October 22,1
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Vol. 66, No. 43
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Drug testing for athletes approved
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
The mandatory drug testing
for student athletes proposed
by several student organiza
tions at Perquimans County
High School was unanimously
endorsed by the school board
Monday night.
Under the drug screening
policy accepted by the board,
all student athletes at both the
middle and high school levels
will be subject to testing. The
plans calls for testing every
athlete during the school year,
with random tests scattered
throughout the year.
Each student athlete will be
assigned a number and a com
puter will randomly choose
the numbers to be tested on a
given date. Staff at Coastal
Carolina FamUy Practice will
perform the tests and report
results by number. Student
identities will not be known to
the medical staff.
The component of the plan
that board members seemed
most pleased with when a dele
gation of students presented
the policy in September was
counseling for those found to
have drugs in their systems.
Counseling is mandatory for
any student athlefe who tests
positive.
The board also approved a
revised calendar for the school
year. The two days missed due
to the hurricane the first week
of school will be added at the
end of the year. The last day of
school for students will be
Wednesday, June 9.
After a brief closed session
to discuss personnel, the board
accepted the resignations of
Hertford Grammar School
physical education teacher
Karen Booker effective Oct. 21
and Hertford Grammar School
art teacher Cynthia White
effective Nov. 10.
Former Perquimans County
Recreation Director Todd
Hunter was hired to replace
Booker. He wUl report to work
on Nov. 2.
Robert Banks was approved
as custodian at Hertford
Grammar School and Sarah
Eason as exceptional chil
dren’s assistant at Perquimans
Middle School.
Superintendent Gregory
Todd reported that 13 contrac
tors attended a pre-bid confer
ence for the roofing project at
Perquimans High School. The
board agreed to bid the project
in three sections, and want
bids to include 20-year war
ranties. Bids for the project
will be opened on Oct. 29.
The board changed the date
of its November meeting to
Nov. 9 from Nov. 16 to avoid a
conflict with the North
Carolina School Boards
Association annual state con
ference.
Phillips turns 100 on same Bethel farm where she was horn
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
A lot of farms in
Perquimans County have
remained in the same family
for a century. But not many
families can boast that one of
its members has remained on
the same farm for 100 years.
Not so for Mattie Phillips,
born and raised on the Bethel
farm where she celebrated
her 100th birthday on Sept. 17.
Born Mattie Irene White,
Phillips was the youngest of
eight children born to her
mother, who first married an
Elliott and then Charles F.
White, Phillips’ father.
All the brothers and sisters
worked on the farm during
their youth.
“Mama told me so many
things (to do) by the time I got
the first things done I forgot
the last,” Phillips chuckles
recalling her childhood.
Phillips attended Bethel
School before she finished her
last year — the seventh grade
— in Hertford.
At 17, Phillips married
Charlie Phillips. It was a day
she vividly recalls.
Because all her daughters
had married young, Phillips’
mother had told all the magis
trates in Perquimans County
not to issue a marriage
license to her daughter. Not
able to find anyone who
would issue them a license,
the young couple went by
horse and buggy to a friend’s
house in Edenton, where they
boarded the train for
Plymouth. There, on April 9,
1916, they married.
The happy couple retraced
their steps, heading back to
the Bethel farm. Phillips said
when they returned, they
could hear her mother in the
house talking about telling
Jesus all her troubles.
Phillips said it did make her
feel bad that she had neglect
ed to tell her mother she was
leaving when she saw her
mother’s anguish.
“I thought I was grown,”
Phillips said.
The newlyweds settled
down and rasied four chil
dren, all born in the same old
farmhouse where Phillips
herself was born.
In 1937, the couple opened a
store, which they ran for 18
years. The children worked
Mattie Irene White Phillips recently celebrated her 100th
birthday with her famiiy and friends.
alongside the parents in the
general store.
“I was born behind the
counter,” jokes Phillips’
daughter, Marjorie White.
