THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
Volume 62, No. 25
Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, August 5, 1993
35 Cents
Sports:
White’s Barbecue
takes men's league
championship: Page e
Community:
Happenings column
lists variety of local
events, meetings: Page 3
Perspectives:
Weather forecasters
can touch a nerve;
Gail Winds; Page 4
WAVY TV
highlights
local flood
relief effort
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor _
Excitement was in the air at
Daddy Ruth’s Hertford Cafe Mon
day as a news team from WAVY
TV 10 in Portsmouth interviewed
locals about the Perquimans
County flood victim relief effort.
On Monday. Aug. 9, every
dime taken in at Daddy Ruth's
will go to a family who has lost
ever^hing because of the flood.
Even the staff at the restaurant
is donating work time and tips.
Daddy Ruth’s will open at 7 a.m.
and will stay open until custom
ers stop coming in to eat.
Owner Will Ferguson said the
restaurant is scheduled to close
at 3 p.m. on Aug. 9. but if people
continue to come in. he’ll keep it
open.
“As long as the people keep
coining, we'll stay,” he said.
The effort is the brain-child
of Ferguson. Ferguson said last
week that as he watched the
news one Sunday evening, he
felt a call to help those people
who have lost everything.
"You see all these people los
ing everything, you've" got to do
something," Ferguson said. “You
can't just sit there and do noth
ing."
Ferguson said he considered
the idea of donating his take for
one day to the relief effort. When
he spoke with waitress Kim Roll
lnson and others he employs,
they were also willing to help,
Ferguson said.
Rolllnson, the victim of flood
waters in Hatteras. said she
knows first hand what it’s like to
lose your home and practically
everything else you own to na
tures forces.
The Daddy Ruth's crew has
contacted numerous local busi
nesses as well as out-of-town
suppliers to enlist their support.
The response. Ferguson said,
has been overwhelming.
“Just about everyone we’ve
contacted has been willing to
help,” Ferguson said.
Several local businesses and
organizations have agreed to
pitch in with the effort
Td like to get everybody in
town, to the whole county, to do
nate.” Ferguson said.
That should be possible. Al
though Daddy Ruth's is not a
huge eatery, town officials have
agreed to close the downtown
block and set up a sidewalk cafe
so that more people can be
served.
If the project is successful.
Ferguson said he will continue to
set aside days especially for the.
flood victims. He said he knows
how long it takes to get back on
your feet, having himself been
the victim of hurricanes in Flor
ida and floods to Georgia.
Those who will not be able to
donate by eating at the restau
rant can donate money, canned
foods, clothing, furniture and
other items. Cash donations and
food can be taken to Daddy
Ruth’s. Larger items will be col
lected at The Perquimans Weekly
■ office.
• idtddfXi'dLlI,! - d'M.
Hertford Police officer Robert Harvey Sr.
(left) was honored Monday night at a dinner
given by the town of Hertford in recognition
of his 27 years of service on the police de
partment. Harvey and town manager W.D.
“Bill” Cox enjoyed talking during the occa
sion. (Photo by Susan Harris)
Harvey honored for service
Made history on Hertford
police department
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
No one really knew If he
was old enough to retire or just
had In enough years of service.
Robert Harvey’s secret was safe
until his daughter spilled the
beans that the man who drove
a Hertford police cruiser for
many years is 62.
Harvey was the toast of the
town Monday' night, as Hert
ford officials bid farewell to the
police officer who recently re
tired after 27 years of service.
Harvey was honored for his
dedication and commitment to
law enforcement in Hertford by
his fellow officers, town coun
cilmen, the mayor, the city
manager and his children at a
dinner at Angler’s Cove Restau
rant
Harvey broke newr ground
In Hertford, becoming the
town’s first black officer in
1966 when he signed on part
time. During his tenure he be
came a full-time officer, and
from the comments made dur
ing Monday night’s banquet,
made a name for himself as
one of the most respected offi
cers on the force.
“He did his share and more
than his share,” said town
manager W.D. “Bill” Cox. “His
dedication will never be ex
ceeded.”
Cox characterized Harvey
as an officer who quietly did
his job without offending peo
pie or losing his composure.
