January 11,
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The Perquimans Weekly
350
Vol. 64, No. 1
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Let it snow!
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PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Anthony Skinner, 5, (left) and Clinton Skinner, 7, braved the them to keep their hands in it for long. The Skinners were
cold winds Monday to play in the snow. The duo set out to two of Perquimans County’s school children who enjoyed
make snowballs, but both said the snow was too cold for two days out of school due to the weather.
Winter storm hits Albemarle
Snow, icy
roads close
schools for
two days
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
It came quietly in the
night, but the storm that hit
the Albemarle area Saturday
evening was apparent
Sunday morning when the
ground was covered with a
white blanket.
Although most of
Saturday’s snowfall had been
washed away by Sunday
afternoon, the storm contin
ued to hold its firm grip on
the Albemarle area, produc
ing high winds, rain, snow
and extremely cold weather.
Perquimans was one of the
area school districts that
announced a two-hour delay
for opening school Monday.
But before school buses
began making their rounds.
more snowfall, coupled with
low temperatures, caused
school officials to close
school for the day. Continued
snowfall and low tempera
tures kept the schools closed
on Tuesday also.
County and town offices
closed around 2 o’clock
Monday afternoon as snow
continued to fall and sec
ondary roads had icy patch
es.
By Tuesday at noon, much
of the snow had melted. Some
forecasters were calling for
additional flurries before the
weekend.
Both the Perquimans
County Sheriff’s Department
and Hertford Police
Department reported no acci
dents caused by the treacher
ous road conditions.
A Perquimans County
ambulance, however, suf
fered $2,500 in damages when
it was hit by a car while
transporting an accident vic
tim to Chowan Hospital
Saturday night.
Neither the ambulance dri
ver, Melanie Hollowell of
Hertford, nor the patient
attendant, Sid Eley of
Hertford, were injured dur
ing the incident.
The patient, Willie
Foreman, 25, of Route 4,
Hertford suffered no addi
tional injuries and was trans
ported to Chowan Hospital
for treatment.
Foreman had been
involved in a weather-related
car accident on U.S. Highway
17 bypass in Perquimans
County. The accident was
handled by the N.C. Highway
Patrol.
The other vehicle’s driver,
Nina Litterst of 512 Dobbs
Street, Hertford, was charged
with exceeding a safe speed
for road conditions. She was
also transported to Chowan
Hospital.
The accident happened
around 6:45 p.m. a quarter-
mile from the Virginia Road
Interchange on U.S. Highway
17 Bypass.
Litterst was traveling
northon the highway when
the rear of her 1986 Pontiac
began sliding right. The car
went into a 180-degree spin
and crossed the center line,
hitting the ambulance.
Litterst was traveling 35
mph.
Her car sustained $4,500 in
damages.JForeman was
involved in a similar acci
dent shortly after 6 p.m. He
had been traveling south on
U.S. 17 bypass near Rural
Paved Road 1340 when his car
went into a spin and hit
another vehicle.
Foreman was also charged
with exceeding a safe speed
for road conditions.
Neither the town of
Hertford Utilities
Department nor Albemarle
Electric Membership
Corporation reported power
outages or other storm-relat
ed problems.
State Department of
Transportation officials
stayed busjt clearing, sanding
and salting roadways. There
were still reports of icy spots
Tuesday morning, but U.S.
Highway 17 was reportedly
clear with no traffic prob
lems.
State leadership training
classes offered to pnblic
Leadership North Carolina,
a six-month innovative educa
tional leadership program
designed for emerging leaders
from across the state from the
public, private and non-profits
sectors, is currently taking
applications for the third and
fourth classes which begin in
April 1996 and January 1997,
respectively.
The program consists of a
two-day orientation retreat
and five one and one-half day
monthly seminars held in vari
ous regions of the state.
Session topics include:
Government, Economic
Development, Education,
Health Care and Human
Services, Environment, and
Quality of Life. Leaders from
the various topical fields par
ticipate as panelists and speak
ers to address with the class
the most current issues and
concerns. Class members par
ticipate in case studies and
discussion groups as well as
visit many places of interest in
the meeting locations.
