QU I M ANS
EEKLY
“News from Next Door”
THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 2021 $1.00
S
QC
@ SCAN ME
PAGE A3
Brothers explores
legal response to
release of info
PAGE A2
Foundation
golf tournament
raises $11K for
schools
PAGE A7
Expecta
tions raised for
Perquimans High
football team
Report: Jackson should have been removed after guilty plea
Auditor also details $11K
in questionable spending
BY JULIAN EURE
AND REGGIE PONDER
Staff Writers
HERTFORD — Hertford
Town Councilor Quentin
Jackson should have been
removed from office after he
pleaded guilty to assaulting
another council member in
December 2019, a new report
by the state auditor says.
The report, released Tues
day and based on a special
investigation performed by
State Auditor Beth Wood’s
office, also details $11,671 in
question
able travel
and other
expenses
incurred
by Jack
son while
he was the
town coun
cil’s mayor
pro tern.
report also
states that the town “disre
garded the law and its attor
ney’s advice” when it overpaid
$25,749 for a street lighting
project, awarding the contract
to the highest bidder, referred
to in Wood’s report as Jack-
son’s “preferred vendor” for
tire project
ONLINE
To read State Auditor Beth
Wood’s full investigative report,
read the online version of this
story at wwwdailyadvance.com/
perquimans
Wood’s report doesn’t re
fer to Jackson specifically by
name; it refers to him through
out only as “the former mayor
pro tern.”
Jackson on Tuesday took
issue with the report and said
he would discuss his objec
tions in greater detail later in
the week.
“I dispute all of the find
ings,” Jackson said.
Wood’s report states Hert
ford didn’t follow its own
charter when it allowed
Jackson to remain in office
following his guilty plea to
assault Jackson, who struck
then-fellow Councilman Sid
Eley in the face following a
council meeting in October
2018, pleaded guilty to simple
assault and was sentenced to
serve 15 days in jail.
According to Wood’s re
port, North Carolina’s Consti
tution disqualifies “an elected
or appointed official ... from
holding office if they are not
qualified to vote because of a
felony conviction.” However,
Hertford’s charter is more re
strictive. It states “the mayor
of a member of the board of
commissioners ... convicted
of a crime while in office, shall
immediately forfeit his office.”
Because Jackson didn’t
forfeit his office following his
conviction, the town not only
allowed him to continue par
ticipating in its decision-mak
ing, it also ended up paying
$3,000 for his legal fees related
to the assault charge, Wood’s
report states.
Wood’s report recom
mends Hertford Town Coun
cil follow the town’s charter
and remove “the former may
or pro tern from office.” It fur
ther recommends the council
consider changing its charter
to comply with the state con
stitution.
In the town’s response to
Wood’s report, Mayor Earnell
Brown indicated the coun
cil wasn’t likely to follow the
state auditor’s recommenda
tion and remove Jackson.
“Although the majority of
the current Town Council
is resolute in its condemna
tion of (Jackson’s) behavior,
the current Town Council is
advised by its attorney that
the Town Charter’s provision
for immediate forfeiture of
office is unenforceable as it
runs counter to the forfeiture
requirements stated in the
North Carolina Constitution,”
See JACKSON, A6
Census:
County,
towns lose
population
Perquimans’ population fell
3.3% to 13,005 in 2020
BY PAUL NIELSEN
The Daily Advance
U.S. Census data released
last week show that while
North Carolina’s urban ar
eas grew in population over
the past decade, boosting
the state’s population to 10.4
million residents, a majority
of area counties, including
Perquimans, have lost pop
ulation.
Among area counties,
only Currituck and Camden
saw their populations grow
over the 10 years since 2010.
Perquimans, Chowan and
Pasquotank, meanwhile,
lost population over the
past decade.
Perquimans’ popula
tion dripped 3.3 percent to
13,005 people, according
to the Census. The coun
ty’s population in 2010 was
13,453.
