Newspapers / The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, … / July 24, 1980, edition 1 / Page 1
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THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY Volume 36, No. 30 USPS 428 000 Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, July 24, I960 20CENTS Law and order \ fights to survive It appears that the Albemarle Law and Order Association will continue to exist for the next four months despite federal cutbacks that have trimmed back its administrative monies for the remainder of the federal year. The organization is turning to local governments for "fair share" funding to pay its administrative costs for a four month period. On Monday night, Perquimans County agreed to pitch in $600, joining four other local governments who had already agreed to contribute. ALOA board member Bob Spivey attended the commissioner's meeting to make the plea for ALOA. "We're still getting grants but nothing for administration," said Spivey. "We've got to have some type of administrative program to carry on." ALOA has received much of its funding from the federal Law Enforcement Administration Association program, and will continue to look for ad ministrative dollars to carry on after the four month period has ended. Spivey was hopeful that the program would, indeed, be able to carry on. "I think it's one of the most valuable programs we've ever had. Seven days a week, 24 hours a day its effects are being felt in Region R. Much of Perquimans County's equipment used for law enforcement was purchased with LEAA funding through ALOA. In another matter, Perquimans County Chamber of Commerce president Henry Carney sought and received the en dorsement of the commissioners for an east-west Amtrak rail route that would stop in Hertford. The commissioners will send letters of support to first district Unioted States Congressman Walter B. Jones, and to Governor James B. Hunt, Jr. A group of citizens concerned about fire protection in Snug Harbor sought the installation of more relief valves from which water could be drawn in the event of an emergency. Commissioner Lester Simpson, however, told the group that the county had a back up tanker truck, as well as a collapsible water tank. He said that with the proximity of Snug Harbor to the water, their would be no problem drawing enough water to fight a fire. Engineers with Rivers and Associates told the commissioners that problems with the backwash cycle in the county water system may have been corrected but that the situation would bear wat ching for a few weeks. The commissioners were also told that insurance on the entire system was desparately needed. Eldon Winslow attended the meeting to issue a plea for the quality of water in the Perquimans and surrounding rivers. Winslow has maintained that there is a pollution problem in the river that has reduced fish populations. "There ought to be somebody to come down here and tell us what's wrong," said Winslow. "This river is too valuable a resource for us to lose." The Hertford resident said he feels that someone with expertise should be sent to the county to check the quality of water in the river. "And we'd just as well fight for the whole area while we're in it," said Winslow. "I'm selfish enough to want to see something done because I care something about this river." The commissioners agreed to seek a study on the river. In another matter, tax supervisor Keith Haskett reported the resignation of Anna May Smith in the tax office, the third employee to resign from the office in three years. Haskett said it takes an entire year to train a tax office clerk and asked that wages in the office be boosted to be competitive with private industry. Another matter saw the com missioners adopt a resoloution endorsing mapping for the county. The non-binding resoloution presses for a state grant that would pay 50 percent of the three year mapping program. The commissioners also received a letter from the Greenville planning firm which is contracted to do its land use update. The letter states that the firm is pulling out of the Greenville area and asks permission to subcontract the update to John Ferring, a former employee of the firm who negotiated the contract with the county. The commissioners referred the matter to county attorney John Mat thews for further study. Bids on a comprehensive county in surance program were not opened as scheduled beeatfae only one bid had been received, and county finance officer D.F. Reed, Jr. expressed reservations about the insurance program because its broad range of coverage kept all of the county's insurance firms from bidding except one. Reed suggested that perhaps the in surance plan should be broken down into several categories to open it up to more bidders. Draft registration Menford Griswould, 19, shows iden tification to Hertford post office em ployee Celvin Johnson on Monday, the first day at the first peacetime draft registration since 1975. Registration, held at *11 U.S. Post Offices, will extend over a two-week period. Men born in 1980 were expected to .register this week; those born in 1961 will register next week, beginning July 28. Residents angry at agri-business Several Winfall residents have banded together for the purpose of bringing grievances against Albemarle Chemical Company Incorporated, an agricultural chemical business located in Winfall. Frances Merritt, who lives on the corner of Highway 37 and Albemarle Street, (directly in front of the company) said the group will voice their com plaints, ranging from amonia spills to general