i
THE WEST CRAVEN
HIGHLIGHT
Volume 1, No. 47
Vonceboro, N. C. - Thursdoy, November 30, 1978
12 Pages
Price: 20c
Citizen of the Week
t Jackie Waters
by Ellen Freeman
“Don’t ever say you
can’t, say you’ll try. Jackie
Waters lives her life by this
motto. Jackie is the first
professional woman ambu
lance driver in Craven
County. She is also the first
woman firefighter in the
Bridgeton Fire Depart
ment. Some people might
way that Jackie is only
trying to make a point for
Women’s Rights. However,
the reason she chose her
profession goes deeper than
that.
When asked why she
chose such a challenging
career, Jackie pondered a
moment, then explained the
events leading to- her dect
sion two years ago to
become an Emergency
Medical Technician. Whfle
visiting her grandmother,
her grandmother went into
cardiac arrest. Jackie
explained that she had
taken an advanced first
aid course through the
State Highway Patrol, and
so she knew how to admin
ister cardio* pulmonary
resuscitation. Her quick
action saved the elderly
woman’s life. Afterwards,
she decided that she would
like to further her medical
training. So, Jackie became
a certified E.M.T. and
hence, laid the ground work
for her future position at
Craven County Hospital.
Jackie became so involved
with her E.M.T. work, that
she not only worked with
he hospital, she also joined
'the Bridgeton Rescue
Squad. When asked why
she had decided to work
full at the hospital as an
E.M.T., then leave the hos
pital to come home and pull
rescue duty as a volunteer,
Jackie has a simple answer,
“I enjoy helping people.”
So, how did her rescue
wotk at the hospital and
rescue squad influence her
to join the Bridgeton Fire
Department? Jackie smiled
and said that joining the
fire department seemed the
natural thing to do. ’’Once
pu work with helping
pie”, she said, ’’you soon
want to help any way you
can.” Once voted in, Jackie
feared that it would be
awhile before the other
firefighters would adjust to
the thought^Qf having a
woman among their ranks.
Now, Jackie feels accepted
as if she was just one of the
guys. According to Jackie,
’’the guys were fantastic in
helping her to learn the
procedures.” After each fire
the guys would help her
correct her mistakes so she
could improve. They gave
her the courage and inspir
ation to keep on trying
many times when she felt
like giving up.
thing get the best of me
and let myself feel
defeated.
I do have to give the
guys credit where credit is
due, they put me in the fire
department and they have
helped me in the ambulance
service and I don’t feel like
I can let them down. I feel
like I owe the guys and
myself the best of my
ability. Perhaps if I can
work with the guys in an
Jackie already has many
memories with the fire
department which she looks
back on now and finds
amusing. Leaning back in
her chair, she laughs and
says, “Once when I was
getting ready to go out on
a date, I had spent an hour
or two at the beauty shop
getting my hair fixed, had
put on my make-up and a
dress, and was getting
ready to leave when a fire-
alarm came in. After the
fire, I looked like anything
but a lady.” She laughs
again and then states, “I’ve
eaten more smoke at the
last three fires than most
people see in a lifetime.”
Why does Jackie conti
nue working with the fire
department and ambulance?
Jackie becomes very
serious with this question.
“It is a personal challenge
to me. I have to answer to
myself, to know within
myself that I am giving all
I have to give to others and
to know within myself that
it is the best I can give. I
have to ask myself if I am
basically strong enough to
put my will power in front
of everything else and go
on to do a good job. I am
too sttfWhonti 'tb''
emergericy situation, I can
work in a position where a
man would normally work
and therefore let that guy
work somewhere else
where he is needed more.
It isn’t that I’m trying to
keep pace with a man. I’m
just trying to lend a help
ing hand. .1 know some
people feel as if I’m trying
to prove a point to others,
but I cannot worry about
what other people think. I
have enough responsibili
ties on both jobs to be
concerned with, rather than
worry about what other
people think.”
Perhaps the greatest
compliment Jackie has
received concerning her
abilities in an emergency
situation has been from
Mrs. Kathleen Gilliken, who
after being held up and
shot following a bank
robbery, saw Jackie arrive
with the hospital ambulance
and said to her, “Thank
God, it’s you.” Jackie is not
trying to receive any spe
cial honors from her career
choice, rather she is just
trying to help others when
they feel the need for help
the most. Her life is a
PROUD PARENTS-Hudson Tyler Jordan, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clay Jordan, was
christened last Sunday in a special ceremony at the Vanceboro United Methodist
Church. Mrs. Jordan is the former Paula Whitford of Emul. Standing beside the proud
couple is Rev. Claude Wilson, pastor of the church.
Ipock elected
president
Jackie Waters is the first female firefighter in the
Bridgeton Fire Department.
by Sandra McCandless
The Vanceboro Junior
Woman’s Club held its
November monthly meeting
November 13th at the home
of Mrs. Brenda Ipock. Six
members were present and
three new members joined
by paying dues. There were
also four ladies visiting. Ms.
Emily Graham of Beaufort,
President of District XII of
the North Carolina Federa
tion of Women’s Club was
the special guest for the
evening. She gave a very
interesting talk on District
activities that the club
would participate in. Also
visiting were Ms. Carlotta
Gault and Ms. Kathy Pike
from the New Bern Junior
Woman’s Club (the Vance
boro Sponsor Club) who
answered questions about
the organization of the club.
A slate of officers was
nominated and unanimously
elected for the club consis
ting of President, Mrs.
Brenda Ipock; Vice-Presi
dent, Mrs. Terri Beaman;
Secretary, Mrs. Sandra
McCandless, Treasurer,
Mrs. Sharon Bland; Chap
lain, Mrs. Amanda Griffin;
and Parliamentarian, Miss
Connie Bryan. Activities for
the club for the month
include a Tupperware party
to raise funds. Club mem
bers will be collecting
orders before the Decem
ber meeting. Also, it was
suggested that the club
decorate a Christmas tree
for the New Bern Rest
Brenda Ipock
Home. However, the mat
ter was left undecided until
more could be found out
regarding rules and restric
tions of the Rest Home.
The December monthly
meeting of the club will be
held on December 11th at
7:30 p.m. at the home of
Mrs. Sandra McCandless.
This meeting is the dead
line for Charter Member
ship to the club. If anyone
is interested in joining the
Vanceboro Junior Woman’s
Club, please feel free to
contact any of the above
officers of the club. They
will be happy to answer
any questions.
Lanes Chapel Bazaar
this weekend
SHOP
NOW...
ONLY
See Jackie, Page 2
Lanes Chapel United
Methodist Church between
Pitch Kettle and Weyer-
haueser will have a bazaar
Dec. 2 at 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. A
dinner and supper will be
served. Menu consists of
turkey with all the trimm
ings or pot luck with bever
age and dessert for $2.00.
There will be handcrafts,
plants, good food such as
cakes and candies on sale.
The public Is'invited.''
20 days
UNTIL
CHRISTMAS