THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 60, No.8
Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C.,Thursday, February 14, 1991
30 Cents
Education:
Children need
\ . .
motivation to be
successful: Page 7
Sports:
Coston signs with
U.S. Naval Academy
to play football: Page 6
Briefs
A.A.R.P. to moot
Perquimans Chapter 4118 of
/LA.R.P. Inc. will meet Monday.
Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. at the Senior
Citizens Center on Grubb St.
•">, Matt Joyner from Swindell
Funeral Home will be the guest
speaker. Everyone Interested In
this subject Is invited to attend
the meeting. ■ »
Chapter 4118 Is open to
membership for all of the sur
rounding counties. The A.A.R.P.
Is; -here to serve, not to be
served. For Information about
A.A.R.P., contact the Sneior
Center at 426-5404 or contact
president Mona Sadler at 426
7044.
HAACP sets meeting
’•* the Perquimans County
branch of the NAACP will hold
i(s monthly meeting Monday,
Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the Ma
sonic Hall In Hertford. Hie Hall
Is located across from First Bap
tist Church. *
* i
Booster meeting changed
, - The Band Boosters will have a
meeting on Tuesday. Feb. 26 at
7<30 p.m. in the PCHS band
room. This meeting was origi
nally scheduled for March 5.
slated
The annUfel dinner meeting
of the Perquimans County Com
mittee of 100 will be held at An
gler’s Cove on Monday,-Feb. 25.
Rick Tobin and Ben Berry, offi
cers with Centura Bank, will
present the program "Doing
Business in Eastern North Caro
lina.”
The cost of the meal Is $8
per person. A social hour will
begin at 6:30 p.m. Dinner will
follow at 7:30.
Programming sot
The Perquimans County branch
of the NAACP is observing Black
History Month with a black his
tory skit, “A Struggle for Self-Es
teem,”
The NAACP Is also sponsor
ing a student essay/art contest
- first prize is a $50 savings bond
hrld second prize is a $25 sav
ings bond. The prizes will be
jngarded at a meeting at Poole
Jateve Baptist Church on Satur
jjljy. Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. Music
-,WiU be provided by a youth
vA Black History Month
Fellowship Service Is scheduled
First Baptist Church In Hert
ford on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 2:30
. -piin. The Rev. Firry Omen of Ka
desh A.M.E. Zion Church of
. Edenton will be the speaker.
'Music will be provided by mem
bers of adult choirs from county
churches. •„ c
DEADLINES EOS THE
mmiMANS WEEKLY
ARE AS FOLLOWS:
MON. 3 P.M.
units
RELEASES .
JUYERTISING ,.. MON. 3 P.M.
CLASSIFIED unu ,py
t legals ., . mull, j r.m.
ij- PRIOR TO THURSDAY
& PUBLICATION
PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
C 119 W. Grubb S«.
; 426-5728
-I S AM-5 PM, MOR.-FM.
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Commissioners raise water tap fees
The county commissioners
voted Monday night In regular
sessloh to raise the prices of
water tap Installation and the
charge for moving meters.
Commissioner Mack Nixon
said during lengthy dis
cussion on the move that he
would “strongly suggest” that
tap fees be increased to allow
the county to raise funds
within the water department to
replace equipment in the fu
ture. Nixon said that it was a
good business practice to set
prices that allow for future
capital needs.
The commissioners also
voted to increase the price of
moving meters from $25 to
$175 plus the cost of materi
als.
“We need to give some
plain direction to the water de
partment,” Nixon said. “It’s
just good business.”
Commissioner Wayne
Winslow made the motion to
increase the rates effective May
1. On that date, the cost of in
stalling a three-quarter inch
tap will increase from $300 to
$425, a one inch tap will go
from $375 to $500, and a two
inch tap will cost $900 rather
than $750,
According to meter installa
tion figures compiled'by couqty
manager Paul Gl|fgortf, the
county was covering the cost of
meter installations, but was
not collecting sufficient funds
to raise capital to replace
trucks, backhoes and other
equipment purchased and
----*—
“We've got to give some plain direction to the
water department. It's just good business.”
Mack Nixon »
County Commissioner
maintained by the water de
partment.
Commissioner Thomas
Nixon did not vote for the
change, saying he thought the
Increase was too steep. He did
not, however, vote against the
measure.
The commissioners In
structed Gregory to advertise
the price change twice, once
the first week of March and
again the first week In April.
Commissioners Leo Higgins
said the notice would give
those considering tapping Into
the water system time to pay
the connection charges before
the new fees take effect
In old business with the
water department, the commis
sioners were apprised of the
calculations used by Gregory
to adjust the water bill of
Marty Stallings, a hog farmer
who uses county water at his
* farm.
