.... . .iiwiwi wMnusnc
THIS SIGN IS THE FIRST announcement to visitors of the new
no-smoking policy that went into effect at The Brunswick Hospital
Jan. I.
Hospital Adopts Smoking Ban
The Brunswick Hospital began
the new year with a resolution it has
every intention of keeping: no
smoking inside the hospital by staff,
patients or visitors.
John Marshall, administrator, said
the hospital is apparently the last in
the Wilmington-Myrtle Beach area
to adopt a policy that restricts
smoking. As a healthcare leader for
the community, he said, the facility
has the responsibility of ensuring a
healthy environment for patients,
visitors and employees.
So far, he said, the program
seems to be going "pretty well."
Of the hospitals' approximately
196 employees, about one-fourth
smoke, with a smaller number con
sidered heavy smokers. Frances
Fowler, public information officcr,
said smoking cessation classes are
being offered to assist employees
who wish to stop smoking. As of
Tuesday, eight employees had en
rolled.
In the hospital cafeteria, near the
cash register, a bowl offers "smoker
survival" snack packets.
Signs throughout the hospital and
parking areas arc reminders of the
hospital's smoke-free policy. While
a sign outside the hospital entrance
asks that visitors leave "tobacco
products" in their vehicles, Marshall
said the policy addresses only
smoking. However, he said he
doesn't anticipate employees choos
ing to chew tobacco while on the
job as an alternative to smoking.
Planners Call Meeting
To Look At Ordinance
The Brunswick County Planning
Board called a special meeting for
Wednesday night where board
members were expected to take ac
tion on the fifth draft of a new
county subdivision ordinance.
The media was notified Monday
that the special meeting had been
called for members of the planning
board to "begin collectivc review
and decision making over a draft of
the proposed new Subdivision Or
dinance." A time was established so
that all six members could be pre
sent, it stated.
A draft of the ordinance was sent
to board members Dec. 13 and was
released to the public at the board's
Dec. 19 monthly meeting. The plan
ning board must send the ordinance
to county commissioners, who must
decide if the ordinance is to become
county policy. Commissioners will
meet again Jan. 21.
If commissioners decide to re
view the ordinance, it will end a 10
year wait. In May 1981, the county
planning board held a special meet
ing with commissioners to discuss
why a new subdivision ordinance
was needed.
A first draft was released in
November 1981, but in December
of that year commissioners told the
planning board to drop the subject.
The county has operated with its
present ordinance since June 1980.
The new ordinance would regu
late developments in unincorporated
areas of the county not affected by
town zoning laws. Among the new
regulations that aren't part of the
1980 ordinance are minimum lot
sizes and requirements that subdivi
sions connect to the county's water
system if within a certain distance
to trunk lines.
The ordinance has been through
five drafts since it was revived by
the planning board and Brunswick
County Board of Health, which
worked together to draft sections re
lating to septic tank requirements.
PEOPLE IN THE NEWS
Soldiers Arrive For Duty
Two soldiers with family connec
tions in Brunswick County recently
arrived for duly overseas.
Army Pvt. 1st Class Thomas E.
Rhodes, an armor crew member, ar
rived for duly at Ready Kaserne,
Germany.
Rhodes is the son of Pauline L.
Stanley of Southport He is a 1990
graduate of South Brunswick High
School.
Air Force Airman 1st Class John
M. Brooks, an aerospace propulsion
specialist, has arrived for duty at
RAF Bentwaters, England.
He is the son of John W. Brooks
of Route 4, Leland, and Mary E.
Brooks of Greenville.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Jelfcry L.
Williams, a munitions systems icch
IN SUPPLY
BRING HOME
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On Sale At
BRUNSWICK HOSPITAL
K)rby'S
PROFESSIONAL PHARMACY
nician, has arrived for duty at Lang
Icy Air Force Base, Ya.
He is the son of Cephas and
Genevieve Williams of Route 1,
Longwood.
