June 13,
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■ COl^TY LIBRARY
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:C ' 7944
The Perquimans Weekly
350
Vol. 64, No. 24
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Lady Pirates are No. 3 in state
PHOTO BY SUSAN R. HARRIS
The Lady Pirates softball team was all smiles as the bus
pulled off from the campus of Perquimans High School
Saturday. A rainy Sunday afternoon postponed the 1-A state
championship double elimination tournament until Monday.
After defeating Surry Central in round 1, the Lady Pirates fell
in a nail-biter to Allegheny. Pamlico took advantage of
Perquimans’ emotional loss to defeat the Lady Pirates in
round 3. Please see page 6 for a tournament wrap-up.
PCHS
graduates
110
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
“Tonight is not a night of
the mind, but of the heart,”
Perquimans County High
School class of 1996 valectori-
an Alison Boone told her class
mates during her farewell
address at the school’s 71st
commencement exericses
Friday evening.
“May your every dream
become a reality; may your
every wish come true; and
may the candle of your hope
burn eternally throughout
your life,” Boone said in her
conclusion. “Remember those
basic rules you learned so long
ago in kindergarten and
remember to always abide by
one of the most important
rules of all: No matter how old
you are, when you go out into
the world, it is best to hold
hands and stick together.”
Boone took her classmates
down memory lane, going
back to their first day of school
together 13 years ago, and
moving through the lessons
learned on their joiirney.
“We have relied on our par
ents, teachers, and friends to
help us get to this point
tonight. They havej been our
safety nets. We are halfway
throughout journey. The rest
of the journey is now up to us.”
Class salutatorian Jackie
Downar welcomed the over
flow audience to the cer-
monies.
“It seems like only yester
day that we began high school,
a little nervous, yet very excit
ed,” Downar said. “We knew
the four years ahead of us
were going to be full of fun, but
also rough at times. We have
made good friends and great
memories together...After the
graduation ceremony tonight,
we will not leave behind these
old friends and memories, we
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Perquimans County High School’s 110 graduates file into the football stadium Friday night for
the school’s 71st commencement exercises.
will be adding to them. We will
have new goals to reach and
new friends with whom we
will make more memories.”
Guest speaker for the
evening was Lin Dawson,
Assistant Athletic Director for
Student Services at N.C. State
University. Dawson visited for
a Students Against Drunk
Driving Campaign earlier in
the year.
“Tonight is a night to
rejoice, but it is also a time of
preparation,” the former NFL
star told the graduates.
“Everything you have learned
to this point you will now put
to the test.”
Dawson used the Bible story
of Jesus feeding the multitude
with five loaves and two little
fishes in his talk.
“Nobody brought food but
one little boy,” Dawson said.,
stressing the need for prepara
tion.
Dawson also encouraged the
graduates to use their skills
and education to the fullest.
Among the graduates might
have been the young person
who will one day cure a dis
ease for which there is
presently no cure or help bring
about world peace, Dawson
said.
Valedictorian Alison Boone
“The greatness is among us
if we believe it,” he said of the
futures of the youth he
addressed. “It’s incumbent
upon you to take the challenge.
That little boy was willing to
give whatever was required.
You’re going to leave tonight
and we’re going to trust that
you are willing to do the same.
“We’re counting on you.
America needs you. If you
don’t do it, who wiU?”
Dawson continued,
“Tonight you need to rise with
the eagles. An eagle is not ordi
Proposed
county budget
holds line on
tax rate
Fund balance
will take hit to
keep rate down
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
There is good news and bad
news in the proposed 1996-97
budget for Perquimans
County.
The good news: The propos
al submitted to the county
commissioners by county
manager Paul Gregory does
not call for an increase in the
78 cents per $100 valuation
property tax rate.
The bad news: The county’s
fund balance will be hit for
$530,066 to keep the rate down.
Gregory presented a general
fund budget of over $6.7 mil
lion. Just over $3.4 million will
come from property taxes.
Other revenue sources, includ
ing sales tax, grants and
investment earnings, will
cover the other half of the
funds needed to operate the
county.
“Every Revenue Source has
therefore been pushed to the
ultimate limit,” Gregory’s bud
get message states. “I can only,
at this point, hope that aU that
we do this year will increase
the dollars coming in next
year to finance the ‘Citizen-
Requested’ Services.”
Gregory stated that all
items to be paid for from the
fund balance appropriation
are one-time expenditures and
should not impact next fiscal
year’s budget.
The budget calls for a 3 per
cent across-the-board raise for
county employees. It also adds
a provision for up to one-third
of the staff, “if found eligible
and deserving,” to receive a
one-step merit increase.
The budget calls for spend
ing $250,000 to construct a new
office building on county prop
erty.
“The need for this construc
tion project has existed now
for sometime,” Gregory stated.
At present, the county is
renting space at Apple Tree
Mall in Winfall to house part
of the Department of Social
Services.
The lion’s share of the coun
ty’s budget goes to social ser
vices. That department
expects to spend $1.88 million
next fiscal year. And Gregory
said that figure could increase
due to changes in federal
Medicaid regulations.
The county does get some
help on that budget, however,
with a state grant of $920,950.
If Gregory’s budget is
approved, the school system
will receive over $1.5 million.
Part of the funds for the school
system come from local option
sales taxes and the land trans
fer tax.
Law enforcement will take a
$343,425 bite out of the budget.
The largest line item in the
Sheriffs Department budget is
salaries, a $182,479 expense.
The department9 is also ask
ing for $4,500 for bailiffs and
$7,416 for the D.A.R.E. pro
gram.
The county expects to pay
over $207,000 to Albemarle
District Jail.
Industrial development will
■ take $267,906. That figure
includes the $157,241 payment
on the loan to purchase the
Perquimans Commerce
Centre.
Gregory’s proposal also
calls for holding the $60 solid
waste fee at $60 per household,
a fee that has not increased
since July 1, 1993. He cau
tioned, however, that holding
the fee steady will require that
the solid waste fund balance be
depleted.
A budget hearing has been
set for Monday, June 17 in the
courthouse annex at 7:30 p.m.
A copy of the budget is
available for review in the-
county manager’s office.
Inside
Cancer Awareness Day set
Page 2
Student celebrations
Pages 4, 7
Youth League update
Page 6
Salute to the Class of 1996
Page 8
Classifieds
Page 7
Salutatorian Jackie Downar
nary. We’re not calling you to
be ordinary tonight. We’re
calling you to be eagles and I
pray that you will. We’re
counting on you.”
In addition to receiving
diplomas, recognition was
given those students who
received scholarships. The
names of scholarships recipi
ents will be published in a
later edition of The
Perquimans Weekly.
A photograph of the class of
1996 appears on page 8; honor
students on page 5.
Outside
High: Low:
80s 70s
MOSTLY SUNNY
High: Low:
80s 70s
MOSTLY SUNNY
High: Low:
80s 70s
MOSTLY SUNNY