A Slocum Gate “flyover” at the Cherry Point to move U.S. 70 East traffic onto or by the base “is a fact,” said N.C. Secretary of Transportation Tony Tata on Tuesday in New Bern.

DOT has appeared to be looking favorably on that overpass project in Havelock and on beginning work on the long-awaited four-lane U.S. 17 bypass in Jones County from Pollocksville to Jacksonville.

But many questioned whether the two projects would survive the “Strategic Mobility Formula” for allocating highway money that’s been proposed by Gov. Pat McCrory in Raleigh.

Tata made the flyover’s prospects clear after his fact-gathering trip Tuesday. Tata, a retired Army brigadier general, toured Cherry Point with N.C. Board of Transportation Hugh Overholt of New Bern, Malcolm Fearing of Manteo, Ferrell Blount of Bethel and John Lennon of Wilmington.

After a luncheon meeting with regional leaders hosted by the Highway 17 Association, Tata spoke at New Bern Riverfront Convention Center, outlining the funding formula that has passed the N.C. House of Representatives and, with some changes, awaits a final N.C. Senate vote.

He said there would be an estimated $6.4 billion for state highways in the next 10 years, $1.2 billion less than the last decade. The plan would divide it with 40 percent for statewide projects and 30 percent each for regional and division projects.

But Tata said both the U.S. 70 and U.S. 17 projects could be funded from state or regional project money because they figure into “the governor’s number one goal to leverage infrastructure to catalyze the economy.”

He took public questions, including one from John L. Simmons of Pollocksville, who said he’s been hearing for 32 years that U.S. 17 would be four lanes from Maine to Florida and wants to know “when are you going to start in Jones County.”

Simmons said those people in the proposed path of the road want to know when to find a new place to live.

Tom Thompson of NC 20 said, “The Highway 17 Association started in 1977. We’ve waited a long time and are not there yet.”

Tata said, “I understand your frustration,” and tapped Division 2 Engineer Neil Lassiter for details.

Lassiter said, “design changes initiated by public input” at a Pollocksville hearing last year caused a slight delay. But the project is funded, right-of-way acquisition begins next month and construction is scheduled to begin in 2015.

Tata said completing the other sections of U.S. 17 in North Carolina, including one from Vanceboro to New Bern, is consistent with the current state leadership’s position that “this section of North Carolina has been underserved and holds the key to growing the economic potential of the whole state.”

He assured former transportation board member Bob Mattocks that the new formula would not further delay U.S. 17 projects and assured Rob Will of Eastern Carolina RPO that ports funding would be protected by their density of defense-oriented projects.

Facilitating the people and freight connected to Eastern North Carolina’s large military presence makes it score even higher under the new mobility formula, he said.

“I just hired New Bern native Rudy Lupton, a retired Navy captain, as director of logistics for the GTP and two ports,” Tata said, emphasizing his concentration on roads to access employment, tourism venues, medical facilities and higher education facilities.  

As the sun peeked from behind the clouds, the Havelock Rams were already drenched in their own sweat.

The Rams have been participating in a before-school conditioning program that the team has dubbed "Black Reign," which has started at 6 a.m. each morning.

The program consists of one lap around the track and stretches to warm up. Then the players split into four equal groups to go through the drills.

Assistant coaches Mitch Williams and Bob Sabdo run medicine ball drills, Shane Williams and Kenny Frazier run ground drills, Defensive Coordinator Caleb King runs cone drills, and Pat Whitford and Nick McIntosh do bag drills.

About 60 players have shown up each day for the program.

"It’s been great to see these kids’ commitment to this conditioning program," Havelock coach Jim Bob Bryant said. "We have had one varsity kid and one JV kid miss one day apiece and that is it.

"We got the idea from North Carolina at a clinic, because they do something similar and call it "Blue Dawn," so we decided to see if the kids were up for it and called it "Black Reign.’"

Bryant said the players were energized, alert and very vocal going through the drills. Junior Anthony Fisher and senior Taylor Woods were among the loudest.

"This means a lot to me, being my senior year and seeing how bad the guys want to be better and go after the third straight state championship," Woods said. "We want to be in better shape than anyone we play, and with me playing on both sides of the ball this year, it will be a huge benefit for me."

The Rams treat the pre-classroom workout like they would any practice or game day. After the drills, they gather with Bryant at mid-field for prayer and football lessons.

Bryant said that building more camaraderie for a two-time, reigning and defending state championship team is the biggest benefit of the program.

"You know we have every varsity starter here every day and both of the kickers asked me if they could be a part of it as well," Bryant said. "A team can never be too together, and these kids are willing to do things like this that set them apart from other teams that don’t."

Bryant also likes that programs such as this allow coaches to see who their leaders are and prepare them for adversity during the season.

"Every team faces some sort of adversity at some point in the season and we are no different," Bryant said. "Things like Black Reign though, help prepare us better to face it and shows us who are going to be the guys to take control and lead this team." 

A driver being pursued by Havelock police lost control and crashed into the Mr. Carpet building Wednesday morning in Havelock.

