THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Voiume 39/ No. 17 USPS 428-080 Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, April 28, 1983 20 CENTS
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Hertford customers get 1.9 % rate increase
Seme 1400 electric customers
served by the Town at Hertford will
see an increase in their May bills.
During a special called meeting
held last Wednesday, members of the
Hertford Town Council voted to in
crease electrical rates to the local
customers 7.95 percent.
With this increase, a residential
customer using 1,000 Kilowatt hours
of electricity who paid 169.28 last
month, will now pay about $75.04.
Hertford Mayor and Town
Manager Bill Cox explained that the
Council is trying to hold the rates in
line with other electrical rates in the
area.
"At the present time, our rates are
identical to the Town of Edenton," he
said.
The rate increase came as a result
of the 10.6 percent increase which the
Town of Hertford received from the
municipal power agency. All 36 cities
which make up the agency will be
affected by the same wholesale in
crease, according to Cox.
Cox said the difference in the
wholesale increase and the increase
passed on to Hertford customers will
be absorbed by the Town of Hertford.
Cox said that rates for customers
located outside of the Town of Hert
ford will remain 15 percent below the
rate within the town.
He explained that these customers
do not receive the benefits of garbage
and trash pick-up.
Electrical customers will also be
affected by the increased rate for
security lights, which will now be $8
per month. Before the increase,
security lights were $4.50 per month.
Cox said this rate has not been
changed in 20 years. He added the
rate is still several dollars below the
Gdenton rate.
The basic customer charge for
Hertford residential customers prior
to the 7.9 percent increase was $6.64,
plus a kilowatt hour (KWH) charge
of 6.687 cents for billing in ' June
through September and 6.687 for the
first KWH, and 4.566 for anything
over 800 KWH during October
through May.
With the increase, the basic
residential customer charge will be
$7.10 per month, plus 7.094 cents per
KWH during June through Sep
tember.
During October through May, rates
would be 6.794 cents per KWH for any
excess over 1500 KWH.
Basic rates for business customers
have increased from $10.72 per
month to $14.30 per month.
Cox said the increase percentages
will vary slightly, according to the
rate category.
"The Town did make some other
adjustments in electrical raes in
order to have the rates comparable
to Edenton and Elizabeth City," Cox
said.
Dog owners
cited; scam
warning given
Although reports form the state
attorney general's office indicate an
Atlanta insurance firm is doing
nothing illegal, Winfall Police Chief
warns residents to "know who you're
dealing with."
Lothian said to beware of anyone
claiming to be an insurance agent
who offers to trade insurance
policies.
He has been investigating reports
of area residents who have been
approached by people posing as
insurance agents and federal em
ployees.
Lothian said to watch out for
anyone offering to trade policies and
he suggests people "consult your own
insurance agent."
"I think the public needs to be
aware of anybody trying to give you
something for nothing. These days,
that just doesn't happen," he said.
Lothian said he had received a
report from the attorney general's
office in wMefe-tlie actions of
Georgia insurance firm were
declared legal.
At the Hertford Police Depart
ment, Chief of Police Marshall
Merritt reported that 16 citations had
been issued to Hertford dog owners
for permitting their dogs to run at
large.
Merritt said this was in violation of
the ordinance passed by the Hertford
Town Council in 1979, which prohibits
unleashed dogs in the Town of
Hertford. He said that following
1 numerous complaints and in
structions from the Town Council,
the police department "began a
program of vigorous enforcement."
Merritt said one section of the
ordinance which is not being
vigorously enforced is the
requirement that dog owners must
purchase a $1 dog tag from the town.
I Merritt also said that those dog
owners in violation of the ordinance
who have never received a warning
before, have been given one written
warning. He said cost of the ticket is
$31. However, he said if the dog
owner takes the case to court and is
found guilty, the cost will be $31 plus
a maximum fine of $50.
