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1 11
Volume 24 Number 34
PHOTO BY jOil EDO
Lightning Illuminates Ocean Isle
Fireworks demnnstralions are planned at Ilolden Beach and Southport for
the 4 th of July, hut Mother Nature has already staged quite a few spectacular
light shows recently. This is how Ocean Isle Beneh looked through the lens of
Joel Kdre's camera during u June 17 thunderstorm. Edge, 15, shot the
photograph from the point at Sunset Beach, where he lives.
School Board Ch
BY SUSAN USIIER Education Chairman James
Brunswick County Board of Educa- K ore tner and Superintendent Gene
Hon members said Monday at a Yarbrough Tuesday afternoon to try
soecial meetino that !h*? nultt?r> ?i *i - - *
, ? ? t - mill svi inu meeung aaie.
schools were short-changed in tile Cartel said it could be next week
1986-87 county budget and they intend before they meet, though state law
to try to change that. calls for the meeting to be held w itliin
Voting unanimously after a secen days of the county's appro,iria30-minute
closed-door session v.ilh tion decision,
their attorneys, the board approved 'Effort Made'
District 1 member Doug Huxley's Carter said he was "very surprismotion
for an immediate joint ?|" at the school's board action,
meeting with county commissioners "The county commissioners sat
to discuss their budget differences. ijtci12 hums i t > aiIn iiievl iltcii
County Manager Hilly Carter and .-the school board's) needs. They
Rrctrr! of f'ommissinncr Chairman made an effort " he SSld.
Chris Chappell met witli Board of The joint meeting is the first step
Co / a bash To c
- ?? - a -wr ^ w
IIY MAIUORIE MKdlVFlKN eluding little River, S.C. and North
The Calabash Town Board voted Myrtle Beach. Calabash is used at
Monday to ask Congressman Charlie present by most of the 200 residents.
Rose to assist the town in getting a Some commissioners expressed
regular post office. dissatisfaction with services providThe
decision came after Cornmis- ed by the contract past office Hint has
sioner Robert Webber reported that a been in Calabash seven years.
Shallotte address would Ik; man- "They close in the middle of the
datory for Calabash residents in day and won't do anything for you
about .? year. Commissioners said even when they're there," Commlsthls
would be confusing and inconve- sioner Rati Ixnvcllyn said. "And mail
nient for businesses in the town. from Calabash to Calabash or to
All mail is now sent to Shallotte for Shallotte takes a minimum of eight
sorting, and residents have used days."
several addresses in the past, in- Commissioner Sonia Stephens sug
North Holden Bee
BY SUSAN USIIFIl acted on in the short session
Citing community uncertainty over automatically die, lie said,
the proposal, Hep. f?. David Red wine "One thing 1 don't want and the
said Tuesday lie luis no plans to push proponents don't want is to do
through the General Assembly a hill anything hastily or anything iliat
that would nave created a new town would hurt the community or not Ik?
in the area of the Ilolden Beach something the community wants,"
causeway. said Itcdwine, leaving the door open
And one opponent of the hill said for future action.
Tuesday the incorporationcontrover- If there continues to he community
?y nuiy novc mil a neneticial side cf- interest in incorporation, he is
feet?a unified township. recommending propopents settle on
Kcdwine explained the incorpora- potential boundaries and "feel out
tion bill, II.It. 1689, would not be car- the people a little better," meeting
ried over to the 1987 session. Hills not with residents to discuss the idea. *' If
? ?
id^/tt/hiia SUPPLEMENT !F
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Shallolte, North Carolino, Thursday, July 3, 1986
Williamson Claii
'Conspiracy' Ain
MY SUSAN USIIKH son, "one Hmnswiik Countv will :*
Brunswick County set out to long time overcoming."
deliberately "gouge" coastal proper- At the other end of the county,
ty owners will! its 1986 revaluation, Mary Strickland of Souihport. a
the county's largest non-industrial spokesman for the Bruaswick County
taxpayer alleged Monday us he Taxpayers Association, called the
recommended property owners in new rate "extremely high" Tuesday
"deliberately overvalued" areas not and said it would create a burden for
pay their tax bills. many local taxpayers.
Visibly angered. Ocean Isle Beach With an estimated 5." 2 million tax
developer Odell Williamson pro- base after revaluation, the new rate
tested the 46.5c ad valorem tax rate is expected to bring in $2 million
set List week by county commis- more in revenue than tlio previous
sioners. He told reporters he had tax rale.