The driver, Sarah Nicole Kronenberg, 29, of Havelock, was transported to CarolinaEast Medical Center in New Bern, where she was treated and released, according to a hospital spokeswoman. As of early Wednesday afternoon, Kronenberg was in the custody of Havelock police, facing multiple charges.

No one was inside Mr. Carpet when the Toyota Highlander crashed through the side of the building that faces Dogwood Street shortly before 10 a.m.

Johnathon Gurney was outside the nearby Highway 55 restaurant and saw police trying to catch up with the vehicle. Kronenberg was heading east on East Main Street, hit the raised median, crossed the two westbound lanes and slammed into the side of the building.

“She was weaving in and out of traffic,” Gurney said. “She was doing a good amount of speed. She hit that curb and popped into the air. She couldn’t gain control. There were four squad cars behind her.”

Tim Hardin, who runs Mr. Carpet, was outside and saw the crash happen.

“We were out front and I thought for sure that car was coming right at us,” he said. “Normally, we would be loading up on that side of the building, but for some reason, we were loading out front today. Thank God. That would have been a mess.”

Havelock Police Capt. David Bratton said police first noticed the vehicle when it made a wide turn on Belltown Road into oncoming traffic, crossing the double lines, in front of a police officer Gaylan Finney. Kronenberg was on a cell phone at the time, according to a release from the department.

Finney turned around, put on his blue lights and siren, and tried to catch up to the vehicle, which Bratton said was estimated to be going 45 to 50 mph and running through stop signs in the Woodhaven neighborhood.

Bratton said Finney lost track of the vehicle but then saw Kronenberg leave the neighborhood and head east on East Main Street. Bratton said Kronenberg hit speeds estimated at 65 to 70 mph as other officers tried to catch up. They were about 150 to 200 yards behind her vehicle when it left the road and hit the building, according to the release.

“She tried to make a left turn, hit the median and crashed into the building,” Bratton said.

Kronenberg faces multiple charges, including driving while impaired, failure to stop for blue light and siren, damage to property, and resist, obstruct and delay of a law enforcement officer.

Damage to the building was significant, with the car hitting the side of the building and then breaking through a side garage door. Pieces of the car and building were scattered about the area where various carpet is stored.

The Highlander had significant front-end damage, and one of the tires was flat. The airbag did deploy. As police searched the vehicle, they pulled two child car seats out, but the driver was the lone person in the car at the time of the crash. 

Proposed new toll and toll increases on coastal ferry routes are unlikely to be implemented July 1 as originally planned, officials said Tuesday.

But that delay may be only temporary.

Local ferry workers on the Minnesott Beach-Cherry Branch route informed riders Tuesday morning that the plan for tolls was off for now.

"That’s good news," said Troy Lamson, a ferry rider from Havelock. "I just bought a house two years ago because of the ferry. I work at PCS (Phosphate in Aurora). I take it to work every day."

The legislative Rules Review Commission, which approved the ferry tolls, received more than 10 letters protesting the fees, and under state law, must delay action for legislative review, according to Steve Abbott, spokesman for the N.C. Department of Transportation that operates the ferry system.

"We are now in a holding pattern to wait for the General Assembly to determine what is going on," Abbott said.

On Tuesday, the House Transportation Committee again put off debating a bill that seeks alternatives to increasing ferry tolls and instead would allow for revenue-generating activities such as advertising on ferries.

N.C. Sen. Norman Sanderson, R-Pamlico, said he did not think legislative action would take place to prompt the implementation of tolls on July 1. He was pleased with the delay.

"Tolls are going to have a very negative economic impact on our area, so if we can use that vehicle to get to where we need to go, then I’m all for it," he said.

Abbott also did not think legislators could get together on a plan by July 1, whether through various bills introduced in the House and Senate or the state budget process.

"None of that is clear to us at this point," he said. "We’re not going to go out there and make a decision until we know exactly what the General Assembly requires of us. We are in a waiting pattern right now."

But in the Senate, a budget proposal released this week calls for tolling on all ferries by Nov. 1, Sen. Bill Rabon, R-Brunswick, said during a budget hearing Tuesday morning.

The budget proposal would adopt DOT’s rate hikes as well as add tolls to two routes that are currently without fares, including the ferry running between Hatteras and Ocracoke.

Many Ferry riders have been worried for the last two years that tolls would be added or increased on coastal ferry routes, thanks to a 2011 mandate by the General Assembly that the ferry division raise $5 million in additional revenue.

"I don’t think they should be charging anybody for tolls," said Doug Sinclair, of Alliance, who rides the Minnesott-Cherry Branch ferry to get to his job as a teacher at Carteret Community College in Morehead City. "It’s basically an extension of Highway 306. I need it to go to work."

The Minnesott-Cherry Branch route is currently free, but the proposed tolls call for a $4 charge for the typical passenger vehicle and a $1 fee per vehicle passenger. A commuter pass would be available for $150 per year.

Fares for most cars on the Southport-Fort Fisher route are set to double, from $5 to $10. There also will be a new per-passenger charge of $2.

Molly Parker of the Wilmington Star News contributed to this story. 

The board of CarolinaEast Medical Center in New Bern has provided Havelock with 10 more automatic external defibrillators.

Diane Miller, Havelock grants manager and spokeswoman, said the devices would be placed in police cruisers and city buildings.

