THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 39, No. 45 USPS 428-080 Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, November 10, 1983 25 CEN1
Cox wins re-election bid in Town of Hertford
By JANE WILLIAMS
W.D. "Bill" Co* was re-elected to
the post of Mayor in Hertford during
the Municipal Elections held on
Tuesday. Cox who has served as
Mayor of Hertford for 12 years
defeated W.A. "Billy" White,
President of Pitt Hardware and a
rural mail carrier, who had sought
election to that post.
With 557 votes cast Cox received
349 votes, while White received 205
according to unofficial totals given
by William L. Tilley , Chairman of the
Perquimans County Board of
Elections.
"I want to express my appreciation
to, the voters of Hertford and the
people of the area for the support
they have %iven me," Cox said
shortly after the returns were in. "I
am real pleased with the turnout for
the election," Cox stated.
Cox said, "I would like to com
pliment my opposition on the manner
in which his campaign was run. I feel
very humble having won this election
and I want to promise the voters and
people of Hertford that I will do my
Taking
time
out to
vote
Commissioners cite water problems
By JANE WILLIAMS
The major topic of discussion at the
Perquimans County Commissioners
meeting Monday morning was the
county water system.
The Board discussed upcoming
projects for the system and problems
that have occured and are occuring
in the system.
>
The Board heard a report from Ron
Sessoms, an engineer from Rivers
and Associates, concerning the work
that is currently being done on the
plant site in Winfall.
Sessoms said, "They're working on
the plant, raising the walls, the tanks
are set, and it looks like the filters
will be in ahead of schedule, maybe a
Ribbon Cuttings
Hertford welcomed the
opening of two new
businesses last week. On
Monday morning a ribbon
cutting ceremony was held at
the Card Cottage located in
Harris Shopping Center.
(Top) Mayor Bill Cox is
pictured catting the ribbon
while Margaret Stowe,
owner, County Commissioner
Joe Nowell. Perquimans
County Chamber of Com
merce President, Mary
Harrell, the staff and well
wishers look on. After the
ribbon cutting patrons and
invited in for
m.
(Bottom) Pitt Tax Service of
ford has recently merged
the accounting firm of
iberlake k Sykes of
= .'? ' '? * 11 i"
Edenton. A ribbon cutting
and open house was held at
the Hertford Office located in
Pitt Hardware on Market
Street Monday afternoon.
Pictured left to right are
Gloria M. Deal. Mary
Harrell, President of the
Perquimans County Chamber
of Commerce, Joe Nowell,
County Commissioner, Olin
Sykes, Hertford Mayor Bill
Cox, J.P. Timberlake, Terry
Chappell, Billy White, Minnie
Lee Winslow local office
manager, and Marie R.
Winslow
The Perquimans County
Chamber of Commerce
sponsor ribbon cuttings for
any new business opening in
the county. (Photos by Ken
CasteDoe.)
month early. Piping, plumbing and
electrical work is currently being
done and they should be setting the
well pumps soon."
Sessoms also reported to the Board
that he had contacted Raymond
Benton concerning the purchasing of
the non-producing well at the plant
site. Sessoms said, "Benton told me
that he could not accept the bid that
the county had offered him for the
well, and that he felt he'd be better
off coming down here and filling it
with concrete."
Sessoms told the Commissioners
that he had been in touch with the
Gates County Manager concerning
the possibility of purchasing water
from Gates County in conjunction
with Phase II of the county water
project. According to Sessoms,
pending the approval this week of the
Gates County Board of Com
missioners, Perquimans County
would be able to purchase water
from Gates County at a cost of 80
cents per thousand gallons.
A motion was made and carried to
go ahead and hook up the residents
involved in Phase II of the county
project to the Gates County water as
soon as the lines are tested pending
approval from the Gates County
Commissioners.
Perquimans County Commissioner
Chairman Joe Nowell introduced
Vernon Harris, a representative of
North State Consultants, to the
Board.
Harris, who works as a trouble
shooter for the firm, spent about a
half a day with Nowell and Com
missioner WW. "Welly" White
surveying some of the problems that
have been encountered with the
county water system.
Harris stated that he felt he might
have the problem that has been
experienced with dirty water penned
down. According to Harris a similiar
problem was found in Onslow County
and was solved with minimum dif
ficulty.
