July 4, The Perquimans Weekly 350 Vol. 64, No. 27 The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people Hertford, North Carolina 27944 Local flags fly at Olympics Local company makes 48,000 American flags By SUSAN R. HARRIS Editor Perquimans County won’t host the U.S. Olympic Summer Games. No county athletes will enter the field of competition. But this small North Carolina county is playing a role in the games that will draw people from all across the globe to Atlanta, Ga. As people enter the opening ceremonies of the Summer Games in Atlanta, 48,000 flags made in Perquimans County will be distributed to them, according to Carl Terranova, president of Apricot, Inc., located on Don Juan Road in Hertford. Apricot, Inc. was contracted to produce 4,000 dozen flags for distribution during the Olympic ceremonies. Terranova said a “friend of a friend” recommended the local company be contacted about making the flags. The company’s reputation for pro ducing quality work in a time ly manner is responbile for the contract. For weeks now, the produc tion area at Apricot, Inc. has been colored red, white and blue as employees have worked to fill the Olympic sized order. “There are flags every where,” Terranova said. Terranova said Apricot employees seem to be pleased that the company was chosen to produce the flags. “They (the employees) think it’s pretty neat,” Terranova said. “They’re very impressed.” And Terranova gave much of the credit for Apricot’s flag contract to the quality work produced by the company’s employees. “It’s not just the Terranova family represented, but the employees as weU. It’s our rep utation, all of us (that led to the contract),” Terranova said. “We all take pride in our work.” When millions of television viewers watch the opening cer emonies of the Olympics, they probably will not realize that almost 50,000 of the American flags that are sure to be wav ing around the stadium were made in a place most have never even heard of, ■ Perquimans County, North Carolina. But the 10,t01 people who call Perquimans County home wiU. PHOTO BY BRIAN MCLAUGHLIN, THE DAILY ADVANCE Employees at Apricot, Inc. in Hertford make some of the 48,000 American flags produced by the company for distribution at the Summer Olympic games in Atlanta, Ga. Lady Tigers win State Games gold PCMS team takes third season crown By SUSAN R. HARRIS Editor The Perquimans County Middle School Lady Tigers softball team picked up its third championship of the sea son Sunday with a gold medal at the State Games of North Carolina. In April, the team defeated First Flight and Camden to take the Perquimans Invitational Tournament championship for the second straight year. When the Coastal Athletic Conference season ended in May, the Lady Tigers had tallied a 13-1 record to take a share of the confer ence crown. Playing their last games as a team in June, the squad won three games to take its second consecutive 14-and- under slow pitch title at the State Games. The team’s over all record is 18-1. “This team did something no other team in Perquimans Middle School history has done,” said Lady Tigers coach Sid Eley. “They played hard this year and every member of our team truly contributed. At some, point during the season, every one of our players made the key play or had the key hit. It was just a super effort by the The Lady Tigers celebrated a gold medal sea son after taking the team’s second consecu tive State Games 14-and-under softball cham pionship. Team members are (left to right, front) eighth graders Jodie Bridgers, Lindsey Ferrell, Mindy Roberson, Courtney Harris, PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS Michelle Nixon, Lauren Piontkia, Kristen Winslow, Blair Winslow, (back) coach Sid Eley, seventh graders Ashley Copeland, Jessica Couvillon, Lisa Dail, Lisa Harris, Natalie Layden, Ashley Winslow and base coach Susan Harris. girls.” Eley said the team’s tough est challenge was winning the State Games title. After play ing slow pitch during the spring, most of the team mem bers began playing their first fast pitch softball with recre ation teams. Then while still playing fast pitch, they pre pared for slow pitch action at State Games. Plus, the competition at the State Games was fierce. Perquimans faced all-star squads from other areas. The Lady Tigers faced the Slammers, a hard-hitting team with solid defense, in game 1 of the State Games series. Using aggressive base running and defense, the Perquimans squad was able to take a 3-2 win. Perquimans completed dom inated Cary in game 2, win ning 13-0 on 12 hits, two sacri fices and four Cary errors, while committing only one error. The second win put Perquimans in the gold medal round, only to face the tough Slammers again on Sunday. Sunday’s game saw the Lady Tigers hit the ball all over the field, scoring 16 runs. Perquimans collected 20 solid hits, including five doubles, in the 16-11 win. The squad reached four times on errors and scored on a sacrifice. The Lady Tigers settled down to claim the win and the gold medal. Outside Come forth on the 4th! High: Low: 80s 60s PARTLY CLOUDY High: Low: 80s 70s SUNNY, WARMER High: Low: 80s 70s SUNNY Plans for the 4th of July cel ebration at Missing Mill Park call for a family atmosphere of fireworks and fun. On tap for the day are: • American Legion Post 126 pancake breakfast, 7 a.m. - noon. Legion building • Hertford Baptist Church Adult Choir