"Our application was rejected by the foundation because we were not a 501(c)3 (nonprofit) but the board of the CarolinaEast Foundation, the hospital itself, chose to write a check to cover the cost of those defibrillators," Miller said.

A defibrillator was used to help save a man earlier this year at the Havelock Senior Center, and Havelock police officers have been trained on use of the devices. Still, the city did not have enough money to purchase more of the devices, Miller said. Each device costs about $1,500.

The defibrillators will be added to the eight already in city police cruisers. Money from the state 911 fund paid for those devices.

Three others are located at the Havelock Tourist and Event Center, the Havelock Recreation Center and the senior center. Havelock will now have one device in the city hall building, three at the recreation center, one at the senior center, one at the public works department, and 16 in city police cars.

Havelock Mayor Jimmy Sanders recalled an incident earlier this year when one of the devices revived a Carteret County commissioner who was having a heart attack at the New Bern Convention Center.

"These are amazing devices and we certainly thank the folks that take the time to learn the training, and we also thank the hospital board for caring enough to purchase these when there were few other opportunities for funding," he said.

The defibrillators are designed to help restart a person’s heart after a cardiac arrest.

"We have a saying in the EMS business that time is tissue," said Scott Dorsett, a firefighter/paramedic with the Havelock Fire and Rescue Department, who helps manage and perform checks on the devices. "The longer that you go without oxygenation to the heart and the brain, it decreases that person’s survivability chances."

Dorsett said the devices help get blood flowing to vital organs quickly.

"When someone’s heart stops, the blood is not pumping through the body, and oxygen is not being transported to the tissues," he said, adding that the devices increase the survivability from a heart attack.

While police have been trained on the devices, residents can go through a two-hour class to become certified on the defibrillators.

"What it does is it allows people in the community to be involved with EMS, so coaches and teachers are increasingly becoming AED certified," Dorsett said. "What we’re trying to do is get the community involved in the AED aspect."

"So what an AED does is it allows people in the community to be proactive and take charge of their own health care and save lives. What we want to do here in Havelock is increase the number of AEDs, increase the number of people that are certified, so that if an emergency happens, we’re prepared and we can increase the survivability of every patient that we touch in Havelock."

Classes on the defibrillators occur on a rotating basis. Call the Havelock Fire Department at 444-3753 for more details. 

Two Tucker Creek Middle School students are in trouble with the law after police say they faked an attempted abduction Monday to cover up a plan to skip school.

The two students, both girls ages 13 and 14, told police that they were approached by a male subject while waiting for the school bus at 6:45 a.m. at the corner of Lee Drive and Coyote Trail, according to a release from the Havelock Police Department.

Havelock Police Chief G. Wayne Cyrus said that six officers and investigators responded and began an investigation. He said the case also involved a brief search of a wooded area nearby.

According to the release, investigators discovered inconsistencies in the accounts of the alleged abduction by the two girls, and through later interviews with friends of the alleged victim and an adult witness, determined that the story wasn’t true.

Cyrus said that a group of teens had made plans to skip school, but when one member decided to back out, the two girls hatched the fake abduction scheme.

Juvenile petitions for filing a false police report will be filed against the two girls and police are working with Juvenile Services on the incident, according to the release. The names of the two girls were not released because of their ages.

Cyrus said police wrapped up the investigation in less than 3 1/2 hours.

William E. Dorsey, 63, of Havelock, died Friday, May 17, 2013, following complications from surgery.

A native of Warren, Ohio, he served in the Marine Corps for more than 20 years, retiring as a master sergeant in 1988. He enjoyed working on engines and ran Bill’s Small Engine Repair.

Private inurnment will be at Coastal Carolina State Veterans Cemetery, Jacksonville.

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Carol Gotchall Dorsey; parents, James and Geraldine Metcalf Dorsey, of Salem, Ohio; two sons, William E. Dorsey Jr. and Michael Dorsey of New Bern; one daughter, Dawn Fulton of New Bern; siblings, James Dorsey, Jr., Donnis Hink, Ella Cibula and Betty McFarland, all of Salem, Ohio, Nancy Straela, of Latonia, Ohio, Pamela McArdle of Robertsville, Ohio, and Cheryle Sevek of Lisbon, Ohio; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Dorsey family, 928 Greenfield Heights Blvd., Havelock, NC 28532.

Arrangements are by Pollock-Best Funerals and Cremations, New Bern. 

The fate of planned new and increased coastal ferry tolls that go into effect July 1 remains in the hands of General Assembly committees.

House Bill 475, which calls for removing the tolls and expanding the ferry division’s efforts to generate more revenue in their place, goes before the House Transportation Committee Tuesday at noon.

The bill was scheduled for hearing last week, but was pushed back because of a heavy agenda.

Several lawmakers are optimistic about the bill’s chances in the House chamber.

Rep. John Torbett, R-Gaston, one of the bills primary sponsors, is vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

“My hope is we can get it into the budget,” he said, adding that not tolling the ferries “makes perfectly good common sense.”

Torbett said that despite living more than 300 miles from the coast, he got involved in the ferry issue because “after talking with people, I just understood it was the right thing to do.”

