Schools get $227,855 tech grant
Page 6
PCHS Concert Band wins award
Page 8
Local first-graders in magazine
Page 6
April 22, 1999
Vol. 67, No. 16 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County and its people
0131O5 10/C9/1999 *C20
PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
110 W ACADEMY ST
The
Perquimans
nr?
Weekly
350
Strother’s
^Beautiful
Morning’
Helps seU
the county
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
In Perquimans there will
always be a “Beautiful
Morning.”
The song, written by Jon
Strother, is a reflection of
Perquimans County, of who
lives here, of what the commu
nity is about. The Chamber of
Commerce is banking that the
song will be a hit with local
residents. The group is pro
ducing cassettes and CDs of
the song.
To further localize the musi
cal endeavor, the Chamber is
sponsoring a contest for the
cover jacket. Original art and
photographs which reflect the
words and spirit of the song
may be submitted. The winner
wUl receive credit on the jack
et.
Entry forms may be
obtained from the Chamber
office in Hall of Fame Square
or the county library. Entries
will not be accepted without
forms. The entry deadline is
May 1.
beautiful morning
Words and Music by Jon E.
Strother
It’s a beautiful morning, the
sim is peekin’ a smile
As the geese take to calling,
silhouettes in the sky.
And neighbors are waving,
where cotton is king
While the wind on the river,
plays a sweet melody
It’s a place called
Perquimans
The land of beautiful
women
The place that we call home
Can you hear the crowds
cheering, as the bat meets the
baU?
See the Pirates’ band march
ing, over one-himdred strong.
As the Plantation duffers,
strolling down seventeen.
See where ospreys have nest-
ec(...hear the mockingbirds
sing (*)
. (Key Change at * up one-half
step)
_ It’s a beautiful morning
It’s a beautiful morning
I-1- It’s a place called
Perquimans
The land of beautiful
.  women.
The place we call home
There’s a new day a dawning,
can’t you feel it inside?
Take a look all around you,
with your eyes open wide.
There are people of interest,
and places to see
We’re a quUt-top of patchwork,
sewn in humanity.
It’s a place called
-Perquimans, the land of
beautiful women
And best of all, it’s the place
we call home...
It’s a beautiftil morning
'There’s a new day a
dawning
It’s a beautiful morning
The Butler Did It, Singing
PHOTO BY SUSAN R. HARRIS
The Perquimans County High School drama classes recently presented their annual spring
musicai performance “The Butier Did it, Singing.” Cast members included Billie Simmons,
Heather Harris, Sarah Knehr, Matt White, Kyle Lawrence, Michael Rowland, Orbei White,
Noel Shannonhouse, Kevin Jacobs, Lindsey Ferrell, Jean Simmons, Scott Jacobs, Holley
Long, Ashley McCleary and Melissa Terranova. The play was directed by Lynwood Winslow,
PCHS drama and chorus teacher. Instrumental accompaniment was provided by Kaye Long
at the piano, Chris Whitehurst on percussion, saxophonist Peter Eure and trumpeter Lee
Thach.
Work First funds distributed
The N.C. Department of
Transportation’s (NCDOT’s)
Public Transportation
Division . ha,s ^distributed
$984,550 in Work First funds to
96 counties across the state.
Funds allocated to Gov. Jim
Hunt’s Work First program
are helping move North
Carolinians from welfare to
work by aiding in temporary
transportation needs.
Perquimans County received
$3,070.
“Transportation is one of
the greatest challenges facing
welfare recipients seeking a
job,” said Gov. Hunt. “That’s
why it is so important that
communities work together to
develop innovative transporta
tion projects to get Work First
participants to and from their
jobs. We need'to do eveiything
possible to make sure every
able-bodied welfare recipient
is working or in job training.”
The Work First funds are
part of $1.75 million ip state
funds allocated over the past
two years to meet transitional
Work First and general public
employment transportation
needs.
The funds are used by local
departments of social services
and conununity transportation
systems to provide continued
employment transportation
for Work First participants fol
lowing the termination of cash
assistance. Low income and
other individuals who do not
receive Work First assistance
also are eligible for employ
ment and related transporta
tion needs.
“One of the department’s
priorities is helping communi
ty officials find transportation
for Work First participants,”
said Transportation Secretary
Norris Tolson.
“'Transportation is the vital
link that connects people with
jobs and employers with work
ers.”
Last year the N.C. General
Assembly appropriated $1.75
million for Work First and
employment transportation
assistance as part of the tran
sit bill that included the rec
ommendations from the
'Transit 2001 Commission.
The $1.75 million allocation
included $750,000 for demon
stration transportation pro
jects for
Work First participants.
Funds are allocated to aU 100
counties.
