Newspapers / West Craven Highlights (Vanceboro, … / Jan. 7, 1982, edition 1 / Page 1
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Thv Wt'nt Cr rMGHUGHT Looking Back At 1981 by RICK CANNON 1981 brought many changes in the Western . Craven County landscape, some for the worse, but mostly for the best. The year brought new buildings, new faces, continuing success stories and some of the same old problems. Let us take a brief look back at some of the things that helped make this area what it was in 1981, as reported in the Highlights. New Library A brand new ex'panded Vanceboro Public Library came closer to becoming a reality when tireless efforts by. Sen. Joseph Thomas and local elected officialsyielded a $26,000 grant from the state in February. Aboutthe -same time. Mayor Jimmie Morris indicated that the town was considering the feasibility of trying to get the Wachovia Bank building on' Main Street for the library. Ten months later that speculation became a reality when Wachovia Bank and Trust Company pre-sented the building to the town. In addition to a new library, the town took steps to improve the two-acre 1981 Was An Interesting Year park site on the Swift Creek to provide a place to go in the warm spring, and summer months for family outings. The project, spearheaded by Recreation Commissioner Daphne Cleve, yielded commitments from the local Scout troop and Junior Woman’s Club for help in renovating the existing Scout Hut and improving the grounds. Aside from construction of a road to the site and general clearing of the area, little appears to have been done on the proposed park since last h’ebruary, . Hopefully, the new Recreation Commiss ioner on the Town Board will take up where Mrs. Cleve left off and continue the progress toward a new town park. Softball Mania The late spring brought the bloom of pretty flowers and the boom of softball bats in Vanceboro. Three nights a week from late spring through early fall, fans were treated to the excitement of hits, occasional errors and a few men left on base as the eight teams comprising the Lancaster • Files Grover Lancaster. 61. of Rt. 1, Vanceboro filed January 4 for re-election to the Craven County Board of Commissioners. Mr. Lancaster has served on the Board of Commissioners for the past 20 years. He has served as Chairman for 8 of those years. Mr. Lancaster is presently President of the.N.C. County Commissioners Association and has traveled extensively during the year meeting with commissioners and making plans for bettering commissioners throughout the state. This seat on the board rcpro.sents District Two. District Two encompasses Vanceboro. Krnul. Maple Cy|)ress, Bridgeton. Truitt, Dover, Cove City and Ft. ^ rnwell. Vanceboro Softball League battled it out on the diamond. Garris Logging #2 captured the regular season championship and the post season tourney. Many lauded the softball league as one of the best things to happen in Vanceboro in years. But ^1 were not cheering. The excitement of softball brought traffic and parking problems on sleepy McLaw- horn Lane as cars and trucks lined the sides of the road. The parking controversy brought sanctions from the town and a new parking lot built by the Softball League, the County Recreation Department and the County Board of Education. Two in a Row While we are talking about sports, mention must be made of West Craven High School football. Coach Clay Jordan's much maligned Eagles proved last year’s victory on the gridiron over arch rival Havelock was no fluke by thumping the Rams, 21-14. in Eagle Stadium. After .suffering through an other wise dismal .season, will return next year with a much more experienced team and probably the greatest running back in the .schiHjl's history, Norman Becton. Becton. as a junior, gained over 1,000 yards this .season and had gotten at)proving looks from at least two ACC schools. Building, Building, Building 1981 was certainly a year of- construction in the Vanceboro area. The new elementary .school for the V^anceboro area is nearing completion. Named Vance boro Farm Life Elementary School in honor of the facility it replaces, the .school will be one of the most modern in the state. Apartments on Buck Lane and Dawson Lane were completed in 1981 providing approximately seventy new residential units for Vanceboro. In July, the Highlights, announced plans for a new subdivision to be built adjacent to Stewart Park with a connection off College Avenue. No construction on the planned subdivision had been started at this writing. Another Vanceboro landmark succumbed to progress this fall as the Holy Name Catholic Church on Main Street was razed to make room for the new Wachovia Bank & Trust Co. Building, The church was probably built around 1928. It closed in 1977. In its new Iwation. Wachovia should be able to provide expanded service to the residentsof the Vanceboro area and better access, avoiding the Friday evening traffic congestion around the bank. When the bank moves to its new location, the former bank facility will serve as Vanceboro’s Public Library. A home for mentally handicapped persons was constructed on James Street in Vanceboro. The home, which will be supervised by a live-in staff,will house five persons. Its purpose is to bring mentally handicapped out of the institutions and back into the communities. People Notes Grady Stille.v , became Vanceboro’s newest police chief and Mrs. Carol Ann Ipock was hired as • Vanceboro’s Town Clerk during 1981. Two new Aldermen, Richard Bowers and I.ee Johnson, joined incumbents Alton Whitley. Howard Tyre and Abe Cleve on the Vanceboro Board of Aldermen following Town elections this past fali. Mayor Jimmie Morris ran unopposed, winning another term as Mayor of Vance boro. Wa.chovia Bank and Trust Co. honored Alton F. Whitley for forty-five years Grover Lanca.stei Forrest Enters Race Mr. Roger Forrest, 43, of Route 1, Vanceboro, has filed for election to the Craven County Board of Commissioners representing District Two. District Two encompasses Vanceboro, Ernul, Maple Cypress. Bridgeton, Truitt, Dover, Cove City and Fort Barnwell. Mr. Forrest will oppose Mr. Grover Lancaster, incumbent for the seat. Mr. Forrest has served on the Craven County Board of Education for the past three years. He was elected Chairman of the newly merged New Bern-Craven County Board of Education. Mr. Forrest’was very instrumental in planning and aiding in the smooth merger of the two systems, county and city. Mr. Forrest is no stranger to politics. He ran in a tight race for the seat on the Craven County Board of Education three years ago. He has been on many planning boards and committees with the education system. Recently he made a trip to Dallas, Texas, to meet with the Southern Association for the accrediation of several of our schools. Mr, Forrest seeks to represent all of Craven County and particularly those citizens in District Two, which the seat represents. of service, longest of any Wachovia employee. After nearly thirty years in the cafeteria business in Vanceboro. Vera and Velma Morris announced that they are retiring at the end of this ,vear. -Extended Area Service After almost twelve years of negotiating. Extended Area Telephone Service for Craven Count.v became a reality. Beginning Decem ber 21, Vanceboro residents discovered that they no longer had to dial one to get New Bern. At the end of the month they discovered the price of that convenience. County officials praised the new inovation saying that it should help tie the county closer together. Ups and Downs Although as usual Western Craven County had its share of downs represent ed by crimes, accidents, suicides and arrests, it had its share of ups also, represented by homecom ings, weddings, happiness and kindnesses. Fireman’s Day celebrations were successful in Dover. Cove City. Fort Barnwell. Township Nine and Vance boro. The Weyerhaeuser strike ended bringing many local people back to work. P'ive Scouts received their God and Country Awards and a former Highlights editor won a regional first place award for his paper on bulk barn^and the changing landscape. Nothing ever stays the same. The changes continue. The time for looking back i.s pa.st. 1982 is here. Roger Forrest
West Craven Highlights (Vanceboro, N.C.)
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Jan. 7, 1982, edition 1
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