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VOLUME 11 NO. 35
SEPTEMBER 1, 1088
VANCEBORO, NORTH CAROLINA
PHONE 244 0780 OR 946-2144
(UPSP 412-110)
25 CENTS
SIX PAGES
It’s That Time Of Year
West Craven junior varsity players (dark jerseys) tackle a
Washington running back in the Eagles' 20-0 win over the Pam Pack
jayvees. The game signaied the beginning of the prep football sea
son in the Tar Heel state. The jayvee squad will face Washington
again, but this time the game will be a conference battle. The two
Jordan Names
Keys To Growth
In Eastern N.C.
By MICHAEL ADAMS
Gubernatorial candidate Bob
Jordan said last Thursday that
environmental protection, eco
nomic growth and scholastic
achievement are important to the
development of eastern North
Carolina.
Jordan, who currently serves
as lieutenant governor, was in
Belhaven on TTiursday to speak
on the status of the Pamlico Riv
er. In an interview before his
speech, he responded to ques
tions about the development in
the East
Jordan, a Democrat, will run
against Republican Gov. Jim
Martin in the November election.
Jordan said that protecting
natural resources is important to
the survival of a region. In east
ern North Carolina, protecting
natural resources mainly means
protecting waterways.
“We must first understand
what’s happened,” Jordan said.
Then, he said, any development
that is considered “has to be
done in some way that doesn’t
destroy the environment.”
He said he favored more state
money being spent on resear
ching and studying the problems
of pollution in the eastern coun
ties and favored agricultural
cost-share programs that help
farmers install practices that
(See JORDAN, Page 5)
By MICHAEL ADAMS
Gubernatorial candidate Bob
Jordan told a group of business
and political leaders from east
ern North Carolina that impro
ving U.S. 17 would be a priority
for his administration.
The Democratic lieutenant
governor made his remarks
Tuesday at a meeting of the High
way 17 Transportation Associa
tion at the Holiday Inn in
Washington.
Jordan told the group, which
included association members
from throughout the eastern part
of the state as well as local gov-
*T#hment officials, that U.S. 17 ”is
important to our state’s future
and we must work to improve it.”
”I am here today to say that if
Bob Jordan is elected governor
in 1988, four-laning highway 17
from South Carolina all the way
to Virginia will be a very top
priority in my administration,”
he said.
He said that U.S. 17 is impor
tant for several reasons. He said it
is the principal north-south high
way east of Interstate 95, the ac
cess road to many places in the
eastern part of the state and a link
between military bases in Virgi
nia, North Carolina, South Caro
lina and Georgia.
He said he was familiar with
traffic congestion problems on
U.S. 17, which is currently a two-
lane road for most of its length in
the state. “I’ve been behind
school buses on a Friday after
noon,” he said.
Jordan said that eastern North
Carolina is a growing area and
the highway needs to grow with
it.
“If the area through which
fSee U.S. 17, Page 5)
Unemployment Rates
Down In Area Counties
Fewer people in Craven and
Pamlico counties were out of
work in July than in June, join
ing a statewide trend that saw un
employment decrease in 74 of
100 counties.
Craven County’s jobless rate
dropped ftom 3.5 percent in June
to 3.1 percent in July, according
to statistics released by the N.C.
Employment Security Commis
sion. ‘There were 33,960 in the
county’s labor force in July, with
1,040 out of work. In June, the
figures had been 32,680 and
1,130, respectively.
Pamlico County’s unemploy
ment dipped slightly Rom 2.7
percent in June to 1.8 percent in
July. Based on an estimated
work force of 5,000 in July, there
were 90 people out of work, com
pared to a labor force of 4,840
from which 130 were jobless in
June.
In Jones County, unemploy
ment fell from 3.9 percent in
June to 3.1 percent in July. Jones
County’s work force, estimated
at 4,340 in June, had 170 people
out of jobs. In July, the work
force had been estimated at
4,470, with 140 people jobless.
In Lenoir County, unemploy-
fSee JOBLESS. Paee 5)
teams played each other last Thursday night in Vanceboro and the
game was counted as a non-conference event. A thunderstorm
forced a halt in the game, but when it resumed the Eagles exploded
and took the win.
(Jim Green photo)
Candidate Names
TJ.S. 17 A ‘Priority’
Beclon gels helped off field
Flying Eagle Award
Goes To Sophomore
By MIKE VOSS
Editor
The first Flying Eagle
Award of the 1988 West
Craven football season goes to
sophomore running back Lee
Becton.
The Eagles' back picked up
234 yards and three touch
downs on 17 carries in the 49-
28 loss to North Pitt. Becton
scored on touchdown jaunts
of 65,45 and 42 yards. He also
caught two passes for seven
yards and caught a pass from
sophomore quarterback
Kevin Holzworth for a two-
point conversion.
The Flying Eagle Award
was started last year by the
West Craven Highlights.
Becton was named to the
USA Today’s high school foot
ball honor roll.
Becton, one of several soph
omores in Coach Clay Jor-
(See BECTON, Page 2)
Vanceboro
Gets Check
For $4,581
Intangibles Tax Bringing
Money To Town Coffers
B, MIKE VOSS
Editor
The checks are in the mail.
