THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Vetome S*, He. 2* USPS 421-OM Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C. Thursday, July 14, 1?M 30 CENTS
LOCAL
Yates appointed
t6 Winfall council
teepg. 10
FEATURE
Baker honored with
, William scholarship
see pg. 10
COMMUNITY
Lion's Club installs
new officers Thurs.
see pg. 5
New business opens in Hertford!
On Monday Earl Owens opened his new business in Hertford
next to Country Corner on Grubb Street, Owens Carpet and
Tile, and Beech Springs Electrolux Outlet. Ribbon cutting
ceremonies were held at 2:00 p.m.. Above Bill'Cox cuts the
ribbon as Lester Simpson, chairman of the county commis
sioners, Wayne Winslow, vice-chairman of the county com
missioners, Shawn Owens, Earl's wife, Larry Swindell, pres
ideni of the Perquimans County Chamber of Commerce, Earl
Owens, and Marie Owens look on. Mr. Owens will offer a full
line of carpet and tile as well as Electrolux products. The
store will be open Monday thru Thursday from 8:30 p.m. until
6:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00
p.m.
Two men injured in weekend accident
Wet pavement has been attributed
as the cause of a weekend accident in
the county.
Minor damages and injuries were
reported by the North Carolina High
way Patrol in the two car accident
which occurred on U.S. Highway 17
near Rural Road 1303 on Saturday
morning.
Long urged
to make
use of
drought
programs
Farm Bureau has urged Agricultu
ral Secretary Richard Long to make
maximum use of existing programs
to provide drought relief to farmers
instead of "creating new programs
that will continue after the drought is
over."
W.B. Jenkins, president of the
North Carolina Farm Bureau, said
that by utilizing authorized programs
provisions already available, espe
cially for livestock and poultry pro
ducers, the Secretary has the flexibil
ity to provide needed relief when
conditions warrent. "Although
North Carolina has so far been
cpared the disaster conditions exist
ing insome parts of the country,"
Jenkins stated, "the western part of
the state is suffering and the drought
Is beginning to move eastward."
"Farmers don't necessarily need
additional loans and an increase in
their dept load," Jenkins said. "Di
saster loans don't strive the problem.
In fact, eventually they can become
tfee problem, so it's best not to rush
into theee types of programs."
Among drought-relief recommen
dations, Farm Bureau has urged that
Long:
Consider forgiving repayment of
advance deficiency payments by
farmers hi designated disaster and
adjoiniiv counties.
Make available uncommitted gov
ernment-owned grain that can be
bought with generic certificates in
crdsr to help livestock producers who
need to purchaae feed and to allow
B|Mlt wurnlhimiti to be met.
Make maximum use of the existing
0-U program by extending it to farm
ers who were prevented from plant
a crop. Under 041, farmers who
agree to forgo planting feed grain
cropi can receive H percent of their
"Hopefully, there will be
A pick-up truck driven by Jimmy
Chappelle, 38, Route 1, South Mills,
was stopped in the southbound lane of
U.S. 17, waiting to make a left turn
onto Road 1303. Another pick-up,
driven by Kenneth Banks Jr. of Bel
videre, was also traveling south on
U.S. 17. Banks was unable to stop his
pick-up due to wet pavement, lost
control of his truck, hit Chappelle's
truck, hit a traffic sign, and landed in
a nearby ditch.
Bank's speed was estimated at
35mph by the Highway Patrol.
Chappelle and another passenger,
Joseph Crane, 23, also of South Mills,
both suffered minor injuries in the
accident. Mr. Banks was reportedly
unharmed.
Damages to Mr. Chappelle's truck
has been estimated at $2,000 by the
Highway Patrol, and Bank's truck
reportedly received $1,500 worth of
damage.
The investigating officer for the ac
cident was Trooper Y. Z. Newberry.
Newberry charged Banks with fail
ure to reduce speed to avoid an acci
dent.
Nelson
retires
For the past 40 years Kathleen Nel
son has strolled down Church Street
to work at Eagles, but on July 16th
she will make her last offical trip to
Eagles as the store's manager.
Mrs. Nelson came to the store in
Hertford on February 9th, 1948, and
she has been there ever since.
Many things have changed over
her 40 years including the company
she works for. In 1984, the store
which was a Roses was sold to Vari
ety Wholesalers of Raleigh becoming
an Eagles Store, but through it all
Mrs. Nelson has remained a faithful
employee.
Does Kathleen Nelson like her job?
"I must like it to have stayed here so
long," says Nelson when you ask her.
Nelson started with the Roses Com
pany in 1940. She began working as a
saleslady in Williams ton her home
town, and in 1943 she went to Plym
outh as the store manager. In 1943,
Nelson was only Roses' third lady
store manager.
