Corn mi
BY SUSAN USHER
Brunswick County Commissioners
Monday night endorsed a location
"adjacent to or within one mile of the
Brunswick Hospital" for a proposed
nursing home.
Their unanimous vote came at the
request of a citizens' group representing
the Brunswick County Hospital
Authority, which is encouraging the
application of Beverly Enterprises
for a certificate of need to build on a
tract adjoining the hospital.
Robert Sellers, chairman of the
Authority, and Rev. Ned Eaddy of
Brunswick Christian Center spoke
for the group.
tsaciuy saiu liie coiiuiussiuiiers' endorsement
would allow the Authority
to go to a meeting of the Cardinal
Health Agency Inc. Wednesday with
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Volume 23, Number 11
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ley waves at Hclden Ileach formed
morslng on the remains of this bulkhe
lecied mi cast end psvUfo" from the sa
Sunset E
BY SUSAN USHER
A military landing craft struck the
Sunset Beach Bridge early Sunday
morning, hitting a portion of the
same section heavily damaged one
weekend earlier by a southbound
tugboat and barge.
Because the extent of the damage
was not immediately evident, the
bridge remained in operation until
midmornirw. It was then temporarily
closed to both land and waterway
traffic while repairs were made, said
Robert Cox, bridge maintenance
supervisor for New Hanover and
Brunswick counties.
Cox said it was the only instance he
knew of in which a bridge was struck
twice within such a short period of
time, "li was a freak kind erf thing to
happen," he said.
The southbound LCU struck the
bridge about 3 25 a.m., said
Bridgetender J.D. "Danny" Hewett,
Iwuinoitui nJt a ah.ela. ?HI
Wl a liuiri UK puili^a W1
the mainland side of the approach,
then striking the beach side. "It
didn't do any damage you could actually
see." said ncweil Tiic bridge
closed without any problem.
Cos said the impact knocked one
subcap off the pilings and pushed one
within several inches of coming off. a
subcap is a section 11 feet wide, 12
feet long and sue feet high that rests
on top of the . luster pilings and supports
the apron of 'he bridge, u uie
second subcap hac come off. Co*
said, the roadway would have collapsed
for the second tune this
mccitn
"We're lucky vibrations from
veracirs cuuurig onio uir Dodge
didn't shake it loos* We're lucky not
to have had a serious accident," he
CwUiioad.
The extent of damage could not be
seen except when the bridge was
opened to water traffic, Cos said.
After the LCU passed through, a was
not opened again until after daylight
and after another brldgetender.
I?wis Stanley, had reported for duty
Cos was called about 9 am., he
said- The bridge was closed around
10 a m. and Cos rounded up a crew to
t
ssioners
"totally unified support" for a centrally
located medical facility at Supply.
He and Sellers said locating the
nursing home at Supply would further
the intent behind the decision
eight years ago to locate the county
hospital at Supply.
Twn wh>1tq uan nnmmi c?i .'.nor c
had refused to make any endorsement
related to the competition
among six firms for the right to build
a 100-bed nursing home in the county.
The county presently has a rest home
in Supply and a combination rest
home and intermediate care facility
at Southport. This would be the first
' - ??? ? ? .er. . .1.111.4 ...m.
Idcim/ tcnuiui vuuin.1 oniui.uiiuiu
ing care.
A Cardinal review committee endorsed
Beverly Enterprises, the only
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11
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*u"" *Sr'a".T?cides
Form From SuH
Irlrles Tuesday temperature dlpp
ad that race pre- this week as tern
irf. The seawatcr single digits.
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make the repairs that took approximately
three hours. The bridge
reopened to traffic between 1:30 p.m.
and 2 p.m.
He estimated the cost of i ejxiirs at
about $1,000 and no more than $1,500.
Hewett said one reason repairs
were completed so quickly is tliat the
bridge maintenance barge had remained
at the Sunset Beach bridge,
along with a crane. The barge had a
pile of debris on it collected after the
previous accident.