'^“Stallings had approached
the commissioners at their last
meeting to seek a reduction In
his biuT which he told commis
sioners exceeded $9,000. Water
department supervisor Russell
Chappell and Keith Haskett
were both preset at that
meeting. Haskett told commis
sioners that when the water
.department read all the meters
In the county In November per
their policy of reading all me
ters every six months, he noted
a drastic increase In usage on
Stallings’ meter. Haskett said
he requested that the meter be
read again. The meter was re
checked, and the initial read
ing was determined accurate.
The water department employ
ees advised personnel at the
hog operation that the reading
was significantly higher than
usual.
Upon receiving the bill for
over $7,000, Stallings con
tacted Haskett. Haskett told
Stallings that the water depart
ment had no authority to re
duce a bill, and that Stallings
should contact Gregory. Gre
gory suggested that Stallings
meet with the commissioners If
he wanted to request a reduc
tion In his bill.
Stallings met with the com
missioners on Feb. 4. He ad
mitted at that time that he had
not read the meter during the
period when the water usage
was in question.
A new policy went into ef
feet on Nov. 1, 1990 stating
that the commissioners would
no longer reduce water bills
unless It could be determined
that a meter was faulty.
Chappell said that the meter
on Stallings’ farm was re
placed and the old meter
tested. The old meter was ac
curate.
Because the water was
consumed before the Nov. 1
deadline, the commissioners
voted to apply the formula
used prior to the new policy to
Stallings’ bill.
Formerly, the commission
ers calculated the average con
sumption over a specific
period, subtracted that amount
from the total due during the
same period, and forgave one
half of the overage.
Using that criteria, Stal
lings will have to pay
$3,176.10 this week and will
be allowed to spread the re
maining $2,021.20 over the
next six months, to be paid in
addition to his regular water
bill. The commissioners dis
counted the bill by $2,021.20.
The commissioners were
told by Gregory that the meters
of large consumers will now be
read each month by the water
department. The commission
ers said they would like to re
mind all water department
customers that meters should
be read each month so that
large bills are not the result of
the bi- annual checks by .the
water department.
The Perquimans County High School band has planned a
concert in support of the troops stationed in the Middle East
A program of patriotic songs and military marches is being
practiced daily by the group. During the concert, families of
local troops in Saudi Arabia will be recognized along with
veterans of other wars.
PCHS band plans patriotic concert for March
The Perquimans County
High School Band will show its
support of the local men and
women stationed in the Persian
Gulf, their families, and veterans
of other wars with a concert
scheduled for Sunday. March
10.
Patriotic and military music
will fill the high school audito
rium beginning at 3 p.m. Melo
dies ranging from the national
anthem to marches will combine
to represent the band’s concern
for troops fighting in the Middle
East
Band director David Ziemba
.said practices for the concert
have been very touching. Many
i of the present band students
performed with former memLers
who now serve in the armed
forces overseas. Knowing some
one stationed in the combat
v zone has added a special dimen
slon to the practices, Ziemba
said.
The band will field an honor
guard consisting of the national,
state and county flags, as well
as the school banner and the in
augural banner brought back
from the inaugural parade , of
President George Bush.
Family members of local
troops will be recognized during
the free concert, along with vet
erans of other foreign wars. The
two groups will be seated in re
served sections signified by the
yellow ribbon that has come to
represent the hope for peace
across the country.
Ziemba said he and the
band members are proud to be
organizing what they hope will
be a county-wide show of love
and support for the families of
the troops. He said that he
hoped to have a full house for
the concert, as people gather to
let their neighbors and friends
know that all county citizens are
concerned about the brave men
and women from Perquimans
County who are serving their
country during a difficult period.
Family members and veter
ans of other wars who plan to
attend the concert are asked to
call the Perquimans Weekly of
fice at 426-5728 so that suffi
cient seats can be reserved for
those to be honored.
All students In the county
schools will have the opportu
nity to enjoy the band’s patriotic
program. On March 11 at 2:30
p.m., students at the high
school will gather In the audito
rium. On March 12. students
from Hertford Grammar School
and Central School will be
bussed to the high school for a
performance. The band also
plans to give the concert at the
middle school. Ziemba said the
public may attend these con
certs.
The band will also perform
at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb.
23 at the Vaughan Center at
Elizabeth City State University
during Operation Inspiration.
The program is being sponsored
by WCNC Radio and with the
cooperation of the Elizabeth City
Downtown Association and Eliz
abeth City State University.
After that performance, the
band will travel to the C.P.O.A.
Club located behind the Pizza
Hut in Elizabeth City to play
during Operation Support at
12:30 p.m. The event is being
sponsored by VFW Post 6060.
