? .
.THE PERQ
L
ANS WEEKLY
?
?
Volume 35, No. 48
USPS 428 080
Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 6, 1979
20 CENTS
How ' bout a kiss
Mr. Ugly (alias Walter Miltier) was a guest
star at the Band Booster's Variety Show
Saturday night. Over $1000 was raised for
band uniforms and equipment in one night of
fun. For more on Miltier, see "My Turn" on
page 2. (PHOTO by NOEL TODD
MCLAUGHLIN)
Council skeptical about clinic
" The Hertford Town Council
apparently will not support
efforts of the Northeastern
Rural Health Development
Association until further in
vestigation of the group can be
made.
/9rhe council endorses
Moer medical facilities but
c a nnot endorse an
organization that we do not
understand," said Hertford
Ifayor Bill Cox at last Mon
day's meeting.
The North Eastern Rural
Health Development
Association (NRHDA) is a
nonprofit, private corporation
trying to operate medical
clinics in Perquimans and
Bertie counties. NRHDA is
presently operating in Tyrell
County.
The council's support has
been requested at a public
hearing scheduled to review
NRHDA's application for
attond-year funding before
the project review committee
of the Eastern Carolina Health
Systems Agency (ECHSA) to
be held Thursday, Dec. 6 at 7
p.m. at John Holmes High
School in Edenton.
But because of the con
troversy and apparent lack of
local interest surrounding
NRHDA, the council stated
that no measure of support
could be shown at this time.
In another matter, Cox
related a citizen's request to
lower the 35 mfles per horn
speed limit on Grubb Street to
25 miles per hour.
It was acknowledged that
although speeding is a
problem on Gnibb Street, a 25
m.p.h. limit would be too slow.
Hertford Police Chief Mar
shall Merritt was instructed to
enforce the present 35
m.p.h.more strictly until
further investigation of the
matter could be made.
In reference to enforcing the
ordinance prohibiting parking
to the left side of the curb,
Merritt reported that he has
issued 32 warning tickets and
several verbal warnings.
"I have not had to warn the
same person twice," said
Merritt.
One application has been
received to fill the vacancy in
the police department and
although the applicant is
under consideration, further
advertisement for the position
is underway.
Dan Tew, community
assistance planner, reported
to the council on the Coastal
Area Management Act Land
Use Plan.
Under CAMA, the county is
required to upgrade the plan
every five years and its
purpose is to identify
problems and issues that will
confront the county in the next
five years and to get public
input on how these issues
4*
ite
Belvidere map bled to
| Wednesday afternoon
receiving a shotgun
I to the shoulder,
imy Lucien Langley, 41,
was shot in rural Chowan
following what was
a domestic dispute
Carlton Bvgene
?. of r
Copeland, a former hnsband
of Langley's wife, Is aDeged to
have shot Langiajr in State
Road 1OT between Center BID
and Ryland, then called the
Chowan County Sheriff#
Department from a nearby
home.
He was takes into custody
300 yards from where the
?hooting occurred, said
Chowan Comity Sheriff Troy
Toppin.
Copeland was charged with
second degree murder aad
was scheduled for a first
appearance hearing on
Tueaday.Dec.l
He has been released from
prim on a $15,000 second
should be handled.
The council was asked to
suggest members for a citizen
advisory committee presently
being assembled to distribute
a questionaire, and collect
data reflecting public opinion.
The possibility of creating a
separate questionaire for the
town and county was
discussed as it was felt that
the town's problems were uot
sufficiently covered in the last
survey.
Dan Berry and Morris
Kornegay were announced as
the appointed alternates for
the Zoning Board of Ad
justments, Mary Harell as a
Zoning Board member, and
Robert Riddick as a Zoning
Board alternate.
PHS gets state
test scores in
By mke Mclaughlin
Results of the statewide
competency testing for public
school students have been
released and 80 percent of the
151 students taking the test at
Perquimans High School
passed both the reading and
math sections, according to
figures presented at the
county school board meeting
Monday night.
The competency testing
program began last year, and
requires that the student
demonstrate his proficiency in
reading and math before a
high school diploma is issued
to him.
Schools Superintendent Pat
Harrell said this fall's results
are comparable to last year's
scores and school board
members expressed general
satisfaction with the figures.
Students taking the test
were primarily juniors, and
scores were somewhat higher
in reading than in math.
Harrell reported that 35
percent of those students
taking the test scored above
the 92 percent mastery level in
reading, while only 18 percent
scored as highly on math.
On the other end of the
spectrum, 4 percent of test
participants failed only the
reading section of the test,
while 6 percent failed the
math portion and passed the
reading portion.
An additional 10 percent of
those tested proved deficient
in both reading and math.
Students are presented with
four opportunities to take the
test during their normal
course of high school studies.
They can, however, take the
test as often as they like
following graduation.
Those who do not pass both
segments of the test but meet
all other state and local
requirements for graduation
will receive certificates rather
than diplomas.
Another item of business
discussed at Monday night's
school board meeting was the
adoption of a Family Life
Curriculum Guide that has
been prepared by teachers at
Perquimans Union School and
Perquimans High School.
The guide attempts to bring
together units on family life
and human sexuality that are
currently scattered under
such subjects as biology,
physical education, home
economics and health, and
bring them together under the
health curriculum.
Harrell said the curriculum
would hopefully provide
structure and sequence for
family life education.
"We're dealing with it now
but it's not very well defined,"
Harrell said.
The curriculum guide would
be intended to insure that
students get the information
they need in dealing with the
many facets of family life.
Part of the curriculum
would be devoted to sex
education, an area described
at the board meeting as being
critical and sensitive.
