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Veterans Day Special Section this week
“News from Next Door”
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2019
$1.00
Hertford winners: Voters sought transparency, integrity
Staff reports
The winners of mayoral
and council races in Hert
ford say voters sent a clear
message for change: Stop
disrespecting citizens, pro
vide more transparency
and integrity in local gov
ernment, and pursue more
progress for their town.
According to unofficial
totals, more than 55 percent
of registered voters in Hert
ford cast ballots in Tues
day’s’ (Nov. 5) municipal
election.
Mayor-elect Earnell
Brown and Councilors-elect
Jerry Mimlitsch and Robert
“Ashley” Hodges all said
they hope to start deliver
ing that change after being
sworn in next month.
Winfall Mayor Fred Yates,
meanwhile, announced that
the new four-year term he
won will be his last.
Yates, who defeated chal
lenger Preston White with
55.3 percent of the vote, said
his reelection shows Winfall
citizens wanted him to con
tinue his service as mayor, a
job he’s held since 1993.
“The people spoke,” he
said.
In Hertford, where Mayor
Horace Reid did not seek
re-election, there was go
ing to be a change at town
hall no matter who won the
mayor’s race.
Brown, who made lus-
toiy by becoming the first
woman to win a mayor’s
race in Hertford, believes
she was victorious because
of her message.
“I think the reason I won
is because of my slogan
(Unity in the Hertford com
munity), my- narrative and
how my belief was sincerely
presented to the citizens of
Hertford: Unity — we can
do this together,” she said.
Brown, who defeated
Quentin Jackson, a sitting
member of Town Council,
by garnering more than 60
percent of the vote, said
the election results show
citizens embraced change,
including in how their gov
ernment conducts business.
According to unofficial
results, Brown defeated
Quentin Jackson, a current
See ELECTION, A2
‘Hertford won’ says Mayor-elect
BY EARNELL BROWN
Mayor-elect of Hertford
I wish to thank the citi
zens of Hertford for show
ing up and showing out!
You exercised your civil
rights and used your voice
to bring a progressive
change to Hertford. I am
grateful for your support
and trust. I will work hard
and perform to the best of
my ability to maintain that
trust and do what is right for
every citizen.
I am excited and prayer-
BROWN
ful that as
an all-inclu
sive team we
can address
the issues
I heard in
every neigh
borhood as I
knocked on
doors, held
hands and
engaged in informative con
versations.
I am also confident that
our newly elected Town
See HERTFORD, A2
Beyond
the
Books
Page Turners and hotspots
BY MICHELE LAWRENCE
Perquimans Librarian
Isn’t it amazing how
quickly the year passes?
The holidays are already
upon us and
school is in
full swing.
Students
often de
pend on the
internet to
complete
schoolwork,
LAWRENCE but that can
be difficult
for some children due to
lack of access in our area
Thanks to a grant funded
by the Institute of Museum
and Library Services and ad
ministered by the State Li
brary of North Carolina, the
library is partnering with
Perquimans County Middle
School to offer hotspots for
students who are unable to
access the internet at home.
Interested students may
contact Cindy Phthisic,
Media Coordinator, at the
middle school for an appli
cation or call Perquimans
County Library for more in
formation. These hotspots
are also available for local
homeschooling families as
well.
November 14, from 5 -
7p.m., patrons can help
us celebrate American Li
braries Association Inter
national Games Week by
competing in a variety of
games, including video and
board games for children
and chess for children and
adults.
If you epjoy games, you
should also check out our
Gaming Club for ages 9 and
up on Mondays, Tuesdays,
and Thursdays from 4:30 to
6:30.
See BOOKS, A3
Perquimans Veterans Day observances
BY MILES LAYTON /STAFF WRITER
Patriots saluted the American flag during Perquimans County’s Veterans Day ceremony Monday by the county
courthouse in Hertford.
Perquimans observes Veterans Day
Heath speaks to national
values
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Hertford’s Veterans Day
celebration touched on
the values that define the
nation.
To see photos and a
video from Monday’s ob
servances, see the Perqui
mans Weekly’s Facebook
page. To read the full text
of County Manager Frank
Heath’s keynote speech,
see page A3.
Color Guard from Amer
ican Legion Post 126 of
Hertford posted the flags
that stand for freedom.
Veterans escorted by
members of Scout Troop
150 and Cub Scout Pack
150 planted flags from
various branches of the
military in the sidewalk
leading to the base of the
war memorial monument.
Perquimans High School
Marching Band, as direct
ed by Principal Wayne
Price, provided the patriot
ic music to set the tone.
Speeches were given by
distinguished local leader
ship from American Legion
posts 126 and 362.
