THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume $7, No.il USPS 42t-0<0 Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, July 30, 1W7 7n t
LOCAL
Library highlights
seeog. 10
\
Constitution corner
see pg. 3
Harrell honored
see pq. 8
Jimmy Hunter inducted into
Hall of Fame on Sunday
On Sunday, July 26th, in front of
family, friends, and thousands of
baseball fans Jim "Catfish" Hunter
was inducted into National Baseball
Hall at Fame.
The number of enshrined baseball
immortals grew to 199 as Hunter
along with Billy Williams, and Ray
Dandridge were inducted on Sunday
' during an approximately two hour
long ceremony which was viewed by
some of baseball's greatest players
as well as thousands of baseball fans.
Some of the many guests at the in
duction ceremony on Sunday in
cluded Charlie Finley, one time
owner of the Oakland Athletics, and
the man who traveled to Hertford to
sign Hunter in 1964 to play profes
sional baseball. Also present was
George Steinbrenner, owner of the
New York Yankees. Hunter is the
ti$t of Finley and Steinbrenner's
players to be inducted or elected into
the Hall of Fame. Willie Mays and
Stan Musial were also there on Sun
day just to name two of the many
baseball greats who attended.
Members of the Hunter family, all
of Jimmy's brothers and sisters ex
cept Pete were also there to watch
j the once in a lifetime event, and sat
proudly on the front row.
In addition to his family, and the
many baseball greats who attended
the ceremonies 28 Perquimans
County residents traveled to Coo
pers town on a chartered bus to wit
ness the event, and many others
drove up to Cooperstown on their own
to watch as Hunter received his ulti
mate baseball honor.
During his acceptance speech
Hunter thanked his family for their
support, and for making him a pitch
ing superstar "They taught me how
to throw strikes," Hunter said.
Baseball Commissioner, Peter Ue
berroth stated oo Sunday that Hunt
er's playing for Finley and Steinbren
ner alone should have been enough
for his election, but Hunter who
learned of his election into the hall of
fame in January had an outstanding
15 year career in professional base
ball.
During that 15 year period Hunt
er's lifetime career record was 224
166, between 1971 and 1975 Hunter
won 20 or more games, and he had an
earned run average of 3.26.
Hunter's other achievements in
cluded playing in eight world series
games with a record of 5-3 in series
play, 10 starts, and 69-1-3 innnings
pitched. He was on five winning
world series teams, played in six all
star games, won the Cy Young award
in 1974, and pitched a perfect game
on May 8, 1968 against the Minnesota
Twins at the age of 22 with no minor
league pitching experience. It was
the American league's first perfect
game in 46 years.
During the ceremony at Coopers
town on Sunday, Hunter was pre
sented with a copy of the plaque that
will hang in the hall of fame, and the
plaque says alot about Jimmy
Hunter and his professional baseball
career.
The plaque states, 'the bigger the
game the better he pitched.'
Pictured above is Jimmy "Catfish" Hunter. Hunter, Perquimans County most famous native
son received his highest baseball honor on Sunday when he was inducted into the National
Baseball Hall of Fame.
Legislature solves school funding crisis in state with nassaae of bill
RALEIGH? The General Assem
bly has passed the key element of a
10-year plan to fund North Carolina's
school construction needs. A critical
component of the compromise bill re
peals the inventory tax long decried
by industry leaders.
The legislation is part of a total
plan which will put approximately
$3.2 billion over the next decade into
building and renovating schools in
each of the state's 100 counties.
In addition, the bill repeals the
property tax which manufacturers,
wholesalers and retailers pay on
their inventories. Industry leaders
' believe its repeal will encourage eco
nomic development in North Caro
lina by attracting new industry to the
state.
To finance the new school construc
tion and to reimburse counties for the
lost inventory revenue, the bill in
creases the corporate income tax
from six percent to seven percent. It
also ends the practice of paying mer
chants three percent of the slaes tax
they collect for state and local gov
ernment.
"The education of our children is
one of our most important responsibi
lities," said Liston Ramsey (D-Mad
ison), Speaker of the House. "The
state's school buildings are in dire
need of repair and replacement. This
legislation will go a long way to solv
ing those fundig problems by provid
ing new money to build our schools."
