Click on Upcoming Meetings
Next Core Group meeting, June 2, 2008, 7:00p.m. at the Old Gates County Courthouse (2nd Floor of the Gates Co Public Library)
Scoping Meeting - Friday, May 2, 2008
The Navy hosted 462 people in Southampton, 252 in Prince George, 320 in Sussex, 315 in Surry, 242 in Currituck County, N.C., and 392 in Camden County, N.C and 671 IN GATES COUNTY! The people in the poorest county are fighting the hardest! Citizens Against OLF was present in full force with several displays and five of our movies playing in the lobby. Although a Navy representative requested that a school official move us to a different location, and then even went as far as asking to lock the cafeteria door (they were stationed in the cafeteria, we were in the lobby), we were allowed to stay and the door was not locked. Many from our community were disappointed by the lack of information and/or conflicting information provided by the Navy at the scoping meeting. Hundreds of comments and questions were submitted to be included in the EIS. Thanks to the 671 people who came out to show their opposition!
Watch a slideshow of the meeting at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_kGd6E7Ijk
Got comments or questions you want included in the EIS study? Email them to the Navy at www.olfeis.com/comment.aspx
Email them to us too at iwillhelp@citizensagainstolf.com. We'll keep a file for future litigation.
Check Out our New Blog and No OLF Informational Movies!
We have a new blog where you can discuss OLF issues with others online.
People have called and requested a copy of the OLF Info and Sandbanks and Boonetown Stories DVDs we showed at the Informational Meeting on 2/21/08. Copies are available at the Gates County Library. They are available for check out - free of charge.
Who We Are
Citizens Against OLF is a local, grassroots, nonpartisan organization dedicated to stopping the Navy from building an OLF (outlying landing field) in northeastern North Carolina. The Navy has learned a lot in battling the citizens of Beaufort and Washington counties. We have learned a lot, as well. Our goal is to keep an OLF from coming to Northeastern NC and to tell the country of the devastating effects that placing an OLF in this area will have on the environment, on livelihoods, on property values, and on the quality of life. The Navy's own documentation says "an OLF is not required". Please help us save our county.
What is an OLF
An OLF is a concrete landing strip where (a) repetitive flight operations are conducted by military pilots, (b) aircraft carrier touch-and-go practice by F/A-18 E/F (Super Hornet) aircraft occurs, and (c) constant low-level flying at the airstrip and surrounding area will regularly take place.
Information obtained from http://www.noolf.com and Navy sources.
Recent Events
5/05/08 - Core Group Meeting was held at 7:00p.m. at the Gates County Community Center
Minutes coming soon.
5/02/08 - Navy Scoping Meeting held from 4-9pm in the Cafeteria at Gates County High School
More coming soon.
4/07/08 - Core Group Meeting was held at 7:00p.m. at the Gates County Community Center
Minutes submitted by Laura Dickerson.
The Citizens Against OLF held a meeting Monday, April 7, 2008 at the Gates County Community Center with approximately 40 members present, including Commissioners Kenneth Jernigan and Wade Askew, County Manager Melinda Hoggard, and Tax Supervisor Renee McGinnis.
Topics discussed included a recent trip to Washington, DC by a delegation from Gates, Camden, and Currituck Counties to meet with representatives of the North Carolina congressional delegation. Senator Dole’s military advisor stated that the Sand Banks site would probably be listed on the Federal Register. The importance of calling members of Congress and asking for their help in removing the Sand Banks from the list of potential OLF sites was emphasized.
A scoping meeting has been scheduled by the Navy for May 2nd, 2008 at Gates County High School from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM. This meeting concerns the environmental impact study. Information will be available but it will not be a question and answer session. Written questions will be permitted and are required to be responded to at a later date. Once again, we need a big turnout to convince the Navy and political leaders that there is broad local opposition.
Candidates for local offices had been contacted concerning their position on the OLF. Written statements from Paulette Britt, Graham Twine, Mickey Lee, Henry Jordan, and Chuck Brothers, candidates for county commissioner, were read. All expressed their opposition to the OLF being located in Gates County.
4/01-03/08 - Gates County Delegation Attended Meeting in Washington, DC
On April 1-3, a Gates County Delegation composed of County Manager Melinda Hoggard, Linda Warren and Laura Dickerson attended meetings along with representatives from Camden and Currituck. We met with staff from the offices of Senator Burr, Congressman Butterfield, Congressman Price. We met with Senator Dole and her staff, as well as Congressman Jones and his staff. At each office, we shared a notebook which included stories from the Sandbanks and Boonetown, information on the wetlands and Chowan River, documentation of our broad opposition, and the reasons the Sandbanks site was taken off the list in 2003. We asked each office to take action to remove us from the list of proposed sites. Senator Dole agreed to write a letter to the Navy. Congressman Butterfield's staff indicated he would probably write a letter if he received a formal request. County Manager Melinda Hoggard hand delivered a formal request the next day. Congressman Jones indicated he would work with Butterfield on a letter. Congressman Price's staff indicated he would be watching the process closely to insure that it was fair. His staff indicated he would look at the letter Butterfield and Jones write. County Manager Melinda Hoggard attended meetings with the staffs of Congressman Bob Etheridge, Congressman Randy Forbes, and Senator John McCain. She also met with Dept. Asst. Secretary of the Navy Schregardus and hand delivered a letter that stated we were broadly opposed and not interested in incentive packages.
