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The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County and its people
Hertford Grammar needs books
Page 7
Holiday Happenings
Page 3
Durants Neck Ruritans
celebrate 50th anniversary
Page 9
The
12 013165 11/10/2000 *C20
PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
no W ACADEMY ST
November 18,1999
Vol. 67, No. 44 Hertford. North Carolina 27944
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NOV 1 ' 199
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Chamber sponsors three
cuttings
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Hertford celebrated a busi
ness grand opening and two
grand re-openings with ribbon
cuttings sponsored by the
Chamber of Commerce last
Thursday.
First up was a celebration at
Grandma’s Treasures on
Dobbs Street. Housed in the
renovated George Major
Carriage House, the antiques,
collectibles and gift shop is
owned by Gene and Gloria
Boyce. The two spent months
•enovating the historic struc-
j.u-e before opening the charm-
^jig business late last year.
h.
ar;
jgg only antique furnishings,
leav assortment of gift
par#’
leave ngs include vintage jew-
^jy^gvlikasa collectible^ and
is beii tableware,
dents a o]?en on
leaf is^V®’ a.m.-4 p.m. and
they gj ’J^tment. Call 426-1816
studentjsi for q^formation or
to, to ^fitinent)
descriiv^ the dhy’s ribbon cut-
has a c.
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paper•
gave
acterif^B"
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their
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Decked for the holidays,
andma’s Treasures carries
ting agenda was the grand
opening of L&L Ltd. in the old
Morgan Furniture building.
The chamber, business and
government leaders, and indi
viduals have worked diligently
to fill this historic budding,
the last of the empty store
fronts on the downtown block.
Last week, the renovated build
ing opened its doors.
Business owners Lee
Cornelius and Linda Newman
have created an antiques and
collectibles mall. Part of the
space is filled with their mer
chandise. Other areas, includ
ing one spot upstairs, are rent
ed to other dealers.
Newman moved to Winfall 6
years ago after her husband
retired from the Navy.
Cornelius, Newman’s cousin,
came to visit in July and decid
ed to stay A business woman,
Cornelius saw potential in his
toric Perquimans County.
“It was aU her idea and I just
went along for the ride,’’
Newman said.
Tucked into the back corner
of the building is Ballahack
Cards, owned by mother-
daughter operators Louise
Dad and Sheila Harrell.
Ballahack Cards started out
with T-shirts that bore names
and logos of county communi
ties, as weU as other hometown
treasures. It was a home-based
business. Response was very
positive, and the duo moved
downtown. The business has
expanded over the years, and
now carries Christian items
and gifts.
Owners Gene and Gloria Boyce gathered with friends and
associates last Thursday on the front stoop of their antiques
and collectibles shop, Grandma's Treasures, for a grand re-
opning. The Boyces renovated the historic George Major
Carriage House, which makes a perfect setting for their busi
ness.
Tucked behind L&L Antiques Mali is Ballahack Cards, which
relocated from Market Street. The shop, owned and operat
ed by Louise Dail and Sheila Harrell, advertises Christian and
hometown treasures.
After years of sitting empty, the historic building that once
housed Morgan Furniture Store is home to L&L Ltd., an
antiques and collectibles mall. The recently-renovated build
ing is home to several dealers.
%
Antique dealers unite
They’re into the past, but their ideas
about marketing are modern.
A group of county antique business
owners recently formed the Antique
Dealers Association of Perquimans
County. The organization wUl develop
marketing strategy and coordinate spe
cial projects and promotions designed
to expand this growing local industry.
“It was determined by all present (at
the Nov. 8 organizational meeting) that
the composition of an association to
represent the antique businesses in
Perquimans County wUl prove to be
beneficial both to the business owners
and to the economy and growth of the
area,” a news release issued by associa
tion coordinator Susan Wilkerson stab
ed.
Wilkerson, owner of Fancy That,
was elected to a one-year term. Fancy
That has a shop in Edenton and is in
the process of expanding to
Perquimans County in the former
Orchard Shop. Lee Cornelius of L&L
Ltd., a new antiques mall in the
Morgan Building in downtown
Hertford, was elected to hold second
seat.
Charter association members
include Old Hickory Antiques & Etc.,
Country Flair, Blue Door Gallery
Antiques, Dail’s Flea Market, My
Corner Antiques (Hertford Hardware),
Riverwalk Gallery & Antiques,
Gregory’s 5 & 10, Ballahack Cards &
Crafts, Byrum’s Antiques & Home
Furnishings, Grandma’s Treasures, A
Touche of Olde, Fancy That, Carolina
Bargains, and L&L Ltd., and indepen
dent dealers Janice Eure, Jane
McMahon and Thomas Lightfoot.
Antiques dealers have been progres
sive in their marketing for several
month?. Spearheaded by McMahon,
several developed a guide to antiques,
food and lodging in Perquimans
County. The brochures includes a num
bered map showing locations of
antique and collectible shops, as well as
the county’s four bed and breakfast
inns and participating restaurants.
The pamphlett also tells a little about
what the county offers.
The dealers see their businesses, and
their organization, as an important
piece of the local economic develop
ment puzzle. Other small communities
have experienced a surge in economic
growth without the related strain on
local services through the development
of antiques and collectibles businesses,
Wilkerson said. The businesses also
compliment heritage tourism.
The association meets the first
Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. The
December meeting will be held at L & L
Ltd. For more information, call
Wilkerson at 426-8222. or Cornelius at
426-3129.