"It really troubles me,"
board chairman Clifford
( Continued on page 2)
Subdivision may
be redefined here
The Perquimans County
Board of Commissioners will
apparently consider amen
ding the county subdivision
ordinance so that the property
owner can sell up to four lots,
one at a time, from the same
parcel of land without each
sale being considered a
subdivision.
Planning board chairman
John Coston and board
member Silas Whedbee told
the commissioners Monday
afternoon that such a change
would simplify the process of
selling property in the county.
Coston said the extensive
paperwork involved in selling
"even one little lot" meant the
expenditure of at least $125.
Currently, the sale of more
than one lot from a single
parcel of land represents a
subdivision, meaning that the
property owner must follow
all the requirements of the
county subdivision
regulations.
Coston said that the or
dinance as it now reads hurts
the little man who is not in
terested in a major
development, but in selling
property a piece at a time.
All requirements of the
subdivision regulations would
still be applicable, except that
a surveyor's map of the entire
parcel of land would not be
required until the property
owner decided to sell his
fourth lot.
The commissioners were
receptive to the idea and
asked that the planning board
representatives meet with
county attorney John Mat
thews to determine exactly
how the ordinance needed to
be amended.
In order to amend the or
dinance a public hearing must
be held. The commissioners
will decide whether or not to
call such a hearing at their
next meeting.
In a related matter, the
commissioners approved two
subdivision plats, though
neither plat met county
regulations.
Commissioner Lester
Simpson said that almost
every plat presented to the
commissioners falls short in
one way or another of the
stringent requirements of the
ordinance.
The commissioners,
however, have the authority to
grant variances from the
ordinance where they see fit.
The commissioners also
heard from social services
director Paul Gregory that the
cost of rennovating the old
agriculture building (which
houses the department of
social services) was going to
be $1,200 to $1,500 more than
had been budgeted because of
an oversight on the part of the
contractor, Donald Riddick.
Riddick had apparently not
realized that the
specifications for the project
called for water to air heat
pumps when he placed his bid.
The commissioners voted to
allocate an additional $1,200 to
meet the increased expense.
County accountant Durwood
Reed reported to the com
missioners that a budget
amendment would eventually
have to be made to pay for the
replacement of an engine in
Sheriff Julian Broughton's
white Plymouth patrol car.
Reed said Broughton had
told him the engine was
burned up after it overheated
and a broken guage failed to
indicate the problem.
Reed said there simply isn't
enough money in the sheriffs
budget to pay for the $1,099.99
repair job. He said it was the
second engine that had been
put in the car since July.
Reed also reported that
$200,000 in county taxes had
been collected so far this year.
Petition seeks to oust VEPCO
byNOELTODD
McLAUGHLIN
A campaign to obtain 100,000
signatures of Northeastern
North Carolinians on a
petition asking the
stockholders of Virginia
Electric And Power Company
to sell the company's electric
distribution system in the
region and to leave North
Carolina hu been launched in
Perquimans County.
Leaders of Operation
Overcharge, a group formed
by the local Chambers of
Commerce la Northeastern
North Carolina to combat
exorbitant electric rates
charged by VEPCO, are
It 11- ..ilii.M - *
coordinating tnc petition ?S*
fort with local Chambers of
Commerce and other
organisations.
VEPCO has among the
highest electricity rates in the
nation according to data from
the Ediaon Electric Institute,
? trade gradp.
Since 1972, VEPCO'S
average residential rates have
more than doubled, rising 30
percent faster than national
electricity prices and nearly
SO percent faster than the
consumer price index.
VEPCO recently predicted
that its rate rises will continue
to outstrip inflation for at least
the next decade.
VEPCO'S rates remain
higher than either of North
Carolina's leading electrical
utilities, Carolina Power and
Light, and Duke Power.
According to Jerry Causey,
VEPCO'S Southern Division
marketing services manager,
VEPCO's average revenue
per kilowatt hoar (kwh) in
vm of 3.S73 cents was 1X4
percent higher than CPfcL'i
3.446 cents and 113 percent
higher than Duke's 3.011 cents
for all customer classes.
Operation Overcharge is
seeking a Congressional tar
for its complaints that the
Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) hasn't
paid enough attention to the
problem. And, it is weilding a
petition to the North Carolina
Public Utilities Commission
as a tool for VEPCO's evic
tion.
"100,000 unhappy people
have got to have an effect on
the legislators, the governor,
and VEPCO," said Henry
Carney, Perquimans County
Chamber of Commerce
President, and a member of
the Executive Committee of
Operation Overcharge.
Although Carney feels
VEPCO's considerably higher
rates reason enough for
ousting the utility from North
Carolina, be also doesn't
believe the preaeaet o I a
Virginia company is North
Carolina can operate in tin
best interests of the state.
"I'd prefer a North Carolina
'utility, somebody that'i
directly responsible to on
government and cares about
the needs of our people/' said
Carney
Carney, adding, "I'd rather
keep the Carolina dollar in
Carolina."
The petition effort will ran
until March 31, and although
Perquimans County is only
responsible (or 5,000 of the
100,000 signatures, Carney
i expects to exceed that num
i ber.
Petitions, placed in every
business in the county, can be
signed once by anyone who is
at least 18 years of age. A
signature appearing more
than once will invalidate one
entire page of the petition.
Perquimans County is also
responsible for $500 of
Operation Overcharge's
?dm listrative costs.
Came y said that contributions
could be sent to the
Perquimans County Chamber
of Commerce, P.O. Box 27,
Hertford, N.C. 27944.
Post open
The Hertford Pott Office
will be open on the next two
Saturdays to give postal
patrons a chance to mail early
and avoid the holiday rash,
according to poitm aster
Henry Stokes. ,
The post office will be ? iperf
from I a.m. until 12 noon on
both Dec. ? and Dec. 15, Stokes
?aid.