He said the legislature had to work toward the good of the entire state and not divide votes on an east and west basis.

“We’ve got to get past that ‘us versus them’ kind of thing,” he added.

Rep. Paul Tine, D-Beaufort, said Friday he is hopeful the bill would get a favorable report and move forward to the House Finance Committee, of which he is a member.

“We are hoping if we are successful, it will move quickly, because we are very aware of that July 1 date,” he said.

Ferry toll opponents such as lobbyists Joe and Henri McClees and Oriental Commissioner Larry Summers are urging residents to contact legislators in advance of the hearing to voice their support.

Another action that could potentially delay the toll rules from being enacted came to light last week after an overwhelming outpour of letters to the legislative Rules Review Commission.

The commission approved the rules for the ferry tolls in a Thursday hearing, but it also had received more than 100 letters of protest by early Friday. The process of a 10-letter rule calls for a delay for legislative review.

“If the commission receives 10 letters of objection from the public objecting to the rule and requesting legislative review, then the rule has a delayed effective date until the General Assembly’s next session and the legislature acts (or doesn’t act) upon the rules,” Amanda J. Reeder, counsel to the Rules Review Commission, said in an email.

Tine said he was not sure of the procedural effects of the 10-Letter Rule on the existing and proposed ferry legislation.

“I know it creates at least a review, but I don’t know if it automatically delays it,” he said. “The pending legislation (HB475) in its current form would undo tolls all the way, so obviously it would make it all moot.”

The legislature will ultimately decide the issue, which could go down to final budget negotiations.

“It creates a timing question,” Tine said of the letters’ potential impact. He added that there was also a companion Senate bill, introduced by Norman Sanderson, R-Pamlico, which would abolish the tolls. Too, there are budget negotiations that historically take place as the session winds down. The Senate released its budget Sunday.

“But, until, they bang the last gavel, we’re going to keep working,” Tine said.

A spokesman with the state Department of Transportation communications office said Department of Transportation was aware of the letters and of the pending bills in the General Assembly, adding that in the meantime, plans continue to begin tolling on July 1.

The ferry division plans have included the recent installation of ferry toll booths.

The tolls were first mandated by the Legislature in its budget work in 2011, and then put on a one-year moratorium in the spring of 2012 on an executive order by then Gov. Bev Perdue.

Over the course of two years, there have been numerous public hearings along the coast, with the largest crowds coming to three hearings at Pamlico Community College.

Pamlico County hired the lobbyists to fight the tolls and a citizens group that includes Summers was formed, called “Don’t Tax Our Highways.”

The affected local ferries include the Minnesott Beach-Cherry Branch route across the Neuse River and the Auora-Bayview route over the Pamlico River.

The proposed charge for the Cherry Branch route would be $4 for the typical passenger vehicle and $1 per passenger. A commuter pass for $150 per year would also be available.

 Trinity Presbyterian Daycare, an institution in Havelock for the last 40 years, is scheduled to close its doors for good at the end of the month.

"The daycare has kept thousands of children over the last 40 years," said Shirley Rogers, pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church on Miller Boulevard. "We don’t have a choice except to close the daycare down."

Rogers said enrollment simply can’t keep up with increasing expenses.

"Over the last five years, there has been a downward trend in our enrollment," she said. "It has finally gotten to the point where our costs, which are very, very high, cannot be paid for because of our reduced enrollment. We can’t make enough money to pay our costs."

The daycare had 59 children from ages 6 weeks to 5 years enrolled last week. Meanwhile, there are 15 daycare employees, including teachers, office staff and a kitchen worker.

"Our costs go up every year," Rogers said. "Milk is more expensive than it was last year. Bread is more expensive. Vegetables are more expensive. Art paper is more expensive. Utilities are going up, and the costs of keeping the building just up to code, we just can’t afford them. That’s the bottom line."

Rogers said that payroll for the employees was about $30,000 every two weeks, and a $2,500 monthly electric bill for the daycare wasn’t unusual.

Competition from other corporate daycares in the area also has had an effect on the private center, she said.

"We’re not able to offer kids computerized learning," Rogers said. "And, we don’t have packaged curriculum, and those are things that parents are looking for these days. They want their children to start getting an education very, very early. We’re not able to provide those kinds of things."

Jim Elder was on the ground floor when the daycare got started 40 years ago. He said it opened when civilians working at Cherry Point learned they would no longer be permitted to use base daycare facilities. He said the base’s commanding general called the church and appealed for help.

"There was a pretty limited number of organizations in the city of Havelock at that time who could take care of those additional children, so we had an emergency meeting at the church to see what we could do," Elder said. "At that time, the manager of the daycare center on the base agreed to assist us in anyway she could and we got off the ground with a daycare center in three days."

As more parents began working, the need for early childhood daycare increased, leading to more facilities and more regulations, Elder said.

"We performed a necessary service at the time, and that time has passed," he said.

Rogers said that the church is considering alternative uses for the fellowship hall, eight classrooms, kitchen, two bathrooms and office space that are part of the facility.

"We would really like for that space to be used for some service that the citizens of Havelock need," Rogers said.

Among the possibilities are a night sleep shelter, a free clinic, a hot lunch service or a facility that would benefit at-risk children.

