THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
^ Volum* 37, No. 52 USPS 428-060 Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, DEC. 31, 1W1 20 CENTS
Power agreement , favorable audit highlight Hertford's year
t ?
It has been a year of great activity
for the the town of Hertford. The town
made some dramatic changes during
? 1981. changes that will have a big
effect on the town's future.
Perhaps the greatest change was
the town council's move to join the
North Carolina Municipal Power
Agency No. 3, now called the North
Carolina Eastern Municipal Power
Agency.
That development could change
everything from the amount of a
Hertford-resident's light bill to the
number of new jobs the town
generates in the next several years.
The agency's members have agreed
to buy a percentage of several
generators owned by the Carolina
Power and Light Co. The power
agency's claim that its members will
save as much as 15 percent in future
electricity costs was revised to 7-8
percent following the cancelation of
construction of two of the nuclear
plants. Nevertheless, the projected
savings would still make the town
more attractive to businesses con
sidering a move to Hertford.
To make the town more attractive
yet, Hertford is on the final leg of
construction of Missing Mill Park on
Grubb Street. The^ark, built largely
with state and federal money, should
be completed by late spring.
Once again this year. Hertford was
deemed a Community of Excellence
by the N.C. Department of Com
merce. That stamp of approval in
dicates the town has an eye toward its
future development.
The town's budget, an em
barrassing problem in the last couple
of years, took a turn for the better,
according to an independant audit
made last fall.
? A combination of tighter spending
and increased utility revenues
cleared up some of the town's red
tape, and the auditors believed that
the town could be in the black by this
time next year.
The town councilmen blamed in
creases in wholesale electricity from
the Virginia Electric Power Co. ?
increases previously not passed on to
Hertford customers ? for the budget
shortfall, and two VEPCO increases
this year, one in January and another
in September, were passed on.
The town adopted a <450.000 budget
last summer, raising the town's taxes
by 10 cents, the first increase in 12
years.
And finally. Hertford voters elected
a new town councilman. Joe Towe
White, Jr., running on a younger
blood-needed platform, surprised two
incumbents to take T. Erie Haste's
seat on the council.
1 Year in Review
County makes
progress in 1981
By SUSAN HARRIS
Perquimans County saw several
changes during the past year: the
Newbold-White house opened its doors
to the public, the county water system
began its expansion, and Winfall
extended its boundaries.
Although these changes were not
earth-shattering, they will have an
impact on the lives of many county
residents.
The Newbold-White House opened
Friday, July 3 after a decade of
planning and two years of con
struction. Some 175 people attended
the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the
house believed by some to be the
oldest in the state.
Wilbert Kemp restored the one and
one-half story house, which was
"considered something of a mansion in
its day because it had four rooms and
several closets.
The Perquimans County
Restoration Association also opened a
Visitor's Center housing an in
formation desk and slide show. The
facility includes restrooms.
Three pieces of period furniture
have been procured by PCRA for
display in the house. They include two
andirons and a chair, both made in the
17th century, and a pre-1690 chair.
The Perquimans County Com
missioners wrestled with three major
problems during the year: plat
changes at Holiday Island, the ex
pansion of the county's present water
system, and the approval of federal
flood insurance.
The board denied a proposal by
Coastland Corporation, the Holiday
Island development firm, to change
265 camping sites into 54 residential
sites.
According to State Health Depart
ment officials, the present sewer
system, which has been operating
without the approval of the depart
ment, is inadequate to handle the
increased load that would result from
the plat change.
Although the Holiday Island
residents were in favor of the
Coastland proposal, the com
missioners were concerned about
being held responsible if the system
eventually failed.
Over |1 million in funding was
approved for the expansion of the
county's water system, monies which
mainly consisted of two grants and an
Fm HA loan.
With the addition of three new wells,
new lines, and a new water treatment
plant, the county hoped to be able to
serve all residents who had originally
signed up for county water, new
customers, and the Holiday Island
section of the county. More than 400
potential customers si'gned up for the
service.
Holiday Island customers must
raise $100,000 in order to connect with
the county system. With the poor
quality water the development now
has, it was felt that raising the money
would not be a problem.
The Winfall Town Council annexed
500 feet on both sides of U.S. 17 and
N.C. Highway 37. and 100 feet near
Union School.
Although the additional 300 - 500
acres of woodland and farmland will
not be taxed by the town, the action
cloarly delineated the town's boun
daries and brought all the town's
water lines into the town Uaits.
Benefits to the town include free
The Industrial Development
i reorganised and
a two-year lull in
County Commissioners and school
board officials worked jointly to keep
taxes down for county residents in the
face of federal budget cuts.
The county budget was trimmed so
that the tax rate increased only two
cents per $100 valuation, which in
crease included 10 percent salary
raises for county personnel.
An initial budget of $1,066,551
submitted by the Perquimans County
Board of Education was clipped to
$1,055,951 by requesting revenue
sharing funds to supplement the
needed monies, rather than raising
county taxes.
Labeled a "hold the line" budget by
School Superintendent Pat Harrell,
the proposed expenditures included
critical maintenance work to be
performed in the schools, work the
school board felt could not be post
poned.
Also budgeted were a new weight
room at the high school, additional
bleachers for the football field,
another band bus, improved
restrooms at the athletic complex,
and turf-building on the football field.
The County Commissioners ap
proved federal flood insurance for
Perquimans County, although a
footnote was attached denoting their
disagreement with the federal flood
plane maps.
Federal maps indicated that the
county is a flood-prone area during
storms. The commissioners sought
revision of the maps, and at present
are still awaiting results of the
revised study.
