Newspapers / The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, … / June 27, 1985, edition 1 / Page 1
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THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY Volume 52, No. 2$ USPS Hfttord, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, Juno 27, lflj 25 CENT! County Commissioners delay adoption of FY 85-86 budget By SUSAN HARRIS and JANE B. WILLIAMS "We presented to you a bud get that we felt was (air and equitable..." This .statement made by Board of Education Chairman Clifford Winslow re flected the feelings of all depart ment beads gathered at a spe cial budget meeting of the Perquimans County Commis sioners on Tuesday night. Facing an eight percent in crease in the tax levy the com missioners called the meeting to discuss possible budget cuts with various department heads. Commissioner Wayne Winslow said, "We're looking at this budget to see if there's any way we can hold the tax rate down." Proposed it a five-cents tax hike over the 1 964-45 fiscal bud get, which would raise the tax levy to 68-cents per $1,000 prop erty valuation. The increase would mean that a taxpayer with a property evaluation of 150,000 who paid $315 in fiscal 1964-85 would pay $340 in 1965 86. The Board of Education is re questing *$1,201,277 in the gen eral school fund and $227,750 in capital outlay. These funds con stitute 38-percent of the total county budget. Approximately one out of every five county res idents are either employed by or enrolled in the county school system according to the I960 census. "We presented to you a bud get that we felt was fair and equitable, and we feel that to cut it any further we would deny the children in this county the opportunity they so richly deserve," Clifford Winslow said. The state legislature Tuesday mandated a five percent across the board salary increase for state employees, along with a 4 8-percent step increase. Wallace McLendon, Regional Director of the Pettigrew Li brary System, addressed the needs of the library, substan tiating the department's pro jected budget request of $41,041. This year the library received $37,000 in county funds. McClendon, supported by li brary employees and residents, stressed the importance of a strong public library system. He further stated that cutting tfie request could put the library in jeopardy of losing state match ing funds. The $3,700 increase would move the per capita rate from $3.84 to $4.23, falling short of the state's $4.95 per capita outlay guidelines by 72-cents. The library offers 17 outreach programs for children and 10 programs for senior citizens, which includes the bookmobile. Other counties in the region have budgeted between $3.65 and 16.89 per capita. Recreational Advisory Council member Terry Williams spoke to the board on behalf of the county recreation program. The department "is more than tea ching kids to play baseball and football. It teaches values of good sportsmanship, and learn ing to get along with other peo ple," he said. Williams expressed concern over critical statements made by some commissioners about the recreation department at an earlier meeting. After hearing comments from those in attendance, Commis sioner Wins low said, "I'd like to see two cents cut, but I can't see how we can do it. You've got to be fair to everybody." Commissioner Thomas Nixon stated, "If you give me the vot ing power, I'll show you how to cut the budget. I went on vaca tion. I knew I couldn't do it by myself, so I didn't worry about it." However, Nixon offered no ideas or insights in regard to al lievating the county's financial situation. The final budget is scheduled to be approved in regular ses sion on Monday, July 1, at 10 a.m. The 1964-85 fiscal budget expires at midnight Sunday, June 30th. \ Two injured when car overtimed on Bear Swamp Road By JANE B. WILLIAMS Two local men were in-, jured Thursday night when the car in which they were passengers flipped over into a ditch on Bear Swamp Road. Doug Pickop, age 25 of Route 1, Hertford, and Bob Howard, age 22 of Chowan Beach, were transported to Chowan Hospital by the Per quimans County Rescue Squad foDowing the incident after rescue workers from the Hertford Volunteer Fire Department Special Rescue team freed them from the vehicle. According to Craig Garriss of the North Carolina High way Patrol the two were passengers in the backseat of the 1980 Pontiac Pheonix when the car came out of a curve on the non-paved road and overturned. The door had to be cut-off to enable rescue workers to remove the victims from the car. Pickop was treated and re leased for cuts and abra sions. Howard was admitted to the hospital for treatment of fractured ribs, cuts and abrasions. Where he is listed in satisfactory condition. The other occupants of the car, Michael John McAtte and David Barnes, were uni jured. McAtte, age 22, of Route 1, Hertford, was charged with wreckless driving. Two people were injured Thursday night when the driver i of a car apparently lost control of the vehicle on Bear Swamp Road and the car overturned into a ditch. The accident victims were transported to Chowan Hospital in Edenton by the Perquimans County Rescue Squad. (Photo by Jane B. Williams.) F our arrested for use of stolen credit card By JANE B. WILLIAMS An SBI agent enroute to Eliza beth City Friday heard a call over the Highway Patrol fre quency alerting patrolmen to be on the lookout for a black Trans Am with three white males and one white female occupant heading north on U.S. 17 near Hertford, and then looked up and realized that the car was di rectly in front of him. According to Hertford Police Chief Marshall Merritt the agent then followed the car into town where it turned into the lot at Ace Hardware. The agent then called for assistance from the Hertford Police Depart ment. the foursome were wanted in connection with the use of a sto len state fisheries credit card. Merritt stated that the agent realized that the car was not displaying a license plate, and after stopping at the store an occupant of the car went inside and purchased some tape. After buying the tape the man came back and taped a 20-day tempo rary Florida tag in the rear win dow of the car. Members of the HPD, the N.C. Highway Patrol and the Perquimans County Sheriff's Department responded to the scene where a search of the ve Flippen named to fill position By JANE B. WILLIAMS The Perquimans County Board of Education named Wil liam Stephen (Bill) Flippen