PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 61, No.24
Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, June 11,1992
35 Cents
Pirates, Tigers recognize
outstanding athletes at yearly
award banquets: Pages e and 7
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Banning of Christian
flag raises freedom issues
fWmS
Ramblin’ with Susan: i
• * ' ; ;
? • ■>*• •. tyttit'
The week
at a
glance
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8 M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 8
7 8 9 10 11 12 13
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29 30
By TRACY E. GERLACH
Py? DaBy Advanoe
County rebels
Perquimans County is with
holding payment of more than
• $200,000 owed to the State of
North Carolina because officials
here believe the county should
hbt be responsible for the bills.
One of the bills involves
$193,000 worth of work per
formed by the state Department
6f Transportation four vears ago
to move county water lines dur
ing improvement work to U.S.
Highway 17. The county is also
being asked to pay $32,000 to
the state Department of Correc
tions for psychiatric care given
tp prisoners moved to .the state
‘ system. . .
Budget woes
-•' A group of frustrated Perqui
mans County taxpayers ap
i proached the board of
, commissioners last week to ask
3them to reconsider the proposed
tax rate. Despite a revaluation
process, which was hoped to re
duce the tax rate by 50 percent,
•Ihe rate is expected to decrease
•only 5 cents, from 77 cents per
$100 of value to 72 cents per
$100. Residents aired concerns
;about high taxes, tax breaks to
-farmers and areas in the county
.budget that should be reeva
luated.
I I County officials, however.
. .Me blaming an almost $500,000
increase in the 1992-93 budget
on state and federal officials.
Outside of state mandated pro
grams. there were few increases
in the county budget according
to County Manager N. Paul Gre
gory's annual budget address.
Don Juan workers
get second chance
United Peace Dye Works
Inc., is currently involved in an
. bn-the-job training program
through the Job Training Part
nership Act. which could put as
many as 10 former Don Juan
Manufacturing employees back
to work. More' than 155 empiqy
■ * ees were left without Jobs as a
result of mass layoffs at Don
% Juan last April.;/
Future plans beginning
' to gel
Long and short term goals
were established last Thursday
V in the final session of an almost
60-member planning committee
set up to study the future of
" Perquimans County. A total of
23 goals were set and each was
given a time frame in which to
be completed.
C And despite skepticism over
whether a merger- between the
towns of Winfall and Hertford
-i would ever gain public support,
members of the planning com
mittee set plans into motion to
order a feasability study of the
proposed unification.
School support down
Wpll appears clean
#«-• Preliminary tests of sc® sur
rounding two fuel tanks pear
the Perquimans County bus ga
rage appear clean. Superinten
dent of Schools Randall L,
Henion told the school board.
Perquimans County dropped
{frits state ranking for financial
support to local schools. The
£0Unty was ranked 8th out of
-IDO counties last year in its
overall effort to support schools.
This year, the county ranked
34th. ~
Despite the dip. Superin-,
tendent of Schools Randall L.
Henion said the county is doing
afl it can to support local
{Schools. He blamed the drop on
(('declining county tax base. ;
Thatch sentenced to 25 years Monday
Pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter, drug charges
By TRACY E. GERLACH
The Dally Advance
William Loyd “Hawk" Thatch,
charged in connection with the
1991 murder of a Hertford man,
was sentenced to 25 years in
state prison Monday after
pleading guilty to voluntary
manslaughter and two separate
drug charges.
Thatch was arrested last
July 18 for the murder of Jo
seph Richard Rogerson Jr. and
three other times in the last
year on drug charges.
Dressed in a white shirt and
slacks, the 43-year-old resident
of Meads Trailer Park, stood
calmly next to his attorney Mi
chael Johnson as he received
his sentence. No witnesses were
"I would fool a lot hotter if he would actually servo
25 years, but I know that he won’t"
Aubrey Sample Jr.
Hertford Police Chief
heard or evidence presented in
the case.
Superior Court Judge Napo
lean Barefoot sentenced Thatch
to 15 years for one count of
drug trafficking and 10 years for
sale of cocaine. The two sen
tences will run consecutively.
A 20-year sentence for vol
untary manslaughter will be
served concurrently with the
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other two terms.
Monday’s plea bargain re
solves all charges against
Thatch, Johnson said. Later this
week, he will be transported
from Albemarle District jail to a
state prison facility.
