The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County and its people
Tailgate party set for PCHS
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Seniors play in State Games
Rage3
Dealing witfi tantrums
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November 8, 2001
Vol. 69, No. 35 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
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S 2 / P 3 LOT**'C-OQ1
PERQuIhMNS COUNT/ LIBRARY
110 W academy ST
HERTFORD NC 27944-1306
NOV 0 8 ?0(I1
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35 cents
Yates keeps mayor's post
Horace Reid Jr.
r
Towe,
Rowland also
elected
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Fred Yates will continue
serving as mayor of
Winfall.
The incumbent received
almost twice as many votes
as his challenger, Winfall
%
Johnny
182 votes;
businessman
Webb. Yates go|
Webb, 88.
Incumbent Clifford P.
Towe received 185 votes for
a seat on the Winfall Town
Council. Towe was the only
candidate to file for a coun
cil seat.
Also elected was Alice
Rowland, who launched a
late write-in campaign.
According to The Daily
Advance, Rowland has
lived in Winfall for 15 mo
nths.
Former council candi
date Wayne Hurdle got 33
votes and Webb received
three. There were a number
of people who received a
single write-in vote.
Although poll bo6ks
were not available at pness
time, it appears that about
70 percent of Winfall’s 419
registered voters showed
up at the polls Tuesday.
All vote totals are xmoffl-
cial until the county can
vass later this week.
r
Wk*.
C lifford P. Towe
Fred Yates
Halloween in downtown Hertford Mendez
Marvin Hunter Sr.
toHrc
SUSAN R. HARRIS
The present mayor pro
tempore and the former
town clerk were elected to
the Hertford Town Council
Tuesday.
Horace Reid Jr. and
Marvin Hunter Sr. got 234
and 216 votes, respectively.
Incumbent Dan Daneker
received 73 votes.
Hunter will replace
Daneker during the
December town council
meeting.
Although the number of
yoters who cast ballots was
not available at press time,
it appears that between 19
and 38 percent of the 1,363
registered voters showed
up at the polls. If each
voter chose only one candi
date, then about 38 percent
voted. However, if each
voter chose two candidates
as they were allowed, then
only 19 percent voted.
All results are unofficial
until the county canvass
later this week.
V /
/ ^
Downtown merchants celebrated Halloween with
trick-or-treating on Church Street. Margaret Ainsley
(top left), known as Cruella DeVille, welcomed visitors
to Gregory's, while an adorable pumpkin was all
smiles with his treats (top right).
A pumpkin-bearing
giraffe and All-American
family were also spied
downtown on
Halloween. There were
not nearly as many trick-
or-treaters on Hertford's
streets as in the past, nor
did as many residents flip
on their porch lights and
participate.
WMl
sm-t
County to borrow money for rec facility
SUSAN R. HARRIS
The county will borrow
$750,000 for a community
recreation complex to be
built at the new commerce
park in Hertford.
Commissioners voted
Monday to move ahead
with the project, which has
been in the works for about
2 years. Total project cost is
estimated to be $1.5 million.
Phase I of the project
will include a building
which win serve as a gym
nasium and community
center, and wiU also have a
conference room, offices
for recreation personnel,
storage and restrooms.
, Outside, there will be a
lighted soccer field, lighted
baseball field, conces
sion/press box/restrooms
and parking.
The project will be paid
for with a $250,000 state
grant, $250,000 in this
year’s county budget,
$250,000 from next year’s
county budget and a
$750,000 loan from BB&T.
Commissioners opted
not to fund phase II of the
project, which would have
required the county to bor
row about $1.62 million.
Phase II includes a well
ness center complete with
indoor pool. The wellness
center will be operated by
an outside agency, probably
through a medical facility
such as a hospital. There
will be a charge for servic
es.
Commissioner Wallace
Nelson spoke against post
poning phase II of the por-
ject.
“I just feel like we have a
golden opportunity to
toucha lot of lives positive
ly,” Nelson said. “It wiU be
disappointing if we back
off”
Nelson said the county
needs the wellness center
to offer services to those
who need rehabilitation for
strokes or heart disease as
weU as those with diabetes
and other medical condi
tions. He said wellness cen
ters can help with doctor-
prescribed exercise thera
py programs.
Commissioner Shirley
Wiggins agreed, noting that
with a growing senior pop
ulation, the weUness center
would be a plus for good
-health.
While other commis
sioners agreed that the
weUness center would be a
positive addition to the
community, they said they
were reluctant to borrow
over $1.5 million with the
economy down and school
needs looming in the
future, including the need
for a new gym at the high
school to replace the ca.
1948 structure.
“I’m reluctant to put the
county in long-term debt
right now for a recreation
center,” said chairman
Charles Ward.
Commissioner Evelyn
Stubbins said she sees no
problem proceeding with
the project in phases. Ward
and Nixon voiced their
agreement.
In fact, Nixon said he
would be willing to revisit
the decision to postpone
the wellness center if a
group affiliated with
Chowan Hospital that has
considered operating the
center came up with a firm
proposal to the county.
The covmty got an exten
sion on the $250,000 state
recreation grant until June
30, 2003.
Originally, the county
to lead
planned to add lighted soc
cer and baseball fields with
concessions, press box and
restrooms, along with a
gymnasium and recreation
offices adjacent to the pres
ent softball fields in
Winfall. The original cost
projection was $500,000,
with half of that coming
from the grant.
Then problems getting
privately-owned land next
to the fields and situating
the new facilities on the
site arose.
As commissioners want
ed to make the commerce
park stand out among oth
ers in the region, they
began exploring the idea of
moving the recreation facil
ity to the commerce park. It
will be located along the
river, and plans call for the
eventual inclusion of a par-
three golf course and boat
ramps.
Sadot Mendez will lead
the annual Perquimans
County Christmas parade
sponsored by the Chamber
of Commerce.
Mendez was chosen in
honor of his selection as a
torchbearer for the 2002
Olympic Gsimes.
The parade, themed “An
American Christmas,” is
set for Saturday, Dec. 1 and
win step off from the high
school at 2 p.m.
Cash prizes for floats
win be awarded in several
categories with first prize
being $50. The Perquimans
Weekly offers a Best in
Parade Award for the best
overaU fioat.
Highlights of the parade
include participation by
the Perquimans County
High School Marching
Pirates and Perquimans
County Middle School
Marching Tigers.
Northeastern High School
is also scheduled to partici
pate.
There wiU also be food
and craft booths downtown
on parade day. Spaces are
avanable for rent on the
courthouse lawn.
Downtown merchants
wiU open their stores to
shoppers.
Applications for the
parade and for booths
downtown are available at
the Chamber Office at the
Visitors Center on Msurket
Street. Call 426-5657 for
information.
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 72
Low: 46
Sunny
Friday
High: 63
Low: 36
Sunny
Saturday
High: 62
Low: 40
Sunny