THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume S3, No. 3 USPS 426-0*0 Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, January it, 198* 2S CENTS
Local Democrats file for Primary Election
By SUSAN HARRIS
and JANE B. WILLIAMS
Perquimans County Sheriff Ju
lian "Little Man" Broughton will
face opposition in the upcoming
May Primary Election from
Donald Riddick, a local building
contractor.
Broughton, age 59, has served
I
as sheriff for approximately 20
years. He is the owner-operator
of the Hertford Bus Station on
Edenton-Road Street, and he is
the only candidate to date to face
opposition in the upcoming pri
mary.
Riddick, age 37, has challenged
Broughton for this seat in earlier
races. He has not held prior pub
lic office. Both candidates are
representatives of the Demo
cratic Party.
County Commissioner Chair
man WW. "Welly" White, Jr., a
democrat representing District
One filed Monday to retain his
seat on that board. White, age 44,
is a self-employed farmer in the
county.
Third District Commissioner
William Wray Chappell, Demo
crat, made known his intention to
seek re-election to the board
when he filed as a candidate on
Thursday. Chappell, age 47, is
completing his first term of of
fice on the board. He is a resident
of the New Hope community, and
is also a farmer. \
Perquimans County Clerk of
Superior Court Jarvis Ward,
Democrat, age 66, filed Friday to
retain that post.
The Republican Party in Per
quimans County has begun a
growth pattern following the
overwhelming nationwide favor
itism shown to their candidates
during the 1984 General Elec
tions. Charles Murray, local
chairman of that party, has
stated that there is a possibility
that the local republican party
will field candidates for this pri
mary.
In the county's only non-parti
san race, Clifford Winslow,
chairman of the Perquimans
County Board of Education, has
filed for re-election. Winslow, a
representative from the Belvi
dere Township is a local farmer.
In addition to his work on the lo
cal board, Winslow, age 56, is ac
tively involved in education on
the state level.
The only seat that had not been
filed for as of press time, was the
Board of Education seat cur
rently held by Mack Nixon of the
New Hope Township.
The filing period for the May
Primary Election will end at
12:00 Noon on Monday, February
3, 1986.
- ' -w - r- -<mmw ? % ? "? m-> V <*** *F*HPr pr ' MHPP f ' **?
A freshly plowed Held proves to be a winter haven for hungry seagulls as they pass through Belvidere. (Photo by Jane Williams) 1
Small Business Center to feature theatre organ
When College of The Albe
marle opens the doors of its
newly constructed Community
and Small Business Center to the
public in 1987. visitors to teb fa
cility will hear an old friend who,
after a 26-year absence, has fi
nally returned home.
Through the efforts of local
musician Rodney Trueblood and
the COA Foundation, the Robert
Morton pipe organ that was the
pride of the old Carolina in Eliza
beth City for 31 years will be per
manently installed in the cen
ter's auditorium.
Locating the whereabouts of
the 58-year-old, 700-pipe instru
ment that was sold in 1960 by the
late J. Holland Webster, and the
circumstances that made it
available to the college at a time
that would allow its inclusion in
the construction plans of the new
building is something takin to an
episode from "The Twilight
Zone."
It began during the early
months of 1985. Trueblood who is
the organist at First United
Methodist Church, and has
taught students for many years,
feels a close kinship with the old
theatre organ.
When he was high school stu
dent in the late 1940's the young
musician played the instrument
three evenings each week to keep
it in working condition.
"After it was sold in 1960, 1 lost
track of it," said Trueblood.
"For years, I had wondered if it
still existed and if it was still
playable."
"Hie organist's questions were
answered early last year by a
former student who was aware of
Trueblood's interest in the Rob
ert Morton instrument. Mark
Williams, is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. F.E. "Red" Williams, and
an employee of a book publisher
in Lawrenceville, Maryland. He
serves as organist in one of that
community's churches. Williams
found the address of the current
owner after talking with the ar
chivist of the Organ Historical
Society. Shortly after his discov
ery, he told his form.er teacher.
Trueblood immediately wrote
to Warren Thomas in Washing
ton, Grove, Maryland, asking if,
by chance, it was true that the
instrument Thomas had installed
in his home was the same one
that had entertained Elizabeth
City audiences so many years be
fore. Thomas' response was af
EMT course to be offered
Individuals wishing to obtain
training as an Emergency Medi
cal Technician (EMT) will have
the opportunity to do so begin
ning January 21 when an EMT
course will be offered through
Emergency Medical Services in
cooperation with the College of
the Albemarle's continuing edu
cation program.
The basic class will be taught
at the Perquimans County Res
cue Squad building, and will be
held each Tuesday and Thursday
Rogerson fills post
By NANCY SMITH
A Perquimans County native
has returned home to undertake
a position as an employment de
veloper for older citizens in the
area.
Margie Rogereon, a University
of North Carolina graduate, has
worked for four years as a coun
selor with vocational rehabilita
tion and then as assistant man
ager with the Dare County
Tourist Bureau. She has returned
to Hertford to fill the position of
Employment Developer with the
Albemarle Commission.
The goal of the Albemarle
Commission is to improve the
quality of life for the older resi
dents of the ten-county Region R.
The Commission works toward
its goal through the administra
tion of the Older Americans Act.
Rogerson will be working with
persons age 55 and older who are
interested in part-time or full
time employment.
