Page ^A—THE BRUNSWICK BEACON, Thursday, May 28, 1987
Sunshine Lures Crowds
To Beaches For Holiday
BY MARJORIE MEGIVERN
Rental agents were gleeful,
shopkeepers glum in the aftermath of
a Memorial Day weekend where sun
shine reigned supreme across
Brunswick County.
The experience of successful
realtors was summed up by Pat Mur
ray, coKJwner of R.H. McLure Realt)’
at Ocean Isle Beach.
“Did you have a busy weekend?”
she was asked. “Yes!" she gasped.
“We did,” was tlie rest of her
breathless reply. “I'm still out of
breath from it. It was wild!"
Ocean Isle was the scene of con
siderable traffic and activity, with
the beaches and restaurants par-
Ucuuiriy full. Police officer Timothy
McGinn said, “It was the biggest
weekend tills year, but we had only
one arrest for driving while im
paired, and no other problems.”
Although the parking lots were full,
McGinn said, all beacli accesses had
available spaces.
The newly-opened Courtyard
restaurant had a report similar to
that of Ms. Murray. “It was crazy!"
said manager Mary Ann MeSee. “We
had tremendous business, and need
ed to liave been broken in easier than
this." It was the first weekend the
causeway restaurant had been open,
with space for 120 diners and 40 per
sons in the lounge.
A different view of the holiday
came from realtors who don’t deal in
rentals. “We can’t complain, but our
business wasn't as good as the
restaurants,” said "Tweet" Thomp
son of Causeway Realty.
That was echoed by Betty Pait,
owner of First Choice Realty at
Ocean Isle. “We don't handle rentals,
so it wasn't much to brag about,” she
said of weekend business. "We had a
few drop-ins and calls, but that's
aU.”
Meanwhile, on Holden Beach, Alan
Holden Realty was managing a
capacity load of tenants. Diane
Ilcldcn said, “We were booked heavi=
ly, with just a few open places in the
dunes. There weren't many no-
shows. either.”
Holden's police officer Dennis
Pickard said more people were on
the island than last Memorial
-weekend. "We had a few parking pro
blems at accessways, but notlung
else,” he observed.
Sunset Beach was variously
described as "unusually quiet” by
Chip Harrison of Odom Realty, and
“having some reports of noise,” by
Town Administrator Linda Fleugel.
Harrison spoke of a carefree island
wedeend, the bridge functioning well,
("I never saw lines backed up,”) and
no parking complaints, despite the
two free lots packed with cars.
Fluegel quoted police chief William
Hill as saying officers went to one
house on the island in response to a
complaint about noise, and asked for
quiet "They got quiet right away,”
Fluegel reported.
As might be expected with such
glorious beach weather, inland shops
did not get the expected holiday rush
of business.
“We didn't do so well,” Doris
Smith said of the Brunswick Village
shops on U.S. 17 in Shallotte. “We
didn't stay open on Sunday, but it was
slow for all of us the other days. Peo
ple must have been at the beach.”
The East Sing restaurant on Hwy.
130 in Shallotte had the same ex
perience. “It was a better than nor
mal weekend, but not as good as we'd
hoped for,” said employee Faye Pitt
man.
One exception to the dismal shopp
ing picture was the Trendsetter dress
ojtvp A ntii v,>rvc>v ruiCia*
business was very good,” said owner
Vickie Arbidson. “I checked my
records, and it was better than last
year. There were lots of county
residents in the shop, too.”
A little farther from the lively
beaches, some restaurants in
Calabash proved once again why
that's iiie seafood capiloi of Uie
world.
Rhoda Solano, assistant manager
of Larry's Calabash Seafood Barn,
declared his business was better than
last year. “People were here from
everywhere,” he said.
Gift stores didn't fare quite so well.
At Calabash Gallery of Fine Art and
Framing, Rose Marcisyn said,
“Saturday was busy, but Sunday and
Monday were not” In explanation,
she noted, “I saw lots of people in
town Monday with sunburns.”
