Newspapers / The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, … / Aug. 5, 1999, edition 1 / Page 1
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The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County and its people Be safe in pools, river page S Babe Ruth Baseball champs page 6 Class of '49 meets page 3 The ^*0 w ACADEHy ST HERTFORD NC 27944 August 5,1999 Vol. 67, No. 30 Hertford, North Carolina 27944 JSIWE AU6 0 ^ 1999 Perquimans Weekly Ruiitans Lightning biamed for church fire sponsor porter’s ALS benefit Chapel total loss after Sunday blaze SUSAN R. HARRIS Editor The Bear Swamp-Beech Springs Ruritans hope the sec ond grassroots benefit for the Jim “Catfish” Hunter ALS Foundation will be as success ful .as the first venture. On May 8, the Bear Swamp- Beech Springs Ruritans joined forces with the Perquimans County Athletic Boosters dur ing the annual Old Timer’s Day to kick off the Foundation. The response was overwhelming. Literally hun dreds of volunteers gave thou sands of hours of time to plan, promote and pull off the event which drew about 3,000 people to Memorial Stadium. The all day event netted $64,634.88. “The success of the kickoff was due to the overwhelming response from the many peo ple who gave their time and talents and from the many gra- . ciQUS sponsors,” said Ruritan spokesperson Bill Newbern. “Without their help, we could not have been this successful.” On Nov. 6, the Ruritan Club hopes to match that initial suc cess with the inaugural Jim “Catish” Himter Golf Classic. The Ruritans are sponsoring the tournament for the Foundation. . Newbern said the late fall date was chosen to avoid con flicts with the World Series, as some of the major league base ball players, coaches and man agers have said they want to - eOme match their skills - against The Sound Golf Links at Albemarle Plantation and be a part of the Himter ALS “ Foundation. Team entries ($400), hole sponsorships, cart sponsor ships and donations for the silent auction and door prizes are being accepted by ' Newbern (426-8349) and Wayne Howell (426-7844), the chair- ' men of the golf tournament. Entry, donation and sponsor ship forms are also available at The Perquimans Weekly office. The deadline for enter ing the tournament is Sept. 27. There is a 36-team limit, and teams will be accepted in order of receipt of entry forms and fees. Since the May 8 event, many individuals and businesses, both local and across the nation, have held events and niade donations to the Foundation. Recently, the Kill Devil HiUs K-Mart sponsored a ' *^barbecue chicken dinner and sRent auction to benefit the Foundation. Newbern said -■$7,610 was netted from the event. He added that store manager Jennie Veteto worked ' hard to plan the event, and many of the store employees gave their time to work the auction and other events dur ing the day. The Bear Swamp ,Beech Springs Ruritans, along with a delegation of county residents and natives, cooked and served the chicken. In addition, events have been held in Oakland, Edenton and Norfolk during baseball games to benefit the foundation. ■ ; Newbern said the Foundation is officially set up and its board of directors in place. SUSAN R. HARRIS Editor The fire that destroyed Porter’s Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church Sunday night did not burn out the spirit of those who worship there. The Rev. Catherine W. Griffin, pastor of the church located on Weight Station Road, said the same spirit that has kept the church serving the community for over 100 years will sustain it through this troubled time. “I just told the members last night that we’ll keep going. Some good will come out of this. The Bible says that all things work together for good for them who love the Lord. I told the members we’ll stay together to buUd a new church. I just thank the community and the firemen. Everyone has been so good to us.” The fire apparently started when lightning struck the church steeple or roof during a severe storm that passed through the region Sunday night. The Intercounty Fire Department was called around 9 p.m., said Chief Eugene Rountree Sr. Firefighters arrived to find the steeple fully engulfed in flame. When they turned the hoses on the steeple, the whole ceiling caved in. “I knew we were in trouble then,” Rountree said. The fire, which Rountree said was extremely hot, could not be brought under control, even with the help of an army of firefighters and equipment. Support arrived from Winfall, Hertford, Bethel and Durants Neck in Perquimans Couanty and Nixonton and WeeksvUle in Pasquotank County. Rountree said tankers were refilling at the fire hydrant on U.S. Highway 17 Bypass on the Hobbs Implement Company site, going to the church, then circling back arouPd on Chapanoke Road to