DEC 15 2011)
P I The
ERQUIMANS
Weekly
Luna’s Market opens in Beechtree, 8
Lady Pirates get 3rd victory, 7
"News front Next Door”
DECEMBER 15, 2010 - DECEMBER 21, 2010
Hertford ends year in good fiscal shape
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Folks usually flinch
when they hear the word
audit, but it was good news
that came from Hertford’s
auditor Monday night.
The town ended the fis
cal year that ended June
30 with a general fund bal
ance of unreserved funds
totaling $774,491, or about
55 percent of the general
fund’s expenses- well above
the state’s local govern
ment commission require
ment of 8 percent.
Missing
cocaine
resuits in
triai deiay
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
A pound and a half of
cocaine is missing from the
Hertford police evidence
room causing a drug traf
ficking case to be continued
in court.
District Attorney Frank
Parrish said 'Tuesday morn
ing that Carlton Simpson’s
drug trafhcking case was
continued in Perquimans
Superior Court Monday af
ter prosecutors discovered
the evidence missing.
The evidence was seized
four years ago when Simp
son was arrested in Decem
ber 2006 on three counts of
trafficking cocaine.
“I can understand when
an ounce or two show up
missing,” said Parrish,
“but this amount of co
caine is as big as a box of
chocolates!”
Parrish said his assis
tant DAs discovered the
evidence was missing late
last week.
The case has been contin
ued while law enforcement
tries to locate the evidence.
“There probably wfil be
an inquiry into its where
abouts because I am not
happy,” Parrish added.
Hertford Police Chief
Joe Amos said he’s
known all along that the
evidence was not in the
department’s secured evi
dence room.
“It (cocaine) is not there.
It’s never been there since
I’ve been here. When I was
hired in October 2008,1 did
an audit of the evidence
room and it was not in
there then,” said Amos.
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See COCAINE, 4
Weekend
Weather
Friday
High: 45 Low: 29
Partly Cloudy
Saturday
High: 46 Low: 29
Few Showers
I
Sunday
High: 43 Low: 28
Few Showers
89076 4
7144
That figure increased
over $16,000 from last year,
a healthy fiscal sign dur
ing trying economic times,
pointed out Mayor Sid Eley
Auditor Jeff Best, with
Pittard, Perry and Crone,
said that strong fund bal
ance equals about nine
months of operational
costs.
The news was also good
for the town’s water and
sewer fund as well as its
electric fund.
The water and sewer
fund ended with an in
crease of over $1 million.
but Best attributed that to
receiving over $900,000 in
grant money to pay for the
town’s wastewater and wa
ter improvement projects.
The electric fund ended
the fiscal year with an in
crease of almost $110,000.
Because the town ended
the fiscal year in such
healthy financial shape,
council members agreed
to give a longevity bonus
to employees who have not
enjoyed a pay raise in two
years. Employees have also
been asked to pay a portion
of their health insurance.
causing their take home
pay to be reduced.
Town Manager John
Christensen asked council
to give the bonus since the
town’s healthy fiscal shape
is a direct result of town
employees exercising strin
gent budget restraints over
the past fiscal year.
‘They have had to keep
delivering the services with
less people and less funds,”
Christensen pointed out.
“It is employees’ efforts
that made this a good audit,
which is why I am propos
ing to reward the employ
ees for those efforts.”
CouncUwoman Anne
White said while she feels
the town employees de
serve the bonuses, she is
concerned about town citi
zens who don’t have jobs,
and who have trouble pay
ing their water and sewer
and electric biUs.
“If we end up with extra
money at the end of the
year, I think we need to
reconsider how much we
charge our citizens,” she
noted.
Mayor Eley agreed, say
ing council expects to ad
dress the issue soon.
In other matters Monday
night, council agreed to ask
their attorney to draft a res
olution giving two lots on
Dobbs Street to Habitat for
Humanity (HH) as a site for
the organization’s newest
home. The donation will be
considered the town’s con
tribution to HH. The town
wfil stipulate that HH can
not seU the lots if the house
is not built, and the house
must be completed within
12 months.
See AUDIT, 4
Musi-cool Celebration
STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON
Kindergarten students from Perquimans Centrai braved the coid temperatures Tuesday morning to sing Christmas songs on the courthouse square.
Holiday celebrations continue this weekend
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
T he town continues its holi
day celebration this week
end with a giant stocking
give-away, the Christmas Open
House at the Newbold-White
House, the holiday tour of
homes, and Hometown Holiday
Christmas activities downtown.
The giant stocking, filled with
gifts totaling nearly $200, wfil
be given away Friday afternoon.
You have until Friday at noon to
register by making a purchase
at any participating merchant
in town. Among the gifts found
in the stocking are t-shirts, gift
certificates, cookbooks, green
fees, and much, much more.
Just look for the green stock
ing sign placed in the windows
of participating merchants.
Friday evening, the Newbold-
White House hosts its annual
Colonial Christmas Open House
at 6:30 p.m. featuring refresh
ments, entertainment, fun and
a drawing for $1,000. Enter
tainment will be provided by
The Albemarle Chorale, Julie
Phelps, and students from Per
quimans Middle School band.
There is no cost for admission
to the event, though donations
are appreciated and the Gift
Shop will feature select Christ
mas and gift items.
If you want to see a variety
STAFF PHOTO BY BRETT A. CLARK
The Perquimans County Senior Citizens Bell Choir will play holiday tunes in
front of the historic courthouse during Hometown Holiday Christmas this
See HOLIDAYS, 2 Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Reed steps down as fire chief
Tilley next to lead
fire department
By CATHY WILSON
Staff Writer
Bob Reed hung up his
white helmet for the last
time over the weekend
after serving as Hertford
fire chief for the past 11
years.
The 34-year veteran
firefighter wfil continue
to fight fires, but chose to
hand over leadership of
the department to new
Chief Todd Tilley who has
served as assistant chief
for 10 years.
Tfiley was appointed to
the position Monday night
by members of Hertford
Town Council.
“It’s just time for a
change,” said Reed who
was honored by his fel
low firefighters Saturday
night. In addition to giv
ing Reed a standing ova
tion and handsome plaque
in recognition of his years
as chief, they also selected
Reed as Fireman of the
Year.
Tilley saluted Reed for
his service and hard work
for the department ddring
his years as chief Reed,
STAFF PHOTO BY CATHY WILSON
Sid Eley (left) presents the Fireman of the Year award to retir-
SeeREED, 8 ing Chief Bob Reed.
Company
agrees to
settlement
From staff reports
A local pest control com
pany has agreed to pay a,
settlement after represent-*
ing an infestation of bed'
bugs without supporting
visible evidence.
According to the North
Carolina Department of
Agriculture and Consum
er Services (NCDA&CS),
Michael J. Corprew, Jr.,
of Albemarle Termite and
SeeSEnLEMENT,3