Newspapers / The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, … / June 30, 2004, edition 1 / Page 1
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FIREWORKS Sunday, July 4 at dark Missing Mill Park, Hertford may also be viewed from Winfall Landing Park spot^ored by American Legion Post 126 June 30, 2004 Voi. 72, No. 26 Hertford, North Carolina 27944 P11/C5 PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY 110 W ACADEMY ST HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306 HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306 Perquimans Weekly Marching toward perfection County manager will leave Sept. 30 SUSAN R. HARRIS After two heart attacks, County Manager Paul Gregory is going to take life a little easier. Gregory submitted his letter of resignation to county commissioners, which was read in a called meeting Monday night. He will step down on Sept. 30. —rm X \M , ►- i » •' pTv;; --v.r Paul Gregory “After you’ve had two heart attacks, you start looking around and think ing what you shovdd do,’’ Gregory said. “I’m going to slow down. I’m going to work on some projects at home and maybe find a part-time job.’’ Assistant County Manager Bobby Darden will move into the top administrative slot, Gregory said Tuesday, and a planner will be brought on board. Darden was hired in September 2002, and Gregory said he has been groomed since his appoint ment to assume the county manager duties. Gregory started his career in 1969 as a seventh and eighth grade teacher at King Street School. When the school system consoli dated King Street and Hertford Grammar schools in 1970, Gregory taught at HGS. In 1977, he left teaching to become the director of social services, a position he held for 10 years. Then, he became Perquimans’ second county manager in 1987. AU totalled, he has 35 years of service under his belt. “I was considering retirement anyway, but then with the two heart attacks, I definitely have to go,’’ Gregory said. “Fve enjoyed my tenure with the county,’’ he contin ued. “I’ve had fun doing it. It is beginning to be quite a job, though. I was getting older and it was time (to step down).’’ Gregory said he’s enjoyed all his working years. “I enjoyed teaching, I enjoyed social services, the people we had there, and I hope I’ve been able to help some people in this job,” he said. “That’s aU I’ve ever wanted to do was try to help folks.” A deacon and Sunday school teacher at Hertford BaptistChurch, Gregory is a member of the local Masonic Lodge, a Lion and a former Jaycee. He is past president of the Perquimans Youth League and was involved in school activities while his sons were attending Perquimans County Schools. ''in / Students from across eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia came to Perquimans County High School last week to participate in a day of instruction for marching, horns, percussion and color guard with the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corp of Bergenfield, N.J. Crossmen Corp instructs at PCHS Approximately 80 stu dents from across eastern North Carolina and south eastern Virginia traveled to Perquimans County High School last week to partici pate in a rare music educa tion event. Students part nered with members of the Crossmen and their staff to receive instruction for marching, horns, percus sion and color guard. The clinic, only one of seven in the entire country this'summer, was held by the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corp of Bergenfield, N.J. The group consists of students from all over the United States, practicing 12-14 hours a day in prepa ration of their 2004 compet itive show. Drum and bugle corps is an intense, compet itive, choreographed musi cal experience staged on a football field by young peo ple achieving high levels of excellence. Through the drum and bugle corps experience, young people develop life skills including discipline, teamwork and leadership. “I commend our band program leaders, Chris Whitehurst and Lynn Dale, for their diligent efforts in hosting this renown group in Perquimans County,” said Dr. Kenneth Wells, schools superintendent. “It provided a unique opportu nity for our students to have first-hand knowledge in the life-enhancing, char acter-building experiences, including the pure joy of learning and playing music, that the group dis plays.” "The exhilaration of achievement which the drum and bugle corps demonstrates in each per formance comes with a life time of memories for our local students,” said PCHS Band Director Chris Whitehurst. “It is my desire that our students embrace the con cept of working hard, struggling long hours and achieving much during the upcoming performances during Friday night foot ball games and competi tions throughout 2004-05 school year.” County passes $10.5 mil. budget with 4-2 vote SUSAN R. HARRIS The county passed its $10.5 million budget Monday night just after a public hearing on the bud get. Commissioners voted to raise property taxes by 2 cents per $100 valuation in order to meet its opera tional needs and keep its fund balance at what com missioners consider a healthy level. Even with the tax increase, the budget requires a net draw of $126,400 from the fund bal ance. Leo Higgins, a former county commissioner, was