i
Volume 30 No. 23 - 1
,' TORNADO DAMAGE A tornado which swept through
V the Holiday Island community of Perquimans County left
mm mvuw nunie ueiongmg
Working Women Affected
By Minimum Wage Boost
By FKANCINE SAWYER
Long-range local effects
of the new minimum wage
law for household workers
might include: organization
of a Day Care Center for :
children, a reduction in
Perquimans County's
Learning Never Stops
For COA Adult Students
By KATHY M. NEWBERN
; Staff Writer
' , Many area people - are
taking advantage of adult
;1
, 4?"
PILING IT ON The two men in thr foreground skillfully
add another layer of brick while instructor Askew looks
on. Brick. masonry is one of the many adult education
classes being taught at Perquimans County High School.
ANOTHER MICHELANGELO? Ms. Margaret Brewin of
Hertford advises Troy Harrison as he adds the finishing
touches to his painting titled "Fruit of the Field", He is the
son of Mr. and Mrs. John Harrison of Hertford and is
enrolled in adult education classes with special per
mission. (Staff photos by Kathy Newbern) ?
- . ''
Illl..-
to marun f . juremus in total
female working force; and a
higher rate of unemployment-
for household
workers.
. Most Perquimans County
household employers agree
their household workers are
"worth" $1.90 per hours. "A
education classes sponsored
by the College of the
Albemarle and held at the
vocations v building ' of
' )
IREEgUM AMS: WEEM
ft v--j'-r. 'T.
destruction. Bremus," a native of Virginia, had the trailer
moved to Holiday Island two weeks before the disaster. He
good worker earns that
amount of money, but we
just can't afford to pay
them."
One female who works in
the public fulltime says she
would have only $20
remaining from her take
Perquimans County High
School.
One class at first glance
seemed to be a group of men
bending over a large bath
tub mixing up white mud
pies. This was a class on
brick masonry instructed by
'Walter Edward Askew, of
Edenton. . For. the small
registration fee of $2, these
men were learning a useful
trade or a skill that will be
handy around the house. -
Minor materials are
furnished by COA, and the
bricks are used each year.
Last Thursday night, the
students were building what
appeared to be the front of a
1 house with windows front
door, steps included. This
will be torn down and
rebuild in future classes.
Opposite the - brick
. masonry, class a group of
women were skillfully re
covering chairs in the
upholstery class. With
supervision of Doris Toler,
also from Edenton, students
were giving a new look to old
furniture. Each student
purchases, her own
material, has it sewn and
: then fits it on her chair. The
process is rather long since
. the chair has to nearly be
taken apart and rebuilt. But
the end result makes : it
worthwhile.
Just a few doors ''down,
those artistically inclined
were making use of the class
on "Oil Painting." The class
is taught by Margaret
Brewin of Hertford. Like the
other classes, it is held two
and one half hours on
Tuesday and Thursday
nights during the present
spring quarter. This par
ticular class has been of
fered three years. Included
are beginners and returning
students The program' is
very flexible. For example,
beginners are taught basic
art such as color and design
while those returning fur-v
ther develop their style.
In another classroom,
students attentively studied.
These people are enrolled in
adult basic education. These
and other programs allow'
people - to receive an
education equivilant to
grades one -42.
The ' adult education
classes are offered to the
general public and cover a
variety of fields. Anyone 18
years of age or older is
eligible to attend. In order
for a class to be taught, at
k.st 10 students must
:. r-"cc!,r-""S are for
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",rv;O.WD PRISTIN3 CO XXX
LOUISVILLS; kEaXUCKI 40200
Hertford, Perquimans County, North
home pay after a month's
work after paying a
domestice $.190 per . hour.
.The household worker
who works five days a week, ;
eight hours a day at $1.90
per hour will earn $304 per
four week month under the .
new law. This amount
equals or surpasses the .
take-home pay of the
average Perquimans
County female office
worker.
Social Security payments
for the full-time household
worker's, based on 160 hours,
would be $17.78 per month ;
from the employer and
$17.78 per month from -the
employee.
' Methods of the com-,
plia nee with the new ruling-,,
used so far in this county;
show that household era?
ployees will receive slightjv'.
more money than they did
before the law went into
effect. But, they will be
working less time for the
same amount of money.
This situation is brought
about by the large-scale
reduction, in hours most
employers have chosen to
take for household em
ployees in order to pay $1.90
per hour.
