2 THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21,2016 NEIGHBORS FARMERS Continued from 1 Monds noted he doesn’t have a job with a retire ment program. He has to set aside money himself, and that can be hard to do when he’s putting ev erything he has every year into putting a crop into the ground and then praying for a good crop, he said, j Joining Monds Monday were fellow farmers Tim White and Gene Jordan. All three said they had looked at the pros and cons of the wind energy project and concluded it would be good for the community. The Timbermill Wind Project is currently in con ditional use permit hearings in Chowan and Perquimans counties. The proposed 300- megawatt wind energy gen eration facility in the Cen ter Hill and Bear Swamp areas of the two counties would include slightly more than 100 wind turbines that would be nearly 600 feet high at maximum tip height of the turning blades. Opponents of the project have expressed concern about the visual impact of the very large structures on the rural landscape, the ef fect on property values and the possible health effects of low-frequency vibrations sometimes known as infra sound. “I’ve been living here all my life,” White said. Monds lives less than half a mile from where one of the wind turbines is slated to be located. White lives less than a mile from three or four of them. Jordan said he lives fur ther away but farms in the 7 Minzies Creek Sanitary District Monthly meeting will be held on SATURDAY, Sept. 24, 2016 AT 10:00am The Meeting Will Be Held at 139 Treasure Lane, Hertford Visit our website or come by for a tour of our new state-of-the-art facility Parentis^ PET RESORT premier pet boarding for dogs paradisepetresortnc.com Introducing PaMuti&e Pet ^CMht: A luxury boarding experience 'CaU 0001001 heAeAuailonA, 252.482.4113 NOTICE OF GENERAL ELECTION PERQUIMANS COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA A general election will be held on Tuesday, November 8,2016 in Perquimans County. Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the day of the election, Tuesday, November 8. One-stop early voting will be held at the Perquimans County Board of Elections office 601 S. Edenton Road St. Hertford, NC 27944. One-stop early voting will be open from Thursday, October 20 until 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 5. The hours are as follows: October 20-21, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. October 24-28, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. October 31-November 2, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. November 3-4, 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM. November 5,8:00 AM -1:00 PM. Canvass will be held in the Perquimans County Board of Elections office at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, November 18. Absentee voting by mail is available. Requests for an absentee ballot must be made on an absentee request form (available on the State Board of Elections website and at the county board of elections office), and must be received in the Perquimans County Board of Elections by Tuesday, November 1. Absentee voting requires the voter to complete an application on the return envelope that must be witnessed by two qualified persons or a notary public. Completed absentee ballots must be returned to the Board of Elections by 5:00 p.m. on Election Day (ballots received by mail after this time will be considered timely if they are received within three business days and postmarked on or before Election Day). Voters may receive assistance voting a mail-in absentee ballot from a qualified person of their choice. All persons who are registered to vote with Perquimans County may vote in this election. Persons who are not already registered to vote in the county must register by Friday, October 14 to be eligible to vote in this election. Voters who are not registered in the county by that deadline may register and vote during one stop early voting only, and will be required to provide documentation of their identity and residence. Voters who wish to change party affiliation or who have changed name or address must do so by the registration deadline. Voters who fail to timely make a change in name or address in the county must update the information when presenting to vote, and may be required to vote a provisional ballot. Voters voting in person are entitled to assistance by an election official, or, if assistance is needed due to disability or illiteracy, by a qualified person of their choice. Voting sites are accessible to all voters. Curbside voting is available for voters who are not able to enter voting sites. Persons with questions about registration, polling places, early voting, absentee ballots, or other election matters may call the Perquimans County Board of Elections Office at 252- 426-5598. Board Meeting Dates: October 18, 25, November 1, and November 15 at 10:00 AM, November 7 at 5:00 PM, and November 8 at 2:00 PM. Dianne M. Layden, Chairman PERQUIMANS COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS area. Monds explained that he will be able to see one of the proposed wind turbines from the back of his shop. Both Monds and Jordan have farmland that is pro posed to be part of the Tim bermill project. White has had land un der lease with Apex but