57 WO" PRINTING CO XXX
LDUIJVILLE, KEU'fUCM 4020!?
HPTUTTT? TlDTl?' TED ThTT T
WEEKLY
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Volume 30 No. 22;
Hertford, Perquimans County, North Carolina, Thursday, May 30, 1974
10 CENTS
Consumers Irked
Electricity Cost Up :
No Easing In-Sight
The energy crisis and the resulting
unprecedented high prices for fuels
which has resulted in a "fuel charge"
by electric utilities is hitting
customers' pocketbooks hard both
the retail customers of power
companies like VEPCO and wholesale
purchasers of power like electric
cooperative and municipal systems.
And according to Edward E. Brown,
Jr., general manager of Albemarle
Electric Membership Corporation
headquartered in Hertford, the
situation may get worse before it's
: better. .
"I don't think the general public
really understands all the forces at
work when there is talk of a so-called
fuel charge," said Brown. "Generally, '
, people just know that their power bill is
". increasing, and you can't expect them
to be happy about that, or to view the
charge with much credibility. Right or
' wrong, many people don't view the
price of gasoline as being quite
aboveboard either..
Albemarle EMC buys some 90 per
cent of its cower wholesale from
VEPCO. Since the beginning of 1973, the
EMC has paid the power company a
"fuel charge., for each KWH of power
it has purchased from it. The EMC is a
' distribution system serving some 5,000
member-owners in Chowan,
Perquimans, Pasquotank, Camden
and Currituck counties.
In 1973 the EMC paid VEPCO
roughly $25,000 in fuel charges. But
already in 1974 through April, the
Cooperative had paid the company .
$35,000, and nearly $15,000 of that
, amount came in April alone.
"Our projections xor the year are that,
at the present rate and based on
' VEPCO's estimated costs, we will pay
$198,000 in fuel charges in 1974," said
Brown. "Naturally, we cannot absorb
that kind of increase in our operating
costs.
"I would have to say that any utility
that can indeed bear that kind of
unpredicted financial burden for a
sustained period has an excessive rate
to begin with. We certainly didn't
budget for that kind of expense and our
present rate structure will not
generate the needed revenue to enable
us to stay in business. It's as simple as
that from our standpoint."
The fuel charge in effect by VEPCO
SAMPLE BALLOT
Official Democratic Ballot
District Court Judge
was approved by the Federal Power
Commission which authorized power
companies, like VEPCO, to charge its
customers the additional prices they
are having to pay for fossil fuels to
operate their generating plants. An
. article . in last week's Perquimans
Weekly pointed out the tremendous
increase in the cost of oil and coal to
operate generating plants.
"I really can't defend or accuse as
being unfair the fuel charge we are
getting," said Brown. "I am aware,
like everyone else that the cost of fuels
is up considerable, and it is the duty
and jurisdiction of the FPC to
determine the fairness and validity of
the fuel charges."
The fuel charge cost the EMC .124
cents per KWH in January. In March
the charge was up to .353 cents per
KWH. And in May the charge was still
higher at .636 cents per KWH.
"It's easy to see the effect of such
charges on our operation," offered
Brown. "Only two years ago we were
paying only .8 cents per KWH for
power. Today, the fuel charge alone is
approaching that figure. The day of
one-cent electricity is apparently a
thing of the past.
"Last month we paid VEPCO 1.57
cents for each KWH we purchased," he
added. "We are selling electricity in
our low block for 1.3 cents. It doesn't
take an astute, businessman to know
that you can't sell your goods for less
than what you pay for them and
succeed." , :
Projections given the EMC by
VEPCO show that the fuel charge will
not decrease in the months ahead. In
fact, they are expected to stay around
the .6 cents figure, or over one-half
cents per KWH. That figure translated
into the some 4,200,000 KWHs the EMC
purchases in .a peak demand month
means an additional cost of some
$25,000 to the EMC for that month.
Albemarle EMC has already sent its
members two letters dealing with the
fuel charge. The first pointed out that
the Coopeative must take action to
absorb the charge and will begin with
its May billing to collect from its
members a fuel charge based on the
average of the charge during the three
preceding months. In May that figure
will be .46 cents, although the actual
charge for the month of May it paid
VEPCO was .636 cents. ; "
For Jones
Futher, the EMC has pointed out that
such a charge will not be sufficient to
recover sufficient revenue to offset the
expenses, and that another rate
adjustment will be necessary later this
year. Another letter explained that the
EMC would have to change its billing
system because of the fuel charge and
its effects on the Cooperative.
"We have a very unique billing
system in that our members bill
themselves," said Brown. "They read
their own meters, compute their own
bills, and send in payment. This
system is one that we are proud of and
we are one of only two electric
cooperatives in the nation to my
knowledge that have such a system.
