Pns«> ^A—THE BRUNSWICK BEACON. Ttiunday. JADuary 1$. 1987
Emergency Teams Assess Damage, Possibility Of hederal Aid
BY SUSAN USHER
State and federal emergence* officials scoured
Brunswick County beaches last lliursday and Friday,
but they weren’t looking for seeshells.
They were eyeing undermined huises and eroded
dune systems as they inspected damages caused by a
New Year s Day stonn ard tried to determine if disaster
assistance is warranted.
Each team included representatives of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, the Small Business
AdminisiraUvri ard Dewberry & Days of FaiHas, V«
beach consultants to FEMA. U.S. Army Corps ot
Engineers inspectors visited the beaches independently
of the teams.
The teams started at relatively unscathed Sunset
Beach end worked their way up the coast in beach>by>
beach helicopter hops, concluding with the Oak Island
beaches and Bald Head Island. .Similar teams visited
New Hanover County beaches and Topsail Beach in
Onslow and Pender counties.
On Tuesday state and local officials were awaiting
the prognosis from the Federal Emergency Management
Agency’s Atlanta regional office. Brunswick Count)’
Emergency Management Coordinator Cecil Logan
reported, “So far no decision has been made in any way.”
Federal Emergency Management Agency officials
are to make a recommendation to the state.
!.ong Beach sustained the most severe damage of
any count)' beach and is the most likely area to qualify
for a disaster declaration and assistance, he said.
Damage estimates count)'wide totaled (S.S million to
$6 million, or the majority of damage sustained by the
four-county area of Brunswick, New Hanover. Onslow
and Pender coiuiUes.
Steve Foster, director of the Southport-Oak Island
Chnmber of Conunerce, said that given the importance of
tourism to the coa.st, the damage estiiiuites weren't a
true Indicator of the winter .slonas' impact.
Urging research to sec if means can be found to abate
such erosion, he added. “I don’t think any coasUil county
can withstaiul that kimi of economic loss”
f^ong Dench, which Ls landlocked and cannot expand
its physical area, he walcl>ed n significant chunk of
its tax ba.se eroded away.
High tides, strong winds and fliXKiing on Jan. 1
damaged homes and caused beach erosion.
While many individual property owners are concern
ed about recovering their lo.sses, state emergency of
ficials were most concerned about the los.s of frontal
dunes,
“The thing most frightening about the .tonn is not
the structural damage, but the loss to the dune. ' State
Director of Emergency Management Berry Willmnu?
told approximately 75 county. ;tate and federal workers
gathered in a courtroom at the Bnm.swick (.'ount>*
Government Center for 2*^ hours Thursday to review
damages and discuss federal assistance programs.
“Over 500 homes in the four counties (Brunswick. New
Hanover, Pender and Onslow) now have less than 20 feet
of dune to protect them."
It has not been detennined which programs are
available, if any. However, only residents who suffer^
losses to their priinar)' home.s will be eligible for dLa.s(er-
Doing If One More Time
$TArrrMOioB>
Pete Singletary f center), owner of CapL Pete's Ocean-
front Cottages and Apartments on Holden Beach, Jesse
Hayes (left) and Jimmy Todd spent Saturday rpnoMna
the bulkhead in front of the oceanfront apartments for
the second time. High tides in early December washed
away the sides of the bulkhead and the front of the
bulkhead was damaged during the Jau. 1 .storm.
Calabash Citizens Demand Water
(Continued From Page l-A)
fronted Simmons for lack of action on
the matter. "Doug, I'm going to level
with you. If you'd spent as much time
with this water thing as you do deer
hunting, we’d have water now.”
Simmons said nothing, but later
responded to the criticism. “I’m just
as interested as anyone in getting
water," he said. 'Tve made trip?
with my personal income to see about
it, and iff go hunting, that’s my per
sonal time I'm entitled to. I spend a
lot of time on town business.”
Much of the hour-long debate
focused on whether the town would
build and run its own sy.stem or
would turn lines over to the county.
Town Attorney Mike Ramos said he
thought the law would allow the coun
ty to treat Calabash as an unincor
porated area. "Then the county could
come in and do it all,” he explained.
According to Thomas, coroUnicUon
of a system with a loan of $160,000
from FmH.A would require s bend
referendum and would take up to two
years to complete.
