.THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
; ?
Volume 37, No. 4 USPS42t-OIO Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday. January 29, 20 CENTS
A special report
Industrial recruitment again becoming a concern
. By mike Mclaughlin
A pair of billboards assail motorists as
they approach the town limits of Hert
ford from either direction on U.S. IT.
; "Home of Jim "Catfish" Hunter," they
read, and in smaller lettering. "We invite
, gpdustry ? Excellent sites available."
Featuring the former major league
pitcher unfurling one of his famous
patented pitches, the billboards are the
most visible symbol of the town's efforts
to attract industry.
At $M per month, they are also the
most expensive of the town's efforts. In
fact, some might argue that they are the
, gown's only attempt at making itself
attractive to industrial development.
The county appears to be doing even
less. An industrial development com
mission headed up by county commision
chairman Joe Nowell has not convened in
several years.
County residents voted some years
back to allow taxation of up to a nickel
per |100 property valuation for the
i fourpose of industrial development.
But that tax has not been collected for
some time.
One could easily get the impress kw
that the town and county aren't par
ticularly concerned about attracting
industry, despite the billboard.
Yet there are those who express
concern. "We peed a mixture of small
industry to go along with our agricultural
base," said Hertford mayor Bill Cox.
Nowell, too, agrees that it's time to
revive efforts to lure industry to
Perquimans County.
The county began a strong drive for
industrial development some IS years,
with the approval of a special tax, Cox
said. From there an industrial developer
was hired and an industrial park created
on Grubb Street extended.
Water and sewer Unes were extended
to the site, and Don Juan, the apparel
manufacturer that is the county's only
bona fide factory, moved from to the
park. Agreements were reached so that
land would be available in the event that
other concerns wanted to locate on the
site.
But the county's industrial developer
found employment elsewhere in the early
seventies, and interest in industrial
development soon fizzled.
"For the Ust four or five years there
hat been little spent on industrial
development There has not been much
activity," said Cox.
"We just do not have the
organizational interest to work for it," he
said.
It isn't as though the need does not
exist. Besides the small number of public
service jobs, the approximately MO
manufacturing jobs provided by Don
Juan, and the less than 500 persons
employed on the farm, clerking at a shop
is about the only thing left.
Oot-aifratfen
Many county residents travel out of the
county to work at more lucrative
manufacturing jobs in Tidewater,
Virginia.
County commissioner Charles Ward
estimates that that figure may be as high
as 25 per cent. He maintains that the
county isnt losing many residents to
other areas. "People would rather live
here even if they have to drive further,"
be said.
Almost like spring
Recent spriaf-like weather has brought
out the 1mb*7 haikets and yard
workers, aloof with ? few perhapa
oreriy-opdmistk hofM that the wether
picture wfll not ckuge for aa exteaM
period of tine.
The county's lone factory
Dm Jua. u apparel ?awtfactarer, it the only industry Perquimans County can boast of. But a few public officials
are itchtog to get in the race for a few nore factories.
But with gas prices rising, that picture
may change, he said.
Ward is working to revive industrial
recruitment efforts in the county. He
wants to rejuvenate the industrial
development commission and get it into
the active search for industry again.
Part of the problem is simply finding
out who is on the commission, whether or
not their terms have expired, and
whether or not they want to remain on an
active commission.
Ward concedes that it would be easier
to start from scratch with a brand new
bunch.
But despite the fact that the current
economic situation is prohibitive to in
dustrial expansion, Ward maintains that
now is the time to begin laying ground
work for the time that the climate is
more inviting.
He maintains that the need is urgent.
"We've got to get something," Ward
said. "The only things we've got that
create any income are logging and
(arming. We've had a bad farming year
and the interest has ruined logging," he
said.
The recent closing of the L.R. Foreman
lumber mill in Elizabeth City probably
put as many as 50 county residents out of
work, Ward said, and empty storefronts
are becoming more commonplace in the
town of Hertford.