Meanwhile, the church has scheduled a special worship service celebrating the 40 years of the daycare beginning at 11 a.m. on June 2. Those who attended the daycare and parents who took their children to the center are invited. A lunch will be served after the service, but those attending are asked to bring a dish to share.

For more information on the event, call Trinity Presbyterian Daycare at 447-3758.  

In today’s high-tech world, students rely on computers as part of their education.

On Saturday, 75 students in military families at Cherry Point received their very own computers as part of a giveaway from Kramden Institute and Lenovo.

But, not everything is going to be about education.

"He and his dad play a lot of online games together," Bonnie Nethercutt said of her husband Gunnery Sgt. James Crudden and son Dustin, 11.

Dustin stared at the screen and listened intently as he received instructions on the use of the computer.

"I like it," he said. "My dad has one, but I don’t get to use it."

Nethercutt said the work computer is off limits to the children, but that the new one will come in handy.

"I think this is wonderful," she said of receiving the computer. "It’s going to help him with his homework and with his reports."

DeAyra Fisher stood by as her daughters, Isidre DeJesus, 11, and Isiluah DeJesus, 5, received information on their new computer.

"I think it’s awesome," she said of receiving the free computer. "It’s a great program they’re doing for the military families."

Fisher said her 11-year-old daughter would make great use of the computer.

"It’s going to be great for her to do her homework on her own, and she’ll be able to communicate with her friends," she said. "And, she’ll stay off of mine."

Fisher said the family used to go to the library to use computers.

"This will make it a lot easier for her to do her homework, and we won’t have to get in the car and drive," she said.

Lenovo, a computer technology company with offices in Research Triangle Park, and the Kramden Institute, a nonprofit group based in Durham, teamed up to give away the 75 computers.

Kramden volunteers took the old computers and refurbished them, making them available to the students. Many of the Kramden volunteers are employed with Lenovo, which also donated some of the computers as well as the monitors that were given away to the students on Saturday.

This is the third time Kramden and Lenovo have teamed up for a giveaway to support military families. Last year, computer giveaways were held at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in Goldsboro and Fort Bragg Army Base in Fayetteville.

"We are absolutely thrilled that MCAS Cherry Point was the chosen installation for this computer giveaway," said Donna Bagley, Cherry Point’s schools liaison officer. "This will make such a huge difference in these children’s lives. Being able to use a computer to do their homework or research can only help them to be more successful in their academic career." 

Confronted with the reality of cutting city jobs, the Havelock Board of Commissioners directed the city staff to re-examine the entire proposed budget for 2013-14.

The board met Monday in hopes of cutting the budget to eliminate a proposed 2-cent property tax increase. Some cuts were proposed but the idea of eliminating some of the 125 employees was not a step commissioners wanted to take on Monday.

They directed City Manager Jim Freeman and Finance Director Lee Tillman to go back over the budget.

"I think the city manager and the finance officer need to go back and take a look at every department and look at positions," Commissioner George Liner said. "If we’re at zero growth this year with an opportunity of zero growth next near, we’re going to have to do something … furlough, people gone, or drastically reduced services."

The total proposed budget stands at $15.6 million, with property taxes increasing from 46.5 cents per $100 in property value to 48.5 cents, about $27 per year on the average Havelock home valued at $134,830.

Commissioners and Mayor Jimmy Sanders have said they don’t want a tax increase in the budget. Sanders said he didn’t think Freeman and Tillman would want commissioners to make the cuts.

"I think you’ll use a scalpel, and we’ll use a rusty axe," he said.

Commissioners considered eliminating a planning department position and the public information/grants position Monday night.

"They might not cut anybody, but we might have to cut services to meet this budget without raising taxes," Liner said.

The board discussed the possibility of a hiring freeze in which vacant positions would not be filled.

"It’s something to think about," Commissioner Jim Stuart said.

However, that could lead to shortages in areas such as the police department or fire department.

"You’re going to lose services by doing that," Commissioner Danny Walsh said.

Freeman said that a hiring freeze and even furloughs had been done previously.

"This was a hard decision," Freeman said. "I didn’t want to pick on anybody, but we had to look at the economy. We had to look at the activities that were happening in that department. Some people don’t like this, I know. As a manager, you find that every department is the center of the universe that you can’t do without, but in reality when it comes to a business-type approach, there are those core services.

"What this budget does is it does lose some services with a couple of people here, but yet we are able to continue exactly the type of service that the customers have been used to. And it’s hard doing that."

Stuart said cutting positions may do more harm in that workload would increase for other employees, leading to overtime and more expense from the budget.

"I know there are people out there thinking, ‘Look old man. You’re going to drive the overtime slam through the ceiling’ but that’s part of it," he said. "What I’ve suggested doesn’t necessarily have to be, but it’s to get everybody thinking."

Commissioners also balked at a proposed increase in trash pickup from $13.95 per month to $16.77 per month, saying they would not want to see a monthly bill higher than $14.50.

In an attempt to cut expenses, commissioners called for the elimination of $5,000 for the Havelock Appearance Commission, $20,000 for the minimum housing program in the planning department, $10,000 for upgrades to an animal control truck, $12,000 for upgrades to a city ambulance, $14,467 for recreation complex bleachers and $75,000 for clearing of drainage.