Building without FmHA funds
would mean upfront a.vse.ument of
property owners who would bo serv
ed with water.
At present, only those residents
and businesses along N.C. 179
through Calabash, are getting county
water. Lewcllyn said the town could
assess them, also, by calling it an im
pact fee. "I think an assessment by
lot, rather than by linear foot, would
be more equitable,” she said.
Rames, however, said a linear
assessment was best. "You’ve just
got to decide whether you want to be
in the water business,” he said.
"There’s money in it, and you have
the authority to force people to hook
up and pay.”
The council agreed to have some
answers on water plans at the
February meeting.
Interested residents also included
Phillip Ragsdale, John High. John
Frink, Helen Bierworth and Verta
Lee Bennett.
When the visitors left, Mrs. Bicr-
•.verth rcoMiricd to OAptess a dif
ferent complaint. “'There’s a pack of
vicious dogs running around town,”
she said, "and they got a little dog of
mine and tore it to pieces. ’The
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t>’pe assistance from FEMA.
Ao_cp«_cma»ir t*sfTi5 Hotcd that most of the damaged
structures were secondaty or vacation hon>es and most
were insured.
Contacted Tuesday, L^an had not talked withSnuiU
Business Administration officials since the beach tours,
but had talked with Williams.
"We did not have the 25 or better houses or
businesses with 40 percent uninsured losu at the Uim\"
said Logan. There's a chance that could clvmge. ho ndit-
ed, if the agency Includes in the count houses cimdt'iwiuM
as umnhabimble by the health depaiiment bevau.se their
septic tanks can't be relocated on the lot cr rv(viired.
If so. SB.\ representatives wvuM an
agency declaration of disaster. In Uwt ease. alv.'^'»Te in
the declared area who suffered uninsumi Ionscs e>\iM
apply for an SBA disaster assistance loan, whellx'r or not
the loss equaled 40 per of the value of their anti atnl sU\u'-
lures. Maximum loans available are $5tXUXV to a
business. $100,000 to a home and $25,000 (or personal prw
perty.
While secondan.’ or vacation homes do not qualify for
assistance, coastal houses that are (grated as rental
property may be eligible under tlie business program.
Williams said the first source and most likely source
of assistance for most pit^erty owners is federal flood in
surance. Coastal residents who suffered insured losses
should contact their insurance carrier to submit claims
for erosion losses and structural damage to the National
Flood Insurance Program.
Speakers last Thursday stressed that claims for
cumulative damages would not be considered, only Uiose
rpngit (Ka nv>st recent incident, Uie Jan. 1 storm.
.\ftcr a similar storm In December, Williams said,
only 57 claims were filed.
While little ilaiiiage has tunuxl up ttuit would qualify
for federal aid, FEMA officials said they would look at
the possibiUt)' of nssLitauce to n.*patr public property,
aiHl ill siuue Umitctl CAses, benn nrstorntlon.
iXher than leng-tcnn U S, .\rrn.v Corps of Engineers
hCTuii rrnourtshment i>rvvh'anv such as those at
Wrightsville aihI t’aivltUN Iwu'iie.s, tliere arc two kinds of
beaches, ai^^vxttlu^ to rmii liaii. chief nt FEmA*.«i
dusA.stcr .issistaiHv dlvlsiiMi.
Vtv’ first is a nummmic t>each with a specific profile
Uwt US mamtaiiKsi at Ica-si every five years.
JTw .sevNMul sttu.niiwi n'lales to natural beaches,
ohich Ik' .•ctiil FEM.-V "dix'.s not re|uir or restore ... at
hU. )TeriiHl”
Rut It can Ik'lp with protective measures where dune
erwsii'u has left insuf fieient prolccllon of properly in "lin-
miiu'iit ilaiiger" from another stonn with a .severity that
could be expected to occur only once every five years.
Onl>- the amount of protection available before the Inci
dent in question would be restored. This mcaiLS that if
five years’ protection didn't exist before a storm
damages the beach, it would not be providei afterward.
In any ease, he said, "we have to .see if i! is
ecoriunacally feasible, if it is wofUi putw fwiera!
dollars in a temporary mea.sure. In .some areas it would
be too little to do any good and would wash out, while
others would require a Wrightsville Beach-type project."
Board Endorses Connector
(Continued From Page l-A)
the streets and no place for a light."
