P The
ERQUBMANS
"News front Next Door”
June 30, 2010 - July 6, 2010
Couple glad South Africa In spotlight, 2
JUN 3 U iOi;; cent^
Hertford: WInfall owes more for wastewater
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Hertford officials are
trying to collect nearly
$800,000 from the town of
WinfaU as part of the cost
of the town’s wastewater
treatment plant improve
ment project.
Hertford Town Manager
John Christensen recently
sent WinfaU a final invoice
for $776,406.95 with pay
ment due immediately
Schools:
Town’s
policy
unclear
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
After being told the town
would not forgive their
$258,889.18 electric biU
debt, the schools and coun
ty have requested Hert
ford officials to limit the
amount owed to 12 months
of under biUing rather
than 26. Limiting the time
of under biUing would cut
the debt by almost half.
In a letter to Hertford
Mayor Sid Eley last week.
Superintendent Dwayne
Stsdlings cites an unclear
town policy that would
limit the town’s time limit
of coUecting for under biU
ing to 12 months in most
cases. In addition, StaUings
pointed out that the town’s
policy references the North
Carolina UtUity Commis
sion (NCUC) which limits
the coUection period to 12
months for customers with
a demand of over 50 kUo-
watts or greater.
Last month, local offi
cials realized that the town
had under biUed Perqui
mans County High School
over $258,000 in electricity
charges over a period of
26 months after a town em
ployee entered an incorrect
biUing multiplier when the
school’s new gym was con
structed. At that time, the
school’s entire electrical
system was reconfigured,
consolidating four meters
into one.
•The error was discov
ered when the county’s
emergency management
officials performed load
testing on the school’s
electrical system whUe
evaluating the school for
possible use as an evacua
tion shelter in the event of
a disaster
When the town noti
fied the school system of
the electric biU debt, the
See BILL, 4
Weekend
Weather
Friday
High: 90 Low: 72
Isolated T-Storms
Saturday
High: 90 Low: 74
ScaheredT-Storms
Sunday
High: 91 Low: 74
SCAHERED T-STORMS
The two towns negoti
ated a contract back in
2001 for Hertford to treat
WinfaU’s wastewater. Ac
cording to Christensen,
WinfaU initiaUy paid a one
time tap on fee of $455,000.
Christensen says the 2001
contract between the two
towns not only speUs out
how to calculate the cost of
treating WinfaU’s wastewa
ter, but cost for providing
the capacity as weU.
Hertford contends that
the contract caUs for Win
faU to pay an initial one
time tap on fee of 16.7 per
cent of actual construction
costs for Hertford’s waste-
water treatment plant.
The plant was improved,
several changes occurred
,to the project, and costs in
creased.
Now that the project is
completed, Clmistensen
says the actual cost of the
project was nearly $7.4 mU-
lion. Based on the contract’s
percentage, WinfaU’s tap
on fee of the actual con
struction cost would be
$1,231,406. Since WinfaU al
ready paid $455,000, the bal
ance left is $776,406, Chris
tensen noted.
“This has been an eight
year struggle for us,” said
WinfaU Mayor Fred Yates
regarding Hertford’s bUl-
ing for additional funds.
He says Hertford needs
to provide WinfaU more in
formation before the town
can respond to Hertford’s
bUl. Yates requested copies
of a number of documents,
reports, change orders,
invoices, grant informa
tion used to help fund the
project, and summaries
from the town’s consulting
engineers on various mat
ters regarding the improve
ment project including how
Winfsdl’s share of the proj
ect increased from $455,000
to $1,231,406.90.
Christensen said the
Celebrating Freedom
FILE PHOTO
Harriett Woodard was in the patriotic spirit during last year’s Fourth of July non-motorized parade for children sponsored
by the Perquimans Chamber of Commerce. The parade and fireworks will be held this Saturday.
Fourth of July observance is Saturday
FirevForks show set
for 9 p.m. Saturday
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
P ut on your patriotic hats
and tee-shirts, and grab
your lawn chairs. The an
nual Fourth of July celebration
wiU be held Saturday night.
A kids’ parade, food, games,
pony rides, entertainment and
colorful fireworks wUl highlight
this year’s event set for July 3 at
Missing Mfil Park.
“This year’s lineup promises to
be especially entertaining, capped
off with the fireworks at dark,”
said Sylvia Wyatt, executive sec
retary of the Perquimans Cham
ber,of Commerce which sponsors
the patriotic celebration. “We
invite everyone to bring a chair
and come out to enjoy an old-fash
ioned freedom celebration with
pride in our town, county, and our
country.”