Craven County and its eight
municipalities will receive
$836,854.61 Rom the state for in
tangibles tax collections and spe
cial allocations.
Craven County will receive
$680,313.42 for its share of the in
tangibles tax collected in fiscal
year 1987-88 and special alloca
tions. Vanceboro will receive
$4,581.78, Cove City will receive
$452.74, Dover will receive
$1,022.64 and Bridgeton will re
ceive $3,200.13.
New Bern will receive
$95,944.55, Havelock will receive
$40,753.98, River Bend will re
ceive $6,264.69 and Trent Woods
will receive $4,320.68.
The distribution checks were
mailed, along with 468 other
municipalities and 99 other
counties, by the N.C. Depart
ment of Revenue on Aug. 25.
These checks covered both net
collections of the intangibles tax
and special allocations by the
state, as authorized by the 1985
General Assembly, to reimburse
local governments for revenue
lost by the repeal of the intangi
bles tax on bank deposits and
money on hand. 'The total
amount of the distribution was
$104.4 million. Of this amount,
$76 million represented net
tangibles tax collections while
$28.4 million represented the
special allocations. The total dis
tribution this year was $4 million
greater than last year, an increase
of 3.9 percent.
The intangibies tax is a proper
ty tax levied against the value of
intangible personal property.
The classes of intangible proper
ty that were subject to taxation
(See CHECK, Page 5)
Eagles Lose 49-28;
Becton Shows Stuff
Br MIKE VOSS
Editor
BETHEL — Power against
speed. Power won.
North Pitt scored three touch
downs in the fourth quarter Fri
day night to pull away from a 28-
28 tie with West Craven and
claim a 49-28 win in the season
opener for both teams.
Running back Mike Blow
scored on runs of one yard and 35
yards and quarterback Billy Har
dison scampered in from four
yards out in the final period to
give the Panthers the 21-point
cushion. A Panther interception
and fumble recovery in the
period shut the door on any
Eagle comeback.
Eagle sophomore running
back Lee Becton, starting his
first varsity game, scored three
touchdowns on jaunts of 65, 45,
and 42 yards and picked up 234
yards in 17 rushes. Becton also
snared a two-point conversion
pass from fellow sophomore
quarterback Kevin Holzworth,
who connected on four of 10 pas
ses and a 65-yard scoring strike to
Kip Bryan.
Mike Daniels picked up 191
yards and two touchdowns on IS
carries to pace a Panther running
game that ground out 353 yards
on 43 carries. Blow gained 76
yards.
Hardison’s two completions
were for touchdowns of 28 and 37
yards.
Eagle coach Clay Jordan said
the “total collapse of the de
fense” was the factor in the
Panthers’ comeback in the final
period.
’Turnovers killed us,” he said.
The Eagles fiimbled the ball six
(See EAGLES, Page 5)
West Craven Jayvees
Pounce On Pack, 20-0
By JIM GREEN
SporU Writer
West Craven turned out the
lights on Washington after light
ning nearly did the same to both
teams in the third quarter, and
the Eagles went on to defeat the
Pack 20-0 in the junior varsity
football opener last Thursday
night.
Though the two schools are
both Class 3-A and play in the
Coastal Conference, the game
was considered a non
conference affair. The Eagles
were able to schedule Washing
ton because North Pitt, West
Craven's scheduled opponent,
was unable to field a jayvee team
this season. The two squads will
meet at Kugler Field Oct. 20 in
the conference battle.
The key turn of. events came
with 6:10 remaining in the third
quarter and the score deadlock
ed 00.
West Craven was on its first
sustained drive, having moved
from the Pack 41 to the 25 after
holding Washington on fourth
down.
Then, one official blew his
whistle and called the coaches
for both teams over to explain
the situation. He said he was
under instruction to postpone
the game because of lightning.
After a 30-minute delay, the
two teams returned to the field.
West Craven, having left the field
with mixed emotions because of
the postponement, came out
fired up. Short bursts by Wayne
Jenkins, Willie Coward and De
rek Adams moved the ball to the
Pack 6-yard line. On the next
play, Jenkins turned the right
comer and appeared headed for
the end zone when two Washing
ton defenders grabbed him and
(See JAYVEES, Page 5)
Swedish Student Ready
To Begin Driving Class
Pla Ilolmirren
By TERRI JA-MIESON
SlalT Wriler
Three days of travel and Pia
Holmgren finally arrived to her
final destination of Vanceboro.
Miss Holmgren is a 17-year-old
Swedish exchange student who
is living in Vanceboro for a year
and will attend West Craven
High School.
'The five-foot, blue-eyed, dark
haired teen is Ron Lund, Sew-
den, which boasts a population
of85,000. She is the United States
through an organization called
Educational Foundation, or E.F.
E.F. has certain requirements a
foreign student must meet be
fore being allowed to participate
in an exchange program. Three
years of English and writing a
story about her life were some of
the requirements Miss Holmgren
had to meet, as well as an in-
depth interview. “Not all stu
dents are allowed to participate,”
explained Miss Holmgren.
Educational systems differ
widely when comparing the Un
ited States to Sw^en, said Miss
Holmgren. The Swedish youth
said that students attend school
(See VISITOR, Page 6)