The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County and its
Sports Page 6
4-H education ptx>gram Page 3
PAL sponsors special events..Page 5
School news Page 8
May 13, 1999
Vol. 67, No. 119 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
The
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'ERiiUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
no ^ ACADEMY ST
ERTFORD NC 27944
RQUIMANS
Weikly
350
Hertford
pulls plug
on Coles’
request
for power
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
E^tor
An irate Hertford woman
blasted the town Monday night
for not approving her plan to
get her electricity turned on.
Cathy Coles, who said she is
a diabetic on dialysis, said she
has been without electricity
for 3 years. She said town man
ager John Christensen told her
she would have to pay the
$1,800 she owes the town
before the town will turn on
electric power at her current
home on King Street. She can
not afford to do that on her
$500 per month income, she
said.
Coles told council she had
offered to pay $50 per month
plus the current bill if the
town would agree to turn on
power at her residence. That is
all she can afford to do, she
said.
Coles also said that
Christensen had accused her
of meter tampering at her for
mer residence in Meads
Mobile Home Park. Pointing
her finger and raising her
voice. Coles said if
Christensen could prove the
allegation that she had tam
pered with the meter, he
would have had her arrested.
Council asked Christensen
to review the case from the
town’s records. The manager
■said that Coles had utilities
when she lived in the mobile
home park. Her bill got over
$500 delinquent and was
turned off. It was turned back
on with her promise to catch
up the past due amount. She
did not catch the bill up and in
fact, the amount she owed rose
to around $1,800, he said. The
power was turned off for good
in January 1997. Coles subse
quently moved to King Street.
The meter was checked at
the time Coles moved and it
was discovered that the meter
had been tampered with to
allow unmetered power to go
through it.
Christensen said Coles has
made no attempt to pay on the
bill since January 1997.
Because she failed to honor the
agreement to repay her delin
quent account and in light of
the fact that the meter at her
former residence had been
tampered with, Christensen
said the town should abide by
its policy in dealing with
Coles. The current policy
would require pa3rment in full
of the delinquent biU including
fees for disconnection and
tampering and a deposit in the
amount of two months’ aver
age bill at the current resi
dence.
The manager said the town
has worked with numerous
electric customers who receive
an unusually high bUl they are
unable to pay. He said the
town has set up a repayment
contract with customers to
allow them to continue to
receive electricity. Customers
must pay the current bill plus
a set amount on the past due
portion. If the contract is not
honored, Christensen said the
Please see Coles, page 7
Officials impressed with county
Cooperation,
history give area
edge for federal
funding
By JEREMY DESPOSITO
The Daily Advance
Hertford’s community coop
eration and its extensive histo
ry make it a good site for
development of the heritage
tourism trade, federal officials
agreed last week.
Two weeks after a visit from
state tourism agencies, the
county was visited again last
week by several federal offi
cials as well as by state
Secretary of Commerce Rick
Carlisle.
Thursday’s tour was part of
the Northeastern ■ North
Carolina Heritage Tourism
Initiative, a plan to develop
historic corridors in the area.
Along the introductory tour
of the Perquimans area was
the 1824 Winslow House on
Front Street behind the county
courthouse. There, the group
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
A delegation of federal and state officials enjoy pork barbecue and fixings on the iawn of Luciile
Winsiow overiooking the sparkiing Perquimans River, aiong with locais who have worked on the
heritage tourism pian. The officials said they were impressed with what they saw and iook for
ward to working with the area on economic deveiopment through heritage tourism growth.
learned of the town’s Civil
War connections in addition to
enjoying barbecue on the lawn
overlooking the river.
Carlisle was impressed
when shown a hole in the rear
wall of the house that was put
there by Union shrapnel dur
ing the war. The shrapnel is
still saved from a battle on
Dec. 10,1863, when Union gun
boats were shelling Hertford.
Carlisle said tourism and
economic development go
hand-in-hand in the Albemarle
area.
“I’ve been making a lot of
trips to Northeast North
Carolina late,’’ Carlisle said.
“It’s reaUy been a time when a
lot of great things are going on
in this area. This initiative to
promote heritage tourism
links up with broader econom
ic development efforts.’’