Monday's sentencing also
ends a year of waiting for Roger
son’s family.
Roberson’s mother LaClaire
Anderson said she was glad to
fW
see the case come to a close.
“I’m Just pleased that It's
over," she said. “Our family’s
been through so much, to have
it behind us is great.”
Thatch was arrested Dec. 3,
1991 and charged with traffick
ing cocaine when Elizabeth City
police found 28 grams of co
caine in, the jeep in which he
was a passenger. He was also
one of seven men arrested on
drug charges by the Hertford Po
lice Department in September of
1991.
Hertford Police Chief Aubrey
F. Sample said Monday he was
satisfied with the sentence.
“1 would feel a lot better if
he would actually serve 25
years, but I know that he
won’t,” Sample said.
Hobbs, ' -
:i.; A,v .V*r
'52 academically
$$$ Matthew Wallace Hobbs
; and Susan Jennifer Lavezzo
; lead the list of honor stu
'dents who will graduate from
Perquimans High School Fri- •
evening.
0"
■ academic average In his class
Hobbs earned the highest
, and was named valedictorian,
g Lavezzo. whose average was 5
second highest, will serve as
($ salutatorian. *5
The two students have at
tended Perquimans County
schools during most of their
jpcademic careers, and said
sthey are glad they had the^
to be educated in
opportunity to be edu<
gasman school system.
v “1 like the school." Hobbs
,^Sald. “1 wouldn’t want to go to
big school."
H: t Lavezzo. who (attended
• school In the Washington.
• D.C. area for one year, echoed
Hobbs' sentiments. She cited
knowing most of the student
f body and individualized fn
Estruction as two of the hall
-marks of a small system.
Tire pair agreed that they
tve been well-prepared by the
Ijaculty at the high school.
"We've got plenty of good
'teachers.” Hobbs said. "They've
...challenged me as much as I
Wanted to be (challenged)."
H “Certainly at Perquimans
It’s a good education," Lavezzo
Ided. “The classes here, have
challenging.”
Lavezzo said the teaching
gPt&fr is professional and ded
gicated,' ■ ■ , ■
I *T think they (teachers)
/work really hard,” she said.
'They have a tough
’ ...They’re really dedicated to
^ their jobs.'
Lavezzo said that the diver
gsified courses, including those
ded under the Tech Prep
rogram, help students to
Intake career choices. She said
found the offerings at Per
f&uimans of good quality, .and
^diversify, .' . . /
Print
Matthew W.:HpbB$p
University next year where he
will major In civil engineering.
He said he,chose that field be
cause he has a desire to see
how and why things work. He
added that engineering is logi
cal and he believes he is weu
suited to a field involving logi
cal order.
Lavezzo will head to Duke
University In August where she
will major in political science.
Her goal is to concentrate in
International relations.
: • ; In 10 years Hobbs sees,
himself as a practicing civil en
' gineer, and hopes to be able to
locate in North Carolina, or at
least in the South.
LavezzO hopes to be work
ing abroad for an American
business concern. . % _ .
While botlv see marriage
and a family in the future^
they said they choose to be es
tablished in their careers be
fore embarking on that path.
Both had sound advice to
give those students entering
nigh school next year.
"Don’t get behind,” Hobbs
said, "Don’t get upset if some
thing doesn’t go your way. Just
try and do your best.
- ■ -_—__
y^V--"What you do in high
school is what determines what
you’re going to do afterwards,”
he continued,; ; r : .
: And most important of aB.
Hobbs added. “Don’t feel infe
rior just because you’re from a
small school and a small area.
Come back if you can.“
“Have fun, but take grades
seriously," Lavezzo advises.
“Get off on the right foot Be
come Involved in athletics and
extra-curricular activities both
academically and socially." v,
Lavezzo would also tell ris-'
ing freshmen that Perquimans
has just as much to offer as
many other schools, has strong
test scores and offers good
courses and facilities.
> 'ioperquimans sends a lot of
kids on to larger schools.” she
|aaid::,'v
Hobbs is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Ben Hobbs. He has
played football, baseball and
golf at Perquimans. He has
also been a member of the
Beta Club, Spanish Club, Math
and Science Club and Quiz
Bowl team, His community ac
tivities include being a member
.of dal Bethel Volunteer Fire..
