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^10 W ACADEMY ST
HERTFORD, NC 27&44-13M
June 25, 2008
Vol. 76, No. 26 Hertford, North Carolina 27944
*^News from Next Door*^
Hertford asks
judge for new
trial or to set
aside ruling
in Harris
condemnation
case
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
The Town of Hertford
has asked a superior court
judge to order a new trial
or set aside a jury’s ruling
that the town owes addi
tional money for land taken
five years ago by condemna
tion.
Town Manager John
Christensen said council
members met with their
attorney, Tony Hornthal of
Hornthall, Riley, Ellis and
Maland in Elizabeth City,
last Wednesday night to
hear what options the town
has following the results of
the June 9 jury verdict.
A jury ruled the town
must pay just compensa
tion of $333,170 to landown
ers Jessie and Elizabeth
Harris for 2.32 acres of land
obtained in 2003 through
condemnation by the town
for its water plant expan
sion and for damages to the
value of the 7.16 acres left
in the parcel which was not
taken by the town.
The town also has to pay
interest and legal fees.
“We estimate the figure
to be about $465,000 with in
terest and legal fees added,”
Christensen said. ,
Council members autho
rized Christensen to con
tact the state’s Local Gov
ernment Commission to
see if there are any restric
tions regarding using town
funds should the town have
to pay.
“We are preparing for
the eventuality of the worst
case scenario,” he added.
Even though the town is
facing paying out nearly a
half million dollars that’s
not included in its proposed
2008-09 budget, Christensen
says the town wfil not make
a budget amendment now
or change the proposed tax
rate as a result of the ver
dict.
“At this point, there is no
rate impact,” he added. “We
wfil try to meet the demands
without impacting the citi
zens by using reserves and
other project funds.”
The town paid the
landowner $49,500 at fair
market value five years
ago for the land based on
an appraisal presented
by Greg Bourne of Kill
Hevfi Hfils, Christensen ex
plained. Since it was a par
tial taking of the land, the
town offered the landowner
additional funds totaling
$87,000 for any damage that
might result to the acreage
left behind during the con
demnation process. The
landowner disagreed with
the compensation offer and
took the town to court in
stead.
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Perquimans Weekly photo by CATHY WILSON
THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN a cone of cold ice cream on a hot day, and Woodard's Pharmacy is famous for its gener
ous dips. Downtown Hertford businesses offers relaxing benches and even rocking chairs, and invite folks sit a spell while
enjoying a visit.
Get ready for the 4th of July!
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
It’s going to be a flag-
waving day in Hertford on
the 4th of July.
In conjunction with
the town’s 250th year-long
birthday celebration. Miss
ing Mill Park wfil be filled
with folks enjoying tradi
tional summertime foods,
picnics, children’s activi
ties ... even a watermelon
seed spitting contest.
A non-motorized pa
rade, featuring pedal and
push-powered decorated
tricycles, bicycles, wagons,
tractors and strollers, wfil
begin at Hertford Baptist
Church at 5 p.m. and ped
al to the park, where a pa
triotic ceremony wfil take,
place.
Spectators may watch
from the tree-lined Market
and East Academy Streets,
or wait for the un-motor
cade at the park, while en
joying Independence Day fa
vorites — hamburgers, hot
dogs, fish, barbecue, home
made ice cream, homemade
baked goods, corn-on-the-
cob and watermelon.
The periauger and the
paddlers wfil arrive at the
park around 6 p.m. AU boats
that navigate near the park
— whether powered by pad
dle or motor — are asked
to be decorated in holiday
style in honor of the day.
There wfil be musical en
tertainment, and local se
nior citizens wfil even kick
up their heels with dancing
entertainment.
Uncle Sam wfil be there
and wfil read the Declara
tion of Independence.
Of course, the highlight
of the day will be fireworks
set off around 9 p.m. Bring
your lawn chairs or blan
kets to enjoy the light show.
Donations for fireworks
may be sent to Fireworks
Committee, 104 Carolina
St., Hertford, NC 27944.
Those interested in a
booth or children’s activi
ties at Missing Mill Park
should call Mary White at
426-8471. Vendors will be ac
cepted on a first-come, first-
served basis. For Winfall
Landing Park information,
caU Fred Yates at the town
office, 426-5015.
Activity organizers hope
the day brings flags flying
aU over town.
American Legion Post
126 offers some flag-flying
tips.
The flag should be flown
from sunrise to sunset on
buildings and on stationary
flagstaffs However, it can
be flown 24 hours a day if
properly filuminated dur
ing the hours of darkness.