Police chief Aubrey Sample
Jr. said Harvey had achieved
three accomplishments few
people ever realize: 1. He
stayed in law enforcement 27
years, 2. He was a dedicated
officer and 3. He retired from
the force.
The town presented Harvey
with a plaque bearing his
badge. The plaque read “In
deep appreciation to Robert
Louis Harvey for 27 years of
dedicated and faithful service
to the citizens of the Town of
Hertford, N.C. April 18, 1966
April 30, 1993.” Harvey’s co
workers gave him a fishing rod
to use in his newly acquired
spare time.
L
JTPA gives youth job experience
Thirty-three Perquimans
County youth are getting job ex
perience this summer through
the Job Training Partnership
Act. And at least two of them are
having fun at the same time.
Ben Waters and Jermaine
McClenney were assigned to the
Perquimans County Recreation
Department. The two said they’d
had a good time preparing
softball fields, working the 13
year-old Babe Ruth tournament,
painting tennis courts, cleaning
buildings, cleaning up the park
and mowing.
“Hot, but fun," is how Mc
Clenney described his weeks at
the recreation department
In addition to the fun they’ve
had together and with recreation
director Lee Hoffman, the two
said they have learned disci
pline, responsibility and self-mo
tivation from their summer jobs.
'Another plus for the duo has
been a new friendship. Waters, a
1993 graduate, and McClenney,
a rising senior, said they knew
each other only in passing be
fore working together. Now they
consider themselves friends.
ThcyVe even joked while swel
tering in this summer’s record
heat about teaming up to start
the B & J Corporation, a mowing
business. •
Waters worked for the recre
ation department through JTPA
last summer, but said he’s doing
more work this year than last
He requested to go back to the
recreation department McClen
ney just asked for a job through
the program, but said he’s glad
he was assigned to the depart
ment
Hoffman has been pleased
with the work produced fay Wa
ters and McClenney.
“1 don’t have to watch over
Jermaine McClennev fixes the striping on the tennis courts
white Ben Waters sprays to control weeds around it The youth
are working for the recreation department this summer under
the JTPA program. JTPA is a federal program designed to pro
vide on-the-job training and summer employment for qualifying
youth. (Photo by Susan Harris)
them." Hoffman said. “I Just ten
them what needs to be done and
they do it They've been a big
help to me."
Other youth employed
through the program Include
Gwanetta Askew. Ramona Barn
well, Odell Brown, Tlmeka Ea
son, Tanya Everett, Antoine
Jones, Darrick Banks, Eric Col
son, Marita Elliott, Lorenzo Far
row, Tavls Foreman,
Vereaquekaa Gray, Patricia Hol
ley, Edward Jennings. Maurice
Mabine, Kamanl Perry, Maurice
Shannonhouse, Andrae Vaug
han, Keesha White, Tareka
Write, Tony White, Richard Wil
liams, Ramon Coleman, Kelsey
Moore, Sherry Duck, lyra Hur
dle. Nicole Jordan. Tamara Rob
inson, Tamika Robinson, Jessica
Modlin and Dawn Overman.
The Albemarle Commission
administers the program for the
10- county Region R Throughout
the region, approximately 320
youth are participating in the
program. Participants work an
average of 30 hours per week at
a rate of $4.25 per hour. Youth
between the ages of 14 and 21
who meet program requirements
are eligible to participate.
For more information about
JTPA, contact Sharon Robinson.
JTPA administrator, at the Albe
marle Commission.
Sheriff hires
sixth deputy
Commissioners say position
was contingent upon grant
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
The Perquimans County
Sheriffs Department has a sixth
deputy, but how long she’ll get
paid may be in question.
County manager N. Paul Gre
gory Jr. read a letter dated July
29 from sheriff Joe Lothian to
the county commissioners in reg
ular session Monday stating that
Lothian had hired Mary White as
a new deputy effective Aug. 2.
Lothian told both Gregory
and board chairman Leo Higgins
earlier Monday that White will be
a uniformed deputy who will be
come certified. Her primary job
duties at present will be clerical.