the only county resident to speak at the hearing, which drew less than 40 people. Higgins encouraged the commissioners to consider an additional 2 cents tax increase. He said the bud get over the past several years has been underfund ed and the increase is war ranted. The county took $100,000 in capital reserve funds this year, Higgins said, which is legal, but was money traditionally ear marked for schools, plus money from the fund bal ance. Higgins congratulated commissioners for their work to keep capital funds in tact over the years. Then the former com missioner apologized for his neglect several years ago for not properly fund ing the HVAC system at the middle school during his tenure on the board. Higgins said another com missioner had tried to explain to the board at that time that the rooftop HVAC units were too heavy for the PCMS roof system to sup port. But the board “went cheap,” Higgins said, and as a result the units and the roof are now having to be replaced. “I apologize. Mack,” Higgins said. Higgins said he would like to see “better long- range vision for the coun ty.” Higgins said that adding the 2 cents for most county residents would be about the same as the cost of a soft drink or sandwich each week. Commissioner Wallace Nelson tried once more to get support for more fully implementing the county salary schedule. He sug gested looking at new and vacant positions, and hold ing off on hiring to free up funds for raises and for $7,500 that was cut from the school system’s request to fund Communities in Schools. Nelson said he had fig ured out how to fund both with no additional tax increase. Commissioner Tammy Miller-White also support ed funding Communities in Schools. “I think it’s crucial,” she said. “I think it would be a serious mistake not to fund it.” Commissioners Chairman Mack Nixon said he has grave concerns about the county’s finan cial condition. He said the fund balance was danger ously low in the early 1990s, when it dropped to 8—10 percent of the county bud get. The state requires 8 percent, but most counties the size of Perquimans try to keep a 25 percent fund balance. “We have to keep our fund balance,” Nixon said. He said that when the county bought into the ani mal control shelter in Chowan County, it cost $25,000 more than initial estimates and medical fees at the jail exceeded budget by $13,000, all in one fiscal year. Nixon said the county must be careful in budget ing because of that kind of unanticipated expenses. Nixon added that the commissioners agreed to pay the $1.8 million for the roofing and HVAC repairs at the middle school this year, with a promise to fund the same work at Hertford Grammar School in two years. The county is also looking at needs at the high school, Nixon said. “I thought the schools were pretty much in agree ment with what we worked out,” said Commissioner Charles Ward. Nelson and Miher-White voted not to approve the budget, while Shirley Wiggins, Ben Hobbs, Nixon and Ward voted to accept the budget. It is effective July 1. PCRA gets grants The Perquimans County Restoration Association has been awarded two grants to be used for the study of the 1730 Newbold- White House: A Colonial Quaker Homestead. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has awarded a $3,200 grant to help support the cost asso ciated with a Historic Structures Report for the 1730 Newbold-White House. The report will include all the information about the significant structure, from its 1730 construction, later alterations, the substantial restoration in the 1970s and recent repairs and modifi cations. The report will also provide recommenda tions for future restoration and interpretation. Peter Sandbeck, archi tectural historian with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, will be the principle investigator and author of the report. This grant was made possible by the establish ment of the Terence L. Mills Memorial Endowed Preservation Services Fund for North and South Carolina. Funds ranging from $500 to $5,000 are awarded to nonprofit groups and public agencies and must be matched dollar for dollar with public or private funds. The Trustees of the Marion Stedman Covington Foundation have awarded the Association a grant of $5,000 to address the ground moisture issue in the Newbold-White House. It was discovered in 2003 that that house was experienc ing extremely high levels of moisture, resulting in dam age to the house. The funds from the Covington Foundation enable PCRA to identify the cause of the moisture and develop a plan to address the issues. The National Trust for Historic Preservation, chartered by Congress in 1949, is a non-profit organi zation with more than 250,000 members. As the leader of the national preservation movement, it is committed to saving America’s diverse historic environments and to pre serving and revitalizing the livability of communities nationwide. For more information caU 426-7567. Weekend Weather THURSDAY High: 83 Low: 72 Isolated TStorms Friday High: 84 Low: 73 Thunderstorms Saturday High: 85 Low: 74 Thunderstorms
The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
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June 30, 2004, edition 1
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