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Sports:
Pirates in
Lady Tigers undefeated;
Rec. update: Page 6
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Feature:
Former Perquimans Weekly
editor writes individualized
romance novel: Page e
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School:
Ziemba petitions school
board for expansion of
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band program: Page 3
THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 62, No. 5
Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, February 4,1993
35 Cents
Poll shows
support for
tax group
on land use
Citizens who responded to
the Perquimans Weekly’s ques
tion about land use values ap
plied to farmland were
overwhelmingly against applying
the values.
Seventy percent of the 20
people who called in said they
are not in favor of land use. Of
the 14 people who oppose land
use values, three own qualifying
farmland in Perquimans County.
One caller said he owns farm
land in Chowan County.
Five of the six callers who
support the land use values own
farmland. The sixth caller said
he is for the values, and would
like to see them extended to
building lots bought that will not
pass state tests to have a septic
tank installed.
Not only did the callers who
Voiced opposition to the land use
values say they were unfair,
most applauded the efforts of the
Perquimans County Tax Commit
tee to fight the measure.
Several callers said it is not
title land use valuations they dis
like, but the across-the-board
break given to all farmland own
ers.
The general statute calling
for land use values was originally
intended to hold down the values
Of farmland bordering commer
cial and residential development
properties. Revaluation generally
pushed the values of that land to
unrealistic levels. In order to re
verse that trend, farm groups
lobbied the general assembly for
relief. The statutes have been
amended to Include all farmland,
using complicated profit ratios to
determine land values.
As applied in Perquimans
County in accordance with state
statues, landuse values brought
the tax value of farmland from
around $1100-1300 per acre to
$700 per acre. The reduction re
sulted in a loss of about $54 mil
lion in property values, and a
corresponding $388,000 loss in
tax revenues.
The Tax Committee does not
argue with the original intent of
the statutes. Committee mem
bers said last week they under
stand that farmland values were
once too high on some properties
whose value was driven by devel
opment. But they don’t think all
farmers should be allowed to
take advantage of a tax break,
which places more tax burden on
non-farmland property owners.
In an information packet sent
to the tax committee. County
Manager N. Paul Gregory said
that in order not to use the va
lues recommended by the North
Carolina Use-Value Advisory
Board, the county must make an
extensive study to prove the use
of other “use-values.” The re
cently-completed property valu
ation cost Perquimans taxpayers
$130,128. Gregory said the
county cannot afford to have an
other revaluation, and therefore,
must continue to utilize the pre
sent land use values at least un
til the next revaluation process.
At a meeting on Jan. 24 re
• quested by the Tax Committee,
legislators and state ad valorem
tax representatives said the
county commissioners have
property applied state statutes.
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Citizens fight high-tech landfill
At last...a. win!
The Perquimans High School Lady Pirates celebrated their
first victory of the season, a 42-31 romp over visiting Wel
don, Friday night on theirhdme court The win came on the
heels of some close games for the team. For game high
lights, please see page 8. (Photo by Susan Harris)
Yates takes
wife’s seat on
town council
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor _
A familiar name will appear
once again in Winfall Town
Council minutes.
FTed Yates was appointed by
the council last month to serve
the unexpired term of his wife,.
Shirley. Mrs. Yates resigned from
the post to run for a Perquimans
County commissioner's seat. She
won her bid, and was sworn in
this past December. Now Mr.
Yates will get his first taste of
politics as a member of an
elected government board.
Mr. Yates said he brings di
versity and leadership ability
within the community to the
board. His priorities are finding
ways to fund infrastructure
needs,. providing recreation for
youth and promoting cooperation
between the governments of the
county and its two munidpali
. ties. ' • '
WlnfalTa Infrastructure prob
lems include an outdated water
system and no sewer system,
with state and federal funds for
these types of projects drying up.
Mr. Yates said small towns like
Winfall are facing fiscal crisis.
"Taxes is not going to do it
alone,” he said.
Mr. Yates said Wlnfall’s best
chance at providing sewer serv
ices would be to reach an
agreement with the town of Hert
ford to tie into its system.
The new councilman would
like to see officials from Hertford,
Winfall and Perquimans County
sit down together to tackle prob
lems facing the community. Pool
ing resources and ideas and
establishing better communica
tion could help all three govern
ments, Mr. Yates said.
A retired Marine, MR. Yates
moved to his wife's hometown in
1972. He has become immersed
in the community for 21 years.
He is president of the Perqui
mans County Chapter of the
NAACP, chairman of the Perqui
mans County Recreation Advi
sory Board, a trustee at Melton
Grove Baptist Church and a
member of Meridian Lodge No.
18, the Winfall VFW, the Ameri
can Legion, the J.W. Hood Con
sistory, the Viet Nam Veterans of
America and Shriners,
With flying colors...
iras!
