May 21,
The Perquimans ^
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Vol. 66, No. 21
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Inside
Inspirational
Voices inspire
r judges at
Williamsburg
competition
Pages
New feature:
View from
the Bench
by Judge
Edgar Barnes
Page 4
Spotlight on
Business:
Sandra’s
Garden
Page 10
Chamber drops annual festival
Downtown
businesses
take charge
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
The Perquimans County
Chamber of Commerce Board
of Directors voted recently not
to organize and promote the
Indian Summer Festival, a fall
festival that has drawn
throngs of people to Hertford
for 16 years.
“The Perquimans County
Chamber of Commerce has
developed a 1998 Program of
Work, as well as a new mission
and vision statement. We have
in a sense, reinvented our
organization. The chamber
has there asked the Hertford
Business Association to take
over ownership of the Indian
Summer Festival. The HBS
has accepted the opportunity.
This has allowed the chamber
to be free to focus on the
Program of Work and imple
ment the plans and goals of the
organization,” Chamber
Executive Director Sandra
Smith stated in a written news
release dated May 13.
Because the businesses
downtown feel that the festival
is an important tool for draw
ing people to the business dis
trict, business representatives
have mobilized quickly to
organize the 17th annual com
munity event, according to
Jennifer Layden of Hertford
Savings Bank and Frankie
Eason of Frankie’s Hertford
Cafe, spokespersons for the
business group.
At a meeting held Monday
afternoon, committees were
Building
. I
progress
on target
at both
schools
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Progress remains on target
at both Central School and
Hertford Grammar School,
M.C. Kahn Construction
Company’s Randy Range told
school board members
Monday night.
Work at Central is approxi
mately 3-5 days ahead of sched
ule, Range said.
Floor slabs, underground
plumbing rough-ins and
underground electrical rough-
ins are 100 percent complete.
:Exterior masonry wall
M^kllation is 100 percent com-
in wing A, 85 percent in
wing C and 60 percent in wing
B. .
Actual construction has
begun at Hertford Grammar
School. The buUding pad was
completed on April 30, and a
pre-construction meeting was
held on May 11. The first foot
ings were poured on May 15.
Range said structural steel
is expected to arrive on the
site by June 12.
With most of the same con
tractors, including general
contractor Blueridge General,
working at both sites. Range
said time will be saved.
Range wants to see the cafe
teria at Hertford Grammar
School complete by August.
“I’m still shooting for
August,” he told board mem
bers. “But we’re not going to
give up quality for quantity.
We want it right.”
In preparation for the com
pletion of the building pro
jects, Hertford Grammar
School will house grades 3-5
next year, and Central, pre
kindergarten-second grad.
Plans call for teachers at both
sites to pack up and label sup
plies and equipment prior to
the last work day in June.
Things will be moved during
the summer to the new rooms
assigned to teachers, and
unpacked during the first
work days next school year.
Walking for a cause
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Over 150 people from
Perquimans County par
ticipated in last week
end’s American Cancer
Society Relay for Life at
John A. Holmes High
School in Edenton. Even
after midnight, the track
around the football field
was full of those raising
money for cancer
research and education.
Perquimans County
raised almost $28,000,
far exceeding the goal of
$20,000. Teams repre
sented churches, civic
groups, businesses,
schools and families.
Entertainment, games
and food were available
throughout the 24-hour
relay period.
Cancer relay exceeds goal
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
0
When Perquimans meets Edenton at the
stadium at John A. Holmes High School, a
fierce battle always takes
place. 'This weekend was no
different, except that teams
from Chowan and
Perquimans counties joined
forces to battle cancer.
One hundred and fifty-
nine walkers representing
11 teams from Perquimans
were among the legions who
walked around the track at
Holmes at the annual American Cancer
Society Relay for Life. Set-up began at 3 p.m.
Friday, and walkers were on the track until 3
p.m. Saturday.
The work before the walk-a-thon was the
big news, however. Thanks to the efforts of
Relay team members, Perquimans County
exceeded its $20,000 fundraising goal by
almost $8,000.
“I thought we did really, really well,” said
county co-chairperson Brenda Newbern. “I
was very pleased.”
Team members raised funds for weeks
prior to the event with bake sales, yard sales,
auctions, raffles, door-to-door collections.
“I thought we did
really, really well.
Brenda Newb ern
Co-chair
Perquimans Co.Relay for Life
doughnut sales, and several other events,
Newbern said. 'Teams represented churches,
schools, businesses, civic groups and fami
lies.