The program is open to all
citizens of the state. A selec
tion committee will give spe
cial consideration to ensure
geographic, occupational, race
and gender diversity of the
class. Successful candidates
will have demonstrated leader
ship in their local communi
ties and indicate a willingness
to serve the state in the future.
A limited number of partial
scholarships will be awarded
based upon financial need.
Applications forms can be
obtained by contacting Marian
Phillips, Executive Director, at
the Leadership North Carolina
office: Phone: 919-279-6655.
Cleaning up
IE
SUBMITTED PHOTO
The town of Hertford undertook a massive tire cleanup
effort on town property at the waste treatment plant. The
Gates County Correctional Facility provided inmate labor.
Funds to cover the cost of transportation and disposal.
Regional Landfill Director Jerry Parks assisted.
Stubbing takes
seat on county
commissioners
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
E^tor
Eveyn B. Stubbins was
sworn in as Perquimans
County’s newest commission
er during the commissioners’
meeting on Jan. 2.
Stubbins, who retired last
year as a home economics
teacher with the Perquimans
County School System, was
chosen to replace David Bines
Jr. Bines died in October. She
will fill Bines’ unexpired term
which runs through 1998.
The commissioners
reviewed two step increases
requested by county depart
ment heards at the December
meeting, one for chief sheriff’s
deputy Dean Cartwright and
one for building inspector
Aubrey Onley.
Sheriff" David Lane’s initial
request for Cartwright’s
increase was denied. However,
commisisoners readdressed
the request later in the meet
ing when discussing an
increase for Onley. Both coun
ty employees were approved
for single step increases in
July when the 1996-97 fiscal
budget takes affect. County
Manager Paul Gregory said
the increases will cost the
county about $1,700.
Lane had requested the
increase for Cartwright in
December, Cartwright’s one-
year anniversary date with the
sheriffs department. He told
commissioners Cartwright
had been told when he was
hired that he would be
reviewed for a step increase
after 12 months.
The request for Onley came
after the building inspector
successfully completed state
courses which moved him
from a Level 1 to a Level 2
inspector.
A request by interim tax
supervisor Cheryl Phillips to
approve the use of a new book
to determine the value of farm
equipment was approved.
Phillips told the board that val
ues were being placed on
equipment based on what they
were worth on a dealer’s lot,
Gregory said. The new book
assigns values on the equip
ment as it sits in the farmer’s
possession.
Farm agencies in the county
are expected to present several
proposals to the county at the
board’s February meeting con
cerning moving all farm-relat
ed agencies into one building.
At present, the Farm Services
Agency and former Farmers
Home Administration offices
are located at the Albemarle
Commission building. The
extension service and natural
resources conservation ser
vice are housed in the exten
sion building.
Gregory said he expects pro
posals on adding onto existing
buildings to house all agencies
under one roof and building a
new building.
Perquimans and
Pasquotank counties have
both sent letters to the
Intercounty Water
Department-indicating their
willingness to talk to
Intercounty officials about
splitting Intercounty’s cus
tomers between Pasquotank
and Perquimans.
Lewis Smith was appointed
to the Winfall
Planning/Zoning Board per a
request from Winfall Mayor
Fred Yates.
Deborah Spence has
returned to fill a social work
er’s position at the
Department of Social Services
vacated by Ellen Ferrell.
Sex offender registration law
takes effect in North Carolina
Convicted sex offenders in
North Carolina are now
required to register with the
local sheriff’s department per
a law that took affect Jan. 1.
Perquimans Sheriff’s
Deputy Anthony Spellman
said Monday that no one has
registered in Perquimans
County.
The new law will give com
munities access to information
about people in their neighbor
hoods. Residents may request
and review information about
any registered sex offender
from the sheriff. Information
includes the type of offense,
personal information and a
photograph of the offender.
According to Sean Walsh
with the governor’s office, sex
offenders who fail to register
may be charged with a class III
misdemeanor. District
Attorney Frank Parrish said
the punishment for a Class II
conviction could be up to 20
days in jail and a maximum
fine of $200 depending on the
offender’s number of prior
convictions.
Some law enforcement offi
cials are concerned that so
light a penalty will not force
offenders to register as
required by law.
Governor Hunt proposed
the new law in his campaign to
make the state safer.
Outside
FRIDAY
High: Low:
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CLEAR
CHANCE OF RAIN
PARTLY CLOUDY