THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume Mo. 37 USPS 42*0M Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, September 13, 19S4 25 CENTS
Activity and entertainment to highlight summer festival
By JANS WILLIAMS
(Editor's aote: This week's
edition of The Perquimans
Weekly contains a schedule of
events for the Indian Summer
Festival, along with a special
section of advertisements for the
downtown sidewalk sale
beginning on page four.)
Fun, food and entertainment
will abound in Hertford this
week-end as residents and
visitors come together for the
county's third annual Indian
Summer Festival.
The festival, sponsored by the
County Chamber of commerce,
was originated in 1982 under the
direction of Mary Harrell, who
chaired the original project. The
Idea of a festival was Inspired by
a growing desire on the part of
Chamber members to attract
county residents and visitors to
Hertford. The project was an
overnight sensation.
Support for the first festival
encouraged Chamber members
to make it an annual event, and
last years festival participation
proved that the community gave
the project their whole-hearted
endorsement.
This year's two-day festival
promises to be even bigger and
better than the previous years.
There will be more of everything
for the young and old alike.
The fun will begin on Friday,
September 12, with an old
' County volunteers honored
: By JANE WILLIAMS
''.-More than 100 people turned
out Sunday to participate in a
eounty-wide volunteer
appreciation reception.
Dr. Ellen Voland, Assistant
Director of the Governor's Office
' of Citizen Affairs, addressed the
group during the second annual
reception at Missing Mill Park in
Hertford, commending
individuals and groups for their
outstanding work in the
community.
;'yoland stressed the
importance of volunteerism
across the state, citing that many
projects in the community such
as school renovations and bridge
repairs would have to be
abandoned if the community was
forced to hire individuals to do
the tasks that are performed by
volunteer workers in the county.
"There just wouldn't be enough
money to go around," Voland
stated.
In her closing remarks, Voland
related the theme of volunteers
across the state, which is
comprised of ten two-letter
words, "If it is to be, it is to be
me."
The ceremony, which is held to
honor volunteers nominated for
the Governor's Annual Volunteer
Awards Program, had an added
dimension this year. Two county
men were presented with the
Governor's Bravery and
Heroism Award for their heroic
rescues of individuals in life and
siuations.
The first recipient, Tommy
Bouch, rescued 83-year old Lee
Pridgen on April 9, 1983 when an
Top left ? Tommy Bouch was
?warded a plaque for heroism
and bravery for hit 1983
rescue of 0-jrearold Lee
Pridgen. He was presented
with the award at a reception
for volunteers on Sunday, by
Dr. Ellen Voland.
explosion at Pridgens mobile
home knocked down a wall and
set the home ablaze.
Bouch, who heard the
explosion as he was getting out of
the shower, rushed next door,
broke down a door and carried
Pridgen out of the dwelling to
safety.
On March 10, 1983, Victor
Fesperman was driving a truck
enroute to Franklin, Va. when he
was flagged down by a young
man who told him that his car
had gone down into a canal and
his mother was trapped inside.
Fesperman climbed down the
enbankment and pulled Betty
Mebane out of the car window.
With the aide of other passerby
Fesperman carried Mrs. Mebane
up the enbankment, cleared the
debris from her face and mouth,
and restored breathing with a hit
on the back.
Both Pridger and Mrs. Mebane
were on hand for the award.,
presentation, and expressed
their thankfulness for the
bravery of the young men who
saved their lives.
County winners of the
Governors Volunteer Awards are
as follows:
Human Service Volunteer ?
Larry Chappell; Community
Volunteer ? Hulda Wood;
Administrator/Leader of
Volunteers ? W. D. Cox; Youth
Volunteer ? Jeffrey White;
School Volunteer ? Peggy
Rohrer ; Senior Citizen Volunteer
? Clara Qchofield; Disabled
Volunteer ? Percy Brothers;
One-on-One Volunteer ? Sandra
"Sam" Bennett.
Group volunteer winners are:
Business Volunteer ? Swindell
Funeral Home; Religious Group
Volunteer ? Senior Citizens
Center Bible Class; and
Volunteer Organization ? all
county volunteer fire
departments.
Left ? Victor Fesperman
received a heroism and
bravery award for his spring
of IMS rescue of Betty
Mebane. The award was
presented by Dr. Ellen
Voland.
Certificates of appreciation
for oatetandlnf volunteer! te
til etHitiliy v?r?
. - V ?
t resented to this groop of
distinguished pufaifc serrsnts
during ? Volunteer
* &
bald at
Day
Mill Park on
fashioned sidewalk sale
sponsored by the Chamber of
Commerce Merchants
Committee in celebration of
Colonial Day.
. Old-timey prices will entice
shoppers to stock-up with great
savings when many area
merchants display their wares
on Church Street in the
downtown district of Hertford.
The sale day has become one of
the best days of the year for
participating merchants, with
one merchant commenting that
sales last year surpassed the
Friday after Thanksgiving and
Christmas Eve, which have
historically been the biggest
days of the year for retail
business.
Historical window displays will
peak the interest of shoppers,
and a side-walk cafe will provide
a plesant atmosphere for lunch,
while giving festival goers a
"front row" seat for the
afternoon's entertainment on the
courthouse lawn.
