THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
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^Volume 39, No. 9 USPS 428-080 Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, March 3, 1983 20 CENTS
Payment-in-Kind program deadline March 11
By VAL SHORT
Time is running out for fanners
I wishing to sign up for PIK, the
Pay ment-in-Kind program
developed by the USDA and spon
sored by ASCS.
March 11 is the deadline for PIK
sign-up, according to Tommy Rid
dick, ASCS director. All PIK con
tracts will go into effect following the
deadline.
} The program will not solve all of
the economic problems of
Perquimans County, but according to
Riddick.it "will help."
"It's going to put money in cir
culation that's not there. I think
overall, we're going to get through
another year," said Riddick.
The PIK program was developed to
help reduce the current over supply
of corn, wheat, sorghum, cotton and
rice.
Riddick said corn, wheat and
cotton would be the crops most af
fected by the program in
Perquimans County.
Farmers have three options for
participation in the program, if they
have an estalished base, according to
Riddick.
The first option is to participate in
the Acreage Reduction Program in
which the farmer plants 80 percent
but leaves out 20 percent of his
established based which makes him
eligible for a diversion payment of 10
percent.
Under "10-30 percent PIK diver
sion," participants agree to leave out
from 10 to 30 percent more of the
base, planting half and leaving out
half, said Kiddick.
Farmers under this agreement
would be eligible to receive a
diversion payment on 10 percent of
the base plus certificates for the
number of bushels they are entitled
to receive, according to Riddick.
Farmers can also elect for the
"whole base bid," in which they
agree to leave the entire base out.
With this option they would receive a
diversion payment of 10 percent and
certifiactes of entitlement on 9
percent of the base.
With the certificates of entitlement
for corn, wheat and other crops,
farmers have the choice of
marketing the certificates or
redeeming them for the commodity.
The certificates will be issued next
October 1 and the participants will
have five months to market or
redeem them.
Riddick feels most of the cer
tificates will be marketed.
Riddick said PIK would not really
afect 1983 prices, but "I think we'll
see a big difference in 1984," he said.
"The supply should be reduced
substantially," he said. That
reduction should bring better prices
for the following year.
The goal of the USDA has to reduce
production by 23 million acres, which
is 16 percent of the total national
base.
Riddick explained that this
reduction would not only help the
farmer, but also the taxpayers who
are paying for storage and other
costs of the oversupply of grain and
other commodities.
What is to become of the land that
is to be left unplanted?
Riddick said nothing can be
planted for harvest on the land.
"We encourage some type of cover,
but it's not required," said Riddick.
"They need to control weeds and
grasses by discing or mowing," he
continued.
Fescue and clover are suggested
examples of cover crops that can be
planted until April 15. Riddick said
grazing would not be permitted
between April 1 and September 30.
Riddick said he thought most of
Perquimans participants will use a
natural cover.
Wildlife will benefit from the PIK
program, according to Riddick. He
said the natural cover would create
desireable habitates for small game.
The PIK program could mean an
easier, more profitable year ahead
for area farmers. Riddick said, "It
won't make the farmers rich ? it's a
means of survival right now."
Enjoying a few brief
moments of sunshine is
7m Dammbk'ma am a
Jennifer Williams, of
Edenton, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Terry Williams. Jen
nifer found a sunny spot to
play at Missing Mill Park in
Hertford.
Mil r ci quinutim
January unemployment rate hits 9.6%
The unemployment rate in
Perquimans County rose to 9.6
percent in January, which
represented 310 unemployed of the
3,240 total labor force.
^According to Employment
Security Commission figures, the
statewide total unemployment in
January reached double digit figures
for the first time since 1975. The
January rate was 10 percent,
representing 288,800 unemployed.
The current unemployment rate in
Reed
named
first VP
The Committee of 100 elected Roy
Reed of Hertford first vice president
last week replacing Alan Atbell, who
0c$ntly resigned.
Also elected was a board of
directors, which included Tim Brinn,
H.R. Christensen. Shirley Perry, Bill
Co*, Jaa Spruill, Mary Harrell,
Bobby Eure, Roy Red and Ben
Berry.
Also at the meeting committee
reports were heard including a
report from Roy Reed, chairman of
the; Industrial Development Com
I reported that members of the
committee had been assigned to
study labor, commercial and funding
resources for the county.
