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October 16,1997
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The Perquimans Weekly
350
Vol. 65, No. 41
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Friends of Perquimans History member Nancy Rascoe gives TV news personality Bob West a
history lesson in Hertford last week. West was in town filming a segment for his series “Points
West.” In addition to a cameraman, Rascoe and West were accompanied on Hertford’s historic
walking tour by those who helped update and expand the tour this summer.
Historic Hertford to
be on “Points West”
Local teens
killed in
accident
By GINGER LIVINGSTON
The Daily Advance
Two teenagers died instant
ly on Oct. 7 when they were hit
by a car while helping a friend
who had fallen from the back
of their pickup truck on the
Camden Causeway.
The accident happened near
the George Wood Park around
9 p.m., First Sgt. C.D. Gould of
the N.C. Highway Patrol said.
^TThe victims were Henry
Vernon Edward Knighton, 19,
ofOkisko, and Karen Marie
Devereaux, 15, of WinfaU.
Gould said the teenagers
had been at the park with two
friends, a 23-year-old man and
a girl believed to be 14 years
old; The names of the victims’
friends were not included in
the Highway Patrol report.
Troopers could not deter
mine if any of the four friends
were drinking, but they did
fmd evidence of alcohol in the
back of the pickup truck.
'iTie group left the park in a
Ford Ranger pickup truck.
Knighton was driving and
Devereaux was in the cab with
him. Their two friends were
riding in the back, Gould said.
‘"rhe truck pulled onto N.C.
Highway 158 into the west
bound lane. The 23-year-old
fell out of the truck,” Gould
said. Initially, the driver did
not realize he lost one of his
passengers. When the girl in
the back got his attention,
Knighton went back for his
fallen friend.
He stopped the truck in the
highway’s eastbound lane.
The driver and the 15-year-
old girl got out of the truck to
assist the fallen man who was
lying in the center of the high
way, Gould said.
“At least one car stopped on
the westbound lane shoulder
to assist them,” Gould said.
But a passenger car driven by
Edward Ray Hutchinson, 55, of
Hertford, struck the two
teenagers who were apparent
ly stooping in the westbound
lane to assist the friend.
It does not appear charges
win be filed against the driver
of the passenger car, Gould
said. Evidence shows his vehi
cle was within the 45 m.p.h.
speed limit and was in the
proper lane, according to
Highway patrol Sgt. M.B.
Miller.
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Bob West meandered
through Hertford last
Wednesday, taking in the sites
along the path of the walking
tour of historic Hertford.
West, host of the television
news spot “Points West,” came
at the invitation of Nancy
Rascoe, co-owner of 1812 on the
Perquimans and a member of
Friends of Perquimans
History. Rascoe said West
called her to see if there was
anything special happening at
her Old Neck bed-and-break-
fast, and she took the opportu
nity to invite West to highlight
Hertford’s walking tour.
The walking tour has been
updated with new signs in
front of historic buildings. It
has also been expanded to
include buildings significant
to the town’s history that did
not appear on the earlier tour.
The new emphasis on the
walking tour was brought
about through the efforts of
the Friends of Perquimans
History, The Perquimans
County Chamber of Commerce
and Perquimans County
Schools.
Contributing to the updated
tour guidebook and signage
were Raymond Winslow and
Dru Haley, researchers;
Perquimans County Schools
through the Learn and Serve
America Program; Mrs. John
Crawford, Mrs. Philip
McMullan and Mrs. Charles
Murry, editors; Joe Tunnell
and Peter Rascoe, who made
the markers; Mrs. Kenneth
Waters, William Darrow and
Mrs. David Gilbert, who let
tered the signs; and The
Perquimans Weekly, layout.
In addition to the walking
tour, the Chamber of
Commerce through its
Historic District Committee
and the Town of Hertford have
joined forces to establish a
Hertford Historic District to be
listed on the National Register
of Historic Places.
Architectural consultant Beth
Keane has been retained by
the Chamber to perform the
research and complete the
nomination. The $9,000 project
is being funded ^ by the
Chamber ($6,500) and the town
($2,500). As cultural tourism is
one of the fastest-growing eco
nomic catalysts in the state,
both the Chamber and the
town hope that through
National Register inclusion,
the town wiU draw tourists.
West did not indicate when
the segment will air. Rascoe
said she will notify The
Perquimans Weekly so the
time and date can be published
when West calls her.
Firefightgers educate students
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Children are taught that
firefighters are the good guys.
But for some little ones
already traumatized by having
their home in flames, the sight
of a firefighter in full turn-out
gear can appear to be a charac
ter straight out of a horror
movie.
