I
Volume 59, No.17
USPS 428-080
Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C. Thursday, April 26,1990
30 CENTS
Sports
Jackson ready to race
Page 6
FARM
Herbs add flavor to food
Page 9
FEATURE
Homes tour successful
Page 10
Briefs
Special Olympics date set
The Perquimans County Special
Olympics will have its annual local
tournament on Friday, May 4,1990
with opening ceremonies beginning
at 9:20 a.m. This year’s event will
be held at Perquimans County Cen
tral School in Winfall, NC. The Ca
naan Memorial Baptist Church
puppeteers will perform. Come and
enjoy a festive day with our special
olympians.
Preschool program offered
Limited space will be available
for a preschool program to be of
fered by Perquimans County
Schools during the 1990-91 school
year. Parents interested in having
their children participate should
call 426-5741 by Friday, May 4.
Those children who will be three
by October 16 and four by the same
date can be considered for place
ment in the program.
Kindergarten sign-up In pro
gress
Kindergarten registration is be
ing held at Hertford Grammar and
Perquimans Central Grammar
schools through Friday, April 27.
Registration is from 8 a.m. until 4
p.m. in the office at each school.
Please bring your child’s birth
certificate, immunization record,
and social security number.
It would be helpful if bus riders
could be prepared to provide direc
tions to the child’s house.
Business loans available
Small business loans are avail
able through the Northeastern Edu
cation and Development
Foundation, Inc. Micr^-Znter
prises Fund, according to Lynette
Whealton, enterprise agent.
The fund was established to pro
vide small loans for small business
startups and expansions; loans
which banks often find too costly to
approve.
Unique to the Micro Loan Fund is
the relationship between the bor
rowers. Five people who need funds
are teamed to form a loan commit
tee. Since all small businesses face
similar problems competing in the
marketplace, the committee meets
bi-weekly to discuss successes and
problem areas. Input from those
who know what pitfalls small busi
nesses face can help others avoid
making costly mistakes.
The loan committee also ap
proves and rejects loan requests
within the group. Because the loan
fund is revolving, the failure of one
business to repay borrowed monies
can jeopardize another member’s
loan.
Those who may be eligible for
loans are anyone at least 18-years
old who lives within a 50-mile ra
dius of Elizabeth City, and who is
trying to begin a micro-enterprise
or expand an existing enterprise.
Examples of micro-enterprises are
crafts makers, lawn care persons
or produce vendors.
Loans range from $500 to $8,000,
with a maximum first time loan of
$2,500. The interest rate is fixed at
16 percent. Loans must be repaid
within six to 12 months. A $5 appli
cation fee is required. Members
must provide proof to their five
member committee that the loan is
being used for the proper purposes,
and that the business is operating
using acceptable business prac
tices.
For an application or more infor
mation contact Ms. Whealton at
338-0357 or 338-0853.
r
Thinking of placing a
Classified Ad; but not
sure how to do it? Just
call our friendly Ad
Visor, Elenora. She will
be glad to help you.
426-5728
Perquimans
Weekly
V 119 W. Grubb St.
8 a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.
Puppets help children deal with child abuse
Students at Hertford Grammar
School were the audience for a very
special marionette show.
“Knock, Knock,...Who’s There?”
was presented on April 11 by the
non-profit Children’s Performance
Workshops from Virginia Beach.
Reed Oil Company and Dr. and
Mrs. Alan Bonner sponsored the
performance.
The production is geared to edu
cate children about child abuse in
plain, non-threatening language.
The script unfolds the story of a
young girl who has been abused by
a male family member. Her ac
tions show children how they can
handle similar situations in their
own lives, and give credence to
their mixed emotions when they
feel threatened.
The program is the brainchild of
Regina Marscheider of Spectrum
Puppet Productions, Inc.
Ms. Marscheider was doing
workshops at schools when she was
asked by educators why no child
abuse programs were available.
That query sparked a three-and
one-half year research expedition,
which saddened, angered and
spurred Ms. Marscheider in her ef
forts.
She first contacted police offi
cers. Her initial interview lasted
four hours and gave her a shocking
look at child abuse and its effects.
“When I left there I was
crushed,” she said. “And I also
knew I had the tools and the oppor
tunity to make a difference. ’ ’
Over $60,000 was raised to fund
Ms. Marscheider’s efforts through
“knocking on doors and begging,”
she said. Corporate sponsors such
as American Airlines and Tru-Va
lue Hardware added to monies
from community donors.
What was bom from her desire to
help children was “Knock,
Knock,...Who’s There?”
Photo by Susan Harris
Students at Hertford Grammar School learned how to deal with child abuse when “Knock, Knock,... W
ho’s There?” was brought to the school. The marionette show was sponsored by Reed Oil Company and
Dr. and Mrs. Alan Bonner.
