Quilts on display
Rage 3
Summer meals for kids
Rage 4
Class of '02 scholarships
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HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306
June 12, 2002
Vol. 70, No. 24 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Perqouvi^'ns
WEEKli
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Hundreds of people from across Chowan and Perquimans counties raised over $92,000 for the American Cancer
Society over the past few months, culminating at last weekend's Relay for Life event at John A. Holmes High
School Athletic Complex. One of the most meaningful components of the Relay was the survivors lap, when
dozens of cancer survivors from the two counties celebrated living with or overcoming cancer. Two-time can
cer patient Iris Byrne of Perquimans spoke on behalf of the survivors during the pre-lap ceremony. Another
touching event was the luminary ceremony, during which hundreds of luminaries lining the track were lit in
memory and honor of cancer patients.
Gunshot
victim
committed
suicide
SUSAN R. HARRIS
A gunshot victim whose
body was found at the scene
of a fire on May 30 commit
ted suicide, according to
the state medical examiner.
Hertford Police Chief
Dale Vanscoy said Alfred
Abner, 24, of 320 Dobbs
Street, apparently shot
himself in the head with a
small calibur handgun.
Vanscoy said the medical
examiner based findings on
the examination of the
body along with evidence
recovered by officers at the
scene.
Hertford firefighters
were called to the* Dobbs
Street address at 11:49 p.m.
on May 30. They arrived to
Continued on page 8
Water rescue
Perquimans County Water Rescue personnel responded to an overturned canoe
in the river near the by-pass bridge last Wednesday around lunchtime. Two
unidentified young males, wearing no life jackets, had overturned a canoe and
were in the river. Winfall Police Chief David Shaffer was alerted, and lost sight
of the pair. They sought refuge under the bridge and were aided by rescuer Ray
Copeland, as Paul McPherson and Kathy Lassiter stood by.
Moths, Sunfish race in Hertford
ALICE BREWIN
Staff Writer
It was a delightful day
for sailing, despite the occa
sional 20 mile-per-hour
gusts, and moths and
Sunfish alike proved they
could be some of the most
enjoyable small sailboats
around.
Hertford’s second annu
al Moth Boat Regatta, host
ed by Perquimans
Heritage, Inc., proved once
again that Hertford can
compete internationally in
moth boat circles.
Five classic moths and 15
Sunfish were entered in
this year’s regatta. First
place in the moth boat divi
sion went to Mark
Saunders of Seaford, Va.,
second to George Bailey of
Greenville, and third to
Greg Duncan of Elizabeth
City
The Sunfish’s youth divi
sion was swept by a trio
from Edenton. First place
went to Ryland Elliott, sec
ond to Jacob Lippincott and
third to Ashley Klein.
In the Sunfish adult divi
sion, first place went to
Stuart Proctor of Edenton,
second place to Nat Aydlett
of Elizabeth City and third
place to Gil Burroughs of
Edenton.
Bill Darrow of Hertford
entertained the crowd gath
ered on Front Street to
watch the races with nauti
cal folk music.
The moth boat has its
origins in the Albemarle
area. Captain Joel Van Sant
designed the little boat in
1929 while stopping to over
haul his yacht. Siesta, in
Elizabeth City This 11-foot
craft was devised for racing
on inland rivers and lakes
and its name is due to its
flitting across the water
“like a moth.” Today, the
Moth boaters and Sunfish sailors enjoyed Saturday's
beautiful weather on the Perquimans River during the
Perquimans Heritage, Inc. Moth Boat Regatta.
moth boat is recognized
worldwide with newer ver
sions such as the
International Moth Boat
gaining popularity along
with the classic moths.
Mitza Autry, president of
PHI and Dan Daneker, past
president of PHI, presented
trophies to the winners.
Trophies were sponsored
by East Carolina Bank.
Tarheel Distributing
Company also sponsored
this event. Donations for
the regatta were provided
by the Wishing Well,
Frankie’s Hertford Cafe,
One Stop and Larry’s Drive
In. The Osprey Yacht club
manned the committee
boat.
