THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 62, No. 5
Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, February 11, 1993
35 Cents
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Lady Tigers make it
13 in a row: Page ii
■Jt'igtSf
; | Reviewing the legacy
of Arthur Ashe: Page 4
■ ■
Feature:
Reflections on romance
of Valentine’s Day: Pages e-7
Hertford
to update
electrical
system
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
The town of Hertford will be
gin its electrical system update
soon with a new trunk line run
ning from Hertford to Winfall.
.Town Manager W.D. “Bill”
Cox told council that a study
done several years ago estimated
the cost of the project at
$125,000. He told council Mon
day night that the total project
cost will be about $150,000 in
cluding engineering.
Cox said the town can fi
nance the project through a
bank or Electricities at a rate of
about 7-7.5 percent. Terms avail
able are three, five or seven
years.
Cox is finalizing figures for
the project, and said he will ap
ply for a grant to cover engi
neering costs.
The present line to Winfall
runs along the railroad bridge.
Plans for the new line call for it
to run under the river next to the
causeway, then to the old Major
and Loomis Mill office, Cox said.
The council will meet again
with the county commissioners
to try to iron out concerns over
the town paying the county for
dispatch and building inpsection -
services.
The town board met with
county officials several times last
year, asking that the county pay
all costs of operating the dis
patch and building inspection
departments. Town officials said
that because Hertford property
owners pay county taxes, the
county should provide those
services to Hertford residents at
no additional charge.
The county charges the town
for dispatching the Hertford Po
lice Department and for perform
ing building inspection services
related to town ordinances.
The town’s portion of the
county’s dispatch budget for the
year ending June 30, 1992 was
$24,847.60. It cost the county
about $124,000 to operate the
department during the 1992-92
fiscal year, according to Perqui
mans County Assistant Finance
Officer Sharon Ward. The town’s
building inspection share was
$3,661.40. The total building in
spection budget was $18,307,
Ward said.
The council voted to pay the
county, but said they want to
meet again with commissioners
to try to resolve what councilman
Billy Winslow tags a “double tax
ation” issue.
Call us!
Do you think the town
of. Hertford should pay the^
county to dispatch the.
Hertford Police Department
‘ and provide building in-*>'
spection services relating to
town ordinances?
Call us with your opin- '
» ions before Monday at 5. 1
p.m. You do not have to
give your name. Well print t
the results next week.
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The Perquimans
Weekly
P.O. Box 277
Hertford, N.C. 27944
• * * v. .1.;: - t. :.- '1' V.y
100 days and counting
Andrea Jones (above) attempts to jump
rope 100 times at the Hertford Grammar
School 100th Day of School celebration
last Wednesday. Second graders ob
served the milestone with many activities
revolving around the number 100. Joshua
Lassiter (left) and his partner were
charged with bouncing a ball to each
other 100 times. (Photo by Susan Harris)
Landfill group
gathers steam
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
The citizens’ group studying the pro
posed eight-county solid waste disposal
issue seems to be picking up steam.
According to LuAnn Riddick, one of
the group’s organizers, the executive
board selected two weeks ago met last
week and formed sub-committees to re
search different aspects of solid waste dis
posal. Riddick said the group wants
access to all the intorma
tion at the disposal of the
Regional Landfill Author
ity.
“That’s the purpose of
what we're doing - we're
going to get the facts and
figures, too.” Riddick said.
David Vines from Vir
ginia’s Southeastern Pub
lic Service Authority met
with the citizens’ group’s executive com
mittee last week to review services offered
by his company. Vines indicated that
Southeastern is interested in receiving
solid waste from this area. Chuck White
said.
The group plans to begin a petition
drive soon. The petition will be against
building a high-tech landfill in Perqui
mans County for use by eight counties.
and will be presented to the Perquimans
County Commissioners.
A public information meeting is
planned for tonight (Feb. 11) at 7 p.m. at
the Albemarle Commission building. Re
gional Landfill Authority Director Jerry
Parks, Perquimans County Manager Paul
Gregory and other county officials will be
at the meeting.
The agenda includes a report by
county officials and the citizens' group on
a one-day trip to Addington. Inc. in Ash
“That’s the purpose of
what we re doing - we re
going to get the facts
and figures, too.”
LuAnn Riddick
Landfi1! committee co-orgamzer
land. Ken. me pur
pose of the visit was
to review Addington's
landfill operation.
Addington has con
tracted to construct a
landfill in Bertie
County to handle
solid waste from Ber
tie, Washington and
Hertford counties.
Addington has invited
the Regional Landfill Authority to consider
using their facilities in Bertie County.
