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Navy picks Washington County for OLF site
BY RYAN BURR
Cox NC Publications
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Even though local officials
had lobbied for more than a
year against it, the U.S. Navy
has picked Washington Coun
ty as the preferred site for a
new airfield where its next
generation of fighter planes
can practice takeoffs and land
ings.
In a 1,600-page final environ
mental impact statement re
leased Friday, the Navy said
Washington was the best
choice for its outlying landing
field.
The Navy chose Washing
ton, according to the EIS, be
cause of the county’s low popu
lation density, compatible land
uses and central location be
tween the two proposed home
bases for the Navy’s new
SuperHornet jets — Oceana
Naval Air Station in Virginia
Beach, VA and the Marine
Corps Air Station at Cherry
Point in Craven County.
Those findings did not im
press Washington County
Manager Chris Coudriet.
“We’re disappointed with
this decision,” Coudriet said.
“There should have been eq
uity taken into consideration,
and clearly there was none.
The fallout to the tax base is
going to be in one of the most
disadvantaged areas in the
state.”
In addition, between 75 and
100 homes located in what the
EIS refers to as Washington
County’s “noise contour area”
will have to be moved,”
Coudriet said.
The Washington County
manager wasn’t alone in ex
pressing dismay with the
Navy’s decision.
Edenton Town Manager, a
member of a six-county coali
tion opposed to siting the OLF
in Washington County,'said
her group had supported locat
ing the airfield in Craven
County.
“Our reason for wanting the
OLF in Craven County was
that the negative part of hav
ing the noise (of the jets) would
be offset by the economic ben
efits,” Knighton said. “By
sending (the OLF) to Washing
ton County, they get all the
negatives.”
On the other hand, she said,
Virginia Beach and Craven
County will receive the eco
nomic benefit of having the 144
new SuperHornets based
nearby — jobs — but none of
the jets’ less desirable side ef
fects — noise, for example.
“It’s unfair that Oceana and
Craven County get the new
squadrons, which have high
paying jobs, but don’t have to
bear the burden of having the
OLF,” Knighton said.
Knighton said Washington
County is more likely to be an
economic loser from having
the OLF built there.
“If anything, it would be
devastating because there’s no
opportunity for growth,” she
said. Washington County “will
get about 10 permanent jobs
from having the OLF, and
they’re not high-paying;
they’re mostly maintenance
jobs.”
According to the Navy’s EIS,
Craven was at one time a pre
ferred OLF site. However, later
study determined that Craven
wasn’t an “operationally opti
mal distance” for Super-Hor
nets based at Oceana.
The Navy also cited poten
tial harm to wetlands in Cra
ven, and said that an OLF
would adversely affect air
See OLF On Page 5-A
What local
leaders think...
We..u>ant to get the flight plan maps to evaluate if there is going to be
any impact on Chowan County.
- Anne-Marie Knighton
Edenton Town Manager
★ * * * * It
‘We are very concerned about the OLF being placed in Washington
County but realize that the other sites within our region were closer to
Chowan and would not have been good for our area either. The Tourism
Development Authority Board awaits a briefing by the Navy to see how
this decision will really impact Chowan and what it will mean to future
travelers and people looking to relocate to our area.”
- Nancy Nicholls,
Executive Director, Chowan County TDA
******
We will meet with the Navy and get a real understanding of what
that site will mean to Chowan County. Weareproudof the Navy does in
defending our country and support that, however from day one we all
have felt the OLF should beplaced where the economic benefit was going
and the Navy has not done this. That is just not right.
- Richard Bunch,
Executive Director, Edenton-Chowan Chamber
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Last Thursday afternoon this 18-wheeler operated by a Sanford, NC truck driver was
driven off the Hwy. 17 overpass when the driver fell asleep at the wheel. The truck struck
the guardrail and continued off the overpass, crashing onto Hwy. 32 below. The truck
landed on its side, blocking most of the traffic on the highway. The driver was treated for
facial injuries and released the following day. (Staff photo by Angela Perez)
Driver asleep at wheel
crashes off 17 overpass
BY ANGELA PEREZ
Staff Writer
Last Thursday at 1:09 p.m., a
truck-driver going southbound
on Hwy. 17 through Edenton
drove his 18-wheeler off of the
overpass and landed on Hwy.