Department and Snug Harbor
Community Church choir.
Lavezzo is the daughter of ?
Mr. and Mrs. John Lavezzo.
At Perquimans, she has been
involved in Beta Club, Span
ish Club, Math and Science g
Club, Student Council, Quiz I
Bowl, Drama Club and as
statistician for the basketball
and football teams. Last sum
, mer she attended summer
school at Harvard University,
taking courses in political sd- ,
ence and economics. While ;?
dent, on the soccer and track
teams, nominated to the Na
;; tional Junior Honor Society
and National Honor Society. I
participated in Model U.N.
and was a member of the :
Music Club and jazz band.
Her community activities in- »
elude volunteer work and
membership in the Hertford
United Methodist Church
youth choir.
? v. {'<■ •>{
Other graduation candi
dates who earned incltsion on ;
the grand honor roll were Rus-.
ton Howell. Kaye Long, Barbie
White, Stephanie Stallings, M
Tanya Kuno, Lynette Williams.
Kim White. Wendy Hudson, I
Lisa Lane, Traci Harrell, Matt
Hurdle, Jason FVank, Darlene i
Walton, Tammy Harrell, Mallda
Brown, Tamika Robinson,.0
Stacy Whitley, Bridget .tWine^T
'and Stella Tfelmadge. Vt- ■
■ ,'k'v Serving as marshals will be ^
Ityan Willis-chief, Dena White, *
Karen Stone, Michael
Clinkscales. Angel Cartwright,
Alex Chobot, Christopher Ore- •
gory and Ebony Harris.
Graduation is set for
evening at 8 p.m. at the Per- \
quimans High School athletic
stadium. Guest speaker will be.'J
the Rev. Walter Leigh, 1
- Photo by Susan Harris
Marshals chosen
Eight students at the top of
the freshman, sophomore
and Junior classes will serve
as marshals for graduation
Friday evening. In order to
be selected as a marshal,
students must earn the top
grades on their grade level.
This year’s marshals are (left
to right) Alex Chobot, Mi
chael Clinkscales, Ryan Wil
lis-chief, Christopher
Gregory, Angel Cartwright,
Ebony Harris, Dana White
and Karen Stone.
William L. ‘Hawk’ Thatch
Board will
sponsor
summer meals
The Perquimans County
Board of Education will partici
pate in the Summer Food Serv
ice Program for Children. The
program is available to all chil
dren 18 years or younger. Hand
icapped children over 18 years
who participate in a school pro
gram are also eligible. All chil
dren will be served the same
meals without regard to race,
color, national origin, sex, age.
religion or handicap.
Lunches will be available
June 22-July 24, except Friday,
July 3. at the following sites:
Belvidere, home of Marian Frier
son- 12-12:45: Chapanoke. Por
ter’s Chapel-11:45-12:30; First
Baptist Church-11:45-12:30;
Holiday Island Park-1 1:30
12:15: Missing Mill Park-11:45
12:30: Snug Harbor Community
Church-11:45-12:30: Southern
Shores Park-12-12:45; Winfall,
Ellis Temple-11:45-12:30 and
Wynne Fork Courts-11:30-12:45.
Adults may purchase
lunches for $2. All meals are to
be eaten on site. Serving times
are subject to change.
Any person who believes he
or she has been discriminated
against in any USDA related ac
tivity should write to: Adminis
trator. Food and Nutrition
Service, 3101 Park Center Dr.,
Alexandria, Va. 22302.
For further information,
please contact LaClaire Ander
son at 426-5741.
D. Richard Tobin Jr.
Tobin promoted
D. Richard Tobin Jr. has
been promoted to senior vice
president at Centura Bank in
Hertford, where he serves as city
executive.
A Bailey native, Tobin joined
the bank in 1980. He received a
bachelor of technology degree in
Business Education from Appa
lachian State University. He is a
graduate of the NCBA Mid-Man
agement School of Banking at
the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
Tobin is business chairman
of the Perquimans County Amer
ican Heart Association, a direc
tor of the Albemarle Area
Development Association and
the Perquimans County Cham
ber of Commerce, and a member
of the, Hertford Rotary Club.
Tobin is married to the for
mer Amy Eason of Wilton.
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