THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 58, No.l - > USPS 428-080 Hertford. Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, Janaury 7,1988
LOCAL
Hertford VFW news
see pg. 3
FEATURE
Savings bond sales up
see pg. 1 0
COMMUNITY
Birth announcements
see dq. 2
Board asks
for $12
million in
school needs
The Perquimans County Board of
Education has put together and sub
mitted to the state a long range
school facilities plan totaling over $12
million dollars.
While the plan does not address
ways in which the board can obtain
funding for the necessary projects, it
is comprehensive and multi-faceted
addressing what the board views as
the most urgent needs of the county.
Among the projects topping the list
of those in the long range plan are
renovations and additions to Perqui
mans Middle School totaling
$3,156,00, and replacement of Perqui
mans County Central School at a cost
of $3,700.00.
Other projects included in the long
range plan are renovations and addi
tions to Hertford Grammar School,
renovations and additions to Perqui
mans County High School, construc
tion of a warehouse and storage -
maintenance facility, construction of
school bus shop and storage facility,
construction of tenniscourts, soccer
fields, general athletic field im
provement, and provisions for gen
eral maintenance and repairs to
existing facilities.
The completion date for the pro
jects ranges from 1992 until 1997, but
members of the board are optimistic
that their goals can be obtained.
The school board will submit their
plan to the state in accordant with
the School Facilities Finance Act of
1987. They will also present and go
over their long range facilities plan
with the Perquimans County Board
of Commissioners at their next meet
ing.
The Board of Education was also
addressed on Monday by Lana
O'Mara, and Rick Pronto of the Tide
water Psychiatric Institute regard
ing the instution of an employee as
sistance program.
The program proposed by TPI
would provide employees with many
psychiatric services, and would also
offer employees and their families
workshops throughout the year on a
number of issues including stress
management, discipline, and other
mental health, or professional topics
chosen by the school system.
Ms. O'Mara told board members
on Monday that more and more
school systems are implementing
such programs due to the high level
of stress faced by teachers today.
The program is implemented un
der a contractural agreement with
the school system, and benefits pro
vided under the plan are offered at no
cost to employees.
The program if implemented will
be overseen by a joint committee
made up of members of the TPI staff,
and the school system, and will ad
dressed the system's needs as re
vealed by the committee.
In addition to going over the plan
with the board members on Monday,
O'Mara andand Rick Pronto, a Per
quimans County resident and staff
member of TPI's crisis center in
Elizabeth City, stressed the confiden
tiality of this program. They urged
board members to consider the pro
gram, and stated if the program is
implemented in the county they hope
that school officials will encourage
employees to make use of the pro
gram's many benefits.
Thompson
announces
candidacy
Representative R. M. "Pete"
Thompson announces that he will
seek re-election to the North Carolina
House of Representatives from the
First District. The First District is
comprised of Camden, Currituck,
Chowan, Dare, Gates, Pasquotank,
Perquimans, Washington and Tyrrell
Counties.
Thompson is completing his fresh
man term in 1968 and will be running *
in the Democratic primary in May
for one of two House seats from the
First District.
Representative Thompson serves
on nine legislative committees: ag
ing, agriculture, cultural resources,
finance, health, law enforcement,
marine fisheries, natural and eco
nomic resources and transportation.
Each of these areas are at particular
interest to the citizens of the First
District. At this time, be also serves
on seven study commissions dealing
with agriculture, water quality and
the Oregon Inlet.
Thompson is a retired agriculture
extension chairman and resides in
Chowan County with his wife, Caro
lyn P. Thompson.
White sworn in as Clerk of Court!
Judge Herbert Small signs the papers following the swearing in of W. W. "Welly" White as
Perquimans County's new Clerk of Superior Court on Monday, January 4th. White, former
chairman of the Perquimans County Board of Commissioners and a member of that board for
nine years replaces Mr. Jarvis Ward who retired December 31st.
Jordan to announce candidacy in Hertford
The committee to elect Bob Jordan
Governor of North Carolina has an
nounced that the Lt. Governor will
travel to Hertford on Tuesday, Jan
uary 12, 1988 to announce his candi
dacy for Governor to northeastern
North Carolina.
Lt. Governor Jordan will make his
announcement next week at the Albe
marle Commission Building audito
rium at 7:00 p.m.
Next week's meeting will allow res
idents from Perquimans County and
northeastern North Carolina an op
portunity to meet and discuss with
Lt. Governor Jordan issues in the up
coming governor's race.
