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West Craven Highlights
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NATCNAl.
ASSOCUtlON
VOLUME 11 NO. 48
DECEMBER IS, 1988 VANCEBORO, NORTH CAROLINA
PHONE 244-0780 OR 946-2144
(UPSP 412-110)
25 CENTS
SIX PAGES
ShM|IC CwrMi
US-t7 W*ll»*m$lon to the South Caiotma Line
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US-70 naieightoMoreheadCity
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Tfeb ewiier Is tt* major noith-soulli route east ol 1-95. It serves as a
caiiascterto the state port at Wllmlntton and to the beaches. It links Wllllam-
ston, WasMniten, New Bern. Jacksonville. Camp Lejeune and WilmInKton. Some
sotments are fdnr-laiwd and a number nf Improvements are planned. DOT says
to completa the conMer will require substantial committments beyond the
current scope of the cnrrent TIP.
This corridor connects the southeastern Piedmont with tho control coast. It Is
a link Important to tourism and oconomic developmant, said DDT. Tho route
provides access to tho Morehead City port and the Bo(ue Bank beaches. It
connects Ralei(h, Smithtleld, Goldsboro, Kinston, Now Bern, Havelock, MChS
Cherry Point and Morohoad City. Most ot tho routo oiists as a fonr-lane hithway.
Construction is bo(innln( on tho Smithtiold bypass, the major remaininf two-
lane section.
DOT Okays
$39.1 Million
County Plan
TIP Targets Corridors
Labeled As “^Strategic’
BY MIKE VOSS
Editor
The N.C. Department of Trans
portation has adopted a $3.1 bil
lion plan to fund highway con
struction projects — including
two new ferries and improve
ments to U.S. 17 and U.S. 70 — in
the next eight years.
Under the Transportation Im
provement Program, Craven
County is slated for 14 projects
totaling $39.1 million, not includ
ing a proposed by-pass for New
Bern that could cost$100niillion.
Included in the TIP plan are
several bridge projects, includ
ing the replacement of the Swift
Creek Bridge on N.C. 118 at an
estimated cost of $519,000 and re
placement of a bridge on State
Road 1005 over Core Creek at an
estimated cost of $224,000. The
projects are slated to be finished
by 1996.
The plan also projects it will
Rescue Squad Wins
State Award Again
Morris Named As Squad’s
Outstanding Member For 1988
Keith Morris was named the re
cipient of the Outstanding Mem
ber of the Year Award presented
by the Vanceboro Rescue Squad
at the squad’s recent Christmas
dinner. The squad received the
third-place A.B. Parker Award
from Howard "Buddy” Shaw
from the N.C. OfTice of Emergen
cy Medical Services.
The squad award was for iive-
saving efforts during a fire that
occurred June 10 of this year.
The N.C. Association of Rescue/
EMS recognizes three rescue
calls in the state each year.
Morris’ award recognized him
for his “many hours of dedica
tion and devotion to community
service in the area of emergency
medical care.” Morris has com
pleted over 200 hours of training
and is near completion of the in-
JeSKiediate emergency medical
technician course. Morris was
selected by the members of the
squad. Morris said it was an hon
or to be presented the award. He
is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Curtis
L. Morris of Vanceboro and is a
student at East Carolina Uni
versity.
The award-winning rescue of
the squad began at 11:30 p.m.
when the Vanceboro Volunteer
Fire Department responded to a
reported house fire. When arriv
ing on the scene, firemen attack
ed the fire while a search team
checked inside the burning
house. During the search proce
dure, a young male was located
on the floor of the rear bedroom,
apparently overcome by smoke.
After removing the patient from
the house, it was determined that
his breathing and pulse had stop
ped and emergency procedures
were started to revive him. He
was revived on the way to Craven
Regional Medical Center and re
ceived advanced iife care by
emergency room personnei
when he arrived at the medical
center.
Capt. Dean Morris accepted
the award and said, "This is an
award for our fire personnel, our
rescue personnel and the many
others that were involved in this
patient’s care. This was a total
team effort by all personnel and
the emergency room did an ex
cellent job of stabilizing the pa
tient's condition. This should
make each of us proud of the
emergency programs that
Craven County has to offer to its
(See RESCUE, Page 5)
Library Donation
West Craven Highlights’ Publisher A.B. "Brow
nie” Futrell Jr., right, and Editor Mike Voss pre
sented a bound collection of the newspaper’s 1987
editions to Vanceboro Public Library’s Marlene
Copeland. Mrs. Copeland is the head librarian.
The presentation was made last week and con
tinues a tradition started by former owner and
publisher Richard Cannon Jr. Mrs. Copeland said
she was pleased to receive the gift and that people
often research the old editions of the newspaper
for various reasons. "We are pleased to continue
the tradition and to present the library this collec
tion of newspapers from 1987,” said Futrell. “We
hope the public will look at the collection of pap
ers as a resource for information,” said Voss. "We
plan to make the presentation each year,” added
Futrell.
cost over $26 million for the New
Bern by-pass and/or Neuse River
Bridge relocation or replace
ment. No schedule of activity
was included in the TIP plan, but
the project is programmed for
environmental impact statement
and/or right-of-way protection
study.
The major emphasis of this
year’s TIP is again on the state’s
strategic corridor system, which
includes U.S. 70 and U.S. 17.
Highways in the corridor system
are routes that have been identi
fied as combining high traffic
volumes and great economic
potential, according to DOT.
