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Vol. 68, No. 11 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
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ERQUIMANS
Weekly
□
Retaliation threatened for murder
HPD beefs up
patrols after
receiving threats
for Overton death
From Staff Reports
’ Threats of retaliation for
the murder of an Elizabeth
City man have put Hertford
police on the alert.
At a Hertford Town Council
meeting Monday night, Police
Chief Dale Vanscoy said calls
had been made from Elizabeth
City threatening revenge for
the murder of Terrence
Overton, 20, near the Upright
Social club in Hertford on
March 5.
“I would like to say we don't
have to worry,” said Vanscoy.
However, Vanscoy said the
threats had been too detailed to
ignore. As a result of the
threats, Vanscoy said he has
sent 14 officers to patrol the
streets of Hertford.
“So far we have out guessed
them,” said Vanscoy.
Vanscoy said he contacted
the fire marshall and the build
Juvenile
joyride
ends in
New Hope
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Two joy-riding juveniles
were picked up by Perquimans
Sheriff’s deputies last week.
The pair allegedly stole a boat
in Hertford County and set out
for Virginia. Their cruise
ended in Durants Neck.
The investigation began
when the owner of a New
Hope store called sheriff’s
deputies to report that two
juveniles may have been kid
napped. According to sheriff’s
deputy Nathan Zachary,
Deputy Marlowe Reel was
called to investigate a report
that a black male had kid
napped two white male teens
'and had taken them in a boat
against their wiUs.
Further investigation
revealed a far different story
Deputies allege that the two
stole the boat from Winton and
were on their way to Virginia.
They made it to the Albemarle
Sound, between the
Perquimans and Little rivers,
before coming ashore, Zachary
said. It was dark at the time
they came ashore.
Reel, Deputy Shelby White
and Sheriff Eric TiUey began
searching for the boat, follow
ing the suspects’ sketchy direc
tions. They found it in the
Carolina Shores area. White
and Tilley pulled the boat
Ashore. Zachary said it has
'been returned to its owner.
^Because the alleged crime was
committed in Hertford County,
Zachary said details such as
the name of the boat’s owner
are not available.
The juveniles were released
;into the custody of their par-
;ents after the incident.
•r Zachary said he does not
know what, if any, charges
were filed against the two.
ing inspector to inspect the
Upright Social Club Friday for
possible code violations that
would shut the club down until
further investigation into its
operation could be completed.
The club was shut down at a
little after 4 o’clock Friday
afternoon. It cannot be opened
until a licensed electrician can
repair what the officials found
to be in violation and the club
is reinspected. Upright Social
Club manager Kevin Foreman
said last week that he intends
to reopen soon.
Violent incidents from the
club have escalated throughout
the past two years, said
Vanscoy
Town Council members dis
cussed what needed to be done
to permanently close the club.
Complaints against the club
can be carried to ABC officials
to get the club's license to sell
alcohol suspended, said
Vanscoy
Vanscoy said he contacted
North Carolina Alcohol Law
Enforcement eight months ago
to send a Nuisance Team to the
area.
ALE spokeswoman Sarah
Kempin confirmed last week
that the bureau was contacted
by Vanscoy and an investiga
tion was requested.
“We have an ongoing inves
tigation,” Kempin said. “The
(Hertford Police) chief called
and requested the investiga
tion before the shooting. After
the shooting, we administered
the investigation.”
The scene of several report
ed shootings and assaults
before the fatal incident, the
Upright Social Club has been
cited only once for an ALE vio
lation. However, Kempin was
unable to say what the 1998
citation concerned.
The ALE Nuisance
Abatement Team has their
own attorneys, conducts inter
views and talks around the
community to find out about
illegal operations, said
Vanscoy.
Nuisance Abatement Teams
around North Carolina collect
information that leads to a
civil action by the state to close
an illegal operation.
One potential violation that
could cost the club its ABC per
mit is is the alleged dice game
that Overton participated in
inside the club prior to the
shooting. Dice games are ille
gal under state law.
Foreman said last week that
law enforcement officials are
following a bad lead if they are
looking for evidence that a dice
game started the altercation at
the club.
“(Allegations of) illegal
gambling and dice games (tak
ing place inside the club) are
false,” Foreman said.
“Whatever problems (arose,
they) weren’t over any dice
game. It was a personal prob
lem. The boy (Overton) was
drunk, he had an attitude prob
lem and whatever happened,
happened outside, it didn’t
happen in the club.”
Foreman did not address the
issue of Overton being drunk
in the club when he was too
young to be served and to con
sume alcohol. One must be 21
in North Carolina in order to
purchase or consume alcohol.
If Overton was served in the
club, it is a violation of state
law, and possible cause for an
ABC license revocation.
Foreman acknowledges that
an argument involving
Overton,' did originate inside
the club. And he admits escort
Diamond girls
rr
Daily Advance photo
The Lady Pirates softball team started play last week, taking a loss to Edenton before
taking Northeastern (above). All spring sports team are now in competition at
Perquimans High and Perquimans Middle schools. PCHS fields baseball, junior varsity
baseball, softball, girls and boys track, and golf teams. At the middle school, students
may play baseball or softball.
Facelift in progress at town park
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
The trees donated to the
town of Hertford for its park
on Academy Square are open
ing tender buds in the spring
sunshine.
Jo Ann Morris was asked by
Council before her November
election to that board to chair a
committee to coordinate and
oversee restoration of the
park.
Now, two Japanese cherries
and eight dogwoods are bud
ding along with the azaleas
planted by volunteers last faU.