to fill the post of football coach for the upcoming school year at Perquimans County High School during a special called meeting on Monday night. Flippen will take over the reigns left by Pat Morgan who recently resigned this position to take on a coaching position with the Rockingham County School District !????? : Flippen, a native of Amelia: County. Virginia, has bean em ployed by the Perquimans County School system for the past year where he has worked with the physical education pro grams at Perquimans Central School and Perquimans Union School. He also coached girls softball and was an assistant football coach. ? Prior to locating in Hertford, Flipper worked for the Amelia County High School where he was employed as head football coach for tt years. While at Amelia, Flippen also served as athletic director, bead basket ball coach and head baseball coach. Comments gathered from school personnel after the an nouncement on Monday night were positive, with Superinten dant Pat Harrel) stating, "I am pleased that the Board of Edu cation approved Flippen as the new coach for our high school." Perquimans County High School Principal William Byrum added that, "I look forward to working with him. We're glad to have him with us." Flippen and his wife. Aim, re side with their two children, Steve and Todd, on Gaston Drive in Hertford. Ann is also employed at PCHS as a math hide and its passengers turned up a state telephone credit card, a state fisheries gas credit card and other state employees credit cards, along with the em ployees checkbook. It was determined that a vehi cle in New Bern had been bro ken into the night before and the occupants of the car were placed under arrest and turned over to the New Bern Police De partment. According to Merritt a small amount of marijuana was also discovered in the vehicle. The four arrested were: Roger Allen Merrill, age 18 of Gainesville, Florida; Robert Willard Cody, age 20 of New Smyrna Beach, Florida; Shelly Sue Hines, age 18, of High Springs, Florida; and Donald William Hurst, age 17, of Gai nesville. It was also determined that Cody was wanted in several states for breaking and enter ing, but the states that were contacted by the HPD refused to extradite. ^ The four were arrested and charged by the New Bern Police Dept. with breaking and enter ing and larceny of a motor vehi cle, forging and uttering checks, and use of stolen government property; to wit: credit cards. FBI agents arrest robbery suspect By JANE B. WILLIAMS An anonymous phone call to Hertford Police Chief Marshall Merritt led to the Thursday night arrest of a suspected bank robber who has eluded federal agents since early April. Johnny Myers was arrested in a hotel room in Raleigh after a phone call to Merritt stating his whereabouts was reported to Mark Gass, senior FBI agent in Elizabeth City. Myers, age 53, was wanted in connection with the robbery of the West Branch of Peoples Bank and Trust in Hertford last April. According to Merritt, he re ceived a phone call at his home on Thursday evening around 7:00 p.m. The caller stated that Myers was staying at the Radis son Plaza Hotel in Raleigh in room 509 under an assumed name. Merritt then called Agent Gass, who reported the informa tion to agents in Raleigh. According to Merritt, FBI agents in Raleigh along with two Raleigh detectives went to the hotel and arrested Myers without incident around mid night. Robert Pence, agent in charge of state FBI operations, con firmed Merritt's report adding that Myers, a Perquimans County native, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Craven County in May for the Hertford robbery. According to Pence, agents recovered an undisclosed amount of money and a hand gun at the time of arrest. Pence also stated that Myers is a suspect in at least two other bank robberies in eastern North Carolina that have occured since the Hertford robbery. In May a man fitting Myers' description was the culprit of an armed robbery at Planters Bank and Trust in Rocky Mount; and in June a man, also fitting Myers' description held up First Citizens Bank and Trust in Kinston. Each time the suspect fled in what was thought to be a stolen car. Myers appeared before a state superior court jude in Wake County on Friday where he was held over without bond. He was taken to Wake County jail after his arrest, but has since been turned over to fed eral marshalls awaiting an ap pearance before a federal judge or magistrate. Durants Neck Post Office temporarily closed Hertford Postmaster Ricky Wilkinson reported this week that the Durants Neck Post Of fice has been closed temporar ily According to Wilkinson postal customers that have previously been served by the Durants Neck Post Office can either have their mail delivered on a rural route or they have their mail held in General Delivery at the Hertford Post Office until arrangements can be made to re-open the Durants Neck branch. He pointed out that the closing is only temporary, and that service in Durants Neck would again be provided as soon as a new contractor can be found to house the facility. Felton named to state advisory board Estelle M. Felton of Rt. 2, Hertford has been selected to serve as an advisor to a new, statewide North Carolina Agri cultural Extension Service lead ership program. Mrs. Felton was appointed to the advisory council of the Leadership Development Pro gram for Rural Minority Women on May 22. The program will help black and Indian women, aged 20 to 40, to develop their leadership skills. Those selected will par ticipate in learning experiences and seminars over the course of three years. Mrs. Felton said her goal is to "make life better for our wo mem." "We have chosen Mrs. Felton to be among the 12 advisors for this new program because of her high interests in the devel opment of rural minority women. Her knowledge of re sources and strategies will help the extension service to help ru ral minority women develop their leadership abilities," said Dr. Brenda Foster Allen, pro gram director, North Carolina State University, Raleigh. Mrs. Felton is vice-president of the Democratic Party of Per quimans County, vice-president of the NAACP for the county, and is very active in her church. She has seven children, ages 17-38, and 12 grandchil dren. E8TELLE FELTON
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
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June 27, 1985, edition 1
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