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News From Along The Hanks Of The Neuse
V6lUME11N0. 40 OCTOBER 20. 1988 VANCEBORO, NORTH CAKOLINA PHONE 244-0780 OR M6-2I44 (UPSP412-U0) 25 CENTS ElOHt PAGES
Panels Request
More Actions,
Fewer Studies
By MIKE VOSS
Editor
i-Wie two citizens’ advisory
committees of the Albemarie-
Pamiico Estuarine Study say ac
tion, iegisiative leadership and
public awareness are key to
understanding and correcting
the problems in the Albemarle
and Pamlico estuaries.
Proposed action includes
several studies of the Neuse Riv-
^ er and problems it is experienc-
* ing. Several Craven County peo
ple serve on the local advisory
committee. One proposed study
will investigate algal blooms on
the Neuse and why they occur.
The two committees, one ftom
the Pamlico Sound area and the
other flrom the Albemarle Sound
area, took study ofiicials to task
Friday for what they perceived as
cmtcentrating on additional
study when implementation of
management action is needed.
Several advisory committee
members told the members of
the other two committees — the
policy and technical panels —
that the public is demanding ac
tion. They tempered their re
quests for immediate action by
Vikings
Scuttle
noting that the research needs to
continue.
The position papers issued by
the two citizens’ committees —
particularly the Pamlico com
mittee paper resulted in the
substance of much of the discus
sion and interaction between the
four committees.
Derb Carter, chairman of the
Pamlico committee, said he
heard some people were charac
terizing its paper as “damaging
and could kill the program.” Car
ter said he resented the remarks.
Ernie Larkinof the Pamlico com
mittee said, ’The public wants to
see things done.”
The Albemarle committee’s
paper noted concerns that some
phases of APES are not making
progress and some areas are not
being given proper attention. It
echoed the Pamlico panel’s call
for action. The Albemarle group
called for enforcement and man
agement of existing programs
and the formation of a legislative
liason committee.
Paul Wilms, director of the Di
vision of Environmental Man-
(See APES, Page 5)
Most dogs like to go fora ride. They at least prefer it to being left
home. His job remains unclear. Perhaps he watches for sub
merged stumps. Does he bark at fish? Maybe he makes sure his
Keeping A Lookout For His Master
Eagles
Six Interceptions
Seal Team's Fate
HOLLYWOOD — West
Craven’s Eagles lived by the pass
and died by the pass Friday night
as the Vikings of D.H. Conley in
tercepted six aerials and cruised
to a 40-13 Coastal Conference
win.
The Viking defenders, lead by
strong safety Paul Merritt’s three
interceptions, gave their offense
good field position. The defense
returned several interceptions —
several that bounced off Eagle re
ceivers — deep into Eagle terri
tory. Merritt has six intercep
tions on the year.
West Craven’s two scores came
on passes, but they weren’t
enough to overcome a 20-0 out
burst by Conley in the third
period that enabled the Vikings
to pull away from a 14-7 lead at
hajjime. West Craven drew first
oiood when sophomore quarter
back Kevin Holzworth hit end
Thomas McGhee for a 20-yard
scoring strike. Jay Gaskins
booted the extra point for a short-
‘ ^ I
71 94 14
Some of ihc Eagle offense lake a breather in recent game
lived 7-0 lead. Holzworth hit
Tony Bryan in the final period
with a 12-yard touchdown pass.
The two-point conversion
attempt failed.
“We never did stop them all
night,’’ said Eagle coach Clay
Jordan. “It was 14-7 at the half
the we came apart. Everything
we did backfired. We got behind
and had to throw. They picked
off some passes and some hit our
receivers and bounced off."
Jordan said the Eagles were
lethargic and played poorly. “I
look for them to improve. I don't
know if it was us being young,
inconsistent or what,” said
Jordan.
“I hope it was just one of those
(games) you’re going to have dur
ing the year,” he added.
“Our kids played well. We put
four quarters together for a
change,” said Conley head coach
Steve Craft, whose squad is 3-1 in
the conference and 5-2 overall.
Craft said he expected a closer
game and could not figure out
why West Craven was sluggish.
“We expected ... a function at
the junction,” he said. “We play
ed the best football game we’ve
played all year.”
(See EAGLES, Page 5)
Staring Into A Misty Morning
master doesn’t miss any of his crab pots. At any rate, he must
make a pleasant passenger. Otherwise he wouldn’t be welcome in
a canoe. (Ric Carter photo)
Air Space Proposals
May Bring Dogfight
By MIKE VOSS
Editor
Unless the military curbs its
appetite to control more air space
in eastern North Carolina, it may
find itself in a legal dogfight.