Randy D. Doub of Greenville,
who represents Craven and
seven other counties in DOT’S
Division 2, said members of the
board were able to keep most of
last year's projects on schedule.
(See TIP, Page 5)
11 Eagles
Receive
Honors
West Craven High School had
two members of its 1988 football
team placed on the 1988 Coastal
3-A all-conference team last
week. Eight Eagles were
accorded honorable-mention
status.
West Craven had linebacker
Monte Brown and tight end Tho
mas McGee chosen to the all-
Coastal elite squad.
However, the conference’s
leading rusher, sophomore run
ning back Lee Becton of West
Craven, was left off the all
conference first team. Becton
rushed for 1,197 yards this sea
son, almost eclipsing the 1,225-
yard single-season rushing re
cord set two years ago by then-
senior Jesse Campbell, a N.C.
State player and the 1988 ACC
Rookie of the Year in football.
Havelock, which won the con-,
ference championship with an
undefeated worksheet and adv
anced to the Eastern Finals, had
seven players selected all
conference including George.
The Rams’ selectees were: quar
terback Ledel George, lineback
er Kenny Frazier, tackle Mike
Godette, linebacker Russell Sea-
(See E!AGLES, Page 5)
Vanceboro Rescue Squad members
U.S. Air Force Honors West Craven
First High School To Receive Second-Highest Recruiting Award
West Craven High School re
ceived the prestigious United
States Air Force Recruiting
Service Commander’s Award
on Monday, making it the first
high school to ever win the
award.
The award was presented to
the school by Col. James E.
Watson, 3503rd United States
Air Force Recruiting Group
commander. He was accom
panied by Master Sgt.
Stephen L. Hill, local recrui
ter, and other Air Force re
cruiting personnel.
“You and the staff of your
school have contributed to Air
Force recruiting in ways
above and beyond the usual
high school involvement. The
Commander’s Award is to
show our deep and sincere
appreciation for your far-
reaching efforts,” said a letter
to Principal Robert Jolly from
the Air Force.
The award is the second-
highest form of recognition
presented by the Air Force Re
cruiting Service and only a
few are presented each year.
Only six awards have been
presented nationwide this
year and between six and
eight are presented each year.
Hill said the award was for
"continuous support from the
school for the last four years.”
He said the school has sent 27
enlisted personnel to the Air
Force in the last four years and
averages about two ROTC
candidates each year.
"The school has been open
with us and has allowed us to
come in and explain what we
have to offer. The school real
izes that not everybody can
afford further education and
we are allowed to show stu
dents how they can serve their
country and get an educa
tion,” said Hill.
“We feel very honored to get
the award from the Air Force.
They Air Force has given edu
cational opportunities to
(See AIR FORCE, Page 5)
Along Came Jones — With Basketball Success On His Heels
B, MIKE VOSS
Edilor
Lorenzo Jones is proof that
Thomas Wolfe’s most-famous
line — "you can’t go home” — is
not always accurate.
Jones, head basketball coach
at West Craven High School, is a
graduate of the school who went
off to play college ball and re
turned to become head coach of
the team he played for just four
years earlier.
‘Tve been recycled,” he said.
Ask Jones how long he has
been at the school and he'll prob
ably crack “too long.” Too long is
actually 11 years. Eleven years
since graduating fi-om Atlantic
Christian College. Eleven years
of producting top-caliber teams
and some top-notch players.
Eleven years of winning.
Although he can't recall his ex
act won-loss record at West
Craven, he does recall many
years of 20 wins or more. He said
the average wins per season
would be about 17. In fact, last
year the Eagles posted their
worst record since Jones has
been at the school, a 9-16 mark.
There was a plus in the season,
actually several pluses. For the
first time ever, a freshman made
the varsity team. That freshman
is now a sophomore and is lead
ing the team in scoring. Lee Bec
ton decided to pick up in basket
ball where he left off in track and
football. Last year, as a freshman,
Becton qualified for the state
track and field championships in
the triple jump. This year he lead
the Coastal Conference in
rushing and almost broke the
school’s single-season rushing
record, just missing by 28 yards.
But Jones has seen his share of
other taiented athletes. Athletes
he has seen go on to productive
college careers.
And he was no slouch on the
field or on the court himself.
Jones earned all-conference hon
ors in basketball as a senior and
in baseball his junior and senior
years. At ACC, he started his
junior and senior year and aver
aged about 15 points a game in
his last college season.
“First, 1 was a bit skeptical ab-
out it,” said Jones about coming
back to his old high school to be
the head coach. “1 didn’t know if
the kids would accept me and
doing what I asked when I was
just a couple of years older than
them.”
Jones said he was also leary of
how his hometown would react
to his coaching. “It’s harder to
prove yourself to people you
know,” said Jones.
He didn't waste time proving
himself. In his first year at the
Eagle helm, Jones lead his
charges to a 20-4 record. The next
year his squad posted a 22-2 re
cord and made it to the state
championship. In that game the
Eagles lost by two points to
Rutherford-Spindale Central
High School.
He took his team, including the
3-A Player of the Year in Gary
Blount, back to the state cham
pionship game. Again the Eagles
came up two points short
against, you guessed it, Ruther
ford-Spindale Central in the
Dean Dome on the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill
campus. Oh yes, R-S Central had
the same coach it had in the first
contest.
Jones' recalled some of his for
mer piayers with a gleam in his
eye—probably wishing he could
bring some of them back and
(See JONES. Page 5)