.THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 36, No. 24
USPS 428-080
Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, June 12, >980
20 CENTS
County funds recreation,
motion calls for vote
The Perquimans County
Board of Commissioners
committed $20,000 to the
recreation department after a
public hearing on the 1980-81
county budget Monday night.
Funds for the department
#ad been left out of the budget
because of a shortage of
revenue sharing monies, but
the Hertford Town Council
agreed at the hearing to use its
money for the department
until more federal revenue
sharing money becomes
available for the county.
The department is presently
financed on a 50-50 shared cojt
^arrangement between town
and county, and is ad
ministered through the town.
But town board members
and residents have said they
are carrying an unfair burden
of the recreation budget, in
what amounts to a sort of
double taxati64?
A motion made by Lester
Simpson may change that
^arrangement next year.
Simpson moved that county
residents be allowed to vote on
whether or not they want to be
taxed to finance the recreation
department.
The issue would be placed
on the ballot this (all, and, if
approved, the county would
pick up the entire tab for the
recreation program.
Simpson expressed a belief
that county residents would
not be in favor of tax money
for recreation but said he
would be willing to put the
matter to a vote.
"If you all are as strong for
it as you say you are you'll
certainly give the people a
chance to vote on it," said
Simpson.
Other board members said
they wanted to think the
matter oven though some
appeared receptive.
"Let's wait until next time
(to decide)," said com
missioner Waldo Winslow,
adding, "I think you've
probably got a good idea."
A few citizens attended the
meeting, and Gil Underwood
pleaded the case for the
recreation department, while
William Nixon argued that the
county could not really afford
to take over the program.
Underwood said that the
time is at hand to continue to
improve and expand the
recreation department rather
than consider cutting back.
Underwood said the county
could pay now, with a
recreation program, or later,
with increased juvenile
delinquency and vandalism.
Nixon, on the other hand,
said there will be less money
available to the county after
November than there is now.
"This program is not reaching
the percentage of people that
would justify the county's
taking this thing over," said
Nixon.
The participation comment
prompted Hertford Mayor Bill
Cox to reel off an impressive
list of figures that totaled up to
1,917 persons who had taken
part in various programs and
special events the recreation
department offers.
But several of the com
missioners argued that the
entire hearing had gotten off
track, and that there was no
question that the program
would be funded. The problem
was where to take the money
from.
Both the town board and the
county commissioners agreed
that next year, the funding
arrangement for the
recreation department should
be decided before the last
minute, and the boards should
hold a joint meeting on the
matter.
Schools superintendent Pat
Harrell asked that school
representatives be invited to
the meeting.
"If you do get involved in
this, I'd like for you to invite
the board of education. It's
important because of facilities
usage," said Harrell.
Break-ins plague town
Iruns taken in burglary
# A total of $1,434 in guns and
knives was stolen from Pitt
Hardware in Hertford
following a break-in early
Saturday morning, according
to Hertford Police Chief
Marshall Merritt.
Twelve sFotguns an3 filne
knives, including an antique
German dagger valued at
approximately $100, were
9 taken from the store owned by
Hertford resident Billy White
after entrance was gained
through breaking a window on
the north side of the building.
An eye-witness told police
officers Eugene McLawhorn.
Robert Morris, and Mer.ntt
where he thought Uie stolen
goods had been taken, and
after a warrant was obtained
by the police 'department,
Perquimans County Sheriff
Julian Broughton and Deputy
Sheriff Joe Lothian went in
search of the-suspect.
Although the man had fled
from Ronald Eure's residence
in Mead's Trailor park, most
o/theweapons, except for one
Bif gun and four knives, were
recovered th?re.
Merritt said warrants have
been obtained for arrests in
the case, and that he expected
the sheriff to make the arrests
as soon as the suspects were
located.
Another break-in was
reported by the Perquimans
County Recreation Depart
ment early Monday morning.
Merritt said the break-in,
which occurred "sometime
over the week-end," resulted
( Continued on page 2)
A > * ? I ??
^ long p&rking&lace
;
h Town employee Rufus Rouse station on Church Street in will irsure that buses will taking an or discharging |
long parking Hertford. The reserved spot have a ptare to park when passengers.
in front of the bos :
> * r v.v , ~ * / 'jy.. ? ' < * * *>
'? L-k li ? i
The last band
Recognize any of these
people? They are members of
Perquimans High School's
last uniformed marching
band, as they appeared in the
1952 high school annual. But
next year the current high
school band will begin mar
ching, and a healthy chunk of
money is still needed for
uniforms and equipment.
Saturday is "Band Day," a
fund-raiser carnival that will
address many of these
needs( Photo contributed by
JANICE BOYCEt.
Band day is Saturday
If you've ever wanted to
throw a pie in the face of
Hertford Mayor Bill Cox, your
chance will come Saturday,
June 14, when the Perquimans
County Band Boosters sponsor
the second annual Band Day
at the Hertford Saddle Club
Show Ring and Little League
Park, Grubb Street Extended,
in Hertford.
The pie auction, which will
feature a host of town and
county officials as targets, is
just one of many games and
entertainments slated for the
day-long event.
Activites will begin at 10
a.m., and will include a horse
show featuring 36 classes, a
dunking machine, a greased
pole climb, a greased pig
contest, cake walks and
auctions, and a disco dance
contest.
A variety of musical en
tertainment will be featured
throughout the day, including
performances by the
Perquimans County school
bands, by Phase III, a local
jazz ensemble, and by the
Good Old Boys, a blue grass
group. The Bagley Chapel
Young Adults Choir will sing
gospel.