"kept quiet" until now under the irn- Alleging a "conspiracy" involving
prcssicn Use tax rate would net ex- "former county commissioners" he
ceed 4(k. would not identify. Williamson claim"It's
a dirty trick." said William- ed Monday morning that the ap
46.5-Cent County Tax Rate
BY MAR.IOKIE MFX.1VERN year because of increased valuation.
In a final 11-hour session. About 8:30 p.m. Thursday, comBrunswick
County Commissioners niLssioners wearily came to agreeagreed
last Thursday on a new tax ment about the rate, after Coinmisr::te
-sr. r? cents per $100 valuation, sion Chairman Chris Cbippell had
with five cents of that earmarked fui polled them on rates they would
the new water system's trunk and prefer. The suggestions ranged from
lateral lines. 10 cents to 48 cents, and Chappeli said
The $24.5 million budget adopted is his own recommendation was 44.5
$2 million larger than that of last cents. "I believe that would meet our
year. The new rate means taxes on a needs," he said.
$50,001) home will be $232.50. Earlier in the day, they had apAthough
the tax rote was drop* proved n five-cent water rate to be inped
front last year's 58.5 cents, most eluded in a total tax rate, with Corntaxpayers
will pay more this coming missioncr Grace Beaslev voting
allenges County I
outlined in public school law pro- crease in the county budget requiring
cedures for resolving disputes bet an increase in the tax rate
ween the two Itoards when the school Route Of Appeal
board decides the county has not pro- If not resolved to both boards'
vided enough money ; io support a satisfaction. the dixoute m int-dut ? ?.
system of free public schools." could lead to the state appellate
Superintendent Yarbrough said the court, which could force the levying
school system's only alternative of?'? supplemental tax for support of
would be to drop its expansion budget the schooLs. The immediate next
and attempt to salvage programs sl"P, however, would involve one of
now in operation. the board's asking, within three davs
Asked his opinion of seeking more ?f their meeting, for Clerk of Court
county funds, Attorney E.J. Prevatte Greg Bellamy to arbitrate the
luiU .school butuii uiciiibeis, The u?Spiitv.
chances are extremely remote you 'Net Enough'
tvould be The die unfsr- E*'orstner said Mondav the
tunately, has been cast," with an in- million allocated by the county isn't
;/ Its Own Post Office
gested the town is large enough to press.
have its own rctmlnr nn-:f nffinn O ?.. i ??
, v?w. mi; muinl(l) UUiiiU iiiCCiin^ SCrVCQ
"We're bigger than Longwood," she also as a public hearing on the
said. Calabash budget for the new fiscal
Mayor Doug Simmons said, "Let's year, but no members of the public
ask Charlie Hose to help us " The appeared to offer comments or ask
board agreed to authorize Town questions. The $181,152 budget was
Clerk Janet Thomas to make this re- adopted unanimously, along with a
quest of Hose's office. 17-cent lax rate per $100 valuation.
The contract station, owned by One penny of this rate is earmarked
Katherinc Whitley, pasts hours as 10 for a water system the town hopes to
to 5, weekdays, and 10 to 1, Saturday, construct.
Services include everything offered U?st year's tax rate was 28 cents,
by regular past offices except second but most property in the town doublclnss
mail, bulk third class and ex- (SecCALABASH, Page2-A)
ich Bill Abandoned
the area desires it, maybe something tire township will l>e drawn closer
could Ik? done in the future," he said, together in unity."
A leader of opposition to the bill, The bill bad been introduced June
Herman FaircloUi, said those are the 13, at the request of area residents
exact sentiments of man of bill's od- .i w i ?
...... . UUIM.IUII, iiimii 1.11(1111111,
pone ids : "If there's enough interest Alfonso Roach, Cletis Clcinmons,
in it, let them call another meeting; Philip Robinson and Robert Robinanil
let them (the legislative delega- son.
lion) introduce it next year." While there was little advance
Puircloth said he is satisfied a ma- public awareness of the bill, projority
of people in the community are pnncnts said they expected the
"greatly enthused" over news the legislative process to allow time to
hill won't be pursued. change specifics of the bill baaed on
Also, he philosophized, "Maybe the community's reaction. A week
what will come out of this is the en- (8oe UKUW1NK, Pagt 2-A)
UCLUDED IN THIS ISSUE!
