THE
ERQUIMANS
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Perquimans
County Middle
School student
Caleb Copeland
won second
place in the
Superintendent’s
Christmas Card
Contest.
“News from Next Door” WEDNESDAY, DECE 'p^wans counit 1.00
State, local candida^ me tor office
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Legislators and local of
ficeholders took time to
sign the line when candi
date filing opened Monday.
State Sen. Bob Steinburg,
R-Chowan, and state Rep.
Ed Goodwin, R-Chowan,
filed for their second terms.
“It continues to be an
honor and a privilege to
represent northeastern
North Carolina in the larg
est legislative district in the
entire General Assembly,”
Steinburg said Monday af
ter he filed, joined by his
wife Marie. “The strong re
lationships I have within the
region and with leadership
in Raleigh has meant that
our voice is one that will be
heard and not denied or ig
nored when it comes to the
challenges facing a rural leg
islative district.”
Steinburg said he remains
strongly committed to serv
ing the region.
“I have the desire, ener
gy, drive and commitment
to continue representing
this region in a manner that
will ensure that the needs of
northeastern NC will not be
See CANDIDATES, A2
SUBMITTED PHOTO
NC Senator Bob
Steinburg, joined
by his wife Marie,
files for re-election
on Monday to
a second term
representing
District 1.
Commission
discusses
algae, audit
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Algae and an audit popu- 1
lated the Perquimans Coun
ty Commission’s Monday
agenda.
Earlier this year, high lev
els of toxins were discov
ered in algal blooms in Albe
marle Sound waterways.
That’s according to Leigh
Stevenson, an algal ecol
ogist and algal bloom re
sponse coordinator for the
Division of Water Resourc
es, a branch of the N.C. De
partment of Environmental
Quality.
During Stevenson’s
speech to the commission,
she said there were 18 con
firmed algal bloom sites in
the Sound and correspond
ing waterways that include
the Perquimans and Chow
an rivers.
When a bloom is discov
ered to pose a risk to the
community, the division
notifies the N.C. Depart
ment of Health and Human
Services and issues a news
release to media
The division has three
personnel assigned to per
forming monthly monitor
ing and tests for blue-green |
algae. The team is based in
Washington and is responsi
ble for testing in 21 counties
within the Albemarle Sound
region.
The two most common
toxins produced by cyano
bacteria are microcystins
and cylindrospermopsin
Kennedy Holt, chemical
risk assessor with the NC
Department of Health and
Human Services, said the
blooms can cause minor
skin irritations for people
who come in contact with
them. He said cyanobac
teria may also pack toxins
that can cause more serious
health issues for humans
and animals.
Holt said folks who eat
fish should not worry so
much about the fillets be
cause any toxins ingested
by the fish would be more
confined to the organs.
However, the inverse is true
with shellfish, so people
should exercise more cau
tion.
Brian Wrenn, ecosystems
branch supervisor in the Di
vision of Water Resources,
a branch of the DEQ, said
there is not one point-spe
cific source for algal
blooms, but there are many
causes and solutions to the
problem would not happen
overnight.
County Manager Frank
Heath said county has been
making a concerted effort
to monitor the matter and
See COMMISSION, A2
‘Tis THE Season’
Perquimans
kicks off
celebrations
Grand Illumniation Friday
Hertford and Winfall
parades Saturday
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Two parades and the
annual Grand Illumina
tion tradition light up the
beginning of the Christ
mas season in Perquimans
County.
Parades in Hertf ord and
Winfall are Saturday, but
if you want to get in the
Christmas spirit a day ear
lier, make plans to attend
the Grand Illumination
ceremony between 6 p.m.
and 7p.m. Friday at the
Perquimans Courthouse’s
lawn.
Left: Santa Claus will be making a stopover to talk
to kids as part of the Grand Illumination celebration
that takes place between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday
at the Perquimans County Courthouse. The event
features music and a tree lighting. Above: Last year,
these kids were most certainly on Santa’s “good” list.
Turner: Schools are good places to work
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Perquimans Schools Su
perintendent Tanya Turner
said the school system’s
employees are happy in the
workplace serving the stu
dents and the community.
To learn more about
some of those staff who
were recognized for their
achievements during the
Nov. 25 Perquimans Board
of Education meeting, see
pages A6-7.
