Extension News I V':- -? ' By MBS. M B. TAYLOR Horn* twMinmlM AgWlt Do the energy bills at your house seem monstrous, backing you into a corner and ripping your best laid budget plans to shreds? Reports from many households indicate pleasure and ease to life, they take larger and larger bits of the income needed to buy food, pay rent and other bills. Don't ignore them; energy bills will not go away of their own accord, nor will they shrink unless you do something about them. Getting this monster under control requires some stern action on your part. And, it cannot be done without total family cooperation. Steps to whip energy bills into submission might include these: 1) Keep a record of every cent spent on energy of any form-electricity, gas for heating or cooking, fuel oil, gasoline. Have every family member proyide in formation on their spending and compile a total for one or two months. Compare this amount with your income earned during the same time. What percent of your income was needed for energy? Was this more than you could afford? Did other bills have to be postponed? Did you have to pay extra carrying charges on the bills because you had to pay fuel bills? Did your family have to do without something necessary in order to pay energy bills? 2) Compare the benefits you received from energy use with their costs. Looking at each energy bill, was the benefit you received worth the cost? What else could you, or should you, have done with that money that might have provided more good for you or other family members? A 3) For each fuel, or type of energy, used by family members list the needs it meets. 4) Bank these needs in order of importance. For in stance, for electricity your list might include cooking, lights, television, laundry, clothes drying, sewing, hair drying, etc. Could the items at the bottom of the list be eliminated? Could you find substitutes, such as drying clothes outside in the sun? 5) For which items on the list could you use less energy? How about less television watching, fewer lights, (or lower wattage), using the oven less unless you make total oven meals, watching all the little power wasters, such as matching pan size to burners on top, and using lids to hold in heat? Could family members walk more? 6) Learn to read the electric meter and have some volunteer to keep watch during the month. If you keep track of the use in the kilowatt hours and compare it every few days, would it help you see what the greatest energy hogs are? When you see the wheels in the meter going round in a hurry, does it make you want to turn something off? (Your county Extension Agents can provide you with a list of energy-savers.) Would it help to set a limit on kilowatt hours used per day? 7) Make sure you are investing time and human energy now getting your home in order for the coming winter, so you can heat it for less. Besides cutting energy costs, new insulation and storm windows can mean a reduction in state income tax next year. 8) Plan now for next winter's lifestyle. Since the upper part of your home is always the warmest, will you change living arrangements to spend more winter time upstairs, if you have a two-story house? Does your wardrobe include warm winter at-home garment? 9) Get a good perspective on your energy bills and don't expect miracles. How does the share of your in come going for energy of all sorts compare with the share of your income used for energy five years ago? If your income has increased at the same rate as energy price rises, you may not be as bad off as you think you are. 10) When you have cut every energy waster you can, and prepared for less energy use in the future, think about all the jobs energy does for you. Would you like to completely do without your electric servants, your comfortable car, your snug home? Even with its costs, I doubt if you would like th life of one hundred years ago. If you're in control of the energy you use, you have made your choices; and energy costs won't loom as a tremendous monster. They'll only be bills to pay for services rendered. Taking a look back at energy supplies and prices can help anticipate the future. All the experts tell us that energy supplies will not increase rapidly, nor can we ever expect significant reductions in price. Conserving now not only helps the pocketbook but will help us have slower price increases in the future. Only when newer, and maybe completely unexpected, sources of power become economically feasible can we expect con sumers not to get excited about energy bills. Mean while, if you want to enjoy the "good life", you must pay for it. People in the News Dr. and Mrs. Frank Ainsley and family of Wilmington were holiday guests of Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Ainsley. Miss laura Horton of Richmond, Va. was a holiday guest of Mrs. Lloyd Horton. Bison 90 Cflnvintional r.ab Tandem Mr. and Mrs. H.R. Christensen spent the holidays with relatives in Charlotte. Call a Nationwide agent for a confidential analysis. Paying too much? Danger ous gaps? Find out FREE. ARPDC is Getting "better and better" HERTFORD-The Albemarle Regional Planning and Develop ment Commission's senior citizen nutrition program has become "better and better" in 1978, ac cording to Ms. Rebecca J. Rhodes, nutrition director. Reports indicate the nutrition program participation in Camden, Washington, TyiTell, Pasquotank, Gates, Perquimans, Chowan and Dare counties has almost doubled in the second half of 1978, according to Rhodes. "1979 will begin with some changes in the program," the director said. However, details on those changes are not complete. Ms. Rhodes stated that county commissioners in the area have given both moral and financial support to the nutrition program. She further thanked housing authority directors, church and community building trustees for providing the program with meal sites. ADD FUNDS ? While Dr. Gerald Bray, dean of ad: ministrative services, and Nedra Boswell of Hertford, president, look on, Mary Forbes of Hertford, secretary treasurer, writes a check which will be used to sustain the trust fund for the Alexandra K. Boada Citizenship Award. The scholarship for language students attend ing the College of the Albemarle was established in memory of the former instructor. (COA Photo) Students will fail Figures recently releas ed by the