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West Craven Highlights
ISeivs from Alonu The Ihiiiks OfTho \viis’
VOLUME 12 NO. 34
Seu's From /ilon/( The Ituiiks (ffTlio i\viisp
PHONE 244-0780 OR 946-2144 (UPSP 412-110)
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A&sociAliOM
AUGUST 31, 1989
VANCEBORO, NORTH CAROLINA
25 CENTS
SIX PAGES
Martin Behind
Premium Ripe
Leaf Program
On the fly
II takes a lot of patience to llsti with a fly rod. Fly'llshermen make
more movements than your basic cane-pole fishermen because
they must keep the fly on the end of the line moving to attract fish.
Becton Romps For 225 Yards
file Csrisr pholo
While this fisherman puls a lot of snap Into his throwing action,
he would probably prefer a lunker attack the fly and get hooked.
And fly-f Ishing means wading. Standing In hip-deep water, cool
ing oil and waiting for a bite— hopefully a fish bite and not a mos
quito bite.
By Belly Gray
Special to the
West Craven HtghllghU
GREENVILLK—Premium Ripe,
a program for improving the quality
of tobacco in eastern North Car*
olino, should increase the crop's de*
mand from foreign markets, Gov.
Jim Martin said at a tobaccoauction
here Monday.
Martin visited tobacco markets in
six eastern cities, including Smith-
Held, Wilson, Goldsboro, Kinston,
Rocky Mount and Greenville.
Martin said the tobacco being
add in eastern North Carolina looks
good despite the heavy rains and
cool temperatures earlier in the
year. Farmers throughout the area
are taking a lighter crop to markets
becauseofthecold, wet weather, but
prices are still high, he said.
*The bidding is the most produc
tive Fve ever seen it,* Martin said.
At Cannon’s Warehouse here,
djring the eastern market’s third
week, Martin discussed the plan for
keeping the quality of North. Car
olina tobacco high.
Farmers should let their tobacco
rii'en in the fields and stay away
from unauthorized chemicals, he
said. Ihe farmers should also train
their field worker^ to handle the to
bacco property and should clean up
their tobacco on the warehouse floor
so it will look better to buyers, he
said.
'Premium Ripe will build up con
fidence in the state’s tobacco crop
among foreign buyers,* Martin saia.
He plans to promote North Car
olina industries, such as tobacco
and furniture, with o^cials during
an upcoming trip to Japan, South
Korea and T^aiwan in Octc^r.
Not only will he promote the to
bacco crop, the governor said, but he
also will promote the state’s tobacco
products.
*We want them to open their
markets to American-made cigaret
tes,* Martin said. 'We want them to
let our brands be sold on their
market.”
Martin said tobacco’s future
looked grim in 19d5 when stablisa*
tion payments were about 25 cents.
But tobacco companies agreed to
buy the excess tobacco crop after
meetings with representatives of
the tolmcco industry, fanners and
government officials. This led to a
reduced stablization payment, he
said.
That plus the Premium Ripe
program should continue to make
the crop desirable for buyers and
profitable for growers, Ma^n said.
Eagles Cage Panthers In Opener
From staff reports
VANCEBORO — Lee Becton
started his second season of varsity
fooUmll like he he started his varsity
career—rushing for more than 200
yards in the season opener.
Last Friday night, B^ton rushed
for 225 yards on 16 carries but the
results were sweeter thi s year as the
Class 3-A West Graven Eagles
triumphed 27-7 over Class 2-A non
conference opponent North Htt.
Lost year, Becton made his var
sity debut by running for 234 yards
in a 49-28 loss to North Pitt.
This year, however. West Craven
had more weapons than Becton’s
running — most fatal, the passing
combination of John Hoizworth to
Craig Coward.
The game started slowly for the
Elogles with North Pitt taking con
trol in the first quarter as Panther
running bock Marcus Purvis scored
from four yards out. Dante Short
kicked the extra point.
But the Ea^e defense made sure
it was the only time the Panther’s
would dent the end zone in the first
half.
Two fumbles in the first half
helped seal the fate of the Panthers.
luring the second quarter, the
Eagles finally caught the wind and
soared for the remainder of the
game. On the first play after a North
Pitt fumble, Becton scampered 19
yards for his first touchdown two
minutes into the second quarter and
Kip Bryan added the PAT to knot
the score at 7-7. Hoizworth got the
Eagles on the scoreboard again by
hitting Coward with a 13-yard scor
ing pass at the 4:10 mark of the sec
ond period.
Then a miscue by the Panthers
handed the Eagles another
touchdown.
Tony Bryan scooped up the
Panthers’ fumble on the first play of
the ensuing kickoff following Cow
ard’s touchdown grab and returned
it 21 yards for a touchdown, putting
the Eagles in the lead for good at
21* *7 after Hoizworth hit Coward for
the two-point conversion.
In thefinal period, with 11:47 left
in the game, Becton squirted frae,
running 82 yards to paydirt for a
27-7 lead. The PAT kick failed.
