I THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 58, No. 52 USPS 428-080 Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C. Thursday, December 29, 1988 30 <
Middle school announces
honor roll
See page 5
Sorrel adds flavor to foods
See page 2
COMMUNITY
County Heart Association
names directors
See page 2
Five Perquimans residents named
*??
Outstanding Young Men of America
. Five local men have been se
lected by Oustanding Young Men
of America for recognition in its
1988 awards publication.
Joseph Henry Elliott, William
Elliott Layden, Edgar Wilbur Ro
berson, Jr., Richard Harold Cope
land and Arthur Mitchell, Jr. were
included in the publication.
.' Joseph Henry (Joe) Elliott of
Route 4, Hertford is employed by
Ford Motor Company in Norfolk,
Virginia. He has been a Jaycee for
many years, has held many of
fices, and is presently a District Di
rector. Elliott is a member of the
Durants Neck Fire Department
and attends Woodville Baptist
wildlife
Resources
collect
discarded
Christmas
trees
The North Carolina Wildlife Re
sources Commission needs dis
carded Christmas trees for con
structing brush shelters. Brush
Shelters, or fish attractors, are
constructed by lashing several
Christmas trees together and
anchoring them in accessible areas
around lakes and streams. The
brush shelters will be clearly
marked to allow anglers to easily
identify structure locations. Brush
shelters provide valuable cover for
forage fish, which tend to concen
trate around the shelter for food
and protection from predators.
Sport fish such as largemouth
bass, crappie, and white perch also
tend to concentrate around brush
shelters because of the concen
trated food supply.
All decorations and tinsel should
be removed from the trees. You
may take your trees to the follow
ing areas by January 4, 1989.
Please place the trees near the
painted signs.
1. Edenton? Wildlife Depot,
four miles off of Highway 32 on Air
port Road.
2. Windsor? Wildlife Re
sources Commission Boat Ramp,
off of Highway at old water plant
on Cashie River.
3. Williamston? Wildlife Re
Sources Commission Boat Ramp,
off of Highway 17 at Roanoke
River.
4. Elizabeth City? Farm Fresh
Supermarket parking lot, between
recycling center and Hay's Restau
rant.
5. Hertford? Little Mint of
Hertford.
The trees will be picked up on or
before January 6, 1989. For further
information, please contact Marc
Murrell at the Edenton Wildlife De
pot, 482-2915 or 482-7945. Thank you
for caring enough to improve fu
ture fishing in North Carolina.
NC DOT
to retime
signals in
Hertford
RALEIGH-Don't be surprised if
you see quite a few people counting
cars in Perquimans County during
the next several months. Begin
ning next month, the N.C. Depart
ment of Transportation's Division
of Highways will begin retiming
the signals there and DOT person
nel are counting vehicles at inter
sections as part of that program.
Hie retiming work is part of a
statewide program to imrove traf
fic signal efficiency and is spon
sored Dy the Energy Division or the
N.C. Department of Commerce.
A recently-completed pilot pro
ject indicated that retiming traffic
signals could save an average of
7.790 gallons of fuel and $28,175 in
fuel costs a year at each intersec
tion because of fewer stops and de
Jgys. The estimated cost to retime
each intersection is approximately
1750.
J;At each intersection, DOT work
ers will count the motor vehicles
that go by, enter the numbers into
i computer to determine what the
proper traffic signal timing should
be and retime the signals.
"DOT officials say that while they
may be unable to eliminate peak
hour congestion entirely at heavily
traveled intersections, motorists
should see a marked improvement
during the rest of the day.
Church. He is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Henry Elliott.
William Elliott (Billy) Elliott is
employed in his family's business,
Elliott Layden Radio and Electric
Shop. He is an active member of
Anderson United Methodist
Church. Layden is a member of the
Hertford Fire Department and its
special rescue unit. He is also a
member of the Perquimans County
Jaycees. He is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Elliott Layden.
Edgar Wilbur Roberson, Jr. is
Chief of the Hertford Fire Depart
ment. He is a deacon and Sunday
School teacher at Great Hope Bap
tist Church. He is an agent with
I
Farm Bureau Insurance of Perqui
mans County. His wife, Gail, is a
nurse at Chowan Hospital. They
have three children: Kristie,
Mindy and Justin. Roberson is the
son of Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Rober
son of Hertford.
