November 16,1995
013165 08/17/190* 7h
'BOUNTY library
IIJ W ACADEi^y ST
HERTFORD NC 279
The Perquimans Weekly
350
Vol. 63, No. 45
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Wolf still howls
Developer/marketer Steve Baldwin points out artists
in his drawing of the backdrop of the stage at the
proposed Wolfman Jack Memoriai Blues Park.
Baldwin joined Tod Smith, son of the legendary disc
PHOTO BY JOHN JACKSON, THE DAILY ADVANCE
jockey, and Lou Smith, his widow, at a press confer
ence at Belvidere Friday. Smith officialiy announced
plans to develop the outdoor theater and music
museum.
Robotic Wolfman Jack
will spin discs at
planned outdoor theater,
museum in Belvidere
Wolfman Jack’s famous howl will be
heard for generations when the the
ater/museum complex being planned to
memorialize him and his work in the
entertainment industry are finished.
Steve Baldwin, the Palm Springs devel
oper/marketer assisting with the develop
ment of the Wolfman Jack Memorial
Blues Park, said a robotic Wolfman will
be built for the museum. From his sound-
booth, the Wolfman will do his radio
show, thanks to the thousands of feet of
tape the disc jockey saved.
Baldwin was on hand with Robert
Smith’s family last Friday at a press con
ference at Belvidere plantation, where
plans for the complex were officially
announced. The widow of the late disc
jockey said she is pleased with her son’s
idea of building the park in his father’s
honor.
“I think he’d love it,” she said.
Careful consideration is being given to
developing the park in the quiet commu
nity of Belvidere, Baldwin and Tod Smith
said.
“I’m building this on my mother’s
property,” Smith said. “I wouldn’t want to
do anything to take away from the beauty
of this place or endanger my mother.”
Smith said acts reputed in the enter
tainment industry to bring trouble will
not be booked for the theater.
“We’re going to have a lot of fun. It’s
going to be a lot of fun on the family fun
level. We’re going to be bringing in good,
quality acts.”
Smith said local contractors will be
hired to construct the park, and the com
plex will provide jobs once open.
“We’re going to make sure that the
money stays in the community,” Smith
said.
Smith said he not only looks to book-
internationally known artists at the the
ater, but to provide a place for local talent
and church and theater groups to per
form.
A get-together for Belvidere residents
will be held soon to answer any questions
they may have about the complex and its
affect on the community. Smith said.
If all goes according to plan, the park
will be open in August 1996.
Cox officially back on board
Political veteran
sworn in Monday
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
It’s official. W.D. “Bill” Cox
is once again a player in
Hertford politics. t
After a 2-year break, Cox
ran a successful campaign for
a Hertford Town Council seat
last week. He was sworn in
Monday night during regular
session along with incumbent
councilman Billy L. Winslow
and mayor John G. Beers
Prior to the swearing in,
Eldon Winslow brought two
items of concern before coun
cil.
Winslow asked the board to
consider yet another alterna
tive to the congestion and
parking problems at the
town’s boat ramp.
Winslow said the state
Wildlife Resources
Commission had at one time
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Incumbent Hertford Town Coiuncilman Billy L. Winslow (left)
and W.D. “Bill” Cox take the oath of office administered by
Assistant Clerk of Court Sheila Ownley during regular session
of the town board. Re-elected Mayor John Beers was also
sworn in during the meeting.
expressed an interest in build
ing a boat ramp in Hertford.
Winslow suggested that the
town close the present boat
ramp and ask the wildlife
agency to build another in its
place. Winslow the town can
not accommodate the number
of vehicles brought in from out
of town at the present ramps.
Town officials have said in
the past that they cannot con
trol boat ramp use because
grant monies were used for its
construction.
In addition, Winslow asked
that the town officially oppose
the $4 million bond referen
dum proposed by the county.
Town residents are also coun
ty residents, but do not use the
water system and therefore
should not pay for its facelift,
Winslow said.
Town manager John
Christensen said it would
depend on which type of bond
the county attempts to sell
whether all county residents
or only county water cus
tomers will be obligated.
Council asked Christensen
to write to county officials for
information on the matter and
report back to the board.
T
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Hertford DMV clerk Judy Bateman assists with moving the com
puter system from the town office annex to the main office
Monday. The DMV is now open for business in the same loca
tion as the Hertford utilities office.
