THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY Volume 5?, No. 30 USPS 428-080 Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C. Thursday, July 27, 1989 30 CENTS Farm [figure ICommunity Local Briefs Athletic Boosters will meet Wednesday The Perquimans County Athletic Boosters will meet on Wednesday, August 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the PCHS coach's room. Football program advertising and selling season tickets will be the main items on the agenda. The Boosters are urgently re questing all persons interested in our youth, especially those parents of student athletes, to take a posi tive step and join the Booster group. Much work is done each year by the Athletic Boosters. Painting. Clean-up, uniform purchases and field work are all done by the vital organization. Many of the im provements made in recent years at Memorial Field have been made possible by funds and labor pro vided by the Boosters. Unfortunately, many parents of athletes have not lent their support to the efforts of the Boosters. With out more participation, the group will not be able to provide the much-needed support system for student athletics it now provides. Funds are raised by suppers, the annual Old Timer's Game and foot ball program advertising. Last year, the group generated $2,000 in season ticket sales. Athletics is an expensive offer ing. Uniforms, equipment, field improvements, coach's salaries and lights and travel for varsity football and basketball; girls' vol leyball, softball, track and basket ball; junior varsity football and basketball ; varsity and junior var sity cheerleading; baseball and boys' and girls' track must come from athletic funds, straining a tight budget. Students involved in athletics work hard at their sports. Some go on to institutions of higher learning to play. \ Please take the time to support student athletic programs. Attend the meeting on August 2nd. Jaycees plan CF collection Saturday The Perquimans Jaycees have planned a roadblock for Saturday, July 29 to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis. Last year, the group raised over $500 for their efforts. When you see a young adult ap } proach your car with a white con tainer at intersections throughout Hertford on Saturday, please give gienerously. A child's life may de pend on your gift. Wetlands cannot be converted easily The "Swampbuster" provision of the Food Security Act of 1985 re stricts the use of the nations's re ) maining wetlands for conventional agricultural purposes. Many farms contain woodland areas that may be classified as wetlands. Under the provisions of the Food Security Act, wetlands may no producing an annual agricultural crop without incurring the loss ol eligibility for all USDA program benefits on the entire farm. Suet benefits are not affected, however, , if wetlands are cleared and re ) planted with trees or put in pas ture. The Soil Conservation Service is now engaged in making wetlanc determinations on a county-wick basis. Wetlands are classified as soils that under natural conditions are covered with standing water oi are saturated during some part o the year. These soil types also sup port hydrophytic or water-lovinj plants. \ Upon completion of a wetland de termination for each farm, individ ual farmers will be notified if the} have any wetland areas and when such areas are located. tn the interim, farmers an urged to contact either the Soi Conservation Service (SCS) or tlx Agricultural Stabilization and Con servation Service (ASCS) offices ii Hertford if additional land clearinj is anticipated. ro Peoples Bancorp ? declares dividends On July 19, the Board of Direc tors of Peoples Bancorporation de clared a third quarter dividend o 14 cents per share to be paid oi September a<^ 1969, to sharehold en of record on September 6. Th< ex-dividend date is August 30. Thii represents a 7.7 percent increas* over last quarter s dividend of 1 J) cents per share Upon payment, to tal dividends paid per share for th. first nine months of 1969 will be 4 Marijuana confiscated Aerial search nets 43 plants in Joppa A new program with which the Perquimans County Sheriff's De partment is involved netted the confiscation of 43 marijuana plants worth about $68,000 on the street. An aerial helicopter search dis covered the marijuana plants adja cent to the property of James Hin ton in the Joppa area last Tuesday. The plants represented one of the largest single marijuana plant finds ever in Perquimans. The North Carolina Army Air National Guard, Highway Patrol, Sheriff's Association and Depart ment of Crime Control and Public Safety have teamed up to combat the increasing marijuana produc tion in the state. "Marijuana is fast becoming the number one cash crop in this state," said Perquimans Sheriff Joe Lothian. "We want to do every thing we can to try and keep it to a minimum in this area." The State Bureau of Investiga tion plane is only available for use in the county once a year, which local law enforcement officials say is not often enough to combat the escalating marijuana cultivation. The National Guard helicopter will be returning to the Albemarle area on a regular basis to scout for growing plants. "The general pub lic can go ahead and get used to seeing them," Lothian commented about the helicopters. Lothian said that the local High way Patrol unit has been instru mental in the implementation of the program, along with the local sheriffs. He estimated that over 150 drug related arrests have been made during the past 11 months in Per quimans. The charges ranged from simple possession of drug paraphe nalia to felony possession and dis tribution. Council moves to condemn properties The Hertford Town Council took its first step last Wednesday night to rid the town of approximately a dozen unsafe, unsightly buildings inside the town limits. Building Inspector Aubrey Onley met with the council in a special session to discuss his