Newspapers / The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, … / Aug. 2, 1979, 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
PERQUIMANS WEEKLY Volume 35, No. 30 USPS 428-080 Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, Aug. 2, 1979 20 CENTS V epco ordered to make refunds to customers The North Carolina Commission Utilities has ordered Virginia Electric and Power Company to make refunds to its customers to reflect disallowed total-company fuel expenses of $31 million in the dermination of Vepco's rates for the billing months of February through July 1979. Refunds to customers will be based on their consumption during that period. For example, the total refund is $12.14 for customers using 1,000 Kwh each month. The Commission also has ordered Vepco to reduce its rates to North Carolina retail customers to reflect a disallowance of $41 million in total company fuel expenses used to determine Vepco's rates for the second half of 1979. The Commission also found that Vepco should be able to ^tave five of its oil-fired plants converted to coal use by no later Slan the end of 1980) Beginning then, if the plants have not ? already been converted, the Commission will adjust Vepco's rates to remove excess fuel expenses associated with the oil fired generation. It is expected that this adjustment on a total company basis would be in excess of $10 million annually. The Commission's action comes as a result of an in vestigation initiated in September 1978 in response to a request by Governor James B. Hunt, Jr., and concerns expressed to the Commission by the Commission Panel which heard Vepco's request for a rate increase in the summer of 1978. The investigation was conducted by the Commission's Public Staff who subsequently presented their results and recommendations during two weeks of public hearings before the Commission in May of this year. The Public Staff's report covered all areai of the company's operation, with special emphasis on costs directly associated with the generation of electricity. Based upon the investigation and hearings, the Commission determined that Vepco's management has performed inadequately in the areas of planning and maintenance of its generation facilities. As a result, the Commission is making downward adjustments to Vepco's rates consistent with the maximum amount shown by the evidence and permitted by law and consistent with the excess costs estimated to have been imposed and being imposed on Vepco's customers by the company's inadequate planning and maintenance of its generating facilities. The imposed downward adjustments are threefold. First is a refund to Vepco's^customers to reflect overcollections in fuel expenses from February through July 1979. Second, current base rates are reduced. Both of these adjusments reflect what the rates should have been, absent poor planning and maintenance practices by Vepco. Third, rates after December 1980 will be further ad justed to reflect the savings that would have begun to accrue after that date had Vepco observed prudent and timely planning in the conversion of several of its oil-fired generating units to coal-fired. For Vepco's customers in North Carolina and under the Commission's jurisdiction, the refund is approximately $1.6 (See VEPCO, page 4) NATURE FREAKED OUT - J.D. Williams of 203 Pritchard Street, Elizabeth City, can not decide where to begin cutting a triple grown cantaloupe which was given to him by a friend, Prank V. White of Chowan County. The freak grew from three separate stems but were joined and had a single in terior. White, who is chief of the Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department in Chowan Coun ty, could not explain the oddity, nor could Ids wife when she gathered the cantaloupe from the field. State is lauded for effort North Carolina's efforts to train and find jobs for welfare recipients was ?ognized in Raleigh this ? as the most cost effec tive in the Ration for the second consecutive year. Governor James B. Hunt, Jr., was presented Cer V tificates of Achievement Tuesday by David T. Duncan, Regional Admininstrator of the Employment and Train ing Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor. The certificates were for J.B. Archer, Chairman of the Employment Security Com I mission, and Robert H. Ward, Director of the Division of Social Services of the N.C. Department of Human Resources. These two agen cies are jointly responsible for the administration of the (See SOCIAL SER Vpage 4) LUNCH - KA tike I Tunrhf ?X ? svink fttt Mvklere. (SUff photo by JACK GROVE) Town receives grant By JACK GROVE According to Hertford Mayor Bill Cox, word has been received that the town will state grant totaling *6,500. The grant comes under the Pollution Control Account of the Clean Water Fund to aid in the Phase I _ Sewer Survey for Cox said that W.F. Freeman, Associates, a High Point consultant engineering firm has been hired by the town to conduct the survey of the sewer system. The engineering firm will provide results of the evaluation survey, after which any needed upgrading of the waste water system of the town can be done. At this point, the town could apply for additional federal and state grants to complete the work Cox said. Glean-up Beautiful Weeks has been proclaimed for July 30 through August 11. The Perquimans County Jaycees accepted the challenge to direct this cam paign along with the help of Extension Service Home Demonstration Clubs, other clubs and individuals. All businesses, clubs, churches ana citizens are encouraged to get involved in this campaign. Residents in town are reminded trash trucks will be running in town August 11 to pick up any trash you have placed out for removal. LAST