To help children overcome
that fear, members of the
Hertford Fire Department
showed Hertford Grammar
School students step-by-step
how firefighters put 90 gear,
and why each piece is impor
tant last Thursday. The
demonstration and safety les
son was held in conjunction
with National Fire Prevention
Week.
Hertford fire chief Sid Eley
stood at the back of one of his
department’s fire trucks as he
donned his turn-out gear,
including air pack. He told the
children exactly how he would
look and sound if he had to
visit their home to fight fire.
Eley said the department felt
the demonstration was impor
tant because in some cases,
fear of firefighters in the turn
out gear has cost the lives of
children.
Another common response
to fire is hesitation.
“Too often, people don’t
react when a fire alarm
sounds,” said Meri-K Appy,
vice president for public edu
cation of the National Fire
Prevention Association.
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
The Hertford Fire Department observed National Fire
Prevention Week with an educational program at Hertford
Grammar School. Fire chief Sid Eley demonstrated how fire
fighters put on each piece of turn-out gear and how a firefighter
might look when called to the scene of a fire.
“Particularly in public set
tings, people tend to wait to
see how others respond. We
know from tragic fire inci
dents that a quick, decisive
response is often what makes
the difference between life and
death in a fire.”
This year’s Fire Prevention
Week theme was, “Know
When to Go; React Fast to
Fire!”
Eley strongly supports
efforts to improve public
Trick-or-treat
time changes
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
The Town of Hertford wants
more treats than tricks on
Halloween this year.
The council unanimously
moved Monday night to desig
nate Saturday, Nov. 1 from 3-5
p.m. as the time for trick-or-
treating in Hertford.
The effort to have children
trick-or-treat during daylight
hours was spearheaded by The
Perquimans Weekly because
of safety concerns. Last year, a
child was seriously injured
after darting out in front of a
vehicle on Halloween night.
The child was not supervised
by an adult and was wearing
dark clothing.
This year, Perquimans
County High School will be
observing homecoming on
Halloween. A homecoming
parade is scheduled for 4 p.m.,
with the football game at 7:30
p.m. The homecoming activi
ties will increase traffic in
town, and many of those dri
vers will be young and less
experienced.
Law enforcement would
also be stretched with officers
covering the baU game and try
ing to patrol the streets.
With these facts in mind,
the newspaper began a cam
paign Friday to change the
time children trick-or-treat for
safety purposes.
“I think this would be a
very prudent way to go,” said
Hertford councilman Sid Eley
after hearing the newspaper’s
proposal. “I fully endorse
this.”
Also a member of the fire
department and rescue squad,
Eley said he knew first-hand
how difficult negotiating
Halloween traffic can be, and
how dangerous.
Hertford’s interim police
chief Dale Vanscoy said he
supported the safety initiative.
“I don’t want to see another
incident happen like last
year,” Vanscoy said referring
to the traffic accident. “I think
this is the safest way to go.”
The Perquimans County
Commissioners and Town of
Winfall have endorsed the
plan, and strongly recommend
that everyone in Perquimans
County trick-or-treat on
Saturday from 3-5 p.m.
Fourteen other organiza
tions endorsed the change.
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
The Perquimans County Chamber of Commerce sponsored a
ribbon cutting last Thursday for Absolute Mirrors by Barbie,
owned and operated by Barbara and Lance Powell on Harvey
Point Road.
New business opens
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Barbara Powell’s small shop
on Haiwey Point Road is more
than just an outlet for her
crafts and grocery items. It’s a
testament to the memory of
her father, Junious Zachary.
Powell and her husband,
Lance, opened the shop, which
is home to Absolute Mirrors
by Barbie and a small grocery
store, to offer residents in the
community and campers at
nearby Hertford Campground
a convenient stopping point to
pick up necessities. And in
memory of Barbara’s father,
she will deliver within five
miles of the store until 6 p.m.
as a convenience to those who
are shut-in or unable to drive
to her store.
Barbara has been handcraft
ing floral designs and mir
rored plaques for several
years. The opportunity to
expand her business and offer
more personal service took her
to the new Harvey Point Road
location.
Hattie Zachary, Barbara’s
mother, has had a great impact
on her life, as did her father.
Ironically, Barbara’s tele
phone number at the shop is
426-9111, easy to remember
when one considers that 911 is
the standard emergency num
ber..
The Perquimans County
Chamber of Commerce spon^
sored a ribbon cutting for the
Powells last Thursday.
Outside
responsiveness, and stresses
the important of escape plan
ning in any location.
“No matter where you are,
or what type of building you’re
in, if a fire breaks out, it’s too
late to start developing a
plan,” Eley said. “You’ve got to
know how to respond immedi
ately in a variety of situations,
and take early warning signs
of fire seriously.”
Please see fire, page
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