A non-motorized children’s
parade wiU begin in the Hertford
Baptist Church parking lot at 5
p.m. Led by the American Legion
Post 126 color guard, the red-
white-and blue-decorated parade
featuring wagons, bikes, baby
stroUers, and walkers, will wind
through the downtown business
district, turn on Grubb Street,
and walk to the park. Decorated
ponies wfil again take part in the
popular parade this year, Wyatt
said, and wfil offer rides to the
children at the park.
Park vendors will seU hot-dogs,
hamburgers, drinks, homemade
ice cream, funnel cakes, water
melon, sno cones, popcorn, and
water ices during the afternoon
and evening. Games and a fun-
filled dunking booth will be avail
able to delight the children.
See FOURTH, 8
town is working to comply
with WinfaU’s records re
quest.
The cost of wastewater
treatment has been a stinky
subject between Hertford
and WinfaU, especiaUy for
the past three years. Hert
ford says Winf^ stUl owes
them $27,742.94 for cost of
treating WinfaU wastewa
ter over a prolonged period
of time. WinfaU disputes
See WINFALL, 4
Community,
schools
program
ends today
By KRISTIN PITTS
Staff Writer
A schools-focused orga
nization with more than
a decade in Perquimans
County wiU officially close
its doors today
The Board of Directors
of Communities in Schools
of Perquimans County vot
ed unanimously to dissolve
the organization in a meet
ing late last month, citing
lack of funding.
The organization wUl
close today, with less than
$800 to its name. Board
member Brenda Lassiter
said that the organization
needed at least $20,000 in its
budget to operate comfort
ably
“During the past 18
months, our efforts have
been focused on fund-rais
ing rather than additional
services for the schools
and community The board
recognized this is not the
direction CIS Perquimans
needs to continue,” Las
siter said.
Board member Jeri Olt-
man explained in a press
release that the organiza
tion discussed the possi-
hUity of staying open, but
ultimately felt that CIS’s
mission had been compro
mised by its constant need
to fundraise.
“Kimberly Westbrook,
chairperson, asked mem
bers to consider alterna
tives to dissolving, which
those present discussed
at length. It was apparent,
however, that short of a mi
raculous infusion of cash
in the immediate future,
the path ahead was littered
with obstacles,” Oilman
wrote.
It had apparently been
operating from month to
month for more than a year,
after approximately three
' See PROGRAM, 4
Three men face attempted murder charges
Shooting happened
at Rivercroft area
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Three Edenton men face
attempted murder charges
in connection with the
June 13 shooting in the
Rivercroft subdivision in
WinfaU.
WinfaU Police Chief
David Shaffer said Lamar
Privott, Marcus Antonio
Logan, and Nathaniel Bow
ens are each charged with
attempted murder, assault
with a deadly weapon, and
armed robbery with a dan
gerous weapon.
A 31-year-old Atlanta
man was shot twice June
13 aroimd 11 a.m. foUow-
ing an apparent attempted
robbery whUe standing in
front of a home located at
109 Croft Drive in the usu-
aUy quiet Rivercroft subdi
vision.
Rudolfo Aubert, Jr. was
shot in the rear thigh and
upper arm by an assail
ant with a 9 mm handgun.
Aubert was transported
to Albemarle Hospital and
has since been released
from the hospital and has
returned to his home in
Georgia.
Police said Aubert was
visiting relatives at the
Johnny Warren home when
the attack occurred. Auhert
was saying his good-hyes to
the famUy out in the front
yard when a vehicle carry
ing several suspects parked
in front of the house. One
man got out of the vehicle,
walked up to Aubert who
was standing in front of
the garage, and pointed a
gun in his face, demanding
money, police said. A scuf
fle ensued, and a second
gunman jumped out of the
vehicle and started shoot
ing at Aubert, striking the
garage once and hitting
Aubert twice. Police said
there were about 15 people
standing in the front yard
at the time of the shooting.
The two gunman returned
to the vehicle and fled the
scene.
Police believe robbery
was the motive for the
shooting. Police said Au
bert was reportedly seen
the previous day flashing
large amounts of cash.
Both Logan and Privott
are reportedly members
of the Bloods gang, Shaffer
said, however, the attack
was not gang-related.
Privott, age 23 of 336
Wildcat Road, is being held
in Albermarle District Jail
under a $500,000 secured
bond, police said. Logan,
22, who lists his address as
homeless, is jailed under a
$628,000 secured bond, and
Bowens, 24, of 4107 Walker
Drive, remains incarcerat
ed under a $250,000 secured
bond.
Police said Bowens was
arrested June 15, just two
days after the Sunday
morning shooting. Priv
ott and Logan were taken
into custody Wednesday
in Edenton by authorities
there. Logan reportedly
ran from Edenton police
as they attempted to serve
a warrant on him, Shaffer
said. Police chased him on
See CHARGES, 7
if