June 27,1996
11
>1,^;
01 M.’ 0"/17/19?6 20
AN-' c - .:TY l::ra-y
■ C Y ST
C 7^44
The Perquimans Weekly
350
Vol. 64, No. 26
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Nature’s fury/lightning strikes
PHOTOS BY SUSAN R. HARRIS
Lightning struck Winslow Grove A.M.E. Zion Church in destroyed the historic structure. Five fire departments
Belvidere Monday night, sparking a blaze that completely responded to the fire at the 111-year-old structure.
Fire destroys
local church
Blaze blamed
on lightning
striking steeple
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
The steeple bell that had
called a community to wor
ship for many years may
have attracted the lightning
that destroyed a Belvidere
church Monday night.
Winslow Grove A.M.E.
Zion Church lay smotddering
Tuesday morning after an
apparent lightning strike to
the church steeple sparked a
blaze late Monday night. All
that remained standing were
the front and back walls of
the structure. A lone pew, its
end broken, lay in front of
church, one of the only rem
nants of the historic struc
ture that escaped the blaze.
Firefighters were dis
patched to the church just
before 11 p.m. Monday.
Sheriff David Lane said
Belvidere-Chappell Hill fire
fighters Bernie Winslow,
Jimmy Chappell and
Kenneth Winslow were first
on the scene. They arrived to
find the steeple fully
engulfed, according to fellow
firefighter Jennifer Layden.
The flames soon swept
through the Ill-year-old
wood frame buUding. .
Aside from the bench, only
the collection plates and a
certificate were salvaged
from the building. The
church Bible was recovered,
but sustained significant
damage, Layden said.
Fire personnel were called
back to the scene Tuesday
morning around 7:25 when
the blaze rekindled.
In addition to firefighters
from Belvidere-Chappell Hill,
Hertford, Winfall, Hobbsville
and Crossroads, also on the
scene were Lane and deputy
Ersal Overton. Lane said he
interviewed the first respon
ders as well as the motorist
who spotted the blaze.
Firefighters reported that
they arrived to find both
entry doors to the church
locked and all windows down
and secured. Fire personnel
had to break the doors to
gain entry to fight the fire.
Lane said. The windows
broke when the water used to
fight the flames hit the hot
glass.
The sheriff said he was on
the scene within a minute of
receiving the call. The fire
was reported by a
A lone pew lays on the ground at the Winslow Grove
A.M.E. Zion Church site. The bench, a certificate and offer
ing plates were all that escaped the fire unscathed. The
church Bible was recovered, but sustained significant
damage.
Perquimans County resident
who was notified by a pass
ing'motorist that the steeple
was on fire. Lane said the
motorist reported seeing
lightning hitting “all around
the area” when he passed the
church.
Based on his investigation
and the fact that there was a
heavy metal bell housed in
the steeple. Lane said he sus
pects no foul play.
Several of the church’s 29
members and its pastor. Rev.
Otis Brothers, gathered at
the site while firefighters bat
tled the blaze. Brothers said
he was notified of the fire at
his home in Woodville by one
of the church members.
The minister said he
expects to meet with church
members this week to begin
making plans for a location
in which to worship and to
raise funds to rebuild the
church. A small fellowship
building on the church
grounds was unharmed, but
Brothers said it is too small
for services.
Church treasurer Annie
Gordon opened a building
fund at Centura Bank,
Hertford, Tuesday morning.
Anyone wishing to donate to
the fund may send a check to
Winslow Grove A.M.E. Zion
Church Building Fund, C/0
Centura Bank, P.O. Box 219,
Hertford, N.C. 27944.
The fire call was the third
received by the Hertford unit
Monday night. Firefighters
responded to Perquimans
County High School twice
earlier in the evening when
the school’s alarm self-acti
vated.
Yates on task force
From staff reports
Gov. Jim Hunt announced
the 21 members of a new task
force designed to find ways to
protect churches around the
state from racially-motivated
fires and other acts of racial
and religious violence. Winfall
Mayor Fred Yates is among
those appointed.
The task force includes
state Attorney General Mike
Easley, who will serve as
chairman. Sec. of Crime
Control and Public Safety
Richard Moore, SBI Director
Jim Coman, state Sen. Jeanne
Lucas of Durham, state Rep.
William Wainwright of
Havelock, Skip Alston of
Greensboro, acting state presi
dent of the NAACP; and sever
al law enforcement officials,
citizens and ministers.
