Sports Page 6
Student celebrations Page 8
Senior Center calendar. Page 5
Schedule of events for Old Timers
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County and its people
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May 6, 1999
Vol. 67, No. 18 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
10/09/1999 *C20
ERQUIMANS county LI8RARY
110 r, ACADE'IY ST
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By SUSAN R. HARRIS
E^tor
Ask Taylor Hunter what
he’s going to do Saturday and
he’s quick to answer: “I’m
going to throw the ball.”
The 3-year-old grandson of
Baseball Hall of Famer Jim
“Catfish” Hunter is all set for
the day’s activities, which will
see him throw out the ceremo
nial first pitch before the 7
p.m. Old Tuners Game. He was
even practicing his batting at
his grandparents’ home
Sunday evening, perhaps in
preparation for a surprise
entry in the afternoon’s home-
run derby. He’s pretty good
with a bat and has a strong
arm. The toddler may indeed
have the gene which led his
grandfather into national star
dom and both his father and
uncle into college on baseball
scholarships.
While Taylor was practic
ing, the adults in the family
were trying on official ALS
foundation shirts and hats like
those that will be sold
Saturday at Memorial
Stadium during the activities.
Golf shirts, t-shirts, baseball
shirts and hats in a variety of
colors will be available under
a tent behind the home dug
out. Prices range from $15-$35.
Saturday’s events at PCHS
get underway at 6:30 a.m. and
will last until about 10 p.m.
Entertainment and other
events are also planned for
downtown Hertford.
Over 5,000 barbecued chick
en plates have already been
sold, so organizers recommend
that people allow plenty of
time for pick-up at the high
school. Because the gates will
close at 4:55 for the 5 o’clock
ceremony honoring Hunter
and kicking off the foundation,
it is also recommended that
those who wish to attend
arrive at the high school early.
For a schedule and other
information, please see page 9.
McMahon
opens.
Covent
Garden Inn
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
E^tor
There’s a sense of welcome
once you hit the sidewalk in
front of the Covent Garden Inn
owned and operated by Jane
McMahon.
The wide front porch beck
ons with benches and chairs,
and the stained glass sign pro
claiming the name of the busi
ness fits into the ambiance of
the deep, cool porch.
Also known as the Ruth
Toms-Newby House, the ca.
1916 dwelling features the
Colonial Revival style. Guests
may choose a private or semi
private bath and one room
even features a private second-
floor porch.
The rooms are furnished
with vintage antiques compli
mented with handmade quilts
and linens.
The front parlor is graced
with a grand piano beside the
fireplace. Guests may enjoy
music, cable TV, VCR, Books
and games next to the formal
dining area.
Jane McMahon bought her home on Covent Garden, and has done much of the restoration and
renovation over the past two years. She now shares the beauty of her restored Colonial Revival
home with guests at the Covent Garden inn. Last week, she ceiebrated the grand opening of her
business, asking some good friends to share the task with her. The ribbon cutting was spon
sored by the Chamber of Commerce.
The kitchen is warm and
inviting, with cobalt blue
countertop tiles installed by
McMahon herself, as weU as a
blue and white tUe floor.
Quite the do-it-yourselfer,
McMahon has spent hundreds
of hours renovating the house
which had been empty for
some time before she moved
in. From climbing ladders to
installing floors to finding and
restoring light fixtures and
furnishings, McMahon has lit
erally put herself into the
home’s renovation.
A native New Englander,
McMahon lived for many
years in Florida before finding
her jewel in Hertford.
McMahon enjoys crafts and
shares her talent through the
Perquimans Arts League.
Through PAL, she met her
partner in a business opened
earlier this year. Blue Door
Highway Patrol
commander
visits Hertford
Helen and Jimmy Hunter (front) relax with grandson Taylor (center) and children (standing back)
Kim Layne and husband, Larry; Paul; Todd and wife, Joanna. The family is sporting the official
Jim “Catfish” Hunter ALS Foundation shirts and hats which will be on sale at Memorial Field dur
ing the Old Timers Day activities Saturday. The foundation logo (cioseup, below) appears on all
the shirts and hats. The Historic Hertford Business Association will also be selling shirts down
town with both the foundation and association logos.
By JEREMY DESPOSITO
The Daily Advance
The new head of the North
Carolina Highway Patrol says
he’s committed to ensuring the
public’s trust in the agency
and also wants to recruit more
minorities and women to serve
in the Patrol.
Colonel Richard Holden,
along with the Secretary of the
state Department of Crime
Control and Public Safety
Richard Moore, traveled here
Thursday on the invitation of
Winfall Mayor Fred Yates.