On Jan. 12, a tugboat-barge combination
headed tor Jacksonville,
Fla., knocked out three 17-foot sections
of the bridge approach on the
island side and damaged a fourth,
cutting off vehicular access to and
from the island until fi-in n m lad
Wednesday. It also tore away the
protective fender system or
"whalers" on the beach side.
The tugboat A^eio m and barge
were boarded near Georgetown, S.C.,
but allowed to continue on its
journey.
The IjCU had not resumed passage
' - - ?. . ? -a - ..
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day morning.
A U S Coast Guard spokesman at
Georgetown said the hull of the landing
craft that struck the bridge Sunday
had been punctured, but that it
was not known if the damage stemmed
from contact with the bridge
"Apparently il also later ran
aground." said Petty Ofticer nm
Class George Evans, which could
have caused the damage. Mean
while, we i.oast Guard had provided
pumps and other equipment to help
coram! we ttootsng ana keep uie
vessel afloat until (livers could make
repairs, he added, and was helping to
vwsi uic uiaagc. iuk muX bsd
come to the craft's aid at the request
of the Oak Island Coast Guard Station
Both a colder Is are under investigation
by the U.& Coast Guard
Wtlra?gUw District Marine Safety
flfTW. under the charge d Lt James
Carter
Carter said the owner/operator at
the tugboat An9?u m had filled out his
i dorse Suppl
firm that plans to build in the Supply
area, 4-2, last Wednesday, overriding
a staff recommendation favoring
Autumn Corp., which plans to build
in Shallotte.
The debate was to renew at a
meeting of the full Cardinal board of
directors in T.umberton Wednesday
night. Cardinal's recommendation
will go to the N.C. Division of Facility
Services, which has the final say.
Beverly spokesman Barbara
Wright said the firm began seeking
support for its project in Brunswick
County seven months ago, adding
that was evidence of the company's
commitment to the project. Beverly
hu." letters of criuvtovuivriv froiT*
numorniio J-? ?I ?
Iiumvi WHO inutt.il ICdUVIS, SIX
municipalities, six fire departments
and five rescue squads and more.
m uuifi
rawi
oiiotte. North Carolina. Int.
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MN^va%?- - s*,.^ <.? ._ .>
itai i fnoto iv iijnr roel
r
ed down to around 32 degrees early
peratures also dipped down into the
?i-? MMiaw
,f\ /-\yus? i
accident report in Jacksonville, Fla.,
1 ? l. i .1?1 it k.. wl?
ui.il *?win aiiu iimiivu it vij waj m uu
attorney.
"I'll see that and the log," said
Carter, "and I suspect! will probably
need more information from the
operator."
He has talked with witnesses to the
accident and also hopes to talk to the
operator, Jim Kelley, on his return
trip up the coast Kelley continued
from Jacksonville to New Orleans,
La., to pick up a new load bound for
New York.
Meanwhile, traffic is iimiieu to 10
mph crossing the Sunset Beach
Bridge. Cox said the Brunswick
County bridge maintenance crew
would probably begin setting pilings
for the new fender system Wednesday,
weather permitting Rails needed
to be painted and the actual
fenders and permanent fender lights
installed.
t See SCNSKT, Page VAi
t.
8\
TRAFFIC ONCE AGAIN (Vmed ktm
alter N' C- IVpartment ?f Transport*
:IS p_m. Wedaesday. He"ever, tm
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!y Location I
Beverly's strategy in preparing f or
Wednesday's meeting consisted
primarily of continuing its past efC
r. A _ r l * vl ? - * ' "
iui ? iw gei me worn oui aooul Uie
project, she added, incorporating
citizens' concerns into the campaign
as they are identified.