Commissioners also reduced a $10,000 request for new computers at the Havelock Library to $4,000.

The board is still considering $24,410 for a city employee dental program, $30,000 for a new patrol car and $105,103 for a new knuckle boom truck for the public services department.

The board is scheduled to meet again to discuss the proposed budget at 5:30 p.m. Monday at Havelock City Hall. The meeting is open to the public, but comments will not be taken.

A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 10 at Havelock City Hall. 

Guitars will be screaming Saturday at a special music festival and fundraiser in honor of slain Havelock bar bouncer Todd North.

Eight bands are in the lineup for more than 12 hours of music beginning at 1 p.m. and running well past midnight at Flyers in Havelock.

North, 39, a retired Marine and well-known bouncer at area night clubs, died on April 14 after being shot at the entrance to the bar at 400 Fontana Blvd., as he sought to protect customers inside.

"Everybody was his friend," said Flyers owner John Bruns, who organized the benefit for North’s wife and their 2-year-old son.

A huge turnout is expected for the event.

To say that North was "big-chested" would be an understatement, Bruns said.

"He was solid. There’s no if, ands or buts about it," he said. "Todd was a big man. He was extremely large, like a weightlifter."

That’s one of the reasons he had been hired in so many bars to man the door.

"He was a very imposing individual," Bruns said. "If you weren’t intimidated by looking at him, you were stupid, but once you got to know him, you realized that he was very personable. The bottom line is he was always fair to people and that’s why I like him. I put him in charge of security and that’s why."

North was also known as a gentle giant.

"He would smoke a pipe that had that tobacco that reminded you my grandpa smoked that," Bruns said. "He would just smoke a pipe and just walk around with the pipe in his mouth and talk to everybody. Everybody was his friend."

The event is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. with Donna Story singing the national anthem. The band lineup includes Chris Jones until 2 p.m., Closin’ Tyme from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., the Jim Kohler Band from 4 to 5 p.m., Peace Soldier from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Down to This from 7 to 8 p.m., The 252 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., Chasing Eden from 10 to 11 p.m., and Kill Mercy beginning at 11:30 p.m.

Festival organizers say that proceeds from the event will go to a memorial fund set up for North’s youngest son, Asa. Donations can be made to the Asa North Fund, c/o 1908 D South Glenburnie Road, New Bern, NC 28562.

North, a native of California, was shot while trying to protect patrons of the bar on April 14. The alleged shooter, Jonathan Pugh, had been involved in a fight, left the bar and returned with a gun, according to authorities. North was attempting to block the door when the shooting started, and he exchanged gunfire with Pugh, hitting him once.

Pugh survived but North died later at CarolinaEast Medical Center in New Bern.

Following the incident, North’s friends left numerous notes, flowers and candles at the entrance to Flyers as a memorial.

Pugh, 18, of Havelock, has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting, and he is next scheduled to appear in court on July 13.

Incidents

Havelock Police Department reports of recent incidents include:

May 6

Assault on a female reported on South Forest Circle

Driving while impaired reported on U.S. 70

Communicating threats reported on Bells Court

Cyberstalking - electronic mail for harassment reported on Manteo Circle

Simple assault reported on Fairview Street

Domestic Criminal Trespass reported on McCotter Boulevard

May 7

Contributing to the delinquency of a minor reported on John Court

Financial transaction card theft; obtaining property by false pretenses reported on Main Street

Larceny - felony reported on Forest Hill Drive

Identity theft reported on McCotter Boulevard

Breaking and entering (misdemeanor); larceny after breaking and entering reported on Shipman Road

Larceny - shoplifting reported on Main Street

Fraud - credit card/ATM reported on Oakwood Drive

Larceny - shoplifting reported on U.S. 70

Burglary; larceny after breaking and entering reported on Darkwood Drive

Larceny - misdemeanor reported on Nunn Street

May 8

Communicating threats; harassing phone calls reported on Appaloosa Court

Driving while impaired; registration expired/fictitious/revoked; resist/obstruct/delay an officer reported on Mimosa Drive

Simple assault reported on Miller Boulevard

Breaking and entering (misdemeanor) reported on Wisteria Lane

Hiring with intent to defraud reorted on Gene Drive

Larceny - misdemeanor reported on Main Street

Larceny - shoplifting reported on Main Street

May 9

Larceny - misdemeanor reported on U.S. 70

Identity theft reported on South Forest Drive

City ordinance violations reported on U.S. 70

No operator’s license reported on Stonebridge Trail

Runaway (nonsecure custody) reported on Wynne Road

May 10

Harassing phone calls reported on Pirates Lane

Larceny - misdemeanor reported on Main Street

City ordinance violations; working without a permit reported on Wynne Road

Assault on a female reported on Joseph Drive

May 11

Child abuse (misdemeanor) reported on MacDonald Boulevard

Assault inflicting serious injury (strangulation with injury); assault on a female reported on Shipman Road