Jordan traveled to Mount Gilead,
his home town, on Monday to an
nounce his candidacy in his home
county. Monday's announcement
kicked off a five day campaign swing
for Jordan throughout the state.
Refreshments will be served at
next week's announcement, and the
Lt. Governor will be available to talk
with residents individually about is
sues.
For more information on the meet
ing contact Mayor Bill Cox at 426
7805.
Hie Holiday Island Public Safety Building is now in place following much work by island resi
dents. The new building serves as a shelter for the island's fire equipment, and hopefully in the
future will serve many other public safety needs of the island's residents.
Holiday Island public safety
building is finally completed
A dream has become a reality for
the residents of Holiday Island.
Holiday Island now has a public
safety building, thanks to the hard
work of many island residents, to
shelter their fire equipment.
Two years ago the residents of Hol
iday Island began discussing the pos
sibility of having their own fire de
partment and public safety building.
At that time island residents formed
their fire brigade to assist the Bethel
Volunteer Fire Department, which
serves the island in the case of a fire.
The fire brigade, which originally or
ganized with 13 members, currently
has a brigade of 35 members. Hie
Are brigade first started with a 1979
Chevrolet pickup truck, which they
now use as a brush truck, in July of
1986 they purchased a 1961 America
La France 1000 g.m.p. pumper truck
from the Newport News, Virginia
Fire Department and it was their
hope that they could erect a building
to house their equipment. Their
hopes have been realized.
Through much work by the depart
ment and the ladies auxiliary, and is
land residents over $19,000 dollars
was raised and the building has been
constructed.
The department had over 27 money
making projects, and sold most ev
erything you can think of to gain
funds. Several merchants in Hertford
and Perquimans County donated
gifts for auctions, the group raffled
off a 1972 Buick, and did much more
to raise the approximately $25,000
dollars it took to construct the new i
building. 1
Even though the building is con- <
g true ted and up on the site more, i
work still needs to be done. Electrical |
work, plumbing, inside carpentry,
septic tanks and more must be com- i
pieted, but as funds become avail
able and volunteers come forward
the work is being completed one step
at a time.
According to Bob Ziegler, chief of
the fire department, strides are be
ing made every day, and he is opti
mistic that the building will be com
pleted soon. Ziegler is also hoping
that the department can soon com
plete the necessary steps for becom
ing a certified department. Certifica
tion is necessary for the department
to receive county funding. This certi
fication would also lower insurance
rates for island residents.
Ziegler and other residents of the
island are also looking forward to the
day when they may have an ambu
lance on the island for emergencies.
Currently they are also looking for a
used oil delivery truck to use as a
pumper.
Until the time those dreams are re
alized the residents of Holiday i.land
will continue to work diligently to
wards their goal.
Commissioners consider
candidates for vacant seat
The Perquimans County Board of
Commissioners met with the chair
man of the Perquimans County Dem
ocratic party, Rev. John H. London,
on Monday to review the Perquimans
County Democratic party's recom
mendations for filling the commis
sioners seat recently vacated by W
W. "Welly" White.
Rev. John London presented the
board three names recommended by
the party for filling the vacated seat
Rev. London, Jan Spruill, and Dur
wood Reed Jr. were all recom
mended to the board as possible can
didates for filling the vacated seat.
Rev. London stated that he felt all
three would be acceptable replace
ments to fill the vacated seat, and
added that he hoped the board would
take into serious consideration the
Democratic party's recommenda
tion. London also stated that the Per
quimans County Chapter of the
NAACP would like to see the com
missioners appoint a black to fill the
seat on the five member board
According to London all three men
nominated for the seat are well qual
ified. Spruill is a life long resident of
Perquimans County, is a member of
the committee of 100 in Perquimans
County, and has been in business
here for a number of years. Durwood
Reed is the retired finance officer for
Perquimans County, is ? life long res
ident of the area, and is also owner of
Reed Oil Company, a large business
concern in the county. Rev. London is
chairman of the Democratic Party,
president of the Perquimans County
Chapter of the NAACP, is the pastor
of First Baptist Church in Hertford,
and has been a resident of the county
for 18 years.
The board of commissioners took
no action on Monday concerning the
appointment to the board, but stated
they would take the Democratic Par
ty's recommendations into serious
consideration.
