STANDARD FRIMTIMS CO XXX
J ll'j'yiaViLLS, KENTUCKY 40200
PEMdJUIMAN
ECLY
Volume 33, No. 3
Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday Jan. 20, 1977
15 CENTS
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PLAQUE OF HONOR - On behalf of the
Perquimans County Commissioners,
Chairman Lester Simpson, presents a
plaque in honor of service given by the
late Ellis Winslow, to his wife, Mrs. Amy
R. Winslow. Looking on are children,
Leah and Sarah; son Van was away at
school and unable to be present Also
presented to Mrs. Winslow was a resolu
tion honoring the late Mr. Winslow for
his service to the community as a county
commissioner.
0?V i
FORMER COMMISSIONER Thomas
Nixon was also honored at the Monday
night meeting of the Perquimans County
Board of Commissioners with a plaque
of appreciation for his service on the
board for 16 years. Pictured above,
Simpson makes the presentation.
(Newbern photos)
County Commissioners
Hold Re gular Meeting
Prior to the business ses
sion at the Monday night
meeting of the Perquimans
County Board of Commis
sioners, Chairman Lester
Simpson made two presen-
, tations. A plaque in honor of
past service was presented
to Thomas Nixon, former
county commissioner. Also,
a plaque in honor of the late
Ellis Winslow, who also
served as a commissioner,
was presented to his family.
During the business ses
sion, the board members,
agreed, to adopt the rules
and regulations for the coun
ty water system and
authorized the chairman to
sign the operating budget
for that system.
All members of the Per
quimans County Board of
Education, Perquimans
High School Principal
William Byrum, and School
Superintendent Pat Harrell
were also present at the
meeting. The proposed
plans for Perquimans High
School were discussed at
length by both boards along '
with the possibility of call
ing for a local bond referen
dum for this renovation and
construction. No action was
taken on the matter by the
Commissioners.
The board also discussed
the proposed building plans
for the ARPDC building to
be constructed in Per
quimans County. Bob
Whitley, ARPDC Executive
Director, was present with
the plans. It was announced
that a meeting would be held
with the . architects to
discuss the construction.
it . sM- m
. r run mi - - -
PRESENTATION LI A. Cottle,
District Manager of Roses Stores,,
makes a presentation to Mrs. Kathreen
Nelson, manager of the Hertford Roses
Store. Mrs. Nelson achieved a sales In
crease and net profit improvement for
the tenth period which represented the
best performance' of any Roses Store in
the local district. .
ARPDC Transferral Of Funds
Questioned By Executive Board
By KATHY M. NEWBERN
R.S. Monds, chairman,
presided over the Jan. 12
meeting of the Executive
Board of the Albemarle
Regional Planning and
Development Commission
(ARPDC) held at Angler's
Cove Restaurant.
The main order of
business was a presentation
by Elizabeth City Auditor
Speight Burrows. Prior to
his report, Burrows ex
plained that he and his staff
have been working on the
ARPDC audit report since
November 1975 and re
quested permission to con
tinue the audit with the
Board's approval. That ap
proval was later granted at
the end of the meeting on a
motion made by Hertford
Mayor Bill Cox.
Burrows also presented a
proposal to change the ARP
DC's fiscal year to run from
October through September.
After explaining existing
deficits in several of ARP
DC's program areas, Bur
rows gave three reasons for .
the deficits and incomplete
ARPDC records including a
"major breakdown in your
system of inner controls,"
"mismanagement and
misappropriation in
transferral of funds," and
the "start up and con
tinuance of an unauthorized
program" which was a
reference to the Chowan
County Day Care Program.
The question of transfer
ral of funds was discussed at
length by board members.
Burrows added, "We could
not find any authorization
for the transferral of these
funds." The transfer was
made from the Manpower
Program to other program
areas, Burrows added. He
explained that Manpower
monies were used to cover
unpaid payroll taxes in the
amount of 8S,000. Execu
tive Director Bob Whitley
added that "The Depart
ment of Labor was reluctant
to contract with us this year
as a result of paying payroll
taxes with' Manpower
funds." Concern was ex
pressed by several
members that the situation
be remedied so that it does
not happen in the future.
Burrows then added that the
bank handling ARPDC
funds had no record of
anyone asking for transfer-
Former POW Tells
Of Experiences And
Discusses Amnesty
By KATHY M. NEWBERN
A large crowd assembled in the
Albemarle Academy gymnasium Satur
day night tojiear remarks by Lt. Col.