CO A delays trustee
board expansion
PHOTOS BY SUSAN HARRIS
Schools ask
pastors for help
Ministers and board of education person
nel want to work together to benefit the coun
ty’s youth.
Meeting for breakfast last month at the
invitation of schools superintendent
Gregory Todd, 11 ministers and school board
personnel discussed how the ministers’ lead
ership could bring citizens together to serve
the educational needs of local students. The
breakfast served as an organizational meet
ing for the group to consider how they can
begin to focus on student needs and develop
communication strategies to meet those
needs through volunteerism.
Todd asked the ministers to help organize
services for students and families which
would include providing tutors to work with
students in school or at home; initiating com
munication strategies to assist with student
and family concerns; enlisting the services of
volunteers to help students; establishing
focused education programs in the churches;
offering additional counseling by ministers
in high school and middle school; and help
ing the community understand its vital role
in promoting education.
Keith Vaughan, pastor of the Hertford
Baptist Church, was elected as chairperson
of the group. He will manage logistics and
serve as coordinator of organized services
for students.
For information, call Perquimans County
Schools at 426-5741.
GINGER LIVINGSTON
The Daily Advance
MANTEO - Camden,
Currituck, Perquimans and
Gates counties must wait
another month before learning
if they wHl be represented on
College of The Albemarle’s
Board of Trustees.
The COA board delayed vot
ing on the issue this week
because new board member
Jerry Tillett raised questions
about the legislation which
allows the trustees to expand
their membership.
Some phrasing in the legis
lation is vague and could cre
ate problems in approving
future board appointees, Tillett
said during the board’s meet
ing at COA’s Dare County cam
pus in Manteo.
State Rep. Bill Owens, D-
Pasquotank, supported legisla
tion in 1997 that allows COA to
increase Board of Trustees’
size to include representatives
from Camden, Currituck,
Perquimans and Gates coun
ties. Owens sponsored the leg
islation at the request of
Currituck officials.
COA’s Board of Trustees
currently has 15 members, four
of whom are appointed by the
Pasquotank County Board of
Commissioners, four by the
Elizabeth City-Pasquotank
Board of Education and four
by the governor. Two others
are appointed by the Dare
County Board of
Commissioners and one by the
Chowan County Board of
Commissioners. Both Dare and
Chowan operate satellite cam
puses for COA.
Board Vice chairwoman
Patsy McGee made the motion
to approve the additions.
However, she withdrew it after
Tillett’s objections convinced
other board members the legis
lation needs review by COA’s
attorney.
Tillett, a superior court
judge and Dare County resi
dent appointed to the Board of
Trustees last month by Gov.
Jim Hunt, said he’s bothered
by two sections of the law’s
language.
The first, dealing with the
Board of Education’s appoint
ment of four trustees states, “if
there are two or more public
school administrative units,
whether city or county units,
or both, located within the
(community college’s) admin
istrative area, the trustees
shall be elected jointly by all
the boards of education of
those units...”
The second, dealing with the
Pasquotank Board of
Commissioners’ selection of
four trustees states, “...if the
administrative area of the
institution is composed of two
or more counties, the trustees
shall be elected jointly by the
boards of commissioners of all
those counties, each board hav
ing one vote in the election of
each trustee.”
Tillett said state law defines
an “administrative unit” as a
body that provides financial
support to an institution. Since
aU but one county in COA’s ser
vice area gives the school
money, theoretically all the
counties and boards of educa
tion could demand a vote on aU
the trustees, he said.
“I’m not opposed to giving
aU people in our constituency
representation,” TiUett said.
Tillett said the problem
could be solved if COA entered
into a compact with the coun
ties defining how the trustees
are selected.
McGee asked if the lan
guage problems were serious.
“If someone wants to take it
to the court, let them,” she
said.
McGee said Tillett’s defini
tion of administrative unit is
too broad. Pasquotank County,
as COA’s host county, is tradi
tionally defined as the admin
istrative unit since it is the
only county mandated to pro
vide local funding to COA.
Also, there is no requirement
that the new counties finan
cially support the school.
“I think they deserve repre
sentation if their students
come (to COA),” McGee said.
“We could probably get fund
ing more freely (with represen
tation).”
However, board member
Wallace Nelson said the ques
tion over Camden, Currituck,
Perquimans and Gates coun
ties’ representation has always
revolved around whether or
not money should be linked to
board membership.
COA President Sylvester
McKay said an attorney for the
community college system
reviewed the legislation lan
guage and felt it was sufficient.
TUlett countered that while a
community college attorney
may approve the language, a
better ruling would come from
the attorney general’s office.
Chris Seawell, a Dare
County representative, wanted
to know why the additions
were being proposed at this
time since the board appeared
reluctant on earlier occasions
to add members.
“We beat this horse to death
and need to do something with
it,” McGee said. In a later
interview she denied the addi
tions were a way to dilute
recent gains Dare County has
made in obtaining representa
tion on the Board of Trustees.
Historically Dare County
has received two appointments
to the board. But with Gov.
Huqt’s appointment of Tillett,
the number of Dare County
residents on the board has
risen to three.
Although three votes are
only one-fifth of the voting
power of the board, when the
fuU board meets, in instances
when only eight members
attend a meeting. Dare
County’s voting strength
increases substantially.
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 63
Low: 34
Mostly Sunny
Friday
High: 58
Low: 40
Partly Cloudy
Saturday
High: 68
Low: 46
Partly Cloudy