conditions existing at the business site, at the next regular session of the Winfall Town Council on August 4. Paramount among the citisen's con cerns, according to Mrs. Merritt, i> the problem of amonia spillage. The com pany utilizes the amonia for purposes of making liquid fertilier. "They (the amonia spills) are so bad, that you cant even go out in the yard ? you can't even sendjrour children outside to play, "she said. Mrs. Merritt described the amonia spills as lasting anywhere from 30 minutes to 5 hours, and causing a vapor thart stings the eyes and smells "terrible." She said her son, Paul, who suffers from asthma, cannot leave the housr following an amonia incident "can't breathe." when it does, it gets to the point that you can't even go outside," said Mrs. Williams, who has small children and also babysits. The two women said that the last in cident, occuring Thursday, July 3, was serious enough to cause damage to their summer gardens. "It burned our peas," said Mrs. Merritt." An amonia spill that occured in July of last year necessitated evacuation from the neighborhood, according to Mrs. Merritt. Mrs. Merritt said she has contacted Ronald McDougald at the District Health Department but has had no response. McDougald, however, said he had tried to get in touch with Mrs. Merritt, but to no avail "I have visited her home and have called, but was never able to reach anybody at home," said the sanitarian. McDougald said he has checked into the problem, bat that there is nothing his department can do. "We have no jurisdiction there because it is a business ana and it is not soned," said Mc Dougald adding, "the business was probably there before many of the homes." McDougald said he had received complaints from rtter Winfall citisens concerned about conditions at the company. "I'm sure some of these Preventive wet-down Members of the Hertford Volunteer Fire Department were called to the scene of an accident fatality Friday on Highway 17. Walter Edwards, Jr., (1) and David Phillips are shown here hosing down the wreckage. Twin fatalities strike Two fatalities occurred as a result of traffic accidents in Perquimans County last week. Ruth Ward Hurdle, 64, of Camden, was killed instantly Friday afternoon when her. car collided with a tractor trailor on U.S. 17 Bypass, some 4 miles south of Hertford. Mrs. Hurdle, driving a 1977 Lincoln, was headed south on U.S. 17 when, after stopping at the intersection to make a left turn heading north, she pulled out in front of the white truck heading south. The Maola Milk truck, driven by William Earl Foy, 40, of Pollocksville, N.C? struck the automobile on the left front quarter, causing the vehicle to spin around, and ejecting Mrs. Hurdle onto the highway. Foy suffered no injuries. Highway patrolman Y. Z. Newberry investigated the accident. No charges were made. Mrs. Hurdle was a Methodist and the daughter of the late British and Mrs. Bessie Overman Ward of Winfall. Besides her husband Edgar Hurdle, of Camden, survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Ralph Pickett of Sumter, S.C.; a son, Robert L. Jennings of Virginia Beach; a sister, Mrs. George D. Chap pell, of Elizabeth City; a brother, Roy B. Ward of Clinton, N.C.; and four grand children. Funeral services were conducted Sunday in Twiford's Memorial Chapel by Rev. Clyde Tucker of First Methodist Church. Burial followed in Cedarwood Cemetary, Hertford. Harry Smith Everett, 71, of Holiday Island, died Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in Pitt Memorial Hospital in Greenville as a result of an automobile accident. Everett was traveling north in a 1955 Ford pick-up on Tranquility Lane in Holiday Island, when he passed through the intersection of Tranquility and Holiday Lane, striking a 1971 Oldsmobile driven by Alexander Buddy Steele. Steele was not injured. Perquimans Deputy Sheriff Joe Lothian, investigating officer, said he thought Everett's brakes failed as he approached the intersection. Everett was taken to Chowan Hospital, and later transferred to the Greenville hospital, according to Lothian. Lothian said Everett died from a fractured skull and multiple contusions. No charges were made. Everett, a native of South Norfolk, Va.. had lived in Holiday Island since 1974. He was retired from Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and was the former owner and operator of Everett Auto Electric Ser vice, Inc. inCheasapeake, Va. He was a member of the South Norfolk Masonic Lodge. He is survived by his wife, Barbara A. Everett; one son, Harry Warner Everett of Chesapeake; a sister, Frances Taylor of Chincoteague, Va.; one brother, William C. Everett of Holiday Island; and five grandchildren. A Masonic service was held Friday at Cheasapeake Memorial Gardens. Recreation keys joint meeting Recreation and its future in the county dominated a special meeting between the Hertford Town Council and the Perquimans County Board of Com missioners Wednesday night. The meeting had purportedly been called to discuss joint programs and projects and to promote a cooperative spirit between the two boards. But the group never got past the first item of discussion ? recreation. Currently, town and county split the cost of the recreation program on a 50-50 basis, but members of the town council have expressed an interest in the county's picking up a larger share of the budget. TTiey have complained that since they already pay county taxes, the town stipend amounts to double taxation. The commissioners, on the other hand, have been reluctant to use tax dollars for recreation, and one board member called