Reduction jn hours is a
practical method of .com
pliance for many em
ployers, but does not ac
commodate the working .
mother who must have a 5
fulltime employee to care
for young children.
Some working mothers
will resign from jobs. Others
will call on relatives to care
.for their children. Unem
ployed mothers will be
reluctant to seek jobs.
i 'F
n
MARSHALL MERRITT
Merritt
Joins HPD
Marshall Merritt, 31, of
223 Woodland Circle joined,
the Hertford . Police
department last week as .
patrolman.
' Merritt is a native of Red -Springs,
N.C. He served in '
the Navy four years and the ,
Army for; three .years,
receiving honors and
' awards in both branches.
Most recently Merritt
served as chief of I the
security force at Harvey's .
Point installation. He has
attended military police
, school at Ft. Gordon, Ga.
He is presently taking law
courses in his spare , time.
Hig hobbies include .
reading, tennis, gardening,
and being the husband of the
former Frances Ober of
Rocky Hock, and the father
rf two boys, Paul, 7 and
s- H , .
Carolina, Thursday, May 16,
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'and his family were planning to move in it the next
f weekend. No one was in the trailer or injured when the
Hertford Dark
t After Outage
5 It was very dark.
A Hertford residents ended their celebration of
Mothers Day Sunday night when all of the lights went
7out in the town at 7:28 p.m.
1 The cause of the situation, which left streets dark,
homes looking vacant, and stopped the hum of
refrigerators and freezers, was a tree which knocked
over a Virginia Electric Power Co. pole in the swampy
area of Center Hill.
t Sunday's weather provided high winds and a great
deal of rain for Hertford, causing the tree to fall on the
pole.
VEPCO sent two crews out, who worked all night,
until power was restored at 5:13 a.m.
. According to VEPCO'S district manager, Steven
Fields, after crewmen got the pole up, a shortage was
noted causing more problems for the workers in the
dark swampy area. -
Nontheless, workmen got power back.
A portion of the towns folk got power back about
9:31 p.m. after a tap line which feeds Hertford elec
tricity was put back in operation.
Courtroom Is
Local Theater
By FRANCINE SAWYER
Perquimans County
District Court is sometimes
a circus at other times it is
serious, sad, happy or just a
place for spectators to
watch their friends and
neighbors go through the
motions of justice.
The county district court
is not any worse or any
better than any other visited
in Northeastern North
Carolina. Here is how a
recent session went: .
There were 37 cases on the
court docket that Wed
nesday morning.. This was
considered heavy.
Sometimes there are less
than 20 cases scheduled for
court proceedings.
A man waiting for his
driving under the influence
case to be heard, grasps his
glasses case, shuts his eyes
hard and seems to be
praying. His wife wears
sunglasses. "
Then there are the
spectators. There is the
large elderly woman who
sits in the same third row
seat each every-other
Wednesday morning and
watches. She's never been
in any trouble herself. She is
lonely, has not much to do.
She comes to court, she
observes. Sometimes she
smiles.
The clerk of court an
nounces to the courtroom
filled group court will be
delayed. The judge is
holding a special hearing.;
People shift in their seats.
The talk turns into stage
whispers. Lawyers in their
summer suits talk and laugh
with highway patrolmen.
The defendants, waiting
for court to convene sit with
vacant stares, some look
bored, some seem scared.
The praying man lights a
cigarett.'
Here comes the judge.
AU rise" says the sheriff.
He calls court to session.
The judge sits behind the
bench. ;-; -i;. v;
A young assistant district
attorney with a red polka
dot bow tie calls the cases.
Some are nol pros. Some
people didn't show up. Some
cases are thrown out.
Toward the end of the
calendar, the judge seems
1974
tired and bored. Once he
seems to nod off.
The court DA tells the
judge he can't hear, there is
too much racket.
The judge gets agger
vated and tells the sheriff to
get the courtroom quiet. The
judge tells the sheriff "if!
anyone else talks, bring 'em
here before me at the
bench."
The courtroom is quiet.
Justice continues.
Life
BETHEL A man was
taken from the Yeopim
River Friday after what
authorities cited as "suicide
by drowning."
Charles Sumner Welch,
56, was found Friday morn
ing after a search which
began Wednesday.
Welch's widow notified
officials that her husband
was missing about 10:30
a.m. Wednesday.
