THE WEST CRAVEN
HIGHLIGHT
Volume 2, No. 48
Vanceboro, N. C. - Thuraday, December 6, 1979
12 pages
20 Cents
Brig:ht dies
New Board Meets
' Eep. Joseph Bright of
Vanceboro died Tuesday
morning in Craven County
^^^after a prolonged illness.
' ^^^Bright was serving his
fourth term as a Repre
sentative to the General
Assembly of North
Carolina at the time of his
death. His continued re-
election by the people of
this district is testimony to
his popularity and
effectiveness as a Repre
sentative in Raleigh. He
worked many long, hard
hours in service to his
constitutents.
Rep. Bright was a life
long resident of Vance-
boro. He was an Eagle,
^ Scout and a streffif
"■ ‘ supporter of the scoui'lVig
program. He was-, a.
member of the Vanceboro
• United Methodist Church
and a graduate of Farm
Life High School. He
owned Bright Chevrolet in
Bayboro.
Housing Project Endorsed
Surviving are his wife,
Rachel Allcox; his daugh
ter Barbara and son, Clif;
and his mother Mrs,
PAUline Foy. Funeral
se^jidees wiH' be hfltf
Iliurtday, at p.tn;'at;.;
the Wilkerson’s Funeral
Botne in Vanceboro: with
burial in the Brig^ht
Family Cemetery. Rev.
Claude Wilson and Rev.
Steve Hickle will conduct
the services.
by Connie Bryan
The newly elected Board
of Alderman for Vance
boro .along with Mayor
Jimmie Morris were sworn
in by Ernest Provost,
Craven County Mag
istrate. The new board
members, who are Kath
leen Carawon, Abe Cleve,
Alton Whitley, Daphne
Cleve, and Howard Tyre,
endorsed a plan for the
construction of apartments
on a lot on Dawson Lane on
property owned by the ^
Elks family located across
:from...t|^* speculative '
huiUHng. -I i-.
t]lrMento(^hy:Si!Mtt.'Th^r I'
announced that his-j
doinpsny iitteMtte^ in
building apartments in
Vanceboro. The plans eall I
for 6 one bedroom, 21 two '
bed room, and 8 three
bedroom apartments.
Mayor Morris pointed out
that the endorsement,
which means that the town
would supply water and
sewage facilities, hinges on
whether or not the
property can be annexed
by the town.
Mr. Tivett reported that
if the annexation was
approved, his company
was prepared to start
construction early next
year and that it would be
about 9 months before they
would be ready for
occupants, Mr. TiVett
comalter• the
nieeting-jtkfl the apart
ments were p&hned"^ for
working families with the
average rpijg tA: b« $100-
$126 with tW'i)Ccupant
paying their own utilities.
In other business Mayor
Morris read a letter from
Blue Bell informing the
board of their decision to
locate elsewhere along
with other correspondence.
He then assigned the duties
of the Aldermen. Acting
upon a request by
Alderman Howard Tyre to
not be made Mayor Pro-
Tem until hfe had more
experience. Mayor Morris
appointed Alton Whitley to
that position and Police
Commissioner. Mr. Tyre
would normally have been
given that position, since
he was the IfUp vote getter;
. howavSft;'>Sf:v'mii» pamed
UtHftfaA' . CsmKiss«mer.
liie dther assignments
remained,, the.same with
Abe Cleve, SHireets;
Daphm Cteve, Beautifica
tion and Recreation, and
Kathleen Carawon, Sanita
tion.
Thomas calls for more
jobs in Craven County
TENT FIRE - Scott Willis (left) and Travis
. Wetheringfton examine the damage to their tent
which was the result of a prank. The two boys escaped
unharmed, but the tent was severly damaged, (phote
Rick Cannon.)
Fire damages
^cout tent
by Rick Cannon
VANCEBORO-Afire,
apparently caused by
pranksters, severely
damaged a tent during a
campout by Boy Scout
Troop 58 here this past
weekend. Five Vanceboro
youths were discovered
shortly after the incident
Saturday night. The five,
all juveniles, admitted to
committing the prank.
