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August 16, 2001
Vol. 69, No. 33 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
The
o i 165 i 1 ^ p_,_
PEROLIIHAN‘3 Cut iN'1 V LIBt ^ i
iiO W academy ST lie —
HERTFORD NC 27944
1 5 2001
KLY
Former
Hertford
manager,
mayor dies
Cox held both jobs for
20 years
SEAN JACKSON
The Daily Advance
The man who served as Hertford’s top
elected official and manager for more
than two decades passed away at his
Lane’s Landing Road, Tyner home last
Tuesday.
William Dennis
“Bill” Cox, 80, served
as mayor and town
manager of Hertford
for most of the 1970s
and all of the 1980s,
before stepping down
from his dual posts in
the early 1990s.
“He was a fantastic
man,” Mayor Sid Eley said. “I can say
nothing but good about BUI. He was a
tireless worker for everyone nad proba
bly one of the most influential people in
northeastern NOrth Carolina. Everyone
knew BiU Cox.”
Cox began his political career in 1976,
when he was elected to a four-year term
on Hertford’s Town CouncU. He began
his 20 years as manager in 1971. Cox also
served as town manager during that
time, holding that job for 22 years.
After retiring as town manager in
1993, the Perquimans County native
briefly returned to the town councU in
November 1995, serving untU health
problems caused him to step down in
December 1997.
Councilman Carlton Davenport was
appointed to fill that imexpired term.
John Beers replaced Cox as mayor in
1991. Beers chose not to rxm again in
1999, opening the door for Eley.
Town Manager John Christensen said
Cox was a formidable and tireless politi
cian.
“He was one of those figures that
always seemed to be there. Whatever
function or event. Bill was there,”
Christensen said.
Continued on page 9
Cox
Back to school
Facullty, staff and
students in
Perqulimans County
Schools have
return ed to the
classroom. Parents
are tciking advan
tage oi^ open houses
to get to know
teachers like Julie
Roberts: (above) and
meet with new
superinttendent Ken
Wells (ri ght).
Fire lips through Hertford home
SUSAN R. HARRIS
It was a Sunday meal the Stanton fami
ly is not likf dy to ever forget.
WhUe Wa de and Marianna Stanton and
their sons enjoyed dinner around 6 o’clock
Sunday evening, they heard an explosion
that signaled something was very wrong.
Minutes late r they were hurriedly leaving
their blazing home.
Hertford Fire Chief Bob Reed said the
exact cause of the fire was stUl unknown
as of Tuesday morning, but firefighters
are almost ctirtain it had something to do
with the gas; grill on the couple’s back
deck.
“We think the explosion (they heard)
was when tho gas grid relieved itself of
pressure,” Re* 3d said.
The upstaii’s and back corner were fully
involved whe:iti firefighters arrived, Reed
said. He did not know a doUar figure, but
said the recently remodeled house on the
corner of Edenton Road Street and Wynn
Fork Road was extensively damaged.
With temperatures soaring into the 90s,
Reed said he called for manpower from
Winfall, Intercounty and Bethel fire
departments. The Perqumans EMS and
Rescue Squads set up a rehab area to keep
a watch on heated firefighters and provide
liquids. The Hertford Police Department
also assisted.
In addition, Reed said the community
turned out with water and drinks to sup
port those entering the burning home.
“The people (in the community) reaUy
helped us,” Reed said. “We needed the
drinks. It was so hot you couldn’t stay in
the house but 10 or 15 minutes before you
had to take a break. That’s why I caUed for
backup.”
Speeders
ticketed
in Winfall
Police chief has no
mercy on speeders in .
school zones
SUSAN R. HARRIS t
«
4*
The blue light special in WinfaU lately
has been pink slips. ^
Police Chief David Shaffer said he’s tick]
eted 17 people for speeding and two for driv^
ing with revoked licenses. That doesn’t
include the warning tickets. The averagd
speed of the cars whose drivers had been
ticketed was 15 miles over the posted limit
“They’re rolling,” Shaffer said Monday
afternoon as he parked near the school
zones to keep an eye on traffic minutes
before Central and Perquimans Middle
schools were scheduled to dismiss. “In the
last three minutes, three cars have gone by
me going 12 miles over the speed limit of
more. And I’m right out here in the open:
They can see me (in the marked cruiser).”.