In other police business, Merritt
reported that an 11 year old was
arrested and charged with shoplif
ting. The suspect allegedly took two
boxes of chocolate covered raisins
from the Super Dollar Store in
Hertford, valued at $1.18.
Merritt also reported that the town
dog pound, located at the sewage
plant, had been vandalized. He said
windows were broken and wire
fencing had been cut and the dogs
v had been released.
Merritt said no arrests had been
made.
m
VERNON JAMES
This patient dog seems to be
leading the way for a
Belvidere farmer who finally
got into the field last Friday.
Weekend rainfall of up to
three inches caused further
planting delays for farmers,
however, but according to
County Extension Chairman
Bill Jester, growers should
get back to the fields by the
end of this week. (Photo by
Val Short)
Rainfall causes further planting delays
That Fickle Mother Nature has
brought more wet weather and
caused still more planting delays and
problems for local growers.
According to Bill Jester, County
Extension Chairman, local farmers
probably won't get back into the
fields before today, due to rains
which fell on Perquimans over the
weekend.
Jester said IVi to 3 inches of rain
was reported around the county for
the weekend, pushing the total
rainfall since January 1 to over 30
inches in Perquimans.
The yearly average for this area is
around 50 inches, according to
Jester. "We're already at 3/5's of the
yearly average, in one quarter of a
year," Jester said.
Jester reported approximately 300
to 400 acres of corn had already been
planted in the county. He also said
potatoes were being planted in the
four mile desert vicinity of the
county.
Jester said some growers, who
could adapt their equipment, were
using the no-till method to plant corn
because of the wet weather.
"You can bet on the land quicker,"
Jester explained.
School board approves 1983-84 budget
By VAL SHORT
At a special meeting held Monday
night, the Perquimans County Board
of Education approved a $1,232,006
budget for the fiscal year 1883-84
from local resources. The budget will
be submitted for the approval of the
County Commissioners next Monday
night.
The total budget includes a current
expense budget of $1,021,006 with a
capital outlay budget of $211,000.
The budget request represents an
increase over last year of $65,430 or
about a 6.4 percent.
Perquimans superintendent Pat
Harrell said most of this increase
came in the capital improvements
category.
The 1983-84 school calendar was
approved at the Board meeting held
April 18. School will begin for
students next year August 29 and
September 5 will be a labor day
holiday. Teachers will begin working
August 17.
Christmas holidays have been
scheduled December 21 through 30
and the Easter holidays are set April
23-27. School will end in 1984 on June
6.
Also at the meeting the Board
voted to write to Vernon James
requesting that he amend his
Democrats host James J
Representative Vernon James will
be the keynote speaker at, the
perquimaas county Democratic
Convention to bo held this Saturday
?t the Perquimans County Cour
thouse, beginning at 1 p.m.
?
"We'll be glad to have all the
county democrats attend," Said Mrs.
Estelle Kelton, Perquimans
Democratic Chairman, who added.
"I think we'll have a good crowd." "
James, who is * native to
paaqnotank, has served in the North
Carolina House of Representatives
for 14 years from the flrmt district. He
is currently chairman of the
Southern Legislative Conference on
Agriculture, Rural Development and
Transportation which includes
sixteen southeastern states.
A charter member of the 4-H Honor
Club, and chairman of the National
Potato Board, James is Chairman of
the House Agriculture Committee.
Besides Jame's speach. the con
vention agenda includes the election
of county officers and election of
members to the state executive
committee.
Chairman Felton welcomed
everyone to attend the meeting. Such
conventions will be taking place in
each county throughout the state on
Saturday.
legislation on the state sales tax
increase to specify a certain per
centage be used for construction and
improvement of school facilities.
Four Perquimans teachers were
approved by the Board for career
tenure status. They were Cathy Tant,
Katie Lightfoot, Ronald Sutton and
Pat Morgan.
In other Board of Education
business :
?The Board discussed joining with
Chowan and Gates counties in
chartering a bus for Public
Education Day in Raleigh May 25.
