QUIMANS "News from Next Door" THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2020 $1.00 & PAGE A3 Toys for Tots accepting applications for 2020 holiday PAGE A6 Pets available at Tri-County Animal Shelter PAGE Bl Agencies perform water incident training PQ Schools to Receive CARES Act Funds BY MILES LAYTON Editor North Carolina General Assem bly has allocated $500,000 from the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to area school systems. Allocation of the CARES Act funds are based on a school sys tem’s average daily enrollment. School system’s that will be receiving money include Bertie ($107,712), Camden ($97,08), Chowan ($99,645), Perquimans ($82,529), Three Rivers Academy ($3,961), Tyrrell ($34,028), Wash ington ($68,258) and The Pocosin Innovative Center ($7,059). “Perquimans is grateful for the funds received. Several ar eas have been identified where these funds will be extremely beneficial,” Superintendent Tanya Turner said. “These areas include transportation, child nutrition, and technology.” NC Representative Ed See FUNDS, A3 Internet Issues Delay Article Editor’s Note: Due to a freaking internet collapse at the worst possible point during the Perquimans Week ly’s Tuesday production cycle, Monday’s Town Council story will have to wait. Rest assured, there were some interesting matters discussed during the 4-hour meeting. Council dis cussed CARES Act funds dis bursements, the Tahoe, Toum Clerk’s position among other pressing matters. 5K Already Cast Ballot in District! BY PAUL NIELSEN For the Perquimans Weekly Even with in-person one- stop voting for the Nov. elec tion set to begin on Thursday, the number of voters in the re gion deciding to avoid the poll ing booth and instead mail in their ballot continues to grow. One-stop early voting starts today (Thursday) and ends Oct. 31 at the Perquimans Board of Elections office along with two other sites: New Hope Ruri- tan Building 2151 New Hope Rd. and the Bethel Ruritan Building, 392 Snug Harbor Rd. Please see Perquimans Board of Elections website for more detailed schedule. Worth noting, voters will not be required to show photo ID for elections held in 2020. Federal and state courts have temporarily blocked North Carolina’s voter photo ID requirement from taking ef fect until further order of the courts. So far, more than 5,000 vot ers in the 11 counties that make up N.C. State Senate District 1 have already cast a ballot for the general election. The 11 counties in the dis trict — Pasquotank, Currituck, Chowan, Camden, Perquim ans, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Tyrell and Washington — saw a 24-percent overall increase in absentee ballot re quests in the last two weeks. As of Oct. 8, 15,194 requests have been received in the 11 counties and 5,330 voters have already cast a ballot. The increase in mail-in bal loting, generally attributed to concerns about stopping the spread of COVID-19, is striking. When incumbent state Sen. Bob Steinburg, R-Chowan, was first elected to the Senate in 2018, a total of 1,279 voters cast absentee ballots. In the last presidential election in 2016 when District 1 encom passed just eight counties around 2,800 absentee ballots were cast. Statewide, 443,190 voters, or 6 percent of all registered voters, have already cast a bal lot in the Nov. 3 election. Nine percent of registered Dem ocrats (228,740) in the state have already voted compared to 3.55 percent of registered Republicans (77,423). Almost See BALLOT, A3 6 ■ 89076 47144 2 Vol. 86, No. 42 @2020 Perquimans Weekly All Rights Reserved Teaching The TEACHERS Above photo: Perquimans Beginning Teachers working hard at Teacher Talk to learn engagement strategies using Thinking Maps with Wayne Williams of NC New Teacher Support Program. Focused on supporting teachers in their first three years, NTSP provides a myriad of resources to help teachers grow as professionals. Left photo: It’s not all about chalkboards or dry erase boards, but computers these days. PHOTOS BY TANYA TURNER Judge Stumps for 1st Senate District Seat BY NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON For Perquimans Weekly EDENTON'— Tess Judge, the Dare Comity Democrat seeking the state Senate seat in the 1st District, believes education and health care will be important is sues for voters in next month’s election. The Kitty Hawk resident deliv ered that message during an out door meet-and-greet event with area Democrats at the home of Su san Inglis in Edenton on Sunday. It was Judge’s first campaign visit to the town her opponent in the Nov. 3 election, state Sen. Bob Steinburg, R-Chowan, calls home. Judge has been to Edenton many times, including to Inghs’ home, the Homestead, when it was owned by Susan’s mother, Frances Inglis. “Years back, Brent Milton, who was then director of Christ Church in Elizabeth City, and I came and met with Miss Frances in that room over there one after noon about Trinity Center,” Judge said, referring to the residential Episcopal summer camp. “We had the most wonderful conversation and honestly, I could have still been talking. She was absolutely just an incredible credible icon, and I know you all know that as well or better than I.” During her remarks to support ers, Judge said ensuring quality education is essential to children’s development. “You know, the first 2,000 days of a child’s life is the most import ant,” she said. “We need to make sure that we have the resources See JUDGE, A3 Round-up Holiday Island and Rotary BY MILES LAYTON Editor A round-up of all things Perquimans County... Sponsored by Historic Hertford and the Town of Hert ford, there will be a pumpkin painting contest among other activities between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Oct. 17 in downtown Hertford. Pumpkins and painting supplies will be available per person on a first-come first- serve basis for children or you may drop off your pumpkin on Saturday. Prizes will be given out to the winning artists from various age groups. View and vote on your favorite pumpkin for each age group at Perquimans Weekly and/or Historic Hertford’s Facebook page. Winners will be announced at 5 p.m. Oct. 30. Pumpkins will be on display between Oct. 17 and Oct. 31. Hertford Alive. Also, note the event also features Unique Catering by Jo Jo Parker, Keith Rouse Band, Perquimans Arts League chalk painting, tic tac toe pumpkin, etc will be part to the activities. The stores will be open. Soon-to-be former Perquim ans County Tourism Director Sharon Smith was hired recently as Special Projects Administrator at the Albemarle Commission. Last Wednesday, Oct. 7, Smith officially sub- See ROUND-UP, A3 NICOLE BOWMAN- LAYTON/ CHOWAN HERALD Tess Judge, Democratic candidate for state Senate in the 1st District (left), speaks to supporters during a meet-and- greet event at the home of Susan Inglis in Edenton, Sunday.