THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY
EsMfchod 1932
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426-5728
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27944,428-080.
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I
Stop procrastinating
Are you a procrastinator?
May this poem help you to stop
being one.
Around The Comer
by Henson Tbwne
Around the comer I've a
friend
In tills great city that has no
end.
Yet days go by and weeks
rush on
And before I know it a year is
gone.
And I never see my old
friend's face.
For life is a terrible and swift
race.
He knows I like him just as
well
As in the days I rang his bell.
And he rang mine. We were
younger then.
And now we are busy, tired
men.
Tired with playing a foolish
game.
Tired with trying to make a
name.
'Tbmonow," I say. “I will call
on Jim."
Just to show that I'm
rtilnlrtng nf him
But tomorrow come and
tomorrow goes.
Around the comer! Yet miles
away.
"Here's a telegram sir." "Jim
died today."
And that's what we get and
deserve in the end.
Around the comer, a
vanished friend.
Now that Labor Day has gone
along with the last summer
holiday and the children all in .
school, the harvest is underway.
Soon well be complaining about
how cold it is. I'll agree ithas
been a hot summer and we do
have some very cold days in the
winter months, but tent that the
law of nature? Can't we ever be
satisfied and say "Thank you
Lord for letting me see another
day. month or season."
As the song says, if a bird
can sing and be happy, why can't
we realize that we are God's
creatures and His is constantly
blessing us. I'm reminded of a
song that says "Come ye
thankful people." How thankful
are you?
I didn't get to Washington in
August for trie 30th anniversary
of the march on Washington in
1963. but Perquimans was
represented. I watched the
program Eyes on the Prize,
which was shown the following
week on public T.V. It was
reliving a history that seemed
unbelievable but for sanity's
sake, rve had to tell myself that
progress has been made.
Upon seeing Nelson Hurdle,
'who had readied his. 100th
birthday, in the Sept 2 issue of
The Perquimans Weekly, I was
reminded of my father John
Billups who would have been
101 had he lived until Sept. 19 of
this year. He and Nelson were
world war buddies!
After reading about what
Lewis Grtzzard said about
Bits
’N
Pieces
Marian Frierson
Local Columnist
respect, he asked the question,
“why have people lost respect?"
That is a good question. People
once had a lot of respect for
themselves, their fellowman,
their churches, and their God.
Where did the respect go?
My daddy, upon seeing a car
coining if he was walking when
the car got near enough, he
would tip his hat to whoever was
in the car. Regardless of whethei
or not he knew them. Now that
was really hard to beat respect
Will someone revive that old time
gentle respect? Thanks a loti
*****
Last year, it was my privilege to
visit the Outer Banks three times
this year. I Just like the scenery,
not the beach in particular,
because I don’t think my feet
have been wet at a beach since I
was a child.
This year was my first time to
visit the peach and apple
orchard up in Whites ton. I didn't
know it was such a large
operation. One should know
what's going on in their own
county shouldn’t they? Well, I've
always said a person is never too
old to leam something new. I’ll
just have to tour Perquimans
County in its entirety.
For years, I didn’t miss a
single Six County Fair at the >
Jaycee’s fair ground in Elizabeth
City. 1 would always go and take
various items of vegetables,
flowers, arts and crafts, and put
up exhibits for my homemakers
and senior citizens clubs.
Nothing remains the same. It
was an enjoyable experience, but
there is no one to continue the
tradition. ( (
Com crops in some fields
must have produced an
abundant harvest this year since
I have seen so many large truck
loads pass. Regardless of who it
belongs to. I say “Thank the Lord
for the harvest. After all, we are
to rejoice with those who rejoice,
arent we?
Maybe if 1 need some bread,' ;
the producers would share. In
the Bible. David said, “I have
never seen the righteous
forsaken nor his seed beg for
bread." I would like to think that
1 could be classified in one of
those instances.
Did you read that your I.Q. is
now judged by how smart you
look? I mink I like it better the
way it was. I might make all
zeroes the new way. (Life goes on
never-the-less.)
Gem of the day (by Phyllis
Diller). It wasn't bad enough that
I lost the beauty contest, but I
got hit in the mouth by “Miss >
Congeniality."
Enjoy life each day!
'MA
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■ -V
Letters
f
i v r; ''S
- p.
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Dear Editor
We would like to express our
thanks to the staff, students,
and community for the warm re
ception and support given to the
Japanese exchange teachers dur
ing their recent visit to Perqui
mans County. The experience
has been one that will be forever
remembered by many of those
fesmlved.
This educational opportunity
has taught us many things about
ourselves as well as the Japa
nese. The kindness and gra
dousness of our Japanese guests
moved that even though we may
Bve la vesy different cultures. We
share many similarities as mem
bers of one world community.
V We would like to especially
thank Dr. Kenton for his role in
initiating this wonderful project,
the Board of Education for their
support, Mr. Tice and Mrs..