The county’s two mu
nicipalities, Hertford and
Winfall, also lost population
over the past decade. Hert
ford’s population decreased
by 209 people, falling from
2,143 in 2010 to 1,934, a de
crease of 9.5 percent. Win
fall’s population fell by 39
people, decreasing from 594
to 555, a decrease of 6.5 per
cent.
“The Census numbers are
counter-intuitive and don’t
See CENSUS, A3
Rock Autism
REGGIE PONDER/THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Backwoods Co. performs during the Rock Autism Music Festival at the Crawfish Shack in Hertford, Saturday
afternoon. The event raised money for the N.C. Autism Society.
Festival brings together bands,
music lovers for good cause
BY REGGIE PONDER
Staff Writer
The North Carolina Rock Autism
Music Festival Saturday in Perqui
mans County raised money for the
N.C. Autism Society and gave fans of
Southern rock an opportunity to en
joy live music and sunshine in a fes
tive atmosphere.
Daniel Jordan and his wide DiAn
na started the festival in 2017. Their
own son is on the autism spectrum
and they wanted to do something to
benefit the N.C. Autism Society and
its work with people who experience
autism.
This year’s festival, held at the
Crawfish Shack, was the fourth. It
didn’t happen last year because of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Fans of live music were excited to
see the festival return this year.
Nicky Winslow of Belvidere was
epjoying his second time at the festi
val.
“The music is great,” Winslow said.
“They’re playing anything from Prince
to Lynyrd Skynyrd to Eric Church.”
'Ilie music leaned mostly toward
country, country rock and Southern
rock.
Robert “Rabbit” Stallings, also of
Belvidere, was listening to the music
See AUTISM, A2
Hertford
manager
Hurdle
to retire
Hurdle, manager since
2018, to step down Jan. 1
BY REGGIE PONDER
Staff Writer
HERTFORD — Hertford
Town Manager Pam Hurdle
has announced plans to re
tire effective Jan. 1,2022.
Hurdle, 59, said in an in ¬
ter v i e w
Thursday
that she has
enjoyed
working for
the town
of Hert
ford but
now looks
forward to
completing
her disser-
HURDLE
tation and earning a doctor
ate in public administration
from Capella University.
Although she has no im
mediate plans beyond her
studies and continuing her
involvement in church and
community activities, Hur
dle said she would like to
teach at the college level.
A Gates County native
who lives with her husband,
a fanner, in the Hurdletown
section of Perquimans Coun
ty, Hurdle joined the Hert
ford town staff in 1998 as
assistant to the town man
ager. She became interim
manager in May 2018 when
See HURDLE, A3
Rain holds off, Hertford holds first downtown Stroll
Showers canceled downtown
gathering in both June and July
BY REGGIE PONDER
Staff Writer
The rain stayed away long
enough to give residents a visi
tors an evening of summer fun at
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Vol. 87, No. 33
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Friday night’s Hertford Stroll in
downtown Hertford.
The event was slated for previ
ous Friday evenings in June and
July but both of those outings
were canceled or shortened by
rain showers.
It was hot Friday evening but
the weather remained clear.
And there were water hoses, a
dunking booth and bottles of cold
water to provide relief from the
heat.
Thomas Waller, owner of the
new shop Hertford Mercantile in
the downtown district, said he
was glad to see the Stroll finally
come to fruition.
“We’re finally getting to have a
full night so we’re excited,” said
Waller, who opened Hertford Mer
cantile about three months ago.
He said the event seemed to
generate a lot of excitement.
“The town is really coming to
gether,” he said.
A popcorn popper was turning
out fresh, hot popcorn in front
of the store, and inside Waller of
fered samples of some of the food
items he sells.
Waller explained that he is from
New Orleans and sells a number
of food products that reflect the
Big Easy heritage.
Waller said he came to Hertford
See STROLL, A3
REGGIE PONDER/THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Gina Durante bags hot popcorn as owner Thomas Waller shares a
laugh with a customer in front of Hertford Mercantile during Friday
evening’s Hertford Stroll.