BY STEPHEN H. COWLES/STAFF WRITER
Playback58@gmail.com

FRANKLIN—A Franklin man seeks public support to have a community boat landing rebuilt at Round Gut Creek, located off the Nottoway River.

“I’ve been coming down here since 1966,” said Jesse Drewery, 85. He added he uses the site at Delaware Road only about three or four times a year.

Still, Drewery wants to make the access easier for fishermen who more frequently come to the place.

“I believe you need to give back to the community,” he said.

Pointing out the remains of a previous effort that used bricks for a landing, Drewery figures there’s been one in some form or another since the Great Depression era.

“People before me did a good job,” he said.

Having decided to take on this project himself, Drewery first sought permission from Cass Camp, who said his family has owned that piece of land leading to the creek since 1975.

“I’ve known Mr. Drewery most of my life,” said Camp, who added that it’s “been awhile” since he’s fished in that creek himself.

Camp figures there’s been a natural access to the river for about 100 years.

“That landing goes back many, many years and has been used as a fishing hole. It’s a good access point,” he said. “People over the years have just improved it themselves.”

“The landing got to point of being in disrepair, and it became difficult to get boats in,” Camp continued. “Mr. Drewery asked permission to rectify it and I thought it would be fine.”

Camp checked with his mother, Gail, and aunt, Suzette Carpenito, to whom the property belongs.

“Both are fine with it,” he added.

The landing site is not officially a public fishing place, Camp said, adding, “I hope it will be like it used to be, a nice, quiet area to enjoy nature.”

Drewery said he knows it’s too soon to tell about the exact level of concern.

“I certainly hope to help him with it,” said Ken Behnken, who lives near the corner of Delaware and Sycamore Church roads.

Behnken said he fishes at the creek “quite frequently,” often catching bream, shell crackers and crappies.

Drewery’s hope is to get three to four other people willing to donate some money, materials and time to create a new foundation and ditches along the perimeter to drain water.

With the use of a backhoe or bulldozer, the work could be completed quickly.

“My guess is a day,” Drewery said. He noted the distance from the road to the water is about 150 feet.

For anyone interested in the project, meet Drewery at 9 a.m. Saturday, June 8 at the path that leads to the creek. This is located after Cherokee Drive off Delaware Road.

Contact Drewery at 562-4651 for more details.