THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
• *
Volume 62, No. 29 'Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, September 2, 1993__35 Cents
Sports:
Pirates win season
opener over homestanding
Columbia: Page 7
School:
Central School teachers,
students enjoy successful
return: Pages
Nixon takes
byte out of
computer
industry
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Perquimans’ first computer
company has taken a big “byte"
out of the fast-paced, high tech
nology computer industry.
Albemarle Computer Outlet,
owned and operated by Billy and
Margie Nixon, is the only com
puter sales and service company
in the county. Nixon said busi
ness is brisk, and that's good
news to a man bitten by the
computer bug so hard he has
worked a full-time job, is within
a few credit hours of earning a
bachelor's degree in computer
science, teaches computer
classes at COA and opened his
own sales and service outlet - all
at once.
: Nixon did give up his job at
Norfolk Naval Shipyard', but his
schedule hasn’t slacked up one
bit Between offering lull cus
tomer service including classes
through his business, teaching
five nights a week at COA ana
taking his own coursework,
Nixon barely has time to eat He
doesn’t seem to mind a bit
Nixon's fascination with
computers is shared by his wife.
Margie, who recently resigned
from her job as a computer lab
coordinator at Perquimans Cen
tral School. Now Margie has
Joined her husband in the busi
ness • a move Nixon is thankful
for.
"It would cost me a lot of
money to hire someone with her
knowledge to work in my store,’’
Nixon said.
Much of fyixon’s client base
is outside Perquimans County,
but more and more often, Nixon
is helping loads get set up with
their own home or business
computer systems. Not only does
Nixon sell computer systems and
parts, he goes into customers'
homes to set up the system and
help customers become familiar
with the system. Classes are
even offered at the store.
This summer, adults and
children were able to take
classes in several computer sub
lects. Classes were limited to
three students to allow more
one-on-one time.
Adults who completed
classes were:
Introduction to computers -
Faye Asbel. Paul Ward, Larry
Chappell, Valerie Jackson, Judy
Jordan, Nancy Morgan, Jerry
Boyd and Carol Perry.
Introduction to MS DOS -Rat
Billups, Gene Copeland. Beth
Taylor, Fannie Leigh, Charlotte
Jones, Ellen O’Neal. Mary White,
Valerie Jackson and Judy Jor
dan.
WordPerfect 5.1 - Chris
Critcher, Nancy Morgan. Tracy
Lawrence, Jamie West and John
Chobot
Nixon taught the adult
.classes. V'
Children who successfully
completed classes included:
Introduction to computers -
Blair Winslow, Michelle Nixon.
Mandy Coates. Amber Jones,
Christopher Chappell. Tiffany
Baker, Cara Coates and Amanda
Winslow.
Print ahop/graphics - Mandy
Coates, Erin Dali, Amber Jones
and Meagan Winslow.
Word processing/graphics -
Christopher Chappell. Tiffany
Baker and Brian Applegate.
Day classes will be available -
upon request for fall and winter.
For more information, call Albe
marie Computer Outlet at 426- i
■ . ’.v xV *
Jesse P. Perry Jr., Dale Ball, Jimmye Hayes and Re
becca France look over their artwork for the upcom
ing Artists Four art show and sale to be held at the
Perquimans County Library. The event is a fund'
raiser for the library. (Photo by Susan Harris)
Artists Four
Art show and sale to
benefit county library
If pictures truly do paint a thousand
words, then the Perquimans County Library
will get thousands of new words added to its
volumes of printed material when the Artists
Four art show and sale opens Sept. 13.
Artists Four is the brain-child of Hertford
artist Rebecca France, brought to life through
the cooperation of three other local artists who
agreed to take part in the show - Dale Ball of
Moyock, Jimmye Hayes of Winfall and Jesse
Parker Perry Jr. of Hertford.
