Newspapers / The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, … / Jan. 30, 1997, edition 1 / Page 1
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January 30,1997 013165 10/09/1997 ★ PERQUIMANS- COUNTY LIBRARY 110 W ACADEMY ST HERTFORD NC 27944 The Perquimans Weekly Vol. 65, No. 5 The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people Hertford, North Carolina 27944 PCEDC makes downtown pledge County economic board donates to downtown study By SUSAN R. HARRIS Editor The Perquimans County Economic Development Commission voted to help with the cost of a downtown Hertford renovation plan, and issued a challenge to business es operating in the district. PCEDC members voted unanimously to match up to half of the additional $275 needed to pay for the plan if businesses in the downtown area will contribute the other half. To be completed by the East Carolina University Regional Development Institute, the $750 plan will offer suggestions for the renovation of down town Hertford to include one block on Church street and 1/2 block on both Market and Grubb streets. Items to be cov ered by the report include brick or tile sidewalks, light ing, underground wiring, parking, landscaping and planters, benches and trash receptacles. The town of Hertford paid $375 toward the cost of the plan, with the Chamber of Commerce donating an addi tional $100. With the PCEDC match agreement, business owners will be asked to chip in a total of $137.50 for the pro ject. Dowd & Twiddy Insurance Inc. became the first business contributor with a donation received in the Chamber office Friday, according to Chamber Executive Director Sandra Smith. The town organized a Hertford Downtown Revitalization Committee last year to look for ways to improve the aesthetics in the business district. Committee members hope that funds can be found to implement the study, bringing more shoppers and businesses to the district. At present, there are three buildings out of which no busi nesses are operating: the Morgan building, the Darden Department Store building and the building formerly occupied by Youthland. Snowman survives high temps Perquimans County an Ail of Us Care Community January’s theme: Lend a Hand focusing on Generosity Helpfulness Hospitality Charity Service Unselfishness Incorporate these Healthy HABITS into your daily life and help make our community a better place to live! For All of Us Care information, contact Dr. Randall L. Henion, Perquimans County Schoois, 426-5741 PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS Aaron Lane’s Church Street snowman has amazingly survived warm temperatures over the last week. No doubt Aaron and younger brother Derrick hope their snowman will be joined by the real thing before winter is over. Fire destroys historic home Family of five loses everything in Monday blaze By STEPHANIE SWANSON The Daily Advance A family of five lost their home and possessions Monday after the chimney of their wood-burning stove caught fire and burned their house to the ground. Blake Stokely said he was inside his pre-Civil War, two- story farm house with one of his sons, Patrick Blake, 3 T2, when he restoked the fire in the stove around 10:30 a.m. “My son was playing in another room and I was work ing on the computer,” he said. “I smelled something and went into the kitchen, but didn’t notice anything. I started upstairs and I could see flames up side the chimney.” Stokely said by the time he grabbed his son and ran out of the house, flames were coming out of the house’s second-floor windows. Durant’s Neck Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jimmy Spivey said the first group of firefighters arrived at approxi mately 10:45 a.m. “Flames were coming out of the roof when we arrived,” he said.Spivey said about 30 volunteer fire fighters from the Durant’s Neck, Hertford and Inter- County depart ments and the Perquimans County EMS responded, but the entire house and its contents were lost. “It appears the blaze start ed between the first and sec ond floors around the chimney from the wood stove,” Spivey said, adding the exact cause is still unknown.Stokely also said he did not know what caused the blaze, adding that he had never had problems with the stove in the approxi mately five years his family had lived in the house. Stokely, an employee at Apricot, Inc., his wife Debbie — who is one-month pregnant — and their children, Andrew, 12, Christina Glynn, 10, and Patrick Blake are staying with Stokely’s father, Paul. The Stokely’s family and friends are asking the community for donations of clothing, furniture, linens and cookware. The chil dren’s cloth- ' ing sizes are a boy’s 18 shirt, 16 pants and 7 1/2 shoe; a girl’s 14 pants and shirt, 12-14 dress and 4 shoe; a baby’s 4-5T and 10 1/4-shoe.The parents’ clothing sizes are a man’s XL shirt, 40 waist 34 length pants and IIW shoe; and a woman’s 2XL shirt and pants and 8W shoe. Donations can be sent to the Stokelys c/o Paul W. Stokely, Rt. 1, Box 277, Hertford, N.C. 27944. “I smelled some thing and went into the kitchen, but didn’t notice any thing. I started upstairs and I could see flames up side the chimney.” Blake Stokely Fire victim Stubbins tapped to fill county seat Evelyn B. Stubbins was sworn in as Perquimans County’s newest commission er during the board’s regular meeting on Jan. 2. Notes from ‘96 A look back at stories from The Perquimans Weekly one year ago this month Stubbins replaced David Bines Jr., who died in October 1995. Stubbins was appointed to fill Bines’ unexpired term. The storm that hit the Albemarle area on the evening of Saturday, Jan. 6 was appar ent Sunday morning whenthe ground was covered with a white blanket. Although most of Saturday’s snowfall had been washed away by Sunday after noon, the storm continued to hold its grip on the area, pro ducing 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 on Jan. 8. But before buses could begin making their rounds, more snowfall, coupled with low temperatures, caused school officials to close school for the day. Continued snowfall and low temperatures kept the schools closed on