THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 5ft, No.17 USPS 428-080 Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C. Thursday, April 27, 1989 30 CENTS
Farm
Parents' actions shape
their children's lives
page 10
Sports
Pirate baseball and
softball team updates
page 9
Community
Community happenings
and weekly calendar
page 2
Local
Briefs
BeLo Foods plans
"Blue Ribbon" Kids
Day on Sunday
BtU) Foods has set aside Sun
day, April 30th as their "Blue Rib
bon" Kids Day. This last day of
"Child Abuse Awareness" month
was chosen to leave a lasting im
pression on our community about
the problems our society faces with
child abuse.
On this day, approximately 1,500
BeLo employees in our 43 stores
will be wearing a blue ribbon in an
effort to share with their custom
ers the concern over this growing
problem. As a community effort,
BeLo Foods is asking that other
businesses and organizations join
them in wearing a blue ribbon on
April 30th, as a symbol of recogni
tion today and a pledge of commit
ment for tomorrow.
Give a "Hug & Kiss" - On this
"Blue Ribbon" Kids' Day, all
youngsters (accompanied by an
adult) will receive a Dailey's "Lil
Hug" drink and a Hershey's
"Kiss" - BeLo's way of saying "We
Care".
Long joins sheriff's
department as deputy
The Perquimans County Sher
iff's Department has hired a new
deputy, according to Sheriff Joe
Lothian. George Long, formerly
with the Hertford Police Depart
ment, and most recently an em
ployee at the N.C. Department of
Corrections-Maple Unit, has joined
the department.
Long has a good background in
law enforcement, including a crim
inology degree from Elizabeth City
State University. He has partici
pated in a number of drug raids
with the sheriff's department in the
past.
Lothian commented that he is
very pleased to welcome Long to
his staff.
Hertford Police Dept.
has two new patrolmen
Mayor Bill Cox announced that
two new officers have been hired to
fill vacancies in the Hertford Po
lice Department. Anthony Walton
Jordan and Bobby Claude Watson
have signed on as patrolmen.
"Jordan is a native of Elizabeth
City. He attended College of the Al
bemarle and finished the N.C. Ba
sic Law Enforcement Training
course in February. Prior to com
ing to the Hertford department,
Jordan worked with the Ahoskie
Police Department.
A seven year veteran of the
Washington, N.C. Police Depart
ment, Watson is from New Bern.
He began his career in law enforce
ment with the Havelock Police De
partment, where he served as dis
patcher. In Washington, he earned
his sergeant's stripes.
The two new officers are ex
pected to lift the burden off of the
department, which had dropped to
three officers.
? Cox stated that he hopes that a
decision will be reached on the po
sition of chief within the next two
%eeks.
County Democrats
elect Julian Broughton
, The Perquimans County Demo
cratic Party elected as its chair
man Julian Broughton during the
county convention this weekend.
Also elected were Shirley Yates,
first vice chairwoman; John
Young, second vice chairman; J.C.
Cole, third vice chairman ; Fannie
Leigh, secretary and Lillian A.
Holman, treasurer.
Broughton wafe chosen as a mem
ber of the state executive commit
tee. Six Perquimans delegates will
be sent to the District Convention.
Hertford Mayor Bill Cox was the
keynote speaker. Cox told the
group that the Democratic party is
the party of the people, He said the
party had always responded posit
vely in crisis, and that the party is
sow in crisis. He urged all Demo
crats to work together for the good
ofthe party
Inside this issue
Beyond the Weeds
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12
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Dr. Mary Jo Martin, schools su
perintendent in Perquimans
County, delivered the address
kicking off the Regional Special
Olypics games at Northeastern
High School Saturday (above).
Beiow, members of the Perqui
mans Special Olympics team
happily celebrate their good for
tune at the games. The related
story is on page 7.
Area farmers hampered by too much rain
Most farmers are tinally able to
get into their fields to prepare for
spring planting. In low-lying areas,
it is still too wet to cultivate.
"Almost everybody will be able
to farm on at least part of their
land this week," said County Agri
cultural Extension Agent Stan
Winslow.
According to Winslow, by late
April in most years, corn planting
is almost finished and farmers turn
to preparation of cotton and peanut
land. Most farmers are just this
week planting corn, putting them
behind in other planting.
Winslow said the latest to plant
corn is around May 10. Histori
cally, he said, corn has done better
when it was planted earlier. He es
timates that the late planting could
delay harvest by seven to ten days,
depending on summer conditions.
"Don't take any extra risks with
corn because of late planting," is
Winslow's advice to area farmers.
He said that land must be properly
prepared for planting, erven though
preparation takes added time. He
feels that farmers will jeopardize
their anticipated crop if they do not
fertilize and use the insecticides
and pesticides they normally apply
prior to or at planting time.
