West Craven Highlights
.Vpii’* From Along The Honks Of The Neuse
mmf
VOLUME li t«0. IS
APRIL 13, 1989
VANCEBORO, NORTH CAROLINA
PHONE 244-0780 OR 948-2144
(UPSP 412-110)
25 CENTS
' SIX PAOES
Texasgulf Is Celebrating 25 Years In Eastern N.C.
By MICHAEL ADAMS
Special to Ifae
Weal Craven HipMighU
The head of TexasgulFs Au
rora operation promts^ a “com
mitment for tomorrow" Monday
aa he announced pians to ceie-
brate the company's 25th
anniversay in eastern North
Carolina.
^a-i&.romas J. Regan, vice presi-
denv in charge of production,
said the anniversary is an occa
sion “to show how we will con
tinue to work and cooperate in
making this a progressive and
spirited place to live while pre
serving the balance of nature."
Regan spoke at a press confer
ence at the Washington Yacht &
Clean
Sweep
Prepares
Craven County Clean
Sweep is asking every citizen
of the county to participate in
some type of beautification
project this month.
April is National Keep
America Beautiful Month.
April is also Clean Sweep
Month throughout the state.
The following are some
things that can be done to
clean up the county, state and
nation:
— Adopt a spot — Adopt a
location such as a vacant lot or
other areas in a neighborhood.
— Make it green or colorful
— Plant flowers or other
plants in fixint of a business,
home or other locations.
— Clean it up—Increase the
number of trash cans at a loca
tion and even make the trash
cans better looking with a
fresh coat of paint, changing
styles or just cleanitig them
up.
— At school — Students can
clean a school nature trail,
school property and roads
leading to schools.
The Clean Sweep office has
forms for groups to report
their activities, liie forms will
be turned back in to the office
and then sent to Keep North
Carolina Clean and Beautiful
in Raleigh. In turn, partici
pants will receive certificates
of appreciation from the state
organization.
There are several events that
will highlight Clean Sweep
Month. The Craven County
Clean Sweep mascot will
make its debut April 15. Offi
cials are not saying what the
mascot will be, only that it will
Bafch at the Sheraton Hotel
and Marina at 2 p.m.
Craven and Carteret coun
ties will join forces April 22
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to clean
up a section of Croatan
National Forest. The area to be
cleaned is located in Green
field Heights in Havelock. It
(See SWEEP, Page 5)
Country Club.
He said the company plans to
stage celebrations at the plant it
self, in Aurora, in Washington
and at the state port in Morehead
City.
Texasgulfs ties with eastern
North Carolina began officially
April 2, 1964, when the com
pany’s Board of Directors
approved construction of a $45
million mine and plant.
“Texasgulfs presence in east
ern North Carolina makes a dif
ference, a positive difference,”
Regan said. “Because of us, the
economy is stronger.”
Regan said that the company is
one of the largest employers in
the east, providing approximate
ly 1,200 jobs. It has a $48 million
annual payroll and paid $1.5 mil
lion in 1988 county property
taxes — about 28 percent of the
total for Beaufort County.
The theme of the celebration is
“Commitment for Tomorrow."
Regan said that theme is evident
in the new ideas the company is
putting into practice.
The company will open a puri
fied acid facility this year, de
monstrating a “commitment to
product diversification to stabil
ize our business cycles,” Regan
said. Also, new bucket wheels
will be used as part of the mining
process, eliminating the need for
flooding and increasing efficien
cy, he said.
Texasgulf is scheduled to be
gin construction on a multi
million dollar water recycling
system that is intended to re
duced by 90 percent the amount
of phosphorus the company dis
charges into the Pamlico River.
The recycling system was de
signed as part of the commit
ment that the company made to
receive a discharge permit from
the N.C. Division of Environ
mental Management, which
must approve the system before
construction begins.
Also, the company has applied
for a permit to mine through 234
acres of wetlands in the process
of mining about 4,300 acres over
the next 20 years. Currently, an
environmental study is under
way to assess the effects of such
mining on the area’s ecology.
Regan said the expansion,
which is intended to take place
over the next 20 years, represents
“our commitment to continue
our mining operation.”
He said, “We are at an exciting
time at Texasgulf and are looking
forward to our new methods of
operation as a springboard into
the future.”
Regan said the planned
celebrations include a ceremony
honoring Aurora and Richland
Township oflicials next Monday,
a dinner in Washington for Pam
lico area civic and business lead
ers and an observance honoring
Carteret County officials at the
state port in Morehead City.
