Board Welcomes New Superintendent

by Curly Morris - November 29th, 2006 - Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald

WINTON - The Hertford County Board of Education introduced their new choice for superintendent to the public Monday.

Dr. Michael G. Basham was in attendance at the board's monthly meeting and he had his agenda mapped out.

"There is a triangle that students need to be cognizant of to succeed," Basham said. "A unity of mind, body and spirit and the completion of that triangle is part of my vision of the future of Hertford County students."

Basham comes to Hertford County after several successful tenures as a superintendent outside of the state before retiring.

The most important quote of the article is when Basham said, "In every school district that I have served, standardized and state test scores improved tremendously because of outstanding instructional personnel, students, school boards and administrative teams. I have emphasized the 'basic skills and beyond' throughout my career."

This is what is needed in Bertie County too. A superintendent who can "trememdously" improve test scores, reflecting children who are learning. That would not even require that Bertie be at the top in the state. It would be a tremendous improvement to reach above average. In fact, considering that Bertie and Hertford are currently right at the bottom, I think average might even count as a "tremendous" improvement for both counties.

Happy Thanksgiving, And Now On To Christmas

Traditionally we put up our Christmas decorations on Thanksgiving weekend. This year, the house looks pretty good. I hope this will be a good Christmas Season. During a time of war, it seems that family and friends mean more than ever. Hold all yours close and pray for our troops overseas.

Christmas Decorations Are What Set The Mood

And God Bless you all.

Inner Banks Laughter - Religious Humor

A man appeared before St. Peter at the pearly gates. "Have you ever done anything of particular merit?" St. Peter asked.

"Well, I can think of one thing," the man offered. "Once, on a trip to the Black Hills out in South Dakota, I came upon a gang of high-testosterone bikers who were threatening a young woman. I directed them to leave her alone, but they wouldn't listen.

"So, I approached the largest and most heavily-tattooed biker and smacked him on the head, kicked his bike over, ripped out his nose ring, and threw it on the ground." I yelled, "Now, back off biker boy or you'll answer to me!"

St. Peter was impressed. "When did this happen?"

"Just a couple of minutes ago."

Ahoskie supports NC 11 project

by Cal Bryant - November 15th, 2006 - Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald

By a unanimous vote, members of the Ahoskie Town Council approved a resolution calling for the North Carolina Department of Transportation (DOT) to reprioritize, plan and fund a four-lane highway project on NC 11 between Ahoskie and Bethel.

Earlier, the Hertford County Board of Commissioners forwarded a letter to DOT calling for the prioritization of the NC 11 project. Meanwhile, the Windsor Board of Commissioners has thrown their support behind the US 13 four-lane project from Ahoskie to Windsor. The Bertie County Commissioners have discussed the issue, but have made no decision. They have appointed a committee to further study which route deserves to be at the top of the priority list.

The question that really needs to be answered is whether being a part of a North South corridor that includes Ahoskie, Windsor, Williamston, Washington and New Bern, or whether Ashoskie being linked to Greenville, will generate more business growth and job opportunity for our citizens.

The existing businesses in Ahoskie remind me of the existing businesses in Williamston with their exagerated opposition to 64 when it was planned as a freeway. Business in Williamston fought the freeway by-pass vigorously. Even though Williamston has grown dramatically since that time many of those business owners are still angry at the 64 bypass because it hurt their individual businesses. Freeways always help growth more than widening surface streets. The freeway helped Williamston a lot, by bringing in new competition for the existing local businesses. That is what they were afraid of all along.

I think that is the real question here. Whether the municipal and county authorities are arguing what is best for the Ashoskie area, or arguing what is best for their political contributors?

What do you think is their motivation?

Inner Banks Laughter - Age Humor

We spend the first twelve months of our children's lives teaching them to walk and talk . . . and the next twelve years telling them to sit down and shut up.

Carpenter’s Tools - Hope For the Holidays . . . . .

By Joy Phillips - Novermber 10th, 2006


We’ve often heard the phrase. ”Home for the holidays!” It’s that time of year when family members will make their trek across the land and head home for some of Mom’s wonderful holiday dishes. But “Home for the holidays” is often replaced with “Hope for the holidays” due to the loss that families face without that special loved one.

Often following the death of someone dear, the holidays are mixed with fond memories which become painful because of the acknowledgement that the holidays will be experienced without that loved one. Bereaved individuals can prepare themselves by planning ahead for the holidays. Many feel that they would like to just “sleep” through the holidays and awaken after they are over. However, hiding from the holidays should not be an option. Proactive planning is the best option. You may find yourself dealing with the emotional pain during the planning, but the hurting is helpful to you. The pain that you face in the planning will lessen the pain when the actual holiday arrives.

While planning ahead is helpful, you must keep balance in your planning as well. You must realize your limitations and not overdo it. Too many events could be overwhelming for you. You must decide which parties or invitations to accept. There are a number of questions that you will have to answer:

How much cooking and baking will I do?
Should I decorate as much as I usually do?
What would be best for my family? Children?
How do I handle the traditions of the past?
Should I visit the cemetery on that holiday?

These and other questions should all be a part of your planning. Don’t let these decisions make you feel worse. Realize that each activity or plan that you make will be a factor in your facing the holidays with hope.

It is also important to care for yourself physically as you face the holidays. Remember the importance of proper exercise and rest to increase your sense of well being and reduce stress. Eat healthy and limit the use of medications and alcohol.