U.S. 17 to fill again. Aside from the church building being aflame and the thunderstorm stiU raging, fire fighters had to watch a gas tank close to the church, Rountree said. Several fire fighters kept the tank hoised PHOTO BY SAM WOLFE, THE DAILY ADVANCE Firefighters with Intercounty Volunteer Fire Department battle the blaze that destroyed the 98- year-old Porter's Chapel A.M.E. Zion church on Weight Station Road Sunday night (above). At least six other fire departments in Perquimans and Pasquotank coun ties responded to the fire. By Monday morning, little was left of the historic structure (right). A cloud of white smoke reached into the sky much like the church steeple had before the devastat ing fire. down to keep it from becoming too hot. Firefighters were on the scene until after 11 p.m., Rountree said. Rev. Griffin said firefighters did aU they could to save the church. “They said they tried every thing. It was just too far gone,” she said. Griffin could not find all of the church history that she had filed at her home on Monday, but said she had recently researched Porter’s Chapel’s beginnings as part of the heritage tourism develop ment committee in the county. She said she could not remem ber exactly when the congrega tion was born, but that ser vices were first held in the school house which stHl sits on ... i.J' 'M* “ ’ the church property. The build ing that fire claimed Sunday was constructed in 1901. Porter’s Chapel is the sec ond church building to be con sumed by fire after a lightning strike. Several years ago, Winslow Grove in the Belvidere community suffered the same fate. That congrega tion has since rebuilt and now worships in a new building. As word of the catastrophe spread, gestures of relief began to arrive. Already other church fami lies are reaching out, Griffin said. She said that several churches have offered their buildings to the Porter’s Chapel congregation to hold services in until they can rebuild. Griffin said Monday morn ing that she stayed up all night praying. With the recent growth and faith that have taken place in the congrega- PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS tion, the Porter’s Chapel minis ter of two years believes that God has a plan for the church in the future. She said she planned to call the member ship together this week to dis cuss where to hold services and begin the process of orga nizing and rebuilding. While losing the building is sad, Griffin she feels sure that something great wUl be built from the ashes of what has been lost. Judge withdraws from HPD officer’s trial Cole, Parrish will not hear Boone’s case JEREMY DESPOSITO The Daily Advance A district court judge with drew himself from the trial of a Hertford policeman last week, saying his familiarity with the officer could raise questions of bias. Judge J. Carlton Cole recused himself from the trial of Charles Boone Jr., the offi cer facing charges of simple assault. As a police officer in Hertford and formerly in Elizabeth City, Boone handled two cases tried in Cole’s court room, the judge said. A warrant for the misde meanor charge was issued for Boone on June 24 after he allegedly rammed a man’s head into a car window and threw him to the ground. At the time of the incident, which took place in January, the complainant, Richard WUliams Jr., was being arrest ed by another Hertford police officer for allegedly assaulting Boone’s sister on the same day This is the second time Boone has faced criminal charges. In August 1998, an individual complained that Boone, then an Elizabeth City police officer, pointed a gun at him. That charge was dismissed, but Boone later resigned from the city police department. Elizabeth City Police Capt. William “Bill” Williams Jr. said Boone resigned to accept the job in Hertford. District Attorney Frank Parrish has also recused him self from Boone’s trial. A pros ecuting attorney from outside the 1st Judicial District will prosecute the case. Assistant District Attorney Michael Johnson said recusing a judge or prosecutor is com mon when the case involves a law enforcement officer. Cole said it’s a matter of fairness. “If you decide in the offi cer’s favor, they say it was favoritism,” said Cole, who’s recused himself only one other time in nearly six years on the bench. “It’s a routine practice. (Boone) lives in this area. (A recusal) gives the appearance of fairness.” Boone’s trial wUl be held Sept. 1. The officer remains on active duty. Weekend Weather Thursday High: 80s Low: 70s Mostly Cloudy Friday High: 80s Low: 705 Partly Sunny Saturday High: 80s Low: 70s PARTLY Sunny
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
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Aug. 5, 1999, edition 1
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