NEW ADDITION - Shown is one of
several new additions throughout
the county in connection with the
new water system which has started
operation. The tank above is at the
BetM location along with the treat
ment plant. Two similar tanks and
three wells are also included in the
project (Staff photo by Kathy M.
Newbern) .
F mH A announces
y
'J. y- - - W--i. . ?
new
New insulation standards for hous
ing in rural areas financed by the
Farmers Home Administration
(FmHA) will be put into effect ac
cording to an announcement by
Melvin E. Howell, County
Supervisor.
Implementation of the standards,
first scheduled for March 15, had
been held up during federal court
consideration of a suit by the Na
tional Association of Home Build
ders challenging the new code. After
FmHA prepared additional en
vironmental material and a further
hearing on the proposal was held,
U.S. District Judge Goerge L. Hart
Jr., dissolved a preliminary injunc
tion. While certain aspects of the
lawsuit remain to be resolved, the
new insulation standards can now be
implemented.
The new thermal standards are
designed to provide for heavier bl
sulation and other measures to
make FmHA-financed housing 1ms
costly to heat or cool, and to con
serve energy. They will apply to
newly-built homes and apartments
being purchased or repaired with
FmHA loans. Better weatherhing
through more effective insulation,
storm doors and windows and other
techniques will help families reduce
high fuel and energy expenses that
jeopardize their ability to afford
adequate housing. Housing loans ad
ministered by FmHA, a U.S. Depart
ment of Agriculture Agency, serve
all rural areas including towns of up
to 10,000, and designated towns of
10,00 to 20,000 that are not in Stan
dard Metropolitan Statistical
(SMSA) Areas and have a shortage
of mortgage credit for families of
low and moderate income.
CONVENTION
Nowen (left) a
Perquimang IJI
the Stat* Democratic
appear to be in deep "
ing the Saturdayi
five alternates beard from Governor
Jim Hunt, keynote speaker, and
*tate Democrat!
e Democrats during
convention presided
?we, Secretary of
efcQtNQF of Betsk
W ater system billing to begin
By KATHY M. NEWBERN
Phase I of the Perquimans County
water system is nearing completion
and residents in the Bethel, New
Hope, and Belvidere sections of the
county are using the new water.
Phase I is expected to be com
pleted according to County Commis
sioner Chairman Lester Simpson,
within the next 60 days and will in
clude some additional water lines in
outlaying sections of the county.
The second phase of the project
will begin when the first phase is
finished. Simpson said that will in
clude additional water lines where
feasible and funding for Phase II is
still being sought.
Melvin E. Howell, FmHA County
Supervisor who has served as an ad
visor during the project, said he con
siders Phase I to be 90-95 percent
complete and added, "I don't see
any problem in funding Phase II. It's
just a matter of time." He explained
that grants, loans, and other
resources will be tapped for the pro
ject's continuation.
The total cost for the water system
project came to $3,700,000. Sources
for those funds were $1,870,000 in
FmHA bonds which have been sold
and purchased by FmHA at five per
cent, a $1,500,000 loan, and $330,000
in State Clean Water Bonds.
The local FmHA office has
assisted in the project by providing a
survey and map plotting of county
users and collection of sign-on fees.
In addition, the office has helped in
organizing and supervising the pro
ject often obtaining information
from Chowan County, the first in the
state to initiate its own county water
system.
Now that the local system has
begun operation, officials are ready
to begin billing. Howell said, "It ap
pears that it will work as planned. I
don't foresee any tax money having
to be used."
The Perquimans County Tax
Department will be handling billing
for the system, a new permanent
responsibility. Keith Haskett, Tax
Supervisor, explained that billing
will take place four weeks of the
month, with one section being billed
each week. An IBM Systems 32 com
puter has been added to handle the
water billing for other county uses.
The scale for payment is: first
2,000 gallons ? $7 per thousand (the
minimum bill), next 3,000 gallons ?
$1.50 per thousand, and all over 5,000
gallons ? $1 per thousand.
Haskett explained that the
average customer will probably use
between 5,000 and 7,000 gallons of
water each month making the
average bill around $10-$11. He
estimates 1700 consumers will be in
cluded in the first billing.
The initial billing will go out in Ju
ly for the remaining amount of
deposit. The sign-on fee was $25 of
which consumers payed a $10
deposit, therefore they will be
receiving a bill for the $15 balance.
The first bill for usage will be sent
in August. Meter reading begins
next week with a second reading to
be taken a month later. Therefore,
residents will be using the water free
of charge from the time of cut-on to
the first reading. All county
residents who signed up for water
and have a meter will be billed. If
consumers have changed their
minds, they will still receive a bill
for the minimum fee even if no
water has been used. However,
anyone who has a meter taken out
and decides later that service is
wanted, will have to pay the same as
a new turn-on customer, $250.
Plans are also to charge a renter's
deposit of $25. The reasoning, Howell
explained, is due to the possibility of
renters leaving town without paying
their water bill. Also, he added,
other utilities require such a deposit.
The water system includes three
wells, one each in Bethel, New Hope,
and Belvidere; and a water treat
ment plant at Bethel which removes
iron, hardness and some sulfur from
the water. All of these have been
completed with co?t of the wells
totaling $41,760 and i >tal cost for the
three tanks being 1240,000.
The system is tapped on to the ex
isting systems for the towns of Hert
ford and Winfall, and Chowan and
Gates counties, for emergency
reasons. However, the two town
systems will continue to remain
separate handling their own supply
and billing.
