                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Saturday, May 4, 1996                  TAG: 9605040371
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 
SOURCE: BY ANNE SAITA, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Long  :  219 lines

4 DECADES LATER, 2 SCHOOLMATES VIE FOR CURRITUCK COMMISSIONER

As students at Moyock High School, Gene Gregory and Sam Walker earned spots on the school's basketball and baseball teams.

Four decades later, both are again vying for a position - this time for a seat on the Currituck County Board of Commissioners.

Tuesday's Democratic primary will determine which one makes the first cut.

The Crawford Township contest between incumbent Gregory, 55, of Shawboro and challenger Walker, 56, of Sligo is the only local race on Currituck County ballots.

The winner will square off against Republican Bill Dobney in the fall general election. Other county races, including two women battling for the Moyock school board seat, will be decided in November.

Even though they are the only local show in town this month, Gregory and Walker have been quite visible. Gregory's name is plastered on billboards, and Walker has constructed creative displays at his country store on heavily traveled N.C. 168.

Both probably would have had even more of a presence had it not been for troubles with campaign signs.

Gregory, serving the last year of his first term, had to take down campaign signs tacked to utility poles after learning they violated a county ordinance.

Walker, who serves on the county school board, also had to remove some signs when county officials deemed political posters inappropriate for display on the courthouse lawn.

The sign issue appears to be about the only common interest of the two candidates, other than both growing up in the part of Currituck County that each wants to represent.

Gregory won his county seat in 1992 by beating two-time incumbent Frances Walker, who is Sam Walker's wife.

``I'm the first male to sleep with a county commissioner in the county's history,'' Walker said jokingly, obviously proud of being married to the first female commissioner in Currituck County.

Gregory, the chief United Auto Workers industrial consultant at the Ford Motor Co. plant in Norfolk, seems somewhat reticent when compared to Walker, known for his lengthy, off-the-cuff comments during public meetings.

Walker's exposure to county politics began early. As a 7-year-old, Walker tagged along when his father drove politicians around the county to campaign.

Walker, a longtime grocer whose S.A. Walker store is a local landmark, has successfully run three times for the Board of Education. He also ran two ill-fated campaigns for the state House of Representatives.

Gregory said he decided on a bid for re-election because, ``I've just had a lot of good people ask me to run again.

``I just feel there are some things that I probably need to finish out,'' he continued, citing a $4.6 million judicial complex nearing construction and a water plant expansion.

Gregory also said he has been a part of several major decisions, including a change-order process to better monitor school construction costs and new development codes to slow residential growth.

The incumbent said that during his tenure the public library has been expanded and the county has established an alternate backfill septic system that helps residents, particularly farm families, build homes where poor soils exist.

Gregory also is proud that taxes didn't go up during his term, except for a 9-cent property tax increase that was an expected byproduct of a 1993 school bond referendum.

He also counts the continuation of the airport master plan among his accomplishments.

``The airport is really something that will come on line and be a tremendous benefit to this county, especially with the completion of the midcounty bridge,'' the licensed private pilot said.

Airport funding is a sticking point with Walker.

``I don't think we need to be using the occupancy tax - a quarter of a million dollars' worth - for that,'' he said.

Walker was referring to 11 T-hangars erected last year to protect private airplanes. All are being rented at the Maple facility.

Walker also is concerned with other board actions, including the purchase of 33 acres of mostly swampland off Poyner Road several years ago.

The county paid far more than the land is worth, he contended. ``They bought it for a recreation area. If you visit it, you'll find out only (water) moccasins visit that area,'' Walker said.

Gregory defended the action, saying he and other commissioners were actually interested in three upland acres on the waterfront. The swampland just came with the package.

Plans are to use backfill from road construction to fill in swampy areas and turn the entire tract into a state-controlled boat basin, he said.

``It'll be worth considerably more than what we paid for it once that's done.''

Walker doesn't think the county should be in the real estate business and believes that taxpayers' money has not always been well spent.

Walker noted that a majority of the local tax base comes from Outer Banks property owners who live elsewhere.

``The present Currituck economy, for tax purposes, is mostly absentee and is being abused by swampland purchases and airport hangars while having a lack of adequate funds for law enforcement and fire and rescue,'' he said.

``Stop the collection of taxes for investments in bank accounts and investment portfolios,'' Walker added.

Both men say they want to improve the quality of life for Currituck residents. And both say schools are a top priority.