Friday evening will end with a
fish fry at Missing Mill Park.
Tickets are available for $3.25
each at the Chamber of
Commerce office.
Saturday has rightfully been
named Fun Day. Activities and
entertainment will abound for
the children, and a full day of fun
has been planned for the adults
too.
The day will begin at 10:00
a.m. with a 5-K Run sponsored by
the Recreation Department.
Registration will be at 8:30 at
Hertford Grammar School,
where the race will begin and
end.
Activities at Missing Mill Park
will also begin at 10:00 a.m. with
a train ride for children until
noon. Other activities and treats
for children include a visit from
"High D" the clown from 1:00
p.m. until 3:00 p.m.; a candy
making demonstration; toy
displays; games and more.
Entertainment will begin with
several bands and groups
scheduled to appear throughout
the day.
Arts and crafts displays will be
in abundance as many area
craftsmen show and sell their
works throughout the day.
Several area business people
will man displays ranging from a
free blood pressure check to
cosmetics.
Food lovers will find a real
treat when many county
organizations open up food
booths on Saturday. Included in
the wide variety of food that will
be on hand are: barbeque
sandwiches, homemade
desserts, soft crab sandwiches,
ham biscuits, hamburgers, ice
cream and more.
Most of the booths will remain
open until 5:00 p.m. when a pig
picking will launch the evenings
activities.
The festival will end with a
street dance from 8:00 p.m. until
midnight with music by "East
Coast Country."
Round up your family and
friends and plan to spend a fun
filled week-end in Hertford.
Featured in the Indian
Summer Festival are
numerous historical window
displays like the one pictured
above at Darden's
Department Store. The
displays were co-ordinated by
Lizzie Harreli, and offer a
look into the past for those
strolling down Church Street.
(Photo by George Wilmore. )
October Quaker Homecoming
to involve entire community
On July 13, 1984, North
Carolina began a four year
celebration of English histroy in
American that marked the
beginning of our great Nation.
The Perquimans County Four
Hundredth Anniversary
Committee is planning several
commemorative events to tell of
Perquimans' part in our State's
history. We have several "firsts"
of which we can be proud. The
most notable one being that
organized religion in North
Carolina began when the Society
of Friends ministers,
Edmundson and Fox, preached
here in 1672. The Four Hundredth
Committee plans to honor the
first four religious groups to
organise congregations in
Perquimans, one group each
year in chronological order.
This year the religious services
will be held by the Society of
Friends of Quakers. They are not
only the oldest congregation in
the County but in the State.
The Perquimans County Four
Hundredth Anniversary
Committee, the Perquimans
County Restoration Association
and the Eastern Quarterly
Meeting of Friends have planned
? Society of Friends
"Homecoming" on October 12,
13, and 14, with activities
centering around the Newbold
White House where George Fox
preached in 1672. We have
invited Friends from all over the
United States to attend this
commemoration and we will
need free rooms and breakfast
tor them on October 11, 12, and
13. If yon have available rooms,
please notify Mrs. Henry C.
Sullivan, oar housing chairman
at 426-7341.
October 12 will be Perquimans
Heritage Day. North Carolina
Supreme Court Justice Joseph
Branch will take part in living
history demonstrated at the
Newbold-White House. Saturday,
October 13, a self-guidance
pilgrimage begins at the
Perquimans County Courthouse
at 38 places prominent in
Perquimans' Quaker and
Proprietary history.
Sunday, October 14 at 11:00
a.m., Dr. Elton Trueblood, noted
Quaker preacher, teacher, and
author, will conduct a Society of
Friends religious service at the
Newbold-White House. All
religious faiths are invited and
urged to participate in this
service. Many people whose
ancestors left Perquimans
before the Civil War will be
making this pilgrimage and we
want them to feel welcome.
Following the worship service
there will be a dinner on the
grounds. We are asking our local
families to bring enough for
themselves and two friends.
We respectfully ask that you
join with us in this worship
service.
Death claims librarian
Mrs. Lois Asbell Stokes, 59, of
218 N. Front Street died suddenly
Tuesday evening, September 4,
in Albemarle Hospital.
A native of Perquimans County
she was the daughter of the late
W. Jesse and Mary jolliff Asbell
and the wife of Henry C. Stokes,
Jr. She was the Librarian for
Perquimans County High School,
a member of the Hertford United
Methodist Church and its United
Methodist Women and the N. C.
Librarians Association.
Besides her husband,
survivors include a daughter,
mrs. Michael (Suzanne) Niver of
Lexington; a son, Henry C.
Stokes, III of Creswell; a step
daughter, Mrs. Marshall
(Caroline) Bagley of Alexandria,
Va.; two sisters, Mrs. Marlee
McDonald at Sanford and Mrs.
Mae Edla Shaw of Mebane; and
a brother, Emerson Asbell of Rt.
1, Belvidere.
Graveside services were held
Thursday at 3:00 p.m. in
Cedarwood Swindell Funeral
Home was in charge of
arrangements.
Pallbearers were Roy Reed,
Earl Willis, Pat Harrell, Jimmy
Shaw, William Ray McDonald
and Jease Parker Perry.
LOIS STOKES
't