The flag shouldn’t be .dis
played during inclement
weather except when an aU-
weather flag is used.
The flag shouldn’t be
draped over the hood, top,
sides or back of a vehicle,
railroad train car or boat.
When displayed on a ve
hicle, the staff should be
attached firmly to the chas
sis or clamped to the right
fender.
No part of the flag should
be used as a costume or ath
letic uniform. A flag patch,
however, may be sewn to the
uniform of military person
nel, firefighters, policemen,
and members of patriotic
organizations.
Flag lapel pins should be
worn on the left lapel near
the heart.
Fly or display the Ameri
can flag proudly, but do it
correctly.
State Employees Credit Union opens here
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Members of State Em
ployees’ Credit Union can
not only save money by
banking and borrowing at
the credit union, but can
save gas as weU with the
opening of a new branch in
Hertford.
Members don’t have to
drive to Edenton or Eliza
beth City since the local
branch opened May 5 in the
Perquimans Village Shop
ping Center.
“We’re here to serve the
community,” said Jonathan
Crane, vice president/city
executive during a rib
bon cutting ceremony last
week sponsored by the
Perquimans Chamber of
Commerce.
The credit union is a fi
nancial cooperative owned
by its members that in
cludes active and retired
state employees, local gov-
’V
A RIBBON CUniNG CEREMONY was held last week at the
new branch of the State Employees' Credit Union located in
the Perquimans Village Shopping Center. Members of the
Perquimans Chamber of Commerce welcomed the new credit
union which offers a variety of banking services including low
loan rates and high savings rates for credit union members.
ernment employees. North
Carolina National Guard
members, press organi
zations, and their family
members or persons who
reside in their homes.
Unlike profit-oriented in
stitutions that seek to maxi
mize investment returns for
their stockholders, SECU’s
Hertford
primary goal is to provide
fair, convenient, low-cost
services to its members by
offering lower costs of bor
rowing, and higher yields
in savings.
Crane said SECU is
already involved in the
community by recently
'presenting a scholarship
to a deserving senior at
Perquimans High School.
Six employees work in
the local branch including
Crane.
SECU is open Monday
through Friday, 8:30 a.m.—
5:30 p.m. and features a
drive-thru window for con
venience. Banking may
also be performed through
the SECU call center at 888-
732-8562 or on the website at
www.ncsecu.org.
Automated teller ma
chines (Cash Points ATMs)
are located around the area
including one near Food
Lion.
Call 426-8118.
CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Hertford Town Council
adopted a $5.9 million bud
get Monday night, giving
town taxpayers an effective
8 cents increase in the real
estate tax rate. In addition,
water and sewer rates in
creased.
Following a public hear
ing during which several
people complained about
the increase in water and
sewer rates, no one spoke
in opposition to the higher
tax rate of 35 cents. While
the tax rate is down 14
cents from last year’s rate,
the recent revaluation of
town property effectively
increases the taxpayer’s
tax rate by 8 cents per $100
valuation.
Water rates wfil increase
to $21.05 for a basic charge
plus $4.75 per 1,000 gallons.
Sewer rates will cost $28.35
for the basic charge and
$7.90 per 1,000 gallons used.
Council members Carl
ton Davenport, JoAnn Mor
ris and Mayor Sid Eley
voted in favor of the budget
while Ann White and Hor
ace Reid voted against it.
The budget figures wfil
go into effect .July 1.
Winfall Town Clerk Sha
ron Gordon, a resident of
Hertford, took council to
task over what she believes
was a lack of prior planning
over the past 10 years on a
plan to pay for the new wa
ter plant and improvements
to wastewater plant. Pay
ments for the 20—40-year
loans to fund those projects
start in the 2008-09 budget,
causing the increase in wa
ter and sewer rates to town
customers.
“When you contracted
these projects back in 1998,
you knew the payments
would be coming due. You
could have gradually in
creased water and sewer
charges each year so ^ it
woifidn’t just slap you 'in
the face,” she said. “My bfil
went from $31 to $61 over
night because you didn’t
have a 10-year plan.”
Eley explained that the
town always tried to keep
rate increases to a bare
minimum over the years.
“I’m pretty sure people
would have complained if
we raised it when we didn’t
need to,” he added.
Positive budget remarks
came from Eley, who said
the town’s healthy fund bal
ance was due to the frugal
ity of Town Manager John
Christensen.
“We have built up a fund
balance we can be proud
of,” Eley said. “We’re doing
more with less people.”
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