THE WEST CRAVEN
VjjJ^ine^jNojSO
HIGHLIGHT
Vanceboro, N.C. - Thursday. August 2. 1979
Price:
Ringer resigns
^ Citing insufficient pay as
his reason, Vanceboro
Police Chief Harley F.
Ringer resigned Monday,
July 30, to accept the
position as Chief of Police
for the town of Bridgeton.
His resignation will
become effective on
August 11, 1979. In his
letter of resignation to
Police Commissioner Alton
Whitley, Chief Ringer
stated, “I have enjoyed my
position as Chief of Police,
however, because of my
salary I find it impossible
to continue. The annual
salary of $8,800 is
inadequate for a person to
live on in the present
economy.”
In a special interview
with the Highlights on
Friday afternoon, July 27,
Chief Ringer revealed that
he had given a verbal
resignation earlier that
day to Com. Whitley.
During that interview, he
announced that the salary
for Police Chief (which is
$8,800 a year) was
insufficient for his needs by
saying, “I cannot make a
home in Vanceboro on that
salary.”
Responding to the issue
of a pay raise, Vanceboro
Mayor Jimmie Morris
reported that the state sets
the minimum salary that a
Chief of Police can receive,
which is $8,800; however, if
a town is unable to pay that
amount, then the state
provides a supplement. He
added that in the case of
Vanceboro, the state
supplement is $2,200,
which means the town pays
$6,600. Mayor Morris then
explained that if the town
board voted to raise Chief
Ringer’s salary above the
$8,800 figure, that raise
would be deducted from
the $2,200 supplement. For
example, if Chief Ringer
received a 5% raise, which
would be $440, that $440
would be subtracted from
the $2,200 supplement,
making it $1,760. There
fore, in order to pay him
the resulting $9240, the
town would have to
increase their portion from
$6,600 to $7,480, a
difference of $880, Mayor
Morris added that he had
talked with Chief Ringer
about the possibility of a
housing supplement, but
that Ringer did not want
that.
During Friday’s inter
view, Chief Ringer pointed
out that the town has
received substantial funds
from the Police Depart
ment. Becky Laughing-
house, town clerk, verified
this statement. She
reported the town has
received grants totaling
$3,357.55 with a cost to the
town of $167.88; court
costs, $1,932.00; sale of car,
$1,600; and night watch
men fee from County ARC
Board, $56, for a total of
$6,945,55 since Ringer took
over in September of 1977.
Also in Friday’s
interview Chief Ringer
remarked that he had had
other problems since
coming to Vanceboro. He
commented, “I have taken
a lot of flak and ridicule on
the streets. At one point, I
was arrested and sued for
defending citizens from
crime.”
Referring to the accom
plishments made by the
department. Chief Ringer
stated, “All major crimes
in Vanceboro have been
solved. The traffic
RESIGNS-- Police Chief Harley Ringer, who resigned Monday, is shown here
at his desk in the Police Department. Behind him can be seen some of the equip
ment which he was responsible for acquiring for the town.
situation is under control.
Accidents have been
reduced. We have given the
town back to the town by
discouraging the hoodlum
element.” He added that
because of federal grants,
the department had
acquired a record keeping
system, an emergency
radio system, and a mug-
shot camera.
Chief Ringer com-
■ mented that he had enjoyed
working in Vanceboro.
Concerning his new job in
Bridgeton, he remarked
that he intends to “clean up
the mess,” adding that “the
good people are being
intimidated by a criminal
element of society.”
See related articles
on Page 2
Principal takes interest
in Chicod Gommunity
By R. L. Cannon
Charles Johnson, Princi
pal of Chicod School, with
grades Kindergarten
through eighth, has a
personal interest in the
• mmunity and the school.
1 of his teaching career
has been spent at Chicod.
He taught agriculture
classes for nine years and
has just completed his
tenth year as principal. He
feels that his success at the
school has come from being
TAKES PERSONAL INTEREST IN SCHOOL—
Chicod Principal Charles Johnson is shown here in
front of the school which has been a second home to
him for almost twenty years.
a part of the community.
He lived thirteen years on
the campus at Chicod, but
recently built a home about
two miles from school.
Mr. Johnson is married
to the former Joyce
Davenport and has three
children, Charles , Jr., 20;
Gregory, 18, and Joseph, 9.
He received his B.S. in
Vocational Agriculture
from N.C. State University
at Raleigh in 1958 and his
Master of Education
degree in 1968. Mr.
Johnson is a major in the
U.S. Army Reserve and is
presently serving as the
Executive Officer of the
3398th U.S. Army Recep
tion Station headquartered
in Greenville, NC. He
stated, “I have received
some of my best training
for my present job from the
Army Reserve.”
In speaking about the
“new look” around the
Chicod School, Mr.
Johnson highly praised the
Inside This Issue:
Football is here! .
West Craven High School plays a very competitive
football schedule this season. For the complete sche
dule of this year’s games and some of the coach’s
comments, see the story by Rick Cannon on page 5!
News and
Advertising
Call: 244-078
3
community support that is
being received. He spoke of
the 50th anniversary
celebrated this year and
said it went even beyond
his expectations. Invita
tions were sent out to
alumni and friends, and
almost a thousand people
responded to the invitation.
Alumni came from
Michigan, Penn., Ohio,
Virginia, Delaware,
Florida, Tenn., Texas,
Missouri and the surround
ing communities.
Mr. Johnson feels that
1978-79 school year was
probably a landmark year
for the school. During
last year three major
projects were undertaken
and complete^ a football
program was addec^ the
school was air conditioned
and they celebrated their
50th Anniversary. Major
improvements to the school
include adding aluminum
windows throughout the
school, lowering the
ceilings, rewiring and
installing new lighting,
and adding a modern
media center. Much of the
expenses for the extras
around the school came
from fund raising projects
held in the community. Mr.
Johnson stressed one other
improvement has been to
get away from using
traditional green color
paint in the school. He feels
the school has come to life
through use of other colors
not traditionally seen in the
school setting.
A faculty of 30 to 31 full
time teachers with reading
aides in lst-3rd grades and
a special Title I reading
teacher and aide for 4th-
8th grades will make up
the teaching staff at Chicod
for school year 1979-80.
When asked about the
recreational and athletic
program, Mr. Johnson
explained that a well
rounded athletic program
is offered at Chicod. Girl’s
volleyball, softball, and
basketball and boy’s
basketball, football, and
baseball are the major
sports offered. He stated
that the school has applied
for a Federal Athletic
Con’t, on Page 10