( Continued on page 2)
T ax collections expected
to outpace projections
An expected decline in collection of
1M0 taxes because of poor economic
conditions in Perquimans County has so
far not materialized
The town of Hertford, however, ap
pears to have suffered some decline in
tax collections.
The county commissioners had
prepared their IMO-'U fiscal year budget
based on collection expectations of ? per
cent, 3 per cent less than the 85 per cent
collection projection used in the previous
year's budget
The projection is used as an estimate to
determine tax revenue for budgeting
purposes.
But more than a million dollars was
collected before the first interest
penalties were assessed on Jan. 7, and
tax supervisor Keith Haskett said
collections are running about the same
as last year's 97.5 per cent collection
rate.
At budget making time last spring.
Haskett was among those who thought
the collection rate might drop a little.
"We all thought so," he said.
But the conservative SB per cent
budgeting figure may mean extra
unappropriated income for the county, if
payment continues as it has. Each
percentage point of the total levy
collected means some $12,000 in revenue
for the county.
For example, if collections were to
total 95 per cent, the county would gain
roughly $36,000 over tax revenues
budgeted.
The county tax department has also
collected some $42,000 in back taxes
since July 1, 1980. That cleared the way
for some infrequent taxpayers to pay
their 1980 bills, since current tax bills
cannot be paid before back bills have
been cleared, explained tax office em
ployee Carol Rogers.
In years past, back tax collections
have ranged from $10,000 to $15,000, she
said.
Haskett attributed the increase in
collection of back taxes to "extra effort"
in the tax office. Writing letters and
garnishing wages are two ways of en
couraging the payment of back taxes, he
said.
So far some 86 per cent of the county
tax levy has been collcted, 'and Haskett
said that April and May are big months
for receiving tax payments.
Four weeks prior to the first Monday in
June, the names of delinquent taxpayers
are listed in the newspaper for the annual
land sale.
There is a big influx of tax money just
prior to the listing in April, and while the
list is running in the paper during May,
Haskett said.
Hertford tax collector Marvin Hunter
said the same is true for that town, but
that so far this year collections are
running at only 80 per cent of a $78,705.35
billing.
Taxes, however, do not comprise a
large segment of the town's budget. "We
don't have a big tax base," said Hunter.
He said that the town has had bills for a
single month's wholesale power from
Vepco that artflarger than the entire tax
billing for the year.
Since the 2 per cent January penalty
was added. Hunter said tax payment
have dropped away to virtually nothing.
"The people that are going to pay will
pay the penalty and pay it (their tax
bills) by advertising day," said Hunter.
Collections are running close to the
norm in the town of Winfall. The town
does not penalize late taxpayers, said
employee and former mayor David
Trueblood. Despite that, most town
residents pay their taxes on time, he
said, and thi r appears to be little dif
ferent from years past.
"They're paying about like they
usually do," Trueblood said.
Curriculum guide
School board gets an education in family life
The subject of family life education
was again addressed by the Perquimans
County School Board at their regular
monthly meeting last week.
The board decided some three years
ago to institute a family life curriculum
in county schools, in an effort to coor
dinate related topics cumotly dealt with
in high school biology, health, and home
economics cl jsscs.
, Morris Kornegay, Perquimans County
school coordinator of education in grade*
1-12, presented a report, compiled by the
Family Life Education Committee,
addmiing possible particulars of the
Qnasboni addraamd by the committee
were, what grade to begin study, who
sknU tench the coarse, what staff
. dmlopsniat is necessary and whether a
| student may opt out of the program
The committee has suggested that the
curriculum in grades 7 and I be taught by
the health and physical education
teachers. Topics for study on the junior
high level would include dating, growth
and development, reproduction, heredity
and nodal and emotional problems
related torn.
Portions of the junior high study, such
as venereal disease, abortion and con
traceptives, would he taught by health
professionals, doctors and nurses, ac
cording to Kornegay.
On the secondary level, the course
would be taught in grade ? by health and
PE teachers, with the ezpanstou of aome
topics previously taught, such as dating.