Autumn Corp. spokesman Sally
Brown met last Thursday afternoon
with Shallotte Mayor Beamon
Hewett, Aldermen Jerry Jones and
Bobby Ray Russ, town employees
and R.D. (Deedy) White 111, owner of
the tract where Autumn proposes to
locate, to chart a renewed effort on
behalf of the Autumn project and a
Shallotte location.
They divided rpcnntjlihiliUpc
among themselves for contacting
citizens, agencies and organizations
both in Southport and the
IH HA emmm**
irsaay, January 24, 1985
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An Arctic air mass brought frigid
temperatures to Brunswick County
Sunday, but only a mere hint of snowin
the form of a few afternoon flurries.
Inclpnd of a vri ntnr a>rtndorlon4
residents woke up in a deep freeze
Monday similar to the Christinas
freeze of 1983, generating a record
demand for electricity from
Brunswick Electric Membership
Corp.
T1. -4 -r ?I I ItL. ti-1. *1 i
=*? wiui rciuvico uuiv
wouldn't crank, frozen or burst water
pipes, no electricity and in some
cases, heating problems as
t?rn|W?lHCw f?ll to a Uri brlow i^ro
Monday morning and hovered
around 5 degrees through much of
Sunday night
Brunswick County Schools opened
ore hour late Monday and Tuesday,
and 37 of the system's HO buses
would not start Monday morning,
causing some students to arrive even
later. Trie school board canceled a
Monday night meeting and, because
of heating problems, Brunswick
Toastmasters canceled a Wednesday
morning meeting at Ship's Chandler
Restaurant In Southport
"Who hasn't had problems?" was
the reaction of one realty company
owner contacted Tuesday about the
condition of beach homes.
"I think if you say everybody's had
prcblciiaS you'd Jsc ssfc " 7snry
Barbee, owner of Island Realty at
Ocean Isle Beach.
He said pipes starred thawing oui
Tuesday afternoon, mostly In floors,
under houses, with little damage inside.
"The plumber's at my house right
now." he added.
He said lie that while temperatures
were lower than durine the mlrf snan
^ y
a year ago, he thought residents were
better prepared this time around.
StiU, he said, "there's not enough
plumbers to go around."
True enough, the Beacon reached
not one plumber by telephone Tuesday.
And Monday, several area
/ J
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if (he Sunset Beach bridge last week
itioa cfflrUb completed repairs by
file was (gain intrrrapSed Sunday
Por Nursing
souiu^TcSiCTn cud cf the ccuuty snd in
preparing materials for presentation
to the Cardinal board.
All beean circulating a netitinn
that supports Snaiioiie as the most
appropriate area for the development
of a nursing home," citing its
status as the hub of the county's
secondary population area which lias
a high number of elderly residents,
and proximity to physicians, pharmacies
and rescue squads.
The petition also endorses Autumn
Corp. as having the proposal that offers
"quality care in a cost effective
manner."
Further, it says Autumn uses local
pnnfr-o otrvr-c cttrmliorc and staff.
would encourage patients and their
families to "utilize the hospital of
their choice, wherever the hospital
W"r - ~
HOOG S. SUNi, BGC
5PRINSPORT M
^vIV. I OB VA/py
sck Coun
Vith Coid
businesses saw an increase in
business because of the weather.
R.E. Bellamy & Sons was selling
replacement water pump heads, said
Jo Ann Simmons. "So far we're not
into fittings. The pipes haven't thawed
out so people can check them."
Area tow services said business
was generally up, though not as
much as some expected.
Johnny Hair at Hair's Garage near
Holden Beach, had not received a
call Monday at 10 a.m. "I've been exPt't'iinK
tiicili, uiit Wc iiaVcii t iuu niiy
calls this morning."
But both Larry Ilewett at Hewett's
viiii i?Kt- near c-ivieiown ana ucnnis
Pul?<iw1?t yuWi?)d'a Auto 3ct?Iw
and Towing at Grissettown were
busy. Hewett had towed in ^even or
eight vehicles and Fulwood two, with
two more waiting. Many of Uie
vehicles having problems were
ueisei, tiiey saiu.