County mulls
$9.96 million
02-03 budget
Tax rate
would not rise
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Perquimans County tax
payers will see no tax rate
increase for 2002-2003 if the
commissioners pass the
$9.96 million general fund
budget proposed by County
Manager Paul Gregory last
week.
Last year’s budget was
$9.99 million.
Gregory said the coun
ty’s frugal spending tradi
tion and each department
carefully reviewing expens
es allowed him to present a
budget keeping the 61 cents
per $100 valuation tax rate
in place.
Growth, especially in the
New Hope and Bethel
areas, has provided addi
tional tax base, he added.
The budget includes a 2
percent across-the-board
salary increase for county
employees.
“Although I feel that our
employees need and
deserve a 3 percent salary
increase as was provided
them last year, I am
requesting a 2 percent
salary increase effective
July 1,” Gregory said in his
budget message.
He said 2 percent is what
the state is budgeting for
salary increases.
Gregory also recom
mended that the county
contract with Becky Veazey
of Management and
Personnel Services Group
to provide an update of the
original salary plan Beazey
did for the county during
fiscal 2000-2001. That plan
could not be implemented
due to lack of funding in
two budget years, he said.
One reason the county
had to cut budgets in each
department is that the gov
ernor kept about $200,000 in
state reimbursements due
the county during the pres
ent budget year. There is no
indication yet whether the
county will receive these
funds, nor whether funds
for next year will also be
confiscated by the state.
“Unfortunately, our gov
ernor is passing on the
state’s financial woes to all
100 counties; Perquimans
County can only do so
much as it is a Tier 1, low
wealth county,” Gregory
said. “Governor Easley
must realize the extreme
burden he now places on
our county when we were
already losing other rev
enues completely separate
from the state reim-
burseables. It is now quite
evident that Governor
Easley will plan to keep
certain previously prom
ised revenues which were
actually reimbursements
to Perquimans County ...
Let there be no doubt that
the loss of these revenues
will hurt Perquimans
County financially.”
Gregory said the
$200,000 represents over 3
cents in property tax rate
to Perquimans.
Another lick to the coun
ty, budget will come from
rising hospitalization and
dental insurance premi
ums. Gregory said premi
ums for both the county-
and individual employees-
are rising by 25 percent.'
The monthly premium will
now be $258 for hospitaliza
tion and $20 for dental serv--
ices.
Medicaid and assistance'
programs for senior adults;
have also shown increases;
year-over-year, Gregory;
said. !
Added to this year’s'
budget are three new!
and/or expanded positions.;
The county will employ a;
full time animal control-
officer to be assigned to the^
sheriff’s department. A full,
time buildings and grounds:
employee will be needed as;
the county has and will add-
more buildings. A part time-
enforcement officer will:
join the Building;
Inspection Department.-
The employee’s main
responsibility will be the
enforcement of existing
county ordinances, in par
ticularly the junk and junk
car ordinances.
“We’ve been needing
that position for some
time,” Gregory said of the
enforcement officer slot.
Also new to he budget is
$60,000 to buy into the
Chowan-Gates animal con
trol operation. The buy-in
will also require
Perquimans to pay about
$20,000 in operations costs,
as well as making the part
time animal control officer
position a full time posi
tion.
A copy of the budget
may be reviewed at the
office of the County
Manager in the courthouse.
A public hearing on the
budget is set for June 17 at 7
p.m. in the commissioners
room in the courthouse
annex.
Understanding the budget
The first thing people
looking at the county budg
et should understand is
that the budget is actually a
group of budgets. There is
a general fund, through
which most county funds
run. Then there are water
system, solid waste, eco
nomic development, capital
projects, and reserve fund
Continued on page 8
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 95
Low: 72
T'Storms
Friday
High: 88
Low: 64
Scahered T'Storms
Saturday
High: 85
Low: 61
Partly Cloudy