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Scholarship winners, 8-9
"News from Next Door"
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2019
75 cents
Superintendent to be sworn in Monday
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Perquimans will swear - in a new
school superintendent on Monday
at 4 p.m. in the multi-purpose room
at Perquimans Central School.
Tanya Turner, 49, will be re-
joining the Perquimans County
Schools staff after a 17-year stint
with Edenton-Chowan Schools
where she is assistant superinten
dent.
Tinner spent her first 10 years
in education in
the Perquimans
system, and still
lives in Perqui
mans.
When the po
sition opened
up, she said she
prayed about it,
and decided to
apply.
“This is not something I planned
and if I didn’t get it, and stayed in
Edenton I was perfectly happy
with that,” Turner said.
She credits Edenton-Chowan
Superintendent Rob Jackson for
encouraging her to pursue her
doctorate degree. She had been
delaying it.
“I was putting my son first, but
he’s about to graduate,” she said.
She’s enrolled in the program at
Wingate University.
While she was comfortable and
happy with her job in Chowan,
Perquimans offered something
special.
“It’s home,” she said. “I’ve never
left Perquimans County. It’s been
my home my entire life and I love
the county and I love the people.
I’ve never felt I lost the connection
there.”
She lives in the Beech Springs
community. She’s lived in her cur
rent house since 2008, but she’s
lived on the same street her entire
life.
She is the daughter of Wayne
and Delores Howell. Her father
was a fanner until he retired and
worked as a soil and water tech
nician in Washington County until
he retired from that job.
When it comes to her manage
ment style, Turner said she is not
a micromanager.
“I believe in the people I work
with and I put my trust in their
abilities to do the job. I feel I am
a collaborator. I see the strengths
in people and help them build on
them. I feel like I am positive. I
See TURNER, 2
‘FIDDLER’ production WRAPS UP
BY PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Dozens of students, in
cluding some who won’t be
in high school for five years
or so, put on a performance
of “Fiddler On The Roof’
earlier this month at Perqui
mans County High School.
It’s not the first time the
ater director Rachel Sand
ers has used younger ac
tors. In Wizard Of Oz it was
in part because some of the
roles involved very small
people, and students from
Perquimans Central School
fit the bill. This year, some
Hertford Grammar School
students took part and went
through auditions.
Sanders does see an ad
vantage in giving at least
some younger students a
glimpse of what it is like in
side of a high school theater
production early in life.
“Pm the only theater
teacher in the county,”
Sanders said. “Because I’m
the chorus teacher too, I
had students coming in as
freshmen who didn’t know
what a quarter note was.
“If given the opportunity
to be part of it at a young
age, they will know more
and have some experience
under their belt. I want to
give that enrichment to the
younger ones too.”
All the eighth graders at
Perquimans County Middle
School were also invited to
watch a pre-performance of
parts of the play.
The play was performed
for two nights and about 400
people attended.
Sanders said the play was
See FIDDLER, 5
PHOTOS BY ANNIE
BURGE
Top, Elias Holley
(left), Tabitha
Vanscoy, Aven Hatt
and Aly Vanscoy
balance bottles on
their heads during
a prorduction
of “Fiddler On
The Roof” at
Perquimans
County High
School earlier
this month. Right,
Garrett Wand
and Zak Lane
perform in the
PCHS production
of Fiddler On
The Roof. More
pictures will be in
the next edition of
The Perquimans
Weekly.
Early voting
ends Friday
From Staff Reports
Early voting for the primary election
! for the 3rd Congressional House seat
will run through Friday in Perquimans
County.
Perquimans Elections Director Holly
Hunter said the hours for early voting
are 8 am. until 5 p.m. Early voting takes
place at the elections office 601S. Eden
ton Road Street.
There are 26 candidates, including 17
Republicans, six Democrats, two Liber-
j tarians and one Constitution Party can
didate.
They are running to replace Walter
Jones in Congress. The Republican rep
resented the district from 1995 until his
I death on Feb. 10. The 76-year-old Jones,
; who was a Democrat before changing
| party affiliation prior to the 1994 elec
tion, earned a reputation as an indepen-
See ELECTION, 5
Kids festival
is Saturday
From Staff Reports
The 11th annual Week of the Young
Child Children’s Festival and Safe Kids
Day will be held Saturday at the Perqui
mans County Recreation Center from
10 am. to 2 p.m. The free event is open
I to all families, to celebrate young chil
dren and the joy of learning through
new experiences. Activities will be of
fered inside the gym and the surround
ing grounds. The event will be held rain
or shine.
The event has a local focus on pre
paring healthy children for Kindergar-
See FESTIVAL, 2
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Samantha Midgett (right) signs a soccer ball while
Megan Denson looks on this month during a
scholarship ceremony at Perquimans County High
School.
Students reap benefits of scholarships
BY PETER WILLIAMS
* News Editor
Some Perquimans Coun
ty High School seniors will
share some of the more
than $100,000 in scholar
ships given this year.
Four will share part of the
proceeds from a foundation
created to honor a student
who died in an accident in
2016. Madelyn Marie Byrum
would have been among the
graduating class of 2019.
“She was an amazing
young lady, an athlete, tre
mendous student, and had
a heart of gold and an infec
tious laugh,” said Brenda
Lassiter, the executive di
rector of the Perquimans
County Schools Founda
tion, which administers the
Byrum scholarship.
“One thing Madelyn
taught us was the impor
tance of giving back and
making a difference in
the lives of others.” At the
awards ceremony Lassiter
asked Byrum’s family, par
ents Matthew and Carrie
and brother Branson to
come up.
“Because Madelyn was an
avid soccer player and her
number was four — tonight
we will award four Madelyn
M. Byrum scholarships.
Each will receive $500 and a
plaque, naming them as this
year’s recipients. Then I am
going to ask the students to
sign this soccer ball for pre
sentation to Madelyn’s fam
ily to remind them of those
receiving the scholarship
during Madelyn’s senior
year.”
The winners were Me
gan Denson, Cayce Copley,
Sydni Shope and Samantha
Midgett.
The selection was based
on academics, a passion
for sports and the fact the
individual is noted for help
ing others at the high school
and in the community
throughout their tenure as a
student at Perquimans High
See STUDENTS, 2
Cyclists coming
this weekend
From Staff Reports
The 16th annual Cycle
North Carolina (CNC)
Coastal Ride will kick-off
Friday in Edenton. The 2019
participants represent 36
different states, the District
of Columbia and Canada
Cycling routes will pass
by and include attractions
such as the Sycamore Arabi
an Horse Farm, downtown
Hertford, Woodard’s Phar
macy, Rocky Hock Play-
See CYCLISTS, 2
PHOTO BY ROSE BURRAFATO
Sandy Stevenson speaks at a recent reception
for volunteers at the Newbold-White House.
Newbold-White House
needs volunteers
From Staff Reports
Volunteer options, includ
ing some that require just four
hours a month, are available
at The Newbold-White House
off Harvey Point Road.
A volunteer reception was
held recently and six new vol-
unteers were welcomed. The
Newbold-White House is the
oldest brick house in North
Carolina
If you like talking to people
and/or talking about history,
you could assist at the recep
tion desk/gift shop or become
a Docent. The visitor’s center
is open three days a week
from 10 am. until 4 p.m.
Another opportunity, espe
cially if you like antique fur-
See HOUSE, 5