THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY Volume 62, No. 18 Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, June 10,1993 35 Cents * ? - Q • fl-W ® Congratulations to the Class of 1993, Class phOtO: Pages 6,7 CM*' &fSE m VK s: r; r High school, middle school honor student . athletes: Pages * * * • x' s R . l.v School:Sig|||,:; County youth honored for academic excellence, improvements: Pages 9,10 Board gets mixed budget messages By SUSAN R. HARRIS Editor The 1993-94 budget is now officially set. but what remains to be seen is the fall-out from county employees and residents who have been before the board asking for consideration. The commissioners got mixed messages at last Thursday’s bud get hearing when some speakers asked for more money for depart ments. others asked for no bud get growth, and one speaker asked for both. Legal Services of the Coastal Plains asked for a $2,000 appro priation. and the library and the Perquimans County Restoration Association asked that monies cut from their budgets be re stored. One resident asked if the budget included an increase in the number of sheriffs deputies. Jesse P. Perry, an outspoken member of the Perquimans County Tax Payers Committee, a group which ran ad advertise ment in The Perquimans Weekly requesting no increase in the 1993-94 budget over 1992-93 levels, asked that the commis sioners consider an increase in funds for the library, as well as a salary supplement for the librar lan. Roy Reed spoke on behalf of the Ttax Payers Committee. “The finance officer's budget requires an increase in the tax rate which is unacceptable to at least 600 voters in Perquimans County,” Reed said, referring to the 600 signatures the commit tee obtained from county resi dents asking that the commissioners hold die line on die budget Reed said last year's hefty tax increase for many residents re sulting from the property reval uation made it unreasonable to raise taxes again. Reed said he understood the average property owner sustained a 42 percent tax increase in 1992- 93. “Realty, it discourages peo ple. I feel, from moving into the county when they realize there’s such a tax penalty for living here....” Reed said. "We do know the proposed budget can be re duced” and the county still run smoothly. Reed added. "While we don't presume how to tell you to do it. however we do offer some Ideas” for cutting the budget. Reed told the com missioners. The committee’s pro posals included deleting mapping, increasing salaries only if it could be done without a tax increase, eliminating the in crease in the school system’s re quest. and instructing department heads to operate with the same funding as last year. Reed also proposed reducing the number of county employees and rewarding the top employees with merit pay. Reed said die county might find it difficult to manage with budget reductions, but efficiency would probably increase. Reed again asked for a hold the-line budget, saying it should Pags 2 Steve Casper’s square dance group weaved and Organizers were pleased with the turn-out of over stepped the Virginia Reel on the lawn of Cove Grove 200 supporters of a historic district in the Old Neck at Saturday’s Old Neck Celebration at Cove Grove, area. (Photo by Susan Hants) Old Neck salutes its History By SUSAN HARRIS Editor Over 200 guests drove across the Iron cattle gate and up the graceful tree-lined lane to historic Cove Grove Saturday for the Old Neck Cele bration. The lawn was reminiscent of the Wilkes barbecue scene In the epic drama Gone With the Wind, with guests scattered around the lawn en joying a traditional southern pork barbecue meal while the Claymon Sawyer family strummed old-time in struments on Cove Grove’s grand front porch. A dance floor ringed with bales of hay provided a stage for Steve Casper’s square dance group, which bobbed and weaved the Vir ginia Reel. The celebration was a fund-raiser sponsored by the Old Neck Historic District Committee of the Perqui mans County Restoration Associa tion. The committee is attempting to establish a historic district to be in cluded in die National Register of Historic Places to recognize one of the premiere antebellum neighbor hoods in the state. “We thought it was a big suc cess,” said Beth Skinner Taylor, chairman of the historic district com mittee and a descendant of the builder of Cove Grove. “We were real pleased." Taylor said descendents of the original settlers of Old Neck came from as far away as Connecticut to celebrate the history of the commu nity and help raise the necessary re search funds to get a historic district on the map. The committee estimates die research will cost $6,000. Taylor said she is still unsure ex actly how much the event will profit, but the committee is hopeful that the proceeds, combined with donations, will be sufficient The committee has also applied for matching grant funds through the North Carolina Depart ment of Archives and History. Al though the status of the grant application is unknown, Taylor said the committee was told it would be easier to get a grant if matching funds were already on deposit. The event was a very special day for the Skinner family. Malsie Skin ner, who lives at Cove Grove, was surrounded by her daughters, Beth and Sally Tarkington, their children and their grandchildren. In addition to Cove Grove, other historic buildings in the proposed Old Neck Historic District include the Sutton-Newby house, the Fletcher Skbiner-Nixon house (1812 on the Perquimans), Riverside (the William Jones house), Elmwood (the Thomas Nixon house), the Francis Nixon house, the Gabriel White house and Willow Branch Schools (Frog Hall School). Cove Grove resident Mai sie Skinner and her great-grandson, Baker Skinner Jethro, enjoy a moment together during the Old Neck Celebration at Cove Grove. The two represented four genera tions of Skinners, whose ancestors built Cove Grove, who attended the event (Photo by Susan Harris) Social services to distribute USDA commodities on June 15 Perquimans County will receive USDA donated commodities for distribution on June 15. 1993.' The Hertford Lions Chib will begin distribution at 9 a.m. at the Ice Rant on Grubb Street M households who will not be able to jrick up their commodities may use a rep resentative for this purpose. The commo dities card or application must be signed In the correct places for this to be accep table. No household will be allowed to pick up food for more than themselves and one other household as representa tive. There will be no exceptions. There will be two lines at the distribu tion site. The second line will be for the physically handicapped and/or disabled who are present at the distribution to pick up their food. A doctor’s note stating the disability, or proof of handicapped li cense plates for their vehicle must be pro vided. Those persons using the handicapped line may pick up food for their own household only. Again, there will be no exceptions. Cara may not be driven Into the dls tribution area. Please remember to park only in authorized parking areas as the Hertford Police Department will be patrol ing the area. Applications may be obtained from the following agencies beginning June 7: De partment of Social Services, Health De partment. Economic Improvement Council. Catholic Social Ministries and the Senior Citizens Center. The Commodities Distribution Pro gram is available to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, national ori gin, age. sex. religion, handicap or politi cal beliefs. Information about regulations against discrimination and how to file a complaint may be secured from the N.C. Division of Social Services. 325 N. Salis bury Street, Raleigh. N.C. or from your county department of social services. r. ■ ..s.\ . y ^ Household 1 .................$ 9.06JL 2 .........12.259 3 ___....___15.457 ■•••••••••••••••••••••••••••I .....18.655 5.»......,.......»....i....^.......wtl.853 .....u&5t051 7 Add $3,198 per year for each ad ditional family member. Crv$*Lr*’’.7 ■> -■*