Recently, Hunt traveled to
Washington, D.C. with other
southern governors to meet
with President Bill Clinton,
Vice-President A1 Gore,
Attorney General Janet Reno
and other members of
Clinton’s cabinet to discuss
the federal government’s
response and other measures
to fight the rash of church
fires.
Hunt created the task force
to develop strategies to protect
religious freedom for all North
Carolina citizens.
Hunt and the legislative
Black Caucus are developing
legislation to stiffen penalties
for burning churches.
Fireworks fund is
short on donations
The 4th of July may lose
some of its planned sparkle
and boom if last-minute
donations are not received
to help pay for the fire
works show.
According to Diane
Stallings, coordinator of the
event, donations are still
$1,500 under the cost of the
fireworks.
Not only does the lack of
funds jeopardize the fire
works show, but other
activities for the day. With
no money, there will not be
the street dance that tradi
tionally accompanies the
local Independence Day cel
ebration.
Stallings would like to
offer the street dance as
well as other entertainment
for the evening, but said
that donations are neces
sary in order to provide
additional activities.
Donations to the fire
works fund may be made to
Fireworks Fund, C/0
NationsBank, P.O. Box 46,
Hertford, N.C. 27944.
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Perquimans County Forest Ranger Clarence Watson (left) and
Cooperative Extension Agent Lewis Smith measure a forest
stewardship tract.
Forestry Service
activities varied
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
There’s a lot more to the
N.C. Forestry Service than
putting water on forest fires
and dressing up as Smokey
Bear.
Perquimans County Ranger
Clarence Watson counted
among his department’s pro
jects over the past year forest
management, reforestation
and cost-share, fire control,
sedimentation and stream
obstruction, pest control and
urban assistance, and informa
tion and education activities.
The forest stewardship pro
gram is “one of the best to
come down through the state
from the federal level,” accord
ing to Watson. This year, two
stewardship forests were certi
fied. The projects encom
passed 125 acres of land. The
plans were prepared by the
Freest Service with technical
and professional assistance
from other county agencies.
A stewardship plan is con
structed according to goals of
individual landowners. A
landowner must own a mini
mum of 10 acres of woodland
to qualify for the program.
Plans which include the
landowners’ ideas are drawn
up under at least two of four
categories: forestry, wildlife,
soU and water, and recreation.
Generally, plans have a work
ing schedule of 10 years.
Perquimans has 28 tracts of
land in the program.
Examples of uses of the land
incorporated into stewardship
plans vary because of the indi
vidual wants and needs of
landowners. One landowner
opted to clear a trail through
the woods upon which to ride
horses. Another sought to pro
tect wildlife and fowl by pro
viding a habitat including food
and shelter.
The agencies whose person
nel work together to plan the
forest management projects
form the Perquimans County
Stewardship Committee.
Members are Watson; Herb
erase, N.C. Forest Service;
Tommy Riddick, Farm
Services Agency; Lewis Smith,
Cooperative Extension;
Dwayne Hinsen, Natural
Resources Conservation
Service; and Dale Davis, N.C.
Wildlife.
Forestry personnel also
assisted in re-establishing 477
acres into productive forest
land. Through the
Reforestation and Cost-Share
Program, over $17,246 of state
and federal money was distrib
uted to landowners.
In addition, 10 forestry
plans were prepared on a total
of 304 acres. The plans assisted
landowners in the manage
ment of their standing timber.
Thirty-six forest regeneration
plans were prepared on a total
of 1,548 acres.
One of the Forestry
Service’s growing problems is
outbreaks of southern pine
beetles. The varmints can wipe
out a stand of timber. Last
year, 85 landowners were
assisted with outbreaks of
southern pine beetles existing
on 563 acres of forest land.
Outbreaks were controlled by
cutting the spot and a 100-foot
buffer zone to stop the insect’s
movement. Although some
areas are now beetle-free,
Watson said the insects contin
ue to destroy timber here.
Watson said many people
are not aware of the varied
services offered by the N.C.
Forestry Service. County resi
dents interested in finding out
more about any of the pro
grams offered by the service
may contact Watson at 426-
5551.
Outside
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
High:
Low:
High:
Low:
High:
Low:
80s
70s
. 80s
70s
80s
70s
PARTLY SUNNY
PARTLY SUNNY
PARTLY SUNNY