Both state officials addressed a
crowd of about 50 local offi
cials and residents at the
Albemarle Commission build
ing in Hertford.
Holden, the first African-
American commander ever
appointed to head the N.C.
Highway Patrol, said the force
needs more minorities and
females, and doing the right
thing will ensure public trust.
He said there are a little
more than 20 females current
ly on the force. They’re doing
an outstanding job, and should
be given an opportunity if they
can do the job, he said.
Before the next highway
Patrol application test is given
- they are usually given twice a
year - Holden wants to imple
ment a new recruiting plan
targeting minorities and
women.
“We are aggressively
recruiting minorities and
females. We have a lot of
females on the force but we
need more,” he said.
“Recruiting should be inclu
sive of everybody, (officers)
should be representing the
population they serve.”
Holden, in his 30th year on
the force, was appointed to the
Patrol’s highest rank by Gov.
Jim Hunt. He was sworn in
March 3. Prior to that, he was
Director of Internal Affairs.
He grew up working on the
farm with his father in
Wendell, just northeast of
Raleigh. He entered the
Highway Patrol as a trooper.
the lowest rank on the force.
It’s a great feeling, he said, to
know you can start at the bot
tom and proceed through the
ranks. He attributed the build
ing blocks of his success to the
great work ethic of his mother
and father.
His work ethic guides him
through rough times.
“(Highway Patrol) has had a
few (negative) things happen,”
he said. “But if you don’t fix
the problem, it becomes a
problem.”
“Even though we have to do
a job that’s not very popular
sometimes, there’s stiff a way
for people to thank you for
your (respectable) attitude and
not a ticket,” Holden contin
ued. “Nobody wants a ticket,
but they want you to be fair.
As a leader, I believe you have
to treat people fair and make
sure you don’t take advantage
of anyone. You have to take
the oath seriously. When you
lose public trust and integrity
you lose everything.”
Holden has put about 1,400
miles on his car visiting differ
ent parts of the state.
“Fm listening to the troop
ers, but I want to hear from cit
izens as well,” he continued. “I
need some help to run this
organization. I can’t do it
myself. And I would encourage
our people to get involved. I
want to listen to citizens and
try to correct some things.”
Also during the meeting,
Richard Moore described the
state’s latest initiative to
address youth violence.
He told the group that he
lives next door to the 11-year-
old twins who killed their
father and shot their mother
and sister. For him, the inci
dent hits real close to home, he
said.
“We have to focus on juve
nile behavior in general, not
just in schools,” he said.
“Where is it coming from?
Every parent and grandparent
ought to have the feeling that
their kids are going to be on
that bus at the end of the day.”
Bymm hits (double
at livestock show
Gallery, and antiques and gift
shop in Winfall. She and Linda
Morris operate that business
in the front parlor of Morris’s
historic home in front of the
county softball fields. The
home was at one time owned
by the county and housed the
indigent and sick.
For information about her
businesses, caff McMahon at
426-5945, the Covent Garden
Inn, 107 Covent Garden Street.
Earlie Byrum Jr. won’t like
ly forget the 54th annual
Albemarle 4-H Livestock Show
and Sale. The 15-year-old
Perquimans youth earned
grand champion awards for
both his steer and his hob dur
ing the two-day event in
Elizabeth City last week.
According to show records
housed at the Pasquotank
County Extension Office, the
feat was a first. Brent
Jennings of Camden showed
the grand champion hog and
lamb in 1997, but there is no
record of any youth showing
both the grand champion steer
and hog in the same year.
“It’s extremely rare for a
person to show the gand cham
pion pig and steer in the same
show,” said Jeff Copeland,
Area Specialized Agent,
Livestock.
Last Wednesday, Byrum
prepared to show his animals
much like he has for the past
11 years. Make that final
inspection, taking care to have
the animal looking its best.
Talk soothingly and encourag
ingly to the animal. Hope for
the best.
At 8 a.m., the offi(;ial judg
ing of hogs got underway.
Byrum was all smiles by
around 10 a.m. when it was
announced his animal was
named grand champion.
The fitting and showman
ship competition for hogs
them got underway, followed
by the fitting and showman
ship of steers. At 2 in the after
noon, Byrum was ready for the
official judging of steers.
Unbelievably, the youth would
learn soon that he had puffed
off a first.
Byrum started out showing
lambs and pigs before graduat
ing to a steer. His 6-year-old
brother, Collin also shows,
both following in the footsteps
Please see Livestock, page 9