Newspapers / West Craven Highlights (Vanceboro, … / Aug. 3, 1989, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of West Craven Highlights (Vanceboro, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
(Drauc^ountg West Craven Highlights Vrii's t'nim Alimfi The Hanks Of The \eiise wSiONAl NIWSWW ASSOOATCN VOLUME 12 NO. 29. AUGUST 3, 1989 VAMCEBOROJTOOTH^AROUNA PHONE 244 0780 OR 946-2U4 (UPSP 412-110) 25 CENTS SIX PAGES Swift Creek May Obtain Water Lines First Phase Cost Estimated At $640,000, Say Officials Cable-layers from Carolina Telephone aboard their rustic raft last week Rk Csrtsr pholo ^Huck Finn^ Divers Bringing High-Tech Cable From the bridge crossing the Phmlico-Tar river at Washington, it looks like Huckleberry Finn’s raft. But the old-timey rail is helping bring high-tech telephone service to Vanceboro. It’s a diving barge being used to lay a new liber optics cable for Car olina Telphone and Telegraph Co. between Washington and New Bern, and into Vanceboro. The barge isoperated, not by Huck Finn, but Crofion Ihving ^rp. out Portsmouth, Va, Hus will be Vanceboro's first fiber optics cable, CT&T public af fairs representative Jim Nichols said. With a diameter of 3/8 in., it will carry six fibers able to handle 24,000 long distance calls simultaneously. The coble, costing $1,100,000 will be put in service in October, Nichols said. Michael Bremus and Barry An derson of Crofion have been diving for the past week laying cable be neath the river bed. * *We’re hoping to finish this (last) week, but if we keep running into stumps, we may be here next (this) week,” Bremus said. The two divers have averaged 60-80 feet a day, but once they clear the tree stumps and roots hope to up See DIVERS, Page 6 By Greg Stroud Staff Writer Residents in the Swift Creek area may soon be able to get water from the Northwest Craven Water District. An overflow crowd filled the Ca- ton Fire House on July 18 to discuss plans with county officials to extend water lines to the surrounding areas. The plan, which would be di vided into several phases, would first affect those residents on U.S. 17 near the gelatin mill, the Cool Spring area, Aurora Road, Caton Road, Gaskins Road, S.R. 1344, and Territorial Road. Ihe overall cost of the first phase would be around $640,000, according to county offi cials. The average household hook ing onto the water line can expect their bills to run around $22 to $25 per month. The project, which first must be petitioned by 271 residents, would begin around the first of the year and will take approximately seven months tocomplete. The first phase could possibly be finished as soon as March or April of 1990, said County Manager IVler Harris. Petitions should begin circulating within the near future. George Di- mick of Emul, who was instrumen tal in the planning and implementa tion of the Northwest Craven Water District's Township 1 project, volun teered to coordinate petition efforts in the area. If sufficient interest is shown by the community by the signed peti tions, the projeH will be underway. At that point, residents will be told times and places they can sign up to hook onto the ^tem. For those re gistering at that time, there will be a $30 tap-on fee, $30 deposit, and a $10 inspection fee. The inspection will be done to insure that the county water line and water from local wells is not intermingled. Those waiting until after the system See CATON. Page 6 Report Cites ‘Negative Impact’ From Airspace Plan The potential for economic and en vironmental damage from expanded military operations in Eastern Nonh Carolina noted in a report issued last week by the Navy has given eastern North Carolina oflicials hope that si milar problems will be ciledin the of ficial report expected soon about the U.S. Mafine Corps’ plans for area land and airspace. “That sounds good," said one east ern North Carolina county commis sioner, Nolan B. Jones, in a telephone interview this week. The Navy'} final environmental impact statement released this week on the Mid-Atlantic Electronic War fare Range (MAEWR) cites the po- tmtial for a negative impact on reg ional per capita income, retail sales, real property values, permanent/ seasonal populations and recreational use of forests/gamelands/refuges/ parks. “In a worse (cq) c^ sce nario,” the report says, if people are sufficiently annoyed by aircraft noise, they may move U> areas where they would not be exposed to that im pact. If they move out of the Region (permanent population) or if they vacation outside the Region (sea sonal population), they would not purchase retail goods or develop real property within the Region.” In addition, the report points out