"‘News from Next Door”
SPORTS
PCHS softball signs with college — A5
THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2020
COMMUNITY
Scholarships awarded — Bl
HISTORY
‘Bull Drham’ debuts— B3
$1.00
REGIONAL
See what pets are at shelter— B4
Hertford Town Council Tackles Budget, Racism
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Hertford Town Coun
cil’s multi-hour marathon
meeting Monday kept
viewers entertained as the
action and allegations un
folded.
Question arises - where
does this country editor
begin when writing about
this contentious affair
that was filled with shout
ing, allegations of drug
use, a KKK image, racism
and a budget proposal for
a meeting that started at
5p.m. and ended more
than nine hours later at
around 1:40 a.m. Tuesday.
A random sampling of
viewers to this meeting in
cluded a television news
producer, Washington
County Commissioner
Cole Phelps and a miriade
of local folks who support
one faction or the other
on council.
Town Clerk Shoniqua
Powell had to bow out of
the meeting because of a
migraine, so maybe after
saying a prayer for her
health, count her as one
of the lucky ones who
was able to escape from
this tumultuous affair that
took many viewers time
and time again into the
rabbit hole.
Meeting began when
Councilman Quentin
Jackson initiated a nine
minute moment of silence
SCREENSHOT FROM MEETING
Hertford Town
Councilman Quentin
Jackson spoke
frequently of racism
and George Floyd
during Monday’s
council meeting.
Among the many
backgrounds Jackson
deployed during the
Zoom meeting, there
was one that featured
a trio of KKK members
and another saying
“Black Lives Matter.”
Proposed
Budget
Tightens
Spending
School Spending Remains Flat
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Perquimans County Commis
sion’s proposed budget for fiscal
year 2020/21 tightens spending
and seeks the same property tax
HEATH
rate fiscal as the
present fiscal
year - the low
est tax rate in
the region at .59
cents per $100
of value.
County Man
ager Frank
Heath’s recently
released finan
cial forecast
indicates some revenue growth,
but these positive projections are
tempered by the economic ef
fects of the COVID-19.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has
caused the County to enact mea
sures that reflect our decreased
projected revenue,” Heath wrote
in his budget message to the coun
ty commission. “If the revenue
picture improves or increased
federal funding arrives, then we
may be able to make adjustments
to the budget later in the fiscal
year to accomplish some needed
projects. The goal, as always, is to
keep the state of County financial
and administrative affairs sound.”
Budget proposal does not pro
vide for county employees nor
seek to hire any new full-time po
sitions.
School funding remains flat
with the same $2.9 allocation as
last year. The water rates for Per
quimans County will remain un
changed for the upcoming fiscal
year.
Commissioners will be work
ing with budget so as to have ap
proved by or before June 30.
The General Fund budget is
$16,436,012 for 2020-2021, a de
crease of $61,805 from the cur
rent year’s amended budget of
$16,497,817.
Total taxable value in
creased from $1,329,941,994 to
$1,351,508,515, or 1.6% which
Heath’s budget message said is
the highest percentage growth in
ad valorem taxable value in 11
years. An additional $197,743,755
in value was added due to the
Desert Wind project. After fourth
year depreciation and the grant
agreement with the County,
the net gain in value would be
See BUDGET, A3
6 ■ 89076 47144
Vol. 86, No. 24
@2020 Perquimans Weekly
All Rights Reserved
2
See COUNCIL, A6
PHOTOS BY TANYAJURNER
More than a hundred Perquimans High School seniors participated in Friday's ceremony, a precursor
to the official July 31 commencement ceremony.
Ceremony Held for Pirates Joining the Military
BY STAFF REPORTS
Perquimans High School
Class of 2020 held a baccalau
reate service Friday evening at
Charles H. Ward Field at the Nix
on Athletic Complex.
Pastor Todd Kemp and Bishop
Landon Mason offered inspiring
remarks to pay tribute to these
Pirates. Three of nine students
who have enlisted in the mili
tary, who will be leaving prior to
graduation on July 31, were able
to receive their diplomas.
Words printed on the front
of this PCHS commencement
guide, “For I know I have plans
for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future.”
Great job PCHS and congratu
lations PQ Class of 2020!
Pirates’
parents and
friends wait
and watch
as the Class
of 2020
prepares
to take
the walk
that they’ll
always
remember.
Round-up
Pirates &
Doubloons
Top photo: (Left to
right) Robert Boone III,
Robert Deloach and
Stefon Reid receive their
diplomas during Friday’s
baccalaureate ceremony.
Left: Perquimans High
School Principal Wayne
Price presents Pirates’
basketball star Stefon
Reid his diploma.
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
A round-up of all things Perquim-
ans County...
X X Perquimans High School’s
valedictorian is Claribel Ordaz-Ri
os and the salutatorian is Allison
Copeland. More about these proud
Pirates will be published as we get
closer to commencement exercises
scheduled for July 31.
Ordaz-Rios is a top student,
president of the school’s BETA Club,
active in many clubs and very in
volved in athletics as a varsity soccer
player. She will be a first generation
college student when she starts
classes at UNC-Chapel Hill in the fall
where she plans to study business
administration and perhaps pursue a
law degree.
Copeland served as senior class
president, Interact Club president,
a Fellowship of Christian Athletes
student leader, and a varsity volley-
ball and softball captain She will be
attending NC State University where
she plans to study biology.
Elaine Riddick Charter School
is still in a holding pattern with school
leaders seeking to do what’s neces
sary so that the school can open in
August
School leaders met Monday with
the State Board of Education Charter
School Advisory Committee to
discuss their plans. Committee told
school administrators to return in
July to provide an update on progress
as to meeting enrollment goals, hiring
a teaching staff and completing other
pressing issues related to the facility’s
needs that demand attention before
any school bells can ring in the fall.
School needs to meet at least 75
See ROUND-UP, A3
Growlers, Treadmills Needed to Cope with COVID-19’s Effects
BY MILES LAYTON
Editor
Hertford Bay Taphouse and
Foundation Fitness held an
80s’ Fun Run Friday to bene
fit these two small businesses
that have been deeply affected
by the economic shutdown ini
tiated by Raleigh to contend
with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Fun Run was great,”
said Amy Tinsley, owner of
Foundation Fitness. “We had
a lot of community support
come out for the Tap House
as well as the gym. The mayor
and town manager were very
helpful and supportive. Our
thanks goes out to them and
the members of the communi
ty for the support.”
That same day, Gov. Roy
Cooper vetoed a bill that
would have reopened private
bars and clubs, as well as ex
panded outdoor seating in
restaurants and brewpubs.
“We are hanging on over
here at the Hertford Bay Ta
phouse, but I can say for ab
solute certainty that if the bar
was my primary business and
I had to support my family off
of it we would be out of busi
ness,” said Stephen Gunther,
See GROWLERS, A3
PHOTO BY KATRINA
LEARY MANN
During
Friday’s Fun
Run benefit,
Hertford Bay
Taphouse
owner Stephen
Gunther pulls
the tap to pour
a growler of
beer - takeout
only - to keep
his bar in
business as
Raleigh dithers
about when
taverns can
reopen.