DATE: Thursday, November 6, 1997            TAG: 9711060445

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY DENNIS PATTERSON, ASSOCIATED PRESS 

DATELINE: RALEIGH                           LENGTH:   37 lines

LEGISLATIVE PANEL APPROVES FUNDS FOR BATTLESHIP NORTH CAROLINA

In 1961, Lyons Gray helped raise pennies, dimes and nickles to bring the battleship North Carolina to Wilmington.

On Wednesday, as a member of the Joint Legislative Commission on Governmental Operations, he did a little better than that, voting to give the battleship $1.5 million in state funds for deck repairs.

``I gave them $100 in 1961 when they were trying to get it here,'' said Gray, who helped push the spending proposal through the legislature this year. ``I didn't know it at the time, but it entitled me to be an admiral in the North Carolina Navy.''

The battleship funds were part of an $84.3 million repairs and renovation spending package approved by the commission Wednesday. Other projects included the baboon moat at the North Carolina Zoo and roof repairs on state-owned warehouses.

``In 36 years they've never had any state funds,'' said Gray, R-Forsyth, who has long been a battleship enthusiast. ``They're also raising private funds for what they think are about $6 million to $7 million in needed repairs. I hope to get them another $1.5 million next year, so the money would come about half from the state and half from private donations.''

The battleship has operated strictly on admission fees since it opened.

The legislature required commission approval of the repairs and renovation package after reports that last year's package included extra funds that were quietly distributed by legislative leaders and Gov. James B. Hunt Jr.

A $21 million pool in the repairs and renovation funds was distributed to pet projects of some senators and House members, as well as projects favored by Hunt.

But many lawmakers did not even know the funds existed because they were hidden in the 1996-97 state budget.

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