Mulch to alleviate weeding chores
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Eat healthy: Bake with less fat
Pages
Deputy races for KidsFirst
Page 6
June 22, 2005
Vol. 73, No. 25 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
The
P13/C7
PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIBRARY
110 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD, NC 27944-1306
Perqi
Weekly
6/21/2005
Bigger bang planned for Independence Day here
ERIN RICKERT
Residents who plan to
stay in town for the annual
July 4th fireworks show
will not be disappointed
this year.
According to American
Legion Post 126
Commander Ken Rominger,
additional funds will allow
for some larger fireworks
to be part of this year’s
show in Hertford’s Missing
Mill Park. The Legion has
sponsored the fireworks for
the past few years.
Rominger said typically
the American Legion is
able to put on a fireworks
show costing around $4,000,
but this year the legion
decided to put an addition
al $3,000 toward the show.
“It is really the only big
thing we [the Legion] do,”
Rominger said. “We just
decided to use more money.
There should be up to
$7,000 worth shot off. That
means there will be some
additional fireworks, plus
the size wiU increase.”
Discussion to include a
concession run by the
American Legion, selling
hotdogs, hamburgers, fun
nel cakes and other items,
is also being considered.
“There has never been a
program in the past,”
Rominger said. “We are
hoping for one this year.”
Rominger said the con
cession coupled with the
additional crowd they
expect to spill into Hertford
after Elizabeth City’s fire
works were postponed until
September could help the
American Legion raise
even more money for next
year’s fireworks.
In Winfall, Mayor Fred
Yates is planning a Gospel
Block Party to begin at 4
p.m. in Winfall Landing
Park.
Here, radio station
Rejoice 100.9 will broadcast
live while residents enjoy
free food and drinks.
Local church groups
Yates said, as well as gospel
artists Earl Bynum,
Wallace Gunn and others
will perform starting at 4
p.m.
Yates said a dunking
booth, inflatable games and
Continued on Page 6
Hertford
utOities
to rise
ERIN RICKERT
Hertford Town Council
voted to table adoption of
the next fiscal year’s pro
posed budget during their
regular meeting last
Monday evening after a rec
ommendation by Hertford
Town Manager John
Christensen.
“It is not my recommen
dation it be adopted
tonight,” Christensen said.
“We still have a salary
study to consider.”
Prior to the evening’s
meeting, council heard
results of a salary and posi
tion study that could influ
ence the 2 percent cost of
living increase currently
proposed for employees.
Council now plans to
hold a special meeting at 7
p.m. June 27 in the council
chambers.
This, Christensen said,
will allow council time to
review salary study find
ings in a work session
before the proposed budget
is adopted for the 2005-2006
fiscal year.
The proposed budget,
which takes effect July 1,
includes no ad valorem tax
increase but several other
increases are proposed.
“I have requested an
increase in water and
sewer rates,” Christensen
said. “The last increase was
in 2002, which was a 5 per
cent increase. Since 2002
the consumer price index
has increased 8.8 percent.”
As a result, Christensen
said, the budget proposes a
6.8 percent increase in
water and sewer rates,
which will only allow the
town to continue operating
at sustaining levels.
“Revenues for the
Electric Fund will see an
increase due to the fuel
adjustment charge
approved by Council May
Continued on page 6
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Daily Advance photo
Officially, the first day of summer began Tuesday though the sights and sounds of summer have long since
arrived. Summer vacations and trips to the beach, the park, cookouts and dashes through lawn sprinklers
have already taken place as weather hit the 90s recently. But as residents enjoy the dog days of summer,
experts as well two Perquimans County residents warn everyone to be safe while in the sun.
Experts urge residents to have fun but be safe in the sun this year
ERIN RICKERT
They each carry daily
reminders — battle-
wounds from a fight
against an unforeseen
threat.
A faint line, once a
more than 3-inch incision,
the tiny circular scars
peppered like large freck
les and a nearly 2-inch
deep gash on the back of
an arm all teU a tale.
