THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY Volume 40, No. 24 ysps 42( 080 Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, June 14, 19S4 25 CENTS Commissioners hike taxes for Fiscal Year 484 By JANE WILLIAMS After a lengthy discussion among the members of the Per 0 quimans County Commissioners and many spectators in at tendance for the public hearing for the county's budget for Fiscal Year 1984-85 a tax rate was set for the county at 63-cents per $100.00. The tax rate which has been set at $1.20 for the past two years is changing this year due to property re-evaluations done earlier to bring county property up to current market value. The tax rate, which was earlier proposed at 60-cents for the upcoming fiscal year, was raised after being questioned by 1 Commissioner Elect, Thomas Nixon. Nixon's questions concerning the tax rate were directed at the School Bond Referendum, which was passed in the May 8th Primary. He questioned the county's ability to pay for the school if a tax levy was not implemented for school capitol outlay. Commissioner Charles Ward told Nixon that the county already had a surplus of $800,000.00 and asked him why the county should continue to raise taxes while they accumulate a surplus each year. Commissioner Lester Simpson asked Ward "what was so bad about increasing each year? It helps saving quite a bit." Nixon told the Commissioners that if they didn't levy a tax this year, then they would "wind up robbing Peter to pay Paul." Nixon continued to question the judgement of the Commis sioners on the tax issue stating that "When you boys came in here this thing wasn't in a mess, so don't go out and leave one. If you raise taxes a little bit this year, then next year the in crease won't be so frightening." Ward stated that taxes were levied at 95 per-cent collection, and that the county usually collected 96 and one-half percent. He told the group that that already accounted for a cushion that amounted to enough to make the payment on the school bonds. It was also pointed out that the school system's share of the one-half cent state sales tax had already been promised by the Board of Education to go towards the bond payment. After further discussion Joe Nowell, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners, called for a motion. The motion was made by Simpson to set the rate at 63-cents. Hie motion carried. The additional 3-cents will provide approximately $70,500.00 additional income for the county. In other action the Commissioners: ?Heard a request from the State Department of Transporta tion for a public meeting on secondary roads improvements for June 28 at 2:00 p.m. With all members in agreement the meeting was set. A map will be placed in the Courthouse on June 14 for public inspection. ?Voted to sent a letter of support to State Senators and members of the House of Representatives for an Assistant County Forest Ranger for Perquimans County. ?Selected Milton Knight to fill the expired term of Jan Spruill on the board of the Albemarle Commission. ?Ammended the current budget for Federal Revenue Shar ing in the amount of $19,536 to cover payments to Medicaid in the amount of $14,575 and two payments to the Sanitary Land fill at $4,961. 'Main Street 9 revitalization discussed By JANE WILLIAMS Approximately 25 area business people congregated at Gabby's Restaurant for a* luncheon last week to meet with a representative from the North Carolina Department of Commerce for a discussion on revitalizing the downtown district in Hertford. The Luncheon was sponsored by the Perquimans County Chamber of Commerce. Opie Jordan, Director of Business Development, and former director of the Main Street Program, told the group that upon her arrival in Hertford her 'ffrat impression was that "You have a heck of a resource here that you're not utilizing." Jordan's work with the Department of Commerce has included projects in Tarboro, Salisbury, Shelby. New Bern, Washington, Statesville, Morganton, Clinton, Wilson and Rocky Mount. Jordan told the group that there were "some fantastic buildings in Hertford," but added that there was work that needed to be done. "It won't take a lot to spruce your downtown up, but somebody has to take the first step," Jordan said. Jordan presented a slide presentation of before and after Library blends reading and heritage By JANE WILLIAMS Children across the state will be able to learn a little more about their North Carolina heritage through the summer reading pro grams available at the library. "North Carolina Celebrates: 1584 - 1964" is the theme for the fifth annual summer reading program designed to coincide with the beginn ing of America's 400th anniversary observance. The program, which is sponsored by the North Carolina State Library, has been endors ed by Governor James B. Hunt and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Craig Phillips, and will be co-sponsored by Deneen Graham, "Miss North Carolina 1964". The program is designed to introduce children to books, and to stimulate reading through the use of films, puppets, crafts, con tests, field trips, etc. > The program is flexibly designed so that local librarians are able to structure activities to suit their communities. , ; Terry Bosley, local librarian, has recently announced numerous activities that will be tak ing place each Friday, from June 29 through August 10, during the summer reading program. The first program is geared to expose the children to North Carolina crafts. Outside ex hibits will be set up showing woodworking, pot tery making, bread-making soan making #4 f -?ic? * basket weaving, along with a punch-tin demonstration, a taxidermist display of North Carolina animals and a display of shells col lected by a deep-sea diver. Children will also be exposed to the North Carolina art of quilt-making, when they draw their favorite book characters on muslin squares for a quilt to be sewn together for display at the library. "The Harbor Lights," an area square danc ing team will be on hand on July 27 to teach the children how to square dance and clog, and also on the 27th children will hear North Carolina ghost stories and the story of Blackbeard. Also scheduled for July is a filmstrip on North Carolina Indians, and Billi Whitehurst of the Museum of the Albemarle will talk, with the children about Indians that used tohabitate this areft. There will also be a display of drawings by Join Mansfield depicting an early form of In dian baseball. :.J5I .* ,-v' Other programs will include puppet shows, dramatic plays by the children, activities to take home and a birthday celebration for the 400th. *: Registration for the summer reading pro gram will begin the last week of June for grades one through seven. The programs are open to all ages. For more information call the libary at 4?4S19. * n ? * shots taken of businesses in downtown districts in the other areas that she has worked in. She emphasized that most of the projects did not require a great deal of money, and that the newly created facades greatly improved the appeal of the town's 'Main Street'. Jordan also told the group that the backs of the stores shouldn't be neglected, discussing ideas that could be implemented to make the back of buildings attractive to consumers. Jordan reminded the group that they already had possession of drawings for guidelines for suggested facade improvements. The drawings were done in the late 70's by Howard T. Capps, Landscape Architect, Planning Consultant, for the town. She posed several questions to the group to entice them to look for answers and research needs that the b*