P9/C9******CAR-RT LOT**R 008 A0005
J' | 'H | iihqii n hiiniiiH| I ||i 11|| i |lll i 1 | l | l | l ||| l(|H ^
PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
514 S CHURCH ST
HERTFORD NC 27944-1225
Church fire ruled to be arson, Bl
"News from Next Door”
THUKSUAY, IVIMI 415, ^^
$1.00
LIBRARY
Perquimans Library had new books to
check out — A2
FARMING
Strawberry field offers pick-and-pay
experience — A6
SCHOOLS
School fund named after retired
educator — Bl
FRONT PAGE
See what was going on in 1965 — B4
Charter School Takes Shape in PQ County
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Elaine Riddick Chatter School
is poised to open its doors for the
first time in the fall. The school
seeks students grades K-3 to en
roll at the new school located at
1054 Harvey Point Road.
School leaders met recently
with the State Board of Education
Charter School Advisory Commit
tee to discuss their plans. Com
mittee told school administrators
to return in June to provide an
update on progress as to meeting
enrollment goals, hiring a teaching
staff and completing other press
ing issues related to the facility’s
needs that demand attention be
fore any school bells can ring in
the fall.
According to the charter
school’s web site, the school is
a North Carolina State Board of
Education approved, tuition free,
public charter school scheduled
to open in August 2020.
Located on five acres of land,
the 22,500 square foot facility will
need upgrades associated with ed
ucation needs, zoning approvals
and a certificate of occupancy so
as to accommodate a school, ac
cording to documents obtained by
the Perquimans Weekly.
A design firm has been hired to
facilitate obtaining an education
al certificate of occupancy which
the school hopes to obtain by July
1. A contingency facility is located
at 1132 Don Juan Road, Hertford.
School leaders said more than
20 applications have been distrib
uted so far toward reaching the
school’s enrollment goal of 120
students. Recruitment has been
adversely affected by COVID-19
state of emergency, but school
leaders plan to pursue an aggres
sive marketing and outreach strat
egy to attract students.
School’s enrollment may affect
the county school’s finances be
cause if a student, who lives in
and remains residing in Perquim
ans county, transfers to a charter
school, the comity school system
will have to send a calculated
amount of local funds to the char
ter school - a reduction that di
rectly impacts the county school’s
system’s tight finances.
Local funds follow the student
only if they remain a resident of
the comity, and attend a charter
school. State funding is based
on Average Daily Membership
See SCHOOL, A3
Demands
ofMeat
Rises In
Pademic
BY GINGER LIVINGSTON
For the Perquimans Weekly
Disruptions due to COVID-19
outbreaks at large meatpacking
facilities is increasing demand
for smaller outfits in eastern
North Carolina, but local suppli
ers say they are limited by pro
duction capacity, storage and
the time it takes to their raise
animals.
Consumers started worrying
• about the meat they normally
purchase from supermarkets
as the pandemic spread. Begin
ning in April, traditional meat
producers were faced with eu
thanizing millions of pigs and
chickens because of outbreaks
among processing plant work
ers. While President Trump
signed an order under the De
fense Production Act that kept
processors open, staffing re
mains down because employ
ees are out sick.
There also are safety worries
because of reports that some
sick workers are still on the job.
The concerns have increased
business for suppliers like
Nooherooka Natural, a family
owned and operated farm in
Green County that raises and
sells beef and heritages pigs.
“We have new customers and
om older customers are buying
much more than they did be
fore,” owner Mary Betty Kear- j
ney said. The farm raises the an
imals and works with Piedmont
Custom Meats to process the
meat. Nooherooka markets and
sells the meets at its location,
online and at farmers markets.
“We’ve been in business 18
years. We’ve renewed a lot of |
people who purchased from
us erratically years ago or who
moved. It’s only recently that
we’ve gotten new customers,”
Kearny said. Along with con
cerns about the supermarket
meat supply, Kearny attributes
the uptick in business to the
farm’s increasing social media
presence which includes post
ing recipes.
“What we try to offer is a pack
like the family pack because
the meat goes a lot further and
feeds a lot more,” she said. “You
learn to prepare different ways,
the different cuts of meat.
“People were not buying the
high end as much as the staples,
like ground beef,” she said.
People don’t have to hord |
meat or make dietary changes,
See MEAT, A3
6
89076 47144
2
Vol. 86, No. 22
@2020 Perquimans Weekly
All Rights Reserved
Honoring the Fallen
BY KEN ROMINGER
American Legion/Patriot
Despite wet weather and
some rain showers Monday,
through the efforts of 27
American Legion members,
Hertford Rotary Club mem
bers and other individual vol
unteers, some 771 flags were
placed at veterans graves
throughout Perquimans Coun
ty on Memorial Day.
This included two Town
of Hertford cemeteries; 11
church cemeteries; 10 private
family cemeteries; and four
veterans monuments.