Last year was the fmst
year Perquimans County
had its own Relay commit
tee. Prior to that time, some
Perquimans County resi
dents participated with
either Chowan or
Pasquotank. Last year,
there was sufficient interest
to organize a Perquimans
County committee. The
local teams walked in
Pasquotank last year and Chowan this year
because Perquimans does not have a lighted
track.
Money raiied through Relay for Life goes
for cancer research and education.
In addition to those who walked to raise
funds, at least a dozen cancer survivors from
the county walked the survivor’s lap Friday,
a reminder to team members of why they
participated in the program.
The final paperwork is being completed
for this year’s Relay, but Newbern said that
doesn’t mean Relay gets put on a back burn
er. Soon, the committee will get together to
go over this year’s event and begin planning
for the 1999 Relay.
formed and plans put in place
to insure that the festival does
not die.
“I am very excited,” Layden
said. “I just feel good about the
festival. It’s important for our
community and our business
es. Everyone seems willing to
work together so that we can
have a festival.”
The chamber cited a lack of
manpower, time and
resources, as well as its
change in focus, as reasons for
dropping the festival. The
chamber will focus on small
business development and
tourism development, accord
ing to Smith.
Layden and Eason said the
Hertford Downtown
Merchants Association wel
comes any civic, church or ser
vice group to join the festival
team. There are a variety of
ways in which groups and
individuals can help with the
festival, Layden said.
For information on the festi
val, which is set for Sept. 19 in
historic downtown Hertford,
call Layden at 426-5403 (work)
or 297-2901, Eason at 426-5593
(work) or 426-5737, or Mary
White at 426-2021 (work).
Hertford Savings
celebrates 75th
anniversary
For 75 years, people have
been counting on a local finan
cial institution for money to
buy homes and a safe place to
save hard-earned dollars.
Hertford Savings Bank will
celebrate its 75th anniversary
during the month of June.
According to Hertford
Savings Bank President and
Manager Gene Boyce, local
business men met and orga
nized Hertford Building and
Loan Association on June 18,
1923. A.W. Hefren was
installed as the first president,
with J.L. Tucker and J.R.
Jarvis as vice presidents and
W.H. Hardcastle as secretary
and treasurer.
In an era when financial
institution mergers are head
line news and small banks
struggle to remain indepen
dent, Hertford Savings has
managed to maintain its home
town ownership and personal
service.
“Being a locally operated
mutual savings bank allows us
to serve the financial needs of
Perquimans County,” Boyce
said. “Our board of directors
are interested in the well being
of our bank as well as offering
specialized service to oirr cus
tomers. Many customers have
expressed their surprise at the
personal service they receive
here.”
Maintaining its home-
owned flavor has not meant
that the bank has not changed
with the financial industry.
On April 1, 1993, Hertford
Savings converted its charter
from a mutual savings and
loan association to a mutual
state savings bank. The char
ter change allowed the organi
zation to offer a wider range of
services including mortgage
loans, equity line loans, sav
ings certificates, passbook sav
ings, Christmas Club accounts
and checking accounts.
Boyce joined the bank in
1974. Since that time, the bank
has experienced a steady
growth with assets now in
excess of $14 million, he said.
Bank Secretary Bettye
Winslow has been with
Hertford Savings since 1984.
Jennifer Layden, a teller, was
employed in 1992.
To commemorate its
longevity, Hertford Savings
Bank will celebrate through
out the month of June with
prizes, gifts and an anniver
sary party. A special drawing
for an unset one-quarter carat
diamond will be offered June
1-26 to those conducting trans
actions of at least $50 to an
existing checking, savings, or
mortgage account, or any new
account of at least $100.
On Friday, June 26, refresh
ments wUl be served through
out the day.
Chamber grants available
Applications
due by June 15
Applications are available
for the first round of funding
for mini-grants offered to busi
ness owners in the historic
downtown Hertford district
through the Chamber of
Commerce.
Applications must be
received by 5 p.m. on June 15.
Applications must include
restoration/renovation plans
and a time frame in which the
project win be completed.
The funding process will
include review and revision of
the plans, approval of plans
that meet criteria, on-site
restoration work,
review/audit of finished work
and reimbursement by the
Chamber.
“We hope that the business
owners will take advantage of
this opportunity,” said
Chamber Executive Director
Sandra Smith.
For information, call the
chamber office at 426-5657.
Outside
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