Eyesores and Potholes

            I was delighted to read your front-page article about a grant to remove eyesores from Perquimans County. The number of abandoned shacks and vacant mobile homes are an embarrassment. It’s about time we do something about it.

            But we have other problems with our appearance. One, for example, is the large tree that broke in half and now lays by the side of Harvey Point Road opposite Burgess Road. Who is responsible for removing It? The house on that property hasn’t been lived in for as long as I can remember. It, too, is an eyesore.

            Then there’s the section of Church Street from the Ocean Highway (Rte. 17) traffic light toward the center of Hertford. The condition of this street is a disgrace. Maintenance Supervisor Kenny White tells me he has crews out on many Sunday mornings filling potholes. But he is the first to admit that the street needs to be completely repaved. He says it’s a matter of getting through all the red tape to get the project started. That includes getting a contract out for bids and getting Raleigh to appropriate the money.

            White explains that Church Street was once part of Harvey Point Road, but when the bypass was built, Church Street was split off from it. As a result, when Harvey Point Road gets repaved, it’s only from the traffic light going south.

            Kenny White has lived in Hertford all his life and takes pride in his work. “Nobody wants to repave Church Street more than I do,” he says. “I wish I had a genie in a bottle to solve this problem, but my bottle is broke.” In spite of his pessimism, he hopes the work will “get into the system” this summer. We all do—all of us who take pride in the appearance of beautiful Perquimans County.