The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County and its people
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The
lERTfORO NC 27944
July 29,1999
Vol. 67, No. 29 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
JUL 2 8 1999
IQlil'i'lilLl U L2I
ERQUIMANS
Weekly
Friday is
Perquimans
Night for
Steamers
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
■ Folks from Perquimans
County will be the special
guests Friday night when the
Edenton Steamers take on the
Durham Braves at historic
Hicks Field in Edenton.
Friday has been tagged by
Steamers management as
Perquimans County Night.
Sponsors of the event are
Rhonda Gregory CPA,
Woodard’s Pharmacy, Hertford
Savings Bank, Dozier’s Florist,
Centura Bank, Tommy’s
Ramily Restaurant, Albemarle
EMC, Charles Ward Inc. Auto
Parts, Hardware and Tires,
Captain Bob’s Restaurant and
The Perquimans Weekly.
Sponsors have free tickets to
the game.
Gates open at 6 p.m. for the 7
o’clock game.
For information, call 482-
4080.
Early morning stroll
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Betty Crawford, Helen Murray and Norma McMullen take advantage of the relative
cool of early morning to get some exercise. The high temperatures and oppressive
humidity of the last couple of weeks has sent many people into seclusion with the air
conditioner running full blast. This weekend, severe thunderstorms hit both Saturday
evening and around midnight Sunday.
DOT installs curb, gutter on Dobbs Street
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Private companies contract
ed hy NCDOT are installing
curbing and guttering on the
section of Dobbs Street in front
of Hertford Grammar School.
Town Manager John
Christensen said the town
asked DOT for help maintain
ing Dobbs Street due to the
heavy bus traffic on the street.
DOT could not offer help for
the city-owned street, but
agreed to maintain that por
tion of the street from Edenton
Road Street to Woods Lane if
the town would dedicate that
portion of the street to the
state. Woods Lane is the road
on the west side of the school.
The stretch of Dobbs Street on
the east side of Edenton Road
is already state-maintained as
it is U.S. Highway 17 Business.
Meanwhile, town crews
were a block over on
Pennsylvania Avenue repair
ing a leaking water line.
Also underway is the town’s
extensive electrical upgrade.
Christensen said contractor
crews are still working on the
"■’mk
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Contractors were on the job bright and early Tuesday morning to install curb and gutter on the portion of
Dobbs Street in front of Hertford Grammar School.
project. He said the town has
opted to delay the voltage
switchover until October. Bids
for the project were lower than
anticipated and will aUow the
town to complete more of the
project than initially planned.
Materials for the additional
work caused the delay. Lines
will be buried in the Brown
Acres neighborhood, which
Christensen said is always a
problem area during storms
due to the large pine trees in
the area.
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 90$
LomJ&s
Mostly Sunny
Friday
High: 90$
Low: 70s
Mosily Sunny
Saturday
High: 90$
Low: 70s
Mostly SuMiY
State approves tougher DWI laws
Repeat offender,
underage drinking
penalties upped
From Staff Reports
The consequences of
impaired driving in North
Carolina continue to get
tougher.
The general assembly
passed lawns that impose
harsher penalties for both
repeat offender and underage
drinking drivers.
“Once again we are sending
the message loud and clear
that if you drink and drive in
North Carolina you will be
punished,’’ said Lieutenant
Governor Dennis Wicker.
“Repeat offenders and under
age drinking drivers can
expect to face some of the
toughest laws in the nation. I
believe these new laws are
going to continue to help make
our roads safer.”
The new laws impose a .04
blood alcohol content standard
on all first-time convicted
drunk drivers for a period of 3
yearns. If a driver is convicted
again, the driver will face a
zero tolerance standard for a
period of 7 years.
Also, ignition interlock
devices wUl be mandatory for
cill repeat offenders. Once a
driver gets his or her license
back after a second conviction,
the interlock device will be
required for 3 years. Ignition
interlock devices wiH also be
mandatory for any driver con
victed with a blood alcohol
content above .16.
Chamber delegation
travels to Raleigh to
pick up state award
“Repeat offenders are
responsible for destroying or
ending too many lives of our
citizens,” Wicker said. “The
tough new laws are going to be
important tools to help law
officers get these repeat offend
ers off our roads.”
Underage drinkers will face
tougher penalties as another
new law will make possession
of beer or wine by anyone
under 21 to be a class 3 misde
meanor. The current law
imposed a $25 fine on 19 and 20
year olds in possession of beer
and wine.
Finally, the legislature
approved allowing Alco-Sensor
results to be admissible in
cases dealing with the viola
tion of a limited driving privi
lege as proof of the presence of
alcohol.