His wife, Stephanie, is the daugh
ter of Clcvc Dozicr and Benicc Wal
lingford of Conway, S.C.
The sergeant is a 1980 graduate
of West Brunswick High School,
Shallotte.
Clothing for Men
Santa left a large
selection of fall and
winter clothing.
Come see...
We Slashed Prices!
Example...
Sansabelt Slacks 50% OFF
754-5000
Coastal Plaza. Shallotte
Car's Back; Town Delays Decision On VFD
Request
BY SUSAN USHER
Like a certain penny, (he car keeps
coming back.
At its November 21 meeting,
Shallotte aldermen voted to sell a
retired police car that had been used
by town officc employees and fire
fighters for a six-month trial period.
A town aldermen, Jody Sim
mons, submitted a bid in the name
of a family member and for $300,
bought the car ? a used, high-mile
age patrol vehicle which had been
donated by the Brunswick County
Sheriff's Department to the police
department. Then he donated it to
the Shallotte Volunteer Fire Depart
ment. Though staffed by volunteers,
the unit is considered a department
of town government.
Last Wednesday night. Chief Tim
Carter and Secretary Sandy Roberts
appeared before the town board ask
ing that the town pick up the cost of
insurance for the vehicle. The fire
fighters met with more than routine
discussion, with Alderman Wilton
Harrelson concerned that the board's
intent had been circumvented and
Alderman David Gausc saying he
didn't think the department needed a
car.
Aldermen took no action on the
request, tabling a decision until the
next board meeting on a motion by
Harrelson. Mayor Pro tcm Paul
Wayne Reeves was absent.
Harrelson had first seconded
Simmons' motion to pay the insur
ance for the balancc of the year and
give the proposal a test run, then
withdrew the second. He was con
cerned that the department had not
adequately shown the need for a ve
hicle and that the town might even
tually be asked to replace the ve
hicle or to cover maintenance and
repair costs.
The six-month trial had been sug
gested by Mayor Sarah Tripp as a
compromise. "We know the fire de
partment is doing a good job and
spends its money wisely, but the
taxpayers of this town ultimately
pay the cost," she said. "We have to
be able to justify it to them and you
have to be able to justify it to us."
During the previous six-month
trial run, 947 miles were logged on
the car, mostly by office employees
on trips to the bank and post office.
Firefighters used it basically for car
pooling to training events, account
ing for only 157 miles.
Aldermen said that during the tri
al period, the car had cost too much
to operate, approximately 70 cents
per mile. They voted to sell the car
and try paying 25 cents per mile for
use of personal vehicles.
Monday night. Alderman Sim
mons defended his action, saying
the fire department needs the vehi
cle and that other towns provide
such a car.
The S300 paid to the town for the
vehicle would more than cover in
surancc expenses for the balance of
the fiscal year.
Insurance had been a major factor
in figuring the cost effectiveness of
operating the car before, Simmons
said. Under the town policy insur
ance for the vehicle was S545 a
year, while the fire department can
get insurance for S360 a year if the
vehicle is kept in its name and used
for departmental purposes.
The department would use the ve
hicle to transport members and
equipment to fire scenes quickly, to
transport members to training events,
and to conduct fire inspections in
town. Carter and Ms. Roberts indi
cated.
Ms. Roberts said use of the car
would cut down on wear and tear on
personal vehicles for volunteers
who are already donating their time.
The department has no statistics
on the average number of miles
traveled by volunteers each month,
and firefighters said they had kept
use of the car at a minimum during
the six-month trial period.
Other Business
In other business, aldermen:
? Heard from Police Chief Rodney
Gause that his department during
1990 investigated 151 criminal vio
lations, including 62 larcenies and
21 incidents of shoplifting; handled
969 traffic violations, including 302
citations, 118 charges for driving
while impaired and 97 for speeding.
and 185 accidents. Officers were
heavily involved in professional
training and in crime prevention ac
tivities in the community. Iliey re
covered SI 07,078 in property, plus
an additional $150,000 in drugs.
