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\Ms.
E PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 39, No. 47
USPS 429-080
Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Tuesday, November 24, 1983
25 CENTS
* */?'*? : " *? * '** ?' 'S! ? ; ' . ' . . i '.'? * ' ' 1 r
Funding granted for local Hwy. 17 project
By JANE WILLIAMS
* Governor Jim Hunt approved Fri
day a $42.7 million speed-up in major
highway construction for projects in
Northeastern North Carolina.
For Perquimans County residents
the good news of this decision is the
federally funded project of widening
Christmas is Coming
The street decoration in the
Town of Hertford went up last
week. This is a sure sign that
Christmas is just around the
corner.
' - ? * ? - ? ? m .. ? ..
Knox speaks at Farm-City Banquet
By JANE WILLIAMS
Stressing the importance of the
business community and the farming
community "to depend on each
other," Charlotte Mayor Eddie Knox
spoke at the Perquimans County An
nual Farm-City Banquet at Per
quimans County High School Friday
night.
Knox, a two-term state senator, is
Charlotte Mayor Eddie
Knox (above right) was the
speaker at Perquimans
County's Annual Farm City
Banquet. Shown with Knox is
Charies Ward, chairman of
this year's banquet.
a candidate for the Democratic
nomination for Governor in 1984
Knox told the estimated crowd of
150 people that they should continue
to rely on the basics that have kept
North Carolina a front-runner in
agriculture. "We must continue to re
ly on basics ? textiles, furniture and
agriculture. They will be the base of
the state's economy for years to
come," Knox said.
Charles Ward, County Commis
sioner and Chairman of this year's
Farm-City Week Banquet, and R.T.
(Tim) Brinn, Chairman of the Per
quimans County Democratic Party,
took great measure in stressing that
this year's event was non-political.
In introducing the guest speaker,
Brinn stated that Knox was qualified
to speak because he is the Mayor of
Charlotte and has deep agricultural
roots, still owning farm land. Brinn
noted that Knox was the national
award winner of the Future Farmers
of America in 1955.
Brinn took advantage of the time
allocated him to praise the efforts of
local people who recently helped ob
tain state funding for the four-laning
project on U.S. Highway 17 from base
of the "new" bridge in Winfall to
Woodville. Hertford Mayor W D.
(Bill) Cox and Winnie Wood of
Camden County were thanked for
their special efforts in helping obtain
the necessary funding for this pro
ject. Cox serves as the President of
the Highway 17 Transportation
Association, while Wood is a member
of the Committee of 100 and state co
chairperson of Farm-City Week.
Both Cox and Wood were in atten
dance as were special guest Vernon
Jams, State Representative, and
Perquimans County native and
former State Representative Archie
T. Lane, Sr.
Knox, who grew up on a cotton
farm in rural Davidson County, sum
med up his speech with a challenge to
the citizens of Perquimans County.
"People in Northeastern North
Carolina are beginning to feel good
about their area, but we're not going
any place unless we pull together and
push together. You are in a great
area. Love it, protect it, and push
hard for it."
to four-lanes U.S. Highway 17 from
Woodville to the Intersection of U.S.
17 Business and 17 By-pass in Winfall
at a projected cost of $7 2 million.
The widened stretch of highway will
mean that U.S. 17 will be entirely
four-lane between Winfall and the
Virginia State line, 34 miles to the
north.
Right of way acquisition for the
new link will be completed by 1985,
with $1.9 million earmarked for that
purpose. A contract for $5.3 million
will then be awarded to build the road
in 1986
Another Perquimans County pro
ject will be the re-surfacing of U.S. 17
Business to Winfall East City Limits,
a total of three and three tenths
miles, at a cost of $190,000.
Other projects that are scheduled
for Albemarle Highways include:
?An accelerated $32 million con
tract to be let by August 1984 to build
a North Carolina 32 bridge across the
western reaches of the Albemarle
Sound between Plymouth and the
northern shore east of Edenton.
?Widening of U.S. Highway 64 bet
ween Williamston and Plymouth
The 24 mile stretch of improved road
will Cost approximately $12 million.
It is expected that Highway 64 work
will be mostly three lanes, including
bypasses around the towns of
Jamesville and Darden
?Widening a 15 mile stretch of U.S.
Highway 158 Byl-pass between Kitty
Hawk and Nags Head. The project
will widen portions of the congested
thoroughfare to either three or five
lanes at a cost of $6 million.
Hunt backed the change in
highway priorities, especially the
U.S. 158 project, to help handle a
sharp increase in traffic in the
Albemarle region that is expected
during the 400th Anniversary
celebration beginning in July 1984
Small business
disaster loan
program slated
Charles L. Noble, Supervisory
Loan Specialist for the Small
Business Administration (SBA) will
be presenting a program at Gabby's
Restaurant on Tuesday, November
29 for businesses that have suffered
economic injury due to the severe
drought suffered in Perquimans
County during the summer of 1983.
Perquimans County was
"designated aS a disaster Stea
because of the drought conditions
that persisted throughout the sum
mer. This means that area
businesses are eligible for disaster
loans at a reduced rate of interest
under the SBA Economic Injury
disaster Loan Program.
The program, which will begin
with a dutch meal at 6:45 p.m., is be
ing arranged jointly by Peoples Bank
& Trust Company and NCNB Na
tional Bank in conjunction with the
Perquimans County Chamber of
Commerce.
"We feel that this program will be
very beneficial to local businesses to
help recover loss revenues and carry
increased accounts receivable due to
poor economic conditions caused by
the drought,' said Ben Bern. Vice
President of Peoples Bank in Hert
ford. "We will greatly appreciate the
support and attendance of local
businesses at this meeting."
Anyone wishing to attend this
meeting should contact Berry at
Peoples Bank (426-5213) or O.B.
Rawls, Assistant Vice President of
NCNB National Bank (426-5723).
Paper to publish
"Letters to Santa"
THE PERQUIMANS
WEEKLY will be accep
ting "Letters to Santa
Claus" through December
14, 1983. The winner of this
year's letter contest will
be drawn at random and
will receive a $25 U.S. Sav
ings Bond from Hertford
Savings and Loan.
All letters that are
received will be printed in
the Christmas edition on
December 22.
Letters should be writ
ten on white paper with
black ink or dark crayons.
Please include your full
name, age, address and
telephone number.
Mail your letters to:
Santa Claus
c/o THE PERQUIMANS
WEEKLY.
P.O. Box 277
Hertford, NC 27944
Happy Thanksgiving