THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 60, No.17
Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, April 25,1991
30 Cents
Feature:
Starmakers drama class >
presents updated version of
Snow White: Page 7 4
Education:
PCHS students win
first place at ECU
math contest: Page 8
Briefs
Schools apply for grants
. Perquimans County Schools Is
applying for two grants to pro
vide services for handicapped
children. These grants are IDEA,
Title VI. Part B and Preschool
Handicapped.
Both project applications will
be available for review on April
24 and 25 between 8:30 a.m.
and 4 p.m. In the conference
room of the Perquimans County
Schools Administration Building
on Eden ton Road Street For
more information, contact
Brenda Terranova at 426-5741.
Church holds supper
Home cooked dinners will be
for sale at Ellis Temple Baptist
Church in Winfall on Saturday,
April 27 from 2-6 p.m. BBQ
chicken, fried chicken, and fish
dinners will be available for $3.
Cakes, pies and sodas will also
be sold.
Klndsrgsrtsn sign-ups
held
, Registration will be held for
ail kindergarten students in Per
quimans County during the
Week of April 29-May 3. Regis
tration will be held at Hertford
Grammar School each day from
8 a.m.-4 p.m. A child must be 5
years old on or before Oct. 16 to
be eligible for kindergarten.
Birth certificates are required for
registration.
UMW to hold sals
The UMW of Hertford United
Methodist Church will sponsor a
yard sale on Saturday, May 4
from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the
church. A variety of items will
be offered for sale.
AARP will moot Monday
Perquimans Chapter 4118 of
AARP Inc. will meet Monday.
April 29 at 2 p.m. at the Senior
Center. A board meeting will be
gin at 1 p.m.
Dr. Redding of the eye clinic
will speak on the care of eyes.
Eveiyone interested in this sub
ject may attend this meeting.
Chapter 4118 is open to mem
bership for all the surrounding
areas.
Former 4-Hors sought
The Perquimans Cooperative
Extension Service is asking for
mer 4-Hers to register with its
office. $-H alumni identification
is the 1990-91 state 4-H project
If you are a former member,
send your name, address, phone
number, occupation and 4-H
history to Juanita Bailey, Home
Economics Extension Agent.
P.O. Box 87, Hertford, N.C.
27944. The information will be
used to create a statewide listing
of all former 4-Hers. Do you
part to help “Make the Best Bet
ter.” 4-H needs to hear from
you.
4*Hsrs dwt offiesrs
- The Belvldere-Whlteston 4-H
Club will meet on Monday. April
29 from 7-8 p.m. at the Whites
tbn Community Building. Youth
ages 6-21 years old are invited
to join this new 4-H group. Elec
tion of officers wll be held.
ow
: ,'t if H
M
The annual Old Timer’s
'game sponsored by the Perqui
mans County Athletic Boosters
4* scheduled for Saturday, May
11 at Perquimans County High
■School.- .
> This year's fundraiser will
’feature a double-header. At 5:30
n,m.. players from 1950s teams
Will face off with 1960s athletes.
'|he Old Timer's team from the
championship team boaat
Jim ’Catfish’ Hunter will
the field at 7:30 to play the
'1091 Pirates. For only
sports fans and alumni can mru
Jtyboth games.
There will also be a barbe
!cue chicken supper from 4-7
. _ supper
«ihm. Tickets are 84 each, and
may be purchased from any
Athletic Booster Club member
find at The PcrquimaD* WeekJfy
office. ? ‘/f.
, ,.r5
Photo by Susan Harris
Perquimans. County students were responsi
ble for this table filled with letters to legis
lators asking that public school funding not
be cut Pictured are (clockwise) Shellie Hur
dle, Christopher Peckham, Phillip Jenkins,
schools advisory councilwoman Shirley
Yates, Keshia Mallory, Renee Godfrey, Jen
nifer Terra nova, Brian Parks, Susan Owens,
Matt Hurdle, Kay Long, Tanya Everett, Che
mise Overton, Criag Lewis, Lora Miles and
Christina Renoud. Over 2000 letter were
mailed to state politicians on Friday.
Students unleash power of pen
Perquimans County stu
dents. school personnel, parents
and other concerned citizens
unleashed the power of the pen
Friday when they mailed over
2000 letters to state legislators
in support of public school
funding. a.
Faculty and student rep
resentatlves from each school
gathered at the schools adminis
tration building, heaping letters
from their schools on the board
table.
“I cannot believe what I’m
seeing, these letters,” schools
superintendent Dr. Randall He
nion remarked in amazement af
ter the students literally covered
the table with boxes and bags
filled with pleas not to cut edu
cation spending.
Henion told the group that
he felt students could have great
Impact on legislators. “Our
greatest resources are our stu
dents and you’re what we’re all
about,” he said.
Preliminary information re
ceived regarding state budget
negotiations Indicates that legis
lators are considering cutting
funds to public schools by $155
per student statewide. Perqui
mans County, Henion said,
could face serious cutbacks if
the budget passes unamended.