Students at Perquimans High
scored significantly higher than the
state average on standard tests ad
ministered in the fall. Overall reading
and math scores improved, following
the trend of the past four years.
The most marked difference in the
scores were in the reading skills area,
which were up 26.2 percent from the
year before.
A token fee of $1 was approved by
the Board of Education for students of
parents who work on government
owned sites in Elizabeth City and
Norfolk, as well as those students who
reside in low income housing projects
in Hertford.
County merchants felt the pinch of
inflation and high interest rates
during the year.
Hertford businessman T. Erie
Haste cited three reasons for
borrowing: replacing stock, financing
customer accounts, and expansion.
Although expansion can be postponed,
most businesses in the area must
maintain stock and customer ac
counts.
The Perquimans County High
School marching band performed in
full uniform for all home football
games, many away games, and
several parades. Highlights of the
year included winning several band
competitions and performing for
Governor James & Hunt. Jr. in his
( inaugural parade held in Raleigh.
Farmers enjoyed the highest
peanut yield ever, averaging about
500 pound* more per acre than in
years past. Soybeans were fair, and
the corn crop was disastrous, ac
cording to Bill Jester. County
Agricultural Agent.
Jester labeled 1M1 a year of "clow
margins." Selling prices on all farm
products were low
Because of the high price of
producing crops and the high coat of
borrowing for operating expenses,
farmers are becoming more aware of
" li,ww ?vwn on cnemicil utacc.
Jester said that there has been iM
? . . .
vase in soil sampling.
isti Is "to have good yields
? ?_ 4 A. _ .
y county farmers.
Winter scene
Clouds cast a somber winter scene near Winfall.
I
Caroling
Maude Tucker plays
Chriitmai carols for
Hertford at the Hertford
Baptist Church Tuesday of
last week. Her music was
amplified and broadcasted
from the church steeple.
U.S. 17 group meets
The Highway 17 Transportation
Association In North Carolina is
winding up its most successful year
and is getting ready for its third an
nual effort.
This week
County residents make New
Year's resolutions. Turn to
page three.
1 Weather
Fair Thursday and Friday,
with a chance of
precipitation Saturday.
Highs in the upper 40s and
Thomas H. Campbell of Eliiabeth
City, Chairman of the Association's
Nominations, announced the annual
election of officers today. They will
serve during 19S2. Reelected
President of the Association was
William H. (Bill) Page of Washington.
Mayor William D. Cox of Hertford
was elected Vice-President, and
Mayor W. Bruce Teachey of
Jacksonville was reelected Secretary
and Treasurer.
Named to head the various boards
aad support councils of the
Association were: W.P. Jones of
Edentoo, Vice-Chairman of the Board
of Directors, Mayor Cox. Chairman of
the Governmental Leadership
Council, Dick Paul of Washington,
President of Television Station
WITN-TV, Chairman of the Executive
Advisory Council. J .A. Stafford of
WlUiamston. official with VEPCO,
Vice-Chairman of the Executive
Advisory Council.
Board accepts bids,
adopts tax schedule
The Perquimans County Board of
Commissioners approved a low bid on
repairs to the courthouse at their
regular meeting Monday of last week.
Donald Riddick of Rte. 3. Edenton
was granted the contract to make
several minor improvements to the
courthouse: painting, sanding and
tiling some floors, panelling some
walls. Riddick's low bid was for
$6,475.
The board also approved a property
tax assessment schedule presented by
Keith Haskett, county tax collector.
According to Haskett. the schedule
? which is used to assess property for
tax purposes ? is "very, very close"
to last year's schedule. Haskett noted
that property will be assessed ac
cording to its market value at the time
in which the board adopted the
schedule.
In other action, the board :
?Accepted bids for leasing county
farm property in Winfall. The board
approved a high bid of $1,361.51 per
year for the next three years, gran
ting a joint lease to William R. Miller
and George Roach.
?Heard a report by Thomas Nixon
of the state Forestry Service, who
requested that the board hire a part
time inspector to approve burning
permits.
The state's new burning law
requires an on-site inspection of the
area to be burned before granting the
permit, and Nixon said the extra work
required another employee. The
board tabled its decision until its next
meeting.
?Heard a proposed noise ordinance,
presented by board attorney John
Matthews. The board took no action
on the proposal.
Filing dates set
The Perquimans County Board of
Elections announced filing dates for
six county positions up for election in
1982.
Filing for those positions will begin
at noon. January 4, 1982. and end at
noon, February 1.
The positions up for election this
year are:
?Two seats on the Perquimans
County Board of Commissioners; one
in the Belvidere district, now held by
WW. White, and one in the New Hope
district, now held by Marshall Caddy.
?Two seats on the Perquimans
County Board of Education, now held
by Lloyd Dail and Clifford Winslow.
?The position of Clerk of Court, now
held by Jarvis Ward.
?The position of Perquimans County
Sheriff, now held by Julian
Broughton.
Chamber sponsors trip
to the World's Fair
The Perquimans County Chamber
of Commerce will sponsor a trip to the
Worlds Fair in Knoxville. Tenn. this
coming October.
The Chamber has reserved 40 seats
for the trip, which is open to members
of the Chamber and residents of
Perquimans Cpunty .
The trip will last from October It to
XI. The cost will include bus tran
sportation to and from the fair, motel
rooms for three nights, one meal, and
tickets to the fair.
The cost is $325 for a single room,
$265 for a double. $250 for three or
more occupancy, and $175 for
children.
Reservations must be made by
January IS. A $100 deposit is required,
and the deposit can be refunded up to
?0 days before departure.
To reserve a seat, contact Ed Miller
?t 428-5761.