Winslow for their hospitality and
assistance during the week, the
.-s-. ■ . . V ; - , . *ye\
Hertford Grammar School foe*,
ulty for die enthusiasm shown
as the Japanese teachers visited
tl idr classrooms and taught les
sons and finally to the HGS stu
dents for their sincere interest,
acceptance, and affection toward
our guests.. . ^|
IT there was'any one thing
that our Jr.nanese guests have
said that they will never forget it
would have to be the mdanee
of kindness and love shown
them by the people of Perqui
mans County. We are proud to
have been a part of such a suc
cessful project and to be part of
such a special community.
Sincerely,
fV Kathleen Ansink
ItodaLong
• Hollis Williams
Host teachers at HGS for the
Japanese Teacher Project Hert
ford Grammar School
Here’s to your
care
■ \
By the time you read this.
President Clinton will have
already revealed his much- u
awaited health care agenda. I’ll
admit I don’t know a lot of the
details, even though tons have
leaked out of Washington over
the last few weeks.
But I can’t help it. When I
see same politician’s talking
head on T.V., 1 Immediately
change channels. One thing I
heard, though, and really didn't
like, was the administration's
emphasis on employer-based
health Insurance.
What started as a fringe
benefit an employer might offer >
to recruit and retain good
employees has evolved Into an
expectation and, if some of our
leaders have their way. a
requirement. The math gets
All Over
the Map
Tony K«y. :
pretty simple after that A £
business purchasers the
required coverage for its
employees. Add these costs to
the mix of social security
matching funds, workman’s
compensation, accident
insurance, state and federal
taxes, plus a company’s basic
operating costs, and you get
something that very much
resembles a financial burden.
And we all know where those
added costs will crane from, don’t
we? That’s right; out of the
pockets of the folks who buy or
use that business’s products or
' V
services - usl
And If a company's costs
make the purchase price too
high, we move on to some other
guy or gal who offers the product ■
or service cheaper. The fLtt
company loses business and may
have to dose Its doors. Then the
. domino effect kicks in. You know
the rest :
I applaud the President's
efforts and appreciate the
challenges he faces. But In this
Instance. I think he's working at
the wrong end of an ornery mule.
We’d all be better served If our
government in conjunction with
private enterprise, steered Its
efforts more toward controlling
and, dare I say it even lowering
die runaway costs of health care,
not just figuring who to hand the
bill to.
Do you know what the best
medicine for high health costs
might be? Moderation!
Moderation in cur eating. i
drinking and smoking, we need -!
to exercise more. We need to get 1
more stress out of our lives. I {
think they call it preventive - {
medicine. •* ' j'. J: ■./ ■’ *
, MM! ! ' j;
I want to send a big “ThariksT j
out to all of you whoVe given
such positive and enthusiastic j
support to the prospects for a j
fitness center here in town. ;
Thanks for the words of
encouragement (and for a terrific
newspaper clipping I received
from one reader). HI refry our
interest to our prospective
entrepreneur and let you know
something in the near future. j
Is it just me or has anyone >
else noticed an increase in the ‘
number of unleashed dogs '
roaming the streets of Hertford
lately? Just wondering. y.-f i
Indian Summer Festival is this weekend - pass it on.
<-u
My stick prodded the soil as
my footprints filled the rows.
Each year, as soon as the crops
have begun to be harvested, I
am out in the fields looking for
arrowheads and other Indian
relics of the past Once my
people walked here, with plows
turning the fertile soil In
preparation of crops, but my
people of even earlier walked
these fields as well. In their black
hair they wore feathers, and on
their feet hand-stitched
moccasins as they stalked prey .
and dug roots while fresh, clean
breezes of “Indian summer”
merged with tough, tanned skin.
Once the arrows that I now prod
about this soil for were carried
skillfully through the air by their
strong bows, sometimes hitting
the mark, sometimes missing.
Last week. I found a crystal
spear point among the cotton
rows. It had been carved from
solid white quartz rock, and was |
one of the most perfect
specimens I've found in years. I
probably would not have seen it
had not the sun been so brightly
glinting from its tip that only
barely escaped the soil. Once 1
walked these same rows with a
sharp hoe in iny hand, but today
I come back to them for
relaxation and time to think and
heal...and Just for the rare ,
\ Gail
' Winds
GaH Roberson
Syndicated CofcjmnW
chance of finding one fragment of '
what used to be.
I look for tangible things IV
can hold in my hand that are
already present in my heart. I
look for signs from the past that
will point me towards more
sensible foot-paths to the future.
I look for anything that will give
me a firm connection with my
ancestry. In search of not just
arrowheads, but of a deeper
spiritual meaning and
understanding to life.
When the Indians ruled
America there were no time
clocks, no traffic jams, no taxes
and no crime problem. People
hunted and fished every day. not
Just on the weekends. There was j
plenty of food to eat, not
poisoned by chemicals, fresh,
dear water to drink not polluted i,V
by waste, clean air to "•
breathe...then the white man
came and thought he could
improve things.