The Elizabeth City Coast
Guard, Perquimans,
Chowan sheriff's depart
ments, Bethel Volunteer
Fire department, and neigh
bors searched for the
missing man.
He was in the river ap
proximately 48 hours.
According to investigating
officers Welch left a suicide
note.
He was under mental
medical care treatment.
Surviving are his widow,
Mrs. Nancy Basnight
Welch. He was a native of
South Weymouth, Mass. He
was a member of Tidewater
Post 327 of the American
U'gion in Norfolk. Ho was a
veteran of World War II.
Olher survivors include a
son, Charles S. Welch, Jr.;
and three stepdaughters,
Miss Roberta Perkins and
Mrs. Vicki Marquinez, of
Hertford, and Mrs. Ruby
hunt on of.Iamplon. .
River
Takes
K v ".A. -J
tornado hit. However, the new mobile home was totaled
and uninsured. (Staff Photos by Kathy Newbern)
w
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fv G
TOGETHER Kermit Layton, left, executive director of
Albemarle Fireman's Association, and Jim Paige, chief of
Emergency Medical Services of the N.C. Dept. of Human
Rsources discuss the activities of the Albemarle
Fireman's Association. V . ; , -
Bethel VFD
Hosts
BETHEL - The
Albemarle Firemen's
Association had its quar
terly meeting Tuesday night
hosted by Bethel Volunteer
Fire Department at
Angler's Cove Restaurant.
There was good at
tendance from members of
the Association coming
from the Region VR" ten
county area. The meeting
was called to order by
President Carlton Jackson.
Chief John Hobbs gave the
opening welcome to the
group of firemen. The
Perquimans County AFA
director, Billy White, in
troduced the guest members
of Perquimans County Fire
Commission. Kermit
Layton, Jr., executive
director of AFA, gave a
progress report on the AFA
Information & Mutual Aid
Assistance Directory.
The directory will contain
a Mutual Aid Data Sheet
from the twenty member
departments of the
Association. Elwood Inscoe,
of the Dept. of Insurance in
Raleigh, introduced the
special guest speaker, Jim
Page. Mr. Page is chief of
the Emergency Medical
Services program under the
N.C. Dept. of Human
Resources.
He' began by citing ex
periences from the time he
was a rookie fireman in
California until he became
Battalion Chief of a large
Los Angeles Department.
Soon after serving in this
position, he began writing a
'book concerning ; fire
command procedures.
; He was consultant to the
paramedic TV program
"Emergency". After
looking into the Emergency'
Medical Services program
of many states, Mr. Page
decided to work with North
Carolina where he saw the
most progress taking place.
- His program also touched
briefly on the "911" concept
for Regional Emergency
Medical Service ; Com
munications. This number
would allow any individual '
to dial 911 and contact
V
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10 CENTS
i ! .BmMtwBiiiliii " ! ' '
Meet
rescue squads, fire
departments, etc. anywhere
within the state.
Also present were Lin
Hawkins, state coordinator
for E.M.S. and Mack
McKenney, representative
of A.H.R.D.S.
The next meeting is
scheduled for Tyrrell
County in August.
Donated
Funds
The following memorial
gifts have been given to the
Newbold-White House
Fund:
Elsberry White, By
Winslow Oil Co.
Sally Baker, by Mr. and
Mrs. Emmett Winslow.
Frances and R. S. Monds.
Charles Harrell, by
Winslow Oil Co., Frances
and R. S. Monds.
Virginia .Webb, by Win
slow Oil Co.
Sue White Pitt, by
Frances and R. S. Monds,
Winslow Oil Co.
Thomas Tilley, by Win
slow Oil Co.
Memorial gifts are set
aside in a special fund which
will be used for furnishing
, the Newboid-White House
after the exterior is com
pleted. Gifts are welcome
all year round, and may be
made by contacting Mrs.
Jean P. Winslow, Financial
Secretary, P.O. Box 2,
Hertford. Recipients are
sent a specially engraved
acknowledgement card. All
memorials are tax
deductible.
PROMOTED
Marine PFC Thomas D.
Kiper, whose wife Virginia
is the daughter of Mr, and
Mrs. Leon G. Ange of 515
Pennsylvania Ave., Hert
ford, was promoted to his
present rank while serving
at the Marine Corps Air
Station here.