Hope for the holiday includes the proper remembrance of your loved one. You can find a meaningful way to memorialize your loved one at this time. Choosing an activity that your loved one would have enjoyed can make it more meaningful for you. An activity that involves the family will offer support to the grief that they are experiencing as well. You may also want to include some meaningful memory or activity that is reserved privately for you.

Here are a few suggestions to memorialize your loved one

Light a special memorial candle each day of the holiday.
Offer a dinner prayer or toast to your loved one.
Purchase a gift for your loved one and donate it to charity.
Give money in the amount you would have spent to charity in honor of your loved
one.
Purchase a small evergreen tree, decorate it, and replant it after Christmas.
Focus on helping others during the holidays.

You will find yourself having mixed emotions during the holidays, but you must remember that each emotion you face is a part of your healing even during the special days of the year. It is okay to discover yourself enjoying the holidays with laughter and okay to experience the tears as well. You may find yourself not looking forward to those “Home for the holiday” times, but if you plan ahead and face these times with courage, you will find “hope” for the holidays.

Please visit us on the web at http://www.cscministries.com/ or http://www.wallacephillips.org/

National Hospice Month

by Tra Perry, Volunteer Coordinator

Each November The National Association for Hospice celebrates National Hospice Month to honor health care administrators, nurses, therapists, aides, volunteers, chaplains and the many individuals and groups who make a remarkable difference in the lives of patients and their families.

Hospice Honors Volunteers

Helping frail and dying Americans to stay independent and happy in their homes is a goal of University Home Health and Hospice, the first multi-county rural hospice in the US begun in 1949. Originally serving four counties as Roanoke-Chowan Hospice, this non-profit organization has expanded its' service area to include surrounding counties while maintaining the basic mission of providing the very best quality of life and care possible to the terminally ill.

Hospice Staff - Angie Lassiter, Judy Perry And Kay Russell

Hospice teams consist of lay people and professionals who are qualified to help with end- of- life-issues. They offer pain management, therapy and other supportive services at home or in home-like surroundings, making it easier for patients, loved ones and family members to spend times together in one's final days. Hospice also offers grief counseling to the families after their loss.

A Loving Relationship - Alma Suis And Her Hospice Nurse, Judy Perry

While a patient must have an expected prognosis of six months or longer, depending on the course of the illness, many Americans do not understand this and wait unnecessarily before seeking care. Hospice is a covered benefit under Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance plans and HMOS.

The peace of mind that hospice offers to the families' in knowing that an experience, caring, qualified person can be called 24 hours of the day, seven days a week to come to one's home whenever there is a need for spiritual, emotional, physical counseling or help is incredible. Not many people can fully understand or appreciate what hospice can do until their family has been touched personally by hospice love.

Tra Perry, Volunteer Coordinator Recognizes Norma Lassiter, Governor's Award For Outstanding Volunteer Service

At University Home Health and Hospice, we hear families say over and over "We wish we had had Hospice sooner, we just didn't know the services it offered." National Hospice Month offers an opportunity to spread the word and broaden Hospice awareness to citizens throughout our communities.

Dame Cecily Saunder of St. Christopher's Hospice in London England explains Hospice care beautifully when she wrote- "You matter because you are, you matter to the last moment of your life and we will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die".

Inner Banks Laughter - Blond Humor

The blonde reported for her university final examination that consists of "yes/no" type questions. She takes her seat in the examination hall, stares at the question paper for five minutes, and then in a fit of inspiration takes her purse out, removes a coin and starts tossing the coin and marking the answer sheet Yes for Heads and No for Tails.

Within half an hour she is all done whereas the rest of the class is sweating it out. During the last few minutes, she is seen desperately throwing the coin, muttering and swearing. The moderator, alarmed, approaches her and asks what is going on. "I finished the exam in half an hour. But I'm rechecking my answers."

Carpenter’s Tools - Jesus – the only way. . . . . .

By Pastor Wallace Phillips – November 3rd, 2006


My heart is grieved as I listen to people of great influence nullify the Word of God and, therefore, destroy the message of the gospel. Just this past week I listened to the incoming Bishop of the Episcopal Church say that if we proclaim that Jesus is the only way to God then we are placing God in a very small box. Others have said the same. Recently I read transcripts from a Newsweek interview with a well-respected Evangelical preacher who could not make the bold statement that Jesus is the only means of salvation. He cited, “For me, Christ is the way to God.” He had a huge opportunity to respond to the question, but yet denied the truth of God’s Word.

Likewise, a well-known preacher who speaks to a congregation of 30,000 plus each week did the same. I stumbled over his words and said, “I don’t know. Well…I don’t know.” What do you mean you don’t know? Jesus said it like this when Thomas said to him “Lord we don’t know where you are going and how can we know the way?” Jesus replied, “I am the way the truth and the life and no man cometh to the Father, but by me.” In the Book of Acts, Peter and John are jailed because of their faith. They are asked by what name they had prayed and seen the sick man made whole. They informed the courts that it was by the name of Jesus and that…”there is no other name under the heavens whereby men must be saved.”

How can we water down the gospel with this perspective? Jesus reminded us also that the path that leads to destruction is a broad one. He also said that few would find the narrow path that leads to life. I’m believing his words now more than ever.

Jesus is the only way to God.

Please visit us on the web at http://www.cscministries.com/ or http://www.wallacephillips.org/