Williamston Baseball Tournament A Great Success

Williamston has had their new baseball center, called the Godwin-Coppage Park for a year now, and it is a great facility for kids to play baseball and softball.





The facility has a great picnic area (shown below) which allows groups attending games, or simply having a special outing, to enjoy getting together.




It also has a great children's park (shown below) so that families can bring their youngest along and know that they can enjoy the day's outing as well, even if too young to be 'in to' baseball yet.




The facility has something most of the baseball parks in our area do not have, paved parking. When you arrive, the crowd parks around the outside of the four great parks in the center of the facility, and follow the paved walkways into the baseball area.




All four parks are immaculately prepared and well cared for.




I was here to day to visit with a friend who had two grandaughters playing for the Washington All Stars (Beaufort County) against the Pamlico County All Stars.




As I arrived, the game was just getting organized. All the fields were in use. A huge crowd was there to watch the events.




This weekend's two day tournament was put on by the NCUSFA, the North Carolina - United States Fastpitch Association.




They had divisions for 8 and under, 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under, 16 and under, 18 and under.




All of the girls were having a great time, and as would be expected of an All Stars team, they were really talented.




A huge crowd of parents, grand parents, aunts, uncles, friends and neighbors had driven in from all over Eastern North Carolina to enjoy the event and watch these girls compete.




Starting Tuedsday, an even bigger tournament is being played at the same facility. The Babe Ruth League, District 2, Girl's Softball, is having an all week tournament, with games every night at 5:00 PM, and finishing up next Saturday starting at 10:00 AM.



Local civic groups provided concessions for the teams and their families. Behind is the very nice central admin building that provides much nicer restrooms that we often see.

All in all, the day was a great success and I am sure the final day of the tournament will be just as much fun. Martin County has a facility they can be very proud of.

Joe McLaughlin To Speak At Down East Meeting

Press Release

Joe McLaughlin, Onslow County Commissioner and candidate for U.S. House in North Carolina’s 3rd district, is welcomed as the guest speaker at the Thursday, June 28th Down East Republican Meeting. This seat is presently held by Republican Congressman Walter Jones.

Dinner begins at 6:00 PM and the meeting starts at 7:00 PM.

Joseph R. McLaughlin was born September 16, 1954 in Wilmington, Delaware, where his father was serving in the United States Coast Guard. Joe was the youngest of five children and grew up in various East Coast ports where his father's duties as an officer brought the family.

Joe has been married for 24 years to the former Sherrill Ann Baucom of Charlotte, NC. Sherrill is a Registered Nurse at Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, NC. They have 3 children, with son Matt being a recent graduate of N.C. State University and daughters Colleen and Caitlin students at White Oak Public High School.

McLaughlin received a Presidential Appointment to the United States Air Force Academy from President Richard Nixon. McLaughlin graduated from the Academy, but a vision impairment precluded him from flying so he volunteered for and received a commission in the United States Army as an Infantry officer. His first duty assignment following graduation from Ranger School was service as an Infantry platoon leader in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. Over a decorated military career, Joe served in a wide range of command and staff assignments in infantry, airborne and mechanized units in Georgia, California and Korea and Washington, D.C.

Joe also earned a Masters of Science (Joint Command, Control and Communications) from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California and was a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth, Kansas. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (three oak leaf clusters) and the Master Parachutist Badge. Upon his retirement in 1994, Joe settled in Jacksonville, NC where he works as a financial advisor.

McLaughlin is currently serving his second term on the Onslow County Board of Commissioners and is now seeking the Republican nomination for North Carolina's District 3 Congressional seat.

The political discussion topic for club members and attendees is “North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional Seat”.

The meeting is open to the public. All citizens are invited and welcome to attend. This meeting takes place at Frank’s Pizza on Highway 264 in Washington. Dinner begins at 6:00 PM and the meeting starts at 7:00 PM.

Contact Al Klemm at 944-5068 for information.

Al-Pam Republican Club

The Al-Pam Republican Club met this evening in the Golden Skillet Restaurant on U.S. 64 in Plymouth, North Carolina to hear an update of some of the problems with our legislature. Chris East (shown below), President of the Al-Pam Club, calls the meeting to order and leads the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.



The perspective on conservative issues was provided by keynote speaker J. Nelson Dollar, 36th District Representative (shown below).




He spoke about the his view of the problems with the number of so called "conservative" democrats that have made it into the legislature during the last election cycle. Neslon believes that though they claim to be conservative, their voting record proves the claim is not honest. They are all voting as liberals, especially when it comes to selecting their leadership. Even if they are honest in stating their beliefs (questionable according to Nelson), they are not conservative when backing a liberal leadership team that sabotages everything that conservatives believe in.




As usual, the Al-Pam Republican Club drew a good audience from Washington County, and some of the leadership of adjoining counties as well.