Richard Harold Copeland, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Copeland of
Winfall, is employed by the Perqui
mans County Water Department.
He is an active member of the Per
quimans County Jaycees, an orga
nization in which he has held many
offices. Copeland is also a member
of the Winfall Fire Department and
Ducks Unlimited. He is married to
the former Diane Rogerson.
Arthur Mitchell, Jr. is an insur
ance agent with Allstate Insurance
Company in Elizabeth City. A Win
fall resident, Mitchell attends Pop
lar Run Methodist Church where
he is a choir member. He is presi
dent of the Life Underwriter's As
sociation. Mitchell is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Arthur Mitchell, Sr. He
and his wife, Thelma, have two
children: Arthur III and LaKeeta
Jenise.
These men are to be commended
for their inclusion in this presti
gious society. It is people of this
calibur who help to make Perqui
mans County a great place to live.
1
Close call
Hertford firefighters inspected the heating system at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Tommy Harrell last
week. The Harrells called the department when they found smoke entering their home through the
heating vents. Firemen crawled under the dwelling in search of flames or damages, but found none
Northeastern N.C. residents reportedly
plan boycott of Tidewater businesses
Washington, NC? An official of
the Highway 17 Transportation As
sociation In North Carolina disa
vowed any knowledge of a pro
ported boycott of Tidewater
Virginia stores by residents along
the highway in Northeastern North
Carolina.
Larry P. Meadows of Trenton,
President of the Association, said
he had received calls concerning
the proported boycott but that his
Association was not involved in
such a project.
Meadows said he understands
that the boycott is said to be in op
eration because of Virginia's un
willingness to four lane and im
prove a 14 mile section of highway
17 just north of the North Carolina
Virginia Line. The highway is four
laned south of the Line.
I K I :
More than 200 accidents have oc
curred on the stretch of highway in
Virginia in less than three years
and there have been three fatali
ties on it during 1988.
"We have been working for eight
years to try to encourage the Com
monwealth of Virginia to four lane
that section of highway," Meadows
explained, "but our trips to the Vir
ginia Governor's office, to Chesa
peake, and to the Federal Depart
ment of Transportation have failed
to get any ...~tion thus far." "It
looks like the people are going to
take matters into their own
hands," he said.
Senator Marc Basnight of Dare
County, when contacted, said he
had not heard anything about the
boycott but added, "I'm not sur
prised. There has been a petition
? I in iiMEga?i ?aw
circulating concerning the need for
Virginia to do something about that
stretch of highway," he com
mented. "I would assume that the
boycott idea is just another step be
ing taken by frustrated people in
the area who have to drive on that
piece of highway each day as they
go back and forth to Virginia to
work and to shop," he observed.
Mayor William D. Cox of Hert
ford, said he had heard the boycott
discussed but did not know how ex
tensive such action was at the pre
sent time. "People down here are
frustrated about the highway in
Virginia," he explained. "They
have acquired hundreds of names
on petitions," he said. "I suppose
they have now decided to take an
extra step with this boycott idea."
Commuters wiH not see this scene much longer as workmen will begin tearing up the causeway in mid- ?
February tor extensive repairs. NC DOT officials plan to build a new foundation for the stretch of road (
which they say now is supported by insufficient pilings and slab. The work is being done at a cost of i
approximately $285,000. The contractor anticipates a completion date of August.
Susan Harris has been named editor of the PERQUIMANS
WEEKLY.
Harris is editor
Susan Harris has been named ed
itor of THE PERQUIMANS
WEEKLY, announced publisher
Frank Wood. Harris was formerly
employed as a reporter, typist and
proofreader for the newspaper in
1981 and 1985.
"I am very excited about being
back with THE PERQUIMANS
WEEKLY," Harris said of her new
position. "I look forward to work
ing with the staff, and hope that to
gether we can give our readers a
quality product."
Harris plans to bring back "Peo
ple in the News" and invites people
to send in information for that col
umn. "In talking with people about
what they want to read, 'People in
the News' has been mentioned
many times," Harris commented.
"Our readers like to know whose
family members have visited, and
who has taken trips. They also like
to keep up with those in our com
munity who have been ill. This is
especially important to readers
who have moved out of the county.