reports which recommended condemning the structures. The unoccupied dwellings and two business buildings should either be torn down or renovated according to Onley's report. Most have substandard electrical services and plumbing, and many are structurally unsound. A small number have been boarded up to stop vandals and vagrants from entering the buildings. One is known to be used as a "crack house," a place where drug deals are made. Vivian Trent asked the council to halt proceedings at 102 Railroad Avenue, which is owned by her daughter. She told the council that the house was being renovated when vandals broke the new windows, stole the heating system and damaged the electrical service. It is the daugh ter's intent to refurbish the house. At the recommendation of Councilman John Beers, the council de cided to notify all of the property owners to inform them of the town's intent so that they could reply. Councilman Jesse Harris said that hearing from the property owners would help the council to determine which properties would be renovated, and which could be demolished. The property owners will be notified, and will have 30 days to re spond to the letters that will be sent out by town attorney Walter Ed wards, Jr. and Onley. "I want concrete plans (for renovations), not just a 'yes, yes I will work it out," Mayor and City Manager W.D. (Bill) Cox said. The town council has discussed some of the structures for years, trying to work with some of the owners of the buildings, but to no avail. Now they intend to get tough. If owners do not show clear intent to upgrade their buildings, the town council will proceed with condemna tion proceedings, ana will demolish the buildings. Although the council is willing to cooperate with property owners, Cox said he will not allow procrastination. The owners must act in a reasonable amount of time. ? ? The dozen-plus buildings presently under consideration are only the first of several that will be dealt with by the town. Cox said that the town is committed to cleaning up the town and getting rid of the eye sores. When asked about the status of the Buck House on Market Street which has already been condemned and the decision appealed, attor ney Walter Edwards said that owner Victoria Shovelski of Maryland believes that she has found a buyer for the property who wishes to renovate the dwelling. This week, Edwards received a letter from the prospective Buck House buyer stating that he has been trying to purchase the property for almost two years, but has only recently been able to proceed with the purchase due to the legal proceedings in which the Shovelskis were involved. His letter indicated that once the purchase is final, he intends to begin renovation in September, with hopes of moving in by the fall of 1990. Edwards said that the town council will probably request a meet ing with the buyer. The buildings reviewed by the town in addition to 102 Railroad Ave nue are: the Broughton Building on the corner of Market and Church streets, Joe Perry's on Grubb Street, 213 Grubb Street, 104 Railroad Avenue, Keel's Trading Post, the John Caddy Estate, 322 Market Street, 304 King Street, Bertha Lane Estate on Woodland Avenue, 328 Dobbs Street, 307 Market Street and 211 Woodland Avenue. If plans to renovate or tear down are not received within 30 days of receipt of the town's letter of intent, the town will file a notice of hear ing and complaint. The building inspector will then determine the ap propriate action to be taken. The owner will have a short time to either demolish or repair the structure. After a review by the town council, demolition can begin if owners have not begun to renovate the prop erty. The decision of the building inspector can be appealed to the zoning board. Photo by Joe Southern This Railroad Avenue house was being renovated when vandals broke windows and stole equipment from the site. r T. Erie Haste files to run for the Hertford Town Council. Encumbent i John G. Beers has also filed for re-election. Jaycees honor Peckham, Layden for dedication The Perquimans County Jaycees named the Jaycees of the month for May and June recently. The honor is based on a point system which takes into account overall participation. Chris Peckham was recognized as Jaycee of the month for May. He competed in the statewide novice Speak-up category competition representing the Coastal Region. During May, Chris co-chaired the Gass of 1973 reunion dinner, at tended state convention, worked on revamping the dunking booth and attended all board and mem bership meetings. He also chaired a recent alumi num trailer project, where the club sold the aluminum as a money making project. This year, Chris is serving as one of the directors. In June, Wayne Layden received the honor of Jaycee of the month. Wayne served as chairman of the recent fireworks fundraiser and co-ordinated the fireworks order. This year Wayne serves the club as Management Development Vice President and as a result, he at tended Local Officer's Training School. Throughout the month, Wayne attended all board and membership meetings, partici pated in the aluminum trailer pro ject, car wash and boxing the fire works for the 4th Fest. These two young men are fantas tic and believe in the total Jaycee concept. Thanks to their hard work and dedication, the Perquimans County Jaycees continue to strive to make this a better community. Perquimans County Jaycees meet at Joe's Place on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 7:30 p.m. We invite indi viduals between the ages of 21 and 39 to join us. Lothian said that he and his dep uties issue no citations, even for simple possession. All drug sus pects are arrested, photographed and fingerprinted, no matter what the charge. He wants to let people know that his department is se riously committed to eradicating drugs in Perquimans County. The sheriff's department and Hertford Police Department plan to work together