A recent rain had not only
improved the remaining crops in
the Add, but had exposed
fragments of pottery here and
there along the row I walked. I
handled these remnants with
peat reverence, and soon I had a
small basket full. I stood in the
mtumn breeze, silently
remembering the Indian prophet,
peat Chief Seneca, and his
words spoken in 1799 as a
warning to all future generations:
There will be a time when the
good water we use to cook our
nod. cook our medicines, and
;lean our bodies will not be At to
irink...and the waters will turn
rtly and bum...the cool waters
that we use to refresh ourselves
will warm and heat up...our
misuse of this water will turn it
against us and people will suffer
and die." I sat on the truck seat
and drank from my thermos,
realizing the predictions of the
great chief had come true.
As I gazed down the long
rows surrounded by thick woods.
[ could hear the call of a crow as
[ watched a red-tail hawk soar,
listened to crickets in the grass,
frogs in the swamp and the
chattering of many birds. Within
/aids of where I sat. a huge doe
stepped from the woods, sniffed
the air and disappeared again
into the underbrush. The words
of Chief Seattle, recorded as
eaiiy.as 1780, infiltrated my i
brain: “What is man without ;
beasts? If all beasts were gone, .;
men would die from a great ^
loneliness of spirit For whatever ^
happens to the beasts, soon g
happens to man. All things are q
connected." An I remembered, d
too, how this great Indian Chief
spoke to representatives of our
government in the 1700s, *j
warning us. even then, "What is :
there to life if a man cannot hear i
the lovely cry of the whippoorwill : j
or the arguments of the frog Y .
around the pond at night The
whites too. shall pass...perhaps
sooner than other tribes.
Continue to contaminate your
bed and you will one night
suffocate in your own waste."
Age-old predictions of the
Indians say that a time will come j
when the children of the white i
man will come to the doors of • }
their teepees and beg for j
spiritual guidance to save the j
world that their fathers and v;:: 1
grandfathers had destroyed and !
left for their legacy. I believe that j
time has arrived. But will the j
white man’s {Hide get in the way t
of his own salvation? I wondered j
about this, and much more, as I |
stooped to retrieve an arrowhead j
from ancient sands that hold for 1
...
" " 'U
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By TONY JORDAN
PargulinanB To Supwvfor
I never thought that Td be a
tax coDector. It’s not one of those
professions that people aspire to
be. When asked if I enjoy my job,
I usually respond with a re
sounding yes. That makes some
people uneasy. Part of the reason
I enjoy it so much is the people
of this county. As a native of this
county, I feel very comfortable
with the honest and down to
earth quality of the citizens.
I am-also enjoying the chal
lenge of the job. To become an ef
fective tax collector, one must be ;
tough. The job is a little tougher
when your goal is to be effective
and fair. To think that people
may actually like me would seem
to be an impossibility.
This ill regar d for tax collec
tors is nothing new. The Bible
speaks of Jesus sitting with the
“tax collectors and the sinners,” ,
hoping to save both. Matthews,
the most famous collector, made
the transformation from one of
these evil creatures to a position
TaxTalk
of honor. I can't help but believe
there was some goodness there
all along.
I hope that I can make a dent
tn these perceptions. I believe
communication Is the key. This
monthly column is just part of
an initiative of the Perquimans
County Tax Department to im
prove our public relations. Each
month we will address a concern
of the taxpayer or inform citizens
of changes in the tax laws.
The tax office performs two
very different tasks. Our county
commissioners and the laws of
this state require that we "em
ploy all lawful means to collect
property taxes.” The laws con
cerning collection are definitive
and leave no room for compro
mise. Assessing property at a fair
and uniform value is anything
"but an exact science. In the
months to come, we will discus*
Various aspect of listing, asses-,
sing and collecting property
taxes. ■
I have begun to assess new
construction in the couniy. The
improvements made to property
in 1993 will be taxed in 1994.
Due to the nature of the assess
ments and the number of parcels
to be checked, it will be impossi
ble to schedule appointments. !
The assessment process is
simple and quick. I will be ob
taining the outside mea
surements of the structure. The
quality is then graded on an A to
E scale developed during our last
revaluation. Finally, I will obtain
information about the percentage
of completion as of January 1,
1994.
There are no reasons for me
to enter a completed structure.
The grading system Is based on
the premise that the quality and
design of outside features of a
budding are indicative of the in
side. I am only interested in the
inside of the building while un
der construction. These are stan
dard procedures that assessors
use across tire state. In no way
do I wish to infringe on your pri
vacy. Anyone who has visited my
home realises that I cherish it
and will respect that right of otb
ers. If there are any questions
you may have on. the subject
please contact me as soon as
possible.
There may be other informs
Uon that I will need to get from
the owner. This can usually be
handled over the telephone. This
process can be a very positive t» -
pertence for both of us. If you
have made improvements to your
property in the past year. I look
forward to talking to you.1 1 ° F‘ ’
If there are questions flut
you would like fear us to address,
please contact me at the tax of
fice. As a county tax official. I be*
Jieve it is Just as important that
we attempt to educate citizens on
tax laws as it is to enforce them. _j!