THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Votimie W, Mo. 30 USPS 42MH0 Hftford, Ptrquimant County, N.C., Thursday, July 2?, 1M3 20 CEN1
Local
woman
v arrested
By VAL SHORT
~ A tenner Hertford real estate
agent waa arrested and charged with
the August 13, IMS burning of a home
In Center Hill once owned by her late
father, Rennie Dail.
Bonnie Dail White, 41, who listed
^ her address as MO Crescnt Drive,
Hertford, was arrested July It and
charged with conspiracy to bum an.
uninhabited dwelling and burning an
uninhabited dwelling.
' Arrested by special agent for the
State Bureau of Investigation Walter
House, White waa brought before
Perquimans magistrate John
Symons and released on $10,000
I secured bood.
~ " Mrs. White currently operates
Bonnie White's Bookkeeping and
Income Tax Service in Hertford. If
convicted, Mrs. White could receive
dp to 33 years in prison on the two
charges.
According to the warrants issued
for her arrest, Mrs. White is charged
with conspiring with Larry Wayne
-Sanders and others to burn the
| dwelling, located on the Center HOI
Road, state road 1110.
' In connection with the same in
cident, Sanders, 35, of Route S, Box
310, Morgan's Corner and Douglas
"Luckie" Cartwright, M, of Route 3,
Box 823, Hertford, were both indicted
last May for conspiracy to burn a
building and burning a building.
. Arraigned in Chowan Superior
&9urt last week, Sanders pleaded
| guilty to a charge of burning an
U9 inhabited dwelling in Chowan
County. Sanders agreed, as part of a
pica bargain, to offer testimony on
defendents in arson cases pending in
Chowan and Perquimans.
According to reports, the Center
Hill gin Department responded to
the fi*e around 11:45 p.m. The house,
which was owned by Mrs. White, wis
unoccupied at the time of the fire, but
P had been occupied by tenants in the
past
Mrs. White's arrest is the latest in
the continuing arson investigation in
Chowan and Perquimans counties
which has resulted in the arrest of
three men in addition to Cartwright
and Sanders, including Hertford
attorney James D. Singletary.
All were indicted on charges of
conspiracy to burn s building and
) burning a building in connection with
the June 2, 1M2 burning of a far
mhouse near Tyner.
Mrs. White's first appearance
hearing is scheduled August 10 in
Perquimans County.
Wrecks
"reported in
>7 VAX. SHORT
A collision last Thursday in Winf all
between a vehicle and a tractor
trailer truck loaded with banana*
resulted in one injury and total lots of
the vehicle.
^ Tanya Cherry, II, a passenger in
? the vehicle, was treated for leg in
juries and released from Chowan
Hospital following the accident which
occurred at the intersection of U.S. IT
Business and U.S. 17 bypass.
According to Winfall Chief of
Police Joe Lothian, the collision
occurred when the vehicle, driven by
Joseph Kartln, n, of 311 W. Mad St.
Norfolk. Va? was travelling north
bwhaa it polled into the path of the
tractor trailer.
Driving the truck was David
Route I,
the truck.
to
to
Polling places
set for county
peanut referendum
Summer fun
Over 90 children have
signed up for the Ad
ventures from A to Z
summer reading program
at the Perquimans County
Library. Above, extension
homemaker Sally Knight
talks about beekeeping
and demonstrates
"smoking." Below, Lynn
Hilborn of Holiday Island
supervises basket con
struction by Alice B re win,
left, and Kisha White.
(Photos by Val Short)
By VAL SHORT
The North Carolina Board of
Agriculture has authorized the N. C.
Peanut Growers Association to
conduct a referendum in counties
producing commercial peanuts,
including Perquimans.
According to Tommy Riddick,
director of the Perquimans
Agriculture Stabilization and Con
servation Service (ASCS.) the
referendum will be held in
Perquimans Tuesday, August 16
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at four
locations.
The Perquimans polling places will
include Hertford Supply Company,
Belvidere Farmer's Exchange, the
ASCS office and the Perquimans
Extension office.
The polling places are being
determined in the individual counties
by a referendum committee. The
Perquimans committee includes
Riddick, chairman, Donald Madre,
Bill Jester, and members of the
county Peanut Growers Association.