The azaleas were part of a
beautification grant the town
received.
Morris said the park is
showing a new, attractive
image with the work done by
her committee and the county
through its recreational facili
ties matching grant monies.
With grant funds, the county
has buHt a new tennis court
and horseshoe pit, has
revamped part of the old ten
nis courts for a half-court bas
ketball facility, and is in the
process of installing a kiddy
slide. Landscaping around the
upgraded area adds to the over
all attractiveness of the area.
There wUl be no parking in
the town’s portion of the
revamped park area on the
Market Street side of the
library and tennis courts. It
was formerly used for boat
ramp overflow parking.
The park has undergone the
facelift following the removal
of the majestic oak trees that
ing Overton outside. However,
because the shooting occurred
outside, Foreman said there is
no reason to blame the club or
to beef up secxirity.
“The problem is not in the
club. The problem is outside
the club,” Foreman said.
“That’s when ail the problems
start, on the way out. That’s
the police department’s
responsibility There’s no rea
son for me to boost security if
there’s no problems inside the
club.”
Vanscoy said he’s received
reports of assaults and shots
fired in the are around the
club, which is located near the
corner of Edenton Road and
Market streets. But the chief
hasn’t received any reports of
disturbances inside the club.
Problems outside the club,
however, prompted Foreman to
ask for police presence when
the club closes around 2:30-3
a.m. on weekend nights. He
didn’t call on the weekend of
the shootings, but he thinks
police presence would have
averted the tragedy.
Foreman said when police
have been present, there were
no problems at all.
Meanwhile, results of the
current ALE investigation wRI
be forwarded to the Alcohol
Beverage Commission, the
group that issues ABC pei>
mits. ALE investigators are
cm-rently working to obtaiij
enough sworn affidavits and
prepare enough evidence to
ask the ABC board to summar
ily suspend the Upright Social
Club’s permit, Kempin said. -
If a summary suspension is
granted, the club’s permif
could be suspended until thg
case in brought before the ABQ
Commission for a hearing,
Kempin said. /'
As officials continue to look
for ways to close the club, the
search for suspects in the
shooting incident that leff
Overton dead and Jeremy
Riddick, 22, hospitalized with a
serious leg wound goes on.
Both the Hertford Police
Department and SBI are inves:
tigating the incident.
{Correspondent Anna
Goodwin McCarthy, Daily
Advance Staff Writer Jeremy
Desposito and Perquimans
Weekly Editor Susan Harris
contributed to this story.) \
Gossage, Rudy to
visit PCHS for Old
Timer’s Day in May
were once sprinkled across it.
Disease in the trees forced the
town to have them removed.
Morris and other town resi
dents asked that the town move
to replant trees in the park.
Trees are still being sought
to plant in the park. Morris
said the committee would like
to see more planted beforesum
mer’s heat prevents it. A list of
needed species and prices is
available at the town office.
Trees may be purchased in
memory or in honor of some
one. Prices include a donation
plaque at the foot of the tree.
Civic organizations are also
being sought to help water and
tend newly-planted trees.
For more information or to
volunteer to help, call Pam at
the town offices at 426-1969 or
426-5311.
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
Goose Gossage and Joe
Rudy will come to Perquimans
for the annual Old Timer’s Day
on May 13.
The baseball legends were
the first to accept invitations
to be on hand to help raise
awareness and funds for the
Jim “Catfish” Hunter ALS
Foundation.
Old Timers Day will open
with a prayer breakfast at 7
a.m. at Perquimans High
School. Barbecued chicken
plates will be served from 11
a.m.-2 p.m. Hot dogs, popcorn
and other concessions will be
available throughout the day.
Softball and baseball games,
a homerun derby, silent auc
tion, autograph sessions and
ALS sportswear sales are on
tap for the event.
Old Timers was initiated
about 20 years ago by Hunter
and his 1963 state ch^pioon-
ship teammates. They orga
nized a game against the high
school team to help raise fUnds
for the sport. From there, the
event has grown to include JV
baseball and softball games.
State champions from two
1950s teams even come back for
the day of family fun. Old
Timer’s has continued to bene
fit sports programs at the high
school as well as the middle
school.
With the diagnosis of
Hunter’s ALS in 1998, the Bear
Swamp-Beech Springs Ruritan
Club initiated an effort to set
up the ALS Foundation in
Hunter’s honor. Because of
Hunter’s continuing support
for athletes and athletic pro
grams in the schools, the
Ruritans asked the
Perquimans Athletic Boosters
to work with them to kick off
the Foundation on the annual
Booster—sponsored Old
Timers Day in May 1999. The
Boosters received $5,000 of the
proceeds from the event, whicji
was the average they had prqf-
itted from Old Timer’s over the
past three years. All other proi
ceeds, about $70,000, went to
the Foundation. The event wiU
be organized the same way this
May. '
A committee of Foundaticm
members and Athletic Booster
Club representatives has been
formed to organize Old
Timer’s events. Jim
Pagliaroni, a Foundation
board member and the catcher
who caught Hunter’s perfect
game, is taking the lead with
corporate sponsorships and
donations.
Tickets for the meal wiU
distributed in the next few
days.
Volunteers are needed to
help serve plates, take up
money at the gate, and operatq
concessions. If you would likq
to volunteer, please call Keith
Vaughan at 426-7460, Edgar
Roberson at 426-5663, or SusaJi
Harris at 426-5728. ; ;
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 79
Low: 53
Partly Cloudy
Friday
High: 62
Low: 36
Rain
Saturday
High: 51
Low: 41
Partly Cloudy