The Harbor Lites square
dancing group will also per
form.
Crafts, plants, toys, and
baked goods will be on sale
throughout the day.
Persons wishing to drop off
toys or crafts to be sold at
Band Day may do so at any of
the county schools, at Pitt
Hardware in Hertford, or at
Peoples Bank in Hertford.
A fish fry will complete the
day's activities from 4 p.m. to
7 p.m. Tickets, $2.50, are
available in advance or on the
grounds.
The Perquimans County
school band program needs
almost $7,000 in order to outfit
the band next year.
Among the band's needs are
26 band uniforms, 21 auxiliary
uniforms, 12 flags, four rifles,
and a banner.
Band Day attracted nearly
2,000 participants and netted
some $8,000 last year, and
organizers are hoping for an
even larger turn-out on
Saturday.
Career center scores grant
Some $73,000 in grant
monies has recently been
appropriated to aid
development of the proposed
Tri-County Career Center.
According to Tri-County
Career director Ken Stalls, the
money will be used to finance
the search for the ap
proximately $5 million needed
to construct the center.
The Tri-County Career
Education Center is a project
designed to meet the ad
vanced vocational and
academic needs of students in
Perquimans, Gates, and
Chowan counties.
The money appropriated
included $20,000 from the
Coastal Plains Regional
Commission; $28,304 in
federal monies from the
Career Education Fund; and
$25,000 from the Z. Smith
Reynolds Foundation.
The recent funding carries
the project into Phase II ? or
the search for construction
money, according to Stalls.
Phase I, or the development
of a tentative curriculum, was
completed in March of this
year.
Stalls said the next step was
to secure construction money
for the center, and that site
selection would immediately
follow.
The Tri-County Career
Center Steering Committee
met in executive session last
week to discuss land
acquisition and possible site
considerations.
"We plan to identify an
area, not a specific piece of
land," said Stalls.
Although Stalls said he was
not at liberty to address
specific areas under possible
consideration for the location
of the center, he did say that
the committee would probably
look for a 30-40 acre tract of
land.
Following a meeting in
Raleigh with the Division of
School Planning, Stalls was
advised as to what con
siderations should be taken
into account before site
selection.
He said the division
recommended that the cen
ter's location should:
?allow access to major road
networks
?provide access to the county
water system
?enjoy maximum visibility
The planning division also
advised that the design of the
center should harmonize with
local architecture, blend well
with the environment, and
utilize a maximum use of
space.
"Before any tax dollars go
into this project, they (the
Division of School Planning)
have to approve everything,"
said Stalls.
The curriculum developed
for the center would house
about 26 different program
areas in approximately
104,370 square feet.
Some of the tentative
program areas to be served by
the Career Center, based on
teacher recommendations,
include mathematics, art,
music, drama, vocational
agriculture, business
education, drafting, English,
home economics, auto
mechanics, carpentry,
masonry, and welding.
In addition to the teacher
recommendations of subject
areas to be included, Stalls
and Dr. Jack Owenby, a
consultant with the
-Southeastern Regional
Agency of Tuscaloosa, Ala.,
developed some sup
plementary programs.
These include health oc
cupation, cosmetology, auto
body and marine small engine
repair, food service, and
electricity-electronics.
Emphasizing that the center
was not designed to compete
with the local high schools,
Stalls pointed out that no
athletics or extra curricular
activities would be offered,
except for those directly
related to occupational
training.
Hertford seeks excellence award
Representatives of an
electronic component com
pany are expected to look at
Hertford as a potential in
dustrial site today (Thur
sday).
But even if they like what
they see, they will not locate in
Perquimans County because
the company's represen
tatives are actually judges for
North Carolina's Community
of Excellence award, and the
scenai io will be played as part
of Hertford's effort to qualify
for 1900 redesignation as a
Community of Excellence.
"The judges will pose as a
potential industry and we're
supposed to play the role of
luring the industry to Hert
ford," said Pam Whitley,
economic development
planner with the Albemarle
Regional Planning and
Development Commission,
who is helping the town ready
itself for the judging.
Hertford was among 77 of
the some 100 towns deter
mined a Community of Ex
cellence in 1979.
The award, established as
part of Governor James B.
Hunt, Jr.'s balanced growth
program, is designed to aid
small communities in at
tracting industries to their
areas.
Once a town is designated a
Community of Excellence, it
is registered with the North
Carolina Department of
Commerce as an area that is
prepared for and actively
seeking industrial develop
ment. Industrial inquiries on
the state level are then sup
posedly referred to the town.
Although Hertford has not
received any inquiries as a
result of .the 1979 award.
Mayor Bill Cox said he thinks
designation as a Community
of Excellence is essential for
attracting potential in
dustries.
"The award keeps us in a
better position to talk to in
dustry," said Cox, who added
that he feels the economy is to
blame for lack of industrial
interest in the area. "The
economy is bad all over ? we
can't expect tremendous
results."
In addition to today's role
playing, the town is expected
to launch another clean-up,
fix-up campaign under the
direction of the Perquimans
County Jaycees.
"The award is a good thing
because it keeps us on out
toes," said Cox.
Budget okayed
Nobody was present at
Monday night's budget
hearing to refute the tentative
budget of some fl.7 million set
for operation of the town of
Hertford for the coming fiscal
year.
The amount, up ap
proximately $200,000 over last
year's budget, largely reflects
increases in utility costs.
For a detailed budget
analysis, see the May 29
edition e f THE
PERQUIMANS WEEKLY. A
complete copy of the budget is
also available for public in
spection at the town office,
located in the Municipal
Building on Grubb Street in
Hertford.
t V