THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 12, 1994 TAG: 9406100206
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Medium
DATELINE: 940612 LENGTH:
Fugitives from the law have another think coming if they think they can get out of reach of the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office.
Two men wanted by sheriff's deputies for probation violations were arrested last week in Abilene, Texas, thanks to the efforts of the Tidewater Fugitive Apprehension Task Force.
{REST} The task force is a cooperative effort of the sheriff's office, the Virginia State Police, the Chesapeake Police Department, and the Norfolk Sheriff's Department. It has connections to other law enforcement agencies throughout the country.
Sheriff's Sgt. Mark Kirkby, a member of the task force, said the fugitives, Richard A. Perdue and Terry L. Bowles, who were originally convicted of attempting to possess cocaine, were picked up by Texas law enforcement officers and will be extradited back to Chesapeake soon.
\ This jam is not sweet
The observance of Memorial Day is the opening of the summer tourist season. For Chesapeake that means weekend traffic jams along Battlefield Boulevard to the North Carolina line, jams caused by families moving to the Outer Banks for their beach cottage vacations.
From now until Labor Day Chesapeake citizens, particularly those who live along Route 168, will have to endure the slow-moving caravan of campers, vans, jeeps, cars and buses loaded down with beach equipment, bicycles and everything else summer beach renters can find.
In Chesapeake this weekend summer congestion is popularly known as the ``Nags Head Jam.''
Over the years the problem has gotten so severe, city planners insist that widening Battlefield to the Tar Heel State's line is a traffic priority. First, of course, funds must be found to pay for such a huge and costly project.
For Northwest River Park at 1733 Indian Creek Road, just off of Route 168, the Nags Head Jam means local campers and park fanciers are scared away from its 763 acres of trails, campgrounds, fishing and recreation areas.
``It's been of general concern to our staff for a number of years,'' park supervisor Bill Petree said last year about the chronic summer Nags Head Jam. ``It starts on Friday afternoons and goes through Sunday. From the traffic light at the end of the bypass, where Battlefield intersects with Hillwell and Peaceful roads, all the way to Moyock, it's bumper-to-bumper traffic, and that makes it hard for campers to go in and out of the park on weekends.''
Petree said he's heard this complaint from campers for several years. He said he has run into individuals who said they duck into Northwest River Park for sanctuary from the traffic snarl.
Petree has an alternative route for those who want to avail themselves of his park's bucolic joys, facilities and opportunities.
``The route is out in the country,'' he said. ``It's a very scenic route that's hardly ever used. It makes the trip to the park a much more enjoyable experience. It's a way to fight the Nags Head Jam.''
Although the route takes a few minutes longer than the usual way, it's a lot faster when Route 168 turns into a parking lot.
Here's the route:
Take Route 168 (Battlefield Boulevard) to Mount Pleasant Road.
From Mount Pleasant go right on Centerville Turnpike.
From Centerville take a left on Head of River Road.
From Head of River go right on Cedarville Road.
From Cedarville take a left on Indian Creek Road, follow the signs to the park.
Still confused? Call the park at 421-7151.
by CNB