Report Shows Drop In Local Crime; Sheriff Fears Rate Is On Rebound
BY KAHN ADAMS
Sheriff John Carr Davis isn't resting on a recent
state Justice Department report that says Brunswick
County's crime rate dropped last year. He's afraid
next year's report won't hold such good news.
On the surface, the 1988 Uniform Crime
Report ? released last Wednesday by Attorney
General Lacy Thornburg ? indicates that reported
crimes in Brunswick County decreased by nearly 23
percent, from 1,007 crimes in '987 to 776 crimes in
1988, according to Lcroy Clark, a statistician with the
SBl's Division of Criminal Information.
"I was amazed," Davis told the Beacon last
Thursday. "I felt like we've been just as busy as
before." However, he added '.hat the report might not
"I was amazed. I felt like
we've been just as busy as
before
? Sheriff John C. Davis
give a "true picture" of local criminal activity,
because all local municipalities do not participate in
the reporting progiam.
Brunswick was the only county in southeastern
North Carolina to record a drop in crime. Bladen,
Columbus, Duplin, New Hanover, Onslow and Pender
countics all recorded increases, from two percent in
Onslow to 15.5 percent in Columbus.
The report? divided into violent crimes and prop
erty crimes ? is a little less encouraging when the
respective categories arc analyzed. Violent crimes
listed arc murder, rape, robbery and aggravated as
sault; property crimes arc breaking and entering,
larceny and motor vehicle theft.
Murders in Brunswick County rose from three in
1987 to 1 1 last year ? a jump of 266 percent ? while
the murder rate across the state was down by just over
one-half of a percent, Clark said. There were 514
murders in North Carolina two years ago and 511 last
year.
The only multiple murders last year were the
shooting deaths last October of three family members
at their home in the Winnabow area on N.C. 87
toward Maco. The case remains unsolved.
Overall, though, the county's rate of violent crime
remained unchanged, while the statewide rate increas
ed by 6.2 percent. Last year in Brunswick County,
there were two rapes, seven robberies and 31 assaults
reported, compared to one rape, seven robberies and
40 assaults reported in 1987.
According to Clark, property crimes here dropped
by 24 percent overall last year, from 956 to 725.
Across the state, property crimes rose by 6.6 percent.
Davis credited the decline to stepped-up patrols
beginning in the fall of 1987. "The only thing I can
(Continued On Page 2-A)
STAFF PHOTO EY RAMN ADAMS
Helping Hands For Tiny Tots
YVhiteville resident Terri Gore (left) plays in the surf with her daughter, Ashley, while friend Rachel
Elkins (right) of Clarkton teaches her granddaughter, Elkin Nance, the finer points of jumping waves.
The two families were vacationing Monday at Ocean Isle Beach.
TWO
VIC Hiring
BY SUSAN USHER
While Brunswick County's Vol
unteer and Information Center
board of directors is proceeding
with plans to name an executive
director for the service agency.
Chairman Percy Woodard said the
group also plans to continue ap
pealing a reduction in funding by
the Cape Fear United Way.
Telling the Brunswick agcncy it
must make changes if it expects to
receive funds in the future, United
Way cut VIC's budget this year
from the $43,000 it received last
year to either S33.000 or S23.000
depending on whether it hires an
executive director. VIC had asked
for additional funding to help cover
the cost of the new position.
Woodard said VIC wasn't sure it
would get the additional funds it
sought, but never expected its
funds to be reduced I Iniiwi W:?v
funds accounts for 69 percent of
VIC's current operating budget.
Meanwhile, however, in order to
meet a revised budget due in to
United Way by July 31, VIC's
board last week eliminated the two
agency's existing full-time paid
positions, a $15,600 coordinator's
job and $11,400 information and
referral director's job held by
Ouida Hewelt and Grace Bratt res
pectively.
Mrs. Hewctl joined the agcncy in
August 1978, while Mrs. Brail has
been with the agcncy since it
opened in November 1977.
At its meeting later this month,
said Woo 'lard, the board of direc
tors expccts to announce the hiring
of an executive director, who wiii
be asked to begin work on Sept. 15.
Twenty-five people have applied
for the Si 7, (KM) post, with the four
finalists all local residents, he said.
Three have college degrees, .the
other considerable experience in
the volunteer and information re
ferral arena.
Of that field, the board is check
ing references of the lop two candi
dates before offering the job. Wo
EXISTING POSITIONS CUT
Director. Cuttinn BuHnp?t
' O w "
odard said. The executive director
will be expected to handle public
relations as well as apply for grants
and spearhead other fundraising ef
forts. And until funds are available
to hire additional staff, the execu
tive director will also handle day to
day operations.
"The S17,0(X) for the executive
director and $11,000 for senior
aides and any other part-time help
we ran fin/} s" uiC iT.Gr.C>
we've got for salaries," said Wood
ard.
After appealing the initial fund
ing decision by the United Way,
Woodard called last week and
learned that the allocations review
committee ? a panel of community
volunteers from the United Way's
service area ? had denied an appeal
hearing request.