Municipalities weren't immune
frum problems of their own.
Fulwood said a garbage truck owned
by the Town of Sunset Beach had
frozen up and would have to liave a
new fuel pump. Shallotte tared belter,
Town Clerk Cynthia l-ong indicated.
with no problems of its own.
But lots of residents called to report
Uieir water pipes had frozen, she added.
Batteries, thermostats antifreeze
and radiator checks were also movins
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with dealers such as Dykes Hewett's
Shady Park Exxon and Mack Gray's
Phillip 66 siaiions in Siiaiioiie anu
Bruce Quaintance's Ocean Isle
Beach Shell station at Ocean Isle
Beach.
Hardest hit, perhaps were the
home heating fuel distributors.
At Collier-Gwyn in Shallotte, the
person who answered the telephone
suggested calling back Tuesday.
"We're too busy now," he said.
Oleta Lindsey at Shallotte Ice &
Fuel said that comuanv liad received
so many delivery orders it would
take three days to fill them all.
"We've got more orders than we
have help or trucks It will take at
isfij
/
after***) for several hoar* after ttu
by aa t'-S. Army landing craft earth
by DOT official* last week to traaap
Home
may be located," and it notes
Autumn's top-ranking by the Cardinal
staff.
Craig Smith, a Cardinal Health
Agency iteauii systems analyst, saiu
the staff will add to its earlier findings
results of the project evaluatir?n
fVMTlHtiHnoo'c rntrimn nnJ fKn A o
mv? vv<iu>uktvvv o iv ?ivrr ciiivi HIV "X-?i
vole iit lavui of Ecveilj.
"If they have questions we answer
them. There may be more of that
questioning Wednesday at the board
meeting. If they ask, we can explain
what we did."
Since the committer hearing.
Smith has met on request both with
Autumn Corp. representatives and
with Charles Sons. Brunswick
Hospital adminstrator and a member
of the Cardinal board.
(See COMMISSIONERS, Page 2-A)
>K BlNDERY/gg
tv
/
I Snap
least three days with everybody
working."
People were coming to the office to
buy white kerosene for Kerosun-type
heaters, but there was a high demand
for home heating oil as well
At K.D. 'Vhite Oil Co.. Kyle White
said he had "A lot of people calling in
wanting fuel today."
"We're going to try our best to fill
them. I feel like we'll at least be able
to get the ones thut are out."
Ix>w Of Century?
"I ! !~
OI Ulli'in. i vitu tuvtwi vivgioy
Jackson Canauy saiu he recorded a
low of ! degree on Jan. 2i, the
minimum low for Ore period Jan.
' That's a very rare thing to put on
the rererd hooks here." Ire snfd. venturing
ttrat since a 5-dcgree reading
111 Wlimiiiftnn hrnkn ro/>/rriie fitorn o
... 'O"" 1 4 VWl HIVt U II
minus reading here is "probably as
cold a.- we've had tilts century." Hut
there are no local records to either
confirm or refute that, he noted.
TJie outlook for the corning period
culled for more cold, with
temperatures well below normal and
near-normal precipitation.
Temperatures should average In
the mid-20s at night reaching Into the
inid-40s during the day, with one-half
inch precipitation.
For the period Jan. 15-21, Canady
said the maximum high was 59
degrees, recorded on the 19th.
Ths svsrasc high for the period
was 49 degrees, and the average
nightly low, 25 degrees, for a duily
average temperature of 57 degrees,
about nine degrees below normal.
The area received silghtiy under a
half-inch of precipitation, .40 inch.
r?.
Inside
Moro Weather-Related Stories
On Po0? 3-A;
Peoit demand record broken,
reports SEMC
Flo. cold weather keep
absences hiflh
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! bridge **? itnvt ivr mtn imx
rr, timfUr lo the nuknklil ferry ooed
ort trsffie Us aad Irons the toluol
P.
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