The Albemarle Environmental Associa
tion also has a meeting scheduled for Feb.
24 at 4:30 p.m. in Elizabeth City. Govern
ment officials and citizens will discuss the
solid waste issue.
Call-ins show citizens
against county landfill
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Call-ins to The Perquimans Weekly
are still running overwhelmingly against
constructing a landfill in the county.
“I know we’ve got to do something
with our debris and our trash, but I don’t
think eight counties ought to be dumping
their trash here,” one caller said.
The caller went on to say that Japan
built an electric plant fueled by solid
waste. Although that would be costly
initially, the caller said a long-term solu
tion to the solid waste management di
lemma must be found.
“Something’s going to ahve to be
done with it besides bury it,” he said.
“This trash situation, it’s going to be
something in years to come.
The caller said each county should
have its own landfill, and worry about
its own trash. “Eight counties will fill a
landfill up in a hurry,” he said.
Another caller said that from an eco
nomic development standpoint, a landfill
could hurt Perquimans County.
"I am opposed to it (the landfill) being
in Perquimans County from a standpoint
that I don’t want us to become known as
a landfill county across the state." the caller
said.
The caller added that a solid waste land
fill could open the door to a hazardous
waste site in the area, and that would he
detrimental to the county. Also, the caller
said, a landfill will not attract business or
industry to the county, nor will it add reve
nues.
Several callers said they were against
the landfill because of possible negative en
vironmental and health impacts.
All those who were against the landfill
being located in the county said that if other
solutions to the trash problem were more
expensive, they'd be willing to pay a little
extra to keep the landfill out of the county.
At present, the total costs of other solu
tions are being studied, and are not avail
able.
One caller did not speak against the
landfill.
“1 think that the landfill ought to be
placed in the center of all eight counties,"
the caller said, "but away from water
sources and near good roads and rail facili
ties."
Basnight makes the grade at middle school
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Edtor
Seventh graders In Perqui
mans County took President Pro
Tem of the North Carolina Senate
Marc Basnight literally Monday
when he told the . group that he
represented them.
“I represent you, each one of
you,” Basnight said.
The young teens asked pro
vocative questions when Bas
night opened the floor during his
visit to Perquimans Middle
School. The students questioned
Basnight’s stand on gun control,
abortion, gays in the military
and other issues they've heard
discussed recently. They also
asked for more personal infor
mation, like his priorities, how
he prepared to become a state
senator; if he had goals at their
ages, and if he liked his job. .j
Basnight took all the ques
tions in stride, answering each
one. He told the students that
hard work, abiding by the
; to success.--'
“If you do all you can within
your ability, you will succeed,"
Basnight said.
Taking school seriously was
one of Basnight’s key points to,
the students. vj
-.V “Really strain at night with
your studies,” he said. Basnight
said he did not set goals early in
life and did not take his studies
seriously enough. As a result, he
said he had to play catch-up
when he left school. He said that
was a mistake, and encouraged
students to set high goals and
work hard to achieve them.
One student asked Basnight
what could be done to stop peo
ple from taking drugs.
“Only you can stop drugs,”
Basnight said. He told the stu
dents not to get involved with
drugs because nothing good ever
came of drug use. Drugs hurt
not only you, but eveiyone who
cares about you, Basnight said.
To close his remarks, Bas
night make a simple, yet
thought- provoking, point: “You
are the future.”
Basnight was invited to the
school by seventh grade grade
level chairman Sid Eley. Eley
said Monday afternoon that Bas
night told him he wanted to
come back for another visit be
cause of the interest the stu
dents had in government affairs
and issues.
On hand for the visit were
school administrators, school
board members, municipal and
county officials, and parents.
nriiimi in ml '•'iiiTntniftirrfiir-1^—' m .
North Carolina Senate President Pro Tern Marc Basnight vis
ited with seventh graders at Perquimans Middle School Mon
day. The senator spoke with students about the importance of
learning, community activism and earning respect The stu
dents then questioned Basnight on his stands on many issues.
(Photo by Susan Harris)
•. ..-vlV ... in-1
Hertford
council
briefs
ABC profits
Hertford ABC Commis
sioner Cecil Winslow told
town councilmen Monday
that sales for December and
January were up from 1992
levels. But Winslow also
said the state has continued
to raise taxes on distilled
spirits, taking an increas
ingly bigger bite out of local
profits.
Winslow turned in a
check for $1,500 represent
ing the town’s profit for last
quarter. However, he said
that the state received about
$9,000, or about six times
as much in revenue as the
town, during the same pe
riod.
The ABC chairman said
the ABC system was estab
lished in 1935 to provide
revenue for local govern
Rease see Council, Page 2