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Sports: School: Community: Pirate teams Drama, music groups Zentz to perform compete in holiday present spring musical for National Library tournaments: Pages at PCHS: Page 7 Week: Page s THE PERQ ■ ^ Mb Ld/16/9A 2C . * c " ■ A N . C ' L T Y L I c F A R Y n C In a C a E Y : T H E F I F ^ C 7 > A WEEKLY Volume 63, No. 12 Hertford, Perquimans County, N.C., Thursday, April 14,1994 35 Cents Candidates speak at Hertford BPW forum Incumbent sheriff draws fire for deputy vehicle use By GINGER UVINGSTON The Dally Advance Questions about the opera tion of the Perquimans County Sheriffs Department by the In cumbent sheriff dominated a portion of a candidates forum sponsored by the Hertford Busi ness and Professional Woman’s Club held here Tuesday evening. The BPW asked the four sheriff candidates to respond, if they felt comfortable doing so, to a question alleging Perquimans County deputies used patrol cars for personal business. The ques tion’s exact wording was, “1 read in the paper that the Perquimans County Sheriffs Department doesn’t have funds to purchase the required fuel to patrol the county. If this is so why do we see off-duty officers using county vehicles to attend to personal business?” Questions asked by the BPW came from club mem bers and the public, said Juanita Bailey, forum moderator. Candidates David Lane and Robert Logan declined comment. However, Tony Perry, the third challenger, did have a comment. “1 disagree with off-duty offi cers using coimty vehicles,” he said, adding he would Implement policies to deal with deputies abusing their patrol car priv ileges. Joe Lothian, the Incumbent candidate, said he would deal with the situation if a citizen came forward with a specific complaint He said deputies were assigned patrol cars because citi zens were concerned the cars were parked behind the sheriffs office when deputies were not pa trolling. Lothian took the opportunity to address earlier candidate statements about his deputies uniforms. “If you have someone with a person in their yard who wants to wait for a deputy to get up and get dress before responding to a call let me know and I can take care of that,” he said. Lothian was apparently re sponding to statements Lane and Perry made earlier in the three hour forum. Every candidate was asked to list their qualifications, explain what differences they thought they could make and to tell what drey considered the area’s major problems. “I like personal appearance to be number one,” Lane said. “I want creases, 1 want spit and shine.” Perry said he would put Perquimans deputies in tradi tional brown uniforms. “I’m not running against any one. It’s not person^ it’s profes sional,” Lane said. “I spent years defending this country. I’ve come home to defend Perquimans County.” Lane and Perry, in statements apparently directed at Lothian, said they would have their home telephone numbers listed so citizens could reach them 24 hours a day. Lothian’s home telephone mrmber is un listed. Lane said he would like to es tablish a volunteer telephone network that would keep check on the county’s elderly and homebormd population. He also wants to esteblish an auxiliary force that would handle court protection and prison/commit ment transports so deputies could patrol and respond to calls. “I’m not running because of the job, not running because of the money,” Periy, a former Camden County deputy, said. “I’m nmning because It is a up- most calling from high.” Perry said he wanted “high visibility patrol cars,” patrolling the county. “I will work with the county manager to stop this nonsense of bickering back and forth,” Perry said, referring to a recent public dispute Lothian had with Perqui mans County Manager Paul Gre gory concerning overtime pay for deputies. “I will work with any law en forcement agency to take care of problems were have,” Perry said, adding he wants the sheriffs .de partment to join the Northeast Regional Narcotics Task Force. “I may be young but I am en thusiastic, energetic, and I have integrity to see these problems through.” Perry said. Candidate James Robert Logan, a Perquimans County deputy, said he wanted to con centrate on the county’s dmg trade. “I can sit on my front porch or in my living room and see drug (deals) teJdng place,” he said, adding he would like to in vestigate individuals he believed were paying burglars and thieves for stolen property. “All problems are major,” he said. ‘You should treat sdl cases the same.” “We try to keep track of ev erything that goes on but it changes everyday,” Lothian said. “There are things I’ve done that people may not agree (with) but no one can say I’ve backed down from a challenge.” Drugs are the area’s major problem. “Ehrerything is drug related, it’s related to money,” he said. Lothian said the demand for drugs must be stopped and the county’s DARE (Drug Abuse Re sistance Education) program was doing that. He said pressure must be applied to the General Assembty to keep prisoners in prison. Deputies honored a L Deputies Anthony Spellman (left) and Nicky Viselii bending a fugitive from Portsmouth, Va. recently, were honored for meritorious service by the Perqui- Mack Nixon presented the pair certificates of appre- mans County Commissioners for their part in appre- ciation. (Photo by Susan Harris) Industrial development leads commissioners’ candidate concerns By GINGER LIVINGSTON The Daily Advance School board candidates address goals for building strong education system By GINGER UVINGSTON The Dally Advance Candidates for the Perquimans County Board of Education think Per quimans schools can be the foimdation for one of the region’s top school sys tems. Candidates talked about their goals for the school S3retem during a forum sponsored by the Hertford Business and Professional Women’s Club Tues day evening in the old Perquimans County