Wreaths for Perquimans
County, the towns of Hertford
and Winfall, Hertford Ameri
can Legion Auxiliary Unit 126;
and Hertford American Legion
Posts 126 and 362, U.S. Ser
vice Flags and the Merchant
Marine Flag were placed at
our County War Monument by
members of Post 126.
Post 126 Commander Rick
Caporale and past post 126
commander and past NC De
partment of North Carolina
Vice Commander Ken Rom-
inger concluded the day’s
observance as the Nation ob
served their remembrance
with Perquimans County High
School band member Nicholas
Harris presenting taps at the
monument.
A quick anecdote about
See FALLEN, A2
ARHS Provides Update on Case Counts
BY STAFF REPORTS
ELIZABETH CITY - Albe
marle Regional Health Ser
vices (ARHS) has provided
updated data of lab confirmed
positive COVID-19 cases.
As of press time, this case
counts represent actual real
time cases across the ARHS
region:
■ Pasquotank County - 96
lab confirmed cases — 29
active, 58 recovered, and 9
deaths
■ Perquimans County - 23
lab confirmed cases - 8 active,
13 recovered, and 2 deaths
■ Camden County - 3 lab
PHOTOS BY KATRINA LEARY MANN
American Legion Post 126 Commander Rick Caporale (left) and
past post 126 commander and past NC Department of North
Carolina Vice Commander Ken Rominger (right) paid tribute to
the nation’s fallen on Memorial Day. Perquimans County High
School band member Nicholas Harris performed Taps at the
monument by the courthouse.
confirmed cases - 1 active and
2 recovered
■ Chowan County - 15 lab
confirmed cases — 3 active
and 12 recovered
■ Currituck County - 11 lab
confirmed cases — 0 active
and 11 recovered
■ Bertie County - 115 lab
confirmed cases — 27 active,
84 recovered, and 4 deaths
■ Gates County - 23 lab
confirmed cases — 12 active,
10 recovered, and 1 death
■ Hertford County - 72 lab
confirmed cases — 28 active,
43 recovered, and 1 death
Lab confirmed positive cas
es of COVID-19 continue to
To quote Lee
Greenwood’s song
God Bless the USA,
"I ’m proud to be an
American
Where at least I
know I’m free
And I won’t forget
the men who died
Who gave that right
to me
And I'd gladly stand
up next to you
And defend Her still
today
Cause there ain’t no
doubt
I love this land
God Bless the U.S.A."
be fluid across the region, as
ARHS continues to monitor
community spread and out
breaks at congregate living
facilities. It is important to
recognize the impact of such
events as the region continues
to navigate this pandemic re
sponse.
Last Friday, Phase 2 lifted
the “Stay At Home” order mov
ing into a “Safer At Home” rec
ommendation, especially for
people at high risk for serious
illness.
Phase 2 restrictions include:
■ Mass gathering will be no
more than 10 people indoors
or 25 people outdoors in most
Round-up
Soldier’s
1st Salute
& Fire Ants
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
A round-up of all things
Perquimans County...
Robert Beauchamp
Jr: was commissioned as a Sec
ond Lieutenant for the Army in
mid May at Holy Trinity Episco
pal Church. Col. William Hor
ton of Hertford, retired US Air
Force, administered the oath
for commissioning ceremony.
Robert will be the 4th gener
ation to serve in the US Army
and is 3rd generation Airborne.
Indeed, Beauchamp’s first
salute was to his father.
“I’m quite proud to be joining
the military as it is a family
profession and something I’ve
wanted to do for a very long
time,” he said.
Speaking of church, New
Hope United Methodist
Church is hosting a Drive-In/
Outdoor Singspiration Service
featuring Chris Gibbs, to be
held Sunday, June 7, beginning
at 6 p.m. Chris and his wife
Jackie, come to us all the way
from Engelhard. Chris will
touch you with his witness and
his Southern Gospel music.
Stay in your car, or bring a
chair and grab a spot in the
shade. Church’s address is 2098
New Hope Road, we are at the
intersection of Woodville Road
and New Hope Road, across
from the Durant’s Neck Fire
Department. Come on out for
an evening of good old fashion
singing, and community fellow
ship. Your friends will be here.
Congratulations to Perqui
mans Middle School studetns
Kendra Graham and Will
Rucker for winning the Hert
ford Rotary Club’s Essay
Contest! Kendra earned the first
place award, and Will earned
the second place award. Both of
them read their essays to over
See LAYTON, A2
circumstances. These limits
apply to the following: event
■venues; conference centers;
stadiums and sports arenas;
amphitheaters; and groups at
parks or beaches.
■ Some businesses will re
main closed including: bars;
night clubs; gyms and indoor
fitness facilities; indoor enter
tainment venues such as mov
ie theaters, and bowling alleys.
■ Certain businesses will be
open at limited capacity with
other requirements and recom
mendations including: restau
rants at 50% dine-in capaci-
See CASE, A2