In her new capacity Rogerson
will seek employment opportuni
ties available to suit the needs of
her clients whether to supple
ment a fixed income or to pro
vide primary income. Emphasis
is on direct placement. The Albe
marle Commission will not be
creating jobe but will be placing
clients in existing Jobe within
their own communities.
Rogerson can be contacted at
the Albermarle Commission on
Church Street Extended in Hart
ford Monday through Friday
from 8:30 to 5:00. For more infor
mation concerning the employ
ment program call 4K-57SS.
night until the 100-hour course is
complete. Ten hours of the
course study will consist of emer
gency room training at a local
hospital.
To guarantee the course lo
cally a minimum of 15 regis
trants are required. Non-certi
fied Rescue Squad members and
individuals interested in becom
ing squad members, firemen and
law enforcement officers will
have priority for enrollment;
however, others are encouraged
to sign up for the course. A class
of up to 30 can be accomodated.
The class will be taught by a
registered nurse, assisted by
technicians during practical
work. In the past, area doctors
have donated their time for va
rious classes.
The tuition is free to members
of participating organizations.
The training manual used for the
course costs approximately
$18.00. Additional information
can be obtained by calling 426
5751.
According to Milton Dail, Cap
tain of the Perquimans County
Volunteer Rescue Squad, there is
a dire need for additional EMT's
in Perquimans County. During
1985, the Perquimans squad lost
eight EMT's for various reasons.
Dail said that at the present,
65-percent of the squad members
are over 50-yeare old, and 15 of
these will be retiring in 1987 with
20 years of service.
"A volunteer rescue squad can
continue if dedicated and respon
sible people will come forward
and participate," he said.
firmative. Although it was im
perceptible after the initial
correspondence, the first step to
return the organ to its original
homesite had been taken.
"The college foundation was
just winding up a very successful
campaign to fund a new audito
rium," Trueblood said. "It oc
curred to me that this would be a
perfect place to house the instru
ment if it could be acquired."
In his letter, Thomas had indi
cated that he was interested in
selling the organ because of his
plans to move to Florida. The
owner had fond memories of
Elizabeth City and offered his as
sistance in relocating the instru
ment.
Trueblood contacted Dr. Par
ker Chesson, Jr., COA president,
and foundation president W.W.
"Woody" Foreman. Both were
receptive to the idea. Foundation
directors later agreed to pur
chase the instrument for $10,000.
The exact market value of the or
gan is not known, however, seve
ral years ago, Thomas said an
executive at the M.P. Moeller Or
gan Co. in Hagerstown, esti
mated that his company would
charge approximately $60,000
just for the pipework and wind
chest.
Aside from the initial cost, ap
proximately $20,000 will be
needed to recondition the organ.
Although the funds to buy and re
furbish the instrument are not
yet assured, Chesson says he is
hopeful that these expenses can
be met by interested individuals
in the community.
"Significant contributions to- |
wards this project will be noted
in highly visible locations within
the new center," the president j
said.
Since the agreement to pru
chase the organ was made, more
than 700 pipes, each representing
a different instrument, have
been dismantled and brought to <
the COA campus. A special stor- I
age room has been built by stu- ,
dents in the light contraction pro- I
gram. ,
Several area organ enthusiasts I
have agreed to give their time to ,
the restoration project. Joe Pool, '
now an industrial arts teacher at
Manteo High School, is one who
has offered his help. In addition
to his teaching duties, the Eliza
beth City native operates an or
gan maintenance business, and
is thoroughly acquainted with the
complex mechanisms that make
up the insturments.
The historic artifact which
originally cost $16,000, caused
quite a stir in Elizabeth City
when it was installed in the Caro
lina Theatre in 1928. Prior to the
first performance on April 10,
1929, the organ was the subject of
a front page article in the Tues
day, April 9 issue of The Daily
Advance.
A followup story reported a full
house to hear William Klassette
of Atlanta, Ga., give the pre
miere performance. "Masks of
the Devil," starring John Gil
bert, Alma Ruebens, and Ralph
Forbes, was the feature attrac
tion with admission prices of ten
( Continued on page 2)
DSA
Banquet
slated
The Perquimans County Jay
cees have announced that the an
nual Distinguished Service
Awards (DSA) Banquet will be
held on Thursday, January 23, at
7:00 p.m. at the Hertford Fire
Station on Grubb Street.
The banquet is held annually
by Jaycees across the nation to
recogniz? the merits of individu
als who have given extraordi
nary amounts of time and energy
to the communities in which they
live.
In addition to the prestigious
DSA, awards will be presented
locally to the Outstanding Young
Educator, Outstanding Young
Law Enforcement Officer, Out
standing Young Firefighter, Out
standing Young Rescuer, Out
standing Senior Citizen and the
Outstanding Youth in Perqui
mans County.
Anyone wishing to attend this
year's banquet should contact
Edgar Robeyson at 426-5225
(days) or 426-7719 (nights.) The
cost of the meal will be $7.50 per
person.
MUSIC BOXES? Local organist Rodney Trueblood, dwarfed
by slacks of windpipes from the Robert Morton organ that was
uised for 31 years at the old Carolina Theatre on Main Street,
holds one of the smallest and largest metal pipes that are part
of a 700-pipe system. The instrument, which has been installed
in a private residence in Maryland for the past 2C year*, will
find a new home in the auditorium of College of The Albe
marle's new Community and Small Business Center (CO A
Photo)