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West Craven Highlights
i\ptvs From Mon^ Thv llaoks Of The iSeusp
VANCEBORO, north CAROLINA
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HUOHMl MWSMMU
VOLUME 12 NO. 11
MARCH 16, 1989
PHONE 244 0780 OR 946-2144
(UPSP 412-110)
25 CENTS
SIX PAGES
Wolfman Jack Settles In Eastern N.C.
By MIKE VOSS
E4litor
His voice is pure rock 'n' roll history, but it's
singing a new song.
1110 voice is recognized immediately to any
one who has listened to a radio over the past 25
years. It's a voice that belongs to one man and
one man alone.
It's a voice that's singing a new tune, literally
^and figuratively. It's a voice that stays in your
'mind once you've heard it.
It's Wolfman Jack. And he's living in eastern
North Carolina.
The Wolfman is calling Belvedere home.
That's just up the road flom Washington and
just outside Hertford in Perquimans County.
The legendary rock 'n' roll disc jockey has left
Los Angeles for the quieter life at Belvedere
Plantation along the Perquimans River.
"It's just nice to get back to the roots, man,"
Wolfman said in an interview.
He's bringing his family to the area as he
begins a new chapter in the Wolfman Jack saga.
He is moving in close to his wife's parents and
bringing his mother up from Florida. The Wolf-
man sets store by family life.
“This was always my dream... to get on with
family life ... and bring my family together,"
said Wolfman. “Forget about the money. It's
family. That's all you really gel. It comes down
to family," he said in the distinctive gravely
voice known to millions around the world.
The Wolfman, who spent nearly 30 years on
radio and television, said, “You got to be a giv
er. Those who only take usually wind up in
prison. You got to be a giver. That's what it's all
about."
He admits to “having a wild streak" and says
everyone does. For the Wolfman, it was family
that kept the wild side from getting out of hand.
“Without my family 1 probably would have
been dead years ago," he said.
Although he still is active in the entertain
ment business, the Wolfman is taking more
time to enjoy his homelife in eastern North
Carolina. And he's really not a stranger to the
area. With relatives and friends in the area, he's
been coming and going for 20 years. “We're all
ftiends around here," he said.
He's in the process of remodeling a house,
building a studio and setting up offices. “It's
still kind of hectic around here," he said. When
he answered the telephone for the interview he
was out of breath.
But the voice was the Wolfman's.
He lived in Los Angeles for 26 years and grew
tired of it. “It's getting too crazy for me, man,"
he said. “I sold my house and got a lot for it and
came back to my roots. This is where I want to
be."
The Wolfman has been associated with rock
'n' roll since he began broadcasting from an AM
station in Mexico. ‘That's where the Wolfman
Jack started," he said. It was a 250,060-watt
station and his voice was far-reaching. His ta
lents — and the voice — led him to fame and
fortune.
Wolfman came on the scene during rock 'n'
roll's biggest years — 1957 through 1964. Then
Wolfman Jack
along came the Beatles. That's when American
music began to be overshadowed, said the
Wolfman.
(See WOLFMAN, Page 5^
Anchors Aweigh
The time draws nigh. Spring is approaching and soon sleek sail
boats will swarm again on the Neus^. They will ease sweetly with a
breeze or soar swiftly as if sailing on an urgent mission. Some will be
Englishman’s Tour
Lets Him Observe
The ^Real America’
By CONNIE SPIVEY
Special to Ihe
Weal Craven Highlighta
Victor Cannon wants to see a
different America.
He doesn't want the America of
cramped cities and highrise
buildings. Cannon wants to see
the “real America."
He wants to visit the factories,
go down in a mine and talk to the
people. Cannon wants to go
places “tourists don't go" — to
the rural areas.
To this end, Cannon is travel
ing via one of the simplest modes
/of transportation — his bicycle.
He considers biking “A good way
of meeting people and getting to
unusual places.”
He took part of his journey
through Craven County last
week, including taking the ferry
from Minnesott Beach to the
south shore of the Neuse River.
“In a sense my journey, for me,
is a journey of discovery,” Can
non said. Cannon, who has never
been in America and just arrived
here March 5, crossed the ocean
on the Dora Oldendorf, a 75,606-
ton bulk carrier, coming ftom his
home in Plymouth, England, and
landing in Norfolk, Va.
It was in Norfolk that he had
his first taste of America. After
several attempts to call a Mend,
he said to a Norfolk telephone
operator, “Excuse me, do you
speak Enngish?” Cannon was
having trouble understanding
her Tidewater accent.
Cannon is a member of the
Bicycle Touring Association. He
travels with names and addres
ses of people he may contact in
case of problems.
Cannon is working his way
across the United States by way
of Savannah, Qa., New Orleans,
La., Arizona and Los Angeles.
Then he plans to go to Central
America. That part he will have
to “play by ear.” “You under
stand the phrase ‘play it by ear?”'
he said.
He explained that the situation
in Central America was “deli
cate" and he wanted to stay out of
political situations.
His desire to stay out of politics
also affects his personal life. Can
non is married to a Polish
woman, Marina, who teaches
weaving in Warsaw.
Cannon said they have been
married about nine years. Neith
er has the desire to move to the
other’s home country, so they
live apart.
A writer, photographer and
watercolorist. Cannon has writ
ten a book about his bike trip
across the Saharra Desert. He is
writing stories for bike maga
zines about his “expedition,”
therefore he is constantly taking
notes during his trips. Some
times he even provides line
drawings with his articles.
Cannon said talking to people
is easy when riding a bicycle.
“The cyclist is not a threat” to
people living the simple life, he
said.
The bad weather, an “incon
venience," has kept Cannon
ftom riding his bike, or cycling as
he calls it. In fact, the only trip he
has made is ftom Virginia Beach,
Va., to Edenton, a day’s ride. He
got lost once and then was mis
directed by a local. Cannon said
he thought the local assumed he
was driving a car.