Each artist has contracted for numerous
pieces of art to be sold during the show. Thirty
percent of the proceeds of the sale will be
given to the library to supplement funds for
■■ ■ ,'Jki .... ^ WBIMW I Hi I ■■■■——— «... -.,1
Part of getting ready for Artists Four is sending out invita
tions for the opening reception scheduled for Sept. 13
from 6-9 p.m. (Photo by Susan Harris)
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materials.
Library board chairperson Katherine Biggers said
the board is looking forward to the art show.
“The board is so happy with the support the com
munity has given the various library programs," Biggers
said. TVe are pleased we have the opportunity to sponsor
our coming art show."
The art show will kick off with a reception on Sept.
13 from 6-9 p.m. and will end with the Indian Summer
Festival on Saturday, Sept. 25. In addition to raising
funds for the library and offering a new attraction during
the Indian Summer Festival, the library hopes to en
hance art awareness and appreciation and gain exposure
for local artists. Organizers hope to make the show and
sale an annual event
Each of the artists in the premiere show brings a
unique blend of talent and artistic interpretation to tneir
work, according to librarian Shelley Feam.
Ball is a regularly featured artist with the Pasquo
tank Arts Council Gallery. She is known for her treat
ment of natural subjects, and uses pen and ink, pencil,
oils and water colors as her media. She has shown her
work from Kitty Hawk to Hawaii. This Is her first show in
Perquimans County.
A relatively new artist, Hayes has lived in Perquimas
County since 1989. In this short time, she has built a
reputation around her keen eye for style, color and de
sign. Her newest artistic endeavor has been her waterco
lors of flowers and other natural subjects. Her work
shows great promise with its use of exotic and vivid col
ors of nature. Her work has shown at community festi
France, a much-respected artist, is known for the
strong, yet beautiful, images she creates in her art. Wa
tercolors is her choice of media because of the design,
color and atmosphere she is able to create with the
paints. Locally, her work has been shown in the Pasquo
tank Arts Council Gallery in Elizabeth City. She also
showed in a juried national show in Goldsboro and in
Charleston, S.C. France has been an advocate for the lo
cal library, lending and donating art works for display
there.
Perry is well known as an artist, botanist and
farmer in the Albemarle area. He brings over 40 years of
experience in sculpture to the Artists Four. An intense
love and appreciation for the natural world and the envi
ronment is represented in his use of various wood grains,
colors and textures. His work has been shown in New
York, Nags Head and Elizabeth City. A county native.
Perry uses his art to express his deep feeling, convictions
and roots in the community.
Art will be on display beginning with the Sept. 13
opening reception. Checks, MasterCard and VISA will be
accepted. Art purchased may be picked up on Sept. 27
during library business hours. The 30 percent of the pur
chase price donated to the library is tax deductible.
Contact the library at 426-5319 for more informa
tion. Artists interested in participating in future Artists
Four shows will be registered during the show.
Holiday travelers advised to drive safely
With the. increased traffic expected
on our highways during the upcoming
Labor Day holiday weekend, the North
Caolina State Highway Patrol will be
out in force to assist motorists with
safe travel. Additional emphasis will be
placed on all areas of enforcement,
with vigorous pursuit of the impaired
driver the top priority. Speeders, a
leading cause of accidents, and other
drivers who violate motor vehicle laws
will be cited as well.
To ensure safety on our highways,
we must have the cooperation and in
volvement of every motorist,'* said Col
onel RA. Varefoot, Commander of the
^ f .1 T ■ ' ;.V
State Highway Patrol. “The basic
guidelines are: be a defensive driver,
don* drink and drive, use your safety
belts and child restraint seats, pre
check your vehicles, allow sufficient
time for traveling to your destinations,
and get plenty of rest"
Secretary of the Department of
Crime Control and Public Safety Thur
man Hampton also urged caution dur
ing the holiday period. “We hope
everyone has an enjoyable holiday
weekend," Hampton said. "But don’t
get so eager to get to your destination
that you become a highway statistic."
As on all major holidays, the High
way Patrol will participate in Operation
CA.R.E. The nationwide Combined Ac
cident Reduction Effort by state police
and highway patrol agencies uses high
visibility and enforcement to reduce
accidents on our nation’s highways.
