Newspapers / The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, … / June 13, 2012, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
JUN 1 3 2012 P The ERQUIMANS MWeekly ^ews from Next Door” JUNE 13, 2012 - JUNE 19, 2012 50 cents Hertford budget set to be adopted June 25 No tax or rate hikes included By CATHY WILSON Staff Writer No citizens spoke during a public hearing Monday on the proposed 2012-2013 Hertford budget that does not include any tax or rate increases. One citizen, however, did send a letter asking council to set aside money in the town budget to be used for town devel opment. Members of Hertford Town Council plan to meet again June 25 to adopt the proposed $6.2 million bud get which goes into effect July 1. The proposed figutes also includes a three percent increase in pay for town employees and restores full funding for employee healthcare costs. Town employee's have not had a raise in four years, noted Town Manager Brandon Shoaf. Three public works po sitions remain frozen in next year’s proposed bud get, “so that department will struggle to maintain its level of service with re duced staff,” Shoaf added. The town’s general rev enue fund is expected to grow by one percent this fiscal year, thanks to a pro jected six percent increase in state collected revenues and just over one percent more in property taxes col lected. The police department’s budget is expected to in crease by nearly two per cent since the town has to pick up the costs of a full time position that has been funded through a grant that ends June 30. See BUDGET, 10 Graduates: Follow your bliss; achieve all you can By CATHY WILSON Staff Writer I B ollow your bliss. ■ That’s just a tidbit of second-hand advice offered by Perquimans County High School Vale dictorian Sarah Stevenson to her fellow graduating seniors Friday night. When younger, mem bers of the Class of 2012 once dreamed of becom ing princesses, superhe roes, NASCAR drivers — even Walmart employ ees, she said. But, the seniors at PCHS grew up over the past 12 years and now have new aspirations in life. “We now inspire to become teachers, nurses, pharmacists, military personnel, farmers, police officers, broadcasters, tat too artists, cosmetologists, sports trainers, and many other careers. Others of us are still undecided and I’m sure that some of us who have already chosen a career path will change our minds many times before we finally settle with a career that we truly enjoy When we started our senior year, our new English teacher, Mr. Fipps, gave us some advice that I believe will help us when we aren’t sure where to go. He told us to ‘follow your bliss’ which we all now know means to follow what makes you happy and what you enjoy doing. That way you won’t have to worry about waking up every day and going to a job you don’t like. Instead, you will be doing some thing you love.” Stevenson asked her fellow classmates to work hard as they pursue their See GRADUATION, 10 PHOTO COURTESY JON PARKER With mortarboards flying in the air, seniors at Perquimans County High School celebrate graduation Friday. STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON A graduate receives her diploma from veteran Perquimans Board of Education member Wal ter Leigh (right) during Friday night's gradua tion ceremony. STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON “That’s my brother!" shouts an excited family members during the Perqui mans County High School graduation ceremony Friday night. County man charged in ’08 Ga. rape Held on $1 million bond From staff reports A 21-year-old Perquimans County man was arrested Monday morn ing for felony rape of a juvenile girl that allegedly occurred almost four years ago in Georgia. According to the fugitive arrest warrant, Banchola Leeshawn Park er, 21, of the 400-block Chapanoke Road in Perquimans County, faces three felony charges in Georgia in cluding rape, aggravated child mo lestation and cruelty to children. He is currently being held under a $1 million bond in Albemarle Dis trict Jail awaiting extradition back to Georgia, police said. Parker is scheduled for his first court appear ance in Perquimans District Court on June 13. “His mother brought him in to the sheriff’s department this morning after she heard we’ve been looking for him all weekend. ” Eric Tillley Perquimans sheriff According to Hertford Police Chief Doug Freeman, the alleged incident reportedly occurred while both the victim and Parker (both from Hertford) were attending a wedding in Jonesboro, Ga., on Au gust 8, 2008. The victim was age 13 and Parker was 17 at the time. Freeman said the alleged victim reported the incident to Hertford Police three days later. The girl was - referred by Hertford police to a lo cal hospital where an examination occurred. Information and evidence collected was sent to the Clayton See CHARGED, 2 Town logo good base for branding New tax administrator hired By CATHY WILSON Staff Writer The town of Hertford al ready has a good start on creating a unique brand for the town and its organi zations. That’s according to a South Carolina firm which studied the town and sur rounding area for three days last week in an effort to determine what brand will sell Hertford to others and bring more people to Like us on Facebook 6 89076 47144 2 the area. Ben Muldrow with Ar nett Muldrow & Associates said the town’s current logo is a pretty solid foun dation on which to build or from which to extract por tions that can be crafted into new logos or symbols that carry the same theme. “You have done a good job,” Muldrow told area residents during a meet ing last Thursday at the Hertford Fire Department. “Your town logo is pretty well implemented for a town your size.” He recommended muting the colors slightly, chang ing the pictures above and below the word Hertford for use with other organi zations or agencies, and he offered a number of logos, See BRANDING, 2 By CATHY WILSON Staff Writer Perquimans County’s new tax administrator has 10 years experience as a tax appraiser in a neigh boring county William F. Jennings, Jr., better known as “Bill” around the courthouse square, began his new du ties last month. He grew up in Perquimans County, graduated from Perqui mans County High School and the College of the Al bemarle. 'He comes to Perqui mans local government after serving almost 10 years as a tax appraiser for neighboring Pasquo tank County. Even though he’s appraised and as sessed properties and de fended appeals, he says he has a lot to learn leading the local tax office. “I am very glad to be STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON William F. (Bill) Jennings, Jr. is the new tax administrator for Perquimans County.' here,” he said. “It will be a challenge. I have a lot to learn, but I have a great staff to learn from.” Tax collections in Per quimans are right where they need to be for the size of the county, he said. “The end of May, tax collections here were just a tad higher than they were this time last year,” he added. See JENNINGS, 2
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 13, 2012, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75