According to state laws, the com
missioners have 60 days from tne
date of Mr. White's resignation on
December 22, 1987 to make an ap
pointment to the board. If they fail to
appoint someone to fill the vacant
seat within the 60 days, the clerk of
superior court must step in and ap
point someone within ten days.
Also, the board does not have to ap
point someone recommended by the
Democratic Party. The party was
consulted according to state law, and
services the board of commissioners
in an advisory capacity only.
Lester Simpson, chairman of the
board of commissinors stated on
Monday that the board would be con
sidering a list of candidates to fill the
vacant seat, and would make a deci
sion at a later date
The board also approved on Monday
the appointment of 14 Perquimans
County residents to serve as an advi
sory board for the Perquimans
County Recreation Department
The advisory board will assist the
recreation department in structuring
recreational programs for the
county The board will be offered to
tal represeptation from the county
and is made up of a representative of
the county commissioners, a Hert
ford Town Council representative, a
Winfall Town Council representative,
a representative from the school sys
tem, one member from each town
ship in the county, two members
from the county at large, and three
senior citizens. The members will
serve two full years on the board be
fore rotating off New appointments
to the board will be made in January.
Residents from the county who will
currently serve oh the recreation
board are Wayne Winslow, County
Commissioners, Billy Winslow, Hert
ford Town Council, Pat Harrel!, Per
quimans County Schools, Rodney
Lassiter, Belvidere, Gary Stubbins,
Bethel, Clarence Rogers, Hertford,
Lee Stallings, New Hope, Juamta
Bailey, Parksville, Rosa Gibbs. Se
nior Citizens, Minnie B Taylor, Se
nior Citizens. Lib Thatch. Senior Citi
zens. Ann Spruill, member at large,
and Martin Owens, member at large
As of press time on Tuesday the Win
fall Town Council had not named
their representative on the board
Paige Underwood, Perquimans
County Agricultural Extension
Agent, also came before the board on
Monday to advise them of the new
Perquimans County members of the
Albemarle Area Development Asso
ciation Board of Directors The rep
resentative from Perquimans County
on the board will include Dan Nixon,
Bill Cox, Emma Burke, and Mary
Harrell.
The board also took action on the
following Monday:
- The county will observe Martin Lu
ther King's birthday as a holiday on
Jan. 18th, in accordance with the
state observance of the holiday.
- The board adopted a resolution to be
sent to the North Carolina State Leg
islature concerning local govern
ment automony in dealing with em
ployee benefits and salaries.
- The board also took action to reduce
the Register of Deeds salary from
$18,300.00 to $15,936 00 in view of the
upcoming election in November The
new figure represents the starting
salary for the position if a new regis
trar is elected.
There being no further business the
meeting was adjourned.
Filing period opens
The filing period for candidates
throughout the state opened at noon
on Monday and will continue through
Monday, February 1st.
Four state and national offices in
district one are open for re-election.
The seats are as follows:
District 1, U. S. House of Represen
tatives, held by Walter B. Jones,
Democrat;
District 1, N.C. Senate, held by
Marc Basnight, Democrat;
District 1, two positions in the N.C.
House of Representatives held by
Vernon G. James, Democrat - Pasqu
otank County, and R.M "Pete"
Thompson, Democrat - Chowan
County.
The following local offices are up
for re-election: Register of Deeds,
held by Jeanne White, Soil Conserva
tion District Supervisor, held by
Elmer Lassiter, three seats on the
Perquimans County Board of Com
missioners. held by Thomas Nixon.
Lester Simpson, and Wayne
Winslow The vacated seat of W. W
"Welly" White will also be up for
election, and three seats on the Per
quimans County Board of Education,
held by Preston Stevenson, Cliff
Towe, and Emmett Long. Mr White
newly appointed Clerk of Superior
will also face re-election in Novem
ber
On Tuesday. May 3, 1988. North
Carolina will conduct its State. Legis
lative, District and County primaries
(Democratic and Republican). Of
fices included in the primary will be
Governor, Lt Governor, Council of
State, Members of Congress, Mem
bers of the State Senate, and State
House of Representatives, State and
District Judical Officers and County
Officers
Registration books for this pri
mary will close on Monday. April 4,
1988..
WEATHER
Weekend
Forecast
Weather forecasters are calling
for partly cloudy and cold
weather on Thursday. Tempera
tures will feature highs in the
30s, and lows in the teens. Fore
casters are calling for cold
cloudy weather on Friday with a
chance of snow.