The project, started in January,
1977, was originally planned for
completion by the spring of this
year. A few changes and unan
ticipated orders set that date back
some, however, officials consider
the time range for the system to
"still be good." No problems have
been occurred, and upon completion
of the system and inspection by
engineers, the Perquimans County
Board of Commissioners must then
accept the project, action con
sidered only a formality.
Woman injured in local shooting
Barbara Simmons, 32, of Grandy,
N.C. remains in critical condition in
Norfolk General Hospital as the
result of a shooting incident Sunday
afternoon in Hertford.
Hertford Police Chief Marshall
Merritt identified the man charged
in the shooting as Cleon Tillett
Harvey, 46, also of Grandy. Merritt
explained that Patrolman Robert L.
Harvey arrested Cleon Harvey at
106 W. Grate -Street, Hertford, the
residence of Mrs. Ora Hendrix,
where the shooting occurred around
5:30 p.m.
Cleon Harvey was charged with
assault with a deadly weapon with
intent to kill and inflicting serious
bodily injuries.
Merritt said Cleon Harvey was ar
rested at the scene with a 32-calibre
.pistol in his possession from which
three shots had been fired. One
round struck the Simmons woman in
the side of the head and was
removed i Monday at Norfolk
General Hoipitii.
Merritt said, according to
witnesses, Cleon Harvey came to
Hertford looking for the Simmons
woman and found her in a car with
two men. Witnesses told the local
police that Cleon Harvey fired a 12
gauge double-barrel shotgun at the
car, one blast missed and the other
hit the back window. Also found in
the alledged suspect's car was a 16
gauge shotgun putting the number of
confiscated weapons at three.
Witnesses further explained that
the Simmons woman fled to the
nearby house and rushed into the kit
chen, pushing Mrs. Kefidrix aside.
Cleon Harvey allegedly followed the
Simmons woman into the kitchen.
Three shots were heard.
Patrolman Harvey was in the im
mediate area and arrested Cleon
Harvey coming out of the house.
Chief Merritt said the suspect
made a statement and that the two
men are still being questioned.
Harvey remains in Tri-County Jail
under $10,000 bond.
Merritt reported that additional
charges were brought against Cleon
Harvey by John Lee Bishop,
brother-in-law of the. victim, and
driver of the car Harvey allegedly
shot at. Those warrants charged
Harvey with assault by pointing a
gun and malicious damage to per
sonal property.
Schools begin summer programs
Monday marked the beginning of
several summer programs offered
by Perquimans County Schools ac
cording to Superintendent Pat
HarrelL
At that time the summer migrant
program got underway at Hertford
Grammar School. That program is
open to children whose parents are
engaged in agriculture, fisheries or
related occupations. Harrell said
about 50 students are involved in
summer instruction in that program
in the areas of math, physical educa
tion, reading, and music & art.
A remedial instruction program
also began Monday at the Per
quimans High Central Skills Lab
under the direction of Alice Winslow
and two aides. That program is a
continuation of regular school term
instruction and is designed for
Library grant increased
The North Carolina State Library
will award $17,089 to the Pettigrew
Regional Library for its Perquimans
County "Serving the Unserved" pro
ject. This amount is $1500 more than
originally awarded to the project
and will enable it to run until June
30,1979.
The announcement came in a let
ter to Pettigrew library Director
Jay Wozny from North Carolina
Assistant State librarian Marian
Leith.
The Perquimans project will em
phasize outreach visits by library
staff to rural families explaining
library services available to them.
Plans have also been made to
establish eight "mini-libraries" at
stores throughout the county. These
libraries will consist of about 200
Life loss
estimated
The N.C. State Motor Club has
estimated that 17 persons will lose
their lives in traffic accidents on
N.C. highways over the long Fourth
of July holiday weekend.
"Historically the July Fourth
holiday has been one of tragedy on
oar highways," motor dub presi
dent Roth R. Threatt said, "but we
are hopeful this year will be safer .
The state will count its toll over a
102-hour period from I p.m. Friday,
June 90, to midnight Tuesday. July
1 Last year 17 fatalities occurred
paperback titles each and will con
tain a variety of books suitable for
all age groups. Other services in
cluded in the project include home
bound library service, library pro
frams to area rest homes, and in
brary story hours.
County Librarian Wayne Henritze
and Jay Wozny expressed their ap
preciation for the grant increase and
plan to offer this service throughout
the four-county Pettigrew Region if
the project is successful in Per
quimans County.
students needing remedial instruc
tion in mathematics and language
arts.
Another remedial program for the
summer began at Perquimans
Union School for 7th and 8th grade
students. That program last three
hours daily for five weeks ac
cumulating 75 hours of instruction.
Emma Lawrence heads that pro
gram which is funded with monies
from the Community Based Alter
natives program.
Funds from the same source are
also being used this summer for a
vocational education program at
Perquimans High School. Unlike
most of the other summer pro
grams, the vocational instruction is
for additional enrichment, not
remedial in nature. Instructor is
Alonzo Joyner.
RAPIDLY PROGRESSING -
Above, workers at the lite of the
ARPDC-Perquimans County office
building, bring the roadside mar
quee near completion. Bob Whitley,
ARPDC's Executive Director, said
the architect met this week with coo
tractor* and snb-coDtractors on the
* -*??
project. He foresees the moving date
into the new facility to be shout two
months off. (Staff photo by Kathy M.
Newbern)
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