Ms. Marscheider said the pro
gram has three goals: to teach chil
dren 1) to recognize if they are
being abused, 2) that their feelings
of anger, guilt and betrayal are
normal, and 3) what to do if they
are the victim of abuse.
Many times when children tell an
adult what is happening to them,
the adult doesn’t believe them, Ms.
Marscheider said. Her message is
to keep on telling people until some
one does offer to help.
The statistics are grim. Studies
show that one out of every four girls
will be sexually molested before
they reach age 13. One out of seven
boys will suffer at the hands of a
molester.
Ms. Marscheider said that while
births have declined 30 percent
since 1973, the incidence of child
abuse has risen 145 percent. She be
lieves there are three reasons:
1. Child abuse is now openly dis
cussed, bringing more cases to
light.
2. Child abuse is a self-perpetuat
ing problem. Abused children tend
to become abusive parents.
3. Drugs, alcohol and contribu
tory messages combine to heighten
the problem.
Everyone must work together to
stop the tragedy of child abuse, Ms.
Marscheider concluded. “Our chil
dren are our future,” she com
mented. “I think that’s the most
important thing.”
Hertford Grammar School re
ported that five children came for
ward after the performance and
said that they were being abused.
IEditor’s note: “Knock,
Knock,... Who s There ” is available
for performances throughout the
nation. For information, call 804-491
2873.)
Photo by Susan Harris
Informal dining
This table setting on the porch of Jessie Hendley was one of the highlights of the Perquimans County
Restoration Association home and garden tour/art show Saturday. For a review of the day, turn to
page 10.
Commodities distribution planned for May
Perquimans County will receive butter, commeal,
honey, flour, peanut butter, vegetarian beans, canned
pork, raisins and green beans for distribution in May.
The Hertford Lion’s Club will begin distribution at 9
a.m. on May 8. It will be conducted at the Ice Plant on
Grubb Street and will be available to all income eligi
ble households in Perquimans County. A rain date has
been set for May 9. Households having four or more
members should bring a helper with them to assist in
carrying the food to their car.
All households who will not be able to pick up their
commodities may use a representative for this pur
pose. The commodities card or application must be
signed in the correct places for this to be acceptable.
No household will be allowed to pick up food for more
than themselves and one other household as represen
tative. There will be no exceptions.
There will be two lines at the distribution site. The
second line will be for the handicapped and-or disabled
who are present at the distribution to pick up their
food. A doctor’s note, stating the disability. must be
provided. Again, there will be no exceptions.
Cars may not be driven into the distribution area.
Please remember to park only in authorized parking
areas as the Hertford Police Department will be pa
troling the area.
Applications may be obtained from the following
agencies beginning April 25: Department of Social
Services, Health Department, Economic Im
provement Council, Catholic Social Ministries, Senior
Citizen Center and the Open Door Ministries at the Ice
Plant.
The Commodities Distribution Program is available
to all eligible persons without regard to race, color,
national origin, age, sex, religion, handicap, or politi
cal beliefs. Information about regulations against dis
crimination and how to file a complaint may be
secured from the N.C. Division of Social Services, 325
N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC or from your county
department of social services.
The income criterior are listed below:
HOUSEHOLD GROSS INCOME MUST BE BELOW LEVEL OF APPROPRIATE SIZE HOUSEHOLD
Household Size Per Year Per Month Per Week
~—- -•— ■ --- i -
1 $ 7,774 $ 648 1 $150
2 10.A26 869 201
.3 13,078 1,090 252
4 15,730 1,311 303
5 18,382 1,532 354
6 21,034 1,753 405
7 23,686 1,974 456
8 26,338 2,195 507
Add for each additional
household member $ 2,652 .$ 221 $ 51
Schools look
to cut budget
Local school systems across
North Carolina must ax $40 million
from their budgets as a result of a
loss of state funds.
The shortfall has been blamed on
declining revenue collections since
November, which in turn de
creased the amount of funds avail
able for education.
State Superintendent Bob Ether
idge and Assistant Superintendent
for Financial Services James 0.
Barber met with school finance of
ficers and superintendents from
across the state on April 5. It was
decided at the meeting to put the
decision on how to reduce expendi
tures on the local level. Cost-cut
ting measures suggested at the
conference included delaying sum
mer school, putting a freeze on hir
ing non-instructional positions and
postponing staff training.
Perquimans will lose $68,112.
Schools Superintendent Mary Jo
Martin said she and Finance Offi
cer Frances Hammer have as
sessed every line item looking for
cuts. Right now, they cannot find
where the total amount will come
from.