3/24/08 - Gates County Delegation Met with the Governor's Office
On March 24, a Gates County Delegation composed of County Manager Melinda Hoggard, County Commissioner Ken Jernigan, Linda Warren, and Laura Dickerson met with Governor Easley's Chief of Staff Franklin Freeman and Senior Policy Advisor Hawley Truax. We shared our broad opposition and the stories of many of those who live in the Sandbanks and Boonetown. We requested that the Governor take action to remove the Sandbanks site from the list of proposed OLF sites.
3/13/08 - A Rally Was Held in Raleigh, NC to Show Our Opposition to an OLF in Northeastern North Carolina
Our Raleigh Rally was a huge success! Roughly 75 folks came out to show Gates County's broad local OPPOSITION! A few of our speakers were: Gerry Cohn with American Farmland Trust, Anita Earls with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, Kathy Hartkopf from Freedomworks, Amina Turner, executive director for NC NAACP, and Senator Ed Jones. Certainly, Governor Easley and the public got the message that there is only broad local oppositon here. We got great press coverage from as far away as Fayetteville, Richmond, and Charlotte! The Raleigh News and Observer and WTKR and WAVY 10 in Hampton Roads also shared our story! Check out our story in the Charlotte Observer: http://www.charlotte.com/204/story/535293.html or watch the media coverage from WITN in New Bern: http://www.witntv.com/home/headlines/ 16643901.html Thanks to everyone who helped make the day a huge success. Check out our movie of the rally: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X_doLpAw0Q
3/03/08 - Core Group Meeting was held at 7:00p.m. at the Gates County Community Center
Minutes submitted by Robert Winslow.
The Citizens Against OLF held a meeting March 3, 2008 at 7:00 PM at the Gates County Community Center with approximately 35 people present.
Fannie Spivey gave a treasurer’s report which showed a balance of $771.51
A local task force has been formed. Members are Daniel Dickerson, Laura Dickerson, Ken Jernigan, Wade Askew, Melinda Hoggard, Renee McGinnis, Jackie Bundy, Linda Warren, Elaine Herring, Pitt Godwin, and Garry Moore. They were scheduled to meet with the Navy the Friday after the public information sessions but through miscommunication, the meeting didn’t take place.
The door-to-door canvass in the Sand Banks area is continuing. They have found more than the 48 landowners contained in the Navy’s report. Considerable discussion concerning possible unmarked cemeteries, burial grounds, and other places of historical significance in this section of the county was heard.
Our congressional delegation is scheduled to be in Washington County March 29th.
We need more signs on Highway 13.
It was decided that we need fund-raising activities to pay for transportation, signs, printing costs, etc. A fund-raising committee was set up. Anyone who has a suggestion or wants to participate, feel free to call.
The inability to contact residents of Gates County was of special concern. It was suggested that we could contact all the churches and progress was made on this. As far as quick communication goes, e-mail and phone contact are all we have. The possibility of obtaining some sort of automated calling system will be investigated.
A delegation will travel to Raleigh on Thursday, March 13. We will depart from the Tarheel at 8:00 AM for a rally from 11:00 to 1:00. If anyone would like to participate or has a van available for transportation, let us know. Inform your friends and family. WE NEED A HUGE TURNOUT
2/21/08 - Public Information Sessions - Feb. 21, 2008, 10:00am (Session 1) and 7:00pm (Session 2).
Our OLF Public Information Sessions were a success!
Over 300 people braved the cold weather to come out and learn more about an OLF and hear the heartbreaking stories of their neighbors in the "contours" of the Navy's proposed sites. The Southern Coalition for Social Justice sent a representative. Betty Jo Shepheard from Senator Burr's office spoke about the Sandbanks tour she and Senator Burr's legislative assisstant, Kevin Hernandez, took on Wednesday, Feb. 20. Kathy Hartkopf from Freedomworks spoke on property rights and how we can stop an OLF from coming to Gates County. Senator Ed Jones shared his support with us. Several people have called and requested a copy of the OLF Info and Sandbanks and Boonetown Stories DVDs we showed. We will have copies available at the Gates County Library by Thursday of this week. They will be available for check out - free of charge.