Raymond Scnromp, who told' of his
treatment while held prisoner of war in
Vietnam for five years.
Schrump was guest speaker on the oc
casion of Albemarle Academy's Twelfth
Annual Appreciation Dinner attended by
students, parents, faculty members and
alumni. Following dinner, entertain
ment was provided by the Albemarle
Academy Chorus followed by a welcome
from Headmaster Donald J. Parrotte.
E. Ray Etheridge, Chairman of the
Curriculum Committee for Albemarle
Bducational Foundation, introduced the
guest speaker as "a national hero, a
former POW who gave this country 24
years of service."
Schrump, who joined the U.S. Army at
age 17, served as Commander and Staff
Officer for eight years with U.S. Special
Forces. His tour of duty included Japan,
Korea, Okinawa, Ethiopia, Taiwan and
Vietnam. He was taken prisoner of war
in 1968 and released in Februrary, 1973.
He retired from the U.S. Army in
December of that same year.
In his opening remarks, Schrump told
those present that since, his retirement
he has devoted his time to "bringing the
plight of the prisoners of war still miss
ing in action to the attention of the
public." He continued, "I do not come
here tonight to be honored as a hero but
simply as a man who tried to do his duty
to God, country and fellow man. I have
no regrets."
Schrump briefly recalled his five-year
"ordeal" beginning with his capture on
May 23, 1973. He told the group that the
Viet Cong tried to have him sign a state
ment saying he would no longer par
ticipate in the war and that he was
beaten when he refused.
He continued, briefly explaining the
45-day indoctrination or interrogation
' period he faced. He said, "At times, I
spent 12 hours listening to the 4,000-year
history of Vietnam over and over and
over again." The meetings were even
tually reduced to weekly, monthly and
finally, "about once every three
months."
Schrump also went into the treatment
he received in the hands of his captors.
He said he suffered some 100-150 attacks
of malaria in the five years he was held
prisoner along with a variety of other
jungle diseasesWhen he did receive
medical treatment, which was infre
quent, it was as he described it,
"elementary, at best" including crude
bandages and vitamin shots. His home
was a hole in the ground measuring four
feet wMe, eight feet long and four and
one- half to five feet deep. He said the
prisoners later "graduated" to "monkey
cages" made of logs. Although, ac
cording to Schrump, "the treatment
varied from time to time," he added
vivid descriptions of techniques used to
punish bin and fellow prisoners of war.
Despite living conditions and treat
ment received, Schrump told how he and
his fellow Americans never lost faith in
God, country or fellow man. He said,
"They never could break us although
they did break us individually." He then
proceeded to describe how he finally
broke under the pressure when he was
put in total isolation from the other
prisoners for two and one-half years as a
result of an attempt to escape. In these
extreme conditions, he did finally agree
to sign a statement that he had received
humane and 'lenient treatment while
held prisoner and that America's in
volvement in Vietnam was wrong. The
lieutenant colonel said, "I did it to save
my life and I have never regretted it."
Schrump elaborated on the faith he
developed in God, country, and fellow
man as a result of his experience. He
said, "We were being denied our
freedoms that we once took for granted
and I cannot tell you today how much I
cherish those freedoms." Concerning his
faith in fellow man, he added, "We were
totally dependent on one another. We all
stuck together. And this (coming home)
could not have been possible withougt
the help of the American people." He
also cited the efforts, of his wife to have
him released as a result of her visiting
Paris and the efforts of groups which
resulted in improved treatment to
prisoners of war.
In closing Schrump touched on the
amnesty issue which in his words,
"angers me." He said, "I cannot in my
life understand anyone letting these men
come back until an accounting for of
those missing is done." The crowd ap
plauded as the former POW announced,
"I will not welcome a one back in my
community fend will have nothing to do
with them."
Schrump received a standing ovation
when, in concluding his remarks, he
said, "I ask that God bless you as he has
me and may our future generations en
joy the freedoms that we have in the
past. God bless America."
No School On Mon. & Tues.
Perquimans County.
School Superintendent Pat
Harrell has announced that
Monday and Tuesday, Jan.
24-25, will be additional days
of employment for county
teachers and that there will
be no school on those days
for students.
Harrell also added that
the day missed recently due
to snow and road conditions
will be made up at the end of
the school year rather than
during the scheduled Easter
vacation. The revised
schedule will mean June 8
will be the 'last day for
students and June 10 will be
the last dayjor teachers.