to rid the county of the plague of illegal drugs. Child abuse film available for public use The Independent Order of For esters (IOF) has released "Through the Eyes of a Child," a new film about the prevention of child abuse, which features highly acclaimed British actor, Michael Caine, as narrator. The film, which is available to Canadian and Amer ican audiences, looks at the prob lem of child abuse and its harmful effects from a child's perspective. Caine, who was himself an abused child, has volunteered countless hours to help prevent abuse among today's youth. "I've carried the emotional effects of abuse with me all of my life," said Caine. "It's terribly important that people understand the emotional and physical tragedy of this prob lem. Education is the first step to wards prevention, and that's why I worked with the IOF to produce this film." Written and directed by the IOF's Emmy-award winning direc tor, Herb Golden, "Through the Eyes of a Child" has won seven major festival awards from nota ble film organizations, including the International Video Commu nications Association, since its re lease in the United Kingdom in 1987. According to Executive Pro ducer and IOF President Leetate Smith, the film is a realistic and informative account of adults shar ing their experiences as abused children. "The IOF created 'Through the Eyes of a Child' as a public gesture of our own commit ment to preventing this tragic problem," said Smith. "The film provides the general public with useful information, while provid ing police and social services with a vehicle for training and fund raising." The setting for the film is a coun seling session in which actors por tray adults recalling the abuse they experienced as children. The film emphasizes that abused chil dren are never at fault, and if abuse goes unchecked, such chil dren often become disturbed adults who are likely to pass the harmful effects of abuse along to their own offspring . . . ustaDiisnea in iby4, me maepen dent Order of Foresters is one of the world's oldest and largest fra ternal benefit societies with well over a million members in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Known as the Family Fraternal, the IOF has been active in the fight against child abuse for more than a de cade. As part of its commitment to pre venting child abuse, the IOF dis tributes informational booklets and produces and distributes films in addition to "Through the Eyes of a Child" to educate the public about this tragic problem. "Through the Eyes of a Child" is available to the public on VHS and BETA for a nominal fee. For more information about ordering the film or other IOF educational materials for use in your commu nity, please contact the IOF Pre vention of Child Abuse Fund, P. 0. Box 848, Solana Beach, CA 92705 or calling the IOF toll-free number 1 800-828-1540. ; Farm Bureau, Extension Service host Study Group i The Albemarle Farm Bureau I Legislative Committee and the North Carolina Extension Service sponsored a tour for the Albe marle-Pamlico Gs taurine Study Albemarle Citisens Advisory Group last week. Dr. Parker Ches son, a native of Hertford, is chair man of the study group and went on f the tour. i The tour was scheduled to show how the educational efforts of the t extension service and information i /".on water quality distributed to s area farmers has been put into I practice by fanners in Perqui ? mans and Chowan counties. i Perquimans Extension Director D Stan Winslow said that county fanners are a wary of environmen tal concerns that relate to every as pect of crop and livestock produc tion. Many of those farmers have adopted new practices to reduce the potential for run-off into water ways. Practices used presently include the Integrated Pest Management Program, livestock waste manage ment and soil fertility manage ment. Winslow reported that all farm ers use the Integrated Pest Man agement Program (IPM) at some level. Farmers now scout their fields for pests and treat only when necessary. The old theory was to spray for what you expected. This practice helps to alleviate pesti cides entering waterways. Tour participants viewed fields using pest management on the Nixon Brothers Farm. Livestock producers, especially large farms, nave spent thousands of dollars upgrading operations to manage wastes. New facilities and lagoons help to separate the waste from the swine, and therefore make management easier. Mack bourne Farms, owned by Willard Copeland, was toured. Using animal waste as fertilizer for crops is also an idea whose time has come to be implemented, Winslow said. Funds to help with the high cost of using animal wastes have been made available v"*"* "" " Co,,,en'?Uo,' Service, dhicken litter and swine waste have been used locally. Farmers are also using less ferti lizers than in the past. An in creased use of soil sampling serv ices has resulted in less commercial fertilization, and a cost savings to the farmers. Some crop growers work with the local extension service and N.C. State University on test plots which check the results of old and new pesticide, herbicide, cultiva tion and other practices. This week, experiments will begin in Perquimans in trapping European corn borers in cotton Tnids. The pests can be devastating to corn and cotton. w Led by the Perquimans and Cho wan Extension Service staffs, the group included Dr. Billy Caldwell, Assistant Director in charge of ag riculture and natural resource pro grams; Extension District Direc tor Tom Hobgood; N.C. Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Jenkins; Extension Entomologist with the Tidewater Research Sta tion in Plymouth, Dr. John van Duyn; Extension Soil Scientist with the Tidewater Research Sta tion, Paul Lilly; Dr. Mike Linker, IPM Coordinator in Raleigh; local extension staffs and members of the study group. The tour ended with a dinner at Hayes Plantation on the Albemarle Sound in Chowan County. \