DMV office moves
Hertford Housing Authority
wants soiid waste fee break
Hertford Housing Authority wants a
break on the solid waste fees charged by
the county.
Director Rhonda Waters asked the com
missioners on Nov. 6 to consider reducing
the $60 per unit fee billed by the county in
September for payment by Jan. 1,1996.
Waters, who has served as agency
director for about six months, said the
county charged a cut rate in 1993, then
sent a bill for the difference in the full adn
reduced rates plus the current year’s
billing in 1994. That resulted in a $14,000-
plus payment from the authority to the
county in 1995, Waters said.
But county manager Paul Gregory told
Waters and the board that the authority
received no rate reductions in 1993. He
said after reviewing the issue, the hous
ing authority board opted to pay its share
of the county’s solid waste management
fee. The initial fee was $25 per household.
The next year the fee rose to $60 to cover
costs. The authority paid bills for both
years in 1995 because its budget was set
before the solid waste fee was implement
ed by the county, and therefore no funds
were available in 1994, Gregory told
Waters.
The authority anticipates budget cuts
next year of about 25 percent. Waters said,
stretching its resources. She asked for a
reduction of the fee billed for this fiscal
year. There is no way to pass the fee on to
residents, she added.
Waters reminded the board that the
authority had received a grant and is
spending $18,000 of the money to help the
county purchase a PIN system for law
enforcement.
County attorney John Matthews said
he could recall no exceptions in the solid
waste ordinance. Board chairman Mack
Nixon asked Matthews to review the ordi
nance and report back to the board.
A change has taken place at
the DMV office in Hertford.
DMV has moved from the
Chamber of Commerce suite
in the Hertford town office
annex to the main municipal
office. It operates in the same
space as the town clerk and
utilities office.
The town took over the
DMV office in Febrary, when
the Chamber opted to drop the
service. Chamber officials said
DMV wanted a back-up office
operator, which the Chamber
could not afford to provide.
Fearing that state officials
would choose not to have a
DMV office in Hertford should
it close, the town council
moved quickly to take it over.
The town elected to leave DMV
in the Chamber office with a
town employee hired to oper
ate it. Other town employees
were to be cross-trained at
DMV to help during vacations
and other DMV clerk absens-
es.
Judy Bateman was hired as
CMV clerk. Utilities clerk
Nancy Chappell served as
Bateman’s backup. Marsha
Harriman also worked at that
time in the town utilities
office.
In a move to improve effi
ciency and allow for better
customer service, the DMV
was relocated this week. Town
manager John Christensen
said both Bateman and
Chappell will be trained to
serve utilities and DMV cus
tomers.
Also, Harriman resigned,
and moving DMV to the main
office will allow the town not
to replace her. Another factor
in making the decision to
move DMV and not replace
Harriman was the town’s tax
billing and collection contract
with the county.
State officials were in
Hertford Monday relocating
the DMV computer system.
The office was closed that day,
but was scheduled to reopen
on Tuesday.
Inside
Groups prepare for holiday events
Outside
Tigers are conference
co-champs Page?
Red Ribbon Week
Page 4
County volunteers
honored by
Gov. Hunt Page 3
Chamber calendar
already lists three
Christmas galas
There will be a lot of merry
making in Perquimans County
during the holidays.
Three events already listed
on the Chamber of Commerce
community calendar are:
- Dec. 2 - Christmas parade.
The kick-off to the season will
feature grand marshal Don
Slater, at least five bands,
floats, fire trucks, antique
cars, twirlers, dancers. Scouts,
horses and more. The parade
steps off from the high school
at 2 p.m.
Following the parade, the
Rockin’ Willie Band will per
form downtown.
- Dec. 7 - Christmas Ramble.
The tour will include four
homes in the Whiteston area
decked out for the holidays, as
well as the Up River Friends
Meetinghouse.
- Dec. 12 - Downtown
Hertford musical celebration.
Three Perquimans County
Schools bands, soloists,
church choirs and the commu
nity choir will present holiday
favorites on Church Street.
Church Street will be
blocked off between Grubb and
Market streets after the parade
and for the musical celebra
tion downtown.
High:
Low:
High:
Low:
High:
Low:
50s
30s
50s
30s
60s
40s
PARTLY SUNNY
PARTLY SUNNY
CLEAR, WARMER