THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume S3, No. 7 USPS 42t-0M Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, February 13, 1*86 25 CENTS
Committee
of 100
holds
annual
meeting
By JANE B. WILLIAMS
Helen Turner, program man
ager of the Portsmouth Part
nership, was the guest speaker at
last week's Perquimans County
Committee of 100 annual banquet
held at Angler's Cove Restau
rant.
Mrs. Turner, a native of Smith
field, Va. and a graduate of Old
Dominion University, is the only
paid employee of the Portsmouth
Partnership, an organization es
tablished to enhance the city and
its reputation.
According to Mrs. Turner, dur
ing the period of 1980-81 the
Portsmouth Chamber of Com
merce Board of Directors de
cided it was time to do something
to enhance their community.
"People had perceived a neg
ative image of Portsmouth," she
said. "The board decided to do
something to improve that
image.
Mrs. Turner said that the
founding group raised money to
improve economic development
in the community and to promote
Portsmouth as a nice place to
live. The team consisted of 75 vol
unteers, and they raised $1.36
million. The organization began
in 1984. It is a coalition of busi
nessmen, professionals, private
citizens and municipal govern
ments.
Mrs. Turner told the group that
it was important to "advertise
and promote," if you wanted to
insure success and growth. She
stated that the Partnership had
been very successful in acquiring
growth for her community.
The Perquimans County Com
mittee of 100 is made up of indi
viduals and businesses inter
ested in developing economic
improvement in the county. Indi
viduals interested in becoming
affiliated with that group should
contact Hal Byrum, president, at
Don Juan Manufacturing.
Winter
Solitude
[
The riverfront in Hertford
proves to be one of the qui
etest places around on a
cold winter's day for those
interested in getting away
from the hustle and bustle
of everyday life. (Photos
by Nancy Smith.)
ASCS farm sign-up begins March 3
"County ASCS Offices will be
gin accepting applications for the
1986 Wheat and Feed Grain Pro
gram on March 3," Tommy Rid
dick, County Executive Director,
Perquimans County Agricultural
Stabilization and Conservation
Service, said. Secretary of Agri
culture John R. Block recently
announced a 25 percent acreage
reduction program for wheat and
a 20 percent reduction for feed
grains.
In addition to price support
loans and deficiency payments,
farmers who sign up and comply
with the acreage reduction pro
gram requirements will be eligi
ble for land diversion payments
on an acreage equal to 2-Vi per
cent of the crop acreage bases.
"Fanners may request 100 per
cent of their land diversion pay
ments and 40 percent of their pro
jected deficiency payments when
they sign up."
Land diversion payment rates
are $1.10 per bushel for wheat,
$.73 for corn, $.65 for sorghum,
$.57 for barley, and $.36 per
bushel for oats. Hie 10 percent
additional paid diversion option
for winter wheat producers is
$2.00 per bushel.
Program participants will be
eligible to earn deficiency pay
ments on the acres planted
within the permitted. "Those
who plant at least 50 percent of
the permitted acreage to the pro
gram crop and plant the remain
ing permitted acreage to a non
program crop, other than soy
beans or extra long staple cotton,
will be eligible to receive defi
ciency payments on 92 percent of
the permitted acreage.'.'
Estimated per bushel defi
ciency payment rates are:
wheat, $1.83; corn, $1.03; sorg
hum, $.96; barley, $.95 and oats,
$.45.
Winter wheat producers who
reduce the acreage planted to
wheat so that it does not exceed
65 percent of the farm's wheat
base will be eligible to receive di
Dunn takes post as agency director
By JANE B. WILLIAMS
One of Perquimans County's
newest citizens has undertaken
the directorship of an almost new
agency.
Talmage Dunn, who moved
here with his family five months
ago, has been appointed director
of Perquimans-Chowan Partners
With Youth (PWY).
