THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 4, 1995 TAG: 9503030018
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
When I came to the Eastern Shore in 1959, I was stationed at Cape Charles Air Force Base at Kiptopeke with 500 other military plus countless civilians.
Cape Charles had three movie theaters operating seven days a week. Every store on Mason Avenue and Strawberry Street was occupied and doing business. All the homes in Cape Charles were occupied, including the ones that were on the now-vacant lots. The population in town was more than double what it is now. The school system was on a par with any in the state.
I left Cape Charles in 1962 after being discharged and only visited until I bought a business in 1974 and returned with my family to live. At that time two theaters had closed, the school system was getting in trouble for lack of money, and homes had begun to disappear from the town.
The area, however, was still comparatively prosperous.
1. Webster's Factory at Cheriton was in operation with about 300 employees (now gone).
2. Dulany Foods was operating in Exmore with 200 employees (now gone).
3. C&D Seafood was in operation (now gone).
4. Cape Charles Air Force Base was in operation with many FAA personnel added (now gone).
5. About 20 clam boats operated out of Cape Charles and Oyster (all gone).
6. American Original Seafood was operating (now gone).
7. Penn Central was operating (not gone, but certainly scaled back).
Everything that has been proposed since that time has either fallen through or been run off by controversy.
The micro-brewery sounds good and is a start but will probably hire fewer than 20 people.
The prison is the only viable project proposed. This is not a pipe dream. This is reality. This is something we can have now. All the supervisors have to say is ``go.''
I'll be the first to admit a perfect wish list for the future probably would not include a prison. However, we don't have any offers from Canon, DuPont, IBM or anyone else wanting to offer jobs to our people.
Everyone in Northampton County deserves the opportunity to make a decent living. The 400 direct jobs and the indirect jobs (waitresses, clerks, construction, etc.) will provide this opportunity. Not everyone will be suitable to work at the prison, but not everyone is suitable to be a doctor, lawyer or plumber.
The board of supervisors should let us have this. We need something besides dreams on which to build the future.
FRANK LEWIS
Cape Charles, Feb. 24, 1995 by CNB