“It is critical." he stated. “We
stand to have tremendous re
ductions. I realty have a concern
as the superintendent of the
school district”
Those reductions would
come in materials, personnel,
instructional support, teacher
training and other critical needs
areas.
Perquimans Middle School
student Chemise Overton said
she asked legislators to consider
that as a poor county. Perqui
mans already lags behind in ed
ucation funds and that cuts
would put the system even fur
ther behind.
Fellow middle school atten
dee Craig Lewis told legislators
that roads to the future are
paved in the classroom, not
from city to city.
High school students in Kay
Whitley’s English classes used
the letter-writing campaign as a
learning tool. Students did re
search to support their com
ments and practiced writing
persuasively. In addition, the
pupils learned more about dem
ocratic government Each stu
dent was required to write 11
letters, and was asked to get
family members to write also.
Jennifer Terranova. one of
Whitley's students, said she told
legislators that it was unfair to
cut education funding because
students are the state’s future.
Taking away state funds, she
reasoned, would ruin the future
of the students and the state.
Hertford Grammar School
students are the youngest in the
county, but their message was
effective. Second graders
Christopher Peckham and Shel
lie Hurdle combined their tal
ents to come up with an
emblem which was drawn on all
envelopes in Hollis Williams'
class. Williams said her stu
dents were concerned about los
ing their art teacher this year,
and having no music or physical
education rooms.
Shirley Yates, Winfall coun
cilwoman and senior citizens
representative on the schools
advisory council, headed up let
ter-writing by county senior citi
zens. Yates said that many were
retired teachers with an average
of 35 years spent in the class
room.
"I would tell the legislators
to invest in you," Henion said. “I
see the students K-12 as our
greatest hope. I’m really proud
of the achievements I see on the
part of the students.
"I sincerely thank each and
every student here for what you
did." Henion said in closing.
“Whatever happens, you can be
proud that you have done this.”
School board wrestles with budget cuts
PIS?
The state budget crisis and
Impact on the school system
local board of education
tibers concerned about fund
for the Perquimans County
ools next school year.
1 Schools Su
perintendent Dr.
Randall Henion
told board mem
bers Monday
night that if the
state follows
through with a
to cut
funding to local
school districts
Henion
oy 9100 per stuaeni, mis
county will be hit hard.
Y According to Henlon. the
cuts would come in all areas of
the budget He broke down the
losses as follows: assistant su
perintendent - 30 percent; su
pervisor position - 25 percent:
drivers education - 20 percent:
textbooks - 17 percent: remedia
tion and staff development • 10
percent: non- certified person
nel. non-teaching positions (as
sistant principals, librarians,
etc.) and drop out prevention/at
risk student programs - 6 per
cent; and transportation - 5 per
cent. The county would also lose
three or four teaching positions,
all energy assistance and two
weeks of summer school funds.
The cuts would approach:
$300,000. Henlon aakL
£- * , ' . >;•
That kind of financial hit
would impact on our children in
the classroom." Henlon said.
The students don't have the en
vironment that I fed they should
have now.” he added.
Henion also expressed a
concern that the situation could
worsen. There’e even talk of
tills cut being doubled.” he com
mented.
The board members were
told that less than 1 percent of
the school budget goes to ad
ministrators.
The perception is that we
are top heavy with our budget
on administration.” Henion said,
but that is not the case.
Those who support educa
tion must step forvraid. Henion
said, to fight for school funding.
He said that both he and board
chairman Clifford Winslow had
met with groups of superinten
dents and school board mem
bers to discuss actions to
encourage state legislators to re
consider proposals to cut fund
ing.
Winslow said dial some of
the legislators reported that they
weren’t receiving negative com
ments from their constituents. *
■Some of the legislators are only
hearing what they want to hear.*
■ Window said, relating a com
ment he had heard at one of the
purtingi
Window said dial in the
past, the state had confined
most of Its budget cuts to facili
ties. but that the proposed cuts
would cripple programming.
“Public education is very im
portant.” Winslow said. He
added that the public must
“stand up for it and raHy—It’s
imparting on the local level and
were going to fed It."
Henion told the board that
over 2000 letters were sent from
students, parents and teachers
last Friday to state legislators,
requesting that school funding
not be cut
“Our students came
through." he said.
Henion said that he was not
pleased with having to devote so
much attention to funding. He
said that the time and energy
education officials are being
forced to spend to lobby for
funding could better be used to
work on school Improvement
plana and other projects which
would strengthen education.
Legislators are still haggling
over the budget. In addition to
the $155 per student cut there
have been proposals to slash the
budget even further, add a 1
percent state sales tax and add
a 1/2 cent state sales tax.
The state is feeing an estl*
mated $1 baton shartmIL
Law officers respond to
non-performance charges
iwo law entorcement offlcers
responded this week to derelec
tion of duty allegations made by
a local businessman in a county
commissioners' meeting last
Monday night.