Five years later she came to Hot
ford.
When Nelson began her career she
worked 48 hours a week, and made
15* an hour. That's changed, but
many aspects of the retailing busi
ness are the same.
The whole bookkeeping system is
different, many things have been put
on computer, and the store has
changed from a traditional store to
setf-service. When Nelson first ar
rived at the store there were five em
ployees, but today there are only
tnree Desioes nerseii
Years ago Nelson bought many
things tor the store, and she remem
bers when candy bars Wtiio a nickel.
Today Nelson buys the basics for the
store, but maional items ,n|i cloth
ing are bought at the home office.
ftftkAn Sk T & ri m ft n ^ M .1
wmh rMMH pmvea id xianora
Kathleen Nelson has worked at Eagles in Hertford for 40
years. On July 16th she will retire.
she was only supposed to stay one
year, but on November 16th, IMS, she
married Wesley Nelson, and they de
cided to stay here.
The Nelson's have two children,
Wallace and Kathy, and two grand
children, Lauren and Ethan. Wallace
lives in Hertford, and Kathy makes
her home in Elizabeth City.
Nelson says she doen't know what
she will do when she retired, but
she's sure it will be quite an adjust
ment "I am going to take one day at
a time, and maybe travel a little,"
said Nelson.
A retirement dinner was held on
Monday to honor Nelson, and many
of her former employees were on
hand to honor her for her many years
of service.
Nelson attributes her success over
the years to good employees, good
customers, and the lord.
Kathleen Nelson will be missed,
but she says she'll be helping out ev
ery so often. Nelson will be replaced
by Lois Bryant.
School board updated on voting rights
In addition to discussing the budget
cuts for the coming achool year, the
Perquimans County Board of Educa
tion dealt with the following tames oo
Tuesday, July 5th, in their regular
? a. - a ? - a f ... ? ? a
meeting rwcn6uUJflo lruui Moncsy .
July ?fa.
VOTING RIGHTS
Board members learned Tusaday
that a Joint committee, established
JL
and the county in studying the possi
bility of changing the election system
for both boards, met recently, and
that the group is working to develop a
solution and gathering data.
Harrell, a member of the commit
tee, W Board of Education mem
bers Tuesday that Charlie Skinner,
rurea oy tne xanmiuee to conduct a
house to house **"?"? in the county,
will bagtojsaking tbe caosai very
teen will be responsible for collect
ing data, and producing a map which
will identify each and every house in
the county and whether they are oc
cupied by white or black families
Harrell also reported that at the
last meeting, the committee met with
representatives from the Regional
Development Institute in Greenville,
who will take the data gathered and
see board page It
County plans to
build new park
The Perquimans County Commis
sioners are planning to build a new
park in the county during the coming
year.
During last Tuesday's meeting, the
commissioners announced plans to
build a new park on county-owned
property off of Winfall Road in Win
fall just behind the North Carolina
Department of Transportation High
way Maintenance Shop.
Plans for the park included two
athletic fields with lights for evening
games, restrooms, dressing room fa
cilities, a concession stand, and a
parking lot. The board of commis
sioners hope that the park will be
equipped with bleachers this year,
but if not, they will be added next
year.
Paul Gregory, County Manager,
stated he hopes construction on the
park will begin as early as this winter
with the completion date scheduled
for spring, just in time for the rec
ation department's busy season.
Funding for the project is expec
to come from two sources, the coui
has budgeted $20,000, and Gregory
hopes that they will qualify for a
matching grant from the state.
"Budgeted monies and the grant
money should take care of a large
portion of the project, and we hope to
get some volunteer work. Help from
volunteers will make this project a
reality," said Gregory.
The land that the park will be built
on is currently being leased by a local
farmer, George Roach, but the board
is optimistic that although two years
still remain on Roach's lease he will
give up the land so work on the park
can begin.
The idea of building a new park
came earlier this year when the
lights at the Middle School athletic
field had to be taken down due to rot
ting poles. This spring the adult
teams have been playing night
games in Edenton.
WATER LINES
In other business, the board of
commissioners are still continuing
their efforts to obtain monies from
the state to move four miles of water
lines along U.S. Highway 17.
The board agreed on Tuesday to set
up a meeting with area legislators to
discuss the project.
The North Carolina Department of
Transportation is planning to four
lane the highway between Hertford
and Elizabeth City, and before this
work is completed the water lines
will have to be moved. Estimated
cost for moving the lines is $189,000.
Under normal circumstances the
state does not pay towns and cities
and non-profit, private water sys
tems for the cost of moving water
lines in such instances as the one
above, but at this time no other mon
ies are provided to local govern
ments to cover such cost.
