OEC 2 2 1999
n3!
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County and its people
Section B
is our annual
Christmas Greetings
section
The
1£ 013165 11/10/2000 *C20
PEROUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
110 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD NC 27944
December 23,1999
Vol. 67, No. 51 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Perquimans
Weekly
THE REASON FOR THE SEASON
Around the world, Christians are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, God's Son, during the Advent and Christmas seasons.
The story of the birth in a stable in Bethlehem can be found in the Bible in the New Testament. The coming of the Messiah
was foretold in the old testament by the prophets. As part of the observance of Christmas, many Christian churches display
a nativity during the season, like this one at Hertford Pentecostal Church on Grubb Street.
HFD gets Christmas present from state
Hertford Fire Department
has a new computer system,
additional turnout gear and
some replacement parts and
equipment. Santa didn’t bring
the loot, but outgoing chief Sid
Eley said it was a great gift to
receive at any time of year.
The purchases were made
through a $9,953 grant from the
Department of Insurance last
week. The check was present
ed to Eley by Max Powell,
Deputy Commissioner of the
Eastern Regional Office of the
Department of Insurance.
Eley said the funds, which
are matched with local money,
have been a tremendous help
to his department as well as
other volunteer fire and rescue
units in the county over the
years. With costs of equipment
and vehicles skyrocketing,
departments must search for
all possible funding sources in
order to maintain service to
the communities they serve.
“North Carolina is fortu
nate to have such a large num
ber of dedicated fire and res
cue volunteers, and 1 am very
pleased to assist their efforts,”
said Insurance Commission
and State Fire Marshal Jim
Long in a prepared news
release. “These grants help vol
unteer fire personnel provide
essential services to their com
munities by allowing them to
spend more time training in
the latest fire suppression
methods, and less time
fundraising.”
The Volunteer Fire
Department Grant Fund was
created by the General
Assembly in 1988 to help vol
unteer units raise money for
firefighting equipment and
supplies. The funds are match
ing grants — the state matches
dollar for dollar, up to an
approved amount, monies
raised locally to purchase nec
essary equipment. During
Long’s tenure in office, the
department has distributed
over $30 million in grant
money to fire and rescue
departments across the state.
The total amount of volunteer
rescue and fire grants
approved for Perquimans
County to date is $233,673.
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Outgoing Hertford fire chief Sid Eley accepts a grant check
of almost $10,000 from Max Powell, Deputy Commissioner
of the Eastern Regional Office of the Department of
Insurance, last week.
The Advertising Deadline for the December 30 edition is Dec. 23 at 5 p.m.
The News Deadline for the December 30 edition is Dec. 24 at noon.
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Community
sends good
will by not
sending cards
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Many families at
Albemarle Plantation didn’t
send each other Christmas
cards this year. They weren’t
being grouches and bah-hum-
bugging the season. Instead,
they participated in a project
that sent over $2,000 to those
in need.
For the second year, the
Albemarle Plantation
Homeowners Association
sponsored a holiday fund
raiser for the Salvation
Army. Last year, they collect
ed $1,200.
The fund raiser works like
this: Families gather at the
community’s clubhouse for a
tree trimming. Each brings a
card to hang on the
Christmas tree wishing aU in
the community happy holi
days. Participants then
donate to the Salvation
Army the amount of money
they calculate they would
have spent on cards and
postage. Everyone in the
community can send holiday
wishes to everyone else, and
others can have a happier
holiday, also.
According to Homeowners
Association president A1
Gessler, about 70 families
participated. Including own
ers of condominium units,
there are about 119 occupied
housing units in the subdivi
sion, Gessler estimated.
Gessler said the fund rais
er is just one of several ways
residents at Albemarle
Plantation give to the com
munity Residents are active
in civic, service and church
organizations, also, he said.
In addition to raising
$3,200 in two years for thq
Salvation Army through
their card project, Gessler
said the homeowners have
volunteered to ring the beU at
the kettle in Hertford.
Homeowners also have
contributed $7,000 to the res‘
cue squad through two fun4
raisers. ;
Many Plantation residents
are active in the Perquimans
County Restoration
Association, serving as
docents and participating in
programs at the oldest house
in the state. The Hertford
Rotary Club and local
churches are also places that
have welcomed Plantation
residents. A group of men
from the Plantation are help
ing to renovate a home in
Bertie County damaged by
Hurricane Floyd. Their work
through Habitat for
Humanity brought them
together initially.
Gessler said the group is
active in the community
because they love their new
home.
“My wife and I just
absolutely love the place
(Perquimans County). The
people here (at the
Plantation) want to partici
pate and be active in the com
munity,” he said.
And for some people
whose Christmas might hot
have been merry, that love fot
new neighbors will be esf)eT
ciaUy appreciated. * ;
High: 50
Low: 33
Partly Cloudy
THER
: ^RiSTMAs Eve
High: 45
Low: 29
Partly Cloudy
Christmas Day
High: 49
Low: 26
Partly Cloudy