Volume W, No. 29
PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
USPS 428-080
Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, July 21, 1983
Oil fC MTC
Snug Harbor blasts sheriff, paper
L Delegation requests better law protection
By SUSAN HARRIS
A delegation of IS Snug Harbor
residents asked the Board of County
Commissioner* Monday night for
help in maintaining law and order in
their subdivision.
Spokesperson John Jennings said
Snug Harbor needs better law
't' protection and better response to
their calls by the county Sheriffs
Department.
"People are pushing panic but
tons," Jennings said as s result of an
apparent July 3 shooting Incident st
Snug Harbor allegedly involving both
local and out of state citizens.
? According to one delegate, he
^ overheard what sounded like a fight
near his home end he called the
Sheriff's Department. About 15
minutes later, the delegate said, he
saw two persons walk across his
yard, one parrying what appeared to
be a shotgun. He again called the
Sheriffs Department.
The residents said they were not
pleased with the response time of the
department and were angered that
people were injured before law en
forcement officials arrived.
Some members of the delegation
blasted THE PERQUIMANS
WEEKLY for its failure to report the
Incident. The group termed the local
media "gagged" by the Sheriffs
Department.
In response to the accusations, this
reporter told the group that the
newspaper could not print an account
of the incident without official facts
from a law enforcement agency. The
delegation was told that rumored or
unsubstantiated crime reports
cannot be published.
"We seem to be a forgotten corner
of the county," Jennings said in
summing up the residents' com
plaints about poor law enforcement
and lack of media attention. Jennings
told the Board that Snug Harbor
residents pay $1.5 million in local
taxes each year, and feel they
deserve better representation.
"The young people seem to think
we're fair game," Jennings con
tinued in informing the com
missioners about the high vandalism
rate, the cars speeding through the
neighborhood and night lights being
shot.
Jennings said Snug Harbor is
already participating in the
Governor's Citizens Crime Watch,
but that due to the poor response of
county law enforcement, coupled
with the time the crimes take place,
the program has not been Very ef
fective.
As a stop sap measure, Jennings
said Snug Harbor residents have
initiated a volunteer citizens patrol
outfitted with CB radios and a base
station. The residents were con
cerned that the program will not last
long, because participants may tire
of the nightly patrol.
The group requested a deputy to
patrol their subdivision, but was told
by the commissioners that their
request was not financially feasible.
The board told the delegation that
the county commissioners have no
authority over the Sheriffs Depart
ment and therefore the board is
unable to offer any assistance in
obtaining law enforcement
satisfactory to the people of Snug
Harbor.
The board suggested the delegation
request a meeting with the sheriff to
discuss possible solutions to the
problem.
The residents also asked the
board's assistance in requesting the
State Department of Transportation
to lower speed limits on residential
streets in the subdivision, and to post
speed limit signs.
Jennings said the only posted speed
limit is a 45 miles per hour sign at the
development entrance. The
delegation said that a maximum of 35
miles per hour should be allowed.
The commissioners instructed the
Snug Harbor Board of Governors to
submit a petition to the county
commissioners requesting the
change, at which time the com
missioners will write a letter of
recommendation to the State
Department of Transportation.
The delegation was not in
agreement on what type of dog leash
law they need.
Bill and Charles Pefley of Pefley
Realty Company submitted plans for
a subdivision in the Bethel Township
to be called Pefley Acres. The sub
division was approved subject to the
acquisition of a CAMA certificate
and the proper signatures.
The board was informed of the
purchase of a new lawn mower
bought from B&S Enterprises in
Woodville for approximately $4,000.
It was announced that the county also
needs to purchase a new push mower
and a weed eater.
Commissioner Lester Simpson was
elected Perquimans County's voting
delegate to the N.C. Association of
County Commissioners convention
scheduled in August in Greensboro.
Blood
donors
sought
By VAL SHORT
If you are in good health, weigh at
least 110 poundi , are between the
ages of 17 and 66 and have not given
Mood within the last 56 days, you are
needed for the upcoming bloodmobile
set Thursday in Hertford.
