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West Craven Highlights
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VOLUME 12 NO. 24
JUNE 22, 1988
VANCEBOROjJNOOTI^CAROUN^
PHONE 244 0780 OR 946-2144 (UPSP 412-110)
25 CENTS
SIX PAGES
152 Seniors
Finish School,
Get Diplomas
Scholarships Pave Way
For Many Who Excelled
Lss SchwsHtsr Jr. pholo
Graduate receives diploma at West Craven commencement
By (irex Slroud
Staff WrIUr
Over 150 anxious seniors crossed
the stage last Wednesday to receive
their high school diplomas from
West Craven High School, marking
the end of 12 long years of academic
pursuit.
Stacy McCarter was theclnss val
edictorian. Ms. McCarter received
the largest amount of college scho
larship money in the class. With an
overall package that exceeds
$26,000, she received the Sallie
Southall Cotten Scholarship of the
Vanceboro Jr. Women^s Club, the
Joseph Pogue Scholarship at the
University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill and a scholarship from
Stanndyne. In addition, for achiev
ing high marks on the PSAT, she
was a recipient of the National
Merit Scholarship sponsored by the
College Board. McCarter will attend
college at UNC-Chnpel Hill.
Christy English was the salutato-
rian. She received an Alumni Honor
Scholarship to East Carolina
University.
Patricia Raelene Gaskins won the
most scholarships. She will begin
her college career at Craven Com
munity Cbllege. She was the first
See GRADUATION, Page 6
Project Graduation
Called Big Success
By Greg Stroud
Staff Writer
A party was held at Twin Rivers
Mall in New Bern for the 739 gra
duating high school seniors from the
three Craven County High Schools.
The event, known as Project Gradu
ation, was sponsored jointly by the
New Bern-Craven County Board of
Education and the community at
large.
The event was planned through
the efforts of a community-based
committee chaired by Mrs. Tema
Barnes of Havelock.
Area high school teachers pitched
in and manned the various booths
set up at the event, with the excep
tion of the casino, which wns hand
led by the New Bern chapter of the
North Carolina Jaycees. West Cra
ven High School teachers were in
charge of the refreshments and food
service. Pizza Hut, McDonalds,
Kentucky FVied Chicken, Woodriff
Distributors (Eagle Snacks), Shera
ton, New Bern Golf and Country
Club, and the Coca-Cola Company
provided a wide variety of food for
party participants.
County school officials were
pleased with the success of the
event. Madeline Biyant, director of
student services, said, *It went very
well. Attendance was up from last
See PROJECT, Page 6 ,
Campground’s Changes
Made To Increase Fun
Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park just
outside Bridgeton on U.S. 17 is
under going renovations that will
bring the area’s first full miniature
golf course, a new gameroom and a
pizza parlor.
Owner George Shaffer is excited
about the additions, which should
be completed by the end of June.
*We feel there is a real need in the
community for these facilities.
When I was a kid, we had movies
and miniature golf to keep us out of
trouble. Really, youngsters only
have the movie theaters in the New
Bern area,” he said.
The 18-)\ole golf course will cost
players approximately $2 per game.
The course will be open from 9:30
a.m. to 10 p.m. during the summer
qionths.
The pizza parlor will provide a
basic menu and will be open from 11
a.m. to 10 p.m. Although no deHnite
plans are in the works now, he said
he may consider delivery service in
the future.
The gameroom will contain two
pool tables and approximately 12 to
14 video games.
One last addition is under con
struction, but may not open this sea
son. This will be Craven Count/s
only *commercial swimming pond.”
White the campground already has
a swimming pool for campers, this
facility will be open to the public.
Shaffer said the reason a pond was
considered instead of a larger pool is
insurance rates are considerably
cheaper for a pond. *It has the ad
vantage that it is easier to get out of
in the case of cramping than a pool,”
he said.
The new additions are designed
to benefit the entire community, not
just campers, Shaffer reminded.
Summer Reading Game
At Library On June 30
The annual Summer Reading
Game at the Vanceboro-Craven
County Public Library will begin
June 30.
”On Beyond Reading” is the
theme for this summer’s statew
ide game.
Children who were in kinder
garten through the sixth grade
during the just-completed school
year are invited to register for the
summer reading project.
Ihis summer’s program is de
signed to encourage children to
rend and use their imaginations
while they discover new interests
end abilities and share the fun
and joy of reading.
Children may register for the
Summer Reading Game at the H-
braiy beginning June 30. Re
gistration will continue through
July 17.