Fun on the beach and the happy
ring of cash registers was somewhat
overshadowed by violence on the
county highways.
From Shallotte's police depart
ment and the N.C. Highway Patrol
came news of five accidents in the
county and another five in Shallotte
over the three-day weekend. (See ac
cident story elsewhere.)
Budget Includes Tax Increase
(Continued From Page 1-A)
tions for the Sheriffs Department; a jail van (new); a
forklift, frame hoist and replacement =)i-ton truck for
Maintenance; replacement two-ton truck and van for
Parks and Recreation; a district technician in the Soil
and Water Conservation Office, funded 50 percent by the
county; and a park maintenance specialist to do in-house
carpentry and plumbing, fumUng and part-time help to
maintain school athletic fields and to coordinate fitness
classes for Parks and Recreation;
Also included for review is a proposed $25,000 “incen
tive grant” to help communities get recreation facilities
built using the county's “expertise and funds.”
As for the general fund balance, commissioners were
cautioned last week it would be better to build it gradual
ly over several years up to 15 percent of the budgeL to
create a larger cushion for emergencies and meeting the
budget during the months when few funds are collected.
If a large sum is used to supplement the next budget,
the county in his cpinion should freeze most spending un
til property tax revenues begin to come in.
Expenditures reflect an anticipated $2.3 million in
crease in debt service payments, including the annual
payment on the Brunswick Technical College bond issue;
a 5 percent acrns.s tlu? board pay increase for emniovees
$1.5 million for lateral water line funding: $4M,000 to
$500,000 toward a four-year mapping project; $28,000 for
disability insurance for employees; and a 5 percent in
crease in the current expense budget for the schools and
Brunswick Technical College as well as funding of the
capital outlay request for the third year of the school
system's four year plan.
If all were funded, budget requests represent a
75-cents tax rate, a memo from Ms. Hahn indicated.
Untouched in the budget document are requests from
the health and social services departments, which are
based on studies done at the commissioner's request
These items include one public health nurse, two
animal shelter employees, three sanitarians, a nutri
tionist, three eligibility specialists, one eligibility in
vestigator and IVk social workers, as well as a radio-
equipped truck for the animal shelter and four cars for
the social services department at a local cost of $16.(X)0,
with the bulk to be paid by the state.
Installation of an enhanced 911 emergency com
munications system is not included in the working
budget, the memo noted, because several steps must be
taken first, such as road naming and house numbering
and replacement of missing road signs, as well as in
stallation of a new console for the sheriffs department
telecommunications staff and compilation and
maintenance of an accurate data base by trained staff.
“There’s more to it than deciding to^y we want 911
and having it tomorrow,” said Carter.
Agreed Clegg, “You have to jump some hurdles
first”
Also left out of the working budget are future conve
nience stations, bond refunding, major land purchases
snd ths wstsr which should be resdy soon^
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Warm Dry, Spell Continues
Weather across the .South
Brunswick Islands should stay pretty
much as is over the next few days,
with temperatures near normal and
rainfall below average.
Shaiioiie Point meleOrologist
Jackson Canady said the area can ex
pect temperatures to range from the
mid-60s at night into the mid-80s dur
ing the day, with less than a half-inch
of precipitation.
“It's pretty much the same pat
tern,” he noted. “Until it breaks I
don't expect any general rainfall that
would relieve the dry conditioas in
the topsoil.”
For the period May 19-25, he
recorded a maximum daily high of 85
CATHY CARLISLE meets the press again, this time in
a series of Isterviews with capital area afflHales of nil
major networks. While sharing her experiences ns a
champion with two networks, she shucked oysters at
the Governor’s Guest House, where she and Chamber
Executive Director Anne Marie Schcttlni stayed.
Carlisle Shucks Way To Capitol
(Continued From Page 1-A)
the U.S. national championship each
year in St. Mary’s County, Md.
