THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
?lum? 3>, No. 5 USPS 42?-080 Hertford, PerqMirwnt County, N.C., Thursday, FEB. 4. 19t2 20CEN1
'All I can say is,
don't let go too early'
Mary Jasielum (top) watches while
members of the county Rescue Squad
lower her during a Rescue Squad
training exercise at Perquimans High
School last Sunday. At center, another
Rescue Squad member is lowered.
Below, Squad "Chief Ralph" Barr gets
his chance to go down.
County, town attack redisricting plan
Senate proposal will shut out Albemarle area , officials say
The Perquimans County Board of
Commissioner? and the Hertford
Town Council both took offense to the
state Senate's proposal to break up
District 1 in the state's new
redisricting plan.
Both local bodies have adopted
resolutions opposing the plan, which
they feel would shut out Perquimans
County and the entire Albemarle area
from any effective representation.
State Senator Melvin Daniels (D
Pasquotank) agrees with that sen
timent. and has been encouraging
local county and municipal bodies to
express their opposition to the plan.
The Senate's plan is to divide
District 1, which now has two
senators, into two single-senator
districts. District 1 would consist of
Perquimans, Chowan, Bertie, Tyrrell.
Washington and Northampton
Counties, along with parts of Gates
and Hertford Counties.
District 2 would consist of
Pasquotank, Camden, Currituck.
Dare, Beaufort, Hyde, and Pamlico
Counties, and parts of Gates and
Hertford Counties.
Hertford mayor and town manager
Bill Cox stated at Monday's Town
Council meeting that if the Senate's
redisricting plan were approved,
"once Melvin Daniels leaves yffice,
you can forget ever thinking about
having a senator from this side of the
Chowan River."
As county commissioners and town
councilmen see it, the populations of
Bertie and Northampton Counties can
easily outvote Perquimans and
Chowan Counties, leaving the latter
two counties without the voting clout
they had in the old District 1, which
consisted essentially of the counties
surrounding the Albemarle Sound.
The same goes for the District 2
counties of Pasquotank, Camden.
Currituck and Dare. They would be
outvoted by the larger populations in
Pamlico and Beaufort.
In effect, the councilmen and
commissioners believe, the
Albemarle area will no longer have
one of its own in the state Senate if this
plan were approved.
The redisricting plan for the House
of Representative is essentially the
same as before, covering the
Albemarle area.
What the ten county area intends to
do about the problem is another story.
Most of the trouble with the state's
previous redisricting plans have had
to do with districts in the Piedmont
section of the state, where localities
have plenty of clout in the state senate
to change the plans.
But the Albemarle region has
traditionally been ignored in Raleigh,
and this instance is not likely to be any
different.
Councilman John Beers noted, "The
ten county area has always tried to
stick together. I think it's time we
came together on this."
Cox said after Che meeting that he
objected to the "seperating of natural
neighbors" included in the plan. He
added that the Albemarle area has the
same economic and agricultural
interests and should remain together.
Cox said that he has not heard of
any lobbying efforts to change the
plan, but said that he was in touch
with Daniels and "if he feels a need
for someone to be in Raleigh, Hertford
will be represented."
Perquimans District Court holds hearing
The Honorable John T. Chaffin
presided at last Wednesdays session
ot Perquimans County District Court.
Robert Winfrey. Assistant District
Attorney, prosecuted for the state.
The following cases were heard :
Danny Ray Boyce pled not guilty to
charges of reckless driving and
assault with a deadly weapon. He was
found guilty.
Boyce received a sentence of 9
months. AO appeal was noted and a
County Board agrees to
W oodville subdivision
The Perquimans County Board of
Commissioners approved plans for a
subdivision in Wgodville at their
regular meeting Monday afternoon.
Called WoodvUle Lake, the sub
division consists of ?3 lots off SR 1367
in WoodviUe. Passage of the plan is
subject to approval by the state
Department of Transportation
The moiion was opposed by <
mlssioner Mi
stated that he>
pi the
mi
The board also adopted a resolution
expressing its opposition to the
proposed state Senate redisricting
plan.
PjsQf- a ? , .'?/ ? ? ? I
taThat plan would put Perquimans
County in a one seat district that in
cludes Chowan. Bertie. Northampton,
and parts etf Gates and Hertford
Counties. The board members stated
that th?r would rather see
Perquimans la a district with
Pasquotank Camden and Currituck
Counties, as it ia now districted
$1,000 secured bond was ordered.