Each child who signs up to ex
plore the world of b^ks will re
ceive special materials designed
for this summer’s program. Each
child who reads and reports on at
least 10 books during July will
receive a certificate signed by
Gov. Jim Martin and will also re
ceive n library book bag. In addi
tion to the prize for reading 10
books, a libraiy button will be
awarded if 20 l^ks are read. If
30 books are read, a rainbow pen
will be awarded. If 50 books ore
read, a t-shirt will be given. A
backpack will be given to child
ren who read 75 books.
As part of the Summer Read
ing Game, children may attend
Story Hour eveiy Wednesday at
4 p.m. The Story Hours will fea
ture special guests, short movies,
stories and special events.
The 1989 statewide Summer
Reading Game is sponsored by
the State Library, a division of
the Department of Cultural Re
sources and is funded through
'Title I of the Library Servicesand
Construction Act.
For more details of the Sum
mer Reading Game, coll the
Vanceboro-Craven County Li
brary at 244-0571.
Farm Life Holds
1989 Graduation
By Terri Jamieson
.Staff Writer
While other schools throughout
Craven County prepared for gradu
ation last week, Vanceboro’s Farm
Life Elementary School fifth-grade
students were taking part in a gra
duation ceremony of their own.
The school auditorium was
packed last Wednesday to capacity
as about 750 students, parents, fam
ily members, classmates and teach
ers observed the *pomp and circum
stance” of graduation.
The program included presenting
awards to third- and fourth-grade
students for making the Honor Roll,
earning the Presidential Physical
Fitness Award and awards for per
fect attendance.
Principal Richard Bowers said,
"Almost 75 percentof the school had
chicken pox (sometime during the
school year). Anyone who had per
fect attendance deserves to be
recognized."
Fifth-grade students then sang a
selection of farewell songs, includ
ing "What Would Our Lives Be Like
Without Music,” "Battle Hymn of
the Republic,” and "Believe It or
Not.”
The fifth-grade students who
earned them were presented with
the President’s Scholastic Achieve
ment Awards and recognized for
making the Honor Roll. Hiey were
See FARM LIFE, Page 6
Gov. Martin Vows
To Clean Up Rivers
Sign Of The Times?
Lm Schweitiar Jr. pholo
Two members of Greenpeace post a sign warning of danger
ous levels of dioxin in the Neuse River. Recent studies show
that the Weyerhaeuser pulp mill between Vanceboro and
New Bern is discharging dioxin into the river. Weyer
haeuser ofHcials admit the studies’ findings but say the
company is monitoring the river and recent samples show
^'undetectable levels.” Greenpeace and two others environ
mental groups placed the signs last Thursday on the Neuse
and last Wednesday at the Weyerhaeuser mill near Ply
mouth. Dioxins arc chemicals many scientists say are
harmful to human and animal life in certain amounts.
RALEIGH — Gov. Jim Martin
pledged stronger regulation to clean
up eastern North Carolina rivers
but promised no additional money
for the effort in a meeting yesterday
with a group of eastern North Car
olina fishermen.
Tammy Paul, whose husband is a
third-generation flshermon at Core
Point, said the meeting was "very
worthwhile."
"Maybe now the river will have a
chance,” she said. "We have done ev
erything we can.”
One river, the Pamlico, was de
scribed by a marine fisheries official
last week at o public hearing in
Greenville as being "commercially
dead."
During the hour-long meeting in
the governor’s office in the state ca-
pitol, Martin said state agencies will
work together and better co
ordinate their efforts to deal with
the environmental problems affect
ing the rivers, a spokesman for the
governor said.
Ed Sweeny of the governor’s east
ern oftlce in New Bern said Martin
did not pledge any money for the ef
fort. The governor did promise
stronger regulations for waste wa
ter treatment plants along the
Pamlico-Tar River basin, Sweeny
said.
Martin met yesterday afternoon
with Etles Henries, Etles Henries
Jr., Gray Paul and Tammy Paul,
Beaufort County fishermen; David
McNaught, director of the Pamlico-
Tar River Foundation; Dr. William
Hogarth, director of the state Divi
sion of Marine Fisheries; Ernie
Carl, deputy secretary of the state
See MARTIN, Page 5
Dusty Trail
Flying a plane Just above the ground takes courage. But fly
ing a plane low while doing some crop dusting takes cour
age and skill, especially when making those fast climbs at
the end of a run and those steep drops at the beginning of a
Rie CartM photo
run. The aerial applicators are probably the nearest thing
to the barnstorming pilots of 60 and 00 years ago. Those pi
lots in the infant days of airplanes also needed courage and
skill. But today’s low-level aviators help improve crop
yields and help put more food on the world’s tables.