Newspapers / West Craven Highlights (Vanceboro, … / July 30, 1981, edition 1 / Page 1
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Thv W'iHt ( Vnirw rUGHLIGHT Volume 4, Number 31, Vanceboro, N.C. Thursday, July 30, 1981 New Parking Lot Installed Softball parking draws controversy, solution 8 Pages 20 Cents By CHRISSIE CHANEY and RICK CANNON The summer softball season which has brought the excitement of hits, runs, and errors and men left on base to Vanceboro area residents has also brought its share of woes. Enthusiatic fans drawn to the softball games each Monday, Wednesday and Friday night have caused Vanceboro’s first ever parking problem on McLawhorn Lane. Before softball mania hit, McLawhorn Lane was a quiet country route which served two families, a farm truck used to tend the tobacco barns and an occasional late-night lover or two. Now the paved street named for the former resident at the end of the lane and past mayor of Vanceboro, the late Jather McLawhorn, has become a bustlingone-lane thoroughfare three nights per week sporting everything from stripped down VW buggies to Z’s, ZX’s, and souped up, jacked up, coupes and Chevy trucks: In short anything that rolls, guzzels gasoline and spits oil can be seen on McLawhorn Lane. In the beginning only a small parking area adjacent to the .softball diamond existed to serve the horde of metal and rubber. As a result cars were parked up and down both sides of the lane making access to the tobacco barns and nearby residences* difficult. Following complaints by area residents the Vanceboro Town Board passed an ordinance prohibiting parking on the left side of McLawhorn Lane limiting parking to the side nearest the ballfields. When this move failed to accommodate the tremendous number of cars generated by the increasing popularity of the summer league, more extensive remedies were sought. NEW PARKING LOT The Craven County Recreation and Parks Commission in cooperation with the Craven County Board of Education set aside space adjacent to the tennis courts and Farm Life School to serve as a parking area for the many softball fans. The parking area entrance is just past the tennis courts. There is no entrance off McLawhorn Lane. The grassy area will accommodate approximately seventy-five to one hundred cars. Spectators parking in the parking area have only a one hundred yard walk to the stands. ANOTHER IDEA Someone has suggested another idea for easing the traffic situation on McLawhorn Lane in the future. This suggestion calls for the Town of Vanceboro to connect Bailey Lane with McLawhorn providing another exit for the spectators. Decisions, Decisions, Park Progress is Slow By CHRISSIE CHANEY Staff Writer Progress at the site of the future park for Vanceboro is moving quite slowly, says Danhne Cleve. Very little of the work that is planned for the area has been done. As of this date the only real accomplishments have been some filling of some of the steep areas of the property and the cutting of the tjj^Kunderbrush near the old Scout Hut. Mrs. Cleve, Recreation Commission and a member of the Town’s Board of Aldermen, is in charge of the park project. She has received monetary and physical help from several organizations, but the work is slow in ' coming. The town was given a substantial grant from Weyerhaeuser and the Vanceboro Junior Woman’s Club sponsored a luncheon and Fashion show to raise money' for the park. This money is now in savings accounts and the Boy Scout Troop of Vanceboro has committed themselves to assisting in any way that they are needed. But the real problem, despite the help is that no one can agree on how to organize the park. Mrs. Cleve and the rest of the Board members are having difficulty in reachinga decision on jut how to construct the park, • and also how to manage it once it is completed. There are so many possibilities for the area that the opinions about the park are many and highly varied. The so-far informal plans for the park include a picnic shelter, playground equipment, and possibly even a small ampitheatre. The hold up is that no one can decide where to place the different areas. Mrs. Cleve would like to see the old Scout hut renovated and a picnic shelter attached, or located adjacent to the hut. She would also like to see a small bridge leading from White Street to the Scout hut, crossing a steep ravine. However, the expense for the bridge is now limiting progress on construction. The Boy Scouts have offered to renovate the Scout hut, and playground equipment has been donated. Also, the Junior Woman’s Club funds are to be put toward construction of a walkway: but the present monies are not enough. It is possible that sale of land purchased by the city for a park earlier might help finance the present site. The City bought a 60 to 360 strip of a vacant lot in Vanceboro for the purpose of building a park several years ago; however, this location was determined undesirable later because of the odd size and because there are no trees on the lot for shade. The present spot is a three acre plot of land between White Street and Swift Creek. It is a shady, grassy area which is in the center of town. It seems to be an ideal spot because of the existing Scout building and because the town’s Fire and Rescue Squad Station is across the street to provide some supervision and control. Some city officials have propo.sed fencing (Continued on page 2) Tobacco Market Opens # (photo by Richard Cannon) I Bobby Ipock and Glenn Tripp were among! local farmers at the opening of Keel’s I Warehouse in Greenville last Wednesday,! July 22nd. On the whole prices were very! good and tobacco was of a better quality than I it has been in the past few years. Farmers! were well pleased with the prices that they! were given on opening day. See related story j on page 3 . (Staff |iho(o) The old Scout Hut is the only structure which is located on the future Vanceboro park site. Plans are to construct a picnic area and a small bridge at the'park. Playground equipment will also be located in the park, but for now progress is slow.
West Craven Highlights (Vanceboro, N.C.)
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July 30, 1981, edition 1
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