In addition to deciding the county
polling places during a meeting held
July 18, the committee also heard
further explanations from Betsy
Owens, a representative of the state
peanut organization.
"The objective of the referendum,
"said Norfleet L. Sugg, executive
secretary of the N.C. Peanut
Growers Association, "is to give each
commercial peanut grower an op
portunity to designate on a written
ballot, whether or not the peanut
farmers in North Carolina should
assess themselves $2 per ton for the
six year period beginning with 1983
and continuing through 1988."
According to Riddick, those
eligible to vote will include owners,
tenants or sharecroppers engaged in
the production of peanuts during
1983.
Perquimans County has at least 235
peanut producers, according to
Riddick, in addition to the farmers
who lease their peanut quotas.
Perquimans has a total peanut
allotment of 2,771 acres, said Rid
dick.
North Carolina peanut farmers
voted the N.C. Peanut Growers
Associaiton into existence in 1953 to
be a self-help program designed to
"promote and stimulate the
production, sale, use and con
sumption of peanuts and peanut
products through research,
education, legislation and other
available means."
Referendums have been held every
six years among the peanut growers
resulting in large favorable approval
votes ranging from 96 to 98 percent.
The funds paid in by the growers
when they market their peanuts are
forwarded by the buyers to the N.C.
Department of Agriculture, which in
turn, has designated the state Peanut
Growers Association as the
organization to administer the use of
the funds.
Growers voted to assess them
selves $1 per ton in 1973 and 1978 and
now are being asked to assess
themselves $2 per ton.
North Carolina is the third largest
peanut production state. Yet, all
other peanut states have already
approved $2 per ton, according to
Sugg. Virginia growers will con
tribute $1.50 per ton in 1983 and $2 per
ton in 1984.
"Much of the progress we have
made in peanut production," said J.
Lewis Storey, president of the N.C.
Peanut Growers Association and
peanut farmer in Hertford County,
"is the result of funds the association
has invested for research and
education. More funds are needed for
promotion and market develop
ment." he said.
Additional funds would allow for
expansion of current on-going
promotions. The funds would support
more frequent photo-recipe releases
to newspapers and magazines, as
well as special projects.
Perquimans students excel in achievement testing
By VAL SHORT
Scores from the achievement tests
taken last spring by Perquimans
students reveal that students in
grades one and two are continuing to
equal or exceed state averages.
"That is our goal for all grades,"
laid Paul Ward, who coordinates the
testing program in the county.
"We're still working on grades three,
six and nine."
Local students in the second grade
scored in the 70th percentile in
reading on the achievement tests
which are administered annually.
This means that the Perquimans
students sewed better than 70 per
cent of all students tested in the same
grade across the state.
This compared with a percentile
rank of 69 for the region and state.
Second grade students ranked in
the 81st percentile in mathematics.
Perquimans first graders ranked
in the 64th percentile for reading and
the 85th percentile for math.
Ward said the test results follow a
six year trend of improvement. He
said several factors could be in
volved in the improvement of
Perquimans test scores.
"I think over the six years students
have become better test takers. I also
think the teachers have become more
aware of the objectives of the tests
and have geared their instruction
and materials to those objectives,"
Ward said.
"I also think the reading in
struction has improved. Reading is
the basis for everything. A good
reader will do better in all subject
areas," he continued.
Ward also said students were
reading better than they ever had.
Ward said the statewide testing
program was initiated six years ago.
"Prior to that, there was some
testing locally ? some did and some
didn't."
Under the state program,
achievement tests are given to
students in grades one through three
and in grades six and nine. "The
state feels the first three grades are
the most important," said Ward.
Testing for sixth and ninth graders
is a double-check to make sure
progress is being made, according to
Ward.
Ward said a local testing program
is adminstered to students in grades
four, five, seven and eight.
According to Ward, criterion
reference tests are given to first and
second graders in reading and math
only. "These tests give more specific
data about individual students, " he
said.
All others receive norm reference
tests in which comparisons are made
with students of the same age at the
same time across the nation, ac
cording to Ward. These students are
tested in reading, spelling, math and
language arts.
Testing in Perquimans usually
takes place in the spring. Testing will
begin next year March 27 and will
continue through April 5.
Ward said he always announces the
testing dates well in advance so that
the parents will be aware that testing
is taking place.
