THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 15, 1995 TAG: 9511150221
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
The political battle between Republicans and President Clinton spread to eastern North Carolina Tuesday afternoon, with most federal employees sent home until money is appropriated to reopen their agencies.
Would-be visitors to the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills were told by a sign at the gate that the popular attraction was closed.
All facilities at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore were shut down, including the Bodie Island and Cape Hatteras lighthouses. However, ramps to the beach will be open to fishermen.
Some U.S. agencies in the Albemarle, however, didn't get the promised word early Tuesday that was to tell them whether they were supposed to report for work.
As a consequence, a lot of federal employees checked in on schedule but many followed only a casual routine throughout the day.
``Everybody showed up this morning but we still don't know anything,'' said an employee at the U.S. Soil Conservation Service in Edenton.
Several managers in government bureaus said they had been told they would receive ``official information by noon.'' When no instructions arrived, the U.S. employees either went home or found things to do in their offices.
The federal court system continued to operate,
``Judge Terrence Boyle is holding court in Raleigh,'' said a clerk in the Elizabeth City office of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Judge Boyle, who lives in Edenton, is presiding judge for the Eastern District and makes his headquarters in the Federal Building in Elizabeth City.
Downstairs from Judge Boyle's office, the downtown U.S. Post Office was conducting business as usual, as was the main city post office on Ehringhaus Street. The Post Office doesn't depend on Congress for funds.
The Coast Guard does, but its servicemen and women were kept on duty.
However, more than 450 civilian employees of the huge U.S. Coast Guard base south of Elizabeth City were sent home. Most of them work in the Aircraft Repair & Supply Center.
Cmdr. Mark Blumfelder, the repair center executive officer, said the workers would return as soon as budget authority is received from Washington.
During the day's increasingly stormy weather along the coast, search and rescue capability at the Coast Guard Air Station was not affected since the command does not include civilian employees, an air station spokesman said.
At the Fish and Wildlife hatchery in Edenton, about 100,000 hungry guests received a special dispensation.
``We have five employees, but only four will take off each day so that one of us will be here to feed 100,000 striped bass that are ready for shipment from our holding house,'' said Elliott Atstupenas, director of the U.S. Interior Department hatchery.
Another 200,000 bass are swimming around in outdoor ponds, but Atstupenas said the ponds provide a nourishing natural habitat for the fish.
William Winslow, rural development manager for the Rural Economic and Community Development Services office in Hertford, said Tuesday morning he would work until he was told to stop.
``We're hard at it, planning on keeping on doing it,'' said Winslow, whose office falls under the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Winslow said employees ``all had our questions'' as budget negotiations remained stalled in Washington, but the last they heard from higher-ups was, ``Report to work on Monday, don't call us any more.''
Winslow was still working into the afternoon Tuesday.
An official at the Army recruiting station in Elizabeth City said he had not received final word of what to do.
``We don't know,'' said the official.
Two hours later, the office was empty. But there was no confirmation that it had been ordered to stand down.
At a nearby U.S. Marine recruiting office, a staff sergeant had the situation at least temporarily well in hand.
``I'm waiting for further orders from Richmond,'' said the sergeant, ``Until then we stay open.''
At the top-secret Harvey Point Defense Testing Activity in Perquimans County, a spokesman said it was business as usual.
``Basically, just a handful of personnel are non-essential here so operations will continue without interruption,'' said Michael Foss, a spokesman for the facility.
But on the Outer Banks, activities at the National Seashore ceased about noon at the attractions, including the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. However, the Elizabethan Gardens on Roanoke Island will stay open.
Of the 100 National Park Service Employees, 79 were sent home. Twenty-one, including law enforcement officials and maintenance personnel, will remain on duty, a spokesman said.
Also off were employees at the Alligator River and Pea Island National Wildlife Refuges.
KEYWORDS: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BUDGET SHUTDOWN by CNB