32 below. Jesse James Bryant,
Jr., aged 55, of Sanford, N.C. ,
apparently fell asleep at the
wheel while driving for J.T.
Davenport and Sons, a conve
nience store merchandise
wholesaler of Sanford, N.C.
Bryant’s trailer was empty as
he made his way back to
Sanford after completing his
delivery in Kill Devil’s Hills.
After falling asleep, Bryant
struck the guardrail and drove
off of the overpass at which
time both the truck and trailer
were airborne. The trailer hit
the overpass lane going north
and both truck and trailer
crashed into Hwy. 32 below.
The truck was wedged into the
pier directly below the over
pass and the trailer turned
over on its side blocking most
of the highway. Bryant was
taken to Chowan Hospital and
then transferred to Pitt Memo
rial in Greenville, N.C. An of
ficial reported that Bryant
only sustained facial injuries.
J.T. Davenport and Sons con
firmed that Bryant sustained
no serious injuries and that he
was released from Pitt Memo
rial on Friday, July 18.
Amazingly, no one else was
hurt in the accident which oc
curred at a very high-traffic
area during one of its busiest
times of the day Traffic was
held up for several hours as
crew workers struggled to re
move the vehicle.
Chamber fundraiser nears
The second annual Shrimp
By the Bay celebration will be
held Saturday, Aug. 16 at the
Barker House grounds on the
downtown Edenton water
front.
Live music is planned from
6-9 p.m. with dinner from 6-8
p.m.
Music will be provided by
Andy Faircloth, Don Faircloth,
Peter Boehling, and The Best
Life Band.
Those attending are asked to
bring their own chairs.
The Shrimp by the Bay cel
ebration is being sponsored by
the Edenton-Chowan Chamber
of Commerce, Regulator Ma
rine, and Tarheel Beverage
Company.
For tickets and more infor
mation, interested persons
may call 482-3400.
Knighton to serve
on college board
Reappointed
by vice-chair
Anne-Marie Knighton, town
manager of Edenton, has been
reappointed to the State Board
of Community Colleges.
“Anne-Marie has done a
fabulous job on the community
college board,” said Sen. Marc
Basnight, who recommended
to the Senate Education Com
mittee that Knighton be reap
pointed. “I am so thankful for
her willingness to serve our
state in this role, and I know
she will continue to make valu
able contributions to our com
munity colleges.”
The Senate voted Saturday
to reappoint Knighton and to
name Dr. Linwood Powell of
Fayetteville, NC to the board.
Knighton has served as
Edenton’s town manager since
1988. This will be her second
six-year term on the commu
nity college board.
Sen. Steve Metcalf, co-chair
Anne-Marie Knighton
of the Senate’s education com
mittee, said having Knighton
on the community college
board would benefit North
Carolina.
“Our community colleges
are critical to getting our
economy back ’on track, and
we need strong, smaft people
serving on the board and
leading our community col
lege system,” said Metcalf,
who submitted Knighton’s
nomination. “Anne-Marie
Knighton fits that bill per
fectly."
Sunfish will join Tanzers, Windmills, and Optis in participating in the Edenton Bay Challenge (Kermit Layton photo)
Edenton Bay Challenge July 26-27;
One-design sailors may want
to make sure and register for
the Edenton Bay Challenge
sailing event on Saturday, July
26 and Sunday, July 27.
Tanzers, Windmills, Sunfish
and Optimist will line the bay
on two different courses with
the best finishing first, of
course.
The Town of Edenton, the
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Edenton-Chowan Chamber of
Commerce and the Edenton
Yacht Club enjoy hosting this
annual event with many racers
returning to defend their titles.
This year promises to be an
excellent year for sailing and
getting reaquainted with old
friends.
Please give the Chamber a
call at 482-3400 for details.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Saturday, July 26
9 a.m. Late Registration; 10 a.m. Competitors meeting; 1 p.m.
Race 1 followed by 2 and 3 (all Classes); 6 p.m. Social, Dinner and
awards for Sunfish and Optimists
.
Sunday, July 27
9 a.m. Race 4 and5 (Tanzers and Windmills only); Noon, Lunch
- Everybody Welcome; 1 p.m. Awards Presentations.