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Rage 12
August 28, 2002
Vol. 71, No. 35 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
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HERTFORD, NC 2?|44-1306
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PHOTO BY ALICE BREWIN
Tires and other places where standing water can col
lect invite many thousands of mosquitoes to breed.
Especially with the threat of West Nile Virus and other
mosquito-borne illnesses, health officials say getting
rid of breeding grounds is the best way to control the
mosquito population.
Control mosquito
breeding grounds
ALICE BREWIN
Staff Writer
Dump out those contain
ers around your home that
hold standing water.
Change the pet water dish
es and birdhaths at least
twice a week, and get rid of
those tires that are practi
cally inviting many thou
sands of mosquitoes to set
up camp in your backyard.
According to Walker
Rayburn, Mosquito
Program Coordinator and
Environmental Health
Specialist with Albemarle
Regional Health Services,
these are simple steps that
people can take to protect
themselves. Unfortunately,
not everyone heeding
Rayburn’s advice.
West Nile Virus seems to
be on everyone’s mind
these days. The name con
jures up images of the dark
and exotic, something that
Hemingway might have
encountered on some big
game hunting expedition,
not something you can get
from an annoyingly small
bug that Southerners have
learned to tolerate to some
degree.
Mosquitoes aren’t going
anywhere and, unfortu
nately, it looks like West
Nile Virus (WNV) is an
established threat along
with several other diseases
transmitted by mosquitoes.
This doesn’t mean to
panic, or to drench your
self, your children and your
yard in chemicals that may
do more harm than good.
Talk with your health care
provider and read labels
carefully before applying
repellents.
Rayburn said he really
wishes folks would take the
time to get rid of the possi
ble sources of mosquito
breeding sites. According
to Rayburn, containers
breeding mosquitoes are
most likely to carry the
viruses that make people
sick, and the larvae from a
single tire can fill a yard
with the bloodthirsty
insects.
The health specialist
thinks the elimination of
container breeding sites
would have the biggest
impact on the population of
mosquitoes, sayii^ many
people don’t realize what
an effect ridding their
yards and businesses of
junk tires or other contain
ers of stagnant water
would have.
Rayburn also states that
the fact WNV has not been
found in Perquimans
County bird specimens as
of yet really is more of an
indicator of how the coun
ty is rural, and birds sick
ened or killed by WNV are
less likely to be seen and
reported than in a metro
politan area.
Paul Gregory,
Perquimans County
Manager, reports that
spraying for mosquitoes is
done as needed. So far the
areas that have been
sprayed include areas along
the Little River, Holiday
Island and Albemarle
Plantation. The spray used.
Biomist™, is an artificial
pyrethroid, which both
Gregory and Rayburn con
sider to be safer than most
insecticides. For more
information on insecticides
and their safety visit
http://npic.orst.edU/wnv/n
esticideinfo.htm.
Gregory does concede
that an unfortunate effect
of the spray is that it kills
all bugs, including any
helpful ones, and steps are
being taken to notify bee
keepers if spraying is to be
done in their area.
Another problem with
the spraying involves noti
fication. Gregory states
that it is practically impos
sible to notify everyone
when spraying is going to
take place in their area, but
if spraying were to occur in
a community, it would be in
the early evening hours and
the truck used for spraying
is easily identifiable.
In the meantime, cut
down on the number of
adult mosquitoes using one
of the safest and most effec
tive methods - stopping
them before they start
breeding in the water con
tainers in your yard.
Please see related story,
page 12.
Bids let on
rec center
SUSAN R. HARRIS
The Perquimans County Commissioners award
ed the $1,475 million contract for the new recre
ation/community center project to A.R. Chesson of
Williamston.
The commissioners were forced to trim about a
half million dollars off the original price estimates
in order to make the project work.
“We took out certain items that we could easily
put in next year. For instance, a fence and bleachers
that we can add into next year’s budget,” said
County Manager Paul Gregory.
The contract calls for the project to be “substan
tially completed” by May 31, the county’s deadline to
spend grant funds received to help build the center.
Gregory said Chesson indicated work could start on
the project in about two weeks.
The recreation facility is being built on the water
front in the Perquimans Commerce Centre off
Harvey Point Road. It will include a
gymnasium/community center with movable stage,
lighted soccer and baseball fields, office and storage
space for the Parks and Recreation Department, and
parking lots. It represents Phase I of a three-phase
project that is one of the county’s long-term devel
opment goals.
Gregory said the baseball and soccer fields will
probably be ready for play by the fall seasons of
2003. The building should also be ready for use by
that time.
“It’ll be a good beginning activity for the com
merce centre,” Gregory said of the project.
The project is being financed by a $750,000 loan
from BB&T, a PARTF grant of $^0,000, and funds
that have been escrowed by the cohnty for the past
two years.
Future phases include a cardiac center with pool
and par three golf course.
County: Residents
should attend hearing
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Opponents of siting a military outlying landing field in
Northeastern North Carolina are imploring county residents
to show up enmasse at next Tuesday’s public hearing.