“In 1998 a red spot
appeared on my fore
head,” said Brenda
Lassiter, a now seven-year
survivor of melanoma. “It
was real dry ... I thought
it was psoriasis.”
“The mole was on the
back of my right arm,”
said Kay Rose, as the near
ly two-year melanoma
survivor grasped her arm.
“I had it since birth. I
thought it was just chang
ing because I was getting
older.”
For these woman, the
dangers of the sun are all
too real — something that
has reshaped the way they
live and the way they
raise their children.
One a farm girl and the
other a sunbather looking
for the perfect tan, these
fair skinned, lilonde
haired women join thou
sands who are diagnosed
with this, the deadliest
Continued on page 6
Winfall Town Council passes 10-cent tax increase
SUSAN R. HARRIS
After holding the line on
property taxes for several
years, Winfall Town
Council voted to raise taxes
by 10 cents per $100 valua
tion for the 2005-06 budget.
The rate jumped from 35
cents to 45 cents per $100
property valuation, about a
28 percent increase. For an
owner of property valued
at $75,000, that would mean
a tax bill of $337.50, up from
$262.50 this year.
Mayor Fred Yates said
the significant tax increase
came after years of holding
down rates and rising costs
of everything to the town.
“I didn’t want it (the tax
rate) to go up,” Yates said.
“Inflation, cost of materi
als, cost of gas prices, just
general price increases
(forced us to have to raise
the tax rate). We’re going to
try to keep it down as much
as possible, but we don’t
want to get in a situation
where we can’t support the
town.”
With total property
value of just under $22.5
million, a one penny
increase in property taxes
Yates
generates about $2,250. The
10 cents increase gives the
town about $22,427 more in
operating funds. Yates said
the small amount of money
that comes to the town with
each penny tax increase
meant council had to raise
taxes several cents to get
the operating funds needed.
WinfaU’s general fund
budget is just over $334,180,
with property tax funding
$94,500 and vehicle tax,
$14,000 of that amount,
meaning property tax
brings in only about one-
third of the amount needed
to operate the town.
Sales taxes, including
beer and wine tax,-total
$97,400, and franchise tax
adds another $18,000.
The town gets $41,000
from the county for its fire
department, but the depart
ment expenses approach
$52,000. Just over $17,000
goes to make the payment
on the fire station, with
$8,700 going to equipment
and $5,600 to a truck pay
ment.
Continued on page 6
Driver
hits pole
ERIN RICKERT
Police say a local man
was drunk when he
crashed into another vehi
cle and later struck a tele
phone pole in Hertford
Sunday.
James Ellison, 27, of 313
Grubb St., Hertford, was
charged with driving while
impaired, failure to stop at
a traffic light, willfully leav
ing the scene of an accident
and careless and reckless
driving after causing an
accident at the intersection
of Market and E dent on
Road streets . Sunday
evening.
■ Hertford Police Chief
.Dale Vanscoy said Ellison
was traveling west on
Market Street when he
failed to stop his 1996
Chevrolet at the traffic
light causing him to strike
another resident’s 2000
Cadillac as they traveled
south on Edenton Road
Street.
“Ellison slid across the
intersection, struck the
pole on the west corner and
snapped it [the pole] in
half,” Vanscoy.
Vanscoy said Ellison
later fled the scene of the
accident, only to be found
by police minutes later just
blocks away from the acci
dent.
Residents near the scene
of the accident reported
only minor injuries,
Vanscoy said.
Though Vanscoy said
police are still waiting for
estimates from the town for
the damage to the pole, both
vehicles were estimated to
have close to $8,000 in dam
age each.
“It [the accident] is prob
ably in excess of $20,000,”
Vanscoy said.
The accident occurs
almost a month after a
Continued on page 6
Weekend
Weather
Thursday
High: 84
Low: 66
Isolated T'storms
Friday
High: 86
Low: 68
Isolated T'storms
Saturday
High: 88
Low: 71
Isolated T'storms