The program, which was es
tablished locally last February,
is designed to match adult volun
teers with troubled youth in a
one-on-one situation to provide
positive relationships and goals.
Dunn, who took over as direc
tor of the program in January, is
a former math and computer tea
cher in the Virginia Beach School
Systran. He holds a degree in psy
chology from Old Dominion Uni
versity. Dunn stated that he
moved to Perquimans County,
after years of visiting in the com
munity, because he and his fam
ily were seeking a slower paced
life than the one that they led in
Virginia Beach. An avid out
doorsman, Dunn said that he had
been coming here for years to
hunt and fish, and that Perqui
mans County just seemed like
the best place to come.
He had hoped to secure a job
with the county's school system,
but after that didn't work out he
became interested in the PWY
program.
Partners With Youth came into
being following the establish
ment of the Governor's One-On
One Program in 1961. Hie local
program matches youth between
the ages of eight and 18 with
adult volunteers, and is similar
to the Big-Brother, Big Sister
program. Youth that have had
contact with the court system
comprise 90-percent of those
served under the state regulated
program. The other ten percent
of those served can be referred
by parents, teachers, churches,
or other concerned individuals of
groups.
Funding for the program is se
cured through state matching
grant monies and community do
nations. Currently the agency
has matched four youth with
adult volunteers, and has four
other young people on a waiting
list to be matched.
According to Dunn there is a
need for adult volunteers, espe
cially male volunteers, to insure
the continued success of the pro
gram. Dunn also added that the
program is always in need of ad
ditional funds.
Dunn resides in the White Hat
community with his wife, Janet,
and their children, Amy and Jus
tin.
For more information on the
PWY program contact Dunn at
482-3939.
DUNN
*%
version payments of $2.00 per
bushel on an acreage equivalent
to 10 percent of the wheat base.
Seventy-five percent of the ad
vance deficiency payments will
be paid in cash during signup,
and the remaining 25 percent will
be paid as payment-in-kind be
ginning April 30.
Morris resigns from
Hertford Police Dept.
By JANE B. WILLIAMS
HERTFORD-The Hertford
Town Council accepted the resig
nation of the towns' assistant po
lice chief Monday night during
the board's February meeting.
Captain Robert Morris of the
Hertford Police Department ren
dered his resignation of that posi
tion effective February 28, 1986
to accept the responsibilities of
chief of the Kitty Hawk Police
Department.
Morris joined the Hertford Po
lice Department in August of
1978. He was promoted to his pre
sent rank on November 3, 1981.
The board went on record ex
pressing their regret at the de
partment's loss, and wished Mor
ris success in his new
surroundings.
Morris stated that he would
serve at the board's pleasure un
til the effective resignation date.
The board heard a request
from County Fire Marshall Char
lie Skinner to take action to alle
viate the problem of large trash
items being placed on the town's
sidewalks and streets during the
course of week-ends for Monday
pick-up by the town.
Skinner voiced his concerns of
such items as major household
appliances, mattresses and tires
creating obstacles for passers
by, and thus creating a potential
detriment to public safety.
He submitted 12 photographs
to the board, taken at various lo
cations throughout the town on
Sunday, February 2, depicting
mattresses, large appliances,
and various other items of trash
from households and businesses
piled on the curbing and side
walks.
Skinner commended various
organizations for their clean-up
efforts, but noted that unless the
town takes some type of action
the problem will be an ongoing
one.
Skinner pointed out that there
is an ordinance on the town's
books prohibiting spitting on the
sidewalk, but there is nothing to
stop people from putting "junk"
on the streets.
Skinner stated that "one of the
best things we have to offer is an
attractive town." He proposed
that the council adopt an ordi
nance forbidding the placement
of trash or garbage on the streets
on Saturday and Sunday.
Councilman T. Erie Haste, Jr.
spoke out in favor of an ordi
nance or covenance that would
help alleviate the problem of un
sightly trash piled up within the
municipality during the week
end.
