PerquimaNs
i Weekly
"News from Next Door' 1 JUNE 27, 2012 - JULY 3, 2012
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County OKs budget with no tax increase
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
County commissioners ap
proved a $12.7 million budget for
the next fiscal year with no tax
or utility fee hikes and provided
county employees a two percent
pay increase.
Following a public hearing
Monday night during which no
citizens spoke, commissioners
put their stamp of approval on
the budget that funds county
schools slightly more than last
year.
Funding for the county depart
ments basically remained the
same as last year due to contin
ued slow growth of revenues.
Revenues from property taxes
are expected to increase by less
than one percent next year with
sales tax revenues projected to
grow by about three percent.
Building inspection fees, regis
ter of deed fees, and land trans
fer tax revenues are expected to
remain constant.
“I just appreciate what the staff
does here,” said Chairman Ben
Hobbs. “It’s been going on for a
while, not just this past year. The
staff still provides services and
keeps their budgets intact. In a
financially difficult year, I think
we’ve done well.”
The proposed budget funds
county schools $3.1 million,
social services $2.3 million,
sheriffs department is about $1
million, EMS. $853,000, and the
Albemarle District Jail $854,000.
See BUDGET, 2
RIDING HORSES OFFERS
THERAPY FOR SPECIAL NEEDS
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
S eventh-grader Ty-
quen Fain can’t use
his legs to walk, but
climbing on top of a horse
is his first step toward
freedom.
The 12-year-old suf
fers from neuropathy in
both of his legs following
surgery as a child for club
feet. He uses a wheel-
chair and crutches to get
around. Because of his
handicap, he’s different
from his friends who walk
and run.
But when he rides a
horse at Verity Therapeu
tic Riding and Education
al Center in Perquimans
County, Ty no longer feels
“different”. He’s finally
free to be like everyone
else.
“I feel like I can do
everything everybody else
does when I am on top
of that horse,” said Fain
who’s been learning how
to ride at the center since
January. In addition to
his new-found freedom,
Ty also has strengthened
his legs and core muscles
in his body and improved
his posture by riding
horses.
Fain’s happiness at
finding freedom, improv
ing self-confidence, and
becoming stronger while
horseback riding is what
VTREC is all about.
Owner Gail Smith and in
structor Cindy Martinez
are not licensed thera
pists of any kind. They
simply teach riding skills
that may help the rider,
strengthen the rider, or
just provide calm relax
ation. They believe that
equine assisted therapy
can help children and
adults with both mental
and physical disabilities
not only to gain confi
dence but improve motor
skills as well.
Plus, people, especially
children, just seem to love
riding horses.
“Sometimes horses can
be the best friend you
have,” said Smith. “They .
give unconditionally and
expect nothing in return.
Horses know naturally
how to show uncondition-
STAFF PHOTOS BY CATHY WILSON
Volunteers Kaylin Copeland (left) and Breanna Jackson (right) help Tyquen Fain, 12, as he prepares to mount the horse Perfect
Chunk of Trouble. Ty suffers from neuropathy and is unable to use his legs.
al love. This is a relatively
new field of therapy, but
there continues to be new
research to validate all
the anecdotal evidence
we see everyday in the
arena.”
Their six students
(age 5-12) include kids
in wheelchairs or who
are autistic, mentally
challenged, or learning
disabled. Smith says she
plans to eventually open it
to adults in hospice, those
Breanna Jackson (left) and
instructor Cindy Martinez
help Colby Harris get used to
touching the horse as part of
his riding experience. Colby is
autistic.
trying to cope with grief,
and those suffering from
cancer.
In fact, it was a medi
cal condition that lead
Smith to look into open
ing a therapeutic riding
center. The retired social
services worker suffers ■
from chronic fatigue and
Fibromyalgia. When her
husband gave her a horse
for her 50th birthday,
she found comfort and
therapy in riding.
“Working with Shadow
(her horse) made a dif
ference in my overall
health...physically, emo
tionally and mentally,”
noted Smith. “It takes a lot
See THERAPY, 7
Town
approves
$6.2M
budget
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Members of Hertford
Town Council approved a
$6.2 million budget Mon
day night with no tax or
utility rate hikes and pro
vides town employees with
a three percent pay raise.
The only increase in
costs to citizens is the trash
can fee which increases
from $7 to $9.23 per can.
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.
The town’s fire depart
ment budget will increase
by 1.79 percent because
of equipment and vehicle
maintenance needs in the
department.
The street department
will increase by 3.2 percent
while the town’s sanita
tion department budget
will decrease by over
$10,000 because customers
are paying the full cost of
curbside collection.
The town’s Department
of Motor Vehicles bud
get remains virtually un
changed.
The town’s water and
sewer revenues are expect
ed to decrease by almost
$96,000 because of water
conservation (less water
used) and no residential
growth.
Revenues for the town’s
electric fund are expect
ed to decrease by nearly
$290,000 due to milder tem
peratures over the winter
and spring. The cost of
the town buying power is
stable and not expected to
increase at this time.
Celebrate the Fourth on July 3
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Thanks to the efforts of
several local volunteers, the
annual Fourth of July fire
works display will be held in
Hertford this year on Tues
day night, July 3, at dusk in
Missing Mill Park.
Officials estimate the fire
works will be shot around 9
p.m. Bring a chair or blanket
to relax and enjoy the show.
6 89076 47144
Those planning the event
say a non-motorized chil
dren’s patriotic parade will
form in the parking lot of
Hertford Baptist Church at
4:30 p.m. and travel through
2
downtown Hertford to the
park where food vendors
and live entertainment will
kick off the holiday celebra
tion around 5 p.m.
“Come on out and have a
good time,” said Vera Rid
dick, one of several volun
teers who stepped up to help
organize the pre-fireworks
events at the park after the
Chamber of Commerce
passed on the annual project
earlier in the year.
Not wanted local citizens
to lose their Fourth of July
celebration, volunteers from
Hertford, Winfall and Per-
See FOURTH, 2
Gang expert says know
what your child is doing
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
If their show of hands is any indi
cation, local school parents believe
there is a substantial gang problem
in Perquimans County but they don’t
know what signs to look for to iden
tify if a gang problem really exists.
That was the overall consensus of
the large group of parents and local
officials who filled the auditorium
at Perquimans County High School
last Wednesday evening during an
open community awareness forum
See GANG EXPERT, 6
STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON
Felecia Vaughn (left) talks with Danya Perry,
director of Programs and Youth Develop
ment for Communities in Schools of North
Carolina, after a forum on gang awareness.