December 7,1995
11
^17/-
The Perquimans Weekly
350
Vol. 63. No. 47
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Two more
plead guilty
in federal
PARADE/Share the Joys of G
By JOHN JACKSON
The Daily Advance
Two more Hertford men
suspected of taking part in a
massive drug ring pleased
guilty to drug charges in U.S.
District court in Elizabeth City
last Thursday.
James Louis Riddick, 52,
pleaded guilty to charges of
distribution of crack cocaine.
U.S. Prosecutor Jane Jolly said
other charges against Riddick,
conspiracy to sell and distrib
ute crack cocaine and criminal
forfeiture of property, were
dismissed as a result of
Riddick’s agreement to a plea
bargain.
Delaware Khan Hunter, 30,
another member of the drug
ring, also pleaded guilty to
charges of conspiracy to sell
and distribute crack cocaine
and criminal forfeiture.
Because of his plea agreement,
two charges of distribution of
crack cocaine were dismissed,
Jolly said.
The drug ring the two men
belonged to was led by Barry
Ford and his brother, Willie.
The Fords pleaded guilty to
charges of conspiracy to sell
and distribute crack cocaine
in U.S. District Court in
Raleigh last Monday. They
could be sentenced to life in
prison, according to prosecu
tors.
Riddick faces a maximum
20-year sentence in federal
prison, a $1 million fine and
three years of supervised pro
bation.
Hunter could receive 10
years to life in federal prison,
a $4 million fine and five years
of supervised probation.
When apprehended. Hunter
had 57.4 grams of crack
cocaine in his possession.
Because of the large quantity.
Hunter will receive the 10-year
to life sentence. Jolly said.
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PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Perquimans County officially welcomed the holidays
Saturday, when the annual Christmas parade made its way
through the streets of Hertford. Over 70 units entered the
holiday event. Among the winning entries was the Snug
Harbor 4-H float (above), which earned second place in the
church/civic catgegory.
Parade ushers in the holidays
By GINGER LIVINGSTON
The Daily Advance
The weekend following Thanksgiving
may mark the start of the Christmas
season in most communities, but in
Hertford the holiday doesn’t get under
way until the annual Christmas parade
winds its way through the streets.
The Christmas spirit hit Hertford like
gang busters Saturday when over 70
floats, fire trucks, mairching groups and
bands participated in the Perquimans
County Chamber of Commerce parade.
“I was very pleased with the partici
pation and with the folks who jumped in
to make it a success. I think it was a real
drawing card for downtown Hertford.
Everyone, especially the volunteers,
deserves a big thanks,” said A.O.
Roberts, Perquimans County Chamber
of Corhmerce pre.sident.
Christmas parades are important tra
ditions for small communities, Roberts
said.
“It’s drawing people together to being
sharing the holiday spirit and the enjoy
ment of Christmas,” he said.
Parade organizers were unsure how
many people lined Hertford’s streets.
“I was riding in it but I feel it was as
big a group as we ever had,” Roberts
said.
“The downtown was full and the
streets were crowded even before the
parade.”
Don Slater, WAVY-TV channel 10
weatherman, was this year’s grand mar
shal.
Parade-goers said it was one of the
best events in Hertford.
“I like the bands and the cars,” six-
yeeir-old Keith Vaughan said.
His mother, Rita Vaughan, said they
came to the parade to cheer on 4-Hers
who had entered a float. “It’s a lot of
fun,” she said.
Awards were given to bands and sev
eral floats. 'The winners were:
Band competition (Perquimans High
School band does not compete) - first
place, Creswell High School; second
place, Perquimans Middle School
Eighth Grade Band.
Church/civic float - first place,
Perquimans Volunteer Rescue Squad;
second place. Snug Harbor 4-H Clubs.
School float - first place. Beacon
Academy; second place, Perquimans
County Head Start.
Business float - first place, Hertford
Downtown Merchants Association; sec
ond place, Hertford Hardware.
Stubbins
tapped
to replace
Bines on
board
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Eitor I
The Perquimans County i
Board of Commissioners can j
look forward to having all six I
of its seats filled, again at the
January meeting. ^
Evelyn Stubbins, a retired :
Perquimans County home eco
nomics teachers, was chosen '
by majority to fill the seat
vacated by David Bines Jr.
Bines passed away in October.
Stubbins was one of the two
recommendations presented to
the commissioners by the
Perquimans Chapter of the
NAACP. Rev. John London
was also recommended.
The Democratic Party pre
sented the names of London
and Willie Ann Bines, wife of
the late David Bines Jr. Mrs.