He said the relationship be
tween eastern North Carolina
and Beaufort County and Texas
gulf has been profitable for both
parties. “As the Pamlico area
prospers, Texasgulf prospers,
and as Texasgulf prospers, so
does the Pamlico area.”
At the conclusion of the press
conference, local government
officials praised the company for
its years of service in the county.
Grace Bonner, mayor of Au
rora, said the company has made
a lot of progress over the years.
She said the townspeople are
(See TEXASGULFi Page 3)
Snow Falls,
Area Gets
Big Surprise
Late Accumulation Possible
Record, Says One Observer
Snow on white dogwoo{14ree — mixed signals on winter and spring
A surprise snow blanketed the
Down East area Tuesday morn
ing, causing power outages,
school delays and traffic acci
dents.
About two inches of snow had
accumulated in areas of Craven
County by 10 a.m. with about an
inch reported in the northeastern
areas of the county. The tempera
ture in Vanceboro was a few de-
gi^s below freezing, with one
location reporting 29 degrees at
7:30 a.m.
The unexpected snow forced
the cancellation of area sporting
events, wiping out many high
school baseball and softball
games.
Snow-laden tree limbs caused
power outages in scattered areas,
mostly in the county’s rural areas
and communities in the north
west and western parts.
Vanceboro Town Clerk
Carolyn Ipock reported power
outages in town that lasted for a
few seconds. She said she was
unaware of any major problems
the storm may have caused.
School was canceled Tuesday
after first being delayed for two
hours, said a spokesman at West
Craven High School. He said ab
out 2 inches of snow fell at the
school.
Classes at area community col
leges were also delayed for two
hours or canceled, said college
officials.
The N.C. Highway Patrol was
dispatched to about several traf
fic accidents in the county Tues
day morning, said a disptacher
with the sheriffs office.
The accidents were still under
investigation and no ftirther de
tails were available Tuesday
morning.
K.B. Taylor, a dispatcher for
the Highway Patrol communica
tions center in Williamston, said
snow and slush were reported on
roads from Morehead City north
to the Virginia line.
“Driving is hazardous,” Taylor
said. “I had to come to work this
momlng; but 1 don’t recommend
that people drive unless they
absolutely have to.”
Flights were (Relayed at Pitt-
Greenville airport early Tuesday
morning but by 9 a.m. the flights
were back on schedule, a spokes
man for the airport said.
Gale force winds on the coast
caused interruption of ferry ser
vice to Ocracoke Island.
S.A. Oliver, a spokesman for
the U.S. Coast Guard at Ocra
coke said gale warnings had been
issued at the station by 7:30 a.m.
Tuesday. The station was report
ing winds at 20 to 35 knots with
gusts up to 40 knots and seas at 10
feet. The winds were exiiected to
decrease tonight to 10 to 15 knots
and seas to subside to six feet,
Oliver said.
The Cedar Island-Ocracoke
ferry had not left Cedar Island
Tuesday morning, according to
Faye Womack of the Department
of Transportation in Ocracoke.
The Ocracoke-Swan Quarter
ferry arrived late at Swan Quar
ter. It was not known Tuesday
(See SNOW. Page 5)
Teacher At Farm Life
An Educator Of Month
-—df; teacher at Farm Life
Elementary School in Vance
boro is one of three educators in
Craven County honored by being
selected as an Educator of the
Month.
The New Bern Area Chamber
of Commerce in conjunction
with the New Bern-Craven
County Board of Education
selected Cynthia Ann Johnston
of Farm Life, Betty Jo Higgle of
Trent Park Elementary School
and Sarah D. Varner of Havelock
Middle School as the Educators
of the Month for March.
Mrs. Johnston, a second grade
teacher, graduated from East
Carolina University. She re
ceived her degree in child de
velopment and fkmily relations
with a minor in psychology. She
later completed her work for her
teaching certificate and a mas
ter’s degree and is currently tak
ing classes in mentor training.
Mrs. Johnston said her goal is
to teach each student on his or
her own level and at a pace that is
challenging but not frustrating.
Questions from students In the
classroom are often answered
with thought-provoking ques
tions that will help the student
solve his or her problem and
therefore feel successfril.