The family buUt their own
home on the farm in 1937, the
same home in which Phillips
still lives. The new house was
near the store. The original
house was bought by Ben
Hobbs and moved within eye
sight of Phillips’ house.
A wonderful thing hap
pened in 1947: Electricity
came to Bethel. Phillips
remembers REA running
lines out in the county, mak
ing life much better for farm
families. Telephone and
indoor plumbing soon fol
lowed.
These days, Phillips
doesn’t get out much, enjoy
ing watching the neighbor
hood from the hospital bed in
the front room of her home.
On days when the weather is
good, she occasionally uses
the new ramp at her back
door to go out for a spin
around the yard in her wheel
chair.
Stephanie White with
home health comes to help
Phillips each morning, but
she said it is her daughter,
Marjorie, who is her main
caretaker.
“I’ve ‘bout wore her out,”
Phillips said. “That home
health is nice.”
Marjorie has a mobile
home in her mother’s yard,
but moved into the house
about a year ago to take care
of her mother.
The two obviously have
affection for each other and
enjoy friendly kidding
around. White joked that she
told the home health people
that they had helped her fmd
equipment and care for her
mother, now what they need
ed to do is fmd her a husband.
Phillips cackled at the
thought, telling her daughter
that she did not want a hus
band, and besides no one
would want to marry her.
Phillips was able to get out
for her birthday celebration.
With a new permanent and
pretty outfit, Phillips wel
comed her children and
grandchildren for cake and
ice cream.
And not only her immedi
ate family wanted to be a part
of this milestone in Phillips’
life. She said she enjoyed vis
its from neighbors, friends
and kinfolks for several days.
She received 80 birthday
cards, a roomful of floral
arrangements and many love
ly gifts. She had guests from
Texas, Florida, Virginia and
all across North Carolina.
The stream of visitors has
slowed down now, but
Phillips will not soon forget
what a wonderful 100th birth
day she enjoyed.
Interim sheriff, deputy want to be next county sheriff
Perquimans County voters
will choose the man they want
to serve as sheriff for the next
four years on Nov. 3.
Running are Democrat
Ralph Robinson, appointed by
the Perquimans County
Commissioners to serve as
interim sheriff effective Aug. 1
upon the resignation of former
Sheriff David Lane, and Billy
Spruill, a deputy in the depart
ment who is running unaffili-
ated.
Robinson defeated Lane by
300 votes in the Democratic
primary in May. A short time
later, Spruill announced that
he had begun a petition drive
to get his name on the ballot in
November. His efforts were
successful.
Both candidates were asked
to complete a questionnaire
about their experience and
opinions on law enforcement-
related issues. Their answers
appear exactly as submitted to
The Perquimans Weekly.
List all law enforcement
positions you have held
and the length of service of
each.
Robinson: Security Officer
Holiday Island, 3 years. Sept.
84rSept. 87; Deputy Sheriff
Perquimans County, 12 years,
June 86-June 98
Spruill: Deputy Sheriff
Perquimans County, 2+ years;
Sergeant/Police Ofhcer,
Edenton Police Department,
6.5 years; Lieutenant, S&C
Security Corp, 2.5 years
List all educational courses
completed and certifica
tions you hold related to
law enforcement:
Spruill: Federkl
Department of Treasury-
Firearms and Explosives;
Federal Bureau of
Investigation-Defensive
Tactics; COA Criminal Justice
Program-Arson Investigation/
Bomb Techniques; State of NC-
Basic Law Enforcement
Training Program;
Commendations-Wounded in
Action; FBI and Attorney
General of North Carolina
Commendations of Merit
Robinson: Basic Law
Enforcement Training State of
North Carolina, certified 1987;
Additional certification
received for the Middle School
D.A.R.E. Curriculum awarded
by the State Bureau of
Investigation
Why are you running for
Sheriff?