He and Alderman David Cause said
the new plan was the "most sensible
thing they’ve come up with.”
Reeves and others first advocated
leaving Mulbert)' Street open and
»CI%B«Wa MMIM
blocking off the section, much of
which has been zoned commercial in
anticipation of a link with the bypass.
However, DOT representatives
said it would be unsafe to create two
intersections just 900 feet apart along
the bypass, which is designed for
through traffic traveling at 55 mph.
Another concern was that Holden
Beach Road-bound traffic would
have to make four turns under the
bypass plan. DOT representatives
said that in the future there might be
a more direct connection built from
the b)'pss£ to Holden Beach Hhi
Uiat, for now, the Smith Avenue plan
is the une that will probably be used.
The bypass will be a fenced limited too far to let It go down the drain,” he
accc» roau, with access cnly at in- expl
tersections. However, DOT represen
tatives have said no property owner
will be land-locked.
At their meeting Wednesday night,
board members agreed (heir respon-
.sihllity I? tft vnt^» for the bvoass olan
that is best for the town's future
development, not what might be best
for individual interests, including
their own.
Said Alderman Wilton Harrelson,
“Regardless, it will be an inconve
nience to somebody. That’s the price
we have to pay for progress. The
alternative b worse: to continue to
be stifled by our own traffic."
While there are things he’d like to
change regarding the bypass and its
impact on hb own property, Har-
rslson said he won’t fight (he state’s
plan for the bypass.
“We’ve worked too hard and gone
animal control people pick some of
them up, but owners get them out
again. I hope you can do .something,
because they could kill a child. I talk
ed to one of the dog owners and he
just doe.sn’l care.”
Simmons .said Calabash ha.s a leash
law. "We can put an ordinance out
saying owners must keep (animals)
cliained up," he said.
Various council members re
counted their experiences with the.se
dogs over the past six niontlis. They
assured Bienvorth they would try to
do something about the problem.
The council agreed to hold a
workshop on the water .sy.stem
following an opening of bids for the
town liall project at 4:30 p.m.. Jan.
26.
Two Lose
nome in nre
A woman and her son lost their
mobile home in an early Tuesday
bbze fought by three fire depart-
menb.
Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle Beach
and Calabash firemen responded to
the 2:30 a.m. fire at the Sherry Floyd
residence along N.C. 179 at Ocean
Haven subdivision, according to
HrunswicK uouniy Emergency
Management Coordinator Cecil
Ix)gan.
The two-bedroom home was
destroyed. The American Red Cross
was called to assbt Mrs. Floyd and
her son, the only occupanb of the
house. As of late Tuesby, the agency
had not responded, he said.
He said the fire, apparently elec
trical in origin, appeared to have
Faymenf Deadline Extended
For Shallofte's Taxpayers
For the second consecutive year, Shallotte taxpayers are getting a
reprieve of sorts: an extra month in wliich to pay 1966 property taxes
without a late penalty.
Residenb have until 5 p.m. on Feb. 2 to pay up, aldermen decided
last Wednesday night on the recommendation of Town Clerk Cynthia
Long. After that, the standard penalties will be assessed as indicated on
the bills.
Why the extension?
According to Ms. Long and Mayor Jerry Jones, because of billing,
listing or other errors, a number of tsrpayers are obtaining changes in
their county tax vaiuatiom, changes she said have affected “a lot” of
the town’s own tax notices which were mailed Ihb month.
"They set a deadline I thought for appealing, but they’re still going
up (to the county tax office) ami changUig things," said the mayor.
By the Jan. 5 deadline for payment without a penalty, some in-
dividuab still had not gotten their bilb .slraigiiteneu out, Ms. ix>ng said,
and it seemed unfair to charge them a penalty for something that she
said “b not so much the property owner’s fault”
Other Busine.ss
In other business, aldermen:
•Met behind closed doors for about five minutes on an undbclosed
legal situation Mayor Jerry Jones said “may arise.” The town attorney
was not present and may be consulted later.
•Nominated Maynard Owens of Shallotte to the N.C. Coastal
Resources Commission, if he will accept the nomination. Appointmenb
will be made in bte January.