Dr. Martin said that what cuts
can be made will have to come
from postponing summer school,
cutting staff development and not
using drop-out prevention funds.
Because most state funds are used
for salaries, cutting will be diffi
cult, according to Dr. Martin.
“We will calculate the best we
can and tell them what we can send
back,” Dr. Martin said.
Crime report
The Hertford Police have made
the following arrests:
Thomas Rogers, 47, 307 Covent
Garden, shoplifting on April 15.
Eric Elliott, 34, 820J Constance
Dr., Newport News, Va., assault on
a female, April 14.
Stanley Lee Jones, 33, Rt. 5, Box
10 Dogwood Trailer Pk., injury to
real property, April 21.
The Perquimans Sheriff’s De
partment arrested the following:
Mark Allen Lane, 26, Rt. 3, Box
101, larceny in general, two counts
forging and uttering, April 17,
awaiting trial in Albemarle District
Jail in lieu of $10,500 secured bond.
Mark Allen Lane, 26, Rt. 3, Box
101, simple assault, April 18.
Pamela Hope Howard, 19, P.O.
Box 66, Belvidere, criminal sum
mons - failure to return rental prop
erty, April 20.
Youth’s death
is investigated
A Perquimans youth died
last Wednesday at Holiday Is
land, apparently as the result
of a gunshot wound.
Elswood Ryan White, a 12
year-old sixth grade student at
Perquimans Middle School,
was pronounced dead at Cho
wan Hospital.
Perquimans Sheriff Joe Lo
thian said that at this point, nu
merous interviews have been
conducted but evidence is still
sketchy. Laboratory reports
are not back from Raleigh, so
the exact cause and time of
death are not available. The
time of death has been esti
mated at between 5 and 7 p.m.
“At this point, we’re treating
this as we would any homocide
investigation,” Lothian said.
It is not known, according to
Lothian exactly what hap
pened, but it appears that the
shooting occured inside a resi
dence, and that White’s body
was moved outside into the
yard. Without the autopsy and
other lab work, Lothian said
that it cannot be determined
whether or not White was mur
dered, shot himself or was the
victim of a tragic accident.
White had been living with
his father in a trailer at Holi
day Island for about one year.
A native of Virginia Beach, he
was the son of Johnnie J.
White, Sr. and Billie Rose of
South Carolina.
A funeral was held Sunday at
2 p.m. at Knotts Island Baptist
Church.
FmHA changes
loan policy
The Farmers Home Administra
tion has made some changes in the
rural housing loan program for
Perquimans and Chowan Counties.
The rural housing loan program
for Perquimans and Chowan coun
ties has recenlty had a change in
family income limits. These
changes should enable more fami
lies to be eligible for loans under
the changes according to Melvin E.
Howell, County Supervisor.
The income limits for Perqui
mans and Chowan are as follows:
No. in Family Maximum Annual
Adjusted Income
1 .$15,750.00
2 .$18,000.00
3 .$20,250.00
4 .$22,500.00
5 .$23,900.00
6 ....$25,300.00
7 .$26,750.00
8 & over.$28,150.00
Loans can be made to construct,
purchase or repair modest houses.
The size of the house depends on the
size of the family. The maximum
size for a family of three is 1008
square feet. The minimum loan
payment is 20 percent of the family
annual adjusted income. The pre
sent loan interest is 8.75 percent.
The maximum loan repayment pe
riod can go up to 38 years under cer
tain conditions. Applicants must
have a satisfactory credit record
and ability to repay the subsidized
loan. Applicants should be accus
tomed to have housing costs that
are comparable to the loan pay
ment, taxes and insurance costs.
Funds for this program are very
limited and are not available at the
present time.
Howell, County Supervisor, an
nounced that subsidized funds are
available through the Farmers
Home Administration to finance
homes for very low income house
holds in Perquimans and Chowan
Counties.
The loans carry an mterst rate
which can be as low as 1 percent
and for up to 100 percent of the va
lue of the dwelling.
In Perquimans and Chowan
Counties, a household is deemed to
have a very low income if annual
income does not exceed the follow
ing limits: single member house
hold $9,850.00; 2 members
$11,250.00; 3 members $12,650.00 ; 4
members $14,050.00; 5 members
$15,150.00; 6 members $16,300.00; 7
members $17,400.00 and 8 or more
members $18,550.00.
Among other requirements, the
applicant must have a satisfactory
credit record and ability to repay
the subsidized loan. Cosigner for
the loan may be necessary to assist
in making the payments. Appli
cants should be accustomed to nav
ing housing costs that are
comparable to the loan payment,
taxes and insurance.
Those wanting information
should contact the FMHA County
Office at the Albemarle Commis
sion Building.