Local citizens, governmental of
ficials and educators from each
county will be invited to attend.
?Harrell announced the bathroom
windows at Perquimans Union
School had been replaced with ob
scure glass. He said this was
overlooked in the contract to replace
the windows at the school.
Chamber to
offer copy
service
As a service to the community and
chamber members, the board
members of the Perquimans County
Chamber of Commerce voted to
purchase a copy machine for the
chamber office at the regular Board
of Directors meeting on Monday
night.
Chamber president, Mary Harrell
presented information on three copy
machines, but no decision was made
on the type of machine to purchase.
Board members discussed leasing
a copy machine with an option to buy
or purchasing a machine. Harrell
told the Board the machine had not
been budgeted, but funds were
available in the chamber savings
account.
Harrell said a copy machine would
provide a good service to both the
community and the chamber.
Harrell hopes to develop a quarterly
newsletter, and she said a copy
machine would be useful for this.
In other business the Chamber
Board acted on the request made by
Archie Miller of the Perquimans
Jaycees for support of the Fourth of
July fireworks show.
The Chamber Board acted to
donate $300 to the Jaycees for the
show. Miller told the board the cost of
the fireworks would total $2,000.
May 18 was the date set for the next
Merchants Dinner Meeting. The
meeting set at Anglers Cove at 6:30
p,m., will follow up the merchants
meeting held in January to help the
Chamber set priorities for progress
in Perquimans County.
All Chamber members and
Perquimans County merchants will
be invited to the dutch dinner
meeting. The group will hear reports
of ideas and suggestions from the
four subcommittees established at
the previous meeting.
Chamber president Harrell told the
Board the membership goal had been
achieved this year. She said the
Chamber currently had 111, mem
bers which represents an increase of
30 over last year.
Bill Cox, Chairman of the Highway
Committee, reported to the Board on
an series of meetings the Highway 17
association had held with Virginia
officials, including members of
Chambers of Commerce, city and
state government.
Cox said most were supportive of
four-laning highway 17 from the
North Carolina ? Virginia line to
highway 104 in Virginia.
He told board members that the
governors from both North Carolina
ans Virginia would meet in Sep
tember to discuss the issue.
Hunter, Winslow lead 400th panel
The Perquimans County
Committee for America's 400th
Anniversary has issued an in
vitation for everyone to "sip"
yaupon tea" Sunday, May 1 at 3
p.m. at a planning meeting and
forum at the Courthouse.
According to Jeanne White,
committee chairman, the
meeting is designed as an effort
to create public interest and to
gather ideas for Perquimans'
participation in the event.
Scheduled to begin July 13,
1984, Perquimans Committee has
already planned activitiei for the
four year celebration which will
bring in visitors from throughout
the state and country.
The celebration com
memorates the 400 anniversary
of the English cotooiiation of
America. A baseball camp and
Quaker Meeting . are among
tentative activities.
Dare County will be the center
of activity in North Carolina, but
each county has a committee
organized to develop 400th an
niversary activities within the
county.
Lucille Winslow, liason
chairman for the state 400th
Anniversary committee, will lead
the panel of speakers Sunday.
She will discuss the reasons and
history behind the 400th An
niversary celebration.
Local historian Ray Winslow
will also be featured on the panel
and will talk about the
Perquimans County of 400 years
ago.
Jim "Catfish" Hunter will also
?
appear on the panel to discuss the
baseball camp plans.
White urges everyone in
terested in the 400th celebration
to attend. A special invitation has
been issued to County civic
organizations and churches to
attend the meeting Sunday and to
get Involved in the celebration of
history.
Etertainment including a
vibr ;harp presentation by the
Rev. Kendall Cosand and a flag
demonstration by the Fife and
Drum Corps will also be featured
during the meeting.
Refreshments of yaupon tea,
400th anniversary tea cookies,
cheese cookies and nuts will be
served on the Courthouse green
following the meeting. The public
is invited and there is no charge.
i . ... " .. ,
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