A group of Perquimans Middle School stu
dents submitted artwork to an aviation art
contest recently. Shown with their colorful
entries are (back to front, left to right) Dan
Overman, Tiffany Baker, Brad Winslow, Mel
vin Privott, Phillip Jenkins, Kisha White,
Ta’Aisha Wilson, Amanda Christensen, Kre
gan Winslow, Nicole Hollowell, Bobby Fen
nell, Matt Leicester, Isaac Tumor, Nilian
Chobot, Ryan Memolo, Nicola Jackson, Nick
Kahl, Justin Beamon, Tommy Stoldey and
Cara Coates. (Photo by Susan Harris)
D.A.R.E. program may be back
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Edttor_•
Sheriff Joe Lothian may have
foimd a way to hire an extra dep
uty and bring back an expanded
D.A.R.E. program to the Perqui
mans County Schools, without
adding another tax burden to the
county.
Lothian told county commis
sioners Monday afternoon that
he has applied for a state grant
that would cover the salary of a
full-time D.A.R.E. officer and
materials for the program. If the
grant comes through, the drug
abuse resistance program would
be Implemented in kindergarten
through grade six. \
"I'm really excited about
this," Lothian said, “There’s a
real good chance we’re going to -
• get this," * S ■- •
When asked by commission-1
era about the effectiveness of the
DARE, program. Lothian said it
is difficult to provide statistical
deputy Ralph Robinson, formerly
the countys DARE, officer, be
lieve from their observations that
the program is working. He said
former students always speak to
Robinson when they see him.
and feel free to talk to him.
»- Lothian asked for support for
the program and the grant appli
cation from the commissioners.
“I'm really for this thing,"
said councilwoman Shirley
Yates. Tve been in favor of the
DARE, program all along."
Yates said she has worked
with youth who have been in
volved with the program, and she
believes the program can be ef
fective in reaching youth and de
terring drug use. |
If the grant is approved. Lo
thian will request another deputy
In his next fiscal budget. With
the state providing funds for a
full-time officer, Lothian said he
feels he can add a sixth deputy.
Commissioner Charles Skin
ner said if adding a deputy will
Increase the visibility and patrol
opportunities for the depart
ment. he is in favor of adding a
deputy. Lothian replied that ne
believes visibility is a deterrent
to crime, when asked fay Skin
ner. ,
County Manager N. Paul
Gregory Jr. said the grant appli
cation has his full support.
Lothian also thanked the
commissioners for expanding
his office space.
The Sheriffs Depai Lment
has been enlarged to include
the three offices formerly used
by the Building Inspection De
partment •:
Other
solutions
sought
By SUSAN R. HARRIS and
JULIAN EURE
Reporters
Perquimans County residents
have banded together to fight
playing host to a high-tech land
fill which would be used by eight
counties.
Solid waste management
mandates and filling landfills in
the surrounding area sparked a
moveies. including Perquimans,
to form the Albemarle Regional
Landfill Authority. The authority
is looking for the least expensive,
most convenient way to dispose
of garbage from the eight coun
ties.
One option the authority is
considering is placing a high-tech
landfill adjacent to the present
Tri-county landfill in the Belvi
dere township. Tri-county is op
erated by Perquimans, Gates and
Chowan counties.
And residents say one landfill
is enough.
"We’re already becoming
known as a trash dump,” said
Doug Layden last Wednesday
evening at meeting organized by
those fighting the landfill. “We
don’t want to be known five
years down the road as a ’high
tech landfillville.' ”
While fighting the landfill is
undoubtedly an emotional issue,
the 14-member citizens commit
tee plans to fight with facts, not
feelings. Lu Ann Riddick, another
member of the citizens group,
said the game plan is to investi
gate the waste disposal options
currently before the authority,
discuss alternatives, then pre
sent a plan to the county com
missioners.
“We want to know (as much
as the authority does) so we can
ask the questions we need to ask
to get all the answers," Riddick
said.
Judging from the turn-out at
the citizens’ meeting Wednesday.
Layden and Riddick are not alone
in their concern. About 100 peo
ple filled the courtroom looking
for answers and options to host
ing the landfill.
Another option the authority
is considering is selling garbage
to Addington Environmental Inc.,
an Ashland, Ky. firm proposing
to build a privately-owned landfill
in Bertie County. Addington has
invited the authority to join the
three counties already committed
to using its services (Bertie,
Washington and Hertford).
Jerry Parks, the authority’s
executive director, and Chowan
County commissioner Wayne
Goodwin are supposed to tour
Addington’s waste facilities soon.
“We promised the people of
Perquimans County that we
would investigate all options be
fore we decide to do anything,”
Parks said.
Parks said one of the main
questions that must be answered
before deciding to sell to Add
ington is: Will it be cheaper than
building a landfill?
Perquimans County commis
sioner Charles Skinner ap
plauded the efforts of the group,
and patted Laydei) and Riddick
on the back for spearheading the
citizens group.
“Before you start shooting
anybody down, get your facts
and figures together,” Skinner
said. “I'm learning a great deal
just listening here. This is the
way to get things done.”
Commissioners chairman Leo !.
Higgins said the group did a good ^
job bringing people together and
searching for alternatives." "I
thought it was well-presented,”
Higgins said of the information
dispensed at the meeting. “It was
well done and I think we should .
recognize that it was well done.” ||
Results of the Perquimans
Weekly call-in survey appear on
pages- ,