Newspapers / The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, … / Sept. 3, 2003, edition 1 / Page 1
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Day on r'n/er set Rage 3 PCMS celebrates Americanism Page 3 Sports Pages P14/C5 PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY 110 W ACADEMY ST HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306 tTffl y* * * *■**", f* '* iifftitiiftiffiintoai. September 3, 2003 Vol. 7t, No. 36 Her^rd, North Carolina 27944 9/2/2003- Perquiman Weekly Gas prices skyrocketing inCarolinas Motorists found gasoline, prices for the Labor Day weekend the highest ever for this holiday weekend and just six to eight cents lower than the highest prices ever recorded by AAA in the Carolinas. However, South Carolina currently has the lowest gasoline prices in the nation; North Carolina the seventh lowest. A near-record number of Labor Day motorists were expected to hit the road, with 800,000 North Carolinians and 394,000 South Carolinians expected to drive more than 50 miles from home - up 2.2 percent over last year. Nationally, it is expected to be a record setting Labor Day holiday for travel. But the Carolinas — possibly affected by employee layoffs and a weak economic out look — were not expected to see the 2001 record number of 1.6 mUlion highway vaca tioners. In the past month, gasoline prices have increased 11 cents in North Carolina, reach ing $1,574 cents per gallon of self-serve unleaded — still 8 cents below the state record of $1,634 set March 19 of this year. In South Carolina the average is $1,499 — the lowest in the nation — but only eight cents from the aU-time high of $1,576 on March 14. (South Carolina's state gasoline tax is 8.2 cents lower than North Carolina's.) “The blackout in the Northeast, low inventory in refineries, the Arizona pipeline bursting, the continuing problems in Iraq -r- all have impacted our fragile sup ply/demand energy system, resulting in higher gasoline prices,” said David E. Parsons, president and CEO AAA Carolinas. Myrtle Beach, a popular beach destina tion, has the highest gas price in South Carolina at $1,526. Fayetteville has the high est in North Carolina at $1,602. “Less expensive gasoline can often be found two or three miles off the Interstate,” said Parsons. “Some of the most expensive gasoline is found at Interstate exits, where travelers are considered a captive market.” The least expensive self-serve, unleaded gasoline in North Carolina is in Charlotte at $1,547 per gallon and in Spartanburg, S.C., at $1,470. To cope with higher gasoline prices, AAA Carolinas recommends motorists shop for the lowest gas prices and look for ways to cut back on fuel consumption. Motorists should: • Keep tires properly inflated. Underinflated tires can cut fuel economy by as much as two percent per pound of pres sure below the recommended level. • Make sure your vehicle is properly tuned. Have your engine checked. • Accelerate gently, brake gradually, avoid hard stops and use cruise control. Most cars today operate most efficiently between 60-65 mph. • Skip buying mid-grade or premium gasoline unless the vehiclels manufacturer recommends it, or unless a higher grade is needed to keep an older carls engine from knocking. Using regular fuel can save an average of 17 cents per gallon over the cost of premium. • Use the air conditioner only when nec essary. • Check the car's engine oil level when buying gas. Iraq war reunites buddies 2001 PCHS grads meet near Baghdad SUSAN R. HARRIS War often tears family and friends apart. But war ironically brought two high school friends from Hertford together. Both wrote letters to The Perquimans Weekly telling of their reunion. Allen Peterson and Kevin Jacobs graduated from Perquimans County High School in 2001. Together, they had played ball, acted in school plays and taken exams. After earning their diplo mas, they reported for boot camp at Parris Island, S.C. along with two other friends, Brian Pauli and Daniel Weitz. Together, the four would become Marines. Thirteen weeks later, the PCHS buddies again graduat ed. Peterson and Jacobs went to the School of Infantry at Camp Geiger, N.C. The pair thought they would celebrate a third graduation together from the infantry school, but Jacobs’ father, former Hertford police officer Ron Jacobs, became very iU and Jacobs was granted emer gency leave to help care for him. Peterson went on to Security Force School in Chesapeake, Va. before get ting orders to Bahrain, where he stayed unth Feb. 6, |003. His next set of orders sent him to the 3rd BataUion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. He was forward deployed to Kuwait on March 21. There, he was attached to guard Camp Commando right outside Kuwait City. Meanwhile, Jacobs’ emergemcy leave expired and he was sent to report in at a Marine Corps unit in Norfolk, Va, where he stayed for about three months. Kevin Jacobs (left) and Allen Peterson graduated from PCHS together in 2001. They attended Marine Corps boot camp together, but were separated a few months later. Ironically, the two met up while forward deployed to Camp Dogwood, south of Baghdad. After his father’s release from a Norfolk hospital, Jacobs’ orders were to return to the School of Infantry. From there, he was also sup posed to report to Security Forces Training Company in Chesapeake. Jacobs got into a “little trouble,” as he puts it, and was dropped from training. On Sept. 11, 2002, he was sent to report to Twenty-nine Palms, Calif, to his new unit. He was there for four months before being deployed to Iraq. He arrived in Kurait on Jan. 23, 2003. Jacobs was in a unit ordered to enter Iraq on March 21. As the war pro gressed and with the faU of Saddam Hussein’s regime, Jacob’s unit was sent to Kerbala, about 30 minutes south of Baghdad, in May. In