Volume 61/ Number 20
Southport, N.C.
January 1,1992 / 50 cents
South Brunswick’s Kevin Smith, a sophomore,
passes off in championship game action against Wil
mington Laney. The Cougars, who earlier had
beaten 4A schools Athens Drive of Raleigh and Wil
mington New Hanover, were tied with Laney’s Buc
caneers with 21 seconds left, but Laney converted
'hot*i by Ed Harper
two free throws and South Brunswick failed on two
attempts to respond before the final buzzer. More
on the UCB Holiday Classic and a look ahead to Fri
day’s game with 4A Wilmington Hoggard on page
14.
Fiscally-fit Brunswick
the challenge for 1992
By Holly Edwards
County Editor
^r*
The major challenge for Bruns
wick. County in 1992 will be to
remain fiscally responsible and, at
the same time, ensure that the level
of services provided by the county
satisfies the needs of the people, ac
cording to county manager/attomey
David Clegg. But, he said, the
county’s broad goals are compli
cated and arc composed of thou
sands of smaller issues.
"Brunswick County is a unique
place to live and govern and ad
minister. You cannot grow as much
as wc have and expect everything to
be ‘textbook.’ If Brunswick County
hadn’t been innovative, it would
have collapsed. And, it’s this in
novation that makes Brunswick
County unique and makes it a chal
lenge," said Clegg.
Examples of Brunswick County’s
innovation include the largest non
municipal water system in the state;
one of the largest parks and recrea
tion departments; an industrial park;
a 911 system in the works; and the
provision of services for rich people,
poor people, retirees and young
people who need schools and col
leges.
"The dichotomies present here arc
unlike many other places," said
Clegg. "We have agriculture and
golf, small businesses and nuclear
power plants, fishing boats and
fleets."
The challenge is to provide a vari
ety of services and remain financial
ly conservative, according to com
missioner Donald Shaw. "The main
thing is to give more people more
services for less tax money," he
said. "We want more work per tax
payer dollar."'
Shaw said he would like to sec the
quality and efficiency of each
See Brunswick, page 10
‘Revenues didn’t pan out...’
Cost cuts, efficiency
key to Southport ’92
uy Kicnard i\ubel
Municipal Editor
The destiny of Southport in 1992
may well be outlined at a planned
retreat of aldermen, the mayor and
city staff members on January 25.
Aldermen have planned a wide
ranging agenda of goals for 1992
and the first critical elements of a
city budget may begin to take shape
during retreat discussions.
Mayor Norman Holden said Fri
day much of the discussion may
focus on responsibilities of depart
ments of city government and of
citizen volunteers who serve boards
and committees.
"We’re going to look at the overall
city," Holden said. "We’re going to
look at where we can cut back and
where we can make government
more efficient."
‘From a revenue
standpoint, two
things will be help
ful: Release of the
library, and the fire
and rescue tax dis
trict.’
Rob Hites
City manager
Efficiency may be critical to
Southport in 1992. City manager
Rob Hites said this week that
revenue projections for the current
fiscal year, which ends June 30,
1992, have not panned out in a lag
ging economy.
"The (fiscal) problems Wilming
ton and New Hanover County are
having aren’t any different than
those in Southport - or any other
city," Hites said. "Revenues didn’t
pan out the way we wanted this year
because of the down-turn in die
economy."
Sales taxes, beer and wine taxes
and ABC revenue arc directly tied to
the amount of money people spend
in Southport. Electric and water
revenues also tend to reflect the eco
nomic upset felt all over the country.
But, two modifications in the way
local government will do business in
Brunswick County next year will
work to- Southport’s advantage,
See Southport, page 23
Long Beach:
Cooperation with neighbors,
consensus anticipated in ’92
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
1992 ushers in a new political era
in local government for Long Beach
as a result of the last election and
the new year heralds a time'of in
creased cooperation with neighbor
ing governments.
Those were the observations of
Long Beach town manager David
Poston on Monday.
"Everything’s working, falling
into place," Poston said. "The new
board’s in place. They’re asking
questions. When citizens have a
concern, they come in. It’s working
very well right now."
