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"News from Next Door" WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015
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State
accepts
finding
in audit
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
In a rush to roll out a new
state criminal reporting
computer system, Perqui
mans County and at least 19
other counties found them
selves in violation of state
auditing rules.
In the Perquimans case,
two employees were given
access to both the financial
auditing system and the
criminal reporting system.
Clerk of Court Todd Tilley
said the access was granted
by the N.C. Administrative
Office of the Courts (NCA
OC) without his knowledge
or approval.
The Perquimans findings
were included as part of an
audit released last week.
The state audit found that
while the potential for theft
was there, no fraud actually
took place and no money
was stolen.
The NCAOC director at
the time of the rollout was
John W. Smith. He stepped
down in May and Marion
Warren was named to re
place him.
In a phone call Tuesday,
Warren confirmed the au
dit finding was not Tilley’s
fault.
“The clerks didn’t cause
this problem,” Warren said.
“It’s a glitch if you will. This
update had a feature that al
lowed simultaneous access
to both the financial and
criminal systems that was
not disabled. As soon as it
was discovered, the NCAOC
See AUDIT, 4
Ceremony Held N ° 18m
STAFF PHOTOS BY PETER WILLIAMS
Tola Lewis, (left) Frank Gates and Mike Ellis salute last week during a Veteran’s Day ceremony in Hertford.
Area veterans are honored
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
A dwindling number of Ameri-
cans know what it’s like to
XAserve in the military, so it’s
become more critical to remember
the few that have, a speaker told a
Veteran’s Day crowd in Hertford on
Wednesday.
Tom Quance, a retired Air Force
colonel, addressed the more than
250 people that attended the
ceremony held on the courthouse
green. He served for 25 years and
then went on to teach J-ROTC at
Northeastern High School for 14
years.
“In 1945, at the end of World
War II, the U.S. population was
about 140 million and the number
in the military was over 12 million,
which is about 8.5 percent of the
total population,” Quance said.
“Today with a population of nearly
320 million, only 2 million serve or
See VETERANS DAY, 4
Tom Quance, a retired Air Force colonel, speaks last week during a
Veteran’s Day event in Hertford.
Recent
weather
takes toll
on crops
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Two weeks of wet, cloudy
weather in October turned
what could have been a
great harvest season for
farmers into disaster for
some, according to agricul
tural officials.
“It’s been as devastating
as I’ve ever witnessed,” said
Paul Smith, an agricultural
agent for the past 17 years.
The 67-year-old has been
farming since he was a boy.
Things looked good last
summer, he said.
“In July and August from
the Chowan River to the Vir
ginia line we had the poten
tial to have the best crops in
the state.”
October changed all that.
In addition to heavy rain,
the sun didn’t come out for
15 days so crops never re
ally dried out. Cotton and
soybeans were hit especial
ly hard.
“This has been one of
the largest monetary losses
we’ve had outside of a natu
ral disaster. In fact I haven’t
seen it this bad even with
a natural disaster. It’s such
a big investment to put in
a crop, and without a good
yield you can lose a lot of
money quick.”
A 2012 report estimated
total cash receipts from
agriculture in Perquimans
County at $82 million. Crops
made up $56 million, while
livestock/dairy/poultry ac-
counted for $24 million. Gov
ernment payments made up
See CROPS, 5
Chamber urging consumers to ‘Shop Small’ this year
■ SUBMITTED PHOTO
Sid Eley, the
director of the
Perquimans
County Chamber
i of Commerce,
holds a “Shop
Local” selfie
frame. The
chamber is
, sponsoring events
to promote
consumers to shop
local this season.
From Staff Reports
The Perquimans County Cham
ber of Commerce will roll out
promotions in the coming weeks
designed to encourage choppers
to “Shop Small” by buying goods
locally.
From Belvidere to New Hope,
Chamber Director Sid Eley re
cently delivered blue and white
tote bags filled with free blue and
white Shop Small items to local
small businesses in preparation of
Shop Small on Nov. 28.
A blue and white 6-foot banner
now hangs in front of the John
Matthews building on Church
Street in Hertford proclaiming the
arrival of Shop Small Saturday and
new blue and white Shop Small
Saturday door mats are welcom
ing customers into local shops.
In addition, participating stores
will offer customers blue and white
tote bags and town crowns for
children. Blue and white balloons
will decorate the mqjor business
areas on Shop Small Saturday.
The countywide Shop Small
promotion urges shoppers to re
member to shop their local small
businesses when holiday shopping
this year Shop Small Saturday, the
Saturday after Thanksgiving and
following Black Friday, focuses on
the benefits communities derive
from shopping locally.
“Nov. 28 is Small Business Sat
urday, a day created specifically
for small businesses like our local
Mom and Pop shops you deal with
every day in Perquimans County,”
Eley said. “This year, don’t just
Shop Small for your holiday gifts.
Do it for the businesses you love,
for the community you call home,
and for the money that stays in the
neighborhood when we all Shop
Small. This year, shop small for
all.”
Shop Small Saturday kicks off
See ‘SHOP SMALL’, 2
■
Boaters find plenty to like in Perquimans waters
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
As Perquimans County
works to capture a larger
share of the boat traffic
moving up and down the
Intracoastal Waterway, at
least one couple thinks the
town has pretty much all
that it needs.
Nelson Garrett Sr. and his
wife Sandra Kay visited for
a few days in October. Gar
rett is from Moyock and for
the past few years, the cou
ple has lived exclusively on
their 40-foot powerboat the
MV Destinees.
“We sold the ‘dirt house’”
Garrett said of their old
home.
They left the beaten path
of the Intracoastal to make
a stop in Hertford. The
visit started simply enough
with a request to open the
S-Bridge so they could pass
through.
It sounds simple enough,
but the couple has run into
other places where it’s not
that easy.
“We saw in Chicago where
they would not answer the
phone or the radio,” Garrett
said. “They’d talk to the big
ger boats, and finally when
they did open the bridge we
just fell in behind them.”
Bill Cartwright was the
bridge tender in Hertford
See BOATERS, 2
SUBMITTED
PHOTO
Nelson
Garrett Sr.
and his wife
Sandra Kay
stand nexts
to their
boat at the
Hertford
Town
Marina last
month.
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