Coimthouse. The coipity should be open to state auditing so it can receive funds to implement “home rule,” which will give the local system greater self-control, said Charles Cheezum. “I would like more parents to get DEADLINES • Advertising Mon. 3:00 p.m. • News Mon. 3:00 p.m. The Perquimans Weekly Involved and speak to school board matters,” he said. Helen O. Hunter thinks the board of education should do more to publi cize its meetings and work. “Maybe a week before the meeting we should publish an agenda,” she said. Hunter said her work as a parent volunteer and chaperone gave her in sight into the challenges feeing teach ers and students. “We parents can not let the teach ers do It all,” she said. She thinks the board should look at ways of judging student achievement instead of relying on traditional testing methods. Walter Leigh, the only incumbent candidate, said work to upgrade the schools, especially the renovation of Perquimans County Middle School, should make the county proud. He said he would continue offering experi ence to the broad of education. He also wanted to work on Increasing teacher qualifications. Marjorie Rayburn said her three oldest children have attended school at Appalachian State University, Duke University and the N.C. School of Mathematics and Science. “1 think that shows Perquimans County Schools produce quaUty stu dents,” she said. Rayburn said her job as a pest control management specialist gave her an educator’s background. Cathy Terranova said residents need to be tuned into the education process and the proper education envi ronment. She also wants to board of education to address the needs of above average students. “We do a good job with the stu dents in the elementary grades but that (wanes) in junior high and high school,” she said, adding she would also like the board of education to pur chase more educational equijpment. Board of Education candidate Clif ford P. Towe was not at the forum. The development of an industrial park and environmental concerns will be the issues facing the Perquimans County Board of Commissioners. These topics were addressed by the four candidates seeking election to the board of commissioners during a candi dates forum sponsored by the Hertford Business zmd ftofessional Women’s Club, here, Tuesday evening. David Bines Jr., who was appointed to the commission last year under the U.S. Department of Justice’s new voting act for Perquimans County, said community in volvement motivates him to run. ‘Tm not a career politician. I have a career,” he said. “I think I’m adequately involv^ (In community) but I don’t spread myself too thin.” Bines said environmental issues needed addressing. Plastics recycling should be offered in the county along with programs to manage the waste flow into tile landfill, he saia while answering a question posed by the forum’s modera tor. ‘You know what I’ve been up to the last four years,” incumbent candidate Leo Higgins said. ‘Tonight I want to talk about my passion.” Higgins said the coimty’s tax burden neededto be shifted from the citizen tax payer, to industrfel taxpayer. Recruiting industry and establishing an industrlm park is the only way this can be accom plished, he said. “We’ve got to put In place a full-time, no nonsense industrial developer,” he said. Higgins said the county could pay for the industrial park development through a slight tax increase. Mack Nixon echoed Higgins’ call for in dustrial development. “We can’t continue spending all our earnings on ad valorem taxes. We need Industry,” he said. Jobs would also allow the county to ex ploit Its best resource - its children, Nixon said. “It’s Important to provide jobs to give them a decent income so they can stay in the coimty,” he said. Charles H. Ward thinks there should be more community involvement in govern ment. “I wish we could get the folks at cable TV to broadcast our meetings on public ac cess,” he said. Different points of view make up the board of commissioners and Ward thinks his point of view may be helpful. “I think in the long range. I think for too memy years we’ve thought in the short- range,” Ward said. “A lot of times I don’t feel we’re getting our monk’s worth for the taxes we’re charged.” Ward said he is also committed to and Involved in developing a Perquimans County Industrial park. Tourism devel opment should also be promoted. The Perquimans County Primary elec tion Is May 3. It will be the first time Per quimans residents vote imder the new U.S. Department of Justice plan. County resi dents can only choose one of the four com mission candidates, said Ginger O’Neal, Perquimans County Board of Elutions su pervisor. Any ballots with two or more marked choices will be declared invalid and will be set aside. The top three vote getters will be seated on the commission. Basnight to visit school On Monday, April 18 Senator Marc Basnight will visit Perquimans County Middle School in Wlnfall. At 11:45 a.m. a brief reception honoring Senator Basnight will be held in the front lobby. After a few brief comments, the Senator will be avail able to answer questions for approxi mately 30 minutes. Prior to the reception he will be addressing a class at the Middle School. The reception is open to the public. Any questions concerning this event should be directed to Brenda Lassiter, Perquimans County Schools Board of Ed ucation, at 426- 5741. Dadd/s D3ring ii ■ ■■ Ov. M- Bootstrap Acting Company opened to Lowake, Texas, home of the its spring production, Daddy’s Dy- Turnovers and Cheatin’ fame. For ing’, Who^s Got the Wiii?” Friday reservations, cail Angler’s Cove, night at Angler’s Cove Dinner The- The play runs weekends through ater. The play takes audiences back April.
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
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April 14, 1994, edition 1
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