Page 4—The Perquimans Weekly
Perspectives
July 16, 1998
The Perquimans Weekly
§ 1932
119 W. Grubb St., P.O. Box 277, Hertford, N.C. 27944
426-5728
Tim Hobbs, Publisher
Susan R. Harris, Managing Editor
Shirley Pizzitola, Administrative Assistant
Anzie Ziemba, Account Executive
The Perquimans Weekly (USPS 42S-0SO) is published each Thursdax’ bv The Dailv
Advance, 216 S. Poindexter St., Kli/abeth Citv, N.C. 27ytN. Subscription rates are S24.20
per year in-state, S2h.4(l per year out-of-state, single copy rate 35 cents. Second class
postage paid in Herthird, N.C. 27944. Pt’)STMASTI-l\ Send address changes to P.O. Bt>x
171. Hertford, NC 27944
Are you rich,
Miss Gail?
Lu \»
little
girl
.who
was visiting at
my place one
afternoon
walked with
me through my
yard and gar
dens while I
tried to answer
her questions
about nature.
Later, back in
the house, the
timid child looked shyly
up at me with her emerald
green eyes and asked, “Are
you rich. Miss Gail?”
This is a question I
often receive from chil
dren. They are interested,
not being rude. Children
are gloriously cut and
dried, bless their hearts,
, and their innocent but per
sonal questions have
always been well anticipat
ed by me.
“Yes, I am,” I replied to
the child that day. “In fact,
I’m probably one of the
richest people you’ll ever
meet,” Her eyes widened
as she gingerly touched
one of my inexpensive lit
tle table top treasures that
all children are drawn to
here.
I took her outside with
me that very moment
where we stood together in
my back yard. “Look up
there,” I instructed her.
“Isn’t that the most beauti
ful blue sky you’ve ever
seen?” She smiled and
nodded her head. “I own
that,” I stated. With my
outstretched arm I
scanned the woods sur
rounding us. “See all those
tall oaks and beeches, and
those pines over by the
studio. I own those,” You
live down close to the
river, but did you know I
own that too?’ And the
rain forests in South
America are mine. And
the whales in the oceans
and the zebras in Africa. I
own them all. And so do
you, child.”
At first the little girl’s
eyes were as wide and
round as the peaches
ripening.on my kitchen
counter. Then, as children
do so well, she smiled a
huge grin in common
understanding.
We sat on the stepping
inaMell
Gail Koberson
stones in the
garden walk
and discussed
our common
“wealth” in
great detail
that afternoon.
And the great
responsibility
that comes
along with it. I
told her of the
personal sacri-
flees she must
make in order
to be certain her precious
treasures last not only her
lifetime, but for those of
her children’s children.
We talked of how others
fail to count the wealth of
a tree, or bumblebee, and
so think they are poor. We
spoke of stewardship and
caretakers, and how to use
our wealth of treasures
without using it up and
abusing it so that great
riches will always be here
for others who follow
someday. I told her of a
man named Thoreau who
was the founding father of
all naturalists and who
loved children best of all
humans, taking any occa
sion that presented itself
to open their minds and
eyes to all aspects of the
natural world surround
ing them.
She asked many ques
tions that day. I answered
them all as best I could,
honestly and simply, and
gave her much food for
thought. Never talk down
to a child. They know
right away that you're
doing it, and will close
down all other communi
cation.
That nine-year-old child
was here almost fifteen
years ago. This week I
received a letter from her.
At age twenty-four, she
now has her wildlife biolo
gy degree, has spent a year
with Greenpeace sailing
the seas, six months in the
tropical rainforest teach
ing natives how to earn
income without sacrific
ing the trees, six months
as personal assistant to a
doctor volunteering skills
at a village of lepers, and
many other hours helping
her planet and its people. ,
Just ask me, “Are you
rich. Miss Gail?” You
betcha.