the company currently has no plans to locate turbines on his property. They denied the fre quently made assertion that all their information about utility-scale wind turbines had come from Apex. Monds said that in his role as a planning board member he took a special interest in all of the infor mation that came before him about wind turbines. He said Mike Hamilton, chief of the Center Hill Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department, went to Dela ware to see large wind tur bines firsthand. Hamilton called him on the phone from beneath one of the turbines that was in op eration “and you couldn’t hear them running,” Monds said. Monds said he also talked to people who live near wind turbines in other places. Those people told him there was a lot of con troversy about the turbines initially but that after they had been in place a while people generally became used to them, he said. “Other than the fact of looking at them I don’t think there will ever be a problem with them being here,” Monds said. Monds works the same land that his grandfather and father before him farmed in decades past. He noted his farm is providing for six full-time people. White said he sees the project — and the opposi tion to it — as an example of progress. “Progress is sometimes hard — there’s no doubt it,” White said. Small gas stations and small grocery stores have been put out of business by larger businesses, White said. There are growing pains with progress, he said. “But progress is some thing that you’ve got to have,” White said. “We need it.” White said it would be good to have additional revenue coming into the county for public schools and other needs the county has. “I remember back when there weren’t any light poles,” White said. People didn’t want light poles in their yards until ev erybody got used to them, he said. He said he could remember not having elec tricity or running water and was glad to get both. White said logging makes a lot more noise than wind turbines, and there are people who want to get rid of logging because of the noise. But without logging you won’t have toilet paper, he said. “Progress always in terferes with everybody,” White said. “But progress is good.” Monds, White and Jordan all agreed that the county needs industrial develop ment in order to strengthen the tax base. And the coun ty doesn’t need a reputa tion for trying to keep ev erything out, they said. “You’ve got to have something in this county,” Monds said. “If you keep running people out nobody is going to want to come.” Jordan said he and his family did their own re search — and a lot of it — before deciding to lease land to Apex. “We looked into it to the fullest extent possible,” Jordan said. He and other Chowan Perquimans Habitat for Humanity Restore Open Tues., Thurs., Sat. 9:00 am to, 1:00 pm We pick-up large donations! 1370 N. Broad St., Edenton 482-2686 members of the family went through the informa tion with a fine-toothed comb, he said. “We see it as an oppor tunity to diversify,” Jordan said. “We need diversifica tion. And it’s a perfect fit for agricultural land.” Jordan said he and his family investigated the con cerns expressed by oppo nents of the project. “The objections don’t hold water when you only look at the facts on the ground,” Jordan said. In addition to being a farmer and a participating landowner in the proposed wind energy project, Jor dan also is a member of the Edenton-Chowan Board of Education. “Public schools are un der tons of pressure,” Jor dan said. In recent years the local board of education has had to cut positions every year. Some of that is because of declining enrollment but about half of it is because of reductions in funding in terms of real dollars. “People in education are losing their jobs,” Jordan said. “That’s not good for the county.” And reductions in fund ing for the public schools don’t just mean loss of em ployment opportunities. They also mean a loss in educational opportunities, according to Jordan. “What’s it doing to our kids?” Jordan asked. Jordan said Chowan County is increasing tax- base-poor. The wind en ergy project would boost the county’s tax base and help prevent the county from having to have an ex tremely high tax rate such as Gates County does just to provide necessary coun ty services. “We’re headed in that di rection,” Jordan said. “This is an opportunity to turn the tide. It’s not going to solve the problem but it’s a step in the right direction.” Another way industry can support education is through programs such as internships and job shad owing, Jordan said. “There needs to be in dustry in the county that supports education,” Jor dan said. STRIDES Continued from 1 year. Jayden White finished first in the male division with a time of 20:51. White celebrated his 12th birthday Saturday. Brett Fritts fin ished second at 21:13 and Eddie Fields took third at 23:01. In the female division Morgan White, Jayden White’s mother, finished first with a time of 23:11. Shannon Winslow finished second at 25:14 followed by Meghan Shoaf with a time of 28:02. In the kid’s Fun Run, Caden Winslow took first in the male division and Lilee Ann Estes finished first in the female division. The Perquimans club is affiliated with the state Gen eral Federation Of Women’s Clubs. As such winners at the local