Common law robbery reported on Shipman Road

Simple assault reported on U.S. 70

May 12

Injury to personal property (willful and wanton) reported on U.S. 70

Driving while impaired reported on McCotter Boulevard

Communicating threats reported on Shepard Street

Communicating threats reported on Shipman Road

Larceny - misdemeanor reported on Shipman Road

Simple assault reported on McCotter Boulevard

Communicating threats reported on Jer-Mar Drive

Breaking and entering (felony); larceny after breaking and entering reported on Jenny lane

Breaking or entering vehicle; injury to personal property (willful and wanton); larceny after breaking and entering reported on Pineview Street

Arrests and citations

Arrests and charges do not reflect guilt or innocence, which is determined through subsequent judicial proceedings. Havelock Police Department reports of recent arrests include:

May 6

Manuel Rodriguez, 24, Havelock, charged with assault on a female

Lee Bettis, 48, New Bern, charged with driving while impaired; unsafe lane change

Aida Strickland, 31, Havelock, charged with simple assault

Nakia Suggs, 38, Havelock, charged with domestic criminal trespass

May 7

Anthony Belligotti, 16, Havelock, charged with breaking and entering (misdemeanor); injury to personal property (willful and wanton); injury to real property

Scott Caldwell, 17, Havelock, charged with breaking and entering (misdemeanor); injury to personal property (willful and wanton); injury to real property

Charlie Martin, 17, Havelock, charged with breaking and entering (misdemeanor); injury to personal property (willful and wanton); injury to real property

Dakota Martin, 16, Havelock, charged with breaking and entering (misdemeanor); injury to personal property (willful and wanton); injury to real property

Sara Arje, 37, Havelock, charged with larceny - shoplifting

Andrew Hendrix, 23, New Bern charged with failure to appear

Amanda Vaughan, 26, Newport, charged with failure to appear

May 8

Chad Collins, 30, Havelock, charged with communicating threats; harassing phone calls

Jenna Suppa, 27, Cherry Point, charged with driving while impaired; no insurance; registration expired/fictitious/revoked; resist/obstruct/delay an officer

DeShawn Oliver, 18, Havelock, charged with larceny - shoplifting

May 9

Jeremy Keeler, 17, Havelock, charged with consume alcohol beverage by person under 21

Michelle Lawig, 28, Havelock, order for arrest - failure to appear

May 10

Paul Frazier, 29, Havelock, charged with injury to personal property (willful and wanton)

Kimberly Smith, 28, Havelock, charged with injury to personal property (willful and wanton)

Ricco Moore, 22, Newport, present other driver’s license when driving while license revoked

Cassie Peake, 18, Havelock, charged with larceny - misdemeanor

Stevn Todd, 25, New Bern, charged with financial transaction card theft; fraud - credit card/ATM; intimidating witness

Sarah Corey, 30, charged with failure to comply with surgical alteration on an animal

May 11

Jonathan Solis, 23, Havelock, charged with assault inflicting serious injury (strangulation with injury); assault on a female

May 12

Darren Hoglund, 30, New Bern, charged with driving while impaired

Note

The Havelock News does not report arrests for worthless checks.

The Havelock High School music department has scheduled its annual Spring Chorus Concert for 7 p.m. Monday at the school’s Performing Arts Center.

The performance will feature musical selections from George and Ira Gershwin and "Les Miserables."

Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for children ages 10 and under, with proceeds supporting the music department.

For more information, call Havelock High School at 444-5112. 

The Havelock Moose Family Center has scheduled an event to welcome Moose International Supreme Governor James F. Henderson at 4 p.m. on Sunday at the center.

Henderson is the highest elected officer within the Moose fraternity.

Sunday’s event will include a special enrollment ceremony and dinner for new members to inform them about the fraternity.

Afterward, a Heart of the Community service program is scheduled and will include an update from the Havelock Police Department about the "Cop in the Box" donation and how it helps protect children in the community.

Also, the Havelock Moose Family Center will be making a donation of Tommy Moose stuffed animals to the Havelock Police Department as well as city fire and rescue units. The stuffed animals can provide support to children in distress when police or fire and rescue are called to their homes.

The Havelock Moose also plan to make a donation of food to the local food pantry in Havelock. The food donations are regularly collected during the center’s Wednesday night bingo games, which are open to the public, as well as from the men and women of the fraternity.

Also scheduled during the event, member Sue Allen will make a presentation about the Relay for Life organization. The Havelock Moose regularly supports Relay for Life, which raises money for cancer research.

A dinner of steamship round or chicken with mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes is scheduled to be served, followed by a sports activity night.

The entire event is designed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Mooseheart.

The Havelock Moose Family Center is located at 1007 East Main St., between Pizza Hut and Bojangles, in Havelock.

For more information, call the family center at 447-3920 or Administrator Randy Sweat at 646-8511. 

Havelock running back Derrell Scott is the son of a retired Marine, so his invitation to the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl carried some special significance.

"I was excited," said Scott, who will be entering his senior season in the fall. "I feel fortunate to have an opportunity to play in an all-star."

The game is scheduled for Anahiem, Calif., but an exact date has not been set. Scott may also have opportunities to participate in the Under Armour All-American Game or the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Meanwhile, he continues to rack up college scholarship offers, the latest coming from Oregon. He’s trying to keep all the attention in perspective.

