CHrauen^outitQ
■fVest Craven-
i-aGHUGHT
Member of the
North Carolina
Press Association
Serving Askln, Bridgeton, Caton, Cove City, Dover, Epworth, Ernul, Ft. Barnwell, Jasper. New Bern. Piney Neck. Tuscarora. VancebOro. Wlltnar & Fairfield Harbour.
Volume 6, Number 10,
Vanccboro, North Carolina, Thursday, March 10, 1983
Phone 244-0780
12 Pages
20 Cents
A Giant Step
Ahead
^ By AUDREY WARD
Public Information Officer of Craven
Community College
The “Step Ahead” program, a cooperative venture
between the New Bern-Craven County Schools and
Craven Community College, is more than half way
through its first year and is working well. Three high
school students are enrolled in the joint program.
These students remain under the jurisdiction of the
New Bern-Craven County school system. They take a
minimum of three courses at the high school in the
morning and then provide their own transportation
to the college campus for their afternoon classes and
labs. Presently two areas of study are available under
the Step Ahead program, cosmetology and machine
shop. Cristle Sanders and Regina Eaton are in the
cosmetology program and Wesley Dail is in machine
shop.
A program of this type has been under
consideration for a number of years. Under the
leadership of Dr. Ben Quinn, superintendent of the
New Bern-Craven County school system, the
program development began to pick up momentum.
As soon as he gave the program his approval, Doug
Davis, vocational director, Ruth Hoyle, assistant
superintendent. Tommy Phelps, principal NBHS,
and Sammie Purser, vocational counselor at New
Bern High School, used their considerable talents to
make the program work at the high school level. Dr.
Steve Redd put his energies into working out the
details from the college side. Suddenly a dream was
becoming a reality.
Participating in the Step Ahead program gives a
high school jupior a chance to start vocational
training that will provide him with entry-level skills
soon after he graduates from high school. By
attending college classes part-time, it will take him a
little longer than 2 years to complete the standard 1-
year diploma program. No corners are cut; no classes
or labs are dropped; he covers all the material and
skills training that the full-time student covers.
The costs for the Step Ahead student are the same
as for other students. Cosmetology costs
approximately $190, including textbooks and
cosmetology kit. The students must provide their
own white uniforms. The cost for machine shop is
approximately $150.
The program lets a high school student get a head
start on his career training. Students, age 16-18, can
jarn high' school and college credit during their
junior and senior years. At the same time, they are
gaining valuable job skills that allow them to enter
the job market, soon after graduation, at a potentially
higher pay base.
Students interested in the Step Ahead program
should consult their high school guidance counselor.
$75,000 Expansion To
Vanceboro Medical Center
The formal plans for the current status of the
Vanceboro Medical Center was the purpose of the
Friday night meeting of the Vanceboro Medical
Board. Jimmie Morris gave current treasurer’s
report of $552.40 in the checking account, passbook
savings account of $402.95, and certificate of savings
for $27,000.
The current plans for the Vanceboro Medical
Center expansion of $75,000 includes facilities for
adding of an X-ray room and a Pediatrician wing.
The pediatrician wing will contain office space,
waiting room, and examination rooms.
A loan has been secured from Wachovia Bank to
cover the construction cost of the expansion. The
rental for the center has been set at $1,700 per month
for a ten year lease. The lease agreement was
approved giving the present doctors an option to buy
the center at the end of the ten year lease.
Dimick Resigns,
Whitley New Medical
Board Chairman
In Friday night’s meeting of the Vanceboro
Medical Board, George Dimick resigned as Medical
Board chairman after serving for the past several
years. Mr. Dimick stated his tenure as chairman has
been one of the most enjoyable works he has been
associated with and thanked the citizens of the area
for their support. Mr. Dimick’s successor, retired
senior banker Alton Whitley, was nominated and
elected unanimously by the board. Other new
members elected to the board were Highlights
Publisher, Richard Cannon, Jr. and Elisha Gay.
The board re-elected George Dimick, Jimmie
Morris, Brenda Ipock, Otis Gatlin, Blanche Pollard,
Leon Fornes, and Joe Thomas for a two year term.
The Vanceboro Medical Board consists of ten
Communities of Excellence Program Offers Workshops
Preparing for new industry will be the subject .,f .t
series of workshops offered to North Carolina’ssmall
communities in March. The workshops are
sponsored annually by the Small Community
Economic Development office of the N.C.
Department of Commerce for communities applying
for the Governor’s Community of Excellence Award.
This year’s workshop will put special emphasis on
industrial site selection and the availability of
outside funding for community development
projects.
The one-day workshops will be held on March 15 at
Martin Community College in Williamston, March
16 at Fayetteville Technical Institute in Fayetteville,
March 17 at Wake Technical Institute near Raleigh,
A. F. Whitley
members, with four members on the executive board
and six members at-large. The executive members
are A. F. Whitley, Brenda Ipock, Jimmie Morris, and
Joe Thomas.
Any comments about the operation of the medical
center should be directed to the board members.
March 22 at Wilkes Community College m”
Wilkesboro, March 23 at Rowan Technical College in
Salisbury, and March 24 at Haywood Technical
Institute in Clyde.
Each workshop will begin with registration at 9;30
a.m. and adjourn at LOO p.m.
For additional information, call 919-733-6973,