The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County and its people
Happy birthday, America*
Celebrate freedom
and show your patriotism. /!
Fly your American flag
on the
4th of July.
July 1,1999
Vol. 67, No. 25 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
The
12 813165 18/09/1999 tC20
F'ERQUIHAHS COUNTY LIBRARY
110 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD NC 27944
Weekly
PETTIQREW REQIONAL LIRRABv
7903 1014 5684 8
^5 Gents
4th of July
festivities
planned for
town park
From Staff Reports
Join your friends and neigh
bors at Missing MUl Park on
July 3 for a family-style
Independence Day celebra
tion.
The Historic Hertford
Business Association will griU
4th of July picnic favorites —
hamburgers and hot dogs —
from 7-11 p.m. at Missing MUl
Park. Also avaUable will be
season-pleasers cotton candy,
popcorn and peanuts.
The American Legion is
organizing the fireworks dis
play to be shot as the sun sinks
over the Perquimans.
Partytime will offer clowns,
face painting and more during
the evening.
Also on tap wUl be music
from 8-11 p.m. for listening or
dancing. HHBA recommends
bringing a lawn chair.
HHBA joined the
Perquimans Spring Weekend
activities, sponsoring a barbe
cue supper and music on the
courthouse lawn with all pro
ceeds, about $2,400, going to
the American Legion to help
with the cost of fireworks.
Donations for fireworks
may be made to members of
the American Legion.
Lloyds will fly family heirloom
Flag that draped uncle’s casket
during WWII will hang from
porch over 4th of July weekend
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
The flag George Henry
Lloyd wUl fly at his Market
Street home this weekend sym
bolizes a family’s long-term
commitment to upholding the
ideals of freedom upon which
the United States was founded.
The
Hertford
native came
across the
special flag a
few days ago,
almost 30
years after his
late grand
mother pre
sented to him.
It is the flag
that draped
the casket of
his uncle.
Grey Lloyd, a
casualty of World War II. Grey
Lloyd lost his life around 1944.
George Henry became the
owner of the flag around 1970.
“I held on to it like gold,”
George Henry said. “It means
a lot to me because my grand
mother gave it to me.”
George Henry’s father,
Finley Lloyd, also served in
World War II, returning to
Hertford in 1946. When his
“This family for
some reason or
another has been
oriented into ser
vice one way or
another.”
father returned from his tour
of duty, George Henry moved
to New York.
That the two brothers
served in World War II is busi
ness as usual for the Lloyd fam
ily. George Henry said that his
relatives have served this coun
try as far back as the Civil War.
Lloyds also were in uniform
during World War I. Lloyd him
self enlisted
in the
Marines in
the early
1950s. His
son, William
H. Lloyd,
served in the
U.S. Air Force
for 24 years,
earning the
rank of
Senior
Master
Sergeant. His
daughter pulled a 3-year stint
in the Air Force. One of his
grandsons also served in the
military for two years.
“This family for some rea
son or another has been orient
ed into service one way or
another,” George Henry said.
He also remembers when
Hertford was somewhat of a
military town, when the
streets were flUed with the uni
forms of those assigned to
George Henry Lloyd
SUBMITTED PHOTO
George Henry and Naomi Lloyd get out the American flag that draped his uncle's casket during WWII. The cou
ple will fly the flag over the 4th of July weekend to celebrate the Lloyd family's long history of military ser
vice to the United States.
Harvey Point when that facili
ty was ah active military base.
George Henry said he can
remember when the streets
were filled with servicemen,
especially on weekends.
His love of country is
matched by George Henry’s
love for his hometown.
“This is home and I love this
town. It was always home, even
when I lived in New York.”
He remembers Hertford
before subdivisions and by
pass highways, when much of
the land on the south side of
Jenny’s Gut was farmland.
And changes or not, this is
where he always wanted to
come back to when he was able
to retire.
Jenkins realizes dream with new salon
Owner proves
past mistakes can
be overcome
MARTY JACOBI
Correspondent
Gracie Jenkins knows what
it’s like to hit rock bottom. She
was there six years ago when
she-was arrested on drug traf
ficking charges.
"She hasn’t let that or the
thtee years she spent in prison
hold her back, however. Friday,
she realized her dream of
opening up her own business.
Total Ecstasy Full Service
Styling Salon, in WinfaU.
“I made a vow and oath
while (in prison) that nothing
was going to hold me back from
my dreams,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins readily admits she
made a mistake that cost her
three years of her life. But she
says the experience shows that,
in spite of errors in judgment,
anybody can be a success if
they want to
badly enough. —
“When you
come out (of
prison), life
doesn’t stop,”
she said. “You
have to learn
to catch up the
right way.”
Jenkins’
salon is locat
ed at 298 U.S.