William Henry Askew, charged
with driving under the influence, third
offense, pjed guilty to driving under
the influence, second offense, and was
sentenced to 6 months. An appeal was
noted and a $500 bond was ordered.
James Durwood Hunter pled guilty
to the transportation of spiritous
liquors in the passenger area of a
motor vehicle. He was given a 30 day
sentence, suspended for two years, a
$100 fine plus the cost of court, and
was told to violate no laws for 12
months.
Clinton Lee Mercer pied guilty to
U>e transportation of alcoholic
beverages in a motor vehicle which is
not authorised by law to do so. He was
sentenced to 30 days, suspended for
two years, was given a $100 fine plus
the coat of court, and was told to
violate no laws tor 12 months.
Robert Wayne Meads pled guilty to
Uri* aw. ? .
f'Ji ?
less than 21 years of age. He was
given a 9 month sentence, suspended
for 2 years, a $350 fine plus the cost of
court. .
Meads was told to violate no laws
for 12 months and to have no alcoholic
beverage in or about any vehicle
under his control.
Carlton Henry Jordan pled guilty to
assault on a female and was sen
tenced to 30 days, suspended for 2
years, and was given a $25 fine plus
the coat of court. He was told to
violate no laws for 12 months and not
to strike or assault prosecuting wit
ness for two years.
Roger Cherry, Jr. pled guilty to
speeding. <5 miles per hour in a 55
mile per hour tone, and was fined $35
plus the coat of court.
In civil court action, an absolute
divorce was granted in the caw of
Barry Keith Layden vs. Freda Ann
F armers voice mixed
feelings on farm bill
Bj SUSAN HARRIS
Area farmers have mixed emotions
concerning the new (arm bill. Most
echo the feeling of Douglas Layden. a
Belvidere farmer, who described it as
"complicated."
An estimated 120 of the 434 peanut
allotments (now quotas) in
Perquimans County will be
significantly reduced or lost if the
peanut referendum voted on last week
passes, according to Tommy Riddick,
Director of the Perquimans County
ASCS ofice.
However. Riddick states, most
farmers cannot make a profit if there
are no price supports. In his opinion
the referendum, although certainly
not ideal, is "better than nothing."
Charles White who farms in the
Bethel community says, "That's the
club over your head. The government
gets 'em (peanuts) and runs the price
down."
Some farmers, like J.E. Proctor,
feel they have been cheated. Proctor
expressed great dissatisfaction over
the referendum at the meeting held
last Tuesday. Proctor is one of many
area farmers who will lose his
allotment is the referendum passes.
Riddick said he could understand
the farmers' anger. "We told them
their history would be protected if
they rented their allotments two out of
three years." Riddick said. The new
farm bill has changed the rules in
midstream.
Douglas Layden thinks voting for
support prices and quotas is choosing
the better of what's being offered.
"With the choices they've given us,
it's either that or nothing."
"I'm in favor of a program, but not
that one," says Woodley Bundy, who
will lose his 35-acre allotment if the
referendum passes.
Of peanut farming, Bundy states,
"U's. been ?ood to me. I haven't
planted a peanut since 1956." Bundy
has had an allotment since 1936.
Bundy said he has rented his
allotment on the farm for two years
and off the farm for two years like he
was told in order to keep his allot
ment. "Now they come 'round and tell
us we don't have anything. I think we
were lied to and misled." he said.
The people who are really in bad
shape, according to Bundy. are those
people who were unable to work their
allotments, "like these widows."
Bundy said they rented their farms
out, and some of the operators in turn
leased out their allotments. "They're
the ones I feel sorry for," stated
Bundy.
The feeling one gets from talking to
farmers about the peanut referendum
is that they feel like they don't have
much of a choice.
Some will lose their entire allot
ments because of the change in rules
if the referendum passes. But with no
price supports, they still could not
plant for financial reasons.
Whichever side of the fence farmers
are on. most agree that the 1982 Farm
Bill is detrimental to the peanut
farmer.
Local officials meet
to explain program
By SUSAN HARRIS
Tommy Riddick, Director of the
Perquimans County ASCS office, and
North Carolina Peanut Growers
Association Director Norfleet Sugg
held a meeting on Tuesday of last
week to explain to county farmers the
effect the outcome of the peanut
referendum will have on them
"If quotas are discontinued, you'll
have nothing," Riddick told farmers.
