VOL UME 45 NUMBER 41
THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
24 PAGES TODA Y SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA
MAY 1, 1974
10 CENTS A COPY PUBLI SHED E VER Y WEDNESDA Y
ANOTHER STEP towards the conversion of
Frying Pan Lightship into a nautical museum
was taken this week with the construction of a
reception-type enclosure on the ramp leading to
the vessel. The completion of the project in time
for the Fourth of July celebration should pose a
stiff challenge for volunteer workers;
nonetheless, the fresh-red paint job on the Frying
Pan has added to the appeal of the Southport
waterfront.
Bill Blake, Ellen Richards
Cited For Outstanding Work
Southport Jaycees and
Jaycettes held their annual
Installation Banquet on
Saturday at the Jaycee
building in Southport.
The pirpose of the banquet
was to install new officers for
the coming year and to
present awards of
achievement and certificates
of appreciation to individuals
and businesses in the com
munity that have provided
valuable assistance to the
local organization.
Newly - elected officers for
the Jaycees are: president,
Steve Dixon; first vice -
president, Tommy Gilbert;
second vice - president, Rick
Johnstone; secretary, Doug
Ledgett; treasurer, Lee
Aldridge; director, Jack
Burnish; director, Hammie
Ballantine, state director,
John Richards.
Newly - elected officers for
ELLEN RICHARDS AND BILL BLAKE were recognized for outstanding
Jaycette and Jaycee achievement during annual Installation Banquet ac
tivities Saturday night at the Southport Jaycee Building.
Bud Dixon Killed, Buried;
Security Measures Taken
Quiet and peaceful South
port looked for a few hours
Sunday like a town under
military occupation aa scores
of law enforcement officers
from a half-dozen agencies
came here not only to honor
Louis David Dixon but to
insure that his funeral ser
vices would not be disrupted
nor members of his family
harmed.
Following the death of this
Southport man last Wed
nesday near Nogales,
Arizona, there had been
threats of reprisal. Offices of
the U.S. Customs Service
guarded the body throughout
the ordeal and were backed
up by the FBI, state, county
and municipal officers
numbering more than 50.
Dixon, an agent with the
U.S. Customs Service, was
killed during an arrest at
tempt last Wednesday when
he was struck In the upper
chest by a shotgun blast at
close range. Also killed In this
Mexican border Incident
were his partner Charles J.
Brokinski, and Michael
Williams, believed to have
been the driver of a pick-up
truck In which 200 lbs. of
marijuana was siezed.
Dixon’s body arrived at
New Hanover County airport
Sunday morning under heavy
guard. Security precautions
also had been taken at the
terminal before his arrival.
The trip from Wilmington to
Southport was made in a
funeral cortage comprised of
more than a dozen vehicles
bearing armed law en
forcement officers.
Prior to the arrival here of
the body, arrangements had
been set up to have guards on
duty at Gilbert’s Funeral
Service and at Trinity United
Methodist Church where
services were held at 4
o’clock that afternoon.
Armed members of the
U.S. Customs Service stood
guard over his body at all
times.
Following the services In
Southport, the body was
carried on Monday to Clyde,
a mountain community near
(Continued On Page 24)
the Jaycettes are: president,
Hazel Trott; first vice •
president, Kris Ballantine;
second vice - president,
Emily Blake; secretary, Sara
Burnish; treasurer, Susie
King; state director, Patti
Lewis.
The officers were installed
by Southeast Regional
National Director Bill Ezzell.
Additionally, several new
members were formally
installed at the banquet: Bill
Furpless, Dave Whitten, Bill
Hegler, Frank Chandler and
Don Ward.
Other new members
eligible but not installed at
the banquet were Hank
Mathis, Larry Calhoun, Tom
Harper, Richard Owens, Bill
Evans, Jerry Dilsaver,
(Continued On Page 11)
Board Of Education Vote, Too
Politics ’74 First Round
To Be Contested Tuesday
i By BILL ALLEN
Brunswick voters, both
Democrats and Republicans,
will go to the polls Tuesday to
nominate candidates for
various county and state
offices and elect members of
the Board of Education.
Chairman Lester Babson of
the Board of Elections an
nounced this week that 12,834
residents of Brunswick
County are eligible to vote
Tuesday. The total includes
9,674 Democrats, 2,941
Republicans, 78 American
Party, and 141 Independent
or No-Party.
Chairman Babson reported
that polls in the 20 voting
precincts in the county
reportedly will be open from
6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. to allow
voters to cast ballots.
The 20 precincts which will
be used Tuesday include two
new ones created from
Northwest and Town Creek
townships — Wood burn and
Belville.
The voting results will be
tabulated at the County
Election Headquarters at the
Agriculture Building in
Supply Tuesday night. The 20
precincts will telephone
results to the headquarters.