? Delayed appointment of an alder
man to fill the scat vacated when
Sarah Tripp was named mayor. She
succeeded Jerry Jones, who resign
cd to assume a county commission
er's seal.
? Delayed action on repairs to the
roof of the police department until
stall can obtain cost estimates.
? Discussed observing Martin Luth
er King Jr.'s birthday as an addition
al town holiday, but tabled action
until members could obtain more
information.
? Adopted routine amendments to
the town's Hood damage prevention
ordinance to bring it into compli
ance with Federal Emergency Man
agement Agency guidelines
? Advanced maintenance depart
ment employee James C. Stanley
from probationary to permanent
employee on the recommendation
of his supervisor, Albert Hughes.
? Learned that the U.S. Census
Bureau is reviewing housing unit
data compiled by the town in ap
pealing the federal agency's hous
ing count.
? Approved a tax release of S60.61
for Fred Parker for 8.83 acres ol
land that is not in the town limits at
this time.
Road Closings
To Allow Repairs
Two road closings arc sched
uled in northern Brunswick
County by the N.C. Department
to accommodate repair of a rail
road crossing and a bridge, said
Lec Currie, DOT county mainte
nance engineer.
Both lanes of Old Village
Road (S.R. 1472) will be closed
in the vicinity of the Lcland Post
Office for one day only Tuesday,
Jan. 15.
A portion of Navassa Road
(S.R. 1435) will be closed for
approximately one week, start
ing Jan. 22, to allow repair of a
bridge. The closing affects a sec
tion eight-tenths of a mile north
of Fletcher Drive (S.R. 1472).
In both cases, local traffic is
asked to use alternate local
routes, said Currie.
Boat Accident
Injures Woman
A Mooresville woman was seri
ously injured on New Year's Day
after a boat ran aground in the Shal
lotte Inlet.
The 34-foot Albemarle Lady Jay
was returning to Wrightsville Beach
from a Christmas trip to Florida
when it made too wide a turn while
heading north in the Atlantic Intra
coastal Waterway.
The accident occurred near mark
er 81, where the waterway inter
sects with the Shallotte Inlet betwe
en Ocean Isle and Holdcn beaches.
The U.S. Coast Guard was notified
around 2:26 p.m., said Boatman's
Mate First Class Dale Putman, with
the Oak Island Coast Guard station.
Putman said the pilot apparently
misjudged a turn in the waterway
on an extremely low tide.
Joyce Bedingford suffered lacera
tions and a broken finger, PuUnan
said.
"The lady went through a double
set of doors and had lacerations to
the face and hands," said Cecil Lo
gan, Brunswick County Emergency
Management coordinator.
The pilot also injured a knee, Put
man said.
The Shallotte Volunteer Rescue
Squad responded to the call, as did
patrolmen with the Shallotte Police
Department and the Brunswick
County Sheriff's Department. Shal
lotte Rescue was on the scene by
3:03 p.m., Putman said.
Ms. Bedingford was transported
to The Brunswick Hospital in Sup
ply by Shallotte Volunteer Rescue
Squad.
Highway Deaths Remain
At 1 5 Patrol Reports
A spokesperson for the Highway
Patrol office said the New Year's
holdiay period was a calm one for
State Troopers investigating acci
dents on Brunswick County 's high
ways.
"It's been really, really quiet since
Christmas," said Ruby Oakley.
Brunswick County finished 1990
with IS fatalities on its highways.
"We were only one over from last
year," Ms. Oakley said.
A fatality was reported Dec. 24
when Crystal Michelle Crabtrce, 14,
of Holiday Ranches near Holdcn
Beach, died from injuries received
in a moped accident. However, that
death will not be included in the fi
nal 1990 statistics as once thought,
Ms. Oakley said.