It keeps them in touch," she added.
THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
? _
should reflect the small town fla
vor of the county, according to
Harris. "The immense popularity
of Charlie's Corner' and 'Eastern
Echoes' is proof of that," she said.
"I'd like to have newshounds' in
each community in the county to
keep me in touch with what's hap
pening throughout Perquimans
County, " Harris stated. "In order
for events to be covered, we need to
know what's going on and when
early enough to schedule cover
age."
All readers are encouraged to
turn in this type of information,
and to visit Harris in THE PER
QUIMANS WEEKLY office. "I'd
appreciate the opportunity to get to
know our readers." said Harris.
"Hearing what they like and dis
like about the paper will help us to
print a paper they'll enjoy read
ing."
A native of Perquimans County,
Harris and her husband, Phil, re
side near the Bear Swamp commu
nity with their children, Andrew
and Courtney.
jaycees seek nominees
for Service Awards
The Perquimans County Jaycees
are seeking nominations for their
annual distinguished service
awards. Each year the organiza
tion recognizes individuals who
have provided outstanding service
to the community.
Awards will be given in several
categories: Distinguished Service,
Outstanding Educator, Outstand
ing Rescue Worker, Outstanding
Firefighter, Outstanding Law En
forcement Officer, Outstanding
Youth, Outstanding Senior Citizen,
and Outstanding Family. Also
given is the Joseph R. Rogerson
Memorial Award.
In order to qualify for the Distin
guished Service Award, an individ
ual must be between the ages of 21
and 39. Judging is based on in
volvement in the community, orga
nizations, church, and on charac
ter.
The Distinguished Service
Award is the highest honor the Jay
cees give in the community. It is a
privilege to receive this coveted
award.
Nominees in the educator, res
cue worker, firefighter, and law
enforcement categories must be
between the ages of 21 and 39. The
youth award is given to a high
school senior. Any family in Per
quimans County may receive the
family award.
The Rogerson Memorial Award
is given by the late Joseph R. Ro
gerson, Sr. family to any softball
player deemed to be an all around
athlete, who also displays good
sportsmanship.
There are many deserving indi
viduals in Perquimans County who
should be recognized for their serv
ice to the community. Anyone may
nominate someone in any of the
categories by contacting Chairman
Richard Copeland at 426-8108
(home) or 426-8199 (work).
The awards will be presented at
the Distinguished Service-Roger
son Memorial Awards Banquet
scheduled for January 18 at Joe's
Place in Hertford. The banquet is
open to the public. Tickets are
$7.50.
Governor s I ask l-orce
recommends changes
ruiieigii ? niiowing saie urivers
to renew their licenses for six-year
periods, establishing "express"
driver license renewal offices at
shopping centers, and other ways
af making it easier for drivers with
i[ood records to renew their li
censes highlight a report by the
Governor's Task Force on the
North Carolina Driver License Sys
tem.
The task force also recom
mended that new standards be
adopted that would upgrade many
!>f the state's driver license offices,
rhose standards would include im
proved access for handicapped cit
izens, requirments for adequate
seating and other office amenities,
and an increased emphasis on
placing offices in locations that are
safely and easily accessible.
The report has been received by
Governor James G. Martin, who
lias said he will support many of its
recommendations The governor
laid that ideas contained in the re
port?along with administrative
changes already made by the state
Division of Motor Vehicles-will do
much to improve and to streamline
the driver license system.
"The task force and the DMV
%
nave worned togetner to produce a
much improved license system,"
Martin said. "I applaud their ef
forts to make improvements by
cutting red tape and striving to in
crease highway safety. The com
bined efforts of the task force and
the division will serve to develop a
license system that provides better
service to the public."
The governor said the Division of
Motor Vehicles will make some of
the recommended changes admin
istratively, but many of the sugges
tions will require action by the
General Assembly before they can
be implemented.
Administratively, using avail
able funds, express renewal offices
have been opened in Asheville,
Charlotte. Fayetteville, Research
Triangle Park and Winston-Salem.
Additional express offices are
planned for Greensboro and Wil
mington.
The report suggests tjiat even
tually an express renewal office
should be located in each county
with 100,000 or more drivers. The
offices will serve people who have
safe driving records and do not
have to be retested to have their
licenses renewed.