Perquimans County took
center stage at the North
Carolina Technological
Development Authority’s
Fourth Annual
Entrepreneurial Awards
Ceremony last month.
The local chamber was pre
sented the Governor’s Award
for the Chamber of Commerce
of the Year. Accepting the
award on behalf of the cham
ber were Membership
Chairman Carol LeRoy and
Vice President Mary White.
Also on hand for the occasion
were Perquimans County
Commissioner Bert Hayes;
Hertford Town Councilman
Sid Eley; local entrepreneurs
and developers of Hall of
Fame Square, Randy and Ljmn
Lassiter; owner/operator of
Inteliport, named Small
Business of the Year by the
chamber, Steve Lane; 2020
Vision Coalition representa
tive and manager of the small
business incubator project in
progress, Leo Higgins; and
small business owners Donald
and Barbara Gustafson.
The prestigious award com
memorates the chamber’s out
standing contribution to the
community’s economic pros
perity and success.
“The Chamber of
Commerce of the Year Award
is indeed an honor,” said
White. “The Perquimans
Chamber of Commerce contin
ually strives to create incen
tive programs that boost entre
preneurial success. This cham
ber doesn’t just buUd business
es, it builds better communi
ties.”
White said the chamber’s
efforts have been successful
because individuals and other
groups, including local govern
ments, have worked together to
improve the economic outlook
for Perquimans County while
preserving its rich history and
natural resources.
The local chamber was
established in 1963. In the last
two years, the organization
has has been changing the way
business is done in the com
munity. Recognizing the poten
tial for the community to capi
talize on the heritage of the
historic Albemarle region, the
chamber worked closely with
other community leaders,
elected officials and organiza
tions to gain recognition for
historic districts in the
National Register of Historic
Places. As a result,
Perquimans is now one of only
a few areas in the nation with
three districts listed in the
National Register.
As these efforts were under
way, the chamber also worked
to turn potential and plans
into programs and profits.
Motoring and walking tour
booklets were developed to
guide visitors through
Perquimans County to view
the beautiful historic homes,
stately churches and architec
turally significant government
and business buildings.
Perquimans County was
recently chosen by the state to
be a pilot community for the
Heritage Tourism
Development Program. They
are now working with the state
and federal governments to
capitalize on their historic
treasures.
“I am very proud to be a part
of a district with such vibrant
Chamber
refocuses
Chamber members
learned that the organi
zation had earned the
Governor’s Award for the
Chamber of Commerce of
the Year just as the
group's board of direc
tors began the process of
long-term planning.
The Chamber was
poised to make presenta
tions to the three local
government units — the
county and the towns of
Hertford and Winfall —
this spring. The group
was asking for financial
support in light of the
economic development
and recruiting tasks the
chamber performs.
Executive Director
Sandra Williams Smith
resigned just as these pre
sentation were sched
uled, citing poor health.
Board members made the
presentations.
The chamber board
foimd that it was broke
and in debt, and immedi
ately began a process of
audit and review of aU
records. In addition, the
board felt that the group’s
focus should be squarely
on local economic devel
opment and small busi
ness support.
Through the efforts of
board members who have
given many hours to the
audit and review process,
the chamber should soon
be ready, officers say, to
get back on an even finan
cial keel and put pro
grams in place to support
and encourage local busi
ness.
entrepreneurial spirit!” said
Hayes. “The Perquimans
Chamber of Commerce has
been instrumental in revitaliz
ing the economy of the area.
The citizens of the commvmity
are grateful to the chamber for
their innovative ideas and
their diligence in pursuing
their goals for the Perquimans
County area.”
Eley said, “This 1999
Governor’s Award for the
Chamber of Commerce of the
Year is well-deserved. It
applauds the success of an
organization that embraces
and nurturers entrepreneurial
development and growth in the
Perquimans Coimty area.”
The 1999 Governor’s Award
for Entrepreneurial
Contribution, sponsored by
the NCTDA, Inc., was present
ed to recipients in recognition
of the extraordinary vision
and achievement of North
Carolina businesses. Honorees
were recognized in five cate
gories: entrepreneur, entrepre
neurial company, local eco
nomic developer, chamber of
commerce and First Flight
Venture Center Tenant of the
Year.
The North Carolina TDA,
Inc. is a non-profit corporation
with a mission to create jobs
across the state by stimulating
the development and commer
cialization of scientific and
technological innovations in
the state’s entrepreneurial
companies. It is governed by
and 18-member board of direc
tors.