Department of Public Instruction show that the 11.1 percent of Perquimans school chil dren will not pass their grade. According to the figures, there was an increase of 26.4 percent over . the number of non-promotions in 1977 and 1978. Some 126 local school systems out of 145 in the state showed an increase in the past year. State School Superinten dent Craig Phillips noted that each school unit had its own polices for failing the student. The lowest non-promotion rates were found to occur in the west; the highest in the east. Grades one, nine and ten are the hardest to pass. In Perquimans, the high school years, except for the senior year, are the hardest to be promoted. MADRE AWARDED ? On behalf of Donald Madre, president of Perquimans County Farm Bureau, Agency Manager Walt Humphlett receives a special award from John Sledge, president of the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation at its annual meeting in Asheville this week. The award was presented in recognition of outstanding production by Farm Bureau insurance agents in the county in a statewide contest in which agents had an opportunity to win this honor for their county presidents who serve on a voluntary basis. Shown in the picture (from left) are Sledge and Humphlett. OF VALUABLE FARM EQUIPMENT SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 1979-10:00 A.M. SALE LOCATED: WALTER VANN FARM; Between Corapeake, N.C. md Suffolk, ??.; 3 Miles from Va., and N.C. Line off HWY. 32. LOOK FOR AUCTKM SICK. ? Ford Tractor - 3000 Diesel (786 Hrs.) ? I.H.C. A Tractor ? with Cultivators ? Masaey- Ferguson Flip Flow ? 3 Bottom 16 inch ? King Disc ? K Ft - 3 P|. Hitch ? King Diet - 7 FL 3 PL Hitch ? Pittaburgh Dtae - 0 PL 8 Pl Hitch ? Cola Plantar* ? 4 Row on Tool Bar with (landy Boxes ? Ferguson Rotary Hoc ? 4 Row P.T.O. ? Pittsburg Cukivatora ? 4 Row ? Maaacy-Ferguaon Cultivators -i Row ? Massey- Ferguson Sickle Mower ? 7 Ft. Blade - 3 Pt Hitch ? Benthal) Peanut Combine ? P.T.O ? LUUaton Peanut Digger-Shaker ? 2 ? Hobbe Peanut Diggers-Shakers ? Ferguson Peanut Digger ? Ferguaon Peanut Shaker ? Roller - * PL Hitch ? l eant* Shock Lift ? 1 PL Hitch ? Johnson Vim Cutter with Cylinder ? Seed Sower on Rubber ? Cm Tank with Pump ? 2 ? Pertilixer Sower - 4 Row on Rubber (1 John Deere? 1 Exee-Flow) ? Berus ? T ranapUnter ? 1 Raw ? 3 ? Farm Trailer* ? So- Rite Sower - S PL Hitch ? 4 ? Conveyor* (t Corn, 1 Peanut) ? Box ? 1 PL Hitch ? Hom* Trailer Axles, Tire*, Wheels (New) ? Fan? I FL with Electric Motor ? Planter* ? 2 Row I Pt Hitch ? Wood Saw Tractor Mount ? Anvil. Chains, Binders ? 2-Larre Chain Pals ? Steam Jmb SALE AUTHORIZED BY: People in the News Mr. and Mrs. George Clarke and family of Petersburg, Va. were holiday guest of Mrs. J.E. Morris Dr. and Mrs. Earl Sykes of Wilmington spent the holidays with Mrs. T.J. Nixon, Jr., and Miss Helene Nixon. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Brodie of Washington, D.C. have returned home after spending the holidays with Mr. and Mrs. W.H. Oakey, Jr. Doug Haskett has returned to San Francisco after spending the holidays with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Haskett. Ralph Garrett is visiting relatives in Mount Holly. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Chalk of Wilson were holiday guest of Miss Louise Chalk and Miss Hulda Wood. Mr. and Mrs. John Morris and family of High Point were holiday guest of Mrs. J.E. Morris. Mrs. C.R. Holmes has returned home after spending the holidays with her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Johnson at Prin ceton, N.J. Mrs. Ellie Vickers of Hertford and Roy Vickers, Jr., of Virgina Beach were holiday guests of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Gregory of Raleigh. VISIT MURFREESBORO? Three DAR Good Citizens from this area representative of the Edenton Tea Party visited Murfreesboro recently. Among those ladies accompaning the girls was Mrs. Marion Swindell of Hertford. She is on the back row, fourth from the left. ' Service News WURZBURG, GER MANY, Dec. 8 ? Norene Nixon, daughter of Mrs. Irene G. Nixon, Rt. 1, Hert ford, N.C., recently was promoted to Army sergeant in Wurzburg, Germany, where she is a training noncommissioned officer with the 493rd supply and Service Company. She entered the Army in January 1976. The sergeant completed her high school education through the General Educational Development program. SAN ANTONIO - Air man Clavin Whedbee Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Whedbee Sr. of Rt. 3, Hert ford, has graduated at Lackland AFB, Tex., from Air Force basic training. The airman, who is re maining at Lackland for specialized training in the security police field, studied the Air Force mis sion, organization and customs and received special instruction in human relations. Comple tion of this training earned the individual credits towards an associate in ap plied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force. Airman Whedbee is a 1978 graduate of Per quimans County High School. Staff Sergeant, Ronald J. Harvey, son of Policeman Robert L. and Mrs. Willie Harvey of Hertford, has been assigned to duty at the Air Force Base in Iceland. This is his first tour overseas and will last one year. Harvey was stationed in Texas and California before being transferred to the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro. His wife, Frances, and their twin daughters are living at the base while she completes her nursing training at Wayne College School of Nursing. November 20 ? Navy Fireman Recruit Roger A. Keown, son of Mary B. Keown of P.O. Box 51,, Tyner and Navy Seams* Recruit Charles Bj. Broome, son of Rev. George L. and Myrna J. Broome P.O. Box 117, Tyner, has completed recruit training at tkc Naval Training Center Orlando, Fla. During the eight week training cycle, trainees studied general military subjects designed tc prepare them for further academic and on-the-job training in one of the Navy's 85 basic occupa tional fields. Included in their studies were seamanship, close order drill, Naval history and first aid. Personnel who complete this course' of instruction are eligible for three hours of college credit in Physical Educvfl tion and Hygiene. M Both are 1978 graduates of Chowan High School . HANKSCRAFT COOL VAPOR HUMIDIFIER RE& $17.50

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