THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 62, No. 2 _Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, January 14, 1993_ 35 Cento
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eature:
Library cat’s disappearance
has patrons, staff worrying;
Bookmarks: Pages .3
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Snorts:
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Pirates take Currituck;
Lady Pirates improve play;
Tigers go for wins: Pages e,7
Brian Center
employees
stop fire
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor _ ■■
Teamwork and training held
disaster at bay Friday night
when an LP gas burner caught
fire at Brian Center/Hertford. ; : v
Assistant Hertford fire chief
Sid Eley credited quick action fay
two Brian Center employees with
controlling a blaze in the boiler
room and preventing injuiy to
residents.
Lester Whitehurst, a certified
nursing assistant, and George
Robertson, an LPN, told fire offi
cials they smelled an unusual
odor in the back wing after 8
p.m. Friday. The two investigated
and found flames spouting from
a gas burner in the boiler room.
Both men began fighting fire
with C02 fire extinguishers.
Meanwhile, other Center em
ployees sprang Into action, call
ing the fire department and
evacuating the 11 residents on
the back wing.
“Everybody did exactly what
we’d been training them to do,”
said Brian Center administrator
.Joe France. "The staff did a
really good job.”
France said he thinks the fire
started when a water pipe burst
near one of six LP gas burners in
the boiler room. Flames evidently
burned out the froqt of the bur
ner.
He added that the center has
had problems with the burners,
used to heat water that flows to
the residents’ rooms. He said re
pairs had been made to the bur
ners, and all were working
properly when the maintenance
staff left Friday afternoon.
The fire caused no structural
damage to the building, France
said.
All county fire departments
were put on alert when the call
came into dispatch. Hertford and
Winfall firefighters responded to
the blaze. They arrived to find
the fire put out, and begem orga
nizing a clean-up effort. A one
half inch thick layer of chemicals
coated the boiler room floor.
Whitehurst and Robertson
were transported to Chowan
Hospital by the Perquimans
County Rescue Squad, where
they were treated for smoke and
chemical inhalation and re
leased.
France and Eley said the Are
safety training for employees of
.' rd Fire De
fered by the Hertford
partment paid off.
"They’ve been doing a real
good job with their fire safety
program out there (at Brian Cen
ter)." Eley said. “Our training
paid off. Brian Center did a su
per good job getting everybody
nroir
9m that nail.”
France said fire captain Par
ker Newbem, training officer for
the d
fire
ient, holm quarterly
Pety classes which include
proper use of fire extinguishers.
That
training. France said, ac
counted for the quick action by
employees.
While firefighters worked, the
Hertford Police Department set
up road blocks to keep people off
the Brian Center premises until
order could be restored. When
the dean-up was complete and
patients in the back wing re
settled. officers allowed family
and friends to check on resi
dents.
France said volunteers and
off-duty employees arrived to
help get the center back in order.
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U S. Rep. Eva Clayton stopped by Perquimans Mid
dle School Monday for a visit on her way from
Washington, D.C., to her home in Warrenton. One
class of sixth-grade social studies students got a
.i
i
short civics lesson as Clayton quizzed them about
the upcoming inauguration and government func
tions. (Staff photo by Susan Hanis)
Clayton visits school
Middle school students see history first-hand
By SUSAN R. tiARRIS
Editor|_
Two history-makers brought so
cial studies to life at Perquimans
Middle School Monday.
1st District Congresswoman Eva
Clayton and Perquimans County
Commissioner Shirley Yates briefly
visited two classes at the school.
Both officials are the first black
women to be elected to their respec
tive posts,
Clayton gave students a short
civics lesson, quizzing them on the
recent swearing-tn of Congress and
the upcoming presidential inaugura
tion. '
She told the students to remem
ber two important dates -Jan. 20 and
Feb. 1. On Jan. 20, president-elect
Bill Clinton will be inaugurated and
on Feb. 1, Clinton will send his bud
get and other proposals to Congress
for action. > \
The Congresswoman said that
while Clinton and Congress don’t
“Young people need to
find Congress as people
friendly.”
$ fa .
Congresswoman Eva Clayton
agree on everything, they should
work together to “get the country
moving forward.” She added that
both are committed to young people
and their needs.
Clayton said she began visiting
schools during her campaign. Pitt
County school officials requested an
audience with her while she was run
ning for Congress. When she first
considered the request, she said she
felt her time was better spent talking
to prospective voters. But later, she
became excited about Interacting
with the youth and accepted the invi
tation.
Now she’s hooked on spending
time with students, and said Perqui
mans County Schools are the first
she has visited since her election. j
Clayton said her reasons for re
lating to students are varied. They
are voters of the future, can have an
influence on their parents who are
already voters, need to know that
there are lawmakers who care about
them, and provide an opportunity for
Clayton to sharpen her public speak
ing skills.“Young people need to find
Congress as people-friendly,” she
said.
Clayton spent about 40 minutes
at the school. She was welcomed fay
Yates, local NAACP president Fired
Yates, middle school co-principal
Henry Felton, and other school and
community leaders.
The students might not remem
ber fay next week what they read in.
their social studies books Monday,
but chances are they’ll recall Clay
ton’s visit for a long time.