Letter to the editor policy
The Perquimans Weekly weclomes the
opinion of its readers. Letters should include
the name, address and telephone number of
the writer. Letters without signatures or
telephone numbers will not be printed. Only
the name and city of residence will be pub
lished with the letter.
The subject matter should be of interest to
the community, not a personal gripe. Letters
may be edited .for clarity and space limita
tions.
Submit your letters to The Perquimans
Weekly, P.O. Box 277, Hertford, N.C. 27944, or
drop them off at our office at 199 W. Grubb
Street. Call 426-5728 for more information.
Jury duty
J udge, I just
got a sum
mons in
the mail. How do I
get out of jury
duty? This is
probably the most
frequent question
I am asked as a
judge. And I’m
sure what most of
you mean when
you ask this ques
tion is: Judge, I
am honored to be
called to participate in this
most equitable of all instru
ments of justice, but due to
health reasons I am unable
to serve, or the date you
called me to serve is the
most inconvenient time of
the year. Right? I thought
so. As our Pattern Jury
Instructions reflect, “Jury
service is one of the highest
duties that can be imposed
on any citizen, and that is
to sit in judgment on facts
which will settle disputes
among your fellow citizens
and to ascertain the truth.”
View Irom the Bench
Disiriil (durl .liiduc Kd)[ar Barnes
It is the cor
nerstone of
our American
Justice
System.
The (3)
ways to
“avoid” jury
duty are: (1) to
be physically
ill or mentally
impaired to
the point that
you could not
sit and com
prehend all the evidence
during the trial. This would
also include the taking of
prescribed medicine that
would impair your ability
to perceive or understand
the evidence; (2) If you are
ineligible by law, you can
not serve. To be eligible, you
must be at least 18 years
old; a United States citizen;
a resident of the county for
which you’ve been called to
serve; not a convicted felon
(unless your citizenship has
been restored); you must be
able to understand the
English language and you
must not have served as a
regular juror or grand juror
within the past 2 years; and
(3) Ask for the continuance
of your service to a more
convenient time.
If you are ineligible, have
a valid excuse not to serve
or would like to ask to serve
at a more convenient date,
you can come to District
Court in your county on the
date set for jury excuses to
be heard (which is stated on
your summons). This date
is usually scheduled (2-4)
weeks prior to the actual
trial date. At this time the
District Court Judge will
hear your request individu
ally and confidentially and
give you an answer at that
time, ruling you to be ineli
gible, excusing you outright
or continuing your service
until a future session.
Please be aware that if you
are (65) years old or older,
you are not automatically
excused from jury service.
But if you have an accompa
nying debilitating medical
condition you may be
excused. Furthermore the
law does not allow us to
excuse you outright
because you don’t have a
babysitter, you can’t find *
someone to keep the store -
or shop open or because you
can’t afford it.
If you are willing to serve
on the actual date set forth
in your summons, but an
emergency or unexpected
contingency develops after
your opportunity to be
heard in District Court, you
wdl be allowed to address
the judge concerning those
matters at the start of the
actual trial session for
which you’ve been called to
serve.
And if you do serve, for
all this duty, honor and
enlightenment you will be
paid the generous sum of
$12 per day.
God save this State and
this Honorable Court.
Courts adjourned.
C'Mohi
lOQS. W£
At-THE SMiTti
-roNlOHT.
ARE. WE
ewriKGr TH6I?E.
ARC. WE
6.emKGi CARRy-
OUT
Addresses
Your local officials need to
hear from you if you have
concerns. Here is a list of
municipal, county and
school officials in
Perquimans County.
Hertford Mayor
John G. Beers i
P.O. Box 32.