“The heroism that has
been demonstrated time
and time again by veterans
from the American Revo
lution to the global War on
Terrorism is sometimes un
noticed by those of us who
eqjoy the security that this
sacrifice has provided,”
Rick Caporale, American
Legion Commander Post
126, chief petty officer, US
Navy, retired. “Can any
CEO or distinguished ivy
league graduate truly claim
to have more responsibili
ty than a 21-year-old squad
leader walking the point on
patrol in Afghanistan.”
Caporale said fewer
than 10 percent of Ameri
cans can claim the title of
veteran and far less than
one percent of our popula
tion is currently defending
us in the global War of Ter
rorism.
“And yet many seem too
intent trying to balance
the federal budget on the
quality of life programs
designed for the families
who have already dispro
portionately made these
sacrifices,” he said. “Veter
ans have given us freedom,
security and the greatest
nation on earth. It is impos
sible to put a price on that.
We must remember them.
We must appreciate them.”
American Legion Post
126 Vice Commander Mike
McKeon spoke on behalf
of POW/MIA service mem
bers. A POW/MIA chair is
placed at all American Le
gion meetings as a physical
symbol of the thousands of
Americans who are still un
accounted for from all the
wars and conflicts.
“We are compelled to
never forget that while we
enjoy our daily pleasures,
there are others who have
endured and may still be
enduring the agonies of
pain, deprivation and im
prisonment,” said McKe
on, who served in the U.S.
Navy.”
Perquimans County
Manager Frank Heath
gave the keynote speech in
front of the historic county
courthouse at the event.
Full speech can be found
on page A3.
“The liberties and values
See VETERANS, A3
Pirates
advance i
to playoffs
BY MILES LAYTON ;
Editor *-
Pirates’ football team has
scored a spot to play in the
NCHSAA Class 1A state
playoffs.
Perquimans is ranked No.
10 in the bracket. The Pi
rates will face No. 7-ranked
Washington County at
7:30 p.m. Friday in Plym
outh. The winner of the
game will go on to face No.
2 North Edgecombe, which
has a bye in the first round.
Last time the Pirates ad
vanced to the playoffs was
in 2016 where the home-
team fell to Northampton
County 58-48.
There is much buzz about
the town and county - opti
mism for the team’s chances
abound.
Team has been practicing
and is ready to “represent”
these hopes and dreams,
tame the Panthers.
“We are excited to have
the opportunity to continue
playing I have to give a lot of
credit to the other coaches
and all their efforts as well as
the players who have worked
very hard this year,” Pirates’
Coach Randy Awrey said.
Redistricting
changes may hit
close to home
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
RALEIGH - General As
sembly’s Joint Select Com
mittee on Congressional
Redistricting met Tuesday
to discuss various versions
of draft maps.
Lawmakers have to fit
the entire North Carolina
population of nearly 10.4
million people into 13 equal
districts.
See REDISTRICTING, A6
Shoppers welcome new Dollar General
BY PAM HADDEN
For the Perquimans Weekly
Though it was a bit cold at
a brisk 37 degrees Saturday
morning, folks were bun
dled up and waiting in line
for the new Dollar General
to open on Holiday Lane.
The store’s employees
had smiles on their faces
as they lined up behind
the yellow ribbon that was
stretched across the front
door for the grand opening.
Soon after the store’s
Manager Maria Madonia cut
the ribbon at exactly 8 a.m.,
people started flowing into
the store from Holiday Is
land, Albemarle Plantation,
several from Holiday Lane,
Harvey Point Road and
Snug Harbor.
Within 10 minutes, Greg
Heacox, Dollar General dis
trict manager, handed out
$10 gift cards to more than
50 people. Over 200 shop
ping bags and plastic cups
were distributed along with
free cupcakes.
Heacox said the 80-year-
old national chain employs
more than 130,000 people,
has nearly 16,000 stores
and opens 1,000 more each
year. Nearby in Chowan
County, a Dollar General is
under construction by NC
32 by Tyner and another is
planned along U.S. 64 in Co
lumbia in 2020.
Dollar General has grown
to become one of the most
profitable stores in the rural
United States with revenue
reaching around $21 billion
in 2017, according to the
Wall Street Journal.
Holiday Lane’s store has
eight employees. Store fea
tures pickup/drop-off for
Western Union and FedX.
More grocery selections will
be arriving soon.
Dollars General’s motto
is “Serving Others” so the
store will be raising money
for St. Jude Children’s Re
search Hospital and have a
Toys for Tots drop-off.
Staff 'writer Mites Lay-
ton can be reached at mlay-
ton@ncweeklies. com
PHOTO BY PAM HADDEN
Dozens of customers lined up Saturday morning for the
Dollar General store’s grand opening for its new location
at Holiday Lane:
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