Dr. Priddy Explains School Plans

Dr. Michael Priddy, interim Superintendent of Bertie County Schools was the speaker at today's Windsor Rotary luncheon. Dr. Priddy was very open about the problems the schools face, and the expectations for the short tenure that he is scheduled to fill. 5 months is not a long time to fix a system that has been deteriorating as long as ours has.

However the attitude he displayed gives great encouragement that he will be doing the things that are important for this short period. The single most impressive comment was when he said that he was focusing on making the system more attractive for the Board of Education to find a good candidate for the permanent position.



Ned Heckstall, President of the Windsor Rotary, presents Dr. Priddy with the traditional cobalt blue coffee mug as a thank you for his presentation.

Bertie County Hears About OLF Plans

With the recent report that the Navy still prefers the Washington County site that has stirred so much local opposition, the Navy has embarked on a public meeting campaign. The Navy wishes to renew the discussion about which of the five sites should be the location for the new OLF, assuming one is built. You can catch up on some of the controversy by reading the article from the News Herald linked from our earlier article here.

Many rumors abound about the status and the ongoing controversy. One of the more ridiculous rumors is the one that claims that the Navy is planning to poison the people in the area of the new OLF. This is based on the Navy listing all of the EPA substances that are legal to use in any of various circumstances for bird control. One of these, Avitrol, is used to run off certain species of birds. There is some mortality associated with the chemical, but it is not primarily used as a poison. It is used for its effect in causing birds to emit calls of distress to frighten the other birds away. There are no plans to use it for the OLF.




Avitrol has not been used in NC at airports, and as noted above it is not the plan to do so, but under certain circumstances might be. The dire consequences predicted by opponents of the OLF are based on claims that it will be used. Even more they claim it will be used illegally and in a manner intended to harm humans. The basis for these claims is not explained. These predictions are of course merely scare tactics used by those who already disprove of the OLF, especially in the area where the people making the claim live. Other information about this chemical can be obtained at the following web site:
http://www.avitrol.com/GrainFAQ/index.php





Mayor Bob Spivey and Development Manager Steve Biggs are two of the people who made public comments at the hearing on this night. Their thoughts seem consistent with the concerns of many. Though they do not want the OLF in Bertie County, they also want to make sure that the military is able to train for the purpose of protecting the nation. That in fact is the position of many who were present.




However others are simply opposed to our military and are not shy in attacking them as wrong, no matter what they propose.




Another basis for opposition is the feeling that building the OLF here in our area is simply intended to dump the noise and aggravation here but remain close enough so that Oceana can remain in Virginia. To many in our area that premise is unacceptable.




This hearing is one of many being held. The Navy is holding one in each of the locations where a site is under consideration even when the Navy itself does not think the site is a good one. The final two will be in Beaufort and Washington Counties near the location favored by the Navy.





As I have noted before, there is a major factor called NIMBY that is driving much of the opposition. It will be interesting to see how this ends up. No matter what happens many people will remain angry.

Board Of Commissioners Approves "Planned Unit Development"

On Monday night an important milestone was reached in Bertie County with the approval of the "Planned unit development" provision for our subdivision ordinances. It is a modification that permits a different type of development, allowing an increase of density for a development that sets aside large portions of a tract for open space.

The arguments about this issue have been quite passionate and taken up considerable time. Though it permits developments that would otherwise not have been possible, it provides for a process that can allow us to make sure they are environmentally friendly and produce a better life style than committing all the land of a development to standard homes. However there are many people who do not like the townhouse or condominium concept that makes the PUD concept attractive financially for the developer. For many people though it will allow for a more desirable place to live convenient to open spaces and parks at a price they could not otherwise afford. We still need to pay attention to what is being developed so that the PUD concept works well for Bertie County.

The Commissioners also held cermony to award matching funds to two of our local fire departments. Commissioner Wallace Perry presents checks to Aulander and Perrytown Fire Chiefs, David Klingler and Bud Lee.