Ms. Carlisle’s road to the capital
began back on Oct. 11, when she won
the North Carolina Oyster Shucking
Championship at Ocean Isle Beach.
She posted a time of 3:28 in that
competition for shucking 24 oysters
and arranging them attractively on a
tray.
tional compe-iition, where she shuck
ed her way through the women’s
competition with a time of 2:44 and
the finals with a time of 2:40:77, just
ahead of second-place finisher Duke
l4indry of I.z>uisiana. He clocked in at
2:41:33.
Cathy Carlisle will Iwve her work
cut out for her when she licads to
Ireland in September. The United
Slates has not won a world title in
eight years. However, its com-
petitois have never finished lower
than fourth place.
Ms. Carlisle lus been making a liv
ing at oyster shucking since she was
17 years old, working at MilUken's
The next month, she will be given
the opportunity to defend her state ti
tle at the 1987 N.C. Oyster Festival,
Fton'i there she went cn to the ua-
rv*A in 11
V/Vh. A«r*AA.
REIP. DAVID REDWINE and Ms. Carlisle join South
Brunswick Islands Chamber of Commerce President
Alan Holden (right) in presenting 1987 N.C. Oyster
Festival T-shirts to Gov. Martin.
As for community contributions' the document in
itially includes agencies aided last year and omits new
requests. Allocations for fire and rescue units show no
proposed increase, though support of units in Bald Head
Village will be considered.
Commissioners also met for 40 minutes behind closed
doors to discuss a contractual matter, with no action
taken in public session.
will! I iw I’w^vrwN.ii iwiiv,^w*v.y I
-degrees, which occurred on both the
23rd and 2Sth, and a minimum low of
61 degrees, which occurred on the
morning of the 21st.
f S3 degrees
combined with an average nightly
low of 65 degrees, for a daily average
temperature of 74 degrees, which is
about two degrees above normal.
At Shallotte PoinL Canady record
ed .22 inch of rainfall.
Ocean Isle Beach Mayor LaDane
BuUington will announce her decision
today (Thursday) as to her entry into
the 1988 race for North Carolina
lieutenant-govemor.
She recently told the Beacon she
would end several months of specula
tion at the annual Mayor’s Day event
in Raleigh. “I tliink that’s an ap
propriate time to announce what I’m
going to do,” she said.
BuUington said some time ago that
she was considering the race, and
has made weekly trin.s to Raleigh, to
"explore the possibilities" with state
officials and Democratic leaders.
Her father, OdeU Williamson, said
incumbent Lt. Governor Bob Jordan,
expected to be a favorite in the
gubernatorial race next year, had
recently told the family he had no
plans to support another candidate
for his present job. “We would not
want to enter this if Bob Jordan was
behind anyone else,” WiUiamson
said.
Mayors of aU state municipalities
are invited to visit the General
Assembly on this date each year.
Mayors of Brunswick County towns
who attend wiU eat lunch with Rep.
E. David Redwine and Sen. R.C.
Soles, and will have an opportunity to
taU with these representatives.
A survey of towns in the south end
of the county revealed BuIUngton will
be the only mayor in this area par
ticipating in the event
Bird Dog Is Pet Of Week
A nine-month-old male bird dog Is
among pets recommended this week
by Zelma Babson, animal control
supervisor for the Brunswick County
Health Department
Others are a white female kitten
and a smaU male German shepherd.
These and other animals can be
seen at the animal shelter, just off
Hwy. 211, from 8 a.m. tiU 4:30 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
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Join Us For
FAMILY DAY
Saturday, May 30, 12-4 PM
There will be special entertainment.
All families and visitors ore welcome.
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OPENING JUNE 1st
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SWIMMING LESSONS
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starting
MONDAY, JUNE IS
(not included in Seasonal Poss)
Jane’s Familr Fun Center
HWY. 130. HOLDEN BEACH RD.. BESIDE
JANES SEAFOOD RESTAURANT. 842-9047