In Edenton, Cannon was pick
ed up by Dorita Boyd, who lives
on the Camp Leach Road, about
10 miles east of Washington. Can
non stayed with her and her hus
band, Jan Pernov, last week dur
ing the incliment weather.
(See ENGLISH, Page 5)
A water control structure
Water Control May
Assist Producers
In Increasing Yields
Farmers in eastern North Carolina recognize the fact “drainage
is a must for profitable farming.” Over the years, drainage was
installed on land converted to cropland. Without it, farming was
not possible. Artificial drainage—open ditches and land shaping
—has worked so well that now water control structures are being
installed to control the water table and improve water quality.
Many farmers still remember the times when water stood for
long periods of time on what is now good cropland. These areas
that were once saturated have been altered with drainage to the
point that many say they are “over-drained.” Too little water will
hurl yields just as much as excess water. The answer to this
problem is water table control or water management. A water
management system can address both the problem of too much
water with drainage and too little with water control.
With a water management system, the soil profile is used to
store water. Control structures located at the drainage outlets are
used to determine the water table high within the soil profile.
Boards can be removed to lower or raise the water level in the
ditches. As the water level in the drainage system changes, so
does the water table. The water table can be held at a height that
the crops can use, creating a subirrigation effect.
All open ditch drainage systems can be used, but most are
spaced too far apart for effective water management. By install
ing tile between the ditches, the speed of water movement can be
increased greatly. This will aid in keeping a uniform water table
and help drain any excess water that is added by unexpected rain
storms.
Adequate water is a concern with water management. One
benefit of a watei management system is that it makes the most of
available rainfall. Rather than allowing rainwater toexcape down
open drainage ditches, a water management system holds it for
future use.
(See DRAINAGE, Page 5)
Town Fathers
Believe Town
Needs Officer
formal, traditional and white and some, like this one, will offer a
burst of bold color. Either way, they are fun, for the sailors or for
those ashore who just enjoy the view.
By TERRI JAMIESON
Staff Writer
Vanceboro’s town fathers are
convinced the town needs a
police officer. But they are find
ing it difficult to meet that need.
For over a year, the town has
been seeking a police officer to
replace its last one. And what few
applicants have applied
apparently want more salary
than originally offered by the
town.
Vanceboro Mayor Jimmie
Morris said the town has adver
tised in several newspapers for
an officer, but response has been
poor. Morris also said the appli
cants are seeking a salary higher
than what the town has
budgeted.
The mayor also said it is hard
for small towns, such as Vance-
boro, to keep officers once they
are hired. The higher salaries of
other law enforcement agencies
— the Craven County Sheriffs
Department, the Havelock Pub
lic Safety Department and the
New Bern Police Department —
lure the officers from the small
towns. Morris said the last three
or four officers in Vanceboro
have left to take jobs with other
departments.
Morris also said officers have
complained about not enough
police work for them to do, being
on call 24 hours a day and need
ing “more action” tb keep up
their interest.
Alderman Alton Whitley said
discussions among aldermen
and community leaders have re
sulted in the same thing—agree
ment that an officer is needed to
keep watch over lives and prop
erty in town.
Whitley said the town needs an
officer but itdoes not need to hire
someone who is not qualified or
certified by the state. Officers are
required to complete about 720
hours in an approved training
program with in a year after
being hired if they are not certi
fied. Some towns are requiring
applicants for police officers to
have already completed training,
some towns require officers to
(See POLICE. Page 5)
Middle School Teacher
Is ‘Educator Of Month’
A teacher at West Craven Mid-
dle School is one of three
teachers selected as the New
Bern Area Chamber of Com
merce’s Educators of the Month
for February. The awards are
given by thechamber in corxjunc-
tion with the New Bern-Craven
County Board of Education.
Jane Murphy, a seventh-grade
teacher at West Craven Middle
Schoool; Sharon Warren, a
fourth-grade teacher at Bangert
Elementary School and Lynn
Faulk, ECI A, Chapter I teacher at
James W. Smith Elementary
School are the honorees.
Mrs. Murphy graduated from
Gardner-Webb College with a
bachelor of science degree in in
termediate education. She has
been teaching math and science
at West Craven Middle School for
the past nine years. Mrs. Murphy
said her main priority is to com
municate the lesson objective in
a way that all students under
stand, and to be perceptive
enough to realize that strategies
need to be altered in order to
meet individual needs.
“Students who understand the
lesson feel good about them
selves and their ability to suc
ceed. The boundaries are limit-
(See EDUCATOR, Page 5)
Jane Murphy
Program ‘Opens Door’
To Exchange Of Ideas
Does learning about a foreign
culture and a foreign language
while staying at home sound in
teresting?
If it does, then consider host
ing a student from abroad for
three, five or 16 months. All that
is required is an open heart and
Open Door.
Open Door is a student ex
change program seeking host
families in easier North Carolina.
Families with or without high-
school age children are invited to
apply to host a carefully-selected
foreign student. Families who
host a student are allowed a $56-
a-month deduction on income
taxes. The families are also eligi
ble for scholarship assistance for
family members abroad. Dead
line to apply to host a student is
May 1.
Open Door is also accepting
applications from American stu
dents who wish to apply for a
summer experience or a year
abraod. Programs are offer^ in
Europe, South and Central
America, Australia, Asia and
Yugoslavia. The 13th Year
Abroad is a new program that
was started in 1988. This program
could be of particular interest to
the student who wishes a
breather between high school
and college, or who wishes an en
richment for his or her future.
For more informaton. Contact
Emy Swan, 299 Shoreline Dr.,
New Bern, N.C. 28562 or by call
ing 633-0930.