THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
VOLUME 45 NUMBER 37 18 PAGES TOD A Y SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA APRIL 3,1974
10 CENTS A COPY PUBL /SHED E VER Y WEDNESDA Y
A DRY BOAT STORAGE BUILDING is being erected at the
Southport Boat Harbor, another step in the continuing
development of that popular facility. The new structure will be
located behind the present administration building.
Registrars, Judges Named
Sign-Up Ends Monday
For May 7 Elections
Voter registration ends
Monday for the May 7
{rimary.
Citizens may register at the
Brunswick Coanty Board of
Elections in Bolivia or with
their local registrars. The
election board office is open
Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays from 8:30 to 5 p.m!
p.m.
Absentee ballots will be
available upon application at
the county office until May 1
at 6 p.m.
Recent changes in the
election laws permit qualified
voters to vote by absentee
ballot in primary elections as
well as general elections.
If a registered voter ex
pects to be absent from the
county in which he is
registered during the entire
period that the polls are open
on election day, the voter
may apply for an absentee
ballot.
Voters unable to be present
at the voting places on
election day because of
sickness or other physical
disability may vote absentee.
Also, any qualified voter
who has been convicted of a
misdemeanor and is in
carcerated, whether in his
county of residence or
elsewhere, is entitled to vote
by absentee ballot.
If a voter unexpectedly
becomes ill or physically
disabled after the May 1
deadline and before 10 a.m.
on May 6, he or a near
relative may apply for ab
sentee ballots.
The application form must
be mailed or delivered in
person by the applicant or a
near relative to the chairman
or executive secretary of the
county board of elections.
Ballots are transmitted to the
voter only, not to a near
relative.
The rules also permit “one
stop absentee ballot voting.”
During the period for ap
plication and not later than 6
p.m. on Wednesday before
the election, a voter may
appear in person at the office
of the county board of elec
tions and request application
for absentee ballots. The
voter may complete the
application in the presence of
a member of the board or the
executive secretary, turn in
the application, receive the
ballots and vote then and
there.
All ballots must be received
not later than 6 p.m. on the
day before the election.
Ballots received later than
this hour will not be accepted
Allegedly Pumping Illegal Gas
Clemmons, Sheriff Call
Rumors ‘Vicious Lies’
By BOBBY HILL
Saying he withdrew but re
entered the May 7 primary
last week, Commissioner J.T.
Clemmons Monday termed
recent rumors about him a
“vicious he.”
Clemmons said the rumors
which prompted his with
drawal were “that I had been
locked up for selling illegal
gas; I was under $10,000
bond; I had stayed in Jail at
least one night.’’
The commissioner operates
Clem’s Texaco station on US
17 east of Shallotte. He
denounced the rumors at a
“press conference” at the
commissioner meeting
Monday.
Clemmons said he re
entered the campaign
Thursday after receiving
voter support for his can
didacy. He said voter opinion
showed him that his decision
to withdraw was “selfish for
myself and not considering
the public.”
Board of Elections
members confirmed they
allowed Clemmons both to
withdraw and to re-enter the
primary. Clemmons said
county elections chairman
Lester Babson received
aprroval for the moves from
state election chairman Alex
Brock in Raleigh.
Clemmons mentioned his
membership and high
ranking in the Shallotte Lions
and Jaycees organizations.
“I am still in the race,”
Clemmons declared. “I in
tend to win this primary. I
intend to be re-elected this
fall.”
The commissioner also said
similar rumors had been
prevalent during his political
campaign in 1966. He said he
was then alleged to have been
a member of the Ku Klux
Klan, a racist organization.
He said it was an “outright
lie” that he was a member of
this group.
Clemmons did not name
those persons spreading the
alleged rumors.
Dewey Sellers of Supply
was present at the conference
in support of Clemmons.
Sellers Ls a former GOP party
(Continued on page 2)
Shallotte, North Carolina
Maroh 26, 1974 ]
1
Brunswick County Board of Eleotions ^
Mr. Lester Batson, Chairman j
Bolivia, North Carolina
(
I>«ar Mr. Babson,
Iureapeotfully withdraw my name irom tha raoa for
County Commissioner and request that my name not appear
on tha May, 1974 Primary Ballot. }
Sinoarely, C
' /. *
J. T. Cla moons ^
Lockwood Folly Township f
Clemmons letter submitted, later withdraw
t
c
for voting.
Voters who have moved
can have their vote
challenged if they attempt to
cast their ballot in their old
precinct
The Brunswick County
(Continued on page 2)
Appling Out
Luke Appling of Yaupon
Beach, a Republican can
didate for county com
missioner, unofficially with
drew from the May 7 primary
Tuesday.
Although Appling's Mm*
will remain on the ballot he
said he no longer whmm—
himself ruining for the
nomination against OOP
candidate John Bray of
Southport
Election laws ^pmitiiy
allow official primary with
drawal only before the
deadline for filing
Appling said he is no longer
seeking the nomination
because his personal Ufa will
demand too much of hia time.
He said Tuesday. "(I am)
just too tied down and
unable to fully participate in
the program as (would be)
required.”
Shady Forest
Now A Town
The Shady Forest
development in the
Bonaparte’s Landing area
has been incorporated after
the passage of legislation
introduced by Sen. Arthur W.
Williamson.
Williamson said he
“worked closely” with Rep.
R.C. Soles to pass the
legislation. He said he in
troduced the bill on the
request of several Shady
Forest residents.