Shaffer said there is a constant problem
with speeders in Winfall. The excuses they
give when caught vary, but Shaffer said it’s
rare that am excuse he hears is a valid rea]
son for speeding through a school zone.
“I ask them, ‘If someone gave that
excuse after hitting your child, would you
think it was a good enough excuse to be
speeding through a school zone?’ Most of
the time, that makes them think.”
Shaffer said studies have shown that on
short trips such as picking up children dur
ing high traffic times like before and after
school, speeding saves just seconds. This is
due, he said, to other traffic on the road,
including buses making frequent stops.
If you’re already running late, you’re
going to be even later if you get stopped.
And you’ll find yourself with less money in
your pocket, too. Speeding up to 15 mph
over the limit carries a $25 fine plus $90 for
court costs. Make it 16 mph over the limit,
and the fine goes to $50. At 20 mph over,
there is a mandatory court appearance and
a judge sets the fine. In some instances,
Shaffer said he requires a court appear
ance for less than 20 mph over the limit,
especially if the offense is in a school zone.
Auto insurance may rise also.
A speeding tickets adds two points to
your license. Speeding in a school zone
adds three points.
Continued on page 9
Bells. Whistles.
Buses. Music. Squeals of
delight at seeing each
other after a summer
vacation.
All these soxmds and
more signaled the first
day of school in
Perquimans last
Thursday. And from aU
accounts, it was a good
start to a new year.
“Getting off to a good
start takes a team effort
and that’s exactly what
we had in Perquimans
County,” said
Superintendent Ken
WeUs.
There were parents
on ‘Parent Patrol’ at
Perquimans Middle
School ensuring that
students crossed safely
through the first-day
heavy traffic.
Chief of Police David
Shaffer was in charge of
traffic overflow at
Continued on page 9
Draft of
Hertford
After more than a year of
information gathering and
study, the LandMark
Design Group, Inc. has put
together a five-year strate
gic plan for Hertford that is
now on review.
LandMark, with its staff
of engineers, planners, sim-
veyors, landscape archi
tects and environmental
consultants, used informa
tion gathered from meet
ings and focus groups to
develop the plan which
includes ideas for base
mapping, sign review and
site analysis. In addition,
LandMark staff used ideas
from several documents
including A Vision for
Heritage Tourism,
Hertford Creating Place:
0
I*
WORD
RccomratnW
a.
'
iAbout a year of information-gathering and planning has resulted in basic ideas for
base mapping, signs and site analysis for Hertford. The drafts are on display at
I nteliport during regular business hours for public review and comment.
F’ublic Art and Community
Etesign and North Carolina
Main Street Resource Team
Report.
Participating in the
pirocess have been the
Heritage Tourism
D evelopment Council,
Porquimans County
Restoration Association,
Hertford Main Street
Program, Perquimans
Heritage, Inc., Academy
Green Committee,
Perquimans Arts League,
Antique Dealers
Association of Perquimans
County, Chamber of
reviewd Monday — Friday,
9 a.m.—9 p.m. or Saturday, 9
a.m.—6 p.m. Changes or
comments can be made
right on the displays. There
is also a box available for
comments. In addition,
Inteliport will provide a
public access computer for
those who prefer to email
comments directly to main-
street@mteliport.com.
Belinda Washlesky is the
Main Street Manager.
Commerce, the Historic
Hertford Business
Association, the town of
Hertford and Perquimans
County.
The documents are on
display in the lobby of
Inteliport in downtown
Hertford. They can be
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 85
Low: 71
Partly Cloudy
Friday
High: 88
Low: 73
Mostly Sunny
Saturday
High: 88
Low: 72
SCAHERED T-STORMS