level are eligible for an additional scholar ship on the district and the state level. There are nine counties in the northeast district. Last year’s Perqui mans winner, went on to earn another $1,000 at the district level and another $500 at the state level. The ultimate state winner can get a $24,000 scholarship over a four-year college ca reer. Participating in the run Saturday was Dottie Jen nings of Elizabeth City and her daughter. Jennings is the president of the state General Federation of Wom en’s Club of North Carolina, an off-shoot of a national group founded in 1890. Ju nior Women’s Clubs were first incorporated in 1926 in North Carolina While it was only the sec ond time the Perquimans club held a 5-K to raise mon ey for scholarships, it was the fourth 5-K for the group. “We get better each time we do it,” Eure said. What’s Happening WEDNESDAY ■ Chamber Coffee The Perquimans County Chamber of Commerce will host “Conversations over Coffee” on changes in benefit laws today at 8:30 am. at the Perquimans County Exten sion Center. ■ Curious George The Perquimans County Library will hold a special story time on today at 11 am. to celebrate the 75th birthday of Curious George. THURSDAY ■ Bingo American Legion Post 126 hosts bingo on Thursdays at 6:45 p.m. at their building at 111W. Academy St ■ Movies at the Library Every third Thursday of the month, the Perquimans Coun ty Library will offer a movie geared toward adults at 10 am. ■ Weight loss Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) holds weekly support group meetings on Thursdays from 10 am. until 11 am. at the Perquimans County Senior Center. Call 426-2022 or visit www.tops.org. SATURDAY ■ ALS Walk The annual Jim “Catfish Hunter” ALS Foundation walk will be held Saturday starting at Perquimans County High School. Registration is at 8 am., an opening ceremony at 8:50 am. and the walk starts at 9 am. Contact Helen Hunter at 426-7998. MONDAY ■ Retirees Meet The Perquimans County Chapter of North Carolina Re tired School Personnel will host its first meeting at 6 p.m. on Sept 26 at Captain Bob’s Restaurant. Any school retiree is invited to attend. TUESDAY ■ Weight Watchers Weight Watchers will meet on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. at Hertford United Methodist Church’s Fellowship Hall. Call 331-5426. SEPT. 3M)CT. 2 ■ Softball Tournament The 18th annual Jim “Catfish” Hunter ALS softball tour nament will be held Sept. 30 through Oct. 2 at the Jimmy Hunter Fields in Winfall. For more information, call 252- 340-0210. A corn hole tournament will be held Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. Call 619-8136. OCTI ■ Rotary Show The band “The Difference” will present an evening of Motown music Oct 1 at 7 p.m. at the Perquimans County High School auditorium. General admission tickets are $15 and available at the Perquimans County Chamber of Commerce, Carolina Trophy, Hertford Hardware or from members of the Hertford Rotary Club. Reserve tickets are $18 and are available by calling 426-5246. All proceeds fund Rotary Club scholarships. ■ Plant Sale The Chowan, Gates, Perquimans Extension Master Gar dener Fall Plant Sale will be held Oct. 1 from 8 am. until noon at the Edenton Fanners Market, 730 N Granville St For more information call 482-6585. OCT. 5 ■ Shag Lessons Free shag lessons for beginners will be held starting Oct 5 at 7 p.m. at The Pines in Elizabeth City. No partner is needed. For more information call 232-3044. OCT. 13 ■ Chamber Expo The Perquimans County Chamber of Commerce will hold Expo 2016 on Oct 13 from 10 am. until 4 p.m. and then from 5-7 p.m. at the Recreation Center. OCT. 14-16 ■ Carolina Moon “Hallelujah Girls” will be performed at Carolina Moon Theater, Oct. 14-15 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. Tickets $18 are on sale at Carolina Trophy, 109 N Church St, Hert ford and online at carolinamoontheater.org. OCT. 27 ■ Life Line Screening Hertford Baptist Church will host Life Line Screening. Call 888-653-6551. OCT. 21 ■ Lobster Sale Holy Trinity Episcopal Church will hold a lobster sale Oct. 21 from 1 to 6 p.m at the church office. Tickets are sold in advance at the church office from 9 am. and noon Monday through Friday or by calling 426-5542. NOV. 19 ■ Spaghetti Dinner A spaghetti dinner will be held Nov. 19 at the Perquimans County Recreation Center to raise money to furnish the new library. Eat-in tickets are $10 and will be served from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. Take out orders will be $7 and avail able from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. Call Doug Layden at 297-2875 or Muriel Harmon at 312-6348. Perquimans BIWEEKLY (USPS428-080) Vol. 84 No. 38 Published each Wednesday. A publication of Cooke Communications North Carolina, LLC Established 1934 111 W. Market St., Hertford, NC 27944 Mike Goodman Publisher Peter Williams News Editor Bev Alexander Advertising Representative Phone 252-426-5728 • Fax 252-426-4625 Email: perquimansweekly@ncweeklies.com Subscription Rates In Daily Advance home delivery area $25.25* All other continental U.S •••• $31.50* *Plus applicable sales tax. Activation fee of $1.99 will be collected with all new subscriptions. Deactivation fees may apply for early cancellation. 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