The Committee of 100 amended its
bylaws so that aa ex-o(Bcfa> member
of tbe Board of Directors would not
bo counted is qoe of tbe nine
to encourage industrial
Perquimans represents a 1.4 percent
decrease over the rate for January
1982, however.
ESC statistics indicate that
Perquimans unemployed received
$58,000 in benefits with an average of
141 persons per week receiving those
benefits.
On the state level, a record $56.3
million in weekly unemployment
insurance benefits was paid to
jobless workers in January.
According to Alice Bond of the ESC
office in Edenton, the statistics do not
necessarily reflect unemployment
within Perquimans only. The rate
also includes Virginia and
surrounding counties in which
Perquimans people are employed.
The January rate showed an in
crease of .9 percent over the
unemployment rate for December in
Perquimans. According to Mrs.
Bond, the Perquimans rate for
December was 8.7 percent.
Statewide the January rate showed
an increase of 27,600 from the
previous month. The revised
December rate was 8.9 percent.
Glenn R. Jernigan, chairman of the
ESC in North Carolina said,
"Historically, the January jobless
rate is high because winter weather
curtails outdoor job activities and the
retail trades lay off their holiday
sales personnel."
"Fewer students in the work force,
due to the January semester break,
also added to the increase," he
continued.
Dwayne Parks recently
received the Governor'*
Award from Governor Jlri
Hunt which is "the highest
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designation of meritorious
service" in North Carolina.
Parks received the award
from his social studies
teacher Anne Washington,
left. His mother, right, was on
hand for the presentation.
Joe Lothian named
Winfall PD chief
Winfall now has its own police
department and the new chief of
police was sworn in last Thur
sday.
The Town of Winfall has em
ployed Joe Lothian, former
deputy of the Perquimans County
Sheriff's Department, to head the
newly formed police department.
The department was formed to
provide police protection for the
residents and businesses in
Winfall and was a way of giving
some of the taxpayers' money
back to the community, according
to Winfall mayor Lloyd Ray
Morgan.
Lothian plans to emphasize
crime prevention in the police
department and feels the
department will offer greater
security for businesses.
The Winfall Police Department
is now part of the county Dispatch
systems, which means that
reports will be dispatched to
Winfall through the main dispatch
number ? 426-5751.
The office is located in Winfall
beside the town water plant.
Uniforms and a patrol car have
been ordered for the department.
Currently, Lothian is using a
rented vehicle.
Prior to his two and one-half
years with the Perquimans
County Sheriff's Department,
Lothian worked with the
Elizabeth City Police Department
three years.
He received his basic training at
the ECPD through College of The
Albemarle. Throughout his career
he has received 500 total hours of
training, including training as a
forensic hypnotist at the N.C.
Justice Academy.
"I'm looking forward to
working with the people here and I
think this will be a benefit to the
community," said Lothian.
The new police chief plans to get
involved in the community
through educational programs.
"I'm tickled to have the op
portunity to work in Winfall. I'm
glad things worked out as they
have," he said.
A Perquimans native, Lothian
lives with his wife and two
children in the Whiteston area. He
is author of "Perquimans Out
doors," featured in the
Perquimans Weekly.
New Winfall Police
Department Chief of Police
Joe Lothian was sworn in
last week and is now on
duty.
Brown resigns AEMC
Ed Brown, manager of the
Albemarle Electric Membership
Corporation, has resigned to accept a
position with an electrical
cooperative in Alaska.
Brown, who submitted his
resignation to the AEMC board
February 4 to become effective
March 4, said his resignation was
prompted only for positive reasons.
"I have been in full harmony with
the board and have no problems. I
am just ready for a new Job, a new
challenge and a aew opportunity,"
said Brown.
In bis new position with Chugach
Electric Associative in Anchorage,
' *
Alaska. Brown will be the manager
of member services. He will be
working in communication with the
members of this 55,000 meter
cooperative which generates its own
power.
Brown said he would like to return
to North Carolina one day and
possibly head a larger cooperative,
but right now he is looking forward to
the challenge awaiting him in
Alaska. He reports to work next
week.
Mrs. Doris White, office manager
at the EMC, will serve as acting
manager until the new manager is
named.
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