Shady Forest residents
reportedly sought the law to
prevent annexation by Sunset
Beach and inclusion in Sunset
Beach’s extraterritorial
zoning boundaries.
The Sunset Beach council
enacted the zoning ordinance
in early February, over the
protests of development
citizens who claimed the
extension would restrict their
ability to manage their
private property.
Easter Lily
Sales Noted,
The Brunswick County
Easter Seal Society, with
Mrs. AJP. Henry, Jr., serving
as chairman, will sell Easter
lilies to help raise money for
the Crippled Children’s Fund.
It is suggested that in
dividuals will want to pur
chase these lilies either for
themselves or to place in
their churches on Easter
Sunday and thereby help not
(Continued on page 2)
Armed Protest,
Nobody Is Hurt
Thomas Watson, 22, of
•Vrightsville Beach protested
the dismantling of the Watson
rome on Howe Street with a
oaded pistol Tuesday af
ternoon.
After talking three times
vith Chief Herman Strong,
Vatson reportedly went
jeaceably with law enfor
:ement officers.
Strong said Watson was
aken Tuesday evening to
Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro
or observation.
Although Watson
lischarged two shots from a
38 caliber pistol, Strong said
to charges were brought
gainst the boy. “He didn’t
urt anybody and just
ischarged the pistol in the
ir,” Strong said. “I think
rhen he decided people knew
e was protesting, he decided
j come out peaceably.”
Workmen were removing
le third story of the 19th
entury building in
preparation for moving it to a
new location. A saving and
loan association building will
replace the Watson home.
“They’re going to restore
the building like it was, ex
cept that they’re having to
remove the top story to get
the house under street wires
and all,” Strong said.
Strong talked to the youth
three times during his two
and one-half hour in the old
building. “I tried to instill in
him that what he was doing
was wrong,” he said. The
police chief laid his pistol
outside before entering the
house to talk with young
Watson. He persuaded him to
surrender about 4:30 p.m.
“I’m glad he listened to
reason and persuasion,”
Strong said.
The boy lives with his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. David
Watson, at their home in
Wrightsville Beach.
For County Schools
Central Complex
Is Recommended
A central administrative
office in the vicinity of Supply
has been recommended for
the Brunswick County Board
of Education.
The long - range proposal
was presented to the board
Monday night by represen
tatives of the Division of
School planning, N.C. Dept,
of Public Instruction.
Board of education
members are now con
sidering a long - range, $11
million school improvement
project. A new ad
ministrative building has
been identified as the final
priority, but Dr. J.L. Pierce,
director of the Division of
School Planning, placed
greater importance on a new
facility.
“The central office should
be one of the most attractive
places in Brunswick County,”
he said.
In designating the Supply
location, Dr. Darrell Spencer,
educational consultant with
the Division of School
Planning and a member of a
four - member committee
that compiled the survey,
said arguments could be
made for locating the ad
ministrative office north,
east, south or west of the
(Continued on page 2)
County Commissioners
Plans For County Offices
Deferred Pending Report
Plans for a county office
complex were postponed
Monday by the county
commissioners.
Engineering consultant
Jerry Lewis asked for the
delay to confer with ar
chitects of L.R. Evans &
Associates of Raleigh. He
Lewis Resigns
As Party Chief
Jerry Lewis resigned last
week as county chairman of
the Republican Party.
Lewis said growth of his
business “requires my full
attention,” in a letter dated
last Tuesday. He pledged his
“continued efforts to aid and
assist” the GOP candidates
in the upcoming May 7
primary.
Lewis had held the
chairman post since October.
He is a former county
manager.
He resigned the county
manager position about a
year ago to establish an
engineering consultant
business in Southport.
Lewis, in his letter to
“elected officials and can
didates,” expressed thanks to
members of his party for
“cooperation and support”
given him during his tenure
as chairman.
M.
said a report will be made
either April 16 or the
following commissioner
meeting.
“It looks like there might
be some changes," he said of
the need to consult with the
architects.
The commissioners March
18 expressed interest in
planning for a consolidated
office complex. Chairman
W.A. Kopp, Jr., said he
favored planning the complex
to allow “court - related
services ... to be located with
the court itself at all times.”
He said this would increase
efficiency.
Lewis said privately
Monday, “They (the com
missioners) made a decision
on what is going to happen
where.” He was referring to a
list of county offices,
distributed at either Supply
or Southport.
When the commissioners
contracted Lewis for office
(Continued on page 2)
Miss Brunswick County
Local Beauty
Begins Reign
Stephanie Helms of South
port was crowned Miss
Brunswick County Saturday
night at Shallotte Middle
School.
Miss Helms was also Miss
Fourth of July for 1972. She is
the daughter of Mrs. Doug
Ledgett.
Miss Helms placed first in a
field of seven contestants.
First and second runners
up were Aleta Knox of Bolivia
and Marian Elaine Ward of
Longwood, respectively.
Cathy Sue Long, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Don Long of
Leland, was named Miss
Congeniality by the other
beauty contestants.
The other contenders were
Enola Gaye Lanier of Leland,
Cheryl Holden of Shallotte
and Karen Fulford of
Shallotte.
The girls were judged in
talent, evening dress and
swimsuit competition.
Miss Helms sang a medley
(Continued on page 2)
(Courtesy of Brunswick Beacon)
Stephanie Helms, new Miss Brunswick County, is crowned