Republicans will nominate
candidates for the state
House of Representatives,
sheriff, and the board of
commissioners. Democrats
will select candidates for the
State Senate, state House of
Representatives, district
Allen Joins
Pilot Staff
A former Brunswick
County newsman has Joined
the staff of The State Port
Pilot.
William Gaston (Bill)
Allen, 35, will serve as a
member of the staff while
Bobby Hill serves three
months’ active duty at Ft.
Bennlng, Ga. Hill was a
member of the Army ROTC
program at N.C. State and
joined The Pilot staff in
February, 1973.
Allen, who was a member
(Continued On Page 24)
judge, board of county
commissioners and sheriff.
Voters in the county also
will nominate candidates for
the U.S. Senate, the U.S.
House of Representatives and
state judicial posts.
In addition to nominating
candidates to run in the fall
general election, Brunswick
County voters will elect three
members to the Board of
Education Tuesday.
Incumbents Wilbur E.
Rabon, May W. Barbee and
John T. Madison are being
challenged for their Board of
Education seats by Barbara
(Bobbie) Yount, Carter T.
Lambeth, James R.
Prevatte, Franklin Randolph
and Thomas F. Gray.
Most observers in both
political parties believe the
races for sheriff and the
board of commissioners will
highlight the voting in the
Brunswick County primaries
Tuesday.
In the Republican primary,
Incumbent Sheriff Harold
Willetts is being challenged
l?y Alvie E. Lewis.
D.E. Tripp, J. Walton Willi*
and Herman Strong are
battling it out in the
Democratic primary for
sheriff to earn the right to
meet the Republican winner
in the fall.
Eight Republicans in
cluding all five incumbents,
are fighting for five seats on
the board of county com
(Continued On Page 24)
Lackey Plans Expansion,
Selects Davis New V-P
James W. Davis, former
executive director of the N.C.
State Ports Authority, has
been named vice-president of
development at Lackey In
dustries at Leland, Company
President E.G. (Red) Lackey
announced this week.
President Lackey also
announced that Lackey In
dustries will undergo a $3
million expansion program
which will increase em
ployment at the plant site
northwest of Leland.
President Lackey reported
Leland Bridge
Work Coming
An $8 million construction
contract will be let for two
dual-lane bridges over the
Brunswick River near Leland
as soon as the Department of
Transportation (DOT)
receives the required Coast
Guard permit, it was an
nounced this week.
Division Engineer T.W.
Funder bunk said the project
will replace the present two
lane bridge, which currently
serves about 20,000 cars and
trucks each day.
He estimated that the
project, which is part of a
seven-year highway
program, will take almost
three years to construct.
Some $1.7 million in right-of
way has already been
secured for the project.
Division Engineer Fun
ierbunk reported that the
bridge construction will be
coupled with a 1.6 - mile, four
lane development which will
link the project with the four
lane construction of U.S. 74-76
near Leland. The paving
contract is due for bids next
month, he said.
The only proposed dredging
included in the project will be
in Brunswick River and
Alligator Creek to provide fill
for the four-lane road con
struction.
Since the project was first
proposed, District Engineer
Funderbunk said, several
changes had to be made
because of the environmental
statement. One change in
volved lengthening the bridge
to place the abutments fur
ther away from the river
banks. Fill will be required at
each end of the structure.
that the contracts for the
major expansion of storage
facilities at the warehouse
development will be signed
within two or three weeks.
Employment will increase to
250 persons, he noted.
Vice-President Davis’ first
assignment at Lackey In
dustries will be to work with
the expansion project.
“Davis has had con
siderable background for
this,” President Lackey
noted.
Davis, who is well-known in
Brunswick County because of
his work with the Southport
Boat Harbor, resigned from
the SPA early in the spring
after serving as executive
director for 12 years.
Before coming to North'
Carolina in 1062, Davis was
secretary-treasurer and
director of planning of the
Maryland Port Authority for
six years. He served as
executive director of the Port
of Baltimore Commission
from 1951 to 1966. Prior to
accepting the Baltimore Port
position, Davis, who is a 19J7
graduate of North Carolina
State University In Raleigh,
was a civilian engineer with
the Baltimore district of the
Corps of Army Engineers for
14 years.
President Lackey said a
major portion of the expense
of the project will go for the
(Continued On Page 24)
THREE GRANDCHILDREN of the late Leo Dowling Sr.,
presented blood pressure testing equipment in his memory to
Dosher Memorial Hospital on Monday. (Mrs Dowline was the
former Ellen Dosher.) Left to right, above, Miss BertWene
vvamette, nurses’ assistant, and Mrs. Mary Jo Tyre, director
of nurses, accept the equipment from the donors, Mrs. John
naie Dowling Carroll, Mrs. Lee Dowling Rogers and Steven
Sleele. The equipment consisted of three
sphygmomanometers and three stethoscopes.