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The Perquimans Weekly
350
Vol. 64, No. 52
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County^^jpeople
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
PCMS Russian Festival
Sixth graders
culminate
Russia study
Sixth graders at Perquimans County Middle
School ended a study of Russia with a Russian
Festival Friday.
Art teacher and Cultural Arts Club advisor
Brenda Hollowell put together the program
which enhanced the study with lessons on
Russian language, music, dance and art.
Students were introduced to the Russian
language by Jeri Oltman, Perquimans County
librarian. Prior to her career in library sci
ence, Oltman taught Russian.
Using an overhead projector, Oltman taught
students Russian letters and their sounds.
Before her talk with over, students were able
to read the Russian words Oltman had project
ed on the screen in the auditorium.
Director of Choral Music Lynwood Winslow
led the group in singing Russian songs.
Selected students played bells in rhythm with
the music as they might have in a Russian
music class.
Hollowell shared a lesson on Russian icons.
Students who had already had the opportunity
to study, draw and paint icons displayed their
work.
Perquimans County High School sopho
more Brandy Hollowell talked to the group
about ballet, a popular form of dance in
Russia, before performing a free-style dance.
Hollowell chose the dance she performed in
the Miss Indian Summer Festival pageant,
during which she earned the crown.
Hollowell has taken dance for 12 years. She
has performed with noted professional dance
companies and earned numerous awards.
The festival concluded with a reception fea
turing Russian foods.
The event was part of the schools’ efforts to
integrate studies across the curriculum.
Russia was the topic in social studies classes.
The festival was an enrichment opportunity
that allowed students to experience first-hand
the language, cultural arts and foods of the
Russian people.
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Brandy Hollowell, a Perquimans County High School sophomore, per
formed ballet at Perquimans County Middle School Friday during the sixth
grade Russian Festival. The festival culminated the study of Russia.
Farm-City
banquet
set for
Jan. 9
The annual Perquimans
Farm-City Banquet will be
held Thursday, Jan. 9 at
Perquimans County High
School.
Historically, Farm-City
Week and associated events
have been held to promote
understanding between
rural and nonrural citizens
across North Carolina.
“In Perquimans County,
we take this time to cele
brate the accomplishments
of our farmers, enjoy the fel
lowship, and learn more
about the world in which
we live,” said Perquimans
County Cooperative
Extension Director Lewis
Smith.
Guest speaker for the
banquet will be Ray Jones
Jr. Jones is a humorist from
Elizabeth City with many
years of business experi
ence in the community.
County corn, soybean
and wheat yield awards will
be presented during the
evening.
The banquet will begin at
7 p.m. with a meal spon
sored by various agribusi
nesses in the county.
To receive your compli
mentary ticket, stop by the
Perquimans County
Extension Center on
Edenton Road Street.
Tickets are distributed on a
first-come, first-served
basis.
Make the new year healthy financially
To help consumers know
what to expect economically in
1997, some North Carolina
State University faculty mem
bers have put together this list
of tips:
1. Save, saye, save,
Americans! The economy is so
healthy that it’s not likely to
get better, so you should con
sistently be squirreling away
money that will be harder to
save when the economic pic
ture isn’t so rosy, says Dr.
John S. Lapp, associate profes
sor economics.
“This is the kind of time
when the average person
should be taking advantage of
the opportunity to save,” Lapp
says. “A consistent savings
plan is important.”
2. Lapp says that nothing
dramatic is likely to happen to
inflation and interest rates
over the next few months, and
that mortgage rates have been
dropping recently.
“People who’ve been delay
ing getting a mortgage have no
reason to delay any longer,”
Lapp says. “There’s nothing
happening in the economy to
make me think that mortgage
rates are going to keep getting
lower.”
3. Investors should not
expect the spectacular returns
from stock investments in 1997
that they may have had in the
previous two years, cautions
Dr. Charles P. Jones, Gill
Professor Finance.
“Although a correction is
warranted, I don’t expect a
major downturn in the mar
ket,” Jones says, “but I think
that ‘97 will be more like an
average year,” In an average
year, Jones adds, there is
about a 10 percent rate of
return on stock market invest
ments. 1995’s rate was 37 per
cent, and through early
December 1996’s rate was
about 26 percent - two extraor
dinary years.
Economic tips for
making 1997 a
healthy financial
year
• Save while the
economy’s hot
• Don’t put off
getting a mortgage
• Expect more
realistic returns on
stock investments
• Look for an
increase in income
and plan accordingly
• Don’t count on a
tax break
• Wait for capital
gains tax reform
4. Many Americans will be
seeing more money in their
pay checks in the coming year.
“On average, wages will be
going up about 3 percent in
1997,” says Dr. Michael L.