June, his company was attached to a mission called Task Force Scorpion. While enroute to the company’s new location, they stopped for three days at Camp Dogwood, an army installation 20 miles south of Baghdad. “On the second -day of being at Camp Dogwood, I had an astonishing run-in with Allen Peterson!” Jacobs wrote in a letter to The Perquimans Weekly. “I was headed to get water and then I noticed a familiar physical body feature of Allen. We both walked right by one another and didn’t even realize who each other was at first until I saw that silver dollar on Allen’s hair. “At that time, I yelled out an old nickname, ‘Petey.’” Peterson turned around and the two were astonished to see each other so far away from home. “We were speechless,” Jacobs said, “but from that time till now we have been with one another day in and Jacobs and Peterson enjoy a card game during some off-duty time. day out always talking about the old days — high school, football, old teachers and deven the small town events that we were together for.” Peterson also wrote and told the story from his per spective. In June, he was ordered to meet up with his new unit in Kerbala, where they were on a humanitarian mission. “At Living Support Area Dogwood, I went to fiU my canteens and someone was calling my name from behind me,” Peterson said. “So I turned around and it was Kevin Jacobs, the same per son that I went to high school and boot camp (with) but had n’t seen in over a year. “So there we were reunited in I(raw when the war is , ‘done.” I say ‘done’ that means we’re not fighting uni formed soldiers any more. We’re fighting people who shoot and run. People who do not recognize non-combat ants from combatants. People who shoot at you not knowing' if you are a medic, a person who types letters for the gen eral, or a Marine with a rifle.” The young men have found tremendous support in each other. And they ask for continued support and prayers from the community in which they grew up. “It’s like people forgot that there are marines and sol diers over here stiU fighting,” Peterson said. “Give my thanks to all those who gave us support through the war,” Jacobs ended his let ter. Peterson is the son of Steve and Patti Peterson. Jacobs is the son of Ron Jacobs and Darlene Jacobs. Wreck sends Edenton man to hospital An Edenton man was hospi talized with unspecified injuries following a two-vehi cle accident on US. Highway 17 in Perquimans County Tuesday. Danil Francis, 31, of 101 Tiptoe Road, was injured after his sports utility vehicle collid ed with a tractor trader near US. 17's intersection with N.C. Highway 37 about 5:20 p.m.. Trooper K.R. Briggs said. Details about how the acci dent occurred are stm under investigation, Briggs said. Both Francis and the trac tor-trader's driver, 68 year-old Tom Sawyer of 1270 N.C. Highway 343 North, Camden, were traveling north on the four-lane road when one vehi cle apparently sideswiped the other, Briggs said. The trooper wasn't able to say at press time Wednesday which driver hit the other. Both vehicles* came to a stop in the roadway, and Francis was transported to Chowan Hospital for treatrpent of injuries. He was later trans ported to Pitt County Memorial Hospital, but Briggs did not have an update on his condition. A .third vehicle following the two involved in the wreck was damaged by flying debris. Briggs said. Neither its driver or Sawyer required medical attention. Money-saving advance tickets to state fair available Fairgoers can enjoy great savings and added convenience by purchasing discounted admission tick ets and ride books in advance of ’the 2003 N.C. State Fair. Adult tickets are $5 in advance versus $6 at the gate. Tickets for children 6- 12 are $1 in advance com pared to $2 at the gate. Kids 5 and under and seniors 65 and older will be admitted free. Groups of 40 or more can save $1.25 by purchas ing advance tickets at the discounted price of $4.75. One of the best deals available is on ride books, which are $9 in advance compared to $18 at the fair. Ride tickets are sold in booklets of 24 and most rides require between three to six tickets. Fairgoers will be able to use leftover 2002 ride books for this year's Fair, however, 2003 ride books wUl only be good for the 2003 N.C. State Fair. Advance tickets and ride books wiU be available for purchase online at www.ncstatefair.org from Sept. 6 — Oct. 12. Advance ticket sale order coupons wUl be available beginning Sept. 8 at participating Winn-Dixie grocery stores and McDonald's restau rants. AU. mail orders must be postmarked by Oct. 8. Tickets will be mailed to fairgoers with no shipping or handling charges added. Advance tickets and ride booklets wiU also be avail able at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh Sept. 26 — Oct. 16 at Gate 9 off of Trinity Rd. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Raleigh-area shopping centers also offer conve nience in purchasing fair tickets. Triangle Town Center in Raleigh, Northgate MaU in Durham, Colonial Mall in Burlington, Parkwood Mall in Wilson and Berkeley MaU in Goldsboro wUl sell ride booklets and admis- ,{1‘; f sion tickets Oct. 2—16. Tickets wUl be on sale dur ing regular maU hours except for Oct. 16 when sales end at 6 p.m. Lines wiU be closed promptly at 6 p.m. at aU locations. Only those in line before the line is closed wUl be served. In addition, tickets can also be purchased on the first floor of the Agriculture Building locat ed at 2 West Edenton St. in downtown Raleigh, Oct. 6—16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Weekend Weather THURSDAY High: 87 Low: 73 Scattered T'Storms Friday High:83 Low: 70 SCAHERED T'StORMS Saturday High: 82 Low: 69 Scattered TStorms
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
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