Hertford, N.C. 27944
Telephone: 426-7805 (City Hall)
Winfall Mayor
Fred Yates
P.O. Box 275
Winfall, N.C. 27985
Telephone: 426-5015 (City Hall)
Perquimans
Commissioners
Charles H. Ward. Chairman
Perquimans County Courthouse
Hertford, N.C. 27944
Telephone: 426-8484 (county
manager's office)
Perquimans School Board
Wallace Nelson, Chairman
Perquimans County Schools ,,
Administration Building ■;
Edenton Road Street -7
Hertford, N.C. 27944
Telephone; 426-5741
(central office)
Sportsmanship: practice what you preach
(Editor’s note:
My 15-year-old
daughter told me
Saturday night
that she wished
she could write a
column in this
newspaper
because an issue
was troubling
her. She could
have written a
letter to the edi
tor, but I chose to
allow her to use
my space this week. Today,
it’s Courtney’s Turn.)
Before I begin expressing
my feelings, I would just
like to say I’m sorry if this
article offends anyone; how
ever, if what I have to say
offends you, you should be
ashamed of yourself.
From the very first time I
picked up a bat and glove in
teeball until now, I have
always been told you should
not sling bats, down the
other team, fuss at an
umpire, or disrespect a
coach. I was told that those
things were highly uncalled
for, unnecessary and just
plain old bad sportsman
ship. The main people who
taught me about sportsman
ship were adults such as my
parents and others I looked
up to. And I must say, I
always thought Perquimans
County had the best sports
manship and most class.
Now I know better.
Courtney’s T\irn
CourUiev Harris
Never in my
life have I been
more embar
rassed to be
from this coun
ty than I was
Saturday at the
Babe Ruth All-
Star
Tournament in
Currituck. Our
11 and 12-year-
old All-Star
team played a
good game
against Currituck that
afternoon; however, certain
fans, whose names I will
exclude, made the game
awful. Those fans not only
fussed at the coaches, which
happens from time to time,
but they also yelled at the
officials during the whole
game. If you remember my
earlier statement, fussing at
an umpire is one of the no-
nos we’re taught from tee-
ball on. The way those fans
yelled and screamed made
some look like, for lack of
better terminology, idiots.
Not only did some fans have
no clue what the calls
should have been because
they seemed not to know
the rules, they didn’t even
know that you cannot file a
protest over a call.
One situation that sticks
out in my mind as a good
example of this was when a
player from Perquimans
was stealing second and got
called out. Although she
was probably safe by half a
second, she didn’t slide. The
rule book clearly states that
she had to slide because of
the way the ball was coming
to the play at the base.
Many fans yelled to the tops
of their lungs at the official
for his call, some even sug
gesting that he must have
been paid off by the other
team to call their way and
other such nonsense. The
fans should remember that
some rules, including the
must-slide rule, is in the
book as a safety measure to
protect all the players from
injury.
Now on to the main point
of my article, “Do we prac
tice what we preach?”
We as children are sup
posed to look up to our par
ents and other adults from
whom we learn what is
right and wrong. Some par
ents wonder why their chil
dren throw helmets, fuss at
umpires, argue with their
coaches and make snide
remarks about other teams.
I come to you as parents
and other adults with this
thought: Where do they get
it from? The answer is you
yourselves.
You may now be think
ing, “Courtney’s not talking
about me because I always
TELL my children to be
good sports.” What you
should ask yourselves is,
“Do I SHOW my children
how to have good sports
manship?”
Before we play any more
games in this county, our
parents and fans need to .
make sure they SHOW us
what good sportsmanship
means. They need to “prac
tice what they preach.”
While you’re at it, read a
rule book or two and think
about how you would feel if
you were that umpire.
Remember, they’re human,
too!
(A note from Susan: I
attended this game with
Courtney. She is correct
that there was a tremen
dous lack of sportsmanship.
There were those fans
from Perquimans, those
without daughters on the
team who stayed for the
game just to lend support,
who opted to leave before
the game was over because
of the poor sportsmanship
displayed by other fans.
This was a 9-inning game
that could have gone either -
way with a timely hit or
out.
On the positive side, the
coaches, Jule Fleetwood,
Jeff Proctor and John
Hurdle, were not a part of
the yelling fest. They main
tained their decorum on the
field, as did most of the
players. The players’reac- .
tions were basically a result
of mistakes they made.) : -
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