Imm m i
B j? B IS S a 2 2? 2
DEALUTO
25c Per Copy 96 Pages Plus Supplement
ms Revaluation
led At Islands
praisal firm. W.P. Ferris Inc., Elva Jess investigate alternatives
"evidently did what they were in- available to dissatisfied property
structcd to do?to goutfe the people owners.
utuii? viiv vojim ami particularly me "What they've done is kill the
Town of Ocean Isle Beach." He odd- goose that laid the golden egg,'*
ed the alleged effort might also have Williamson said, predicting harm to
been targeted at the island portion of loc al development efforts. He also
Sunset Beach. objected to $1.5 million, or 5i of the
Williamson said Ocean Isle tax rate, being used to run water
represents $251 million of the laterals "to developments" and to
county's $2.2 billion in land and pay "for mistakes by people making
buildings, or a disproportionate decisions regarding iwater system>
share, in his opinion and that of the engineering"
mayor and board members present. Developers should install the lines
At his urging. Commissioners Deb- or landowners be assessed for them,
hie Sloan. Betty Williamson and he said. "The people who use the
Terry Barbee directed Town Clerk water are the people who should
Alberta Tatuin to have town attorney tSee WILLIAMSON, Page 2-A?
Includes 5 Cents For Water
acninvt it '?: ** '
?? ... v-uiiiiii^aiuiiiT nanny itaoon, asked
She was also the only commis- for the five cents to support $1.5
sioner voting against the final tax million to be spent on laying trunk
rate, and for the same reason. "I and lateral lines during the next
voted against the tota! tax rate fiscal year.
because of the water rate included. 1 "What Is tliat $1.5 million based
would like to see some priorities and on?" she asked. "Is it a drop in the
policies (about extension of the water bucket? What research went into it?
system)," she said. "Water Is need- Who will administer it? What is the
ed, granted, but I'd like to liave some policy on returns from users0"
priorities in place first. We should Kabon's reply was that "We don't
have a plan that flows for the next ten have a crystal ball, and don't knowyears."
how returns will come in. The $1.5
Mrs. Beasley quizzed her coi- million is definitely a drop in ihe
leagues when water policy chairman, (See 46.5-CFNT, Page 2-A i
"uriding Decision _
vtivuBu i" vuiiuiiu? iinjii living mi* allocation. leaving it to the school
schools and may not be enough to board to set priorities in funding,
continue services at the current School board members said Monlevel,
especially in light of the day this allocation leaves $8,000 for
system's increasing enrollment. expansion of existing programs or
Forstncr said the system expects addition of new programs,
to add 400 to 500 new students next District 5 member James Clemyear.
At the county budget hearing, mons asked that the $157,001) in
Varbrough had estimated an in- salary supplements be the first need
crease of about 200 to 300 students. taken care of. "We do the best we can
The county's allocation includes and if we run out of money, we cry to
$4.54 million for current operating the commissioners for help "
expenses, or 10 percent more than Addressing Clemmons, Forstncr
appropriated for that purpose last said, "W#? <*nr? ?>g\ somebody to
year, and $1.32 million for capital babysit in tht. classrooms and keep
outlay. the lights on.
County commissioners said they - But that's not good enough for
thought the current expenses fund your kids and my kids. We need to get
would be enough to continue existing bettor every year."
programs and cover salary increases The schooLs hnd asked for an nd*tk
for county-paid employees to match tionai $407,000 in current expenses to
increases provided to state-paid expand existing programs, increase
omninypflc However they did not supplements and hire an athletic
specify the specific purposes for the (See SCHOOL, I'age?-A)
Legal Fireworks On Tap
Friday At Flolden Beach
Rather than lighting up their own Roman candles, sunders,
whistlers and firecrackers, visitors to Holdcn Bosch this Fourth of July
can relax and enjoy a legal holiday fireworks display.
Depending on wind direction, the display mounted by Carolina
Seaside Retreat campground may lie visible along the strand. The campground
is located at the west end of the beach.
"It's really a first for as," said campground operator and town
commissioner William Williamson. "We're not sure what we'll be able
to do.
"We're starling off small, it's mainly somctldng fur U>c kids at the
campground. We'll have 150 families there. But anyone can watch who
wants to."
The fireworks will Ire mounted by professional pyrotechnicians
from Wilmington, along about 9 p.m. to to p.m. Friday. Wind direction
will determine the location, said Williamson.
"We would like to be able to do it on the strand side," ho said. Tliat
would require cooperation from the prevailing west winds.
In any case, viewers should be able to see the display from "pretty
much anywhere."
If all goes well, the display could open the door for simitar events in
the future, town commissioners suggested last month when they approver!
a special fireworks permit.
"It's the Fourth of July," said Williamson, noting that most people
want to enjoy fireworks that day even though it's illegal in North
Carolina.
"Bather Hum shooting their own" said Williamson, "we hope they
will enjoy ours."
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