THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
VOLUME 43 NUMBER 45 16 PAGES TODAY SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA MAY 31, 1972 ~~ 5 CENTS A COPY PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDA Y
Voters Return To Polls
Saturday For 2nd Ballot
Candidates who seek a
second chance at their
party’s nomination on the
November ballot have called
for runoffs, to be held this
Saturday on the county,
district, and state levels.
There is only one county
contest slated, involving
Wayland Vereen and Herman
Strong, who are vying for the
Democratic nomination for
commissioner from Smith
ville Township. In the first
primary May 6, Vereen led
Strong by a slim 13-vote
margin.
The election will be county
wide. Races for two other
township nominations in
volved two candidates and no
runoff resulted, but Bobby
Thorsen ran a strong race in
Smithville, though finishing
third, and received more than
1,000 votes.
In the 7th Congressional
District, Hector McGeachy
has called for a second
primary to oppose Charlie
Rose, who almost won the
Democratic nomination on
the first ballot. McGeachy,
who has gained the support of
retiring incumbent Alton
Lennon, barely edged Doran
Berry for second place and
trailed Rose about two-to
one, but feels that he can win
enough of the third man’s
vote and sway enough sup
port away from Rose to win.
The nomination for
governor is open in both the
Democratic and Republican
parties.
Skipper Bowles led Lt.
Gov. Pat Taylor by about
60,000 votes in the first
primary while picking up 45
percent ot the total vote, said
he is continuing to campaign
on the issues, not per
sonalities. Taylor, who said
he was out-spent and out
fought in the first primary,
hopes to make a better
showing with the support of
losing candidates Wilbur
Hobby and Reginald
Hawkins.
Republicans Jim Gardner
and Jim Holshouser are in
volved in a fierce battle in the
last week of campaigning.
Gardner, who edged
Holshouser by about 1,200
votes on May 6 but failed to
get a majority, has accused
his opponent of distributing
Wallace - and - Gardner
bumper stickers to discredit
his campaign. Holshouser
said he is willing to forgive
Former Southport Girl
Is State Nurse Of Year
Mrs. Rebecca Helms
Thompson of Lumberton was
named North Carolina Nurse
of the Year by the North
Carolina Medical Society at
its annual meeting in
Pinehurst last Wednesday.
She is a former Southport
resident, the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. J.B. Helms of Long
Beach.
* The annual award by the
i*. - ..Medical Society was
presented by Dr. Alfred R.
Pittman of Lumberton.
v, “There has been an un
precedented outpouring of
endorsements from the
physicians of Robeson County
as to Mrs. Thompson’s
professional competence and
commitment, and from her
fellow citizens as a worthy
and compassionate prac
titioner of the healing arts,”
Dr. Pittman said in
presenting the award.
A native of Albemarle,
Mrs. Thompson was
graduated from Southeastern
General Hospital School of
Nursing in 1964. While a staff
nurse in Dosher Memorial
Hospital in Southport she
married and returned to
Lumberton where she has
risen promptly and deser
vedly to positions of high
responsibility and service,
Dr. Pittman said.
Time And Tide
There was a picture of the late Dorothy Bell (Mrs. W.W.
Kauffman) on the front page of The Pilot for June 2, 1937, an
nouncing that she was valedictorian of her graduating at
High Point College. There was another picture, this one of the
new Cape Fear Pilot Association boat, christened the R.R.
Stone.
Ambassador and Mrs. Josephus Daniels had visited South
port and has been guests of honor at a reception at the home of
Judge and Mrs. E.H. Cranmer; Bingo the Irish setter, owned
by the late Mayor John D. Erickson, has been returned after
being missing for three months; and there was a cigarette
advertisement quoting an endorsement from the late Lou
Grehrig.
World War II was going on back in 1942, but most of the front
page news in The Pilot for June 3 was about politics. The late
J.W. Ruark had defeated the late Walter Stanaland for the
nomination for State Senate; W.J. McLamb had gained the
nomination for House of Representatives and Dillon L. Gainey
had been nominated for the office of sheriff on the Democrat
ticket.
One front-page headline called plane spotters the “Minute
Men of War”; beachcombers were being urged to save
significant objects they might find washed upon the shore
during the summer vacation season; and a Shallotte youth,
Wingate Swain, was planning to enter medical school in the fall.
(Continued On Page Four)
MHMR M* Hk. ___
According to the citation
presented to Mrs. Thompson,
“She has continued her
professional education
through numerous post
graduate course, has made
herself expert in the
emerging fields of speciality
nursing in intensive care and
coronary care, and serves
now as supervisor of both
these units in Southeastern,.
General Hospital.
During these years Mrs.
Thompson has mothered two
daughters and has main
tained an active life with her
family, according to the
citation. Her husband, a
young civic worker on his
own, has been joined by his
wife in many community and
church activities.
In addition to much work in
professional training of her
hospital co-workers, Mrs.
