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ERQUIMANS
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"News from Next Door”
JUNE 23, 2010 - JUNE 29, 2010
Students,
athletes
awarded
for their
hard
work over
the past
school year,
Pages 4,7
PCHS owes $258K for power
School was under
billed 26 months
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Perquimans County High
School owes Hertford more
than $258,000 in electricity
costs after the town incor
rectly billed the school for
the past 26 months.
Hertford Town Manager
John Christensen said
the town under billed the
school $258,889.18 over a
26-month period after a
town employee entered an
incorrect billing multiplier
when the school’s new gym
was constructed. At that
time, the school’s entire
electrical system was re
configured, consolidating
four meters into one.
Christensen notified
Dwayne Stallings, division
superintendent, of the er
ror last month.
In a May 24 letter signed
by Stallings, Wallace Nel
son (board of education
chairman), Bobby Darden
(county manager) and
Mack Nixon (county board
of commissioners’ chair
man), the school system
asked town officials to for
give the debt. Town council
voted last week not to for
give the debt, but will allow
the school system to repay
the debt in installments
over 26 months, according
to town policy
The payment to make up
for the under billing would
he nearly $10,000 a month
in addition to the school’s
regidar electric bill which
will increase with the cor
rect billing multiplier now
included.
The school’s first repay
ment installment is due by
July 10.
“Coimcil understands
that the impact of repaying
an under billing couldn’t
come at a worse time,” said
Christensen. “However, for
giving the bin would, in ef
fect, pass the burden on to
the other electric custom
ers. The town’s revenues
were short by over $258,000
which certainly impacts
the soundness of our elec
tric fund. It would also set
See BILL, 9
The Girls o/Summer
PHOTOS COURTESY PHIL HARRIS
Little girls playing coach-
pitch softball through
the Perquimans County
Recreation Department
wear ribbons, poka-dots,
and lots of color as they
enjoy summer activities
on the ball field. Colorful
ribbons always help dur
ing infield play as Hayes
Darden (top photo) fields
the ball. Hallie Bruce-Ross
(left) is colorful in her blue
and-pink. Check out the
polka-dot socks on Belle
Pierce (right)!
One-cent tax
increase OK’d
County approves
$11.8M budget
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
County commissioners
approved an $11.8 million
budget Monday night that
includes a one-cent tax in
crease.
The increase raises the
ad valorem tax rate to 42
cents per $100 valuation.
Several changes to the
budget were approved be
fore adoption including
eliminating one school
resource officer position
with the sheriffs depart
ment. The $42,000 budget
reduction was requested
by both the sheriffs de
partment and the school
system, said County Man
ager Bobby Darden. The
position cut is at Perqui
mans Middle School.
The approved budget
also includes an additional
$49,000 for the department
of social services which
is federal stimulus funds
unspent for food and nutri
tion administration in fis
cal year 2010.
Other changes include
an increase in water tap
See TAX, 3
SUBMITTED PHOTO
State Sen. Ed Jones (center) congratulates Hertford officials
on being accepted into the N.C. Small Towns Economic Pros
perity (NCSTEP) program. Attending the awards ceremony from
Hertford were: (l-r) Town Manager John Christensen, Mayor Sid
Eley, Economic Developer Dave Goss and Town Planner Brandon
Shoaf.
Hertford STEPs into
prosperity program
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Hertford officials have
taken the first step towards
implementing a new long
term effort for economic
growth in the area.
Town leaders recently
attended a two-day orien
tation for the N.C. Small
Towns Economic Prosper
ity (NCSTEP) program in
Raleigh.
The N.C. Rural Econom
ic Development Center
announced April 29 that
Hertford will be a part of
the program that helps
revitalize small towns
though a combination of
community coaching, eco
nomic planning, and-tar
geted grants.
Hertford Mayor Sid Eley,
along with Town Manager
See STEP, 8
Weekend
Weather
Friday
High: 92 Low: 76
Isolated T-Storms
Saturday
High: 91 Low: 75
Sunny
Sunday
High: 91 Low: 76
Scattered T-Storms
Babyvine flourishing; Mothervine suffering
'4 IMF
PHOTO COURTESY OF MELODY LECKIEANOTHE OUTER BANKS SENTINEL
The Mothetvine, located in Manteo, apparently was damaged
recently by a herbicide sprayed by an electrical contractor. A
cutting from the Mothervine is growing in the vineyard at the
Newbold-White House.
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
While the baby seems to
be doing just fine, its mother
is suffering.
The baby grapevine, a
small cutting taken from
the age-old Mothervine and
planted this spring in the
vineyards at the Newbold-
White House, is flourishing.
The Mothervine growing
since 1584 on Roanoke Is
land, however, reportedly
has been damaged by chem
icals.
According to the Outer
Banks Sentinel, the historic
scuppernong grapevine
growing in Manteo has
survived many natural di
sasters like hurricanes and
droughts, but man-made
chemicals sprayed on it ear
lier this month are causing
part of the vine to wither
and die.
Plant experts have exam
ined the mothervine to de
termine the extent of dam
age after it was sprayed by
an herbicide.
“Thought to he the old
est living grapevine in the
Americas, portions of the
plant have been steadily
dying after a contractor
sprayed a combination of
chemicals on a small vine
that had begun to climb a
nearby utility pole,” report
ed the Outer Banks Senti
nel. “The contractor worked
for Dominion Power which
has quickly stepped up to
the plate and taken respon
sibility”
Botanists have visited the
site to assess the damage
and to try to stop the appar
ent spread of the chemicals
moving towards the grape
vine’s trunk.
The paper reported that
the chemicals used in Man
teo were GarlonS A and Mile
stone VM, both approved by
the EPA but are not to be
used on tobacco or grape
vine plants.
See BABYVINE, 2