?* Located at the Hertford United
Methodist Church, on Market Street,
the bloodmobile will be operating
from S to T p.m.
Summer is traditionally a difficult
time for collection, according to
. Andrew Heaton.,!yUJP!feector <*
Blood Serviees for the Tidewater
Region of the American Red Cross.
Concern over AIDS, or Acquired
Immune Deficiency Syndrome, has
also attributed to recent blood
shortages in other areas, said
Heaton.
"An individual cannot contract
AIDS by donating blood. Hysteria
generated by the fear of AIDS has
produced a great deal of misin
formation about the disease, in
binding the myth that blood donors
could be exposed to AIDS," he said.
He also said that the chance of
acquiring the disease from a blood
tranfusion is less than one case per
million patients transfused. "There
is no conclusive proof that AIDS is
related to blood transfusions." he
said.
the
and
by
Although the hloodmoblle it
usually held quarterly lb
County, the last
AIDS seems to occur only among
four high-risk groups, according to
*%eaton ? homosexual or bisexual
males with multiple sex partners;
intravenous drug abusers; recent
entrants from Haiti; and persons
with hemophilia.
"The American Red Cross and the
Tidewater Region are taking every
precaution to screen these in
dividuals form the donor
population," he said.
The BloodmobUe in Hertford is
%eing sponsored by the Perquimans
County Jaycees, but according to
Jaycette Patsy Millar, the blood
mobile is a community effort. The
approximate 25 volunteers who will
assist with the hloodmobile are
coming from all community
Head Start's Joyce Felton
presented a gift of appreciate
Don Juan's Stuart Anderson,
who resigned recently to
pursue his own business in
Florida. Anderson was
honored by representatives of
county government and area
organisations during a
recognition dinner last week.
Mr*. Felton told the group
that Anderson never denied
the Head Start program when
he was called. (Photo by Val
Short)
County groups
honor Don Juan's
Stuart Anderson
By VAL SHORT
Over 70 Perquimans people
gathered at Angler's Cove last
Wednesday to pay tribute to and
applaud a friend and community
leader ? Stuart Anderson.
Anderson, who resigned recently
from Don Juan Manufacturing
Corporation in Hertford, was
"roasted" by such organizations as
Head Start, the Perquimans County
. Commissioners, Committee of 100,
the Industrial Development Com
mission, and the Chamber of Com
merce for his contributions and
leadership in the community.
"Stuart Anderson is a great man. I
hate to see one of my best friends go
to Florida, but I wish him a lot of
success," Hertford Mayor Bill Cox
told the group.
Presenting a gift from the Com
mittee of 100, Erie Haste said, "I
think it's important to tell you the
many things that go on as a result of
Don Juan and Stuart Anderson being
here."
Joyce Felton, representing the
Perquimans Head Start program
said, "(Mr. Anderson) has done so
much for Head Start. Everytime we
have called for shirts for the
children, he has never denied us."
Anderson, who resigned to start his
own custom shirt company in
Sarasota, Florida, promised to
return from time to time and said he
is leaving with mixed emotions.
"I'm not going into competition
with Don Juan," said Anderson. His
company will employ several people
to produce 100 to 200 custom designed
shirts of imported fabrics. Anderson
said he hopes to nave four or five
shops in Florida within a few years.
Anderson came to Don Juan and
Perquimans in 1972 and swce then,
he said the payroll has grown from
$70,000 to over $2 million.
"We have such a great family out
at Don Juan," he said. "We're thank
ful that we have been able to stay so
busy when so many other garment
businesses are falling br the
wayside," he added.
Of the dinner in his honor, An
derson said, "I'd just like to say a big
'thank-you.' Words can't express an
experience like this. It typifies what
life is all about ? the caring and
sharing. We are all ministers and we
serve in one way or another."
Of the gifts he received, Anderson
said, "These are things I will cherish
always."