Ward said hundreds of influences
can affect the students' testing
abilities. "Anything positive that you
can do would certainly help. If they
come to school fresh, they usually do
better," he commented.
Ward commended all the teachers
and staff members associated with
the testing program. "We are con
tinuing to make progress. We're still
working toward our goal and we'll
just continue to work at it," he said.
Albemarle Commission honors Marc Basnight July 21
By SUSAN HARRIS
The Albemarle Commission ap
plauded the accomplishments of
resigning State Board of Tran
sportation member Marc Basnight at
a dinner held in his honor at Angler's
Cove Thursday night.
Pasquotank Commissioners
Chairman Raleigh Carver said, "The
Albemarle region is a better place in
which to live" due to Basnlght's six
year tenure oa the board. -
Although Basnight, a Dare County
native, was a virtual unknown at the
time of his appointment. Carver said,
Basnight "is held ia high esteem by
everyone la this district today."
Hie State Board of Transportation
earlier this month named N.C. High
way 13 at Dare County Marc
Basnight Hi way.
The high-rise bridge oa U.S. High
way 17 at South Mills, the la
prove meats to Highway 12 at Hat
teraa and Okracoke. the upcoming
eeaHracttea ?< a fearlaae bridge oa
U S. Highway 15S at Coinjock, and
the approval lor a new Albemarle
Souad Bridge were amoag
success to his ability to cut
bureaucratic red tape, his
willingness to stand up for the needs
of the people in District I, and his
close link with local government
entities.
"Above all. Marc was blessed with
common sense," Carver summed up
his praise of Basnight, who is
resigning for business and family
reasons.
Hertford Mayor and Albemarle
Commission chairman Bill Cox
added to Carver's compliments. "I
have seen the greatest im
provements in the past six years I
have seen in the rest of my lifetime."
"I don't deserve this," Basnight
said as he accepted a plaque from the
Albeuarle Commission and
simultaneously received a standing
ovationfrom the packed house.
Basnight gave credit lor the
District I highway improvements to
locals who kept him abreast of the
people's needs.
Other Commission business in
cluded a decision to change health
Municipalities self Insurant e plan.
"It appears to he the most
economical plan In the leag run and
is cheaper in the short term,"
Commission Executive Director Don
Flowers told the group.
The Clearinghouse review included .
eleven requests, all of which were
approved by the Commission.
Budget Director Mary Lou Onley
informed the Commission of an
unexpected grant of $37,026, which
will decrease local funds needed for
Commission operation. The Com
mission approved the budget
amendment.
The appointment by the state of
Hal Walker to the EMS Council was
approved.
Faircloth speaks on industry to area leaders
ByVAL SHORT
On the eve of his expected plunge
into the North Carolina gubernatorial
race. D M. "Lauch" Falrcloth told
area business and industrial leaders
there is more potential here tor in
dustrial development than anywhere
else In the state
During a dinner meeting held last
Wednesday at Angler's Core, which
included nearly 100 members of
county governments and industrial
Perquimans, Chowan and
Pasquotank, Falrcloth said, "Yon
are going to have more industrial
development than ever before."
"You have jwt begun to touch the
surface of potential of what we can
Be said Eastern North Carolina
has a great potential for agricultural
industries. "If we can direct in
dustries toward agriculture and the
use of agricultural products, we have
served a three-fold, purpose,"
F aire loth said.
"What is needed is industry that is
compatible with what is here, not
industry that would destroy what is1
here," he added.
Falrcloth, a businessman and
farmer from Sampson County who
recently resigned as state Secretary
of Commerce, has served as highway
commissioner daring Terry San
lard's administration, as well as
Secretary of Transportation during
Beb Scott's governorship.
Introduced by the newly appointed
member af the state Board of
Transportation Tom Campbell,
Faircloth wa* praised for his ac
complishments as Secretary of
Commmerce.
Campbell said Faircloth had an
"unbelieveable track record," which
included expansion and growth in
such areas as economic develop
ment, state ports, and travel and
tourism.
Faircloth spoke of expansion of
roads, education and the economy as
it related to the industrial develop
ment of the area.
Faircloth recognised Tim Brinn,
who was recently appointed to the
?tat* Economic Development Board.
Faircloth called the board "enor
mously influential with what happens
in the state. It's the force to help as
?take it happen."