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THE WEST CRAVEN
HIGHLIGHT
volume 2 No. 6
vanceboro, N.c. - Thursday, February 15,1979 12 Pages
Price; 20c
Interested citizens meet to
discuss Youth Center
Vanceboro-About thirty
interested citizens met last
Sunday to discuss the crea
tion of a Youth Center for
Vanceboro area youth. The
group included members of
the Vanceboro Area Mini
sterial Fellowship which
sponsored the meeting and
has been working for over
a year on the proposed
center. Rev. Steve Hickle
of the Vanceboro Circuit
presented the Ministerial
Fellowship’s plan. The plan
called for a fixed location
which would give partici
pants a sense of perman
ence. In addition, the plan
provided for a program
which would include recre
ation activities, leisure ac-
tivites, set operating times,
services for young people,
responsible personnel, and
a permanent governing
board.
A step toward a board of
governors was made when
representatives of each
church in attendence
appointed one from their
gp'oup to serve on a youth
center committee. This
committee will meet and
discuss the organizational
details of the Youth Center.
Vanceboro Mayor Jimmie
L. Morris commented after
the meeting that he was
certain that anything the
Ministerial Fellowship •
would do would be in the
best interest of the com
munity. He encouraged the
group to go ahead and
enact the program.
Sixth week of Basketball Contest
Johnson wins again!
Billy Johnson of Ft. Barn
well became the first en
trant to win the Basketball
Contest for the second
time. The Basketball Cont
est, in its sixth week, is
being sponsored by the
Highlights and businesses
in the Craven County area.
Johnson correctly picked
nine winners in the ten
game contest to find him
self all alone in first place.
Jay Huff, last week’s win
ner, won a three-way tie
for second with eight out to
ten correct. He came within
four points of the correct
score in the tie-breaker.
Huff edged out Richard
Dail who also picked eight
correct. In the Beat -the
Editor drawing. Jay Huffs
entry blank was drawn
from only two entries.
In the race for the Grand
Prize of two tickets to the
NCAA Eastern Regionals
in Greensboro and Hfty dol
lars in expense money. Jay
Huff has moved into the
lead with 32 points while
Earl Wright slid into
second with 28 points. TTie
official results of the sixth
week of the Basketball Con
test are as follows:
First Place: Billy Johnson
Second Place: Jay Huff
(Won tie-breaker)
'Third Place: Richard Dail
Beat the Editor: Jay Huff
The perfect ticket for last
week would have picked
the following winners: Vir
ginia, ISU, Indiana St.,
Wake Forest, UCLA, Mary
land, Pittsburgh, Mar
quette, ECU, UNC,(Tie
breaker) Michigan St. 73.
After six weeks of the
Basketball Contest. Jay
Huff leads in the race for
the Grand Prize with 32
points. Earl Wright is a
close second with 28 points.
Billy Johnson moved from
fifth place up to third place.
Pat 'Troutner fell to fourth
with 12 points and Richard
Gladson is fifth with ten
points. There are two
weeks remaining in the con
test.
Leading
Money
Winners
After Week No. 6
1. Jay Huff $27
2. Earl Wright $26
3. Billy Johnson $20
4. Pat Troutner $16
6. Jeff Gaskins $10
6. Rita Lewis $10
7. Richard Gladson $7
Mr. Marvin Whitford, Field Representative for the
Woodmen of the World is shown presenting Mr. and Mrs.
Laurie Lee Whitford their 100% Membership family
Plaque. Mr. L. L. Whitford is president of Camp 652 and
Mrs. Whitford is Watchman of Grove 6280. [PHOTO BY
Sheila Whitford]
Mr. Whitford also presented Mr. and Mrs. Harold Drake
with a 100% Membership Plaque. He had an obligation
ceremony for them and presented them with their WOW
pins and membership cards.
Rusty Whitford, He Still Keeps Going
.4^
usty Whitford, a 13-year-
old Vanceboro Youth, may
be down, but he’s not out.
Shortly after Christmas in
1975, doctors told Rusty
and his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Jerry Whitford, that
he had a tumor in his brain.
Now after more than three
years of operations, treat
ments, and medications,
when most people would
have given up long ago.
Rusty, with the help of his
parents, still keeps going.
Rusty uses his time and
is creative skills making
lace mats and knitting
eyeglass cases, tissue hold
ers. and stuffed animals.
His mother, Judy Whitford.
estimates that she and her
son have made over 200
stuffed animals. Most of
them were sold to help pay
for the medical bills, but
Rusty has kept a few. Since
Rusty knows how it is to be
sick, he likes to make
things for others who are
not well.
Rusty has other hobbies
as well. He loves to watch
television. He enjoys Roc
kets and radio-controlled
airplanes. One of his fav
orite hobbies is growing
pumpkins. He is also a very
good cook. He has won 18
blue ribbons as well as a
number of second place and
honorable memtion ribbons
at the Craven-Pamlico and
Pitt County Fairs for his
pumpkins, gourd arrange
ments. fudge, cookies, and
other entries.
Much of Rusty’s time is
spent doing the thing that
all 13-year olds do-home
work. His teacher is Jackie
Bowen, teacher for the
By Connie Bryan
Home Bound program in
Craven County. However,
because she must travel all
over the county from Have
lock to Vanceboro, Mrs.
Bowen is only able to spend
two hours a week with
Rusty. According to Mrs.
Whitford, she is an excel
lent teacher. Rusty is in the
8th grade and takes all of
the standard courses, but
he adds that his favorite is
math.
Mrs. Whitford admits that
the medical bills have been
large. Rusty must go to the
North Carolina Memorial
Hospital in Chapel Hill for
treatment about every two
weeks. Fortunately, Rusty
is now a patient in a medi
cal research unit, which
means that all of his medi
cine and doctor’s bills while
in the unit are free. This
unit is funded by a grant
from the R.J. Reynolds
Foundation. The Cripple
Children’s Fund helped to
pay for Rusty’s first long
stay in the hospital. Now
Mr. Whitford’s union insur
ance pays 80%, but still the
other 20% adds up.
It is often said that in
times of trouble you find
out who .your true friends
are. In Rusty’s case, he has
found out that he has a lot
of them. Chapman’s United
Methodist Church spon
sored a dinner and bazaar
to help with Rusty’s medi
cal expenses. J. D. Fornes
recently held a barbecue
dinner with the proceeds
going to Rusty. On Feb
ruary 24 from 7:30 to 11
p.m.. Our Gang of Craven
County will be sponsoring a
bingo game to raise money
RUSTY’S PUMPKINS-Rusty Whitford proudly displays
his prize-winning pumpkins. Rusty’s secret is to “give each
seed good luck.”
for Rusty. The game will be
held at the Woodmen of the
World Hall in Ernul.
Inspite of all the odds
against him. Rusty still
keeps going, and he still
has faith.