Robinson: Last year I was
approached by many people
who were unsatisfied with the
direction the sheriffs
Department was going. They
asked me to run for the office
of Sheriff of Perquimans
County. After much soul
searching I decided that I
would run as your democratic
candidate for Sheriff. I felt that
I could make a difference in
the county by unifying law
enforcement groups to better
serve the people. As the
D.A.R.E. officer I observed
much work that stUl needed to
be done in the area of drugs
and drug related crimes with
our youth as weU as the adults.
■
Ralph Paul Robinson, age 71
Occupation: interim Sheriff
Spouse: Dorothy Beatrice
Robinson
Eight chiidren, 49, 46, 45,42,
39, 31,29, one deceased
Former elected offices: Board
of Education, Putnam Valley,
NY, one term
Education: Graduate, Bellport
High Schooi, Long island, NY;
While serving as resident
Retreat Director with East
Hariem Protestant Parrish
Inc., I attended and completed
seminars on Confiict resoiu-
tion. Drug Counseiing, and
dealing with famiiy probiems.
I feel that I have accumulated
enough experience and wis
dom to handle this position
and serve this county well. I
look forward to continue to
serve perquimans county as I
have been for the past 12
years. My experiences as a
Billy Spruill, age 50
Occupation: Deputy Sheriff,
Perquimans Co.
Spouse: Peggy Chappeli
Spruili
Two children, 22 and 26
No former elected political
offices
Education: Vietnam War
Combat Veteran, U.S. Army
(Honorabiy Discharged)
Martin Community Coilege,
Criminai Justice Major
Coliege of the Aibemarie,
Criminai Justice Program
Chowan High School
deputy Sheriff in this county
win greatly enhance my abili
ty as your Sheriff.
Spruill: In order to make a
significant improvement in
law enforcement for
Perquimans County citizens,
particularly through leader
ship by example and experi
ence, I am asking the people
for their vote and support.
With my leadership through
example, I can affect more pos
itive change as the person
responsible for Perquimans
County Law Enforcement, and
as Sheriff versus being a
Deputy. Through my plan of
action, if given the opportuni
ty by the people, I will initiate
significant yet very cost-effec
tive changes in the Sheriffs
Department.
What do you see as the pri
mary duties of the Sheriff?
Spruill: The Sheriff of
Perquimans County is respon
sible to Lead, Direct and at all
times be the Chief Advocate
for cooperative and county
wide Law Enforcement
Programs including drug
enforcement, highway safety,
court bailiff, and domestic
safety and assistance. As out
lined in my “Five Point Plan of
Action”, my efforts toward
positive change include work
on improvements in
Administration, Department
Equipment, Personnel
Training, Drug Enforcement
and Public Communications.
Robinson: As set forth by
State code, the Sheriffs respon
sibilities are the efficient rvm-
ning of the courts, serving the
processes that begin the
actions and give the courts the
authority to decide cases. The
sheriff must carry out the
orders of the courts and
enforce the judgments of the
courts. This is in addition to
answering calls for assistance,
investigating crimes, and
ensuring the general saifety of
the citizens of perquimans
county. Further, I wUl ensure
effective management of staff,
resources and budget con
straints.
What qualities would you
bring to the job that you
feel would make you a
good sheriff?
Robinson: I would bring
my dedication, honesty, and
the fairness that I have dis
played to the people . of
Perquimans County as a
Deputy Sheriff and DARE offi
cer. I wUl bring my good work
ethic and instill that same
work ethic throughout the
Sheriffs Dept. Additionally, I
will offer the benefits of my
years of law enforcement and
management skills to develop
a cohesive law enforcement
team. I am a people oriented
person and I believe that com
passion is a virtue that aU law
enforcement officers should
possess.
Spruill: My experiences on
the streets of Perquimans
County along with my varied
administrative experiences
are qualities that I believe
would serve our citizens and
this department well.
Additionally, people who
know me know that I wUl also
bring the virtues of honesty,
fairness, personal values,
integrity, a strong work ethic,
open communications and
Christian values to the job of
being your Sheriff.
Please see Sheriff, page 9