"During the season, I try not to think about it and just worry about my team and our goals for the season," said Scott, who ran for 1,709 yards and 34 touchdowns last season. "Now, it’s the most hectic because we’re not in the seasons and the coaches are busy trying to talk to you and make an impression."

Scott said he likely wouldn’t decide on a college until after his senior season, preparations forwhich are already starting. The Rams are holding spring workout drills at 6:15 a.m. before school starts.

"It’s early, but I know what we have to do to be the best," Scott said. "Every year, expectations rise for us, so we’ve got to get better every year. It’s going to be tough, but I would rather make the sacrifice now to get the reward later." 

The Havelock Board of Commissioners and Mayor Jimmy Sanders entered public office to serve the residents of this city.

We wonder if they were fully aware of the challenges they would face. After all, by all accounts, they appear to have some very tough decisions ahead of them in terms of the proposed 2013-14 budget.

First, we appreciate their scrutiny of the budget. During Monday’s budget work session, they started going line by line looking for opportunities to cut expenses. All of this was done in an attempt to avoid a 2-cent property tax increase for residents.

The commissioners and Sanders have said they oppose the 2-cent increase, saying the poor economy is already hurting residents and that a tax increase would simply add to the pain.

Some residents may not think that paying an extra 27 bucks (on a typical Havelock home) over the course of a year is that big of a deal. We worry about the cumulative effect. A few bucks this year and then a few bucks next year, and next thing you know, it adds up to real money, to paraphrase a famous quote often attributed to Everett Dirksen, who served in Congress for more than 30 years.

Though there is some debate on whether Dirksen actually coined the quote so often attributed to him, we think he would be proud of what the board is attempting to do. Dirksen was a fiscal conservative in every sense, and quite a character on top of that.

He would spin stories while voicing opposition to federal budget proposals and bills in the House and Senate. A simple quote from the Congressional record dated May 3, 1961, summarizes his position: "But the basic difficulty still remains: It is the expansion of federal power, about which I wish to express my alarm. How easily we embrace such business."

On a much smaller scale, the Havelock board is attempting not to expand its reach into the pockets of residents, and we applaud their efforts. The difficulty rests in how to do that.

During Monday’s meeting, city officials discussed cutting the number of city workers to save money. They also discussed furloughs for all city employees. We don’t think the furloughs would be as extreme as those proposed on the federal level, but no doubt they would have an impact on the city’s 125 or so workers.

The board doesn’t want to cut positions or result to work furloughs. On Monday night, they made some cuts and then put the budget back in the hands of City Manager Jim Freeman and his staff to find other cuts to expenses in an attempt to avoid the tax increase.

Sanders and the board are simply doing what they were elected to do — to serve the interests of the residents of Havelock.

In that sense, Dirksen, a one-time city council member who went on to represent Illinois in the House and Senate, would be proud.

"Here as elsewhere," he said on Feb. 5, 1954, "any answer to the problem of generating the best kind of local government begins with a deep sense of pride in the community and with a sharpening of that proprietary feeling that the community does belong to the citizens."

As a retired disabled Marine, I have some idea of the feeling of being abandoned by my government that I served when I became disabled.

As a fellow patriot that has served this country, all I want is the truth about how Benghazi was handled. It shouldn’t matter what party I belong to. If in fact this administration has had representatives that have been acting inappropriately, they need to be fired! The American public deserves the truth and accountability.

Richard L. Linck, Havelock 

We would like to thank everyone who came out or helped to make our Fifth Annual St Jude Fun Run/Walk our best one to date!

We raised over $22,000 this year, which is the highest amount raised.

We are so grateful to have such a giving community and proud of everyone involved to help make this event successful. Thank you.

Debbie Holmes, race director

April was Prevent Child Abuse Month. There were blue pinwheels and banners and interviews and articles in the newspapers and on Facebook. There were opening ceremonies in New Bern and Havelock and several events to increase awareness and knowledge of this community issue. Craven County actively participated in awareness and education regarding the resources available to strengthen our families and parents.

The Community Coalition for Craven County Children extends sincere appreciation to all those who participated and supported families and children through the Prevent Child Abuse campaign. Some of those are media supporters — Phil Knight Channel 10 TV, and Tori Shaw WCTI-TV 12, Colleen Roberts Channel 3 New Bern, The Sun Journal, Havelock News, and local newspapers — the area churches and faith connections members who put up banners and signs and inserted a "Tips for Parents" page in their bulletins and gave financial support, Chief Judge Walter Mills, Spring Hill Suites, Marie Iwanski - Staff House, Excel Learning Center No. 7, city of Havelock, Child Care Network of Havelock, Guardian ad Litem Program, Craven County DSS, Easter Seals/UCP, Promise Place, Neuse Reality, Friends on Broadcreek, Chick-Fil-A, Clerk of Court Terri Sharp, Craven Smart Start, Dunkin Donuts of Havelock, and all those who supported or participated in anyway.

It does take a village to raise its children, and the ultimate protection of children is a local community that loves and values its children and takes action to strengthen their families. Craven County has demonstrated this care and concern and will continue to do so throughout the year.

Again, many thanks to all those who took action for children in April 2013.

Terry Brubaker, Community Coalition for Craven County Children