The hearing, to be held in the auditorium at Perquimans
County High School, is being hosted by the federal govern
ment as an information session and opportunity for public
comment.
“This is the one shot we get (to let federal officials see how
many people in the county oppose an OLF),” said County
Manager Paul Gregory. “This is all we get, one night. People
have just got to show up and fill up that auditorium and foyer
That’s what’s got to happen Tuesday night. We’re (county
commissioners and manager) doing everything we can to
encourage people to come out.”
Gregory said county officials have made contact with sev
eral individuals and groups who sent the county copies of let
ters sent to legislators and military officials. Officials have
asked those letter-writers to sign up to speak at the hearing to
share their stances in person with military officials.
“We’re encouraging groups, families and individuals to
show up,” Gregory said. “Fve been to events at the high
school that have filled that auditorium and flowed over into
the halls and outside. The door is not shut on that OLF com
ing to Perquimans County. I’m afraid if we don’t speak out at
the hearing, we could end up with the OLF.”
Gregory said he plans to attend hearings in Mattamuskeet
and Bertie County this week, and the county has a represen
tative going to the hearing at the Vernon James Center in
Plymouth.
Information booths will be set up next Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
with the hearing scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Those who
wish to speak must sign up in advance the night of the hear
ing and will be given two minutes to speak.
The Perquimans NO OLF Committee has also been work
ing to get people to come to the public hearing, get first-hand
information and speak out against an OLF in Northeastern
North Carolina. The Committee held a hearing of its own two
weeks ago, during which people who have been and would be
negatively affected by an OLF in the region spoke.
Springfield ready to welcome guests
SUSAN R. HARRIS
Down a tree-lined drive
flanked by a white fence
sits Springfield,
Perquimans County’s
newest bed and breakfast
inn.
The renovations at
Springfield took over a
year, and for Joe and Mary
White, the planning and
headache were a labor of
love. The plantation home
featuring a front porch
framed by delicate wood
work was once home to
Joe’s great grandparents,
John 0. White Sr. and Pasco
White, who purchased the
property in 1891 and built
the present house. Later
occupants were their son,
Jacob L. Sr. and his wife
Artemesia Towe White. To
that union was born Joseph
Towe White, father of Joe.
Joe and Mary White had
dreamed of one day restor
ing Sprihgfi^d and making
it their home/The opportu
nity arose after the death of
Artemesia.
“We had thought about
renovating the house for
years, ever since I’ve been
in the family,” said Mary.
“It had been in the family
for so many generations
and Joe wanted to keep it in
the family And we really
liked the house.”
As the dream of renovat
ing the house became a
reality, the Whites decided
to share the rich history of
the farm by making it a bed
and breakfast inn.
“We’ve gotten so when
we go anywhere we usually
stay in bed and breakfasts
and we enjoy it,” Mary
said. “We’ve met a lot of
nice poeple that way and
it’s really more comfortable
than walking down a hall
in a hotel.”
Springfield features
J
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
Joe and Mary White are joined by their children, Dena
White Waters and Chad White, daughter-in-law Gerri
White, grandson Clayton White and a host of well-
wishers as they celebrate the grand opening of
Springfield, Perquimans County's newest bed and
breakfast inn, Friday afternoon. The Chamber of
Commerce sponsored a ribbon cutting.
Chad, who enjoyed riding
in horse shows and for plea
sure as children.
While the rooms are
beautifully decorated and
comfortable, the specialty
at Springfield will be the
breakfast. Mary, whose
friends like to be invited for
her homemade biscuits,
will serve a full Southern
country breakfast to
guests.
The Whites will also
offer the hospitality of the
plantation home for wed
dings and receptions.
On the grounds of
Springfield are a variety of
chickens producing white,
green and brown eggs. The
White’s horses will eventu
ally come to live on the
farm along with a mule.
There are also several out
buildings on the property.
For information or
reservations, call
Springfield at 426-8741.
three guest rooms, each
with a private bath and
each with a theme that has
meaning to the White fami
ly
Downstairs is
Grandma’s Parlor, a tribute
to Joe’s grandmothers. The
room was his Grandmother
Artemesia’s good parlor
and overlooks his Great-
Grandmother Pasco’s
flower garden. Its walls are
violet in honor of his
maternal grandmother,
Violet Rogerson.
Upstairs are two guest
rooms. One is yellow and
features a bedroom suite
original to the house. It is
called Tama’s Room in
honor of an African-
American woman who
came to the farm at about
age 15 to help Pasco White
with domestic chores and
caring for children. She
lived at Springfield for
almost 60 years until her
death.
The room is also deco
rated with a collection of
sheep in honor of the first
lawn mowers at
Springfield. Sheep once
roamed freely on the prop
erty.
The third guest room is
hunter green and has an
equestrian theme. It is a
tribute to Joe and Mary
White’s children, Dena and
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 89
Low: 71
Partly Cloudy
Friday
High: 93
Low: 71
Isolated T'storms
Saturday
High: 93
Low: 71
Isolated T-storms