While the move may result in no
change in status, Woodard said he
wants to appeal to the fuS! Cape
Fear United Way board of directors
"just for the principle of the thing."
"I want to talk to those folks,
bccausc we have made progress,"
he said. He said in an earlier inter
view that many of the changcs rec
ommended or demanded by United
Way have been met or soon will be,
with the hiring of an executive
director.
Christine McNamcc, director ol
planning and allocations for the
United Way, said the umbrella
funding agency has been working
with VIC to bring about some
changes since 1985, a year after
Paul Wayne Reaves resigned as ex
ccutivc director and was not re
placed.
Hiring an executive director was
one of the top conccrns expressed
in all but one agency review since
1985. The review in 1986 was
nominal, pending completion of a
major review of the agency's oper
ations begun in 1985.
This year. United Way went one
step farther, specifying in writing
thui l?iC person IIUVAi IIIUM U)IIIC
from outside the existing staff.
"The reasoning for that is that
we've been working with the cur
rent staff for several years now to
make some significant changes,"
said McNamcc. "Every year they
have come back and said, 'Here arc
our changes.' They weren't very
different from what was submitted
before, but we would accept them."
First in 1988 and then this year,
she said, the board dccidcd to "get
tOugh, ' CVCh uiuu?,ii n UOCSI1 t i ike
reducing or eliminating funding al
locations.
This year's United Way alloca
tions committee recommended ?
and the board of directors approv
ed ? a $14, (XX) cut in the Voluntary
Action Center budget and smaller
cuts in home missions and informa
tion and referral.
The recommendations came after
the committee first reviewed the
budget request and the agency's
goals and objectives, visited the
agency and held a panel review
with the staff and volunteers, then
because of its conccrns, met also
(Continued On Page 2-A)
" We felt the agency needed some
fresh blood, some people with
specific skills to make the changes
that the existing staff was either
unwilling or unable to do."
-Christine McNamec, United Way
Planning and Allocations Director
Municipal Candidates Declare
? As Filing Deadline Approaches
BY DOUG RUTTER
More than two dozen candidates
for municipal office emerged dur
ing the past week as the filing peri
od heads into the home strctch.
Brunswick County Board of
biccuons Supervisor Lynda Britt
said the deadline for filing is Friday
at noon. The fee is S5. The last day
for voter registration for the Nov. 7
elections is Monday, Oct. 9.
Thirty-two persons had filed for
office through the first two-and-a
half weeks of the filing period,
which opened July 7; another 27
have filed since last Tuesday.
Activity was especially heavy in
Vamamtown, where five persons,
including three incumbents, have
filed for seats on the town board of
aldermen since last week.
Current board members Ennis
Swain, John David Dawson and
Roger Robinson have filed for elec
tion along with residents Samuel
Terry Varnam and Lucllcn Norris.
Present board member Ada Mc
Donald filed earlier in the period.
Through Tuesday, there were six
candidates for the five available
seats on the town board, but no
candidates for mayor. Mayor Trade
Vamum announced in June that he
did not intend to seek election this
fall.
The Town of Holden Beach was
also without a candidate for mayor
as of Tuesday, but had eight people
running for five commissioners'
seats, including four who have filed
since last Tuesday.
board ot hlcctions member Ma
bel Dutton said the latest candi
dates arc incumbcnt William Wil
liamson, former mayor Kenner
Amos, former commissioner Gloria
Barrett and Judy Bryan.
Other candidates for Holden
Beach Commissioner arc Odis
Aleck Alcxiou, George Bradshaw,
Carole Rogers and Don Pollard.
Ocean Isle Beach Town. Clerk
Alberta Tatum said Tuesday no
more candidates hnvo fOcd for
office since last week. Three
incumbents ? Mayor Betty Wil
liamson and Commissioners Terry
Barbee and Bill Benton? have
filed for re-election to the posts
they now hold.
"It's been kind of quiet over
here," said Mrs. Tatum. "1 haven't
heard any rumors or anything."
No additional candidates have
filed in Shallolte or Sunset Beach
since last Tuesday afternoon. Shal
lottc's incumbcnt Mayor Jerry
Jones and Alderman Sarah Tripp
filed for re-election earlier in the
filing period. The seat now occu
pied by Paul Wayne Reeves is also
up for election this fall.
At Sunset Beach, Mayor Mason
Barber previously filed for rc-clcc
tion. Those running for the three
scats available on town council arc
incumbent Edward M. Gore Sr.,
D.G. "Bud" Scrantom and Julia
Thomas.
In addition to llie mayor's post
and the council scat held by Gore,
town board seats presently held by
Minnie Hunt and Kathy Hill Peed
will be filled in November.
Besides Vamamtown and Holden
Beach, filing has also been heavy
over the past week in Southport,
where six more residents have
declared their candidacy since last
Tuesday, according to Ms. Brill.
Four of those ? incumbcnt James
Brown and Gilbert Powell, Jay
Walton Willis and Waller C.
"Andy" Anderson ? -have filed for
alderman Irom Ward I. William
"Bill" Crowe filed earlier for alder
man from Ward I, where three scats
arc up for election this fall.