LOOK ? This sign will be a thing of the past a week from today. Colonial is changing its name to Big Star in Hertford, effective Thursday, August 9. (Staff photo by JACK GROVE) African- American affairs to be discussed What could become a mini summit conference on rela tionships between the United States and African nations is tentatively scheduled in mid November at North Carolina Dr. George W. Reid NEW CENTER ? This is the new Senior Citizens Center on Grubb St., across from the Parks and Recreation Depart ment office. Work on the exterior has been completed and the interior should be completed by mid-August according to Billy Wooten, Parks and Recreation Department director. (Staff photo by JACK GROVE) Pigs are big business in Perquimans County By JACK GROVE One of the largest pig operations in the county is located in Belvidere Township. It is the Copeland Swine Farm, operated by Willard Copeland. Earl Ward, employed at the farm, showed the facilities and explained the operatiou from conception to ?htomenttilthe animals. lie sows are toed "on the frOjb&nHp rest of the cy Ukesfrp?ce*k?,Seg buildings |l Slatted floors. Under the floors are tanks that hold the ranff from the animals until the tanks afe flushed into York, Land Race, and Chester White. In the farrowing house, the teeth and tails of one-day-old Pigs are cut off and they receive an injection of iron. Ward explained that the teeth are cat off to protect the sow during nursing. The tails are removed Mcause of a state law that provides that for feeder pigs to be sold at a graded sale, they must be taileu. They ate injected with/iron because they will never be on the ground where they would normally receive the necessary amount Sows average nine pigs to the Utter and have an average of three or four Ut ters before they are sold. Ward said that if a sow doesn't produce at least 6 pigs in a litter, she is sold. At 2Vi weeks, the sow and her litter are moved to the "nursery" where they re main until they are weaned at five weeks. From the nursery, the pigs are moved to the finishing floor in separate buildings. Hear they grow to maturity. Ward said that they are ready for market when they reach from 200 to 3N Lbe. Loads of animals are shipped every other week, with an average size load consisting of 300 pigs. The" feed consists of com mixed with St per cent con centrate. a commercial pig feed. Central University, under a recent grant from the Na tional Endowment for the Humanities to the university. The grant of $9,388 will fund a three-day symposium on "Developing an African American Diplomacy." Dr. George W. Reid, assistant undergraduate dean and director of the symposium, reported that ambassadors from four African nations have made commitments to participate. Reid is a native of Hertford. In addition, invitations have gone to other African diplomats and political figures, to American diplomatic leaders, and "to scholars in the fields of African studies and diplomatic history. "The suppositions on which the symposium is based are that America is heavily in volved in diplomacy in Africa without a set diplomacy; and that the world powers will be paying increased attention to Africa because of its resources of land and minerals," Dr. Reid said. He said the symposium will focus on diplomacy itself ? the structure of the relation ships between the countries ? rather than on diplomatic policy. The final session of the symposium will be an effort by the scholars and diplomats to reach a concen sus on suggestions for the im provement of diplomatic rela tions between the united States and African nations, Reid said. Store to change name By JACK GROVE On Wednesday, August 8, 1979, Hertford will no longer have a Colonial supermarket. On that day, the store will be closed all day and reopen at 8 a.m., Thursday, August 9 as a Big Star supermarket. Both Colonial and Big Star chains are wholly owned by the Grand Union Co. head quartered in England. The Colonial chain is being phas ed out by Grand Union and merged with Big Star. The interior of the Hertford store received a new coat of paint last Monday. According to Vernon Lane, assistant store manager, customers will notice some changes. Gold Bond Stamps will no longer be offered after next Tuesday. A new, permanent, express lane will be established for shoppers. Lane indicated that shoppers could expect to see lower prices on shelf items as a result of the changeover. The things that won't change include the house brand labels and the interior decor of the store. The Farm Charm and Garden Charm labels will be retained. Gasahol stolen in Winfall About 50 people made off with some free gasahol Sun day afternoon. According to Joel Hollowell, president of .Hollowell Oil Co., 190 gallons of gasahol was stolen from the company's self-service station in Winfall. The gasahol is currently selling for 98.9 cents a gallon. The self-service pumps sup posedly can only be triggered by the insertion of dollar bills in a slot. Hollowell said he was not sure how this mechanism was by-passed. Word must have spread fast among local residents of the free access to the gasahol. By the time Sheriff Julian Broughton was called to the scene at about 1 p.m., there was a crowd "of be tween 25 to 30 people" in the area. The sheriff said that charges were pending against five individuals involved. FINISHING FLOOR ? This it one of two buflrtings on the Copeland Swine Firm where pigs spend their final days put ting oa 'weight before shipment to market. Automated feeding stations extend down center of building. (Staff photo hjr JACK GBOVE) . _ J ...?
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 2, 1979, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75