Bertie County was awarded several plaques from "Relay for Life", delivered by advocate and activist Jo Ann Jordan in recognition of the fact that Bertie County ranked 4th in the nation in contributions per capita.

In another action with regard to future county developments and making sure developers serve the county in a positive way, the County Commssioner's unanimously approved a contract with the MidEast Commission to develope a draft Zoning Ordinance for Bertie County. Zoning is something that is necessary when an area is going through a period of development. All indications are our area will be seeing significant development over the next 20 years. The zoning ordinance is intended to limt undesirable development without infringing on the rights of property owners. This last is key. Often zoning is used to simply take away development rights by those who oppose any growth. This must be avoided.

As citizens we need to watch this process carefully.

Help Find A Cure For Breast Cancer

The US Postal Service recently released its new "Fund the Fight" stamp to help fund breast cancer research. The stamp was designed by Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, Maryland.

Instead of the normal 37 cents for a stamp, this one costs 45 cents The additional 8 cents will go to breast cancer research. A "normal" book costs $7.40. This one is only $9.00.

It takes a few minutes in line at the Post Office and means so much. If all stamps are sold, it will raise an additional $35,000,000 for this vital research. Just as important as the money is our support. What a statement it would make if the stamp out sold the lottery this week. What a statement it would make that we care.

I urge you to purchase some of these stamps. You may do so online at the USPS web site by clicking on the link below.

Breast Cancer - Fund the fight, find a cure

Many of us know women and their families whose lives are turned upside-down by breast cancer. We can end this impact on the lives of our loved ones. It is important that we take a stand against this disease that affects so many of our Mothers, Sisters and Friends.

Free To Choose Educational Freedom

The web link for this article is the home page for a new group. My reason for linking to it came from two recent emails I received. The first was from Lindalyn Kakadelis. Lindalyn is well known in Bertie County because she went out of her way to fight for J.P. Law and Askewville when there was still a chance we could keep them open, back before Seaton Fairless and Gary Cordon successfully got them closed. We lost that battle however we have not given up the fight for our children.

Lindalyn continues to fight for the children of our state, including the children of Bertie County. This week in one of the emails mentioned above a great new group called "Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina" was covered. This is what she said about this new group:

This past Tuesday, Parents for Educational Freedom (PEFNC) hosted their first public school-choice rally. Since its inception in July, 2005, PEFNC has labored behind the scenes to expand educational options in our state. Clearly, many North Carolinians share the vision: more than 1,000 people packed a school gymnasium to support choice, tripling PEFNC’s attendance expectations. Attendees transcended political affiliation, gender, and race to agree on the merits of one simple, transformational idea: All parents should have the opportunity to choose the best education provider for their child.

Dr. Howard Fuller, former Superintendent for the Milwaukee Public Schools and founder of the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO) gave the keynote address and electrified the audience by “being real.” He spoke convincingly of the political struggles that inevitably accompany any move to wrest money and control away from a government agency in order to give it to parents. Dr. Fuller cautioned that we must resolve to fight and not give up: “The real hurdle is the lack of political will to do what must be done for other people’s children. Every day I see children suffer because we don’t have the political will to change the institutions that continue to not serve them well.”

The other email is from the group she mentioned, PEFNC. I am not sure how they got my email, but I am glad that they did. In this second email, Darrell Alison, was quoted:

“This is a movement that is building in North Carolina,” said Darrell Allison, president of PEFNC, a nonprofit organization working to educate the state’s parents on the benefits of educational freedom. “Frankly speaking, the turnout last night literally overwhelmed our staff and volunteers. We were expecting about 350 to be in attendance on last night, but we nearly tripled that number with more than 1,000 coming out from nearly 20 different counties. There was a clear and strong message sent out on last night that parents want the freedom to choose the education that works best for their child.”