RESCUE SQUAD
Todd Tilley, Captain fo the Perqui
mans County Rescue Squad, also
came before the board to discuss the
squads current staffing problems.
Tilley reported that the rescue
squad is having a very difficult time
covering day shifts during the week,
due to recent retirements of mem
bers, and work schedules of others.
Tilley reported that the squad cur
rently has 35 active members, and
that members are working 12 hour
shifts. Weekends and nights are no
problem, but the squad is having a
difficult time covering the day shifts
according to Tilley At the present
time, one full day during the week is
covered, but the others remain open.
Most of the members work other
jobs and unless they are just alloved
to leave their places of employment,
it is difficult for them to pull a shift
during the week.
The squad must have two state cer
tified people, one ambulance atten
dent, and one emergency medical
technician for each call, and that is
becoming increasingly difficult to
get. At the present time, the squad
averages two calls daily, but Tilley
says sometimes its more and some
times the calls are less.
One alternative the county dis
cussed during the meeting Tuesday
is the possibility of hiring a full-time
paid day crew, but according to
county officials the money is not
available for such a squad.
After much discussion, the board
and Tilley agreed to consult the state
emergency medical services office
for help with this problem.
According to Paul Gregory, two
men, L. Miner and Tim Kiell, both of
Raleigh, one a State EMS Coordina
tor, and one a Regional EMS Coordi
see park planned pg. 10
School board makes
cuts in 1988-89 budget
The Perquimans County Board of
Education took action last Tuesday
to deal with a $96,000 slashing of
county funds.
After reviewing the proposed bud
get, Superintendent Pat Harrell pre
sented an amended budget to the
school board, which reflected the
cuts. "It's going to be a tight year,"
said Harrell adding that if an emer
gency came up the board would be in
trouble.
Tuesday's actions became nec
essary when the Perquimans County
Board of County Commissioners cii
the school budget, in an effort to prfl
vent a tax increase this year f<fl
county residents.
County commissioners stated lafl
month that the county could not aP
ford a $103,000 increase in the
school's budget due to other obliga
tions, such as a new jail expansion
project and landfill, and cut $96,000
off of last years appropriation for the
coming school year.
During the county's recent budget
hearing. Commissioner Wayne
Winslow was the only commissioner
who favored a two-cent tax increase,
which would have provided the
school system with an additional
$50,000.
Next year's school budget was cut
by the county to $248,000 for capital
expenses, and 1.38 million for the
school's operating expenses.
$88,000 was the largest cut made in
the school board's requested budget.
The board of education had re
quested the $88,000 be set aside in a
fund to be used at a later time for fa
cility needs, but now that the county
has cut the budget, no funds have
been reserved for future school fa
cility construction.
Harrell stated during the meeting
that the only other major cuts made
in the budget include vocational edu
cation monies cut from $86,000 to
$33,000 and funds needed to adhear to
updated federal guidelines regarding
asbestos were cut from $25,000 to
$12,500.
Harrell stated that he is hoping the
general assembly will appropriate
monies for vocational education pro
grams. "I am hoping that the general
assembly will approve 25 percent
more funding for vocational educa
tion programs next year," said Har
rell. "But if not, more cuts will have
to be made," he added.
The superintendent also stated that
the school system hopes to enter into
an agreement with other area school
systems to have the required asbes
tos inspection and management
plans developed, and under thosr ~
rangements the inspection fees
be cheaper and in line with the
get cut.
Under present federal guidelines,
the school board will be required to
have each of the schools inspected for
various kinds of asbestos, and during
the next school year a management
plan must be implemented. Con-safe,
a federally approved company from
Pennslyvania, is currently negotiat
ing a contract with the county, and if
the contract is accepted, the inspec
tions will begin soon according to
Harrell.
Other budget cuts are fairly minor
according to Harrell. In capital out
lay, monies were cut from buildings
and grounds and furniture, but Har
rell stated that he tried very hard to
cut the budget without cutting per
sonnel and programs from the sys
tem.
Only one locally funded aide's posi
tion has been cut from the budget,
and new programs planned for next
year, such as guidance programs in
grades K-4 still remain.
The other budget cuts wgre made a
nickel here and a dime there accord
ing to Harrell. "Several hundred dol
lars were cut from various other line
items," said Harrell, adding that he
just had to cut any extras in the bud
get.
Hertford reviews fishing
tournament ordinance
The town of Hertford may soon
pan an ordinance regulating the use
of public ramps and parking facul
ties in the town for sport fishing tour
naments.
Walter Edwards, Town Attorney,
|i nairtwl members of the Town
V
Council 011 Monday a proposed ordi
nance for their review and dis
cussion.
According to Edwards, the .pro
posed ordinance is basically what
several residents requested they
see council pg. 8
____ V