Grime victims get help from SAVAN
Richard Moore, secretary of
the N-C. Department of Crime
Control and Public Safety
(CCPS), and Pasquotank
County Sheriff Randy
Cartwright recently
announced the arrival of
SAVAN, the Statewide
Automated Victim Assistance
and Notification system in
Pasquotank, Perquimans,
Gates, Currituck, Chowan, and
Camden counties. The system
gives victims of crime round-
the-clock access to information
on the status of the offenders
who victimized them.
“In the past, victims have
had to rely on good-hearted
jailers or court officials to
remember to call them when
an offender got out of prison,”
said Secretary Moore. “With
SAVAN, victims have 24-hour-
a-day access to the most up-to-
date information available
about offenders.”
Moore and Cartwright were
joined in the announcement by
Perquimans County Sheriff
Ralph Robinson and other
area officials. Pasquotank,
Perquimans and Camden
counties share the Albemarle
District Jail in Elizabeth City.
With the SAVAN notifica-
Property owners
face 12 percent
insurance hike
Average costs
will go from $578
per year to $647
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Perquimans County proper
ty owners could see up to a 12
percent increase in their
homeowners insurance due to
a settlement reached recently
between Insurance
Commissioner Jim Long and
the insurance industry.
The average statewide
increase is 4.3 percent.
Homeowners on the barrier
islands will see a 20 percent
jump. Counties lapped by the
ocean or sounds will rise 12
percent.
The heart of the state -
except for Wake, Durham and
Orange counties - were
approved for a 10 percent hike.
The Triad rates wUl only go up
5 percent, even though the
three counties are completely
surrounded by the area
approved for a 10 percent
increase.
The price of an HO-3 policy
on a frame home valued at
$130,000 will go from $578 per
year to $647.
The insurance industry
originally requested rate
increases averaging 15.6 per
cent statewide. The territory
increases requested ranged
from 1.7 percent for
Greensboro and Winston-
Salem to 50.3 percent for
Bladen, Columbus and
Robeson counties. The indus
try’s request for the territory
including Perquimems was 28.5
percent.
That would have increased
premiums in the sample policy
from $578 to $743. Long said
the negotiated settlement will
save the state’s homeowners
$78.5 million in premiums.
“Since the last rate increase
in 1993 2 percent. North
Carolina insurance companies
have paid out more than $1.8
billion in storm damage
claims,”’ said Long.
“We realized that an
increase was inevitable.
However, I’m confident that
my department has done an
outstanding job by keeping a
careful balance of protecting
the consumers with fair insur
ance rates yet still maintain
ing the solvency of insurers
who do business in this state.”
Most companies write
homeowners insurance at dis
counted rates - rates below the
\
maximum set by the
Department of Insurance.
Recently, however some com
panies have been reducing the
discounts they offer, thus lend
ing to the perception by policy
holders that rates have
increased since 1993.
“Obviously, we don’t like to
see anyone’s insurance rates
go up,” said Long. “But our
main concern for those coun
ties along our coast is convinc
ing insurance companies to
write these essential home-
owners policies in eastern
North Carolina.
“It is vital to the state’s
economy that our citizens east
of 1-95 be able to find an insur
ance company willing to write
those coverages which are nec
essary for home loans.” Long
added.
Of the 164 insurers licensed
to sell coverage in North
Carolina, less than 30 compa
nies are actually writing busi
ness along the coast.
For those homeowners who
are not able to find coverage
through the voluntary market,
insurance can be purchased
through the Beach Plan.
Created in 1967 by the General
Assembly, the Beach Plan is
funded and operated by the
insurance industry.
AU insurers who write prop
erty insurance in North
Carolina are required to par
ticipate in the plan.
“This facility which was
intended to be an insurer of
last resort, now writes a
majority of the policies along
the coast,” said Long.
“When the plan suffers
excessive losses, it assesses its
members to make up the dif
ference.
“Policyholders of the Beach
Plan may have coverage, but
unfortunately they pay more
than double what the average
homeowner does for insurance
coverage.
The Department of
Insurance is working hard
with the industry and the leg
islature, to ensure that fair
and proper coverage is offered
to aU North Carolina citizens.
In addition to the rate settle
ment, the Department of
Insurance has ordered the
insurance industry to advise
their policyholders that flood
coverage is not offered on a
homeowners policy.
Insurers must include noti
fication that protection from
flood damage can only be
obtained with an additional
policy through the national
Flood Insurance Program.
tion system, victims can take
precautions to protect them
selves from potentiaUy danger
ous offenders who might oth
erwise show up announced.
SAVAN makes information
available about offenders in
any county jail or state
Department of Corrections
facility anywhere in North
Carolina.
Computer terminals at each
facility relay offender informa
tion to the SAVAN call center
in Louisville, Ky., within 15
minutes of a jaU or prison offi
cial entering the updated
information.
Weekend Weather
Thursday
High: 80s Low: 60s Partly Cloudy
Friday
High: 80s Low: 60s Partly Cloudy
Saturday
High: 70s Low: 60s Chance of Rain