•Heard about two letters of appreciation praL«ing the cooperation
and good attitudes of police department officers and a letter from
Sunset Beach Adminbtrator and Shallotte resident IJnda Fluege! prais
ing Maintenance Superintendent Albert Hughes' response to a weekend
service request.
•Tabled dbcussion of state police retirement program until more
information b available. Rep. David Redwine and a League of
Municipalities spokesman may be asked to explain the program. Cur
rent information, said Police Chief Don Stovall and other town officteb,
b "very vague.”
Mayor Jones abo reminded the
board that with or without the town’s
support, a final decision on the
bypass resb with DOT. "They’re go
ing to Ibten to the people who are op
posed also: they have a right to ex
press their opinion abo.”
Efforts to obtain a bypass began
approximately 20 years ago and have
intensified as traffic has increased to
the point of actually hurting
business.
The 4.2-niile bypass is to be com
pleted by 1990. The first contract for
grading a section of it b scheduled
for September, with construction
beginning possible by Nov. 1.
Another section could be contracted
for grading as early as February
1988. That schedule b tentative, bas
ed on expectation of funding when
Congress adopb a highway bill.
Commissioners Set
v_ouniy inspector Cnargea With
Speeding, Marijuana Possession
ntarted n tne i
BY ETTA SMITH
A Bninswick County building in
spector was charged Monday by the
N.C. Highway Patrol with spee^g,
mbdemeanor possession mari
juana and operating a vehicle while
subject to an impairing substance.
Rninjwick County Building Inspec
tor Julius "Buddy” Lewb was stop
ped arouiKl noon Tuesday allegedly
driving 76 mph In a 55 mph zone, ac
cording to N.C. Highway Patrol
Trooper B. D. Barnhardt's report
The truck he was operating had a
permanent tag registered to
Brunswick County, the officer said.
According to Bamliardt's report
Ixiwb had less than an ounce of mari
juana in the truck, an amount includ
ed as a mbdemeanor In Schedule IV
of the N.C. Controlled Substance Act
~i3!anvs
Brunswick County Commissioners
are attending the N. C. Association of
County Commbsioners legislative
goab conference in Fayetteville.
The session began Wednesday and
concludes today (Thursday).
“We're going to plan our
legblative program for the year,"
imbwicner Chrb Cha''^ll.
Lewb did not report to woric Tues
day. Acting County Manager David
Clegg refused to comment on
whether he had been suspended, but
said, "He’s not on the job today, if
that teUs you anything.”
However, Qegg said conviction of
a mbdcmeanOT that Involved an im
pairing substance violates the county
personnel policy and would be
grounds for dbmissal.
Lewis began work fur the county in
July 1985. The last date that any ac
tion was taken concerning hb job
was In Dec. 1985, said Clegg, when he
became a permanent employee after
a standard six-month probation
period.
I.«wb was released on a written
pledge to appear in Brunswick Coun
ty Dbirici Court on h’eb. 24.
The estimated 350 commlssionsrs in
attendance will consider legislative
goab they want approved by the 1987
General Assembly, which convenes
next month.
The only staff member attending
the conference b Lltha Hahn, finance
director.
Rep. E. David Kcdwlne, 14th
Dbtrict-D, b to meet with commis
sioners at their Jan. 19 meeting to
dbcuss the upcoming legblativc ses
sion and any bilb commissioners
would like to see introduced.
Former Office
AAanager Charged
With Embezzling
BY ETTA SMITH
A former office manager at Jones
Ford in Shallotte has been arrested
and charged with embezzlement of
about $18,031 from the dealership.
Terry R. Finer of Wilmington was
arrested Jan. 2 by the Brunswick
County Sheriff’s Department and
chained with embezzling the money
over o period cxteiding !r«n from
Nov. 28, 1988, through Dec. Z2, 1986.
According to the warrant signed by
DeL Lindsey Walton, there b pro
bable cause that Finer knowingly
mbsapplied and converted the funds
to hb own use.
He has posted $2S,0(XI bond and hb
first court appearance b scheduled
for Monday, Jan. 28.
Restoring Dunes
On Town Agenda
Dune restoration and a survey of
an area being considered for annexa
tion are on the agenda of a special
meeting called for 9 a.m. Friday,
Jan. 16, by Holdoi Beach Commis
sioners.
Telephone credit and business
cards are abo on the agenda.
The meeting will be held at the
town hail on Hothscnild Street