Some farmers may be wise,
Winslow said, to stop planting
corn, get their cotton and peanuts
in tne ground, tnen finish with their
corn. He cited as his reason that
cotton and peanuts have a higher
potential value at harvest, and
therefore should be a priority.
"We're already late on corn to
the point it could be hurt," Winslow
said, adding that farmers may be
better off financially to take more
loss on the corn, and make sure the
cash crops are planted on time.
Farmers are not the only ones af
fected by the rain. Area farm sup
ply dealers who spread chemicals
are also in the fields working from
aawn to late in tne nignt in an enort
to catch up. Fertilizer trucks can
be seen in county fields alongside
tractors as all agri-businesses
have been negatively effected by
the rainy season.
Hopefully, the weather will stabi
lize and farmers will enjoy a boun
tiful harvest combined with good
selling prices on the market. Last
year was the first in a long time
that some farmers were able to
pay off farm loans. A favorable
growing season yielded good har
vests, and prices stayed up.
Fire Squad receives grant
The Durants Neck Fire Depart
ment received an $800 grant from
the state recently.
Governor James G. Martin an
nounced recently that 60 rural fire
departments in the state will re
ceive matching fund grants as part
of the Federal Rural Community
Fire Protection Program.
The N.C. rural fire departments
will receive $68,900 in federal grant
funds from the program for fiscal
year 1989-90. The money will be
used to purchase a variety of fire
fighting equipment ranging from
"turn-out gear" and hoses to
pumps and pumper trucks.
To qualify for the Federal Rural
Community Fire Protection Pro
Beware of mail fraud
warns postal service
The U.S. Postal Service has
scheduled the week of April 23 - 29
as Consumer Protection Week in
conjunction with National Consum
ers Week, Postmaster D. C. Burch
of Hertford announced today.
"Receiving and opening our mail
is part of everyone's daily routine.
Sometimes, however, your mail
may contain an incredible offer: a
free vacation, a cure for baldness,
or even a once-in-a-lifetime invest
ment opportunity." Burch said.
Customers may think that because
it is offered for sale through the
mail, the postal service has
checked out the advertiser's
claims to be factual.
"The 'con' artists who design
mail frauds seem to be able to
come up with something for every
one," Burch says. "Mail fraud is a
scheme to get money or anything
of value from you by offering a
product, service, or investment op
portunity that does not live up to its
claim.''
Most mail-order companies are
honest and stand behind their prod
ucts and services. Unfortunately,
there are a few who give direct
f
mail advrtisers a bad name. They
cheat people by peddling worthless
products, medical quackery, and
get-rich-quick schemes. Unscrupu
lous businesses do not mind taking
advantage of an unwary customer.
"Let the buyer beware" is their
motto? and you may be the buyer.
Last year the postal inspection
service notified hundreds of busi
ness operations to stop using the
mails for Shady advertising prac
tices. They also conducted mail
fraud investigations and arrests
while obtaining more than 1,000
mail fraud convictions.
"No one would fall for fraud if it
looked like fraud," Burch said. "So
the 'con' artist makes it look like
something else? a limited-time of
fer. A chance to receive a free gift
or a business opportunity offering
a fast buck."
By telling customers and friends
who think they've been victims of
mail fraud to contact the postal in
spection service, all of us can con
tribute to the important consumer
protection role of the postal serv
ice. Remember, if it sounds too
good to be true, then it usually is.
gram, rural fire departments must
serve fewer than 10,000 people. The
program is administered by the Di
vision of Forest Resources in the
Department of Natural Resources
and Community Development
through the U.S. Forest Service.
One arrested on felony
charges in Perquimans
Acting on a tip from Detective
Joe Tade of the Elizabeth City Po
lice Department, the Perquimans
County Sheriff's Department in
vestigated Kenneth Gordon Astin
of Route 4, Hertford.
Law enforcement officials from
the sheriff's department and Eliza
beth City Police Department
raided Astin's mobile home on
April 20, and found that Astin was
growing marijuana in a room in
the dwelling.
Astin was subsequently arrested
and charged with felonious man
ufacture of marijuana, a schedule
IV controlled substance He was
placed under a $3,000 secured
bond. Also found during the raid
was drug paraphenalia and a small
quantity of marijuana.
Recently the sheriff's depart
ment received a call from the Eliz
abeth City Police Department that
the driver of a light colored full size
car with a black vinyl top was
wanted for allegedly shooting at
passersby in the Roanoke Bible
College area. A license plate num
ber was given.
Shortly thereafter, deputies Eric
Tilley and George Long saw a car
entering Hertford which matched
the description given by the Eliza
beth City department. Tilley and
Long stopped the car on the park
ing lot at Harris Shopping Center.