that noise from both current and proposed low-level, high-speed air craft flights could have a negative im pact on migratory waterfowl popula tions which use regional waters for resting and feeding during their semi annual migrations. The potential for filling of wedands, the report adds, would “be a direct negative regional cumulative effect” because of the “national importance currently af forded wetla^s preservation.” Increased public concern about collisions and crashes resulting from expanded military operations is another concern, the report says. The MAEWR would affect por tions of Craven, Carteret, Pamlico, Beaufort and Hyde counties. Jones had not seen a copy of the fi nal environmental impact statement for the MAEWR, he said, but he had read about it in a story released by the Associated Press. The MAEWR Final Environmen tal Impact Statement does mention cotKerns about the Marines’ proposal to turn Oak Grove in Jones County into a forward training facility for AV-8B Harrier jet pilots. It does not mention a proposal by the Marine Corps to expand its airspace in two other areas. But the statements about the resulting increase in noise and the reduction of the county’s tax base, among other potential problems, the report says, were taken from the draft environmental impact statement issued for the project in January. Jones said he and other officials still have been working with the Mar ines to keep the Harriers out of Oak Grove. "We’re not giving up on it,” he said. Jones County officials met with Marine officers last month, he noted, and they were scheduled to meet with them again soon on alternative sites for the Harrier project Mike Davis, a defense analyst with Congressman Marlin LarKaster’s of fice in Washington, D.C., said this week that be had not been able to de termine from Navy personnel when the final environmental impact slate- mem would be issued on Oak Grove. Navy personnel were concerned, he said, with news reports going out Tuesday that indicated final environ mental impact statements had been issued for nine projects other than the MAEWR. "They’re still trying to chase (the source) down,” Davis added. A public affairs officer at Cherry Point said Tuesday afternoon that “right now, we have nothing solid” ab^t the reports. A copy of the MAEWR final en vironmental impact statement is Eagles Begin Gridiron Workouts Under Jordan ? V '-.V r' - By J(4in Burnell Sporb Writer *You know what running backs who fumble do?” West Craven head coach Clay Jordan rhetorically asked a group of running back hope* fills in practice last night. *iiiey sit on the bench,” he said, before de* monsbating proper b^l carrying techniques. Elsewhere on the field, assistant coach Ed Walls was teaching line* man the vocabulary necessary for the job. "There are two words you need to know,” Walls barked, *Ooh and Ugh. Now let me hear it.” Jordan is using the first days of practice for conditioning and as a re fresher course on footirall. The em- ?jrnasiB is on fundamentals and find ing the position that best suits each of the approximately 40 players who came out. Jordan said several players are finishing summer jobs or have other committments and that the roster will grow. He said he would like to have more players, but is not concerned. "Five years ago I would have lost sleepover it, but now ...what can you do?” Jordan said. Included among those missing from practice is Lee Becton, who last year as a sophomore rushed for just under 1,200 yards and lead the con ference in rushing. Becton is in Washington (state) competing in the national Junior Olympic track championships. West Craven's assistant coaches are Walls, Tony Caprara, Tim Hard ison and Darren Neal. Despite the breeze blowing dur ing the evening practice, sophomore fullback John Itosberry succumbed to heat exhaustion and was taken from the field by ambulance. The in- See FOOTBALL, Page 6 Player Collapses At WCR Practice Sophomore fullback John Ras- berry collapsed, apparently from heat exhaustion, during football practice Tuesday night at West Craven High School. "The doctors don't think it's serious but they are going to take tests to make sure it isn't some- See INJURY, Page 6 ~i ' X.I I One If By Land,. . . nic Carfar photo Paul Revere once warned Colonialiats that the British were coming during the Revolu tionary War. Lanterns were used to signal how the British arrived. “One if by land, two if by sea," according to history, 'The owner of this boat and “trcchouse" appears to be ready for whatever comes by land or sea. Actually, this “trechouse” is is used by the owner while working on the vessel. available for public mspection at the area libraries,. Last