Walden, professor of econom
ics. “Make your plans for bor
rowing or any major increase
in spending based on that fig
ure.
5. Despite all the campaign
talk about a “middle-class tax
break,” economics professor
Dr. David N. Hyman doesn’t
think there’s much chance of
Congress enacting a tax cut in
1997.
“With all the pressure to
reduce the deficit, I doubt that
will be a substantial decrease.
But I don’t anticipate an
increase, either, with all the
political pressure they’re feel
ing in Washington,” he says.
Unfortunately for taxpay
ers, Hyman adds, the transfer
of fiscal responsibilities from
the federal to the state and
local levels may mean increas
es in those taxes.
6. People who are thinking
about selling their family
homes and moving into some
thing less expensive, or per
haps into rental property, may
want to wait a few months to
find out if Congress and
President Clinton agree to
reduce capital gains taxes,
advises Dr. Carl J. Messere,
professor and department
head of accounting.
“Both political parties have
talked about reducing the bur
den of capital gains taxes on
people selling their homes,”
Messere says. “President
Clinton has said he wants to
eliminate the age limit and to
substantially increase the
amount of profit that would be
excluded from capital gains
taxation.”
Currently, in order to avoid
paying substantial capital
gains taxes, someone selling
his or her home must be 55 or
older, and then only $125,000 of
the capital gains are not tax
able.
School board
hires architect
Boney Architects
to design new
Winfall school
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
There’s an old saying that
things come full circle. That
addage was given credence
last Thursday when the
Perquimans County Board of
Education hired Boney
Architects, a Wilmington firm,
to design and oversee con
struction of a new elementary
school in Winfall. Company
founder, the late Leslie N.
Boney, designed the original
structure that still serves at
Perquimans County High
School.
Boney Architects was hired
after the board interviewed
representatives of four firms,
including HBA Architects, the
Virginia Beach firm that
designed the renovations at
Perquimans Middle School
and Perquimans High School.
According to schools super
intendent Randall L. Henion,
board members were
impressed with all four archi
tectural presentations, and
discussed which firm to hire
for many hours before coming
to a decision. The meeting last
ed for eight hours.
“The board...worked hard to
look at everything,” Henion
said. “I feel good with the
selection the board made.
“They (Boney) know how to
stretch dollars and save dol
lars.”
Saving dollars will be cru
cial to the school district’s
facilities needs. Replacing
Central School is critical, and
there are also significant reno
vations needed at Hertford
Grammar School.
Like HBA, Henion said
Boney believes in seeking
input from the community,
students, parents and faculty
in the design process. The firm
has a good reputation across
the state for building, solid,
functional, conservative build
ings, Henion said.
At both locations, Henion
said, the board and adminis
trators will be working to pro
vide for the needs of children
with no frills added.
“What’s best for children is
our baseline,” Henion said.
The firm is expected to have
a design for the new school
ready for final approval by the
summer. If all goes well, stu
dents could occupy the build
ing in the faU of 1998, Henion
said.
The estimated cost of the
new school exceeds $6 million.
Henion said Perquimans
County’s share of the state
school bond referendum
passed in November is $4,133
million. There is an additional
$606,000 in land transfer tax
which is earmarked for capital
improvements. The county
Boards
work to
keep local
taxes down
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Perquimans County
may not have unlimited
resources, but according
to schools superinten
dent Randall L. Henion,
what the county does
have is elected officials
and administrators who
want to work together to
provide for the needs of
children.
“The county has been
good to the school sys
tem,” Henion said. “Our
commissioners have
been so supportive. The
county commissioners
believe in education and
are willing to invest in
the future (of our chil
dren).”
Both Henion and coun
ty manager Paul Gregory
said the school board and
commiss-ioners had a
very positive joint meet
ing earlier this month to
discuss schools capital
needs and financing.
Members of both bodies
were willing to listen and
compromise, the admin
istrators said.
The two boards agreed
to work closely to secure
funding for both Central
and Hertford Grammar
School projects to allow
both to move forward
without raising county
property taxes.
still needs approximately $2
million to complete the
Central project.
The Hertford Grammar
School project is expected to
cost around $2 million.
Henion is looking for addi
tional grant monies, perhaps
from small schools funds or
other state allocations, to help
pay for the projects. He said he
will seek every possible dollar
to allow the school board to
move ahead with projects in
both Winfall and Hertford.
The state board will meet in
January, and additional capi
tal allocations may be
announced at that time,
Henion said.
“We’re praying and keeping
our fingers crossed, hoping to
receive additional funds,”
Henion said.
The new school and renova
tions at Hertford Grammar
will be designed with cost-
effectiveness in mind, Henion
said. With new and renovated
buildings, maintenance costs
wUl drop.
Outside
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