Poston speaks of the immediate
post-election time. On November 5
the voters of Long Beach apparently
opted for change; Six-year mayor
John W. Vereen, III, was ousted
from office in an'October primary
race. He was replaced by planning
board member Joan Altman as the
town’s new political leader.
Altman and Vereen have no
similarities.
More change came in the Novem
ber election which will impact the
town politically in 1992.
Former commissioners David
Drummond and Jean Gray, known
for their conservatism, were also re
placed. Commissioner Kevin Bell
Comitywide offices
Filing period to ojben Monday
Those wishing to become candidates for countywide offices may begin
filing notices of candidacy with the Brunswick County Board of Elections
on Monday, January 6.
But those seeking election to the General Assembly or the U. S. Congress
will have to wait. The U. S. Justice Department recently rejected North
Carolina’s new redistricting plan, claiming it did not create enough
minority-dominated districts.
The General Assembly was called into session this week to redraw dis
trict lines acceptable to the Justice Department. At least one more
minority-dominated House seat, one more minority-dominated Senate seat
and an altered Congressional seat are expected.
Under the terms of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, electoral districts must
be redrawn every ten years to reflect changes in the census. The latest
redistricting effort reflects population movement noted in the 1990 census.
Among the countywide offices for which candidates may begin filing
January 6 are board of commissioners and board of education seats from
District 1 and IJistrict 3. The offices of register of deeds and coroner are
also to be decided this year.
Although the General Assembly may delay the filing period for statewide
offices, local elections officials will likely accept candidate notices from
January 6 at noon until February 3 at noon. Voter registration rolls will be
open until April 6 and a primary election -- at which Democrats and Re
publicans will narrow their fields of candidates -- will be held May 5. If a
run-off election is needed it will be held June 2.
Current officials whose terms of office expire this year include District 1
county commissioner Kelly Holden and District 3 county commissioner
Gene Pinkerton, both of whom have said publicly they will not seek re
election. The terms of office currently held by board of education members
Doug Baxley in District 1 and Bob Slockett in District 3 are set to expire in
December.
Register of deeds Robert J. Robinson, a three-term incumbent, and
coroner Greg White, a two-term incumbent, also-face a decision of whether
or not to seek re-election.
On November 7, Brunswick County adopted its own redistricting plan at
public referendum. The plan is considered valid and in compliance \vith the
Voting Rights Act at this time. Electoral districts in Brunswick County are
established for candidate residency only. All county officials are elected at
large.
chose not to run, paving the way for
a third new commissioner.
Joining mayor Altman on the new
governing board will be newly
enfranchised commissioners David
Durr, William Easley and Horace
Collier, all said lo feel relatively
compatible with the progressive in
cumbents Danny Leonard and Jeff
See Long Beach, page 22
Armed robbery at
Sawdust Trail UCB
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
Sheriff’s detectives and FBI agents had no firm clues Monday as to
the identity of a man who committed the armed robbery of the United
Carolina Bank branch at Sawdust Trail Friday afternoon.
A man entered the UCB building near Southport about 4:05 p.m., said
he had a weapon and demanded money, investigators say.
"A white male entered the bank and gave the teller a note demanding
money in higher bills, no small bills," sheriff’s detective Larry Joyner
said. "After that he ran out the door in the direction of Hardee’s
restaurant."
The robber is further described as between 24 and 30 years of age,
about six feet tall, weighing about 160 pounds. He had medium-length
brown hair and had a heavy mustache at the time of the robbery. He
was last seen wearing a light-colored baseball cap,'a blue plaid shirt,
blue jeans and tennis shoes.
The Sawdust Trail UCB branch has a traffic exit adjoining one that
accesses Hardee’s. Witnesses said they believe the man fled on foot
through a wooded area just behind the Hardee’s parking lot, where he
may have had a car standing by.
Although sheriff’s deputies within minutes set up roadblocks on N. C.
87 and 133 near the Sunny Point intersection and at another point on N.
See Robbery, page 7
Video surveillance equipment caught the robber of UCB’s Saw
dust Trail branch in the act Friday afternoon.