The Ith grade study would also include
aspects of heredity and portions of the
n?it on social yd isistisnsl problems
related to sex, at weO as WauMficatieo of
the role of the famly in today's society .
Likewise, grade 10 would include
wifMCs of MicGiiji reproduction , jfrowui
and development These untts wfll be
taught bp the Wology teacher.
eluding laws regulating marriage, ad
justments involved in marriage, and
preparation tor parenthood.
The committee has suggested that the
time devoted to family life study be
restricted to oae week in grades 4 and S;
2 weeks in grade <; I weeks in grades T
10; and 2 weeks in grades U and li.
No extensive staff development would
he involved in imptementaion of the
family life curriculum, according to the
committee report. Kornegay said that
health and PE teachers, as well as
biology teachers, have already received
adequate training in the subject
and that t? the
other levels would only involve I
He added that funds for staff
an available through the
Of!
the i
be given the option of
to
of the curriculum, to
visual aids, are available from the
Regional Health Library in Elizabeth
City, at a negtibibie cost
Koraegay, who stressed that the
coaaiittee's suggestions were not
si.*; that he realized that it
he difficult to ask teachers to take
oa the extra teachiag duties.
"It night be too such to ask a teacher
to aot oaiy teach what they're teacto*.
bat to add I weeks of another subject oa
top ?f that," said Kamegay. adding
"Teachers are pretty wefl hall bow."
Atteadiag the aeetiag was
Oouwtyffigh School Prto
Byraaa, who responded to
Byrwaa said that hi Mrticwlar. be did
?at M that Wgh school B^Hih to
be assigaed the task at
"My other raacttaa is i
?aid Bynm. "aad that is. we've gat to
ww caat keep aa addteg raps to the
tea ftl going la tm
saMthatbeMtft waa**too
late." to taatttato a family life
Uaaitll
compliance with Byrum and commented
that she felt that high school students
already "knew what was going on."
? School board chairman Clifford
Wiaslow said that while he felt teaching
youngsters about family life should be
the responsibility of parents and the
church, neither had dealt with the topic
ia a satisfactory manner.
The board took no action on the com
mittee's report. Winslow said. "We need
more time to study it and look into it. "
The family life advisory committee is
comprised of Kornegay, Margaret
Brothers, Carolyn Rogers, Billy
Stalling*. Cehrin Webster, and Roland
Wright.
la other business, schools superin
tendent Pat Harrell announced that the
price at reduced lunches was going to
have to go up.
TV increase, effective last Wed
nesday, doubles the previously set 10
cent reduced-price lunch to 20 cents.
la addition. Harrell Mid that students
previously eligible for free lunches may
fee reclassified for reduced-price meals,
and those student s eligible for reduced
price lunches may be asked to psy the
fan SS cents.
The hike k lunch prices is due to a cut
^*--1 1 ?.Jritlnn -.Llnl.
RQfiii nuinuou i unas. WHICH were
trim SMd back at the first of the year.
Harrell said that it was "not feasible
for the school food service to absorb the
(increased) cost."
The board also agreed to withhold
payment of some $5,600 to Gardner
Construction Company for work not yet
completed on the newly-built high school
addition.
School architect Sam Ashford had
recommended to Harrell that the board
not pay any portion of the amount due the
company until shower stall partitions are
installed.
The board also:
?Heard several teachers in attendance
comment on the "lack of heat" in the
high school addition.
?Acknowledged work former artist-in
the-schools Frans van Baars did on a
Union School mural and paintings he
donated both to the school board and io
benefit the high school band.
?Approved the hiring of Carol Dyer as
EMH and LD teacher at the high school.
?Approved a list of some 45-50 persons
eligible for substitute teaching.
?Heard a presentation on high school
remedial programs from Thelma Finch,
Jessie Fitch, Brands Singletary, and
Alice Wiaslow.
The school board will hold its next
meeting at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 2, at
the county office building on Edentoo
Road Street, in Hertford.