Jan. 9. County and town offices and some businesses closed around 2 o’clock Monday afternoon as snow continued to fall and sec ondary roads iced over. The town of Hertford under took a massive tire cleanup on town property at the waste treatment plant. The Gates County Correctional Facility provided inmate labor for the project. The NAACP sponsored its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. Perquimans County Planning and Economic Development Director Robert Baker asked for input and sup port from Chamber of Commerce member’s at the Chamber’s annual banquet on Jan. 11 at Pavo’s Restaurant. Former Chamber Executive Director Mary Harrell was honored for 13 years of service to the Chamber during the evening. Helen Shaw, Thomas L. Riddick and Archie Miller became the first candidates to file for public office in the May primary. Shaw and Riddick filed for school board; Miller for board of county commis sioners. Jerry Zachary took God’s admonition to love his neigh bor at face value, sponsoring a benefit concert at St. Paul A.M.E. Zion Church to assist three families who lost homes to fire. Water standing at the inter section of Church and Dobbs streets was blamed for several flat tires as drivers couldn’t tell where the curb ran along the streets. Town Manager John Christensen said the town had done everything short of tear ing up the drain pipes to alle viate the problem, roots from trees and bushes planted near the town’s storm drain pipes grew into the pipes. Leaves and other debris became packed against the roots, cre ating a blockage. After snow and flooding abated, the town did get the problem fixed. Habitat kicks off fund raiser By SEAN JACKSON Daily Advance Coorespondent Motivated by the chance to change lives, the Chowan- Perquimans Chapter of Habitat for Humanity kicked of its first fund-raising drive Friday. On the eve of their initial drive, members of the new organization were given a pep talk by Alex Miller, associate retail regional director of Habitat for Humanity’s Southeast region. “From my perspective, you don’t have anything to worry about,” Miller told the group ga;thered Thursday night at Hertford United Methodist Church. “What you’ve started here is a responsibility that you won’t outlive.” The Chowan-Perquimans group kicked off its “Golden Nail: campaign today with a goal of raising $15,000. They plan to sell 3,000 bags of golden nails, with donations starting at $5 per bag. And, according to one volunteer, they would like to start on their first pro ject by June. Miller said the average cost of a house built by Habitat is $37,000. He said Habitat does not have any set plan of fund raising across the country, but that each local chapter must find the best style of fund-rais ing to fit its own needs and resources. “You will build houses and you will change lives,” Miller said. “I have seen it change lives. And that is what I’m here for. I hope that is what you’re here for, too. “You know in your commu nity what the potential is for your affiliation. You will get a fair number of contributions once you get the first one built,” he added. Miller’s advice to the group ranged from foreclosure poli cies to land purchasing. He said that Habitat is at its zenith now, building 33 houses per day across the country and internationally. Most of the houses built by Habitat, Miller said, are for single-parent fam ilies, most often headed by the mother. But the default rate on these homes, he assured the group, is at less than one per cent. “Usually low income fami lies dont’ have reliable trans portation. If it comes down to ‘Should we buty land in the city? ‘ or ‘Should we buy land in the country?’, I would say buy as close to the city as pos sible,” he told the group when questioned about proper loca tions. Jobs, Miller said, are easier to be found in the city as well but he added that it is a good idea to take any land donated to the chapter. “I want you to start out like you can hold out,” he said. “That’s what my grandfather used to tell me. This is your organization. You’re here Selection group looks for owners Families interested in becoming owners of Habitat for Humanity hoijies in the two-county area may find out more about ownership at infor mational meetings in Edenton and Hertford. The Family Selection Committee of the newly- organized Chowan- Perquimans Habitat for Humanity is beginning its selection process with these informational meetings. The first will be held at the Perquimans County Public Library on 'Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. The Shepard-Pruden Library in Edenton will host the second meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. 'There are a number of important requirements for selection for owner ship of a Habitat home, according to Libby Haley, Selection Committee chairperson. The part nering family currently must reside in substan dard housing. Income for a family of four must be in the $7,800-$20,000 range annually, higher for larger families. The family must agree to put in 500 hours of “sweat equity,” either working on construction or partic ipating in a number of courses relating to suc cessful home ownership. Friends and relatives may assist the family. Families who pur chase Habitat homes gen erally make a minimum down payment. Thereafter, the mortgage on the interest-free, 20- year loan runs about $250 per month, including taxes and insurance. The local board of Habitat expects to receive full affiliation by this spring and to start a house this summer. The Gold Nail cam paign is currently under way to raise money for Habitat projects. Volunteer labor from the community helps make Habitat homes afford able. tonight because you care about the social issue of hous ing.” Habitat for Humanity is a ministry of the Christian churches in the area and joins a movement begun 20 years ago in Georgia. Habitat has provided some 12,000 homes in the United States.
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
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Jan. 30, 1997, edition 1
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