QUIMANS EEKLY "News from Next Door” THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2020 $1.00 * ^ THIS WEEK IN NC HISTORY On July 25,1960, Greensboro lunch count ers opened to sitting customers of all races for the first time. — B3 COMMUNITY Hertford Grammar School’s Ross connects with students — Bl Confederate Monument’s Future Discussed BY MILES LAYTON Editor Perquimans County Commis sion began a discussion about the future of the Confederate monu ment located by the county court- house. Monday’s work session did not decide the fate of the monument, but revealed what commissioners are thinking as other monuments are moved or dismantled across the nation. A few key takeaways - the county has not spent any money for maintenance of the Confeder ¬ ate monument that was dedicated 106 years ago in 1913 by Hertford’s chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy on the court- house green. County has mowed the grass and paid $1,500 for a brick walkway by the monument that connects it with the other monuments in front of the court- house. Though the 110-year old mon ument dedicated in 1910 to Afri can-American Union troops is on private property located at the corner of Hyde and King streets, the county is pursuing a $60,000 grant to pay for necessary repairs among other things associated with Hertford’s Civil War heritage. More about this monument to African-American troops appears in a column written by Joseph Hoffler within the Perquimans Weekly’s opinion page on A4. A 2015 law passed by state law makers prohibited the removal of “objects of remembrance” like Confederate monuments from public property without state ap proval. The law, however, includ ed several exceptions, one allow ing removal if the monument has become a “threat to public safety because of an unsafe or danger ¬ ous condition.” Recently, Hertford Town Coun cil requested the Town Manager to draft a letter to the County re questing removal of the Confed erate monument from the Court house grounds by a vote of 4-1. Council will probably vote on the actual letter content during its for mal session in August. Pasquotank County is making plans to Confederate monument from the courthouse square, using the “public safety” exception in state law allowing its removal. Recently, Pasquotank’s Board of Commissioners voted 4-3 to move the monument and have the board’s Special Projects Com mittee determine where it will go. That board is expected to meet next month. Hoffer said the Confederate monument symbolizes slavery and should be moved off public property. He spoke of the evils of slavery and how the monument represents repression to Black people. Commissioner Charles Wood ard made an impassioned speech about history and suggested that See MONUMENT, A3 Steinburg meets President Trump BY MILES LAYTON Editor Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-parPstory about NC Senator Bob Steinburg’s visit last week with President Donald Trump. A once in a lifetime ex ¬ perience, NC Senator Bob Steinburg, R-Chowan, talked STEINBURG to President Trump in person last Thursday in the Oval Of fice. Steinburg and six other leading mem bers of the A crane prepares to drive a test piling at the future site of the new Hertford S-Bridge. GOP delega ¬ tion from the General Assembly, including Senate President Pro Tern Phil Berger were in Washington, DC, to attend a speech about the high costs of government red tape given by Trump. Earlier in the day, Sen. Berg er participated in a roundtable discussion on deregulation with leaders from other states and senior White House offi cials, including EPA Admin istrator Andrew Wheeler and Director of the National Eco nomic Council Larry Kudlow. Trump’s Rose Garden speech addressed the need to lift the regulatory burdens holding back job and income growth. That speech was giv en during a day that was ex ceedingly hot with tempera tures soaring into the 90s. Steinburg recalled a bit of humor when Trump joked about his hair. “’You know how important water is,’ the President said. ‘You know water is very im portant to me. It’s very import ant for people to go to clean up. He said you got to wash your hair and you know how important that is with me in particular and how I am about my hair.’ And of course that got a big laugh.” Steinburg said after the See STEINBURG, A2 89076 47144 Vol. 86, No. 30 @2020 Perquimans Weekly All Rights Reserved S-Bridge Closes for Repairs BY MILES LAYTON Editor The NC Department of Transportation closed the S-Bridge causeway Monday to all traffic, but it may re open later this week. Tim Hass, DOT commu nications officer Division 1, said the closure was un planned. He said the deci sion to close the causeway to traffic was made Monday based upon the discovery of two holes in the asphalt. In spection revealed a void un der the asphalt. Hass said DOT crews per formed excavation along the causeway Tuesday morning in an effort to determine the exact scope of work. “They plan to under- See S-BRIDGE, A3 PHOTO BY SARA WINSLOW A recent photo shows the ongoing work to replace the S-Bridge. Round-up Dogs and Eggs BY MILES LAYTON Editor A round-up of all things Perquim- ansCounty... Elora and Brett Hutchins of Hertford are raising Boykin Spaniels -11 puppies - who will start going to their future home Aug. 1. Nicknamed “swamp poodles,” these dogs are bred for hunting wild turkeys and ducks. According to wikipedia, this spaniel is a friendly, social dog that is con sidered a good family pet It is easily trained and eager to work. It is good with, and extremely stable around chil dren and other dogs. They can some times be described as energetic with great endurance. They are extremely adaptable to different environments as long as they are given ample opportu nity for social interaction and plenty of time to bum off excess energy reserves. They are not easily angered and tend to be eager to please and friendly, but they love attention. Noted author Patricia Throckmor ton found abig snake trying to beat the heat last week in her bam. Who can blame the critter that looked to be about five feet long, maybe a couple of inches or so wide. Civil Rights Leader John Lewis died July 17. See page Bl to learn more about Lewis’ life. During one of Coun cilman Quentin Jackson's taxpayer funded trips, costing thousands of dollars, to attend various conferences across the country last year, he had a brush with greatness when he took a selfie that featured him alongside Lewis, who served in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia’s 5th congressional district from 1987 until Iris death. Worth noting, Jackson represents North Carolina as a Regional Director (Region 18) of the National Black Cau cus of Local Elected Officials. The NBC-LEO is a network and caucus within tire National League of Cities that represents the interests of African American local elected officials, Only two other North Carolinians, past See LAYTON,A3 Out-Of-State Donors Pump Funds into NC House Race BY MILES LAYTON Editor Campaign finance reports for the second quarter reveal that mostly out of state donors have contributed to Democrat Emily Nicholson’s campaign to unseat NC House District 1 Ed Good- win, R-Chowan. 2 In Nicholson’s first bid for elective office, she raised $128,695 between February and June with the vast bulk of those funds coming from donors living in places between Cali fornia to Virgin ia, according to her latest cam paign finance report filed July 10 with the NC GOODWIN NICHOLSON ter. Overall, Nicholson has raised $136,149. Donors con tributed $8,600 to Goodwin’s re-election the second quar ter with most of those funds Board of Elec tions. Nicholson reported $7,454 donations during the first quar- coming from local contributors. Goodwin raised $14,622 during the first quarter an overall, has raised $22,822. A former educator and mother of three young daughters, Nich olson, 32, works for NC Com merce Department Workforce Development office for north- eastern NC. She is the daughter of Richard and Jean Bunch of Tyner. Listed as the campaign’s treasurer, Richard Bunch for merly worked as executive di rector of the Edenton-Chowan See HOUSE, A3

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