Harris proposed to the Com
missioners that his firm be con
tracted to come into the county and
work on solutions to the existing
problems and look into potential
future problems.
Harris told the Commissioners that
he would like to work with the County
Water Department on the three wells
located in the county and help rid the
county of the black substance found
in the system's water.
He pointed out several problems he
had located by reading the reports on
the chemicals found in the water at
the Computer Bank in Raleigh.
After ? lengthy discussion the
Commissioners decided to check
with the water system engineers to
find out if any type of treatment was
currently underway for these
problems before contracting North
State Consultants for the job.
In other action the Board :
?Heard a report from Paul
Gregory of Perquimans County
Social Services Department con
cerning a letter sent to eastern North
Carolina Social Services Depart
ments from Legal Services.
"According to the letter each
county is responsible for the medical
transportation of its clients,"
Gregory said.
Gregory told the Board that Legal
Service funding comes from
Washington, D.C., and that the
transportation program comes under
the Health Department, not Social
Services.
Gregory went on to comment that
the emergency transportation
program conducted through the
health department had received
awards on the U.S. level for the
outstanding job it had done. He also
said that this system was currently
being used as a model for other areas
throughout the country.
?Heard a report from Forrest
Myers of the Holiday Island Property
Owners Association concerning
funds for county water hook up in
that development.
Myers told the board that
statements had recently been sent
out to raise the required $42,000 fot
county water hook up and that $10,000
had been raised the first week. He
told the Board that the money would
be collected within four to five weeks.
?Heard a report on the one-half
percent local option sales tax from
Durwood Reed. He said that the
county should receive their first
check around February IS, 1984.
?Heed told the Board that copies of
the County Audit would be mailed to
them at least one week prior to the
November 21 meeting of the Board.
?A motion was made and carried to
advertise and sell by sealed bids a
blue Chevrolet Luv Truck formerly
being used by the County Water
Department.
?Heard a letter from Skills In
corporated requesting funding in the
amount of (1,043 for Fiscal Year 1983
84. Last year the Board appropriated
$500 to this organization.
A motion was made and carried to
grant $500 for Fiscal Year 1983-84.
?Heard a letter from Peggy S. Long
of the Transportation Task Force
informing the Board that all of the
money given for the recent tran
sportation meeting at ECSU was not
used. The pro-rated share of the
remainder for Perquimans County
was $620.14 and was available for
refunding to the county, or as a
donation for the local Chamber of
Commerce.
The Board agreed to have the funds
returned to the county.
?Proclaimed the period of
November 1$ through November 24
to be Farm -City Week.
very best to continue to work on ef
forts for the improvement of Hert
ford. In order to have the progress
and growth that we seek and need in
Hertford, I will need the continued
support of all the people in Hertford
and Perquimans County."
In comments made after the
election White said, "The people's
choice won. It's always hard to beat
the incumbent in an election such as
this, and he hasn't done a bad job. I
think Bill has done a good job all the
way around."
When asked if he would seek
election in four years White stated
that he wasn't sure if he would or not.
"I still believe that the office of
Mayor and the job of town manager
should not be held by the same
person," White said.
(Cox holds the elected office of
Mayor in the Town of Hertford, along
with the Town Council governed
position of Town M anager.
In casting the ballot for the two
seats available for Hertford Town
Council Billy L. Winslow received 436
votes, while Jesse Harris received
440. Both incumbents ran unopposed.
"I am very grateful for the con
fidence that the voters of the Town of
Hertford have given me, and I will
continue to serve them to the best of
my ability," Winslow said when
polling was complete.
Harris could not be reached for
comment.
With seven absentee ballots cast
the results were: White-7, Winslow-6,
Harris-7, and one write-in vote for
council going to Morris Korenegay.
There were 12 write-in votes cast
during Tuesday's election for Town
Council seats as follows: C. Winslow
1, Janet M. Keel-1, Jesse Parker
Perry-2, Roy Perkins-1, Walter
Oakley-1, E. Allen Winslow-1, Walter
Edwards-1, Bill Tice-1, Erie Haste-2,
and Eldon Winslow-1.
In Winfall 75 people turned out to
vote in the uncontested race for
Mayor and two town council seats.
Incumbent Mayor Lloyd R.