Free to chose. That was a great title for Milton Friedman's famous book, and it is a great concept for education here in Bertie County. It is time our parents were free to chose a good education for their children. Last night we had a Board of Education meeting I was not able to attend. However things are starting to happen in Bertie County because of the new Board that our citizens just elected. We are starting to admit that only when our parents DEMAND that our children be challenged and encouraged to excel will the horrible results we have experienced in the recent past end.

Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina is another resource to help our parents win this battle.

Check them out.

Herring Supper - Riverside Baptist Church

The Riverside Baptist Men will be having thier annual herring supper.

The supper will be held next Friday, March 16th 2007.

Plates are $6.50 and that includes either tea or soft drink.

They will be serving from 4-7 PM.

The Amazing "Western Taxidermy"

Western Taxidermy is world class and it is located in Bertie County! Many people who drive through Colerain never even notice the Rhinoceros "reproduction" above the store on the west side of the street. It is the sign for Western Taxidermy, a business that is famous around the world, and justifiably famous.

Driving Through Colerain A Rhinoceros Says This Place Is Different

Inside this quiet office on this peaceful Colerain, North Carolina street is the business and Trophy Room of an excellent big-game hunter, the owner of Western Taxidermy, Jim Edwards. I love to drop in to see Jim, and my excuse most recently was the huge Giraffe that was being prepared for shippping to Doctor Bill MacCarty of Virginia, behind Jim's shop across from the Post Office. If you have never seen a life size mount of a giraffe in the middle of a small North Carolina town, you may not be able to imagine how surprising it can be.

Jim has just returned from the Safari Club International Convention in Reno, Neveda and as usual his shop is covered with fascinating animals and "reproductions" being mounted.

Doctor Bill MacCarty's magnificent Trophy Room With The Giraffe Addition

Western Taxidermy has prepared almost all of the mounts in Doctor MacCarty's impressive Trophy Room. Jim's own Trophy Room, in his business in Colerain is equally spectacular. The picture below is a small sample, but if you click on the title to this article above it will link you to Jim's Western Taxidermy Web Site. Click on the "Virtual Tour" on that site and it will pan around showing you the simply amazing collection of Jim's personal hunting trophies.

Jim Edward's Colerain Trophy Room Is More Spectacular Than Many Museums

Jim Edwards is not just an extremely talented taxidermist and artist; he is also an active and enthusiastic supporter of a growing conservationist and environmentalist movement that changes the dynamics of hunting for endangered and rare species. This new process replaces the classical "mount" of an animal with a "reproduction". The animal is darted (or photographed) by the hunter and then released alive after photos and measurements are taken. Can you tell if this is a real "mount" or "reproduction"?

Is This Elephant Real?

The memory of the hunt is what is most important to hunters, and the "reproduction" of these awesome animals is as good as the "mount" of a trophy animal for that purpose. These mementos can also be amazing memories for many who never went on a hunt but just love the wild.

An Endangered Species Can Still Be A Trophy - A "Reproduction" Instead Of A "Mount"

I still remember the first time I came into contact with a big game hunting memory that is the major drive behind so many hunters. While visiting with the owner of the Tampa Annheuser-Bush distributor in 1972, I walked into a conference room with the owner behind me. It was dark until he turned on a light, and there about 6 inches in front of me was a Grizzly Bear towering above me with his jaws open and claws reaching out. I experience the feeling for just a moment that it had to be real, and my body reacted as if it was. It is this trick of the mind that says; no matter if it is still and we know it is not going to hurt us, these animals are so awesome that we have to react.

You Will Never Forget Meeting A Grizzly

Jim Edwards has had a lifelong passion for hunting and the memory of the hunt. It started in high school when he shot his first deer. His school principal was a taxidermy enthusiast, and he helped Jim to "mount" that deer. It was a hobby for many years until he graduated from NC State in 1971 and he realized that he did not want to leave Bertie County. The lifestyle he wanted to live was here.

Jim Edwards and Family At Their Home In Colerain

In order to stay here, Jim needed a business that allowed him to earn a living. His first choice was his hobby. Jim started Western Taxidermy in his mothers garage in Windsor and quickly established a reputation as one of the best taxidermists in this area. Lenny Perry persuaded Jim to bring his company to Colerain where it has stayed.