"You'll be out on the open market."
Riddick said. "There is confusion
(over the vote.) You're voting as to
whether you want quotas and if you
have quotas, you have supports." He
reported that there is nothing farmers
can do at this point about the 1982
Farm Bill itself.
The main concern expressed by
area farmers was the reduction an
d/or loss of peanut quotas, especially
those allotments that have been
leased to another operator for two of
the past three years.
The 1977 Farm Bill allowed persons
holding, peanut allotments to leqse
them to another operator two out of
any three farming years and still
retain the peanut history on their
farm.
The new Farm Bill stipulates that
operators who leased their allotments
to another farm with a differe.t
Operator in any two of the past three
years will lose the right to grow quota
peanuts. This stipulation will effect
120 area farms, according to Riddick.
This elimination is the third step in
a four-step plan to reduce the poun
dage of peanuts produced in ac
cordance with the new Farm Bill. The
bill drops the number of pounds to be
produced in 1982 by 240,000 over the
1981 crop, and also reduces peanut
poundage production each year for
the next four crop years.
First to lose peanut quotas will be
persons having previously had
allotments, but no tillable cropland.
Perquimans County has no such
farms.
The second group to lose quotas will
be persons who failed to produce their
quotas in any two of the past three
years except in the case of natural
disaster. There are only a couple of
county farms effected by this
eliminator, Riddick said.
These two steps cannot bring down
poundage enough to meet quotas,
according to Riddick. so th? third
step, or allotments leased two out of
the past three years, will definitely be
lost. ?
The fourth step in the reduction plan
will be an across the board poundage
cut. Riddick said that information he
has received estimates that 8 percent
will be trimmed from fourth step
farmers.
"Nobody will benefit from these
reductions," Riddick said.
According to Sugg, the fight to get a
farm bill through Congress was an
uphill battle. "The law has been
written by a lot of people who don't
understand. They don't even know
where food comes from ? they think
it comes from the store," he stated.
Sugg told farmers that only five
percent of the members of Congress
have a farm background. "They are
very urban and 'citified' .".Sugg said .
"Our congressional delegation from
North Carolina stood together 100
percent," Sugg boasted, "but there
were more consumers than growers.
"We got beat because the
manufacturers of peanut products
beat us. They want high quality cheap
peanuts," Sugg said. He also said that
opponents of the farm bill had
professional lobbyists and ran
newspaper advertisements that they
used to put pressure on congressmen.
Council changes
meeting date
The Hertford Town Council voted
during their meeting Monday nu ht to
change its meeting date from the first
Monday of the month to the second
Monday of the month.
The change was made at the
recommendation of Mayor and Town
Manager Bill Cox. who said that by
having meetings on the second
Monday the council would have an
opportunity to see the town's bills,
which usually aren't received until
after the first Monday of the month.
Filing period ends,
fourteen running
The end of the filing period for local
elections in Perquimans County finds
every seat up for elections contested
by at least two people, save for the
Clerk of Court seat.
Kenneth Spivey filled out the list by
filing for the Belvidere seat on the
county Board of Education, the seat
now held by Clifford Winslow, who
will run against him.
The other school board seat, the
New Hope seat, now held by Lloyd
"Flutch" Dail. will be decided bet
ween Rev. Walter L. Leigh and Mac
Nixon.
Three men are running for the
position of sheriff, incumbent Julian
Broughton, Donald Riddick and
Hertford Police Chief Marshall
Merritt.
In the race for the District 1 seat on
the county Board of Commissioners,
incumbent W.W. White is up against
two candidates. George Reld and
Wayne Howell.
Dail is one of three candidates
running for the other county com
mission seat up for election. That
??at, the New Hope Township seat, is
now held by Marshall Caddy, who
didn't file. Along with Dail. Tony
Jordan and William Wray Chappell
will run for that seat.
Jarvis Ward will run uncontested
for the Clerk of Court seat.
The primaries for the partisan
elections ? the commissioners seat
and the sheriff ? will be held in May.
The Perquimans Weekly
goes to a hog killing. Turn to
page three.
Weather
Chance of rain today, fair
tomorrow with a chance of
rain Saturday. Highs in the
90s, lows in the 40s.