Members of the Eastern Avia
tion & Airspace Association,
meeting last week, criticized the
proposed takeover attempt by
the military. They are specifical
ly concerned with low-level
flying, electronic warfare train
ing (use of lasers) and restrictions
on civilian aircraft.
They said they were concerned
enough to take their fight to
court and they expect it’s what
they wUl have to do to stop the
proposed takeover. They said the
fight would be led by the state
attorney general. His office filed
a Freedom of Information re
quest with the Defense Depart
ment asking for details for plans
at the Navy’s Piney Island range
in Dare County. Several other
state departments and agencies
have expressed desire to fight
the proposals at a series of meet
ings over the last several months.
Other groups in eastern North
Carolina, particularly coastal
areas and one headed by W.A.
Runner of New Bern, are joining
Eastern Aviation and Airspace
Association in attempts to block
the proposed military operation
areas, called MOAs, and other
restricted air spaces. Municipali
ties and counties have joined the
fight.
The members said the military
has used red tape and other tac
tics to slow the opposition. “It
looks like they plarmed the thing
to aggravate us to death to get us
to go home and forget about it,”
said J.T. Keech who, like many in
the group, is a private pilot.
Keech, along with association
Chairman Cecil Bradley, said the
group is having trouble gettng in
formation from the military and
Federal Aviation Administration
concerning the proposed takeov
er and electronic warfare ranges.
Bradley said the FAA admits
having problems dealing with
the issue, having little know
ledge of military plans. Bradley
and Keech are aftaid if the air
space is lost or restricted, other
areas will fall into the military’s
hand.
A similar group in Pamlico
County, Home on the Range, is
one of the leading active groups
fighting the proposal. It lists the
following concerns about the
(See AIR SPACE, Page S)
‘Great Spirit’ Defense
Has Mark Of Koonce
FaU mornings often witness quiet, rolling fogs that rise with the
sun. They float fiem the warm water into the cool morning air
tumbling silently on imperceptible breezes. One may .see phantoms
of all sorts as the rising sun sifts and shifts through the shuddering,
white curtain hung over a creek.
(Ric Carter photo)
MURFREESBORO — The
spearhead of Chowan College’s
“Great Spirit” defense may very
well be from Craven County.
Former West Craven High
standout George Koonce, an All-
American candidate for the Mur
freesboro junior college, has
been a leader of the defense that
gave up only two touchdowns
and 31 points in the Braves’ first
six games of the season. Koonce,
a middle linebacker, made 38
solo tackles and 20 assisted tack-
les coming into this past
weekend’s game with Potomac
State.
This past weekend the Braves
handed Potomac State a 25-0
whipping, limiting the visitors
from West Virginia to minus five
yards on the ground and 120
yards in the air. Again, it was
Koonce who led the defense to
the shutout.
The Braves, ranked as high as
11th in the nation this year
among junior colleges, dropped a
one-point game two weekends
ago to Fork Union Military
Academy but Koonce still had
some bright spots. He had 10 solo
tackles, five assists, returned a
fUmble 34 yards for a touchdown
and intercepted a pass and re
turned it 48 yards.
With the score 21-19 in favor of
Chowan, Fork Union tried a two-
point conversion pass that a
Koonce intercepted. Hesitating
just a second, Koonce remem
bered that he could score two
points because of a new rule
change and took off, but was
fituilly tackled at the 50.
A three-year starter for Clay
Jordan at West Craven, the
touchdown against Fork Union
was his first ever. “We lost only
two regular season games in
three years and went 10-2 my
senior season but I never came
close to scoring before. I did not
play any offense, just outside
linebacker,” said Koonce.
As an aU-conference selectee in
his junior and senior years and as
an all-East selection, Koonce
signed with Appalachian State
University.
But grades kept him out of
Appalachian and sent him to
Chowan.
“1 did not qualify under Prop
osition 48, so Coach Jordan told
me about Chowan,” said Koonce.
At 6-2,230 pounds, with a 4.8 time
in the 40-yard dash, the physical-
education major is a mobile
“Dick Butkus” in the Braves’
pro-style 4-3 defense.
“I came to Chowan in the sum
mer of my fVeshman year and
met Timmy Cofield (a Murffees-
boro native who plays linebacker
for the Kansas City Chiefs). 'Dm-
my told me that college ball
would be a big acUustment ffom
high school and that I would
have to learn how to read certain
(See KOONCE, Page S)