Two Scouts were in the tent
at the time but no injuries
were reported. Also no
^harges had been made at
P^ress time.
According to Scout
Master Richard Cannon,
Scouts Scott Willis and
Travis Wetherington both
on their first campout, had
gone to bed after watching
part of the basketball game
on T.V. The fire started
when one of the five
juveniles lit one of the tent’s
support ropes. The rope
burned in two and fell on
the tent and continued to
burn, sending flames up
the back of the tent.
Another Scout discovered
the fire when he heard the
two boys coughing. The
Scouts quickly put out the
fire. Someone recognized
one of the five youths. The
other four were later
discovered.
Cannon indicated that
the parents of the five
juveniles had agreed to
replace the tent. The five
youths agreed to apologize
in person to the Boy Scout
Troop at its regular
Monday night meeting.
by Rick Cannon
CATON -Sen. Joseph
Thomas called for im
provements in education
and transportation as a
means for raising the per
capita income in Craven
County. He made the
remarks at the Annual
Lillie Swift Creek Volun
teer Fire Department’s
Christmas Supper held at
the new Caton Fire Station
last Saturday night.
George Dimick, master
of ceremonies, welcomed
many guests of honor.
These included Sen.
Thomas and his wife,
Linda, John Willis,
Chairman of the Craven
County Board of commis
sioners, County Commis
sioner Gerald Anderson,
and his wife, Marie;
County Commissioner
Grover Lancaster and his
wife Peggy, Board of
Education member Roger
Forrest and his wife
Frances. Former Fire
Department member Bill
Stilley and his wife,
Maggie, and Carol Cara
won wife of the late Herber
Carawon, a longtime
member of the depart
ment.
Mr. John Everington of
the Antioch community
presented a painting to the
NEW OFFICERS County Commis
sioner John Willis congratulates the
new line officers of Little Swift Creek
Volunteer Fire Department. Left to
right Jdm WUlis, Gilbert WUtford,
Chief; John Everington, Assistant
Chief; Billy Gaskins, Buddy Whitford,
McRay Whitford, Johnny Toler.
(Photo by Rick Cannon)
Caton Fire Station on
behalf of his sister, Mrs.
Floyd Hartley. Accepting
the painting for the Little
Swift Creek Volunteer
Fire Department was
Chief Gilbert A. Whitford.
John Willis, Chairman of
the Craven County Board
of Commissioners, con
gratulated the department
for the fine work it is doing
and encouraged the
members to call on the
Commissioners when ever
help is needed.
In his remarks Sen.
Thomas said that he is
concerned with the
growing numbers of young
people leaving Craven
County because of no
suitable jobs. He explained
that between 1950 and
1975 over fourteen
thousand people left
Craven County for other
areas where jobs could be
found. He went on to
explain that Craven
County’s per capita income
is $1100 below the North
Carolina average and
$2200 below the national
average. Thomas added
that there are four broad
sources of income in
See Thomas Speaks
Page 2
George Dimick
Board calls for
full - time
physician care
By Rick Cannon
Little Swift Creek installs officers
VANCEBORO-At its
regular; meeting last
Tueiidajr afidrt, November
26, tiM Board of Directors
of the Vanceboro Medical
Center, lac. voted to
change to full-time
physieiaa «are by January
1,1980. The Board voted to
classify the meeting as an
executive session thereby
barring the details from
publication at this time.
Full explanation of the
board’s decision will
appear at a later date.
In summing up the
Board’s decision. Chair
man George Dimick stated
that with this move the
Board acted by going on
record in support of full
time physician care for the
citizens of the Vanceboro
area.
George Notaon
Nelson
elected
chairman
by Rick Cannon
NEW BERN - George
Nelson of New Bern was
elected to serve as
Chairman of the Craven
County Board of Commis
sioners at their meeting
Monday, December 3.
Nelson replaces John
Willis who served as
chairman this past year.
Gerald Anderson who has
completed his first year as
a County Commissioner
was elected Vice- Chair
man. Anderson is a
resident of Bridgeton.