The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1959-11-06
MEMORIES OF AYcocK
BIZ VICTOR MEEKlNS

! When was a small boy my ia
Their brought me into town one
afternoon to hear Governor Charles
B. Aycock speak at the Manteo
schoolhouse. l recall to this day
that he had a bald head and that
he was forceful man on the plat
form. There was a big turnout, and
the Manns Harbor band was over
to play for this occasion. Now as
far back as l can remember, which
is to about two or three years of
age, ] had been hearing the Manns
Harbor band across the water, when
| it was playing in the home COM
munity. What struck me so forcibly
as a very young boy was that any,
thing could make enough noise to
carry clearly across four miles of
water. l was nightly disturbed
when they told me it was the Manns
Harbor band lined up to play for
Governor Aycock, because I was
afraid this terrific noise would be
sufficient to bust my head.
Because so many people loved
Aycock, and so many fine things
We're said in my presence about the
man, grew up to revere him.
When word came to me at the age
of Is that the Governor had died
while making a speech in Birming-
ham, Ala. / was desolate indeed.
Shortly after, when Clarence Poe
and C. Trenholm McClenaghan of
Raleigh put out the book about Ay-
cocks life, 1 was happy to be-
come an agent for it, and set
out taking orders for it. My first
customer was splendid old color
ed woman who couldn't read, but
would buy anything.
: 1t always distressed me that /
didn't have enough cash to spare
in those days to buy copy of the
book myself. 1t was rare treat
then when three years ago, DIR.
Clarence Poe, whom 1 had met sew
eral times since, mailed me a copy
of this same book, quite unexpect-
edly.
1t was with much interest that
/ noted this week that the Aycock
birthplace is now restored and an
observance held on the Tooth an
nivensary of the governors birth
day.
The frightful cost of neglect
creates one of the heaviest burdens
on mankind. 1t is true in business or
in public affairs. Take for instance
the carelessness which attends the
construction and maintenance of
public buildings. Hired help often
renders nothing more than token
service. The "higher" help rarely
pays any mind to the neglect of
underlings. Take the Dare health
center. When constructed, a cheap
veneer-covered door was allowed to
be installed as the entry to the
boiler room. 1t was exposed to the
weather. From heat inside, and cold
and rain outside, it quickly went
to pieces. 1t went unnoticed a long
time. Result; weather got into the
heating plant motors, cost to the
taxpayers SITS for repairs to
plant and a new door.
Take the case of the Manteo air
port, with all its property. A gift
worth hundreds of thousands from
the Federal governmen to
the people of Dare County.
Yet it has been allow d
through the years to be stripped
of great part of its value, its
buildings allowed to run down, and
now unattended for nine months, it
continues that way through sheer
stupidity, neglect and blind mall
ice.
Take the case of the broken and
appraised sidewalk at the commune
ty building in Manteo. For several
years people have been walking
around it. They have been step
ping high to get over it. They have
been saying somebody is going to
get hurt here; somebody is going
to sue the town. But nobody did
anything. A few weeks ago l met
Mayor Ras Westcott, / told him
about it. The Mayor doesn't have to
walk, and hadn't seen it, but all
the town employees, the police and
others had stepped over it too for
years,-that is occasionally. huff
said to the Mayor. The next day
the town crew had fixed the side
walk. Like myself, the Mayor be-
lieves in doing things and not
wasting ones time and the time
Of others in idiotic yapping.