mini-cantata, “America, God Shed His Grace on Thee,” 8:15 p.m, • Rev. John London, First Baptist Church, invocation. • Fireworks, 9 p.m. • Street dance featuring disc jockey Mickey Phelps, close of fireworks -11 p.m. Concessiops will be avail able at the park beginning at 5 p.m. Times for the events could be moved up if a storm threat ens Thursday evening Stallings added that pledges and donations have been received in the last week; how ever, the fireworks funds is i still short about $1,000. Donations are still being accepted in care of NationsBank. Chamber primed for success Indian Summer Festival ‘96 September 21 Indian Summer ‘96 set to be the best ever By SUSAN R. HARRIS Editor Indian Summer Festival 1996 will feature the biggest name ever to grace a local festival stage. Bill Deal and Fat Ammon, “The Sheiks of Shag,” will play for the street dance that traditionally climaxes the festival, according to Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sandra Smith. Smith said Deal called to confirm the engagement this weekend. “We are so excited to have Bill Deal and Fat Ammon coming to our festival,” Smith said. “The Chamber expects to draw many people to enjoy the band and street, dance. We hope that while our visitors are here, they will feel welcome, look at all we have to offer here in Perquimans County and make plans to return.” The festival is planned for Saturday, September 21. The day’s events will begin at 8 a.m., with the street dance closing the gala from 8-11 p.m. There is no charge for the dance. Smith said applications for booth rentals are available at the Chamber office. Booths rent for $35 each. Food, dis plays, arts, crafts and other items may be sold at the festi val. The festival is just one facet of the work done by the Chamber to promote Perquimans County. The group is actively involved in historic preservation, the annual county Christmas parade, the 4th of July festivi ties, business support and recruitment, regional eco nomic affairs, downtown revitalization and education. The Chamber Board of Directors voted to make Smith its full-time executive director last week. She for merly worked part-time. Smith said she and the board felt that the move to keep the Chamber office open and operating full-time shows the Chamber’s commitment to Perquimans County’s eco nomic well-being. Smith is now looking for volunteers to man the office when she must be out of town. “I want this office door open all during office hours,” Smith said. In January, the board gave Smith the green light to recruit a team to establish a countywide historic commis sion to promote the rich his tory of the county. Smith chose Becky Winslow to chair the commission. Winslow put together what Smith calls “a talented and proficient team” composed of co-chair Betty Stokes, Nancy Rascoe, Charles Skinner, Albert Eure, Jeri Oltman and Mary Darden Uker of the N.C. Department of Commerce. The group is leading the effort to establish non-restrictive historic dis tricts throughout the county. Smith said the commission is taking the right steps to 'establish the districts. Thf' ultimate goal is to help estab lish a tourism industry in the county. A fundraiser sponsored by the Chamber will be held on July 28 at Front Street home of Lucille Winslow to help defray the expenses of the research involved in estab lishing the districts. The Chamber will host a reception honoring recently- appointed Elizabeth City State University Chancellor Mickey Burnin on July 24 at Albemarle Plantation. Downtown revitalization is a major concern of the Chamber, and Smith said she is working closely with Perquimans County Economic Director Robert Baker to develop a strategic plan for revitalization and downtown improvement. Tiie Chamber is alse actively represented on the TnterAgency Council, th-^* Hampton icoa.iu: Chamber of Commerce, the Northeasteri: North Caroline Regional Economic Development Commission, the Northeastern North Carolina Tourism Professionals and several other groups. “We’re just really making a lot of good networking con nections,” Smith said. “Where we can promote Perquimans County, we are there. We’re exploring every a\^nue of development.” With 40 new members this year, the Chamber is grow ing. A '.lewsletter has been established to help keep members informed about Chamber activities. The Chamber board is described by Smith as active and progressive. “I have a wonderful, sup portive, progressive board,” Smith said. “I’m just really enthused at my board. They are committed to Perquimans County.” Larry Swindell serves as Chamber president. Paige Eure is vice president. Smith is secretary, and Gail Godwin is treasurer. Board members include Diane Stallings, Douglas Layden, Leo Higgins,‘Anna Smith, Alice Jean Winslow, Laurence Chappell and Billy Nixon. The board meets the fourth Tuesday of every month at the Chamber office. The meetings are open to all members; however. Smith said because of space limita tions, those wishing to attend should call ahead. “I can’t wait to get up and come to work every day,” Smith said. “I love my job and I’m really proud of what we are accomplishing here. People are excited about Perquimans County. I can just feel it in the air. “With the,vision, coopera tion and desire to he a part oi the growth of the county I've seen in the board, I am cer tain Perquimans County has a bright future.”

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