THE WEST CRAVEN 20° HIGHLIGHT volume 2 No. 15 vanceboro, N.c. - Thursday. April 19.1979 12 Pages 20 Price: 20 PICKIN’ AND GRINNIN’—Local Blue Crass music fans gather once a week in Curtis Hawkins’ store to pick and sing folk songs. (Photo by Connie Bryan) Patsy Townsend Roy Hicks Jeff Jones New faces at Swain D. S. Swain Gas, Co. of Vanceboro has several new faces around. One of these is Tom Irwin, who joined the staff as manager on January 16, 1979. Tom, a native of the state of New York, is well qualified for his position, with 20 years of experience at Cloyd-Howard Gas Co. of Walden, N. Y. Tom lives in Vanceboro with his wife, Paula. They have three children. He enjoys fishing, hunting, and golf. Lee Nay of New Bern is another of the new faces at Swain Gas. He began work on September 1 of last year. He lives in the Beach Grove area with his wife. Scarlet and five children. Lee is a member of the Masonic Lodge. Other employees include Patsy Townsend, who heads up the office as a billing clerk, typist, and secretary. She is also active in the Vanceboro Rescue Squad. Roy Hicks is the most recent addition to the staff, starting work on March 1. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Hicks, Sr. of Vanteboro. Roy and his wife, Joyce, have one child, Robin and one more on the way. He is glad to be back home in the Vanceboro area. The youngest member of the staff is Jeff Jones. Jeff, a 1978 graduate of West Caaven High .School, will turn eighteen on April 13. He is the .son pf Mr. and Mrs. Carson Jones of Vanceboro. F'ormerly Pats Gas Service, Swain Gas has been in Vanceboro nine years. It provides service on bulk and regular tobacco barns, sells bottled and bulk gas, and sells and services gas appliances and equip ment. Located on Main Street, Swain Gas is opten Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. til 5 p.m., however, Swain Gas offers its gas customers twenty-four hour service. Parker reopens Once again citizens in the Vanceboro area can enjoy the delicious cooking and friendly at mosphere at the Park Inn owned ond operated by Mr. Roger Parker. After over a year’s absence, dur ing which the restaurant was in other hands, Parker reopened the rest aurant under the name Parker Barbeque. In busi ness since March 1, Mr. Parker is striving to re gain the trust of his former customers by offer ing a new item, Hardison Brothers Pit-Cooked Bar becue. The barbecue, made by the famous Hardison Brothers of Jamesville, , supplements Cove City scene of weekly jam by Connie Bryan Shouts of “leave out that E" or “hold that C a little longer” can be heard com ing from an old concrete building in Cove City every Friday night. This building, owned by Curtis Hawkins of Cove City, is the scene of a country music jam ses sion. Musicians from all over the area gather to practice their art and swap trade secrets. When asked how these sesssions got started, Mr. Hawkins replied that they first began meeting in each others homes, then the group decided to start meeting at this place. He adds that sometimes as many as 25 to 40 people show up. They usually get started around 8:00 and quit about midnight. Mr. Hawkins says, “Some of these old boys don’t start thinking of tunes until around 11:00.” There is always a wide variety of instruments. Mr. Hawkins plays the mando lin, while several others pick standard guitars. One of these is Tull Jackson of Tuscarora who adds his own humor to many of the sessions. The musicians come from all walks of life. On the Hawaiian steel gui tar, you can And Rev. Mel vin Everyton, pastor of Core Creek FWB Church. There are also two fiddle players. One is Clennie Davis of Jacksonville, Mail Carrier, who plays the fid dle left handed, a most unusual sight. The other Addle player is Red Taylor, who works in the lab at the Kinston Hospital. Theodore Morris, on the banjo, is a cabinet maker from Vance boro. Although most of the songs area standard blue grass and country tunes, like "San Antonio Rose’’ and “John Henry,” there are some more recent songs, such as, “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Snow effortlessly, you can tell that a lot of work and many hours of practice have gone into their music. Mrs. Theo dore Morris, saysjtha^ her husband has been playing the banjo “ever since he was big enough to hold it.” However, it is not all work at these sessions. The whole family comes to lis ten to the music. The wives sit on the sides and talk. MUSICIANS GATHER FOR JAM SESSION— Theodore Morris of Vanceboro (right) and Tull Jack son of Tuscarora (left) join the pickers at the weekly jam session in Cove City. (Photo by Connie Bryan) Bird.” They also play some hymns, especially when Mr. Hawkins’ mother makes a special request of “When The RoU Is Called Up Yon der” or “What A Friend We Have In Jesus.” Sometimes during a song, they will stop and make changes in the way that they are playing the tune. Like any dedicated musi cians, they keep working until it sounds just right. Although they seem to play while their menfolk pick to their hearts content. The women bring reA-eshments, and during a break, they spread it all out on a table. Everyone enjoys them selves, which of course is the main idea. Parker’s specialites, steak and seafood. Parker Barbecue, which is located on U.S. 17 south of Vanceboro, is open seven days a week and caters to special groups. The restaurant features a special reserved dining area overlooking an adja cent lake. Parker’s daugh- ter-in-law, Pamela Barrow Dixon, serves as a waitress along with Mrs. Ethel Gaskins and Mrs. Betty Hill. Mr. Parker stressed that the restaurant serves no alcoholic beverages. . , Roger Parker, owner of Parker Bar-B-Que located on Highway 17 south of Vanceboro, stands in front of a new sign welcoming friends to experience his delici ous specialties. (Photo by Rick Cannon)

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