THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 39, No. 14 USPS 428-080 Hertford/ Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, April 7, 1983 20 CENT
Is it Spring yet? These dogwood blossoms
( seem to be reaching for a ray of sunshine and
' a chalice to bloom. Although warmer
temperatures are predicted for Perquimans,
more rain may be on the way. (Photo by Val
Short)
School Board begins budget
*? ? * * . J ? for-3^ Ac f
Members ?'W the Perquimans
County Board of Education will be
putting their heads together in the
1 coming weeks as "budget time"
swiftly approaches.
According to county School
Superintendent Pat Harrell, the
budget request must be in the hands
of the county commissioners by May
IS. Budget sessions have been
scheduled for the Perquimans Board
of Education for April 11, IS and at
the regular meeting April 18.
Harrell said in the past the
I relationship between the two county
boards has been commendable. He
said the board have maintained an
"excellent relationship" in the years
that he has been in Perquimans in
developing the school budget.
The budget process will begin as
the board members analyze the
current budget, item by item, ac
cording to Harrell. The coasts of
I these items will be projected for next
year as the continuation budget is
developed.
The Board will also look at areas
for possible expansion, said Harrell,
such as programs, captial needs,
books and supplies.
... .t nr - - ! ? w- ? mmr?
"We weigh all of that and then aee
how much we are talking about," he
continued. At this point in the
process, Harreil meets with the
county finance officer to look at the
appropriations from tax revenues.
Harreil said the school principals,
teachers and county staff members
also have an opportunity for input in
the budgeting process. .
Harreil does not know the amount
of state and federal dollars the
county will received for next year at
this point. "No one knows what we
can expect," he said.
Harreil said the preliminary
figures released for federal Chapter
One funds (formerly ESEA Title I)
indicate a 15 percent cut. The funds
are used for remediation programs
in the county, said Harreil.
Information provided by the
county staff indicates that funding
for county school is provided by
local, state and federal sources.
Local funds are derived mainly from
property taxes levied by the county
commissioners. Also constitutional
revenues, county bond sales and
special taxes also provided school
funds.
"W ? - T*~ K-iy
Mate funds for the support of pubic
schools are appropriated by the
General? Assembly from the
General Fund. These funds are
generated from incomes taxes, sales
and use taxes and other tax
resources.
Congress appropriates federal
funds to be used for such educational
purposes as child nutrition services,
vocational education, exceptional
children and block grants. Most of
this revenue comes from income tax
dollars.
Of the local dollars going to public
schools, salaries make up the largest
county expenditure at approximately
51 percent. Supplies and materials
make up the second largest ex
penditure at 23.3 percent. Other
expenditures include purchased
services at 12.1 percent, employee
benefits, at 10 percent, instruction
equipment at 1.2 percent and other
expenses at 1.6 percent.
Of each dollar spent in Perquimans
County for public schools, 60 cents
comes from the state revenues,
approximately 20 cents is provided
by local funds and 19 cents comes
from federal dollars.
Town of Hertford wins
? ? ? ' f ?
electrical safety award
?
Municipal electric systems in 21
North Carolina towns, Including
Hertford, were honored last week for
outstanding 1982 safety records by
the N.C. Association of Municipal
Electric Systems (NCAMES. )
Ray Fesperman, head electrician
for the Town of Hertford, attended
the two-day municipal electric
conference in Raleigh, during which
the awards were presented
The Town of Hertford won a drat
place award in outstanding safety
Fesperman accepted the
award sn behalf of the town.
r'lts;
Calling the award "com
. ?? cm ..id, "We should b?
s department is
? ??
alio a great
were presented by David B.
Hollow ay during the conference held
March SO and 31. Holloway is the
safety and training administrator of
Electricities.
In addition to Hertford, in the
category of outstanding safety
records, first place awards went to IS
municipal electric systems, in
cluding: Belhaven, Edenton, Farm
vtlle. Granite Fails, Laurinburg,
Louisburg, Maiden, Pinetops, Red
Springs, Scotland Neck, Selma,
Smithfield, Washington, and Wind
sor. All these cities had perfect 1M2
safety records.
Second place awards went to Apex,
Elisabeth City and Monroe.
Receiving third place awards were
Greenville, which also received a
special overall award, Morgantoo,
?ad Sharpsburg.
These winners bad the lowest in
cidence of days away from work as a
SSoi^eSa ?T" "
Commissioners search
for water solution
By PAT MANSFIELD
The Perquimans County Com
missioners think they may have
found a possible solution that will
enable them to upgrade the quality of
the county water.
The commissioners Voted
unamiously to install a monoatoring
system in the water plant which will
prevent backflushing.
When the plant cuts itself off, it will
cut itself back on without anyone
being there. When this happens, the
mud and other particles are back
flushed into the system. The
monoitaring device will not allow the
system to cut itself back on, but will
alert the Perquimans County
dispatcher so that a county water
system employee can be contacted to
manually cut the system back on and
prevent the backflushing.
Ron Sessoms of Rivers and
Associates, gave a report on the
number of gallons each well is now
producing per minute. One produces
50 gal./min., another, 165 gal./min.,
and the other, 300 gal./min.
Sessoms, stated that the water
coming from the 300 gal./min. well,
is of such good quality, that they
hardly have to treat it for iron.
Upon showing the Commissioners
the location of those wells, Com
missioner Charles Ward suggested
trying a new well site nearby the well
which is now producing 300 gal./min.
The suggested site is where he
proposes to build a Cotton Gin.
Ward said he could spare the acre
needed for a well site, as long as he
was allowed to park trailors on part
of that acre. It was then agreed to
test the site, to see If there was in
deed water there, before discussing a
price for the acre.