Don Juan manufactures shirts,
dresses and blouses and is a sub
sidiary of Marubeni America, an
international trade organization. The
company came to Perquimans in
1947.
Perquimans native Marguerite Butler McCall pens novel
V* ... f ? rt
;-V- ? ? ? - *# ? J". ?
By VAL SHORT *
You are cordially invited to a
homecoming, of sorts, at The
Perquimans County library, during
which a Perquimans native
"daughter" will present her first
published novel "And Roofs Need
Patching."
Marquerite Butler McCall, who
grew up in Hertford, has scheduled
an appearance at the library July 27
from 2 to 9 p.m. to sell and autograph
her work.
The daughter of Ruby Butler
Crawford, now of Eden too, and the
late Hudson Butler, Mrs. McCall
attended schools in Hertford and
fondly remembers her childhood
days living on Gpibb Street.
She drew from her Hertford
childhood aa well as her life ex
perience* in Eden ton and Hawaii as
she developed the characters and
setting (or her novel.
Set mostly in Riverlo, which Mrs.
McCall says could be "any Eastern
North Carolina town," the book takes
place in the late IMO's and early 50's.
The book is about no one particular
person she has known, said Mrs.
McCall. "It describes the stereotypes
of Eastern North Carolina people.
The characters are really composites
of different people I've known," she
said.
"I describe the way we talk ? the
dialect of the people of this region. I
feel that I've enhanced the human
dignity of the blacks in the area and I
tried to write in the way that they
speak," she continued.
Educated at- College of The
Albemarle and East Carolina
University, Mr*. McCall said an ECU
professor was influential in the
development of her writing style.
"He stressed the use of the senses
in writing. He said to describe what
the eye and ear are taking in. So, I
employed his methods and found it
was easier to write," said Mrs.
llcCall.
"I've always enjoyed words and I
also enjoy painting. I have found that
one interest also enhances another,"
said Mrs. McCall.
Describing her novel lovingly as
her "third baby," since it took nine
months to actually write, Mrs. Mc
Call began "And Roofs Need Pat
ching" in 1962. She was stationed in
Hawaii with her husband, now
retired from the U.S. Coast Guard,
who was then on duty at sea.
It began as an outline and by 1971
had evolved into over 75,000 hand
written words. The book was revised
and typed, edited and typed and
revised again before it was sub
mitted to several religious and
secular publishers.
The novel was finally accepted and
published by Bookcrafters of
W&Stt&M T"T TMT'iTiWWi
Fredricksburg, Va.
Writing a novel, said Mrs. McCall,
( Continued on page 2)
Hertford police warn of bike thefts
pp; By VAL SHORT
The rash of bicycle thefts
throughout Hertford, particularly in
the areas aranad Gaston Drive,
Dobbs Street and PennsylYania
Atom, have prompted the Hertford
Police Department to issue a war
ning for residents to aeewe their
According to Hertford Chief of
Police Marshall Merrltt, the
<e?ar>ment It requesting that
rwonu reporx uw wit mens im
mediately.
He alas suggests that aerial
numbers o t the bicycle* be kept in a
place where they can be easily and
quickly fouod.
"This happens every rammer,"
said Merrttt. "white kttt are out o(
Meflrttt said aa 11-year-old boy was
arrested aad charged with one
county d larceny of a bicycle alter a
Mke was reported missing from M
Merrttt (aid the bicycle was
recovered prior to the report that it
had been itolen. Assisted by Officer
Tim Speace, Merrttt also charged the
Juvenile with the attempted larceny
Of another bicycle, allegedly stolen
from a residence on Pennsylvania
Mfcrritt reported that a bicycle
frame that belonged to Phillip
Barrel] was also recovered from an
abandoned boose on DoMo Street
Marguerite Butler McCall, a
native of Perquimans County
holds her tint published
novel, "And Roots Need
Patching." Jfra. McCall has
scheduled a visit at the
Perquimans County library
July 17 from 2 to 5 p.m. to sell
end autograph her book.
(Photo by Val Short)