THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 62, No. 4
Hertford, Perquimans County. N.C., Thursday, Janury 28,1993
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Are opinion poll answers
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School:
High school receives $30,000
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program: page e
Murder
Hertford man
found dead
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
The body of a Perquimans
County man was found tty law
enforcement officers early Mon
day morning.
Noah Jones, 39, of Route 5,
Hertford, was discovered tty Per
quimans County Sheriff Joe Lo
thian, deputy Nicky Biselll and
Hertford Police officer Tim Bunch
in Jones’ home on Harvey Point
Road.
Lothian said his department
received information around 1:30
a.m. Monday that there might
have been an altercation involv
ing a firearm at the Jones resi
dence sometime Sunday evening.
The three officers responded, and
found the residence locked. Fam
ily members were contacted and
the officers were able to gain en
try into the house.
Jones was found in a chair in
the living room. It appeared that
he had been shot in the head
with a small calibur handgun,
Lothian said. No autopsy report
had been received at press time
to confirm the cause of death.
The State Bureau of Investi
gation was called in, and law en
forcement officials spent about
four hours combing the crime
scene.
Late Monday afternoon, Pat
ricia Ann Spade Hill, 21, also of
Route 5, Halford, turned herself
in to law enforcement officials.
She was arrested and charged
with Jones' murder. She is cur
rently being held at Albemarle
District Jail.
Lothian said the investigation
Is continuing.
Training for real
Perquimans County law enforcement officers certi
fied to carry Cap-Stun weapons last week. The re
pellant spray is made from a cayane pepper base. In
order to become certified, the officers found out
what it felt like to be sprayed with the mixture,
which causes burning, coughing and sneezing for
up to two hours. Immediately after getting sprayed
in the face, Hertford Police officer Tim Bunch (sec
ond from right) was led to the water hose by Eden
ton Police officer Ronnie Stallings to wait behind
parole officer Linda Terry for some cooling relief.
Hertford Police Chief Aubrey Sample (left) manned
the water hose before taking his turn to get sprayed.
(Photo by Susan Harris)
Harrell honored by Chamber
Outgoing president is Businessperson of Year
Deaths, DWI
arrests down
For the seventh consecutive
year, the number of people who
died in North Carolina roads of
all kinds has declined - despite a
concurrent increase in the num
ber of vehicles out on the road.
Tough enforcement, more
people wearing seat belts and
fewer people driving drunk are
three factors saving lives on
North Carolina highways,
according to the N.C. State High
way Patrol.
Highway deaths investigated
by the Patrol are down almost
five percent from 1991. Statewide
since 1986, deaths have dropped
off sharply - by 24 percent,
according to the Department of
Motor Vehicles, which cites a
1992 death toll of 1,248 people
as of Jan. 20. That total includes
people injured in a 1992 crash
who died subsequently in the
first weeks of 1993.
The decline In highway
deaths is especially encouraging
when compared to an increase of
more than 130,000 registered ve
hicles in North Carolina over
1991.
TVoopers investigated 876 of
1992‘s ratal accidents claiming
the lives of 992 people - 49 fewer
deaths than in 1991.
Sadly, alcohol remains a ma
jor kJler out on the highway,
said Colonel S.U Jennings, High
wav Patrol commander. »
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Edttor
Monday evenings 30th annual Perquimans
County Chamber of Commerce banquet is one
Tommy Harrell will not likely forget.
Hie outgoing Chamber president received
the Charles M. Harrell Jr. Businessperson of the
Year award, and shortly thereafter turned the
presidential gavel over to his wife, Sherry, who
will lead the Chamber during the coming year.
Tm going to do something probably no one
else has ever done,” Harrell said as he turned
over the reins of the organization to Mrs. Harrell.
In his last comments as Chamber president
Harrell looked back over the year highlighted by
the annual Indian Summer Festival.
“I realty enjoyed it this year,” he said. “Mary
(Harrell) and myself have really had a lot of fun.
“I’ve done what these two Harrell women
have told me tp all year,” Harrell quipped.
Harrell reported that 412 tourists registered
in the Chamber office during 1992. Over 500
calls requesting information such as local busi
ness opportunltitles and tourist attractions were
fielded by office staff during the year.
"We get a lot of traffic in through the office,”
Harrell said.
The Bear Swamp farmer and co-owner of
Bear’s Pick Vegetable Farm said businesses have
struggled in the county over the past few years,
but he has hope for the future of the county eco
nomically through the Chamber's efforts.
“We’re struggling along and we’re going
places,” he said.
Harrell registered a look of surprise when he
realized it was his accomplishments Chamber
executive director Mary Harrell was outlining
while leading up to the announcement of the
Charles M. Harrell Businessperson of the Year
Award.
