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Pets of the Week, 11
"News from Next Door”
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2018
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SUBMITTED PHOTO
Bert Webb, a Hertford police officer, was sworn in last
week as the town’s new interim police chief.
New interim chief named
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Hertford has a new inter
im police chief.
Sgt. Bill Mitchell resigned
Wednesday, according to
Town Manager Brandon
Shoaf. Mitchell had been in
terim chief since November
when former chief Douglas
Freeman retired suddenly
for medical reasons.
The new interim chief
is Lt. Bert Webb. He was
sworn in the same day as
Mitchell stepped down,
Shoaf said. Shoaf said Mitch
ell didn’t say what he’d do
next. Mitchell could not be
reached for comment.
Webb has been with the
department since Septem
ber 2014 and rose through
the ranks. He also serves as
the training coordinator for
the department and is a cer
tified law enforcement in
structor. He has a degree in
Law Enforcement Technol ¬
ogy and holds an Advanced
Law Enforcement Certifica
tion.
“With his education and
experience, I think Bert is
very capable of carrying
the department through
this transition,” Shoaf said.
“He has the connections in
and around the law enforce
ment community to garner
assistance if needed.”
Applications for the Chief
of Police are being accepted
until May 23. The pay range
listed on the town web site
is $42,516 depending on the
candidate $62,923.
The police department
has come under fire often
from newly elected Town
Councilman Quentin Jack-
son. Jackson claims they
don’t follow proper proc^
dures and they are poorly
trained.
Jackson has had several
brushes with the law includ-
See CHIEF, 2
Early voting
winds down
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
As the deadline looms on the primary
election, some voters haven’t waited.
As of Monday at the close of business,
the Perquimans County Elections Office
said 180 voters had cast an early ballot.
Turnout is not expected to be high be
cause Democrats pretty much don’t have
decisions to make until November.
Early voting is still available until Sat
urday. The hours are 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. to
day and 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. Thursday and
Friday. The elections office on Edenton
Road Street will also be accepting voters
Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
The only local race that will be de
cided in May is for Perquimans County
School Board. But in that case, there are
three people running for three seats, so
unless there are a large number of write-
in ballots, they stand a good chance of
winning.
Running this year are incumbents
Anne White and Amy Spaugh and chal
lenger Matt Peeler. Peeler has served
on the Perquimans County Commission
before, but opted not to run again when
his term expired two years ago. This is
See VOTING, 2
Board to review
equestrian plan
From Staff Reports
The Perquimans County Planning
Board will review a proposal next week
to rezone property at Albemarle Planta
tion to allow an equestrian facility.
The meeting will take place Tuesday
at 7 p.m. in the commissioner’s meeting
room of the courthouse annex, 110 N.
Church St.
The Albemarle Plantation Property
Owners Association is requesting the
change.
The 31 acre site is presently zoned
RA-25. That allows both residential and
agricultural activities. The request is to
rezone it RA, which is a rural agricultural
classification.
Rhonda Money, Perquimans County
Planner, said both zoning categories al
low people to keep horses. The RA zon
ing would allow somebody to operate a
horse-related business on the site.
STAFF PHOTOS BY PETER WILLIAMS
Kalle White shades in a picture of a goose at a Perquimans Arts League event on Church
Street in Hertford Saturday. Below, a boy shoots a foam-tipped arrow in a game archery.
Riverbash called a success
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Organizers say the first ever
Riverbash festival was a suc
cess and hope to do it again
next year.
Sharon Smith, Perquimans
County’s tourism director,
called it “awesome.”
“I’m thrilled,” she said. “I
just love that everyone came
together and did their part to
make the whole shebang a
fantastic event for our whole
county.”
The weather — always an
unknown factor with outdoor
events — cooperated with
warm temperatures and clear
skies Friday and Saturday.
Smith said she was unsure
just how many people attend
ed, but estimated it at more
than 1,000. Only one of the
events, the Drink, Dine and
Dance Saturday was a ticketed
activity and it sold out.
Smith called it a template of
how the community can run a
festival.
“We have so many com
munity organizations that can
put a bunch of energy on their
own events. I thought how
about sharing that energy in a
See RIVERBASH, 2
Tony
Maine of
Belvidere
Alpaca
Farm LLC
holds two
of the
animals
Saturday
at
Riverbash
in Hertford
Board
reviews
hiring
process
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
The Town of Hertford
doesn’t need an outside
consultant to find a new
town manager, but council
members were warned the '
process won’t be fast and it
probably won’t be cheap.
Consultant Hartwell
Wright walked the council
through ways the process.
Given his experience they
should fully expect it could
be six months before a re
placement is found.
“It’s not going to be a 30-
day process,” Wright said. *
The going salary for a
town manager the size of
Hertford is between $85,000
and $95,000.
Time is an issue since
Town Manager Brandon
Shoaf announced he would
resign effective May 28 to
take ajob in Chowan Coun
ty.
The full five-member
board was only in the meet
ing for 30 minutes when
Councilman Quentin Jack-
son walked out and didn’t
come back.
“You have a good day Mr.
Mayor, but we’re not follow
ing procedures,” Jackson
said and then walked out.
It apparently was because
Mayor Horace Reid gaveled
Jackson to stop talking
when he went in a lengthy
discussion about the roles
of the council, the manager
and town employees. The
meeting went on for another
hour after Jackson left.
After Jackson left, Wright
continued his presentation.
Wright covers the state
working with the North
Carolina League of Mu-
See BOARD, 2
Carolina Moon play this weekend
From Staff Reports
What if your grandma
was running an under-
ground market for hand-
made naughty undergar
ments?
That’s what Bridget,
played by Hannah Cole,
finds out when she moves
in with her “Nana”, played
by Paula Saje, in Carolina
Moon Theater’s spring pro
duction “Nana’s Naughty
Knickers.” “It’s one of the
funniest shows we’ve ever
put on,” said Producer,
COLE NICHOLAS
SAJE
lina Moon,
including
several
backstage
‘hands’, we
could not
pull this off
successful
ly,” Nicholas
said. “I am
6
Schools To Perform Wizard Of Oz
89076
47144
2
Lynne Raymond. “Everyone
is so good in their roles. The
audience is going to love
it.”
Dana Nicholas is making
his directorial debut with
this play. He joined Caro
lina Moon in the fall of 2016
when he acted in “Anyone
Out There”.
“Technically this play
is quite a challenge and
without Steve Burket and
the whole crew of Caro-
looking forward to a fun
time for all.”
Tickets are still available
for all three nights, Friday
and Saturday at 7 p.m. and
Sunday at 4 p.m.
Tickets may be purchased
at Carolina Trophy at 109 N.
Church St, Hertford, or on-
line at www.CarolinaMoon-
Theater.org and available at
the door until sold out.
Sales are by cash and
check only.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Perquimans County students will be performing The Wizard of Oz this Thursday
and Friday at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium. Students from each school
were brought to the high school in the past few days to see the full performance.
Some of the funding came from the Albemarle Plantation Women’s Club and
Doug Markham.