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"News from Next Door"
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2017
OCT 2 5 RETO
50 cents
Friends remember fallen prison worker
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Friends, coworkers and members of
the prison community reached out this
week to pay their respects to a 50-wom-
an Belvidere woman who was killed in a
failed escape attempt at a state prison in
Pasquotank County.
Veronica Skinner Darden, 50, worked
at Pasquotank Correctional Institution
and was one of two who were killed.
Jackie Frierson remembered her as
“funny.” They were both members Bay
Branch A.M.E. Zion Church.
“She loved to laugh,” said Frierson.
She’d known Darden since she was a
child. They are both members of the usher
board at the church.
“What the usher board
does is we’re church of
ficers and when people
come into church, we give
them their programs and if
they need anything, like a
fan, we get it for them. We
DARDEN just take care of the con
gregation.”
Frierson said helping
others is what Darden liked to do.
“She was a hard worker. She got along
with everybody she’d meet. She was just a
good person.”
Frierson said Darden didn’t talk about
See DARDEN, 2
Four charged with murders at prison
From Staff Reports
Four prison inmates have
each been charged last week
with two counts of first-de
gree murder in the deaths
of two prison workers in a
failed escape attempt from
Pasquotank Correctional
Institution.
Wisezah Buckman, 29,
Mikel Brady, 28, Seth J.
Frasier, 33, and Johnathan
M. Monk, 30, have all been
charged in the deaths of
MONK BUCKMAN BRADY FRASIER
N.C. Correction Enterprises
Manager Veronica Darden
and Correctional Officer
Justin Smith in the inmates’
failed escape from the pris-
on on Oct. 12, law enforce
ment officials announced
today.
See ARRESTS, 2
Veterans to be
honored Nov. 11
■ Observation to be held at
Perquimans County Courthouse lawn
at the Veterans Monument beginning
at 11 a.m.
From Staff Reports
Hertford American Legion post 126
will hold their annual Perquimans Coun
ty Veterans Day Observance on Nov. 11,
on the Perquimans County Courthouse
lawn at the veterans Monument. The ob ¬
servance will begin at 11 a.m.
In case of inclement weather, the ob
servance will be moved to the County
Recreation Center off Harvey Point
Road.
Post Commander Ric Caporale said
this year’s observance will honor Per
quimans County Vietnam Veterans. It is
part of the nation’s 50th Anniversary of
the Vietnam War, which will continue
through Nov. 11,2025.
OBAMA
Former President
Barack Obama’s Proc
lamation, signed on
Memorial Day, May 25,
2012, launched the na
tion’s commemoration
of this anniversary.
“This 13-year pro
gram is to honor and
give thanks to a gen
eration of proud Ameri ¬
cans who saw our country through one
of the most challenging missions we
have ever faced,” Obama said.
The federal government has partnered
with local governments, private organi
zations and communities across Ameri ¬
PHOTO BY MATT LEICESTER
Two ladder trucks, one from Hertford and the other from Edenton, participate in an fire
exercise last week on Church Street.
ca to participate in the commemoration.
The Regional Director of Veterans, Jarvis
Abott, in Elizabeth City, has partnered
with Post 126 with the Commemorative
Partner program.
The program will recognize living U.S.
veterans who served during the Vietnam
War Era and provide them a memento, a
Vietnam Service Lapel pin.
Since last August, the Post has at
tempted to identify county Vietnam War
Era veterans. Perquimans County area
veterans were asked to contact Post 126,
at 426-1679 with their name, telephone
number, and address. Those veterans
are asked to attend the observance to get
recognized and receive their lapel pin.
“Any living veteran who served on ac
tive duty in the U.S. Armed Forces at any
time during the period of Nov. 1,1955 to
May 15, 1975, regardless of location, are
eligible to receive the lapel pin. You did
not have to physically serve in Vietnam,”
Caporale said.
See VETERANS, 7
Huge fire exercise held
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
More than 100 area emergency
responders converged on down-
town Hertford last week to simu
late what it would be like to fight
a mqjor fire at the very worst
time of day.
The event was held Thursday
evening, but in the scenario it
would have taken place ab ut 3
p.m. just about the time schools
were letting out and buses would
be running up and down Church
Street. To make matters more
complicated, in the drill court
would have been in session.
See FIRE, 2
PHOTO BY MATT LEICESTER
Jackson Woodell performs CPR on a dummy during last
week’s fire exercise.
Library
project
behind
schedule
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
The new Perquimans Coun
ty Library is behind schedule,
but the project manager said
it’s close to being finished.
Originally the county had
hoped to finish the project by
August, but weather caused
delays that were beyond the
control of the builder out of
Georgia, Aarene Contracting.
Joe Peterson, the Aarene
project manager on the Hert
ford project, said this week he
should have a better handle
on the status of the project
next week.
“I have 10 projects I’m
working on,” Peterson said.
“I’ll know more when I get
there next week.”
Peterson said the windows
in the library on Church Street
should be installed this week.
“We wanted to make sure
things were perfect,” Peterson
said.
It’s the first library project
Aarene has done as large as
the 14,700 square foot one in
Hertford.
Perquimans County Man
ager Frank Heath said he’s no
longer going to try and guess
when the library will be com
plete. He’s offered estimates
in the past, but the project still
has not met deadlines.
Aarene will face a $500 a
day penalty for being late. Just
when the damages start will
be based on the talks between
the county and the architect
on the project.
Tire contract on the project
was about $2.5 million.
The indoor environment
has to be stabilized before
indoor carpentry and cabi
net work could be started.
Even then, it will take more
time install all the electrical
and computer equipment and
more time to move all the
books from the old library on
See LIBRARY, 7
Schools foundation receives $40,000 grant
From Staff Reports
The Northern Albemarle
Community Foundation re
cently approved a $40,000
grant to the Perquimans
County Schools Foundation
for a “moving” classroom
through the HCWGMW Do
nor Advised Fund.
The grant project — Mov
ing Minds Through Physical
6 11 89076 47144
2
Movement and Activity —
will equip one classroom at
Hertford Grammar School
with the appropriate fitness
equipment for students to
use during the new teaching
and learning process. The
classroom and instruction
will be designed for student
engagement through move
ment. That should result in
improved attention, infor
mation storage, information
retrieval, enhanced coping
and a positive affect with
an end result of improved
academic success, school
officials say.
The Perquimans County
Schools Foundation will
collaborate with the Albe
marle YMCA to build an in
novative Kinesthetic Class
room. It will be housed in
third grade and will serve
32 students. The classroom
will be comprised of pedal
desks, strider desks, col
laborative standing desks
workstation, swing desks
and kneeling desks. The in
stallation of the equipment
should be complete in No
vember.
See FOUNDATION, 7
Belivdere Day
FILE PHOTO
Antique cars
will be just
one of the
attractions at
the fifth annual
Belvidere Day
this Saturday.
The event runs
from 8 a.m.
until 5 p.m.
and will feature
arts, crafts,
food and a
dunking booth.