THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume SI, No. 12 USPS 42S-0M Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, March 21, IMS 25 CENTS
I N F U L L
BLOOM ? Magnificent
pink blossoms adorn the
Tulip Tree that stands in
the churchyard of Holy
Trinity Episcopal Church
in Hertford. The tree is
just one of many familiar
signs that the warmth of
spring is fast approaching.
(Photo by Monica Roach)
County schools attained highest rate
of attendance in North Carolina
By SUSAN HARRIS
Feeelance Writer
Perquimans County elemen
tary school students had the
highest attendance rate in the
state last school year,
Superintendent James P. Harrell
announced at the board of educa
tion meeting Monday night. Har
rell said that a statistician at the
research department of the State
Department of Public Instruc
tion recently relayed that infor
mation to him.
The researcher was analyzing
attendance data for elementary
as well as secondary students.
He called Harrell to find out what
steps Perquimans had taken to
achieve its 96.12 percent rate.
"I feel we've got a good atten
dance policy," Harrell told the
board, attributing the excellent
rate to a firm attendance policy,
good documentation, and cons
cientious staff. He further stated
that the attendance counselor
spends approximately 75 percent
of her time calling, visiting and
sending letters to parents of
absentees.
Under present policy, students
with 20 unexcused absences fail
for the year. According to Har
rell, the policy is closely
enforced.
Board members expressed a
desire to know the attendance
rate for the high school students.
Harrell said that although he
knew it was not as high as that of
elementary students, he was not
informed of the secondary
school's ranking. Inquiries will
be made regarding the
information.
In the matter of lighting at the
high school athletic complex,
Harrell said, "I felt I was led
astray," by Howard Martin who
insinuated himself as a sales
representative for Musco, Inc., a
national lighting company.
Harrell said that upon calling
the national headquarters of
Musco, Inc., in Iowa he was
given the name of Mike Lempak
in Greensboro as the N.C. sales
representative. Harrell spoke
with Lempak, on the telephone
on Tuesday, March 5 and Lem
pak visited Harrell on Thursday,
March 7.
Lempak related that Martin
was once affiliated with Musco,
but is no longer in its employ.
Lempak outlined steps the
board should take in facilitating
the lighting project. He did not
recommend the 95' poles the
board had previously voted to
purchase. Harrell canceled the
order placed with Albemarle
Electric Membership Corpora
tion awaiting further
investigation.
"I was impressed with him.
(He was) a very professional
Students participate in writing skills test
Over 82,000 North Carolina
tenth grade students in public
schools participted in the first
"test run" of writing as a propos
ed component of the Competency
Test Program.
Administered by the State
Department of Public Insturc
tion during the fall of 1964, field
tests were also given to approx
imately 2000 students enrolled in
private academies, special
schools, and community
collleges.
The writing field test was one
aspect of efforts underway since
I960 to investigate the possibility
of adding writing measurement
to the competency test
requirement.
Discussion of the addition of
writing to the mathematics and
reading graduation competency
teting is expected to be brought
up at the April meeting of the
State Board of Education.
State results of the first writing
competency field test were
released this week by State
Suprintendent Craig Phillips.
Writing scores which were
either "pass" or "fail," varied
widely among the eight test ques
tions or prompts that were field
tested, Phillips explained. "Ac
tually, this first time, we were
testing the test," the State
Suprintendent added.
It is impossible to compare
results from one system to
another or even to compare
schools within the same system
since different editions of the test
were used throught the state, ac
cording to William Brown,
special assistant for research
with the State Department of
Public Instruction. Eight essay
type questions for point of view
writing were administered and
each student answered one of
these questions.
Three of the prompts which
elicited the most appropriate
responses were passed by ap
proximately 80 percent of the
students. Apparently, Brown ex
plained, these topics were
understood, elicited multiple
reasons to support a particular
point of view and were in
teresting enough to motivate
students to respoftd.
Several of the topics failed the
Add test. Diese prompts ap
parently were not understood
well by students, consequently
only 00 percent were able to ap
propriately meet the writing
editions of a multiple choice
mechanics test. The average per
cent correct for the four editions
of this test was approximately 84
percent.
Although the competency test
is usally given to 11th graders to
measure math and reading
skills, the writing component
field test was administered in
tenth grades across the state in
October 1984 to provide this class
with additional experience.
Both parts of the writing
assessment (a multiple choice
test on mechanics and point of
view writing) could become per
manent parts of the competency
test in 1965-86 should the State
Board decide to add these
components.
Scores from the writing tests of
students in grades six and nine
taking the Annual Testing Pro
gram's Writing Test show that
students have a good command
of the use of accepted English
conventions, such as punctua
tion, capitalization, proper
English usage, and the ability to
write complete sentences, but
need work on expressing
thoughts.
This was the second year that
students in grades six and nine
have been tested on their writing
skills. The test was added
because the members of the An
nual Testing Commission believe
that writing instruction is needed
and that the meaurement of
writing will encourage instruc
tional attention to writing.
( Continued on page 2)
person," Harrell said of Lempak
"I feel for the first time that I've
got some direction" in pro
ceeding with this undertaking.
The athletic field was
measured by Lempak, who has
sent the measurements to Musco
factory engineers for full
schematics and a proposal on the
project. Lempak said his com
pany would be willing to bid all or
part of the job, and to provide
specifications and materials in
order that local contractors
might bid on the electrical
installation.
Harrell said that Musco con
tracted the lighting for the 1984
Olympics. Information will con
tinue to be gathered about the
lighting.
