be the first one
that has an economic
development element in
volved.
County officials hope
the construction of the
ramp will encourage a
small marine industry
to locate on adjacent
property. That could be
the first step towards
See BOAT RAMP, 8
INTERESTED?
■ A youtube video of the marine park project
featuring Hertford Town Manager Brandon
Shoaf is on-line at
■ https://www.youtube.com/watch7v4x7tLV
CVtxA&feature=share
■ The marine industrial park will be the topic
of a talk today at 8:30 a.m. Dave Goss, the
county’s economic developer, will at a monthly
"Conversations Over Coffee" event sponsored
by Perquimans County Chamber of Commerce.
The meeting this month will be held at Brew-2-
Rescue Cafe on Church Street.
Solar
project
moving
forward
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Construction has started
on what may be the last so
lar power project in Perqui
mans County for a while.
SolncpowerlO is devel
oping a 45-acre site on the
northeast comer of Snug
Harbor Road and U.S. 17.
It is the same company
that developed similar sized
projects—one on Belvidere
Road and the other on Two
Mile Desert Road.
But Heath McLaughlin, a
spokesman for Solncpow
erlO, said a change by the
General Assembly to elimi
nate tax credits for solar
will put a damper on new
solar construction.
“When those tax cred
its go away, it’s going to be
very quiet. You’re going to
hear that eerie whistling in
the wind kind of thing when
it comes to new solar,” he
said.
McLaughlin expects it will
take about three months to
complete the Snug Harbor
Road project.
SolncpowerlO develops
solar projects and once
complete, sells them. FLS
Energy bought the two solar
projects Solncpower devel
oped in 2014 in Perquimans.
SolncpowerlO had about
See MOVING, 8
Carolina Moon
PHOTO BY CHUCK PAGELS
Nelia Lane, Wanda Wilson,
Ann Taylor, Laura Rowell,
Linda Gregory, Connie Hull and
Paul Hotz (above) perform in
the Carolina Moon Theater
performance of “Bull in a
China Shop” Friday.
Paul Hotz, Ann Taylor and
Connie Hull perform a scene
from the play “Bull in a China
Shop” Friday at the Carolina
Moon Theater. The theater
will host the musical group
“Molasses Creek” on Jan. 16
and the play “Anybody Out
There” on May 6-8.
Belvidere
hosting
event
Saturday
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Belvidere will again take
the spotlight for the day with
events and special events by
the area’s merchants.
“Belvidere Day” is set for
Saturday from 8 a.m. until 5
p.m. The event centers on
Layden’s Supermarket, 1478
Belvidere Road, but spreads
out to encompass other lo
cations.
It was the brainchild of
Doug Layden, the owner of
the supermarket. He got the
idea after Belvidere played
host to a wagon train a few
years ago. The horses and
wagons went on to Hert-
; ford.
“That triggered us into
believing we could hold an
event here,” Layden said.
“We’re looking for a big
crowd.”
The Perquimans Tourism
Development Authority is
providing $800 towards the
effort this year.
Also participating will be
Scott’s Store, which will be
offering deals on hunting
supplies, lumber and hard
ware; The Nicholson House
& Gift Shop, will have a
pumpkin patch, complimen
tary cider and a sale on mer
chandise; the Belvidere Ru-
ritans will offer booths for
vendors; Donna’s Desserts,
See HOSTING, 8
Endowed scholarship created in honor of Jeanne White
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
The family the late Jeanne
Chappell White has created
a $10,000 endowment that
will provide scholarships in
her name.
White died in June at age
86, but she spent her life in
service to others. That in
cluded being the first wom
an elected to Perquimans
County office. She won an
election to be Regis
ter of Deeds in 1976
and served until she
retired in 1993.
The Perquimans
County Schools
Foundation will ad
minister the scholar
ship. The foundation
WHITE
with funds to make
them perpetual.
Only the interest
on the investments
are used for schol
arships. At first, it’s
expected the White
endowment will
was estimated in
2002 and provides 18 schol-
arships a year but only the year.
ships are endowed . scales, the president of the mans County High School.
produce enough for
one $500 scholarship each
foundation.
Dianne White Stallings,
White’s daughter, said her
mother made her wishes
known last spring when she
was diagnosed with cancer.
While the initial invest
ment is $10,000, the endow-
ment can be increased by
donations from family and
friends of White.
She started working the Per
quimans County Sheriff’s
office, then moved to the
Clerk of Court’s office and
then eventually was elected
to the Register of Deeds.
She also served on a num
ber of boards including the
Perquimans County Resto
ration Association, the Mu-
seum of the Albemarle and
White and the Walter and “This (endowment) will The Belvidere native was the Winfall planning board.
Marjorie Rayburn scholar- be forever,” said Bob Clink- a 1947 graduate of Perqui- She also served as clerk
to the Perquimans County
Commission.
She also served as a
member of the New and
Bold Decorators, which
was a group of friends who
offered their decorating tal
ents throughout the region
with proceeds benefiting
The Newbold-White House,
the Perquimans County
Beautification Committee
See SCHOLARSHIP, 8
Teacher turnover stays high
AN Electric Discussion
From Staff Reports
The number of teachers leaving
the Perquimans County last year
grew a lower rate than most, but the
county still ranks among the highest
in the state in turns of turnover.
Perquimans had the state’s 15th-
highest turnover rate, which is the
same ranking as in 2013-14. The turn
over rate increased slightly, from
20.49 to 20.66 percent last year.
Of the district’s 121 teachers, 25
6 89076 47144 2
left.
Edenton-Chowan Schools, the
Elizabeth City-Pasquotank Pub
lic Schools and Currituck County
Schools each saw a nearly 2-percent
jump in turnover rates from the year
prior, according to the N.C. Depart
ment of Public Instruction’s annual
report on teachers leaving the pro
fession.
The number one reason teach
ers left Perquimans last year was to
take non-teaching positions in other
school districts or agencies, accord
ing to Mary Kay Peele, administra
tive assistant to the Perquimans su
perintendent.
See TURNOVER, 8
STAFF PHOTO BY
PETER WILLIAMS
Nick Condon
(right)
discusses
how
electricity is
generated,
while Justin
Searls looks
on during a
program at
Perquimans
Central
School last
week.