As of Tuesday, Harry W. Gore
Sr. was the only person who had
filed for office from Ward II. Two
alderman seats from that ward are
up for election in November.
C.B. "Cash" Caroon was the
only candidate for mayor of South
port as of Tuesday afternoon, said
Ms. Britt.
In the newly-incorporated town
of Sandy Creek, three more persons
have filed for officc since last
Tuesday, bringing the total number
of candidates to six for the five
seats up for election this year on
the town board.
Those filing since last Tuesday
arc incumbent Willie Millinor and
Ray Flynn Jr. and Waymon Sut
cliff, said Ms. Britt. Ernest "Bud
dy" Grainger and Donald C. Min
nis, who presently serve on the
board, and Louis A. Blouir each
declared their candidacy earlier in
the filing period.
The first candidates for the
towns of Bolivia and Navassa have
also filed for office over the past
week. Longtime mayors Ina Mae
Mint/ of Bolivia and Louis
"Bobby" Brown of Navassa were
the only candidates in those munic
ipalities as of Tuesday, said Ms.
Britt.
All four commission scats arc up
for election in Bolivia this fall, and
two town board scats arc up for
election in Navassa.
In Bclvillc, Samuel T. Herring
and Eunice I long have filed for
seats on the town board. There arc
two commissioner's scats up for
election in November. Mayor Ken
Mcsscr had earlier filed for re-elec
tion to his post.
After two active wee^s at Long
Beach, filing slowed down last
week with Joe Edwards the only
person to Hie for commissioner.
There arc five other persons run
ning for three town commission
slots and two mayoral candidates at
the Oak Island beach town.
Down the road at Yauj>on Beach,
incumbent commissioner Robert
W. Brown and Loy D. Buff have
filed for scats on the town board.
Three of the six commission scats
arc up lor election in November.
The mayor is appointed by the
board.
There arc three candidates for
two commissioner scats and two
seeking election to the mayor's
post in Boiling Spring Lakes.
Commission candidates arc incum
bent Herbert C. Buntcn, Lester K.
(See CANDIDATES, Page 2-A)
Youth Hit By Car At Holder.
A young boy hit by a car
Saturday evening at Holdcn Beach
was listed in fair condition Tuesday
morning in a Wilmington hospital.
Nine-year-old Christopher Rob
ert Hale of Charlotte was struck by
a vehicle at about 5:22 p.m. Satur
day near the intersection of Ocean
Boulevard West and Neptune Street
while trying to cross Ocean Boule
vard, according to Holden Beach
Police Chief Raymond Simpson.
Simpson said the child was head
ed to the bcach at the time of the
accident and apparently ran in front
of the car while attempting to cross
.1 ? .1 ji. .1 ? r
UlV iMaiiU a main unit wu?iiiaiC
about 100 feet cast of a painted
crosswalk at a bcach acccssway.
"He didn't have any broken
.bones. He was just bruised and
shaken up," said Simpson. "He's a
lucky little boy."
The chief said the driver of the
vehicle, Rcbccca Mason Watson of
Supply, was traveling cast oil
Ocean Boulevard at the timc'of the
accident. The vehicle was moving
about 35 mph, he said. No charges
were filed.
Following the accident, workers
with Coastline Volunteer Rcscuc
Squad rushed the boy to The Brun
swick Hospital in Supply, said
Simpson.
Hospital spokesperson Frances
Fowler said the child was alert and
oriented when he arrived at the
emergency room. She said he was
treated for multiple trauma and
immediately transported to New
Hanover Memorial Hospital in sta
ble condition.
Iris Baker, public relations offi
cer at New Hanover, said the cjiikl
was in fair condition Tuesday and
would probably be going home
sometime this week.
Brunswick Schools
Won't Offer Day Care
Brunswick County Schools won't be offering a before or after
school day care program when classes resume next month.
School officials had begun discussing the possibility of the
Wilmington YMCA offering a child carc program similar to one now
functioning in cooperation with the New Hanover County Schools.
However, Community Schools Coordinator Linden Mathews
Boone said that the Wilmington YMCA had decided it was not in a
position to begin offering programs in Brunswick County this fall.
And. she added, the school system itself isn't in a position to resuut
last year's pilot program with only three weeks' lead time.
A survey conducted by the school system administration indicat
ed llial most of the seven schools who participated in the January
May pilot program wanted to continue offering some form of super
vised care for students dropped off early at school, not picked up
from school until well after hours, or both.
However, several school administrators said they had problems
collccting the fcc-S5 per student per week, with a discount for fami
lies with more than one child participating in the program.
Last year between 130 and 150 students participated in the pro
gram.
Ms. Mathews-Boone said that it would be the school board's
decision as to what avenue the school system will pursue. Some type
of program may be offered later in the year, possibly in January.
"Whatever is offered will be a consistent program from school to
school," she said, as board members had recommended earlier. Also,
it will most likely be aimed at middle school students, avoiding com
petition with existing private after school programs offered for prima
ry school students.