week, die Coastal Resources Commission voted to bold public hearings this fall on a series of rules aimed at controlling military activi ties that have spmred complaints from some North Carolina coastal lesidenls. The task force developed the re commendations at a meeting about a month ago in Washmgton at the Holi day Inn. Rules proposed by die stale panel yesterday would establish tougher limits on military aircraft noise, low- altitude flights and electromagnelic radiation. See MILITARY, Page 6 Harris Admits Affair Members of the family of Michael Braxton of Vanedtoro stated recen tly that the two men named in a di vorce petition filed July 10 and ac cused of having an affair with Brax ton's wife are County Manager Tyler Harris and County Commis sioner Roger Forrest. Hie alleged adultery was commit ted while Braxton's wife, Betty Jo, was a county employee. The petition refers to the relationships as "extended.” Originally, both men denied the alligations. Harris, however, sub mitted a letter of resignation to the Craven County Board of Commi- sioners, which was tabled at a meet ing on Friday. On Mondav, Harris wrote another letter to the board ad mitting his involvement in the af fair, but asking that he be allowed to keep his job. Harris defended his earher denial by saying he was try ing to protect his family, but now re alized it was a mistake. See HARRIS, Page 6 Residents Can Help Shape Proposed Drilling Off Coast, Claim Officials North Carolinians can help shape proposed oil and gas exploration off the Outer Banks ^ attending one of six public meetings scheduled this week by the U.S. Department of In- teriorin the state, a spokesman said last week. The public hearings will begin with a half-hour presentation by MineralsManagement Service, a di vision of the Interior Department, after which people can meet indivi dually with representatives of MMS. *There is the misconception that state, county and local governments don't have a say in what’s going on,” said Barry Clark, chief of the envir onmental assessment section of the MMS Atlanta office, in an interview in the Daily News office. •That's why we're here,” Clark, said. *To let people know thatF thanks to the Memorandum of Understanding, North Carolina is receiving special treatment.” "The derisions have not been made,” Clark said. "It behooves erverybody to be there next week.” (^ark and Angela Calos, also of MMS, were in Washington to pu blicize the series of public hearings to be held ns part of the Memoran dum of Understanding between the state of North Carolina, Mobil Gil Crop, and the federal government regarding the exploration of outer continental shelf leases offshore. ' Critics have said the memoran dum will not result in as fiill a re view of the drilling project as a fiill Environmental Impact Statement. One of the six meetings will be to night at Beaufort Community Col lege in Washington, 3 to 7 p.m. Two public meetings were planned Tuesday in Manteo at Man- teo High School, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m., two Wednesday in Beaufort at Duke University Mar ine Lab 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m., and one tomorrow in Raleigh at the Archdale Building, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The meetings are to gather com- mento from the state's residents ab out the type of information that should be included in an environ mental review to be prepared by Minerals Management Service dur ing the coming nine months. Eight companies paid the federal government more than $296 million for 21 leases about 45 miles north east of Hatteras off the North Car olina coast in federal Outer Ckmti- nental Lease Sales in 1981 and 1983. A draft exploration plan, which will be submitted in Septem^r, will describe how Mobil, serving as oper ator of the proposed 21-lease unit, will go about drilling an exploratoiy well in the area. Copies of all reports distributed over the years by MMS about Mo bil's proposal for oil and gas explora tion will be available at the meet ings in "information rooms.” Alter the public comments ere gathered, a report will be written by Clark and his staff about the prop osed oil and gas exploration and its effects on the environment. Copies of a dmft environmental review will be distributed in late November to anyone who asks to receive a copy, he said. Public comments will be received on the draft review and a final envir onmental report on oil and gas ex ploration will be presented to the state Feb. 1, 1990. See OIL, Page 6
West Craven Highlights (Vanceboro, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 3, 1989, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75