"It has been taken off the list
since it was determined that it hap
pened on private property," Ms.
Oakley said.
There were two accidents on
Brunswick County highsvays last
week that resulted in property dam
age.
In one, a Long Beach man was
charged with driving while impaired
after the car he was driving skidded
out of conttol and struck a bridge
last Tuesday morning.
Waller Ray Simpson, 43, was
charged by State Trooper C.E. Ward
following the 5:30 a.m. accidcnL
According to Trooper Ward's re
port, Simpson was driving a 1979
Cadillac on Old Ferry Road about
nine miles south of Bolivia when
the accident occurred.
Simpson's car was traveling an
estimated 70 mph when it ran off
the right shoulder, skidded out of
control and struck a bridge rail, the
report stated. The car slid along the
left lane of the bridge before com
ing to a stop.
The driver received minor in
juries and refused medical treat
ment. Damage was estimated at
SI, 8(X) to the car.
In another one-car accident last
week, a Rocky Point man was also
charged with driving while impaired
after the car he was driving ran off
the road, struck a mailbox and slop
sign.
James Thomas Batten Jr., 41 , was
traveling .7 miles west of Lcland
when his 1985 GMC station wagon
ran out of control on Holly Hills
Drive, State Trooper D.B. Harvcll
reported.
The car struck a mailbox owned
by Sanford Graham of Lcland,
knocked down a stop sign and came
to rest in a ditch at the intersection.
Batten was also chargcd with a stop
sign violation.
Damage was estimated at S500 to
the car and S50 to the mailbox. The
driver was not injured in the 10 p.m.
accident.
Educational Foundation
Schedules Annual Meeting
The Brunswick County Educa
tional Foundation will hold its an
nual reorganisation meeting Satur
day, Jan. 19, at 10 a.m. at Bolivia
Elementary School.
Sanford "Sandy" Howard of
Calabash, outgoing president, said a
new slate of officers will be present
ed for election.
Also, accomplishments of the
past year will be reviewed and Pre
sident Howard will make departing
remarks relating to the status of ed
ucation in Brunswick County and
the roles of the school system,
county government and community
EVEN SMALL ADS GET
RESULTS IN THE BEACON
in meeting local educational needs.
Howard said the meeting is open
to the public and that parents,
school system employees and others
interested in education arc encour
aged to attend.
Several organizations have been
specifically invited to attend. These
include members of the boards of
county commissioners and educa
tion, school system employees; and
representatives of the South Bruns
wick Islands Chamber of Com
merce Education Division and the
South Brunswick Islands Rotary
Club.
You don't need a
King's Ransom
to get a great
new home
from...
CHOICENTER
Wayne Culbertson, RHS HOMES BY ANN
"Service is our Commitment"
Hwy. 17 N., Shallotte, 754-5147
West Brunswick
To Dismiss Early
West Brunswick High School
in Shallotte will dismiss classcs
early Thursday, Jan. 31, to ac
commodatc a regional student
competition.
Classcs will let out at 1 p.m.,
said Vickie Osborne, reporter for
She school's Future Business Lea
ders of America (FBLA) chapter.
The club is hosting District II
FBLA Competitive events that
day, with activities scheduled
throughout the school for FBLA
members from schools across
southeastern North Carolina.
Other county schools will fol
low their regular schedule Jan.
31.
IN CALABASH
BRING HOME
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On Sale At
A & B MART
CALABASH BEVERAGE MART
MIKE'S KWIK MARKET
MINUTE-MAN
MOORE'S GROCERY
SEASHORE DRUGS
SIMMONS' BEVERAGE MART
Bookworm
Causeway Plaza ? Hoiden Beach ? 842-7380
SUN-THURS 10-6. FRI & SAT 10 9
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And on the following
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All I Really Need To
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Bonfire 01 The
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Kimberly Jo's Boutique
Ladies' Clothing ? Wolff Tanning
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Fall and Winter
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IO Sessions? $25
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