The lines of communication
between Mrs. Johnston and her
students are open — whether the
students need academic help or
just a hug to start the day. Pa
rents are made aware of clas
sroom happenings by frequent
notes and phone calls in her
attempt to develop open com
munication with parents as well
as students.
Mrs. Johnston and her co
workers will soon be opening a
classroom store for the children
to practice handling money.
Mrs. Johnston is a member of
Bell Arthur Christian Church.
She is a member of Beta Sigma
Phi Sorority. She is married to
Timothy Johnston of Greenville.
She has a son and stepdaughter.
Mrs. Varner, a native of North
Carolina and a sixth grade
teacher, graduated from St.
Andrew’s College in Laurinburg
with a degree in elementary
education. After teaching in Vir
ginia for 17 years, she returned to
North Carolina and has taught
sixth graders at Havelock Middle
School for the past five years.
Mrs. Varner said she places a
strong emphasis on oral and writ
ten communication in her clas
sroom teaching. Students make
speeches that ate videotaped and
writing in all forms is encour
aged. Students keep journals.
^This Reminds Me Of Home,’
Says Dutch Exchange Student
Mrs. Johnston
write compositions and poetry
among many other activities.
Mrs. Varner’s professionalism,
interest in each individual child
and her organized manner en
ables her to establish good rap
port and open communication
with students, parents and co-
workers.
Mrs. Varner is a member of
several professional organiza
tions including Alpha Delta Kap
pa, an honorary educators’ soror
ity. She and her husband
Michael, live in Morehead City
Her hobbies including boating,
traveling, bridge, gardening and
reading.
Mrs. Higgle, a second and third
grade teacher at Trent Park
Elementary, graduated from
(See TEACHERS, Page 5)
See related story, page 4
By MIKE VOSS
Editor
Hanneke Van Der Meer got a taste of home
Saturday — and she didn’t have to travel
thousands of miles back to her home in the
Netherlands.
Just a short drive up from Vanceboro to the
Tulip Festival in Washington gave the Dutch ex
change student a chance to see familiar sights and
hear familiar sounds. And while some at the fes
tival wore Dutch costumes, Hanneke wore a smile
during her visit.
“This is ftin,” she said, strolling along Washing
ton’s waterfront and taking in everything from a
stiltwalkerto doggies dressed in Dutch costumes.
Her eyes lit up at the sound of Dutch conversation
coming from the Terra Ceia Christian School’s
food booths.
While Judy McLawhom, Hanneke’s “mother”
while she is in the United States, watched olJebol-
ten (a Dutch pastry) being prepared, Hanneke
spent minutes conversing in Dutch with William
Van Staalduinen. The grandfatherly tulip grow
er’s voice boomed as the conversation continued.
Hanneke’s smile broadened.
She told him that she was from Heiloo, a small
town about 45 miles from Amsterdam. He told her
to go talk to his wife. He said he left the Nether
lands when he was three, but his wife left when
she was in her 20s. When the stranger approached
Mrs. Van Staalduinen and greeted her in Dutch,
the woman’s face broke into a wide grin.
Mrs. McLawhorn. sampling an ollebollen.
asked Hanneke why she had not fixed the Dutch
treat for her and husband John. Hanneke said she
hadn’t thought of it. As Mrs. McLawhom sampled
some Dutch soup later, Hanneke explained how it
was made.
“This reminds me of home a little bit. In some
towns, the people still wear clothes like the cos
tumes these people are wearing,” she said, point
ing to a group of women and children. Hanneke
and Mrs. Mcl^whom did some wiqdow shopping
at tables displaying imported Dutch food.
Mrs. McLawhorn bought some olieboUen mix
and Hanneke promised to help cook the treat.
“The tulips back home are blooming now too,”
she said.
Hanneke took part in the festival’s morning pa
rade. As the car she was in moved down Main
Street, parade watchers would burst into ap
plause when they read the sign on the car identify
ing the rider as a Dutch exchange student. A voice
from the crowd asked a question in Dutch. “He
asked me if I spoke Dutch. I told him I did,” she
explained to her driver.
She was greeted with "Welcome.” “Glad you’re
here,” "We hope you like it”
“I really like the kindness of the people,” she
said. In fact, that’s what she likes best about
America — the friendliness of the people.” What
she likes least about the United States are the
fast-food restaurants.
Meal time is a time for the family to gather for
fellowship, she explains. Fast-food establish
ments, in her opinion, lake away from that time
(See HANNEKE. Pate 3)