A 24 -yard pass from Randy House
to Quentin Moore with no time on
the clock finished the scoring for
North Pitt. The Panthers were
stopped on their two-point conver-
See EAGLES, Page 6
Martin Inspects tobacco at warehouse
Report Says Threat Minimal
About 93 percent of the
Albemarle-Pamlico estuarine sys
tem has been unaffected by pollu
tion or loss of habitat, according to
the principal author of a report on
the system.
Bukscientists don’t know enough
about some estuarine areas to be
sure what is happening to them. Dr.
B J. Copeland told a meeting of the
Pamlico Citizens Advisory Commit
tee last week.
; Many ofthe report’s findings will
be made on the basis of'best profes
sional guess,” Copeland said.
I Some members of the committee
took issue with a report based on
*best guess.”
*.. .we need to be very careful ab
out what we say if it isn’t based on
facts,” said committee member Er
nest W. Larkin III of Greenville. 'If
you are not sure of your data, then
you shouldn’t say that 93 percent of
the estuary is unaffected.”
”I question whether the study will
convince people to take action if it’s
based on. .. guesses,” said William
F. Jackson, committee member.
*The document is far, far from
perfect,” Copeland admitted.
He met vdth the group at Beau
fort County Community College to
discuss a 6(K)-page first draft the
report on the two estuaries.
Written by a 40-member commit
tee, it includes information on four
study areas — critical habitat, wa
ter quality, fisheries and the effect
of people on the ^stem.
It will be the basis of a manage
ment plan to be written under the
auspices of the Albemarle-Pamlico
Estuarine Study. The plan is to be
ready by November 1992.
The reason scientists don’t know
See APES, Page 6
Flying Eagle Goes To Becton
By Mike Voss
Editor
Lee Becton might want to take
his offensive line out for pizza
The Eagle running back
rushed for 226 yards on 16 car
ries Friday night enroute to two
touchdowns in a 27-13 win over
North Pitt’s Panthers. And with
that much yardage picked up on
the ground, somebody has to be
opening the way for the junior
running back.
For his effbrtson the field, Bec
ton is this week’s recipient of the
Flying Eagle Award. The award,
carried over from previous foot
ball seasons, is given by the West
Craven Highlights to the player
it thinks played a key role in the
Eagles’ last footbolt game.
Becton, last year’s rushing
leader in the Coastal Conference,
ground out just under 1,200
yards as a sophomore. He’s
started off this year where he left
off last year. Becton is quick to
point out much of his success is
because of the blocking his offen
sive linemen perform.
Junior quarterback Kevin
Hoizworth and receiver Craig
Coward were also considered for
the award, along with linemen
Eddie McKeel and Terrence
White. But their ere plenty of
awards leRtogive and the Eagles
have plenty of players who can
pick up the remaining awar^.
See BECTON, Page 6
Area Jobless Rates
Decline During July
By Mike Von
EfDor .
> Unemployment rates in Craven,
'Jones end Lenoir counties fell from
June to July, according to the Em
ployment SMurity Commission in
Raleigh. Pamlico Counts unem
ployment rats remainedtheeameat
^3 percent.
Craven, Lenoir, Jones and Pam-
1i«> counties were among the 86 of
the state's 100 counties ^th unem
ployment rates at or below 6
percent.
Craven Counts unemployment
rate fell from 3.8 percent in Juno to
3.7 percent in July. The unemploy
ment rate for July 1988 was 3.1
(tercent.
The work force in July totaled
34,320 people with 1,260 unable to
And jobs. 'The Juns labor pool was
34,180 and 1,290 were without sm-
ploymont. The work force in July
1988 totaled 33,690 and 1,040 were
jobless.
Jones Count/e unemployment
rate dropped Aom 4.4 percent in
June to 3.2 percent in July. The job
less rats in July 1988 was 2.9
percent.
The work force in Jones during
July reached 4,440 workers and 140
could not And jobe. In June, 190 peo
ple were without work out of a labor
pool of4,320. The labor force in July
1088 totaled4,4600 and 130 were
unemployed.
Lenoir County’s unemployment
rate declined Ar^ 4.1 percent in
June to 3.6 percent in July. The un
employment rate was 3.3 percent in
July 1988.
Lenoir County’s labor pool in July
reached 20,830 workers and 1,050
could not And work. The June work
force totaled 29,300 workers and
See JOBLESS, Page 6
July
Jobless
Figures
County
June
3.7%
Craven
3.8%
3.2%
Jones
4.4%
3.5%
Lenoir
4.1%
3.0%
Pamlico
3.0%
3.4%
State
3.7%
Dancing with a rugged partner
kle Ceiter photo
Stuart Dudley Landscaping and Tree Setvlce. Cleaning up
hind the tree removal ara Dalton Woolard, background loll, and |
This slump grinder makes a rough dance partner for Thomae Stuart Dudley, Jr. Thomas mat not be able to hold a cupof coffee |
Czuhal. He was running the machine one morning In leaf week for until after lunch because of the dance'a residual jiggle.