Highway 17
Bypass inside
the former
Alcohol 1
Beverage
Control store. WinfaU Mayor
Fred Yates helped her find the
location. Jenkins says she
opened the salon in memory of
her father, Melvin Revel, who
JO.
Thach resumes
coaching job
Daily Advance photo
WinfaU Mayor Fred Yates cuts the ribbon at the grand opening of Total Ecstasy Full Service Styling Salon in
WinfaU Friday. Yates was one of a group of friends and family of owner Gracie Jenkins on hand to celebrate
the salon opening with a ribbon cutting sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.
“I made a vow and
oath while (in
prison) that nothing
was going to hold
me back from my
dreams.”
died last June.
Jenkins said her father and
• mother, two
sons
fiance
the
that
lized
and
were
pillars
stabi-
her
through the
ordeal of
acclimation
back into
society, she
said.
“Dad
always said to
put things
behind you
and go for
ward,” she
said. “He taught me how to
survive.”
Jenkins already had 17 years
of styling experience when she
Gracie Jenkins
Owner of Total Ecstasy Full
Service Styling Salong
WinfaU
opened the shop. It also isn’t
the first salon she has owned.
Her first shop closed foUowing
her 1993 arrest on drug traf
ficking charges.
After her release, she went
to The Haircuttery in
Elizabeth City, where “they
gave me a chance,” she said.
She took the opportunity
they gave her to prove that not
everyone that goes to prison is
bad, she said.
At Total Ecstasy, Jenkins
offers other stylists and nail
technicians an opportunity to
realize their own dreams of
owning a business without
most of the money going to
someone else. She has booth
rentals available at bargain
prices.
“I’ve worked in a lot of
salons,” she said. “It’s always
the more you make, the less
you take home. It doesn’t make
any sense...I want that person
(who is hired) to be indepen
dent.”
One of her long-time friends
and former co-worker. Tore
Godwin, rents one of the
booths.
The full service salon caters
to aU hair types. She also offers
manicures and pedicures and
wiU soon offer ear piercing.
Jenkins and Godwin provide
transportation for the elderly
with a 24-hour notice. They
offer monthly specials and
Monday is Senior citizen’s Day
Total Ecstasy is open
Monday through Friday from
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday
from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Late
appointments and walk-ins are
welcome.
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Harrell Thach is back where
he wants to be — at the helm of
Pirate football.
The 14-year coaching veter
an stepped down as
Perquimans High School ath
letic director recently to accept
the position of head football
coach. Thach said his first love
is coaching and his goal is to
rebuild a fallen program.
“My goals are to rebuild the /
program, the same goals as
had in ‘92,” he said. “I want to
bring pride back into
Perquimans football.”
Thach said rebuilding the
program, which has traveled
especially rough waters for the
past two years, is his first pri
ority. That will come from set
ting small goals first, then
working to larger goals, he
said.
“The first thing (we want to
do) is develop team and win
ning spirit,” he said. “It won’t
be an overnight thing. We’re
looking to build a program
instead of just a team. I hope
people understand that. I’m not
here to build for one year. I’m
here to build a program.”
The response from the ath
letes to Thach’s return to
coaching hqs been supportive.
Over 70 students attended the
first football meeting when the
announcement was made.
Thach said 30 or more have
shown up consistently for
weight training and spring and
summer workouts.
Rebuilding the Perquimans
program will mean overcom
ing three years of losing sea
sons, and providing stability in
the program after going
through three coaches in four
years.
Thach said replacing line
backers Andrew Harris and
James White, the only two 1999
graduates with four years of
varsity football experience,
will be tough due to the athlet
ic ability, work ethic and lead
ership the pair possessed.
But he sees many positives
coming into a new season. The
fact that the junior varsity pro
gram has stayed intact and
been successful for the past
two seasons coupled with
promising athletes and a good
coaching staff will bode weU
for the Pirates in ‘99.
It appears that Thach will
have strong running backs and
solid pass receivers, a good
omen for his no-huddle, wish
bone offense.
Thach has coached both JV
and varsity football, girls and
boys varsity basketball, and
girls track while at
Perquimans. In football, he
piloted six JV championship
teams and two runners-up. In
three years at the varsity level,
his teams posted records of 5-6,
10-2, and then 5-5 after losing 13
seniors.
Thach was athletic director
for six years. He spent four
years as athletic director only
after being forced to choose
between the positions of head
football coach and athletic
director by the school board.
The school board implemented
a policy during Thach’s tenure
that a coach could not serve as
athletic director unless it was
determined by the principal
that both positions could not be
filled. The board has to
approve the principal’s recom
mendation. Thach was not
grandfathered in, but was
forced to give up one position.
Douglas Umphlett has been
tapped to replace Thach as ath
letic director.