The two passengers in the car
were identified as Michael Sharp
and Cornelius Leary of Edenton.
The pair was apprehended.
Leary was carrying a handgun at
the time he was stopped The offi
cers found a 30-06 rifle in the trunk
of the car, which is believed to
have been stolen in a break-in at
Hertford Hardware.
Both men were placed under ar
rest.
During last week's court session
in Hertford, two prisoners escaped,
but both were recaptured by law
enforcement authorities.
Nelson Isaac Jones, alias Trick,
was awaiting trial on numerous fel
ony charges in a back room of the
courthouse. The sheriff's depart
ment has evidence that suggests
that someone left a piece of steel
resembling half a crowbar in the
grating in the bathroom-area of the
holding cell. The lock was pried
open, and Jones escaped,
Jones was caught in the woods
behind Wynne Fork Court by mem
bers of the sheriff's department,
Hertford Police Department and
N.C. Highway Patrol around 5:00
p.m. after law enforcement offi
cials were told that he was seen
leaving through the back window
of one of the apartments in the
complex.
Edward Ashe, wanted in Wash
ington County, was arrested by
Sheriff Joe Lothian during a court
recess. He was placed in a back
room with a deputy when he ran.
Deputies George Long and Ralph
Robinson apprehended Ashe within
two blocks. He was turned over to
Washington County authorities
later.
Town of Hertford
receives state grant
Governor James G. Martin an
nounced recently Community De
velopment Block Grant (CDBG)
awards for four counties and six
towns including the counties of An
son, Edgecombe, Lenior and Pas
quotank. Those towns receiving
awards include Enfield, Pem
broke, Bladenboro, Hertford, Oak
boro and Maiden.
The award to Hertford is for
$600,000 and will be used for com
munity improvements such as
housing rehabilitation, and im
provement to public facilities such
as water, sewer or street repairs.
The majority of the funds must
provide direct benefit to low- and
moderate-income persons.
The town plans to use the funds
to revitalize the Market and Dobbs
Street areas within one block of
Edenton Road Street on the east
and west.
A total of 38 units is involved. The
town plans to acquire four dilapi
dated structures and lots and two
other structures. Six dilapidated
structures will be demolished.
Three households will be relocated
to standard-quality housing.
Thirty-one dwellings will be reha
bilitated.
The town of Hertford has com
mitted $30,000 in unrestricted gen
eral revenue funds to the housing
rehabilitation activity for the pur
pose of increasing the energy-effi
ciency of units treated under the
program.
The town has also received a
commitment from the Economic
Improvement Council for up to
$8,400 to weatherize up to six units
of owner-occupied, low-income
housing. The local commitment
dollars dedicated to the project by
the town will be allocated to units
not treated with EIC funds on a
grant basis in an amount not to ex
ceed $1,200.
The award announcements mark
the final distribution of funds for
the 1988 program year. North Caro
lina has received a $37 million fed
eral CDBG allocation for distribu
tion for the 1989 program year.
CDBG awards are made in the cat
egories of Economic Development,
Housing Demonstration, Devel
opment Planning, Urgent Needs
and Community Revitalization.
The grants are awarded on a
competitive basis and must meet
minimum eligibility requirements.
Local governments may request a
maximum of $600,000 in any one
program year. During the 1988 pro
gram year, over $3.c. 5 million was
awarded to local governments
across the state.
The CDBG program is adminis
tered by the Division of Commu
nity Assistance in the Department
of Natural Resources and Commu
nity Development.
Reverend Terry Fowler, Reverend Ralph knight and Reverend Gene Asbill (front row) join Edgar Berry,
Dan Berry, Luther Parks and James Lane at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Chowan
Baptist Association Building in Hertford Sunday.
Baptists hold groundbreaking ceremony
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Sunday,
April 9 at the site of the future building of an associa
tions! office for the Chowan Baptist Association. The
association is 183 years old and this will be their first
nent building. The site is located in Hertford
Daeier's Florist.
Reverend Ralph Knight, Director of Missions,
opened with scripture and a challenge to the associa
tion. Reverend Gene Asbill, pastor of Warwick Bap
tist Church and moderator of the associaiton, also
spoke briefly. Reverend Terry Fowler, pastor of
Sandy Crass Baptist Church and chairman of the
! Wl v
building committee, commented that volunteer labor
would be used as much as possible and that anyone
willing to help should contact him at 297-2173 or 297
2965.
Hie Chowan Baptist Association is comprised of 59
Southern Baptist Churches and two missions in the
ten counties of Dare, Currituck, Camden, Pasquo
tank, Gates, Perquimans, Chowan. Washington and
Tyrrell.
"Hie land was donated by Dan and Edgar Berry
and their families in memory of their parents, Mr.
and Mrs. E. Y. Berry
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