MORRIS
The town currently operates a
trash truck Monday through Fri
day, and on Saturday until 12:00
noon. The service of picking up
large items, such as appliances,
is one that is available in few cit
ies throughout the area.
After a period of dicussion, the
board requested that Town Attor
ney Walter G. Edwards look into
present regulations and develop:
an ordinance prior to the board's
next meeting.
In other business the board dis
cussed the need for a community
watch program and a reward
program to help curtail the re
cent rash of robberies that have
occured within the municipality.
The council approved a motion
that will allow the town manager
to post an offering for a reward of
up to $100.00 for the arrest and
conviction of any individual(s)
for any crime committed in the
municipality. Rewards for larger
amounts of money must receive
the consent of the board.
The board also discussed with
Captain Morris the need for a
community watch program as a
means to help deter crime.
Morris pointed out that the pro
gram could be successful if the
town's residents would get in
volved and not allow interest to
dissolve.
Hertford Mayor Bill Cox re
quested that this publication ask
for citizen response to the com
munity watch program idea.
Anyone interested in participat
ing in a town organized watch
program is encouraged to con
tact Cox, or any member of the
town's board or police depart
ment.
In other action taken, the
board approved a motion requir
ing the use of vaults in Cedar
wood Cemetery.
County resident witnessed
space shuttle explosion
+ By SUSAN HARRIS
On Thursday, January 28th,
the entire nation was shocked
by the explosion of the space
shuttle Challenger. Tele
vision cameras captured the
tragic moment and over the
next few days repeatedly
broadcasted the drama.
Emily Harrell of Perqui
mans County doesn't need the
television newscasts to re
member that fateful day. She
witnessed the explosion.
Harrell was visiting her
brother and sister-in-law at
Cocoa Village, Florida, near
Melbourne, on the day that
the shuttle was scheduled for
lift-off.
She said she and her hosts
began watching television re
ports early in the day when
newscasters announced that
ice on the shuttle had caused
a delay in the take-off. "You
could see the icicles on the
shuttle on television." she
said.
The launch was delayed,
but NASA officials began the
countdown and the astronauts
prepared for their flight, the
first mission carrying a civil
ian passenger.
Mrs. Harrell said her
brother and his wife had wit
nessed many shuttle take
offs, and that she herself had
watched an unmanned shuttle
go into orbit.
As the launch time drew
near, Mrs. Harrell, her
brother, and his wife moved
outside to watch the take-off.
Just after lift-off, Mrs. Har
rell said her brother repeated
several times, "Something is
wrong." It was at about that
time that the shuttle ex
ploded.
"You just can't believe how
awesome it was," Mrs. Har
rell said. "You couldn't say a
thing. You just stood there.
You can't describe it."
She went on, "You could
see the debris falling. It was
showering down. You knew
there was no way those peo
ple could have survived.
Mrs. Harrell lost a son-in
law in a 1959 airplane crash in
Germany. She said suddenly
that filled her memory, as she
compared the two events. "I
had goose bumps," she said.
At that point the trio re
turned to the bouse to turn on
the news and see what had
happened.
Mrs. Harrell said that the
next day there were literally
hundreds of boats out looking
for shuttle parts. The area be
came so congested, the
search teams had some areas
cleared of civilian traffic.
The newscasters were
warning people not to touch
any shuttle debris found on
the beaches because they
could be highly toxic, Mrs.
Harrell recalled. But, she
said, there were some people
who seemed to be looking for
souveniers. In areas where
debris had been found,
beaches were being closed to
the public. . ^ ,
Mrs. Harrell said it was
hard to describe her feelings
about having witnessed the
terrible tragedy.
NASA officials and investi
gative teams are still search
ing for pieces of the shuttle
and answers to the mystery of
the explosion. Several the
ories have been suggested,
but no positive answers have
surfaced.
Until some answers are
found, the shuttle program is
temporarily on hoid.