This realty means a lot to me.” Harrell said
upon accepting the plaque and receiving a
standing ovation from those who gathered at the
Commission Budding for the banquet
A Perquimans County native. Harrell received
a bachelor’s degree in horticultural science from
N.C. State University. He was named the coun
ty’s Outstanding Young Farmer in 1978, and was
a finalist in the state competition in 1979. He re
ceived the N.C. Vegetable Grower’s Association
Service Award in 1992. He has served in many
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' V P.O. Box 277 k
Hertford, N.C. 27944 C
Outgoing Chamber president Tommy Harrell turns over the re
ins of the organization to his wife, Sherry, who will serve as
president during 1993. Monday was a big night for the Bear
Swamp farmer, who was named the Charles M. Harrell Jr. Busi
nessperson of the Year during the 30th annual Chamber ban
quet (Photo by Susan Harris)
capacities on tarm-reiatea committees locally ana statewiae,
and Is past president and zone chairman of the Lions Club.
Mrs. Harrell emphasized teamwork in her remarks to
Chamber members.
“We all know that ary Job that’s done is a lot easier,
when you have teamwork/ Mrs. Harrell said. "We need to
make Perquimans County better for all of us. Let’s all try to
make 1993 an outstanding year.” ’’
Membership chairman W.D. "BUT Cox announced that'
the Chamber has 113 members, many of them new mem
bers.' ' . Zr
Td like to teU you I*m satisfied with that” Cox said.
*Tmnot" ■
V ^Coa^ presented Sherry Harrell with a turtle ptn for
winging m tne most new memoers to me group.
Also recognized during the evening was Centura Bank,
sponsor of the new Walking lhur sign at the intersection of
U.S. 17 By-pass and Church Street ,
In addition to Mrs. Harrell. 1993 board members In
clude vice president Elliott G. “Pete" Overman, treasurer
Marie Ayscue, and directors Cox, Julian E. Winslow Jr.,
Dan Nixon. Sharon Lane, Betty Waters, Homeria Jennette,
Charles H. Ward and Joseph France. Ex-Officio members
are Hertford Mayor John Beers. Wlnfall Mayor C.W. Bart
lett Leo Higgins and Harrell. Information about Chamber
membership and activities can be obtained at the Chamber
office located in the Hertford Town Hall Annex. .
Tax group
fights land
use values
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
State officials met Saturday with county resi
dents concerned about the property tax break
farmland owners are getting.
Senator Marc Basnight, Representatives Ver
non James and R.M. “Pete” Thompson, Farm Bu
reau representatives Julian Philpott and Charles
Deal, and Bill Conley from the state ad valorem
tax division came at the request of the Perqui
mans County Tax Committee and the Perquimans
County Commissioners to discuss the land use
values applied to farmland. About 75 county resi
dents, most of them farmers, attended the session
held at the Albemarle Commission building.
At issue is a state statute which requires that
counties adopt a uniform schedule of values,
standards and rules to be used in appraising real
property at its true value and at its present-use
value. State statutes also require that counties re
valuate real property at its market value every
eight years.
Following the statute, the Perquimans County
Commissioners last year voted to adopt farmland
values to be used under the land-use application
in conjunction with the county’s eight- year reval
uation process.
The state provides a table of land use values
for farmland based on soil type and productivity
of the land. County Commissioners Chairman Leo
Higgins said most of the soil in Perquimans
County is Class n soil. Using that Class and the
state’s $735 per acre value, the county adopted a
rate of $700 per acre for its farmland use value.
The land use value must be requested by the
landowner.
The land use application knocked $54 million
in property values off the tax books, representing
about $388,000 in lost tax revenues. Members of
the Thx Committee, Jesse P. Perry, Charles Ward,
Eldon Winslow, William Sawyer and Roy L. Reed,
contend that homeowners are having to make up
for the lost revenue.
“Basically, we don’t really think that farmland
and formers should really get a break like that as
a tax break and other people not get it,” Perry
said Monday.
Sawyer said that the average property tax in
crease in 1992 for county homeowners was 42
percent, a big jump for a small community. While
he attributed part of that increase to higher va
lues of property resulting from the revaluation, he
said part or it came as a result of lost revenues on
farmland. Sawyer added that the county budget
increased only 11.4 percent in 1992.
The Tax Committee said that land use values
were originally intended to help farmland owners
whose farms bordered towns or commercial prop
erty, resulting in appraisals higher than the ac
tual value of the farmland. But amendments to
the state statutes have been expanded to include
almost all farmland. Sawyer said, and he does not
think that is fair.
“We as a group support land use as it was
originally designed,” Sawyer said.
Properties in the county were revaluated using
the latest sales prices in each neighborhood. Sa
wyer said farmland should be valued using the
same method.
The committee members said they appreciated
the state officials traveling to Hertford to discuss
the issue, but left the meeting feeling that nothing
would change. Perry said farm groups pay lobby
ists to push legislators to pass laws favorable to
formers. He said his committee has no lobbyists
to fight for homeowners.
What do you think about land use values?
Call The Perquimans Weekly at 426-5728 before
Monday at 5 p.m. and tell us. You do not have to
give your name. Results of readers call-ins will be
printed next week.
r
Newspaper will
explore regional
landfill issue
Perquimans County may be the home oT
a high-tech landfill to be used by several
northeastern North Carolina counties.
Discussion are heated here, especially in
the BeMdere township, home to « possible
site for the regional landfill.
The subject has been hotly debated at
public hearings and “coffee chibs” through
out the county.
Next week. The Perquimans Weekly will
» explore the issue - pro and con. Call us and J
let us know how you fed about this contro
versial subject. ■■.
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