Polar Bear - Another Awesome N.A. Carnivore

However the game Jim wanted to mount was not found in Bertie County, and so Jim became an international taxidermist, specializing in bears, elephants, rhinoceros, big cats, bighorn sheep, and all the other famous and amazing animals that cover the globe.

African Bull Elephant

His primary source of clients after word of mouth is attending the big game conventions such as the Safari Club, where he has gotten notice for his creative use of reproductions. Since reproductions don't have to be animals that are still available today, he has done among other dinosaurs, Raptors and Tyrannosaurus Rex. Now those would have been a couple of animals that would definitely cause your heart to stop. For just a moment the reproduction reminds you of that feeling.

Raptor Tearing Flesh From A Kill

As noted Jim is an avid hunter himself. He has been to Africa 18 times, with significantly more trips into the wilds of North America and other continents. I mentioned it above, but it really needs emphasis, Jim's trophy room (which you can visit in his Colerain offices or see on the Virtual Tour of his web site) is simply amazing.

Leopard's Are Spectacular

One of his recent mounts is one of North America's most spectacular animals, the Bison. Still in Jim's trophy room when I took this picture, it has since been shipped to its owner.

Jim Edwards With Canadian Bison Bull Mount

Another ongoing project for Western Taxidermy is providing mounts for the various Bass Pro Shops.

Bass Pro Shops Store Display

Go visit Jim's trophy room in Colerain. You will not be disappointed. If you have questions or would like more information, email Jim, bighorn@coastalnet.com, call him at (252) 356-2109 or click here to visit his web site.

Penny Duke Honored At Open House

Penny Duke of Windsor Virginia is Bertie County Arts Council's featured artist for March. The open house for Penny was held yesterday at the Gallery, 124 South King Street in Windsor, North Carolina.



Ms Duke is the first artist since our featured artist campaign started who does not have strong ties to Bertie County. She is a very talented artist and we are excited to have her show in our area. Those of you who missed the open house should really drop by and see her works. Her showing is impressive.

Below are a few of her paintings that will be on display for the rest of March.















If you have any questions, please contact the Bertie County Arts Council by calling (252) 794-9402 or emailing bertiearts@earthlink.net

Colerain's Famous Seagull Cafe Spring Season Starts Wednesday

The Seagull Cafe will open this week for its traditional Spring Season, Wednesday, March 7th. The hours of operation are (as usual) from 11:00 AM until 2:00 PM. The Seagull is only open on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays. I got an email from Mike Perry today, announcing that they got their first shipment of fresh herring from South Carolina. I went by his house to check out what was happening and he was really excited about the quality of the catch.

Perry-Wynns Fish Company, Inc.

The Seagull always specializes in Fresh Herring in the spring.

Herring Plate

My Personal Favorite Dishes, Shrimp and Oysters


The Seagull Cafe is a favorite place for farmers and workers in the area, as it has been for many years. It is famous, and there are a couple of rich developers who always fly in on their helicopters to eat every year. Now that is an endorsement, when someone flys in from Virginia to eat at a place this far off the beaten trail.



Barry Knight's Transportation For His Regular Visit
To The Seagull Cafe In Colerain

The view from the Seagull shows the Chowan River at its best. The small Cafe is located by the river near the end of River Road, close to the Colerain Beach Club.

Chowan River In Spring Colors

The Seagull Is Not Open For Sunrise, But The View Then Is Also Spectacular!


The herring is prepared incredibly and they make the most delicious shrimp you will ever taste. The cooks are simply the best.

Delores Forehand (Chef) And Betty Peale Are Part Of The Great Seagull Staff

Mike Perry and Linda Wynn are always on hand to welcome everyone to a unique dining experience. Don't miss it!


The Seagull Cafe is affiliated with Perry-Wynns Fish Company, Inc.