Thompson has also devoted
attention to indoctrinating
lay groups in emergency
medical care, and has been
active in professional nursing
groups and volunteer health
organizations and cam
paigns.
Pageant Entry
Deadline Today
Deadline for contestants to
enter the Miss Fourth of July
pageant is Thursday. In
terested young ladies are
asked to contact either Emily
Blake or Connie Young.
Each contestant must be
sponsored by a member of
the Southport Jaycees and
must be 17 by September, at
least a rising senior and not
more than 22-years old.
Gardner -> the in
terest of pari> unify.
Other races on the state
level involve Billy Creel and
John Brooks, competing for
the commissioner of labor
seat, and Russell Secrest and
John Ingram, vying for the
insurance commissioner
post.
In the U.S. Senate race,
Nick Galifiankis held a
substantial lead over B.
Everett Jordan in the first
primary, but the incumbent
saw indications that he might
win if another vote was
held.
In the first primary,
the county favored Bowles for
the Democratic nomination
for governor, Gardner for the
Republican nomination, Rose
for Congress, Secrest for
insurance commisioner,
Creel for commisioner of
labor and Jordan for U.S.
Senate.
A light turn-out is usual for
second primary elections, but
in the first primary fewer
than half of the county’s 12.00C
registrants voted. Depending
on the weather, that figure
could be surpassed. ‘ ?;
Polls in Southport will be at
the courthouse for voters
living eastof Howe Street and
at the stoplight comer for
those living to the west. Oak
Island voters will cast ballots
at the I^ong Beach town hall.
GOP Officers
Are Selected *;
Charles Blake of Southport
was reappointed chairman of
the Brunswick County
Republican party at the
county convention held last
Saturday at Shallotte.
Mrs. Betty Smith of South
port was named vice
chairman and Mrs. Marge
Mooney of Supply was naiped
secretary.
Delegates to the district
convention, held tonight
(Wednesday) in Whiteville,
are L.C. Babson, Linda
Packer, Mavis Freeman,
Marge Mooney, Betty Smith,
Charles Blake, John Bray,
J.T. Clemmons, Judy Cowan,
Susan Edgerton, Bill Ezzell,
Jeannette Galloway, George
Inman, Homer King, Arthur
Knox, Bill Kopp, Johnny
Mills, Karen Perry, Dewey
Sellers and Harold Willetts.
Alternates named Saturday
include Jerry Lewis, Reba
Sellers, Elizabeth Willetts,
Barbara Gore, Donald
Willetts, Gail Kopp, Linda
Mooney, Thomas Horne, Mrs.
Goerge Inman, Jim Jeffries,
Pam Jeffries, Luke Appling,
Ruby Babson, Jacqueline K.
Blake, Shannon Bray,
Katherine Clemmons, David
Clemmons, Elizabeth
Clemmons, Paul Day, Cleon
Evans and Connie Evans.
. {‘■■mWHmIt
RIBBON-CUTTING ceremonies at the new
Western Auto store were performed by Southport
Mayor Dorothy Gilbert. John and Shannon Bray,
B BHHhE -
who operate the store on North Howe Street,
watch from the right.
THE NC 211 BRIDGE across the Carolina
Power and Light Company canal near Southport
should open Thursday morning, providing a
second route to tow:' and eliminating much of the
congestion of Brown and Root traffic. The bridge
is completed, but must pass inspection of the
State Highway Commission before the detour
signs are removed.
Island Bridge Won’t Start
Until 1973, SHC Reports
An estimated crowd of 200
persons attending a public
hearing conducted by
officials of the State Highway
Commission here'Wednesday
concerning the location and
plans for the Oak Island
bridge appeared to favor the
decision to build the new
bridge adjacent to the site of
the old structure, but there
was a groan when an
nouncement was made that
completion of the project
appears to be at least two
years away.
Highway Bids
Are Received
Lincoln Construction
Company and Columbus
Contractors, Inc., have
submitted the apparent low
lads for work on US 74-76 near
Leland.
Lincoln submitted the
apparent low bids for work on
US 74-76 near Leland.
Lincoln submitted a bid of
$1,617,369 for roadway con
struction while Columbus
Contractors estimated
$579,737.78 for structures. The
work includes 1.136 miles of
grading and structures for
the relocation of US 74-76 and
US 17 from about one mile
east of state road 1437
eastward to a point about one
half mile west of exisitng US
74-76.
Final completion date is to
be November 1, 1973.
The bids, which were
received last week by th<
State Highway Commission,
will be reviewed tomorrow
(Thursday).
Following opening remarks
by Highway Commission
David Parnell of Parkton,
during which he introduced
other highway officials
present, R.W. McGowan,
assistant chief engineer in
charge of pre-construction,
took charge of the meeting.
He read into the record
certain facts and findings
included in preliminary
planning and study of
ecological impact, reported
on some of the plans for
drainage and landscaping,
then opened the session to
statements, which were
made a part of the record of
proceedings.