Senator J. J. Harrington, President
Pro Tempore of the Senate, praised
the Speaker and Lieutenant Gover
nor Bob Jordan for their efforts to
work a compromise among legis
lative and executive proposals for
new school construction. "I believe
we have a plan that is fair to every
one and which gets the job done,"
Harrington said.
The bill passed by the General As
sembly will generate $1.36 billion in
new monies for education over the
next decade. The total program rede
dicates $1.87 billion from the state's
coffers to public school construction
needs.
The one-percent corporate income
tax increase will put $645 million into
a Public School Building Capital
Fund, which will be distributed to the
counties on a per pupil or ADM (av
erage daily membership) basis.
The newly-created Commission on
Critical School Facility Needs will al
locate $185.9 million over the next 10
years to counties which have the
greatest school construction needs
relative to their ability to pay for
them.
Monies for the Critical School Fa
cility Needs fund will come from the
corporate income tax increase, the
repeal of the three percent mer
chants discount on sales tax and and
acceleration in the collection ow
withholding taxes.
Interest generated by these two
new funds over the ten-year life of the
project will put an additional $64.7
million into school construction.
The legislation mandates counties
be required to maintain the present
60 percent level for funds earmarked
for the public school capital needs
from funds raised by the 1986 half
cent sales tax increase. That level
was to have gradually decreased to
zero percent by 1996-97.
Total monies for education raised
by the 1986 sales tax increase will
now equal $1.24 billion over the next
10 years. The 1983 half-cent sales tax
earmarked for public school capital
expenses will total $3.49.6 million by
1997.
County money freed up by the
state's assumption of full funding vo
cational education and school secre
taries will allow local officials to put
an additional $740 million into the
schools.
Representative Jim Crawford (D
Granville) called the measure land
mark legislation and said "it shows
that the top priority of the General
Assembly is funding for school con
struction and better schools for our
children." Representative Crawford
introduced the bill strongly sup
ported by both House and Senate
members.
Representative George Miller ID
Durham), House floor leader for the
bill, hailed the bill for what it will do
for the state. "This bill will take us
somewhere," he said. "This bill will
move the state forward."
Senator Marshall Raunch (D-Gas
ton), chair of the Finance Commit
tee, handled the bill in the Senate.
"This plan provides actual new mon
ies for our schools. Bond proposals
talked about earlier were merely
tools for borrowing money at a lower
interest rate. The funds this package
provides will do great things for
North Carolina."
Estimates suggest that the pro
gram could build approximately 700
new schools, using the Department of
Public Instruction's estimate of $60
per square foot Those estimates also
assume average cost of $8.4 million
per high school, $4 6 million per mid
dle school and $2.9 million per el^
ementary school
According to Pat Harrell. Superin
tendent of the Perquimans County
Schools, the county will benefit from
the money received under the new
bill, but no further guidelines on ex
penditures have been received.
For the Perquimans County area
funding is as follows: Portion of Rev
enues from >2 cent sales tax ded
icated to School Construction for the
1987-88 school year is $247,558; New
Public School Building Fund,
$163,033; Local Revenues Available
for School Construction from State
Funding of Voc Ed. Positions and
School Sees., $55,819. The total figure
for Perquimans County is $5,770,573.
) Festival plans set
> w
? Final plans are now being set for
the fifth Indian Summer Festival.
According to Mary Harrell, Exec
utive Director of the Perquimans
County Chamber of Commerce, the
tinai plans tor tnis years festival are
currently being made.
The festival which will be held on
September Uth and 12th will follow a
similar format to last year's festival
with events on Friday being held
downtown, and at Missing Mill Park
on Saturday.
Harrell would like to remind any
one who is interested in renting a
booth for the festival on Saturday to
pick up an application at the cham
ber office. Booths will be 12 x 12, and
will cost $20.00. Displayers may pur
chase additional space in increments
of 12 feet for $10.00. Deadline on booth
applications is Saturday, August 1st.
Festival planners will take applica
tion beyond the deadline, but any per
son registering for a booth past Au
gust 1st will not be included in the
festival program.
For more information on booth
rental or the events and activities be
ing planned for the fifth Indian Sum
mer Festival contact the Perqui
mans County Chamber of Commerce
at 426-5657.