The King sells well in Hertford
Post office sells 5,000 Elvis stamps
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
1 T— , ■ l
Hertford Postmaster Dan Burch to steadily
stamped a stack of envelopes “Return to Sender” ,
last Friday at noon. \
This might have seemed like an ordinary Job
duty of a postal worker to some. .
But not to Elvis Presley fans. v"
The envelopes Burch marked in red bore Elvfs
Presley stamps, which went on sale Friday at
noon. “Return to Sender” was Just one of Presley’s
numerous musical hits - most about the wonders
of love or the heartbreak of lost love.
Callers, too. got in on the post office's Elvis
fun, as Burch answered the phone, “Graceland.
This is the king speaking.”
Several fans were waiting in line for their
stamps when the clock struck 12. There wasn’t a
stampede and no lines wrapped around the
building, but the post office sold about 5.000 Elvis
Stamps in five hours.
The stamp issue came after the post office r ,
launched a publicity campaign, and asked the
public to vote on which EMs would appear on the
stamps -the slim, slick-haired young man or the $
heavier, older Elvis. America chose young ems. *
The singer, whose gyrating pelvis caused rained
parental eyebrows in the ’60s, died in August 1977. But his
popularity was not buried with him. Elvis impersonators ,
h'i *
Hertford postmaster Dan Burch marked envelopes bearing &
vie stamps “Return to Sender” Friday to kick off the 0.8.
Postal Service's Elvis stamp promotion. About 5,000 stamps
were sold in Hertford between noon and 5 p.m. Friday. (Photo
by Susan Harris) ] v. v. . -Z
abound, and thousands of fans flock to his former home. /
Graceland, each year. EMs memorabilia is a multi-million
dollar business. "
I, A, -
Bomb threat
ends PCHS ball
game Monday
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor__
Fans at Monday night's Pirate basketball
game got double excitement for their entry fee.
Perquimans' Nick Stevenson nailed a buzzer
shot from just over mid-court to put the home
team up by two points at the half. About three
minutes later, Perquimans High School principal
William Byrum cleared the building due to a
bomb threat.
As fans poured into the chilly drizzle, sirens
and flashing lights arrived at the parking lot.
Nineteen Hertford firefighters and two police offi
cers secured the building and split up into teams
to conduct a search. No bomb was found.
The call to the county dispatch office was tra
ced back to the pay telephone just outside the
gym door, Hertford Police chief Aubrey Sample
said. It was made at 9:14 p.m.
Dispatch contacted Sample, who then had
fire chief Edgar Roberson notified. Roberson said
he decided to have his department respond to the
high school.
School officials meanwhile postponed the
game.
After the building search, the visiting Camden
players were allowed to enter the locker rooms to
retrieve belongings. Before the players got back
on their activity bus to go back to Camden, it was
also searched as a precautionary measure. Sam
ple said. Hertford police officer Tim Bunch es
corted the visitors out of town.
Perquimans players entered the gym to get
their clothing alter the Camden teams left the
building.
Police and fire personnel stayed on the scene
until about 10:30 p.m.
No suspects were questioned in connection
with the case, but both Sample and Roberson
said the (all was recorded and will be heard by
them. Sheriff Joe Lothian and school officials as
the investigation continues.
Drug task force
wakes up
alleged dealers
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Three suspected drug salesmen got a surprise
wake-up call last Thursday morning.
Members of the Northeast Regional Drug
Task Force and Hertford Police officers raided the
mobile home in which the trio was sleeping
around 6:30 a.m.
While many Perquimans residents were get
ting ready to go to work the officers searched the
home, confiscated approximately one-half ounce
of crack cocaine packaged for sale. Task Force
captain Joe Tade, estimated the street value of
the drugs at $2,500-3.000.
All three men in the mobile home at No. 3
Pine Ridge Trailer Park were arrested on felony
drug charges.
Arrested were Eric Vincent Holloman, 21, the
occupant of the mobile home; Ashley Riccardo
Shepherd, 25, of Westbury, N.Y.; and William Al
len Baxton, 24, of Roper.
Holloman was charged with possession with
intent to sell and deliver cocaine and maintaining
a dwelling for the purpose of using or selling co
caine. He faces a 10-year sentence for each
charge if found guilty.
Shepherd and Baxton were each charged with
possession with the intent to sell and deliver co
caine.
All three were placed in Albemarle District
Jail under $10,000 secured bonds.
The raid resulted from information received
by the Task Force earlier last week. Officers
quickly acted on the information, obtaining a
search warrant the evening of Jan. 6.
I Reed Oil earns
AADA award
Reed Oil Company received an Albemarle Area
Development Association Economic Development
Award.
Reed Oil Company has been operated in Per
quimans County by the Reed family for 55 years.
It has grown to serve seven Albemarle area coun
. ties with products ranging from agricultural fuels
? and lubricants to heating oil and LP gas.
Durwood Reed Jr. has been active in the com
pany for 41 years, while his sons. Bob and Gary
have been learning the ropes for about 20 years.
The Reeds are just as dedicated to the com
munity as they are to their business. Durwood
served 33 years as Perquimans County finance of
ficer. was a county commissioner and currently
serves cm the College of The Albemarle advisory
board. Gary and Bob serve the community
through such organizations as the Hertford Fire
Department and Perquimans Band Boosters. All
are members of Hertford United Methodist
Church.
In addition, the business supports worthy
causes such as Special Olympics, youth T-bafi
and the Albemarle 4-H livestock Show and Sale.