The Labor Day holiday begins at 6
p.m. on Friday, Sept 3 and ends at
midnight on Monday, Sept. 6. Last
year, five people were killed and 1,266
were Injured on North Carolina high
ways during the same period.
f
. f; _ . 'PiA'. ms 1
Man charges
officer with
assault
Son said call for help
got his father hurt
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor _
A local businessman said he was assaulted fay
a Hertford police officer last week, resulting in a
simple assault charge against the officer.
Andre Alfred. 30. who Joined the department
on July 16. was charged with assaulting Joe
Meads, owner of Joe's Place.
According to Meads' son. Joey. Hertford police
officers were called to Joe's Place last Tuesday
evening to break up a fight in the parking lot. Be
fore the officers left. Meads was allegedly Knocked
backwards by Alfred about 6-8 feet, falling on the
concrete parking lot.
Joey said he called 911 to request officers to
break up a fight in the parking lot at about 8:50
p.m. Officers Ray Jedele and Alfred responded
promptly to the call, Joey said. Bv the time the of
ficers arrived, the fight had broken up. He said
his father didn't know about the fight, and went
outside to see what was going on when he saw Je
dele through the store window. Joey said when he
left the store around 9:15, Meads was talking to
Jedele.
"I figured it was all over, so I went home.”
Joey said.
Joey returned to the store around 10:15 to get
a loaf of bread. He said It was then that his father
told him about being assaulted by Alfred. Meads
confirmed Joey's account of the incident
Joey said while Jedele talked with Meads, Al
fred went into the adjacent trailer park, also
owned by Meads. Alfred allegedly went to the
place where the people who were involved in the
fight which prompted Joey's 911 call had gone.
When Alfred returned to the parking lot. he alleg
edly poked Meads in the forehead with his finger.
The two exchanged words and Meads moved Al
fred's hand out of his face. Joey said it was then
that Alfred knocked his father to the ground.
Meads said Alfred used both hands and
pushed him down hard. “He put me right flat oQ
my back," Meads said.
Joey said Jedele told Alfred, “The best thing
for you to do is get in your car and leave. You
shouldn't have done that.” Alfred left I
Later that night. Joey said Meads called &
Hertford official about the incident, and asked the
official to look into the incident and take some
kind of action by noon the next day. Meads said
no call was received at Joe’s Place, nor was a
message left on the answering machine at his resi
idence as of around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. Be
cause Meads felt that the official had not taken
any action. Meads went to magistrate Broughton
T. Dail Sr. to swear out a warrant for simple as
sault against Alfred.
"He wanted to get something done about it
and nothing was done, so he had to take action
on his own,” Joey said.
Meads did seek medical treatment on Wednes
day because his hand and hip were both bruised
and sore. Although Jiere were no broken bones.
Meads was given medication for his injuries.
The whole incident has left Joey confused.
“I didn't understand why I called 911 for as
sistance and my father got knocked on his tall,”
Joey said. “I don't think that should have hap
pened. I will think again before I call for assis
tance from the police. If I had known this was
going to happen I would have handled it in a dif
ferent way myself.”
Joey said he doesn't understand what he con
siders the undue force used by Alfred.
“If my father did enough to get assaulted, why
wasn't he arrested for something?” Joey asked. “It
could have been handled a different way."
Hertford Police Chief Aubrey Sample Jr. saki
Monday it was inappropriate for him to comment
on the specifics of the case, but said the arrest
warrant was issued in violation of the policies set
forth by the district attorney's office.
"The warrant was issued prior to an investiga
tion being conducted or finished.” Saimple said.
"The warrant was issued by a magistrate which is
contrary to the policy set forth by fee D.A." . >
' District attorney H.P. Williams did not return
a call Monday to answer questions about the pol
icy.
r
1
Recycling Recipe
Give the rubber bands that come wrap
ped around your newspaper beck to your
paper carrier.
Submitted by ESUe Mckers