Sealed bids were opened for
the fencing project at the high
school and Union School. Submit
ting bids were Albemarle Fenc
ing and Insulation, Segar Com
pany and Hercules Fencing Co.
After lengthy discussion of its
options, the board awarded the
contract to Hercules Fencing of
Norfolk, the low bidder at ap
proximately $16,000. The com
pany specified on its bid that
work could begin in 90 days.
Tri -county Vocational Director
Ken Stalls spoke to the board
regarding safety regulations in
vocational classes. Stalls said
that a recent law suit in Hickory
involving a student injured in a
vocational class who sued the
teacher and the school systems
had brought safety to the
forefront.
Workshops held recently for
vocational teachers have been
well-received, Stalls said. On
hand for the seminars were
physicians and legal consultants.
"We've been recognizing the
fact that we need to do a little
more in the way of safety," Stalls
said.
The board adopted a safety
policy which states that students
under age 14 shall not operate
shapers, jointers, table saws,
wood lathers and radial arm
saws. Students may use electric
drills, band saws, scroll saws,
Drama students to stage production
Following a four-year
hiatus, the Drama Club at
Perquimans County High
School is busy preparing for a
'come-back' performance
later this month.
Charley's Aunt, a play by
Brandon Thomas, will be
presented at the school
auditorium on March 28th
and 29th by the drama
students, under the direction
THAT'8 ENTERTAIN
MENT!? Fun for tho
family Is in atoru m local
youth from Perquimans
County High School make
their stage debate next'
week with "Charley's
Ant." The play,
presented by the drama
club, win be presented on
Friday night, March M.
(Photo by Monica Roach)
of Mrs. Chris Barber.
Charley's Anut, a farce set
in the 1890's, tells the story of
two Oxford students and their
love for two young ladies. The
students, Jack Chesney and
Charley Wykeham, are por
trayed by Tim Kane and
David Bateman. The objects
of their affections, Kitty Ver
dun and Amy Spettigue, are
played by Michelle Spence
and Sharla Tilley.
The boys plan to propose
matrimony to their
sweethearts, with Charley's
long lost aunt in attendance
as chaperone. The plot
thickens when Charley's aunt
wires that she will be delayed
and a chum, Lord Babberly,
played by Kenny Perry, dons
an 'old ladies' attire. Natural
ly the real aunt arrives on the
scene.
Other members of the cast
include: Angela Spivey, Bon
nie Harris, James Howell,
Lori Gard and Lynnette
Riddick. ,
A matinee performance for
students will be given on
March 28th, and an evening
performance is scheduled for
March 29th at 8:00 p.m.
The price of admission to
the performance is $2.00 for
adults and $1.00 for students.
Tickets can be purchased in
advance from any member of
the cast or crew, or at the
door on the evening of the
performance.
saber saws, portable/disc
sanders and hand held electrical
tools, if the the teacher feels the
child is capable of handling such
equipment. Teachers are respon
sible for safety procedures and
equipment.
Stalls said that money has been
spent repairing and replacing
safety equipment, and coding the
machines with use and safety
labels in accordance with OSHA
regulations.
Drawings for site work and
structural work for the high
school renovation/construction
project were received by Harrell
last week. Harrell said the
FmHA architects have other
drawings on the project. He said
that engineeers are scheduled to
come Thursday.
The board expressed its
frustration over the delay in pro
cedures. " 'We're still working as
hard as we can' is what he told
me this morning," Harrell said
the state staff told him.
Harrell told the board that
items stored in the county
warehouse (formerly the J.C.
Blanc hard building) are being
moved due to planned roofing
work by the county. The board
discussed auctioning those items
which cannot be stored
elsewhere due to space
limitations.
In other business, the board:
?voted to advertise for bids on
the high school vocational
building roofing project.
?approved an amended school
calendar.
?decided to continue to offer
accidental dental insurance
through the Delta Dental Plan as
a service to students.
?adjourned into executive ses
sion to discuss personnel
matters.
Police
'surprise'
dealer
By JANE B.WILLIAMS
Four alleged criminals were
caught off-guard Wednesday
when, during the course of a
marijuana sale, Senior
Patrolman Timothy Spence of
the Hertford Police Department
unexpectedly arrived on the
scene.
Spence, in full uniform and a
marked patrol car, drove into the
parking lot of the Little S&R
Store in Hertford and observed
an apparent transaction taking
place between four white males.
After a call for assistance,
Spence aided by Chief Marshall
Merritt of the Hertford Police
Department and Chief Joe
Lothian of the Winfall Police
Department, apprehended the
foursome; resulting in three ar
rests, with the fourth suspect be
ing questioned and released after
police officials determined that
he had not actively participated
in the sale or delivery of the
substance.
A bag of marijuana was con
fiscated from Fred Albert Har
ris, age 57, of 603 Pennsylvania
Ave., in Hertford. Harris was
charged with felonious sale and
delivery of a controlled
substance. He was confined to
Albemarle District Jail under a
$1,500.00 secured bond. A
preliminary hearing was set for
Tuesday.
Police confiscated a second
bag of marijuana from Samuel
Louis Cohen and Thomas James
Clauson, who were also placed
under arrest.
Cohen, age 25, of Rt. 1, Box 655,
Hertford, was charged with sim
ple posession of marijuana, a
misdemeanor, and released on a
$300.00 bond.
Clauson, age 16, of 11 F Pine,
Snug Harbor, faces the same
charges as Cohen, and was
released on a $300.00 bond.
A trial date for Cohen and
Clauson ha^ been set for April 17. f