Bines declined the nomina
tion.
Stubbins was nominated by
commissioner Charles
Skinner; London by commis
sioner Shirley Yates. Board
members Archie Miller, Mack
Nixon, Charles Ward and
Skinner voted for Stubbins;
Yates for London.
Stubbins will be sworn in at
the January meeting.
Other board appointments
included naming Cheryl
Phillips interim tax supervi
sor. Phillips will hold the title
for 90 days, at which time offi
cial action will be taken. The
appointment was retroactive,
as Phillips has been fulfilling
the duties of the position since
tax supervisor Tony Jordan
left to accept a positioji in
Wilkes County in November.
The job vacancy has not been
advertised.
Commissioners Mack Nixon
and Archie Miller were re
elected chairman and vice
chairman of the board, respec
tively.
Santa will leave county employees no Christmas bonus
Yates’ motion dies
for lack of second
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Whether they’re heartless
tightwads or conservative
money managers is a topic
that will no doubt be discussed
on the streets of Perquimans
this week.
The Perquimans County
Commissioners allowed a
motion by Shirley Yates to
give county employees a $200
Christmas bonus to die for
lack of a second. The motion
was to give all permanent full
time, permanent parttime and
other employees who work at
least 20 hours per week the
bonus.
The bonus would have
required approximately
$20,000 to be drawn from the
county’s fund balance, a with-
drawtil the board was obvious
ly hesitant to make.
“They’re going to look for
something,” Yates told fellow
board members while dis
cussing the issue. She said
because the county gave
bonuses last year, employees
would expect them this year.
She said the board should be
consistent.
Commissioner Charlie
I
David Bines accepts his father’s county commissioner name
plate from commissioners’ chairman Mack Nixon Monday.
Skinner said he had consid
ered Christmas bonuses care
fully because taxpayers have
talked with him about county
benefits. Employees are being
paid a salary to perform their
jobs and benefits not being “in
line” was a problem to some
people, he said.
Yates said the employees
should have been told in
advance that bonuses were not
included in the fiscal budget
passed in July.
“Let’s don’t wait till the last
minute and then decide you’re
not going to do it,” Yates said.
Board chairman Mack
Nixon said he thought the $200
bonuses paid last year came as
a result of lesser pay raises
than were requested by depart
ment heads.
Charles Ward reminded
commissioners that $20,000 “is
almost a penny on the tax
rate.”
County manager Paul
Gregory almost skipped the
item on the agenda because
Yates had nipped a request to
raise county building inspec
tor Aubrey Onley’s salary
because he received his level 2
certification in July.
Yates said she was not
squabblmg with the raise, but
that other items not included
in the budget were required by
board policy to be considered
at the second meeting after
their request.
Gregory said he considered
the funding of what he said
was “a couple hundred dol
lars” regular business because
employees who upgrade skills
have been approved for raises
in the past as soon as the coun
ty was made aware of the
upgrade.
Onley earned the certifica
tion about 5 months ago, but
only recently brought it to
Gregory’s attention because
Onley thought the state would
notify the county manager.
After several months passed
with no increase in pay,
Gregory said Onley questioned
Gregory about the raise.
The matter was tabled untU
the next meeting.
Another raise request
tabled until the next meeting
was that of Sheriff David Lane
to grant chief deputy Dean
Cartwright a merit raise. Lane
said Cartwright was hired
with the understanding that
he could anticipate a raise at
his performance appraisal in
one year. He was hired on Dec.
5,1994. Gregory said the raise
would cost the county about
$6,000, but that he would have
to carefully review budget
records to determine whether
the raise was included in the
fiscal budget.
Recreation director Lee
Hoffman addressed growth in
recreation and told the com
missioners a one-man depart
ment may not continue to be
feasible. With growth of 20-50
percent in traditional sports
and the addition of new pro
grams, one person may not be
able to continue to operate the
department, Hoffman said.
Ward recommended that
Hoffman look for volunteers to
fill the gap. But Yates support
ed the idea, saying she has
seen the hours Hoffman puts
in the duties he performs.
“He’s supposed to be the
director and he’s the worker.
He doesn’t have anybody to
direct is the way I see it,”
Yates said.
At the end of the meeting,
commissioners presented a
plaque and resolutions from
the local board and the state
association to Willie Ann
Bines, widow of past commis
sioner David Bines Jr., recog
nizing his service to the coun
ty. Bines’ nameplate was
accepted by his son, David.
Bines died in October at the
age of 47. -
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
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