W.R. Jester, County Extension
Chairman, reviewed extension ac
tivities for the month of March.
These included numerous
workshops, the tagging of livestock
for the upcoming 4-H livestock show
and other meetings.
He then discussed the future
potential and impact of computers.
He pointed out the educational and
informative roll of the extension
office.
"We are in the Computer age,"
said Jester. He continued, "A lot of
us don't know how to use them." He
suggested they needed to become
proficient in the area of computers.
Several farmers, who already own
computers of their own, have turned
to the extension personnel for help
and they have not been able to an
swer their questions.
Jester told the board that the State
has a cost-sharing agreement where
the State will provide a $4,200 com
puter. He pointed out that the money
used by the State to purchase the
computers was not financed through
tax dollars, but was paid for through
private foundations and grants.
In order that the county could
receive one of these computers, they
have to purchase the printer, cable
and some software, valued at $1,860.
Commissioner Lester Simpson
suggested to Jester that he include
this in next year's budget.
In other business:
?Paul Gregory of the Social Services
Department told the board that they
had acquired a new copier machine
for their office. He asked for
suggestions as to what to do with the
one they already have. It was
suggested that that one be given to
the Tax Office and the one the Tax
Office has be loaned to the Chamber
of Commerce.
?The board decided to put notices in
THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY and
THE DAILY ADVANCE to advertise
the last day, April 29, to sign up for
the Phase II County Water project at
the reduced rate.
?The board moved to ask the State to
accept two petitions (or adding two
roads, one in River View Park and
the other in Carolina Shores, to the
state system.
?The board appointed Jeanne White
to get estimates on materials and
labor for extending the walkways on
either side of the courthouse building
to the parking lots in the back.
?The board moved to support a
resolution to request that the
Hackney ammendment remain in the
final Drunk Driving bill, SI.
?The board decided by a split vote,
three to two, to stick with the state
guildelines on retirement policies for
rescue and fire department volun
teers.
?The board moved to support a bill to
appropriate funds for the restoration
and preservation of the Newbold
White House as a historic farm aud
also the David Newby caretakers
house.
?By a vote of four to one, the board
moved to honor the request by the
Perquimans County Jaycees to help
purchase Fireworks, by giving $200
to the Perquimans County
Recreation Department Fund.
?Keith Hasket, County Tax Super
visor, asked if the Commissioners
could meet April 25, and sit and act
as the board of Equalization and
Review. They agreed to do so.
?The board moved to advertise for
bids for a contract for County in
surance needs in THE
PERQUIMANS WEEKLY.
Newbold- White House opens
By VAL SHORT
Perquimans' Newbold-White
House, believed to be the oldest in the
state, has opened its doors this week,
as its third year of public viewing
begins.
After receiving a thorough spring
cleaning by Geneva Sawyer,
operations manager, and a staff of
volunteers, the Newbold-White
House was opened Tuesday for the
season, which extends through
December.
Tourists could not wait for the
official opening, said Mrs. Sawyer,
who reported visitors who travelled
all the way from Franklin and Rich
mond just to see the house Monday.
Mrs. Sawyer said she paused from
her vacuuming and dusting to con
duct the tour.
"It (the house) is noted all over
everywhere," she said.
Restoration of the house, which
was reportedly built during the late
17th Century, began by the
Perquimans Restoration Association
(PCA) in 1979. The house was
completed and opened to the public
July 3, 1981.
Although the Living History Day,
held last May 1 at the house, has been
cancelled, according to Albert Eure,
PCA president, and Mrs. Sawyer, a
fully year of events has been planned
at the house.
Garden clubs and historical groups
have scheduled tours of the house
this month, as well as a group of
legislators' wives.
Eure said the PCA had applied for
three state and federal grants,
which, if approved, would provide
funds for restoration of the David
Newby House, *o be used as a
caretakers cottage. Grant funds
could also provide for educational
programs and participation in the
400th anniversary celebration of
English colonization of America,
slated to begin next year.
"Even though we have applied for
these grants, we don't expect to get
the whole amount." Eure com
mented. "We're hoping there will be
a little bit left in the pork barrel," he
said.
Restoration of the Newby House,
located adjacent to the Newbold
White House, is the PCA's first
priority and Eure said he think* the
restoration can begin by late sum
mer.
Eure said the PCA has tentatively
approved a master plan, developed
by the state Department of Archives
and History. The plan involves total
restoration of the Newbold-White
House site ih the original farm set
ting, on a small scale, Eure said.
The project would include rail
fencing, early farm implements, a
smokehouse and farm animals,
according to the PCA president.
Eure said donations were con
tinuing for the house. He said a
Maryland family had donated a
smokehouse recently. A family from
Washington state had given a chest
also said Eure.
Operation of the Newbold-White
House is carried out by volunteers.
According to Mrs. Sawyer, who
recruits volunteer tour guides, about
40 volunteers are currently on the
staff. "We need more desperately,"
she said.
Eure said the volunteer hours are
counting toward the matching funds
required for grants. "Everytime
someone gives time, it counts," he
said.
Eure said Mrs. Lucille Winslow is
currently working on a tape show to
be used at the house. The show will
replace the slide-tape presentation,
now being used at the bouse.
A new brochure is being developed
by a committee consisting of Suzanne
Haste, Ray Winslow, Margaret
B re win, and Val Short.
The brochure will feature the
Newbold-White Honse through
photographs, drawings and text
Other points ot interest and historic al
(sets about the county will also be
Re-opening
The Newbold- White House opened iU doors
this week to begin the third season of public
viewing since its restoration in Mi. The Per
qnimans Restoration Association has a busy
year ahead scheduled at the site, including
possible restoration of the DitM Newby
home as caretaker's cottage by late summer.
(Photo by Val Short)