Carlisle said he was
impressed with how well her
itage tourism fits the area.
“Heritage tourism is a nat
ural for his area,’’ he said. “I
don’t think you’ll see a better
place when it comes to the
number and quality of historic
Please see tourism, page 7
3,000 on hand
for Hunter Day
PHOTO BY SAM WOLFE
Helen Hunter helps her husband. Baseball Hall of Famer, Jim “Catfish” Hunter, adjust his cap
during a ceremony honoring Hunter at Memoriai Stadium Saturday afternoon. An estimated 2,500
peopie gathered in Hertford to support Hunter and kick off an ALS Foundation in his honor.
By SUSAN R. HARRiS
Editor
It was a day of fun. It was a
day of honor. It was a day of
great emotion. It was a day
many people will not soon for
get.
Almost 3,000 people flocked
to Veterans Memorial Field on
the campus of Perquimans
High School Saturday to honor
Jim “Catfish” Hunter during
the 19th annual Old Timers
Day. This year’s Old Timers
Day served as the kickoff for
the Jim “Catfish” Himter ALS
Foundation, an organization
started by Hunter’s friends
and family to fund amyotroph
ic lateral sclerosis research
and education.
It was fitting that the cere
mony honoring Hunter took
place just behind the mound
upon which he began to build
a career that wovdd lead to his
induction into the Baseball
Hall of Fame. And it was cer
tainly fitting that the tribute
was held on May 8, the 31st
anniversary of the day Hunter
pitched his perfect game for
the Kansas City A’s against
the Minnesota Twins. At the
end of the ceremony, a tape of
the final outs Hunter pitched
was played to a hushed audi
ence. One of the day’s guests,
Jim Pagliaroni, was Hunter’s
catcher on that historic day.
During the day which start
ed with a 6:30 a.m. prayer
breakfast. Hunter was able to
visit with some of his closest
friends from both eras of his
baseball career — high school
and professional.
In one of the day’s most
touching moments. Hunter’s
grandson threw out the cere
monial first pitches as his
famous grandfather coached
him. Taylor called out “Play
ball!” before the 1999 Varsity
Vs. 1963 Old Timers State
Championship Team, plus
help from some former pros
and PCHS stand-outs from
later years.
Final totals of funds raised
with the day’s events were not
available at press time. The
silent auction alone raised
over $11,000.
More coverage on page 7
Business group raises money
for 4th of July fireworks fund
The dark skies over Missing
Mill Park last Independence
Day broke from local tradition
of gathering with family and
friends to watch a time-hon
ored light show.
The Historic Hertford
Business Association looks to
light up the night once again
this July 4. The group is spon
soring Pig-Out in Perquimans:
Dinner and Music on the
Courthouse Green on May 21
as part of the Perquimans
Spring Weekend.
Pork barbecue and fixings
wUl be $8 per plate. Diners can
enjoy live entertainment on
the courthouse lawn, browse
through the shops until 8 p.m.
and review the PAL Gallery
Show. All proceeds from the
event will benefit the fire
works fund. Downtown busi
nesses have tickets.
Pig-Out kicks off a weekend
filled with activities. Some of
the county’s jewel historic
structures will be on tour
Saturday and Sunday. The
self-guided tour meanders
through the county’s town
ships and is co-sponsored by
Preservation North Carolina
and the Perquimans County
Restoration Association.
Tickets are $20 and are good
for both days.
The annual PCRA garden
party is set for Saturday
evening on the grounds of
Riverside Plantation, an 1813
dwelling on beautiful grounds.
This elegant affair features a
delectable menu and the
charm of the Old South.
Tickets are $20. Proceeds bene
fit PCRA’s efforts to promote
cultural heritage and preserve
the 18th century character of
the Newbold-White House.
Call the Newbold-White
House at 426-7567 for weekend
detail.
Weekend Weather
Thursday
High: 70s Low: 50s
Partly Cloudy
Friday
High: 70s Low: 50s
Partly Cloudy
Saturday
High: 70s Low: 50s
Partly Cloudy