"Moreover, it is an'integral part of
the cooperative philosophy which we
operate on of member ownership and
participation," he added "It is
unfortunate indeed that we have to
abandon it but there is simple no
feasible way to charge a different
amount each month for a fuel charge
and have the members compute it
themselves. I wish there were."
So, effective June 1, the EMC has
been forced to give up its billing
system which Was inaugurated with
the beginning of the system in 1946 and
will begin using computer billing.
"Computer billing will give us the
flexibility we must have to deal with
the fuel charge," said Brown,
"Naturally, computer billing will cost
us more money than self -billing, but
then nothing compares cost wise to
self-bijling, . and we really had no
choice. .
"The self -billing system used by the
EMC is one of the few things that has
stood the test of time the past 28
years," he said, "aid it worked well.
But it worked when things were
simple. The fuel charge and other
inflationary problems are getting
awfully complex and, unfortunately, it
takes a more complex system to deal
with complex problems.
"A couple of years ago some quote
experts were predicting that the cost of
electricity would increase some 40 per
cent in the next two years," Brown
concluded. "And .1 truthfully didn't
believe it. But it has already come to
pass right here in North Carolina and
neither I nor the experts know where it
all will end."
llllilfv
7
ORCHESTRA IN CONCERT It looks as though the man atop the courthouse annex is
leading a group of "musicians" in Mozarts's fifth movement. Actually the "conductor"
is guiding a crain in the background, as progress continues on the building. (Francine
Sawyer Photo)
Pine Beetles Eating
Trees ; Destruction
"The southern pine bark
beetle has been a growing
problem to woodland
owners in the south for
several years," according to
Perquimans County Forest
Ranger Lewis Stallings. "In
North Carolina, the
southern pine beetle
population has almost
literally exploded during the
past year, and there were
several spots of infested
trees in Perquimans County
during the last survey."
"Strong healthy trees are
better able to resist attack
from pine beetles, while old
or weak trees are more
susceptible to infestation.
Natural disasters, such as
hurricanes, tornadoes, and
hailstorms have long been
associated with outbreaks of
southern pine beetles,"
County Ranger Stallings
said. Like people who are
weakened by accident or
illness, trees are more likely
to acquire diseases or in
festations when they are
weakened by storm,
Comments
INSTRUCTIONS
1. To vote for a candidate on the ballot make a
cross (X) mark in the square at the left of
his name. .. ,
2. If you tear Or deface or wrongly mark this
. ballot, return it to the registrar and get an
;:: : other. ' .
FOR JUDGE DISTRICT COURT
FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT,
V (You May Vote For One) .
Learning Lab
On REA's Future Opening June
O. C. ABBOTT
-j GRAFTON G. BEAMAN
By CONG. WALTER
B. JONES
Of interest to many who
are concerned about the
future of the Rural Elec
trification program, I am
happy to report that the
House successfully con
sidered 1 amendments
concering ' REA loan
guarantees. The first
change adds language to
section 306 to expressly
authorize the. assignment of
REA guarantees because
the absence of an express
provision has raised doubts
as to whether any assign
ment or pledge of
guarantees is authorized. It
may prove impossible for
REA-approved lenders to
borrow in the capital
market at the rates con
templated by the REA Act if
such doubts continue in the
financial community. The
second change clarifies
section 308, which provides
for-REA contracts of in
surance and guarantee to be
PRIMARY CLECTIOH, JUNI 4, 1174.
THE CANDIDATES Perquimans County voters have
the opportunity to go back to the polls June 4, to cast one
ballot in a runoff for district court judge. This is the only
issue to be voted on in the special election. Polling time
and place is the same as in the May primary.
. Receives Degree From Chowan
Council Gets
99
Sara Millicent .White of
Belvidere received the one
year secretarial science
'diploma from Chowan
A"c"e during graduation
t. rcices May 43, .
President .Bruce E.
' '-'-er conferred the
"-"'"1 as the E.-r"t.
c- - "-ral, t : ;--r
c il'sr ;
Featured . were messages
from the pastor of the First
Baptist Church
Washington, D.. C,
Charles A. Trentham,
baccalaureate, and
Cerate W. Dardcn,
former , governor
V ' - for graduation. "
I ' ' !'3 is a ra!-e
r". 3Cc-iyKVi
of
Dr
for
Of
T he- Economic
Improvement Council, Inc. ,
is the recipient agency for a
Special Emergency Foods
Services Grant $40,000
effective April 3, 1974, ac-
cording to Wilbur G. Pierce,
Executive Director. Pierce
says ,that EIC was one of
.only two agencies in North
Carolina receiving such
:" grants. ; -v ;- ' '--:
The project will allow low
income residents' to par
ticipate fully in the in
dividual family-community
' f-r." n c:.-cr;t t-ll i:n-r::--:rtri
r-: ' :ut
; f ' :-y
be used to purchase seed,
fertilizer, plants, rent or
lease equipment, jars,
freezer bags, and demon
stration materials. -
' EIC will join hands with
the Extension Services and
as a part of the Community
Development Program
sponsored by the Albemarle
Area. Development
Association.