for a county-wide vote in November on whether or not tax money should be used for that purpose. Matters were further complicated by the recent resignation of recreation director Billy Wooten, who said a lack of county support for recreation influenced his decision. At the Wednesday night meeting, the two boards got as far as appointing a committee to screen applicants for a new director, but town council member Jesse Harris pressed the commissioners on their plans for receation beyond the 1980 1981 fiscal year. "Even before a person is hired, before we even advertise anymore ? we need to know exactly what the county is going to do," said Harris. Specifically, he wanted to know if the commissioners were going to call for a vote on recreation. Harris pushed each commissioner for a yea or nay-answer, but only Simpson came out in definite support of a vote. "My feeling is it would make it a lot easier to levy a tax (for recreation)," said Simpson. He said that he did not think county residents would vote against a recreation program. Commissioner Waldo Winslow was non-committal, but offered a new suggestion for voting. "It makes no difference to me," said Winslow, "but t think there should be a choice. Should the county pay 100 per cent, 70 per cent, or none? If it's put to a vote I think it should be that way, rather than a yea or nay." Harris emphatically supported a recreation vote. "You'll never go wrong by letting the people speak," he said. It was noted, however, that no program is funded on more than a yearly basis, and the recreation program has been funded for the current fiscal year. Harris also had strong feelings on funding recreation in the county. "This is a county operation. The town of Hertford has nothing to do with recreation as of tonight," said Harris. "Tonight you've got another department to add to your budget." Hertford mayor Bill Cox, however, reminded Harris that he could not speak for the entire town council. Council member John Beers spoke briefly on the virtues of recreation, saying that several youths had been offered scholarships because of their participation in the Babe Ruth program. He said that while many county programs benefit only a segment of the population, recreation is for everyone. Beers, too, felt the county should take on a larger share of the budget. But it was pointed out that in adjacent counties, the towns pay a larger portion of the recreation budget than do the counties. "I don't think we should take it over entirely," said commissioner Waldo Winslow, "but in the years to come we may take over a larger portion." Accessibility is the key, said Winslow. "It's costing the people in the county a little more to participate." Joe Nowell, chairman of the board of commissioners, also expressed op position to a 100 per cent takeover by the county. "At this particular time, I don't think the county should take it over, not wholeheartedly," said Nowell. The deadline for accepting ap plications for the position of recreation director has passed, and Cox said that 13 applications had been received. Those applications were expected to be screened and narrowed down to three or four candidates prior to the Monday night meeting of the commissioners. First of a series How clean is our river ? b)r NOEL TODD Mclaughlin EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is the first of a three-part series of articles dealing with the Perquimans River. Though area residents claim that fishing has declined dramatically in the Perquimans Rim, the actual quality of water remains a great mystery. There is no general concensus among area and state biologists as to the present rondHicmoftherhrer. lfo st admit marginal knowledge of the water quality, placing the condition of the Chowan River as top priority at Although all agree that there is probably no cause for alarm, their un certain assessments are underlined by what could happen if careful and con sistent attention is not given water quality. Moat cite the present algae problem in the neighboring Chowan River as example of what fate could befall the Perquimans if action is not soon taken to insure maintenance of its present standards. And all say that they do not know of any regular monitoring by biologists or geologists for water quality. Harold Johnson, area coordinator with the Fisheries Management Section of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, said he does not know the extent of algae bloom in the Perquimans River, but does think it is present. "Whether or not the Perquimans River is going to turn pea-green like the Chowan is anybody's guess, but almost all rivers in the area, including the Perquimans, are experiencing some problems," said Johnson, who defined algae bloom as a result of eutrophocation, or a process of over fertilization caused by too many nutrients. Eutrophocation is a process felt in all coastal-area rivers, according to Todd Llewelleyn, an information officer for the .Division of Environmental Management in Raleigh, "I don't know about the Perquimans River specifically, but I would guess that all coastal rivers are experiencing varying degrees of algae bloom," said Llewelleyn. "The Chowan River is the most ad vanced, but I would say that all rivers of that area are having problems similar to what we see in the Chowan," he added. Llewelleyn quoted Dr. Gerald Each, a biologist at Wake Forest University who has studied the Chowan River ex tensively, as saying "Unless something ( Continued oa page 2)
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
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