During Turner’s report,
she presented a summary
of the 2019 Local Teacher
Working Conditions Sur ¬
Organized by Historic
Hertford Inc., the event
promises fun for everyone.
“The Grand Illumination
event is a family-friend
ly event for all ages. The
entertainment line up
includes pre-schoolers,
youth, teens, and adults,”
said Joyce Gurganus,
co-chairwoman of Grand
Illumination. “With so
many school age children
participating, it becomes
a happy, festive event for
participants and viewers.”
Co-chairwoman Nancy
Rich-Lodge added, “The
highlight of the evening
for us is watching the chil
dren interact with Santa.
The anticipation of seeing
See CELEBRATIONS, A3
vey. Soon after starting
as superintendent in May,
Turner began talking with
teachers, staff and admin
istrators to learn their opin
ions.
Among the many issues
surveyed included ques
tions concerning class size,
instructional time, student
discipline, leadership, in
structional resource ac
cessibility and community
support.
Turner concluded that
the school system’s metrics
met or exceeded state stan
dards - meaning the school
system is a good place to
work.
FILE PHOTOS
O’ Christmas tree, O’ Christmas tree! Last year’s tree
sets the standard for what is to come this season.
“Perquimans County
School employees are ded
icated to this county and
the students of our com
munity,” Turner said. “That
is what makes this such a
special place to live and
work. There is a true sense
of family that permeates
the school system making
it a great place to be. When
96.55% of your employees
say that this is a great place
to work, you know you
are in a great place!. I’m
so proud to serve the peo
ple of Perquimans County
schools!”
In other news, Rube
Blanchard, school system’s
chief financial officer, pro
vided an update regarding
the renewal of property
insurance coverage with
the NC Public School In
surance Fund. Rates will be
slightly increasing primari
ly due to the addition of the
new football stadium to the
coverage plan.
Also, Blanchard noted
that the system pays out
more than $162,000 annu
ally for students to have
Chromebook laptops. Ven
dor has asked for an addi
tional $3,000 to pay prop
erty taxes associated with
the laptops. Because the
laptops are leased, BOE
Scholarship
deadline is
Feb. 1, 2020
BY STAFF REPORTS
The Perquimans County
Schools Foundation an
nounces the availability of
the following scholarships
for high school seniors at
tending Perquimans High
School. Deadline to apply is
Feb. 1, 2020.
Bessie Smith Harrell
Scholarship
The Bessie Smith Har
rell Scholarship of $500 is
given in honor of Bessie
Smith Harrell, a native and
lifelong resident of Perqui
mans County, who passed
away in 2004. The intent of
the donor, David Jordan,
is that this award will en
courage studying basic or
applied fields of science by
students. Recipients are se
lected based on scholastic
achievement, community
service and character.
Rhonda Gregory Busi
ness Scholarship
This $1,000 scholarship is
a scholarship sponsored by
Danny and Rhonda Gregory
and is offered to a PCHS se
nior planning to attend Col
lege of the Albemarle and
entering the field of busi
ness. Recipients are select
ed based on financial need
and academic standards.
Bogue Scholarship
The Bogue Scholarship
of $2,500 is given by Mr. and
Mrs. William A. Bogue, Jr. in
memory of his mother and
father, Mr. and Mrs. William
A. Bogue, aunts Margaret
B. Butler and Edith B. Spiv
ey, and all the descendents
of the first William Bogue
of Perquimans who have
called Perquimans County
their home for more than
300 years.
Eugene Rountree, Sr.
Scholarship
This $500 scholarship in
memory of Eugene Roun
tree, Sr. is sponsored by the
Inter-County Department
Fire Department and is
available to a high school
student. Mr. Rountree was
a charter member and re
tired Fire Chief of the In
ter-County Volunteer Fire
See SCHOLARSHIP, A3
and Blanchard are going to
review the contract to learn
more about this charge.
In other matters, Dr. La-
tonia Johnson and Ashley
Waters - school district’s
mental health counselors
- provided a presentation
that concluded more atten
tion is needed to better pro
vide for students’ mental
health well-being.
Nearly 1 in 5 Tarheel
state students have a men
tal health and/or substance
use disorder; of those, 75%
will not receive treatment
in the current system,
See SCHOOLS, A3
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