First to take the mike was
Paul C. Plybon, who said he
represented 6000 property
owners at Long Beach, who
called for the bridge to be
constructed at the Yellow
Banks instead of at the old
location.
Plybon listed six reasons
why residents feel the bridge
should have been built at the
Yellow Banks site: (1)
sheltered approaches; (2)
economics of constructing a
bridge of several hundred
feet vs. several thousand; (3)
aid community in ironing out
certain ecological and
economic functions;
(4) elimination of traffic at
the local airport; (5) shorter
distance for tourists from
upstate; (6) with the problem
involved, the ideal solution
would be to build a bridge in
both places.
Next to speak was Latham
Brooks of Raleigh,
representing the Baptist
State Convention at Ft.
Caswell. He commended
highway officials for plan
$100 From Students
Rescue Squad
Given Donation
The Juniors Betas of
Waccamaw High School have
presented a check for $100 to
the Shallotte Volunteer
Rescue Squad.
The 21 boys and girls,
members of the seventh and
eighth grades, were
unanimous in selecting the
rescue squad as the
beneficiary of their fund
raising efforts during the past
school year. They felt that the
volunteer organization was
providing a service that
might be needed at any time
by anyone in their com
munity.
“We’d like to challenge
other school groups to top our
donation next year,” said
Junior Beta President Stan
Walton, “because we know
that even though it’s possible
others might be able to raise
more money than we did, our
community would still be the
big winner.
A national organization, the
students must have average
grades of 90 or better before
they are invited to join Junior
Betas. They must maintain
an 85 average to remain in
the club.
ning the bridge location, and
said he was doing it on behalf
of “hundreds of thousands of
people in the state who use
Fort Caswell.”
“I wish all those who wish
more facilities luck, but I
commend the building at the
old bridge site,” Brooks said.
He said in an ordinary
season, the Assembly
Grounds served 10,000 to
12,000 people. “The bridge is
in the proper location where
it’s been and it will serve Fort
Caswell in the proper way,”
Brooks said to a round of
applause.
Ernest Parker, a Southport
attorney representing 700
citizens and residents of
Southport, Fort Caswell,
Yaupon Beach and Long
Beach, said he would like “to
point out that 90 per cent of
the business and permanent
population on the island is
located east of the yellow
(Continued On Page Four)
Plans Made To
Berth Lightship
The Frying Pan Lightship
Commission has applied for a
Department of the Army
permit to dredge a slip for the
lightship, which will be
preserved as a historic
museum on the Southport
waterfront.
Plans submitted with the
application show a slip
located at the foot of Howe
Street alongside the existing
pier extending into the In
tracoastal Waterway. The
slip is proposed to measure
approximately 400 feet long,
30 feet wide, and is to be
dredged to a depth of 14 feet
below mean low water.
Approximately 4,000 cubic
yards of material is proposed
to be removed by dragline and
placed above the mean high
water line behind a rock
retaining wall adjacent to
and just east of the slip.
The purpose of the work is
to provide a permanent
berthing facility for the
lightship, which is to be
maintained as a historic
museum and tourist at
traction.
The North Carolina
Division of Commercial and
Sports Fisheries is currently
circulating the application to
all state agencies to insure
that the various agency in
terests are satisfied prior to
the issuance of a State permit
for the work. A review of
water quality considerations
will be made by the N.C.
Office of Water and Air
Resources during the state
review process. No federal
permit will be issued until
written assurance is received
that the coordinated
viewpoint of the state is
favorable.
The applicant has
requested that the reveiw of
this matter be handled ex
peditiously in order for the
work, if approved, to be
accomplished as soon as
possible to allow the
placement of the vessel in its
berth prior to the annual
observance of Independence
Day on July 4.
Party Caucus
Renames Odell
Odell Williamson was
elected chairman of the
Brunswick County
Democratic party at the
annual convention held in
Shallotte Saturday afternoon.
Williamson had served the
latter part of the past two
year term as chairman due to
the resignation of Grover
Gore, attorney of Southport.
Other officers elected were l
Ollie Hickman of Bolivia,
first vice-chairman; George
Rourk of Leland, second vice
chairman and Mrs. Faye
Ingram of Freeland, third
vice-chairman.
Mrs. Ouida H. Hewett of
Shallotte was re-elected
secretary and A. Clement
Holden of Supply was elected
treasurer. Franklin Ran
dolph of Bolivia and Mrs.
Naomi Henry of Winnabow
were elected to the state
Executive Committee.
Harold Robinson of Supply ■
and Arizona Hartfield of
Shallotte were elected to the
state Senatorial Committee.
Mack Hewett of Shallotte and
Ix)ree Gore of Long wood
were elected to the
Congressional District
Committee, and Edward
Clemmons of Bolivia and
Homer Anderson of Shallotte
were elected to the Judicial
Executive Committee.
Delegates elected to attend
the 7th Congressional District
(Continued On Page FVjur)