But the commissioners ques
tioned Lothian hiring a sixth
deputy, even though the position
was funded in the county’s fiscal
budget, because they understood
Lothian would fill the position
only if the department received a
grant for approximately $25,000
to fund the DARE program. Be
cause the county offset the cost
of hiring a new deputy in the
1993-94 fiscal budget with grant
funds, the source of White’s sal
ary is in question. If the grant is
not approved, the county would
have to dip into the fund balance
to pay White.
Higgins sent for the county
commissioners' minutes book to
by to answer board members’
questions about how the new po
sition was approved. Specifically,
Higgins was looking for a motion
that bed the new position to the
DARE grant. The information
was not found during the meet
ing.
Gregory and commissioners
Archie Miller and Mack Nixon
said they recalled discussions
with Lothian during budget
meetings that left them with the
understanding that a sixth dep
uty would be hired only if the
DARE grant came through.
“I agree with the personnel,
but where is the money going to
come from?” Miller asked.
Lothian was called in to the
meeting to discuss the issue. Lo
thian told the board that he had
told them he needed the extra
position and that he did not
know for sure whether his de
partment would be funded under
the grant program.
“I’ll be honest with you. I'm
at wits end with the whole situa
tion,” Lothian told the commis
sioners.
Lothian said he understood
from a discussion with Higgins
that the commissioners stood be
hind hiring a sixth deputy re
gardless of the status of the
grant application.
Miller told Lothian that the
way the budget is written at the
present time, there is no funding
for the deputy's position.
“For once I did exactly what
was asked of me.” Lothian said.
“Everybody is at wits end in my
office. We're engulfed in paper
work."
The paperwork dilemma is a
result of chief dispatcher Hom
eria Jennette’s decision not to do
clerical work for the sheriffs de
partment after June 30. Jennette
has done the clerical work for the
past several years, often taking
work home with her because she
had insufficient time to complete
the job during her shift as a dis
patcher, Lothian said. Jennette
requested compensation for
doing the work when she sub
mitted her budget last spring,
but the additional money was not
budgeted. Jennette set June 30
as the last date she would per
form the duties.
Commissioner Shirley Yates
said she knew the sheriffs de
partment would be bogged down
in paperwork when Jennette
stopped doing it. She said she
knew someone would have to be
hired to do the clerical duties.
“1 think we backed ourselves
into a comer" by not funding
part-time clerical help for the
sheriff, Yates said. “I understand
the sheriff and what he’s going
through.”
Yates added that the depart
ment needs an efficient person in
the office for clerical work. “I’ve
been for that all along,” she
added.
Higgins said he felt the com
missioners obligated themselves
to provide an employee in the
sheriffs department when they
promised help, budgeted the
sixth deputy and took away Jen
nette's help by failing to provide
additional funds for her. He said
the county was morally com
mitted to provide funding for the
deputy.
Higgins said the budget indi
cates that Lothian would transfer
$15,000 from his funds to pur
chase a car. Higgins said the
county could use those funds to
pay the deputy instead. But Lo
thian said Tuesday morning his
funds cannot be used for person
nel.
With no resolution in sight,
the commissioners tabled dis
cussion on the deputy until their
September meeting. The commis
sioners do not have to approve
hiring a deputy, but they do pro
vide local funds for salaries and
operations.
Three men file for two
Hertford council seats
Hertford voters will make
choices in the November election
because three people have filed
for the two available seats.
Up until last Thursday, only
councilman Sidney Eley had filed
for election. On Friday at noon,
former councilman Jesse L. Har
ris filed. Councilman Erie Haste
Jr. signed up Monday.
Over in Winfall, only one
I
candidate has come forward for
the three available slots. Fred
Yates filed for the mayor’s seat
on Aug. 3. As of that date, Yates
was the only candidate to file for
a post in Winfall.
The filing period closes Fri
day, Aug. 6 at noon. Residents of
either town who decide to file for
election must fill out their forms
at the board of elections office by
that time.
Recycling recipe
Use empty clothes detergent boxes
with lids for trash boxes in the car.
They work great and smell good, too!
This week's recipe submitted by Linda Godfrey.
Submit your recycling ideas to The Perquimans Weekly.