P I The JUN12BECP
ERQUIMANSJ
Class of 1953 hold reunion - 7
Read valedictorian,
salutatorian speeches - 6
"News front Next Door”
JUNE 12, 2013 - JUNE 18, 2013
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Shoaf: Expanding business may retain iocai doiiars
By PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Existing Perquimans County
businesses may be able to capture
some of the dollars that are flow
ing to neighboring counties by
expanding what they seU.
Hertford Town Manager Bran
don Shoaf told business leaders
last week that it may not be practi
cal to expect to stem all of the lost
revenue. He spoke as weU as Dave
Goss, the economic developer for
the coimty and
Jennings Gray,
a retail develop
ment specialist
for Electricities
in Raleigh.
“Mayhe some
of the leakage
is not enough
to justify a new
business, but if you’re an already
established business, you could
look to expand,” Shoaf said.
One example was in the area of
Shoaf
sporting goods. That’s something
that is a market where people are
forced to go outside the county
There are other.s.
One of the largest areas of
leakage is in the area of motor
vehicles and parts. One study
estimates Perquimans County
misses out on $17 million in sales
in that department alone. Gray,
quoting a newer study, said the
true figure may be closer to $6.3
mUlion. But luring a new car
dealership to Perquimans Coun
ty is not likely to be in the cards.
Sid Eley the executive director
of the Perquimans County Cham
ber of Commerce, remembers
when Hertford had three new car
dealerships.
“But people aren’t buying a
new car every year like they were
then,” Eley said. “I think the key
is for a business to say, hey, I seU
wing nuts, but start stocking
some sporting goods.”
Goss pointed out that car deal
erships of today are vastly more
strict when it comes to who can
get a car dealership and where.
He offered no encouragement
that Hertford would be a target.
The updated figures presented
by Gray estimates Perquimans
County can supply only about
$52 million of the $115 mfilion
in local demand for retail goods,
food and drink. But even the new
numbers may be flawed. The 2012
report by Dun and Bradstreet
and Esri shows Perquimans with
no gasoline sales.
Chief gives
security
tips to area
businesses
By PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
The old rules of busi
ness security still apply,
but Hertford Police Chief
Douglas Freeman said
there are new things peo
ple need to be concerned
about.
Freeman spoke to a gath
ering of city leaders and
businesses recently at the
Perquimans County Cham
ber of Commerce.
Speaking to businesses
about security isn’t new
to Freeman. For four years
when he lived in Onslow
County, that was his full
time job with law enforce
ment. Twenty years ago it
talks about the need for sol
id locks and extra lighting.
Those are stUl important,
but computer security now
is a large issue.
Freeman urged busi
nesses to have employees
agree to a code of conduct.
The wording can be what
the employer wants, but
it gives workei;^ a clear
understanding of what is
expected from them and
what rules they need to
abide by
That can include a dress
code and guidelines for
how to greet customers.
Some potential employees
who might be borderline
may see such rules and
pass.
“It helps you weed out
people you reaUy don’t
want,” Freeman said.
See SECURITY, 7
Graduates face new challenges
/j
STAFF PHOTOS BY PETER WILLIAMS
Perquimans County High graduate Tierra Knight shakes hands with school board member Steve Magaro and glances over to
school Principal Chante’ Lassiter Friday night.
Storm forces ceremony indoors
Valedicto
rian Amber
Winslow
adjusts the
microphone
before
speaking
Friday at the
Perquimans
County High
School
graduation.
By PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
A journey of more
than 4,700 days
ended Friday for
114 graduates of Per
quimans County High
School.
Valedictorian Amber
Winslow touched on
the milestone in her
graduation address.
She also looked at the
future and urged the
class to embrace the
uncomfortable change
that wiU come with
growth.
“We’ve been going
to school for the last
13 years of our lives,”
Winslow said^ “Wheth
er we like it or not,
.it’s become a habit,
something we do every
year, Monday through
Friday. Oh, we got
breaks for summer and
Christmas, but other
wise we were full-time
students. We’re com
fortable being students
in high school. It’s not
necessarily been the
most awesome thing in
See GRADUATES, 6
County
offers
lean
budget
By PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
Clearly it’s not a bud
get that made everybody
happy
Perquimans County
Sheriff Eric Tilley wanted
an additional deputy and
five new vehicles. He got
three vehicles and no per
sonnel.
No department got new
personnel, but the flip side
is they also didn’t lose any
through layoffs.
The school system want
ed $2.5 mfilion in operat
ing funds and $726,950 in
capital. They gotf$2.2 mfi
lion in operating funds
and $215,000 in local capi
tal money. They also got
agreement from the coun
ty to draw down $340,000
in lottery funds held by
the county for Perquimans
County.
The way Perquimans
County Manager Frank
Heath views it, the schools
are getting $50,000 more in
operating funds than it got
last year.
“What they do with it is
up to them.”
The slow economy has
left Perquimans County
with very little wiggle room
when it comes to spending.
Property tax revenue was
virtually flat and sales tax
revenue is projected to rise
slightly.
“But that’s projected,”
Heath said. “1 don’t know
See BUDGET, 2
State, local jobless rate drops
By PETER WILLIAMS
News Editor
•
The unemployment rate
feU in Perquiillans County
and most of North Caro
lina in April.
The local rate dropped
from 10.1 percent in March
to a 9.4 rate in April. State
wide the average fell from
8.9 to 8.5.
But the Perquimans
County rate is no better
than it was a year before.
Statewide 68 counties still
had rates of between 5 and
10 percent.
Stfil economists are say
ing the picture is getting
better.
89076 4
7144
Mike Walden, a profes
sor at N.C. State Univer
sity, provides an economic
outlook every six months.
In his latest report for the
summer he sees both the
national and state econo
mies growing over the
next-two years.
The bad news is the
growth is likely to be in
places that have already
seen growth — the metro
areas like Raleigh and
Charlotte.
“The economic divides
in North Carolina likely
won’t close in the near fu-
tLU’e,” Walden concludes
in his report. “Economic
trends and technologies
appear to be favoring met
ropolitan areas over non
metropolitan regions. As
growth continues, metro
politan areas will likely
expand their geographic
scope — hence, counties
designated as metropoli
tan wifi likely increase
in the future. Challenges
will persist for bringing
economic growth to all re
gions of North Carolina.”
While the North Caro
lina economic picture is
rosy, it is rosier in some
places than others. The
Asheville, Durham-Cha-
pel HiU, Charlotte and
Raleigh-Cary areas have
seen the greatest eco
nomic growth and are
likely to continue to see
the most growth and low
est unemployment rates
over the next year and a
half. Walden expects less
growth and higher jobless
rates in the Fayetteville,
Hickory and Rocky Mount
areas.
Things are looking
See JOBLESS, 2
Summer is a Breeze
tSi
It ȣ! ra
PHOTO COURTESY CHUCK PAGELS
Wayne James (left), on the trumpet, and Chris Bittner on the saxophone perform during the
Summer Breeze concert series kick-off event sponsored by the Newbold-White House on Sunday.
Both are members of the band Connected. The next concert Summer Breeze concert is July 14
with Banjo Island. Concerts are normally held at the house, but Sunday’s event was moved to the
Perquimans County Recreation Center because of weather. About 105 people attended.
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