Schools were let out Mon
day at 12:30 p.m. in Per
quimans County due to
heating problems. Harrell
explained that one of two
broilers at Hertford Gram
mar School was not working
in the new wing and that
some classrooms at Per
quimans High School were
"virtually impossible to
heat" resulting in classroom
temperatures as low as
40F. Due to these pro
blems, school was dismissed
early.
it
ral of these funds. Elizabeth
City Mayor John Bell ex
pressed a strong feeling that
the banking institution was
just as guilty as the local
unit. Al Phillips, chairman
of the Chowan County Com
missioners, commented, "I
think the blame lies with
us." Camden County Com
missioner Macon Johnson
then presented two recom
mendations: The con
tinuance of the audit and a
transferral of ARPDC
monies to another banking
institution until the matter
could be cleared up. This se
cond recommendation was
made into the form of a mo
tion by Johnson and
seconded by John Bell. After
a roll call vote was taken the
motion was defeated eight
votes to seven. Following
the vote, Johnson com
mented, "I won't stop here.
It's business with me. I am
going to ask for a federal
audit to come in and audit
these books because I want
my name and Camden
County to be cleared."
Discussion continued and
Burrows added that there
was no indication that any of
the money was "used for
personal gain."
Several members asked
for information to deter
mine how authority for
transferral of funds was
given to then Financial Of
ficer Bill Taylor.
Chairman Monds then told
members a meeting will be
held with Burrows in the
near future to try to clear up
the matter.
All members then sup
ported a motion to let Bur
rows continue with the audit
report and investigation and
the meeting adjourned.
Traffic Statistics
Are Released
CHARLOTTE - The N.C. State Motor Club estimated
that 122 persons would die in traffic accidents on North
Carolina highways during seven holiday weekends in 1976.
The actual fatalities were 125.
"Unfortunately, our estimates are usually rather ac
curate," commented Thomas B. Watkins, chairman of the
statewide organization. "And that means tragedy on our
highways."
Watkins said there is no magic formula for predicting the
number of fatalities that will occur.
"We base our estimates on current fatality trends,
predicted weather conditions, length of holiday periods, and
averages for a holiday during a ten-year period," the motor
club executive explained.
"The purpose is to make the traveling public more alert
and more safety conscious," Watkins said. "We do not in
tend for our estimates to scare. Rather, we want to cause an
awareness of potential dangers on the highways."
Watkins pointed out that many accidents are caused by
speeding, reckless driving and driving under the influence.
"If a person realizes this, perhaps he will slow down and
obey safe driving practices," he said. "And if our estimates
save only one life each year, then our efforts are not in
vain."
The motor club's predictions for each holiday during 1976
were:
Holiday
Easter
Memorial Day
July 4
Labor Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas-New Years
Predictions
21
13
18
22
20
28
122
Acutal Deaths
18
19
19
15
19
35
125
Finance Managing
Workshop Slated
On Thursday night,
January 20, at 7 p.m. in the
Perquimans County Office
Building in Hertford, Dr.
Hugh Liner, Extension
Economist, N.C. State
University, will discuss
ways to Evaluate Invest
ments. Decisions involving in
vestment of capital for
machinery, land and other
long term investments by
farmers are often made
without determining which
alternatives provide the
highest rate of return.
Topics to be discussed in
clude methods for deter
mining: The number of
years required to repay the
investment, the average
rate of return for the in
vestment, what will be the
value of the investment in
future years.
Charles E. Hammond,
Area Management-Marketing
Specialist, invites
and encourages farm
families and
agribusinessmen to attend.
Attend Conference
R.S. Monds, Clifford
Winslow, and Pat Harrell at
tended the Joint Conferene
of the North Carolina School
Boards Association and the
North Carolina Association
of County Commissioners
held Jan. 13-14 in Raleigh,
N.C. Monds, a local county
commissioner, is also on the
Board of Directors of
NCACC. Winslow, local
School Board Chairman,
serves as treasurer of the
NCSBA.
The meeting was by in
vitation and included discus
sions of interest to the
representatives in both
areas. Items discussed in
cluded Budget Fiscal
Control Act, Future Direc
, tions in Employe Negotia
tions, Open Meeting Law,
and Local Control.
Chamber Of Commerce
Offers New Service
The Board of Directors voted to add a new service
by the Chamber due to the numerous inquiries about
; rental housing.
If owners of business or dwelling property for rent
would contact the Chamber office and give a
description and location the office will be happy to
pass on the information. The office number is 426-5657.