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“News from Next Door”
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2021 $1.50
@ SCAN ME
PAGE A2
Goodwin plans
to run in new First
House District
PAGE A6
Orr: Being
thankful for
those who
brought food
into my life
PAGE A6
White sworn
in as member of
NCSBA board
Grand Illumination returns Dec. 3
Live entertainment, visits
with Santa Claus featured
From staff reports
Downtown Hertford’s
Grand Illumination is back
this year.
The event will be held Fri
day, Dec. 3, at 6 p.m. in front
of the Perquimans County
Courthouse.
This marquee Christmas
holiday event in Hertford is
centered around the illumi ¬
nation of downtown Hert
ford and includes Christmas
lights, live entertainment
and visits with Santa.
For Stacey Layden, Per
quimans County’s tourism
director, the Grand Illumi
nation has a special place in
her heart because of what it
has meant in her own family.
“When our twin daugh
ters were 6 years old, they
began to have doubts about
Santa Claus,” Layden said
in a press release about the
event. “That was, until they
met Santa at Hertford’s
Grand Illumination.
“When they recognized
him from a previous Christ
mas event, they asked,
‘Could this be the real San
ta?’” she continued. “When it
was her turn to present her
requests, our boldest child
asked straightforwardly, ‘If
you really are Santa, do you
know where I live?’ He (San
ta) looked her straight in the
eyes and said, ‘I sure do. You
live in Belvidere right next to
your Nani and Grandaddy.’
“The mixture of shock
and delight on her face was
a memory that I will never
forget,” Layden said.
Layden said memories
like that one - are a big rea
son her family continues to
be involved in community
activities such as the Grand
Illumination.
Layden said the event
“marks the beginning of the
Christmas season with all of
our holiday favorites: lights,
See ILLUMINATION, A6
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Nelson,
Lennon
to seek
re-election
Filing period for March 8
primary opens Dec. 6
From staff reports
Two incumbent county
commissioners say they
plan to file for re-election to
new terms when the filing
period for the March prima
ry opens Dec. 6.
Both Wallace Nelson, the
Republican board chair
man, and Alan Lennon, the
first registered Libertarian
ever elected to county office
in Perquimans, say they’ll
run for new four-year terms.
“I eqjoy serving the coun
ty and its citizens,” Lennon
said. “I am excited that we
will hopefully have an ap
proved state budget with
money earmarked for our
county.”
Shortly after Lennon was
interviewed Gov. Roy Coo
per did in fact sign the two-
year state budget into law
which includes an addition
al $4 million to complete the
inland basin at the Perquim
ans County Marine Industri
al Park.
Also up for election in
the March 8 election is the
commission seat held by
Democrat Fondella Leigh.
She could not be reached
for comment for this story.
Three seats on the Per
quimans County Board of
Education held by Matt
Peeler, Amy Spaugh and
Anne White are also up for
election in March. They
also couldn’t be reached for
See FILING, A3
Spreading thankfulness
REGGIE PONDER/THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volunteer Trip Cofield collects a turkey and other food items from a donor at Hertford United Methodist
Church Friday morning as part of the annual Turkey Drop project. Thanks to donors, the Open Door Food
Pantry of Perquimans County was able to provide Thanksgiving meals to 125 local families through the
Turkey Drop this year.
Turkey Drop helps feed 125 families
Open Door Food Pantry coordinates Thanksgiving meal
BY REGGIE PONDER
Staff Writer
Tins past weekend’s annual Turkey Drop allowed the
Open Door Food Pantry of Perquimans County to pro
vide Thanksgiving meals to 125 families in the county
this year.
The number is a decrease from previous years. The
Turkey Drop effort served 335 families in 2019 and 225
last year.
Rosemary Smith, executive director of the food pan
try, attributed most of last year’s decline in the number
of families to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While COVID continues to be a factor this year, many
area families have been able to receive significant in
creases in federal food stamp benefits.
See TURKEY, A3
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Some of the donated food items used by the Open
Door Food Pantry of Perquimans County to assemble
Thanksgiving meal boxes are shown at Hertford
Dominion seeking to
raise rate $6 month
Energy provider cites high fuel
costs for $72 annual increase
BY REGGIE PONDER
Staff Writer
Citing increased fuel costs, Do
minion North Carolina Power has
Vol. 87, No. 47
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All Rights Reserved
applied for a rate increase that
would add about $6 a month to the
electric bill of an average residential
customer in northeastern North
Carolina.
If approved by the N.C. Utilities
Commission the new rate will take
effect Feb. 1,2022.
The rate hike requested by Do
minion would add $6.09 to the
monthly bill of a residential custom
er who uses 1,000 kilowatt hours of
electricity. Average residential elec
tric usage in North Carolina is 1,077
kWh per month.
A spokeswoman for Dominion
See RATE, A3
County to
get $4M
to finish
boat basin
Perquimans officials: Park
‘game changer’ for county
BY REGGIE PONDER
Staff Writer
Perquimans County’s plan
to grow local jobs at a ma
rine-based commerce park
is poised to benefit from an
additional $4 million in state
funding.
Officials say the infusion
of the addi
tional fund
ing into the
Perquimans
County Ma
rine Indus
trial Park,
thanks to
the newly
approved HEATH
state bud
get, is
expected to get the county
across the goal line construct
ing an inland basin at the site.
“We have worked hard to
advocate for this money with
the General Assembly and we
expect it to be a game-chang
er for economic development
in Perquimans County,” said
County Manager Frank Heath.
Heath said he appreci
ates the efforts of state Sen.
Bob Steinburg, R-Chowan,
and state Rep. Ed Goodwin,
R-Chowan, to secure funding
for the project
East Coast Steel Fabrica
tors Inc. already is adding
about 50 jobs at the park.
The construction of the basin
will enable larger companies
to locate at the park and the
See PARK, A3
Thach signs to play baseball at UNC-W
Left-hander named MVP of
2021 championship series
From staff reports
A Perquimans County High
School baseball player integral to
the Pirates’ run to the state cham
pionship this summer has signed
to continue his baseball career at
the college level.
Tanner Thach held a signing
ceremony Tuesday evening in
the PCHS gymnasium commons
to announce his commitment
to play baseball next fall for the
University of North Carolina at
Wilmington.
See THACH, A2
CHRIS DAY/THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
With his mother Kristie Thach (left) and father Richard Thach
(right) looking on, Tanner Thach signs a commitment letter to the
University of North Carolina at Wilmington baseball team Tuesday
evening at Perquimans County High School.