Operation Fan-Heat
outlined by state
RALEIGH? Human Resources
Secretary David T.Flaherty recently
announced that "Operation Fan-Heat
Relief' is a special emergency pro
ject designed to help elderly North
Carolinians cope with the summer
heat. ?
"Many elderly citizens do not have
electric tans or air conditioners in
their homes," Secretary Flaherty
s4id "This makes them highly su
septible to heat stroke and heat
esaustion. These life-threatening sit
OSttons can be avoided when our
eider dtisens are able to keep cool
through the use of tans or air condi
" North Carolinians are urged to
dsoate electric taps or make cash
to one of the M Area
on Aging or to their own
I en Aging or I
A heatwave in the
VS. last aummsr contribwted to the
dHtas of at least six people. Two of
thtee heat related totalities occurred
P
here in North Carolina. Health offi
cials say most of these deaths could
have been prevented.
Already this year, North Carolina
has experienced temperatures in the
Ms. These high temperatures have
been coupled with high humidity
which inhibits the body's natural
cooling process? perspiration.
Assistant Secretary for DHR's Di
vision of Aging Elaine Stoops says el
derly citizens have a greater need for
a cod environment during this sum
mer. "Older people often have ch
ronic health problems requiring
medication which affects the body's
natural defenses for coping with
heat," Stoops said. "For example, di
ruetics, often prescribed for high
Mood pressure, reduces the amount
of fluids in a person's body and in
turn affects the body's cooling sys
tem. Certain tranquilizers and drugs
used to treat Parkinson's disease
also interfere with perspiration. A
number of other chronic medical cor
ditkms, such as diabetes, stroke.
New Trustee - Hertford resident Wallace Nelson made his first visit to COA recently as a trustee
of the college. The Chowan Hospital Pharmist, who attendedCOA from 1971 to 1973 was ap
pointed by Governor Martin to serve as a trustee. He replaces charter board member Rep.
Vernon James whose term expired June 30th.
Building
activity
increasing
Building activity in the state's 45
largest cities and towns for May 1987
dropped 11.2 percent below the activ
ity recorded for May 1986, State I .a
bor Commissioner John C. Brooks
said last week, but that figure does
not hold up in Perquimans County.
According to Aubrey Ownley, Per
quimans County Building Inspector,
building activity in Perquimans
County is up.
The state statistics show that the
number of building permits written
in May of 1987 was down some 4 3
percent below that of April, but here
in the county the number of permits
written has remained stable
45 building permits were written in
May and in June the building inspec
tor's office issued 44 permits. As of
Monday with roughly 10 days left in
July, 35 permits have been written.
Most of the building activity in the
county has been residental construc
tion, and the majority of permits is
sued have been for mobile homes in
the county.
Ownley stated that the building ac
tivity now going in the county was
good, and seems to be remaining pre
tty stable with the possibility of some
slight increases.
heart disease and obesity, also often
upset normal bodily responses to
heat," Stoops added.
The fans that will be collected and
purchased through "Operation Fan
Heat Relief' will be given to those
elderly citizens who have the great
est need for relief from the heat.
Other aspects of the program include
having volunteers who deliver meals
to the elderly, home health aides and
chore workers check older citizens
for heat stress during hot weather.
The state's 108 senior centers will
also be open to provide a cool place
for older adults without air condition
ing or fans in their homes.
Those wishing to donate electric
fans or to make cash contributions to
"Operation Fan-Heat Relief."
or older citizens seeking electric
fans, should contact their local Area
Agency on Aging at (919) 426-5753 or
call CARE-LINE toll-free from any
where in North Carolina at 1-800-662
7030.
Speed limit to be increased
RALIEGH? Motorists will soon be
able to legally travel 66 miles per
hoar on some portions of North Caro
lina's interstate highway system.
Hie Department of Transportation
announced Monday that the speed
limit will be raised on sections of the
V. .
system where an extensive study has
indicated free-flowing traffic and a
tower risk of accidents.
The increase will not be effective
until <6 m.p.h. signs are in place, a
step the department expects to begin
by early August.
t
WEEKEND
FORECAST
Weather forecasters are calling for a cold
front to come through the area towards the
end of the week.
Thursday through Saturday should be
cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms.
Lows will be in the upper 60s, and highs
will be in the 80s.