Morgan received 75 votes, incumbent
Town Councilman Jesse P. (Jake)
Chesson received 61 votes and
newcomer Seymour Chappell
received 60 votes.
One absentee ballot was cast for
Morgan and one for Chappell.
Harland Christensen received one
write-in vote for Councilman.
Board discusses
athletic program in
local school system
By KEN CASTELLOE
The Perquimans County Board of
Education held their regular monthly
meeting on November 7 with all
members in attendance.
One of the major topics of
discussion was concerning Junior
High, Middle, and High School level
athletics. Perquimans County
Superintendent Pat Harrell
presented several comments to the
board concerning these areas.
One major area of concern that
was brought before the Board was
the athletic programs in the Jr. High
and Middle Schools across the state
of North Carolina. One of the larger
problems that exist is the fact that on
this level too much emphasis has
been placed on winning instead of
learning the fundamentals of each
respective sport. Also athletic
programs across the state are having
difficulty in finding qualified coaches
to teach students on this level.
Harrell stated that a Commission has
been selected to study these and
other problems throughout the state.
Harrell also informed the Board
that a conference realignment will
come into effect in 1985 for all high
school sports. This is due to a decline
in enrollment since the last align
ment. Other factors that are causing
this action are: the travel costs in
volved in transporting students to
away games and the amount of time
being missed in classrooms due to
travel and participation in sports.
"At the present time the con
ferences are set up according to the
enrollment of the top three grades.
Class A division consist of schools
with enrollment under 300 students.
Class AA contains schools with an
enrollment of 301 to 625. Class AAA
has an enrollment limit of 626 to 1150
and Class AAAA consists of 1151
students and up," Harrell said.
Harrell further stated that the
Perquimans High School presently
has a student enrollment of 375,
therefore, they are in the Class AA
division.
The North Carolina High School
Athletic Association will be the
responsible party for setting up the
new alignments. Factors that will be
considered are: distance to other
conference schools, the size of the
school and rivalries that exist bet
ween certain schools. The
Association will be meeting with
school boards across the state
discussing options that may be taken
for the new alignment.
The Board discussed a problem
concerning employees conducting
personal business while on the job. In
the M't there have been instances in
which salesmen have contacted
employees of the schools during free
periods on a one-to-one basis.
Harrell stated that personal
business should be conducted before
8 a.m. and after 3:30 p.m. The Board
requested that Harrell work up a
policy concerning this matter and
bring it before them for further
discussion at the next meeting.
In other actions taken:
?Donna Perry was officially
released from Perquimans High
School as a student.
?The board elected to renew a
group legal liability insurance policy
from Alexander and Alexander. This
policy covers an aggragate of one
half million for any case.
?Appraisals of Performance were
accepted from the State Board of
Education. These appraisals covered
such jobs as speech therapists,
assistant principals and counselors.
?A major discussion was conducted
by the Board concerning the use of
school facilities by area civic and
local organizations, pin-pointing the
gymnasiums at Perquimans Union
and the Perquimans High School.
Harrell stated that there is a need
for some sort of supervision when
these groups are using these
facilities.
"We want to work with these
particular organizations to make
things work out for the best", said
Harrell. He proceeded to present to
the Board some considerations
concerning a new policy governing
the usage of school facilities.
The Board approved an interim
policy that will be in effect until the
original can be revised.
?A psychological contract with
Cindy Mace was presented and ap
proved by the Board.
?Ammendments to the budget were
discussed and approved by the
Board.
?Joyce Whedbee was approved as a
School Food Service Clerical
Assistant and Nancy Towe as an
interim art at Perquimans High
School for approximately six weeks.
?The Board heard a report on
current capital improvement
projects and the public restroom
project.
?A decision was reached to accept
a bid from W H. Basnight Co. of
Ahoskie for $2,293 for the
replacement of the suspended ceiling
in the locker room at Union school
that was damaged during the fire on
October 17. No action was taken on
contracts for the painting of this
rjom.
?The Board entered executive
session to discuss legal issues
associated with school facility
planning, property acquisition and
site selection. Upon re-entering to
regular session, the announcement
was made that the Board would
Proceed in the planning with Sam
Ashford, owner of an architectural
firm in Raleigh.
Ashford has recommended several
possibilities concerning construction
at the High school