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Athens does not want to end 'love affair' with small Navy School

By The Associated Press
Posted 11:50AM on Saturday 14th May 2005 ( 20 years ago )
<p>The sound of a cell phone ringing from a classroom at the Navy Supply Corps School is golden to the owners of the Black Forest Bakery about a block away.</p><p>"If a young man's cell phone rings in class, he has to come and buy doughnuts for the class," said Sandy Reed, who runs the bakery with her husband, Christopher.</p><p>"Many young men have been in here to do that," she added.</p><p>The NSCS _ known in Athens simply as the Navy School _ has been an important part of the local economy for 51 years, but now it has been targeted to fall to the Base Realignment and Closure cuts.</p><p>The University of Georgia is Athens' major employer, but the loss of the base and its more than 500 jobs would be felt. A recent Chamber of Commerce study said the base provides an annual economic impact of about $70 million to the area.</p><p>That's a lot of doughnuts.</p><p>"It's substantial enough for us to know what a loss it would be," Reed said. "It's phenomenal what they do for us."</p><p>Aside from the economic impact, residents in the part of Athens known as Normal Town simply don't like change. Institutions like the Navy School, the neighborhood bakery and the local hardware store aren't supposed to leave.</p><p>Hugh Logan, 82, says he attended elementary school and high school on what is now the campus of the Navy School. For more than a half century he has watched from his Normal Hardware front doors as officers have passed through the school.</p><p>Logan points to an inscription on the doorway of his store that reads "Remodeled in 1909."</p><p>"This building was built in the 1800s," he said, adding "Some things have changed since back then."</p><p>Other things haven't changed. Since 1954, all active-duty supply corps officers have been trained in Athens.</p><p>"They've just been outstanding young people who have come through here," Logan said.</p><p>Just as local businesses have embraced the supply corps officers, some officers _ including two retired commanders of the base _ have retired in Athens.</p><p>"It's a love affair, and it's been a love affair for 51 years," said retired Navy Capt. Len Sapera, who commanded the school from 1987 to 1990.</p><p>"Athens is a great Navy town," Sapera said.</p><p>Added retired Capt. George Huban, commander from 1994 to 1996: "We've been fortunate to land here. This is a rare place."</p><p>Sapera says it doesn't matter that the only water near Athens is the Oconee River, or that the school is targeted to move to Newport, R.I., on a port.</p><p>"What we do, we don't need to be on the water," Sapera said. "We may not be on the water, but 95 percent of our students go directly to the fleet. This is one of the more efficient bases in the Navy. We are a great training base."</p><p>Despite widespread speculation that Athens would be included in the cuts, the supporters of the school say they expected good news.</p><p>"We're disappointed," said Sapera, part of a group that will continue to fight for the base to remain in Athens. "We thought we made our case very well. They're closing every small base in the world, no matter how excellent they are."</p>

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