Ziemba said he was honored
to have the Perquimans band
Invited to participate in the sup
port rallies in Elizabeth City.
Belvidere man
dies in logging
accident
A Belvidere man died follow
ing a logging accident near his
home last Thursday afternoon.
The victim was identified as
William Bryant Chappell, 20.
Hertford Fire chief Edgar Ro
berson said that the depart
ment’s Emergency Response
Team responded to the call at
around 2:30 p.m. The Belvidere
Fire Department was first on the
scene.
Roberson said Chappell had
been logging In a wooded area
near the Puzzletown community,
close to the Chowan-Perqulmans
county line. The tractor Chap
pell was driving apparently
flipped over on him. Roberson
said.
Chappell was transported to
Chowan Hospital by the Perqui
mans County EMS. He was dead
on arrival at the hospital.
Chapter 1
will meet
There will be a Perquimans
County Schools Chapter 1 pre
kindergarten training session for
parents on Thursday, Feb. 28 at
1 p.m. In the Board of Educa
tion building on Edenton Road
Street.
Joyce Felton, diretor for
Head Start Cthe Head Start pro
gram and brings first-hand
Knowledge and experience to her
presentation. She also has ex
tensive training gained through
attendance at many state semi
nars.
All parents, guardians and
grandparents are encouraged to
attend this session to learn
ways to help their children get a
good start In their schooling.
Those planning to attend should
contact Thelma Finch, pre-kin
dergarten teacher at HErtffod
Grammar School, at 426-7439
or Estelle Felton, PAC coordina
tor, at 426-5741. Any questions
or concerns should be directed
to Chris Barber or Felton at
426-5741.
Democratic
precincts
to gather
Perquimans County Demo
crats have scheduled their an
nual precinct meetings to be
held at their regular polling
places on March 7 at 8 p.m.
"We want all Democrats to
attend this meeting, whether
they're party regulars or just
want to get involved with the
party again,” said County Demo
cratic chairman Julian Brough
ton.
Broughton said that precinct
meetings are the most basic in
gredient for Democratic succes.
"The precinct level is where all
policy-making begins,” Brough
ton said. "The more that people
get involved in precint meetings,
the better the party can rep
resent the views of all Demo
crats."
At the March 7 meetings.
Democrats will elect precinct of
ficers and delegates to the April
6 county convention. Precincts
also will have the opportunity to
pass resolutions on the party’s
public policy issues.
For more information, call
Julian Broughton at 426-5667
or 426-5438.
social Services to receive commoames
for local distribution
Perquimans County will re
ceive butter, commeal, honey,
flour, pears, and rice for distri
bution In February. The Hertford
Lion's Chib will begin distribu
tion at 9 a.m. on Feu. 26. It will
be conducted at the Ice Plant on
Grubb Street and will be avail
able to all income eligible house
holds In Perquimans County. A
rain date has been set for Feb.
27. Households having four or
more members should bring* a.
helper with them to assist In
carrying food to their car.
All households who will not
be able to pick up their commo*
'W'v , ?iJviwi19k ~, ! ii.
dities may use a representative
i for this purpose. The commodi
ties card or application must be
signed in the correct places for
this to be acceptable. No house
hold will be allowed to pick up
food for more than themselves
and one other household as rep
resentative. There will be no ex
ceptions.
“v There will be two lines St the
distribution site. The second line
will be for the physically hand
icapped and/or disabled who
ue present at the distribution to
pick up their food. A doctor’s
note , stating the disability, or
km
~5V V
proof of handicapped license
plates for their vehicle must be
provided. Those persons using
the handicapped line may pick
up food for their own household
only. Again, there will be no ex
ceptions.
Cars may not be driven into
the distribution area. Please re
member to park only in autho
rized parking areas as the
Hertford Police Department will
be patrollng the area.
Applications may be ob
tained from the following agen
cies beginning Feb. 11:
Department of Social Services,
Health Department. Economic
Improvement Council, Catholic
Social Ministries, Senior Citizen
Center and the Open Door Min
istries at the Ice Plant.
The jCommodities Distribu
tion Program is available to all
eligible persons without regard
to race, color, national origin,
age, sex, religion, handicap, or
political beliefs. Information
about regulations against dis
crimination and how to file a
complaint may be secured from
the N. C. Division of Social Serv
ices, 325 N. Salisbury Street,
Raleigh* N.C. or from your
county department oi social
Services.
The income crlterior are
available at the Department of
Social Services.
Last year the department
elected not to hold one of the
distributions due to poor re
sponse. Counties are not re
quired by law to organize the
food distributions.
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