A coordinating planning
meeting will be announced
immediately with
representatives of each
County Extension Service
Department, Vocational
;"lr-liure, and EIC. ' : "-
, supported by the full faith
and credit of the United
States except under con
ditions of fraud or
misrepresentation. The
proposed amendment
makes clear that an
assignee's vulnerability to
defenses of fraud of
misrepresentation arises
only if he had actual
knowledge of the fraud or
misrepresentation when
becoming a holder of the
guarantee. Questions have
been raised as to whether
; the law might now be
misconstrued to bar en
forcement of an REA
guarantee to a holder who
discovered fraud after
acquiring the guarantee in
good faith.
Once again in an effort to
deal with the energy crisis
the House refused to' ap
prove legislation which
would roll back prices and
reiterate the President's
authority to ration gasoline.
This is the same type
legislation which has been
considered by both the
House and Senate since last
December. I am of the
opinion , that ? some
legislation is needed in the
event that we once again
find ourselves victims of the
long lines that formerly
existed.
College of The
Albemarle's Mini-Lab in
Perquimans County will be
located in the Perquimans
County Office Building on
the Hertford-Edenton High
way during the months of
June, July and August. The
Lab was formerly held in
Glean-Up
Date Set
Perquimans County
Tourist & Recreation
committee met Monday at
the chamber office with
various civic organizations.
A clean up date was set for
June IS, concerning the park
on U.S. 17.
The Perquimans County
Jaycees along with the
Lions ' Club, American
' Legion, and Ruritan Club
agreed to furnish the
, manpower. .
The group will begin the
clean-up at 1 p.m. Ann
: Young is chairman of the
committee.
Winslow Blanchard Ford,
Hollowell Chevrolet, and
Midway Chevrolet will
donate picnic tables to the
park.
the Perquimans High School
Vocational Center.
The mini-Lab will be open
from 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesday
and Thursday nights
beginning May 28.
The purpose of the lab is to
give the interested adult,
regardless of how much
education he has, a chance
to study on his own and
prepare for the High School
Equivalency Tests (GED).
A person must be 18 years
of age to enroll in the mini-
lab and not presently
enrolled in the public
schools. There is no charge
for attending the mini-lab.
For more information,
call Doug Sawyer, COA
Adult Education Division, in
Elizabeth City.
Bloodmobile
Here Friday
The Tidewater Blood
mobile Unit will be at First
United Methodist Church
Friday from noon to 6 p.m.
The quota for this visit is
100 pints of blood.
The Perquimans County
Jaycees are sponsoring the
visit. . -
All residents of the county
are urged to give a pint of
blood, it's needed.
physical damage or lack of
growth.
County Ranger Stallings
said a study was made by
the Southern Forest
Experiment Station of the
U.S. Forest Service to
determine management
measures which can
decrease the chances of
southern pine beetle in
festations. The study
recommends four things the
woodland owner can do to
reduce the chance of beetle
infestation: 1) Increase the
resistance of forests by
keeping the trees growing
rapidly, which can be done
through periodic thinnings;
2) Avoid unnecessary site
and stand disturbances; 3)
Utilize lightning-struck
trees, where practical, as
beetle traps and dispose of
them before the beetles
emerge; and 4) Provide
good surface drainage on
bottom land and flatwood
sites to relieve soil-moisture
stress.
Trees which have been
damaged by construction,
or erosion, trees which have
been struck by lightning or
have matured and stopped
growing, should be
removed. These weakened
trees are more likely to
attract pine beetles, and
once they are attacked, they
can pass the insect to the
surrounding trees.
County Forest Ranger
Lewis Stallings said that
bark beetles have been a
problem in the forests of
Germany, Scandinavia, and
other European countries
which had problems similar
to those of ours today. The .
conclusion reached by;
forestry people in those
countries and the ones in the '.
united states in the same: ;
"Good forest management
provides protection against
insects." ;
County Ranger Stallings
said that the N.C. Forest "
Service will help land-;
owners develop a forest
management plan for their -woodlands,
and at no cost. ;
"Like our name implies," -County
Ranger Stallings -said,
,fwe are a service
organization." ; , .