Joe Meads, owner of Joe’s
Place and Miller and Meads Mo
bile Home Park, told the com
missioners, "We have got a drug
project going on in this county
and something needs to be done
about it. The law enforcement
we’ve got is not doing their
duty.”
Meads maintained that the
drug traffic could be better con
trolled tty law enforcement offi
cials, and told the
commissioners that he intended
to take matters “over his (sheriff
Joe Lothian's) head.”
According to Meads, he has
not received satisfactory law en
forcement response from either
the sheriffs department or Hert
ford Police Department.
Hertford Police Chief Aubrey
Sample said that his department
has received numerous calls
from Meads and his wife, Irene,
concerning drug traffic in the
mobile home park. Sample said
that officers nave responded to
each call received, sometimes re
sponding to several calls in one
day.
“The dispatch log speaks for
itself,” Sample responded when
asked if he was certain officers
responded to every call.
There have also been times.
Sample said, when officers from
his department have had the
mobile nome park under surveil
lance when calls were received
by the dispatch office. Officers
at the scene reported vehicular
traffic, but no conclusive evi
dence of drug deals. Sample
said he was on duty when one
such call was received.
Sample said that while Mr.
and Mrs. Meads call in reports
of drug traffic, “So far the only
information they’ve given us is
speculative. We have to have
probable cause to stop and
search a vehicle, or either con
sent to search.”
Sample said there are also
stringent probable cause
guidelines which must be met to
obtain search warrants for resi
dences.
In order to make an arrest
and take a case to court. Sam
ple said, law enforcement offi
cers must have conclusive
evidence. Witnesses must be
able to positively identify the
drug bought or sold, as well as
the persons buying and selling.
Seeing people pass packages
which appear to be drugs is not
sufficient to press charges, he
said. Crucial to any case. Sam
ple said, is having someone will
ing to go to court to testify.
Meetings have taken place
between Mr. and Mrs. Meads,
law enforcement officials and
Hertford Mayor W.D. “Bill” Cox,
Sample said, in an effort to cur
tail the drug traffic in the mobile
home park owned by Meads.
Sample said a plan to use one
of several vacant residences in
the mobile home park for sur
veillance with video cameras was
outlined to the Meads. The video
cameras and additional informa
tion that could be gathered
Sheriff Joe Lothian
Chief Aubrey Sample
while working undercover could
have helped to secure search
warrants for the homes of sus
pected drug dealers Sample
said. Sample told The Perqui
mans Weekly that Mr. and Mrs.
Meads were unwilling to cooper
ate in that manner.
“We offered to do something
there and he denied us permis
sion to do it and wouldn’t coop
erate,” Sample said.
Lothian confirmed that offi
cers have sat down and dis
cussed the situation with Mr.
and Mrs. Meads. He said that
one of the major drug dealers
previously residing in the mobile
home park was in arrears on lot
rent. The Meads were asked by
the law enforcement officers to
evict the tenant, Lothian said,
but no legal documents were
ever received by his department
to remove the renter from the
premises.
Sample corroborated Lothi
an's story. He said that he un
derstood the Meads went to the
magistrate to begin eviction pro
ceedlngs, but that papers were
never presented to law enforce
ment officials for service.
When asked to comment on
Meads’ statement to county
commissioners that local law en
forcement is not doing its job to
fight the drug traffic. Sample re
sponded. “That’s his perception.
We’re doing what the law allows
us to do."
Meads also charged that law
enforcement officers stake out
his night club watching for
drunk drivers. Sample said that
his officers are generally looking
for drug traffic information, not
“picking on” Meads’ patrons.
That does not mean. Sample
added, that officers will not stop
drivers they suspect of driving
while under the influence of al
cohol. “If our officers observed a
DWI wherever it would be they
would be stopped,” Sample
stated.
Wolfman is howling success
Wolfman Jack’s appearance
at the Perquimans County Li
brary last Wednesday night was
a “howling" success, according
to organizers.
Wolfman was one of thou
sands of celebrities across the
country who volunteered their
time to read at public libraries
to promote literacy. The
Wednesday night effort was
tagged Night of a Thousand
Stars.
The famous disc jockey read
The True Story of the Three
Little Pigs and Where the Wild
Things Are. The crowd gathered
was entranced by the expression
in the Wolfman’s voice.
In his opening remarks.
Wolfman said. “The oest part of
being with you tonight Is being
with you tonight” in his dipped
Brooklyn accent.
After reading, Wolfinan en
couraged the children to whom
he read to use the library. The
library presented him with his
own library card in the name
The Wolfinan.
Librarian Shelley Feam said
she was very pleased to have
Wolfinan Jack appear at . the li
brary. She said. “He was won
derful.”
The children were given
bookmarks after the program,
which many stood in line to
have autographed by Wolfinan
Jack.
Feam estimated that 70 peo
ple came out to hear the wolf
man and celebrate National
Library Week.