Project Gives Students
Occasion To Express Support To Military
BY SUSAN USHER
Future peace. Freedom. Fear.
Pride. Dedication. Support.
Throughout Brunswick County
Schools this week, students are re
ceiving yellcw ribbons to wear, if
they choose, for the duration of the
war in the Persian Gulf. And they
are struggling to translate into
words or art their feelings and ideas
about those ribbons.
Their concerns, their fears, their
support for American troops in the
Persian Gulf reflect those of their
greater community outside the class
room walls.
Tuesday at West Brunswick High
School, Phyllis James' first-period
English class pondered the assigr.
ment. What This Ribbon Mean To
Me, an essay intended to be "a posi
tive and supportive message regard
ing the American forces in the Mid
dle East"
When completed, said English
Department Chairman Hilda Smith,
these essays and other writings and
artwork by more than 8,000 stu
dents across the county will be col
lected by a regional home health
care agency for judging and then re
lay to some of the 460,000-strong,
all-volunteer military force serving
in Operation Desert Storm. In a
contest intended to stimulate excel
lence in the students' efforts, a win
ner at each grade level will receive
a S50 savings bond from Compre
hensive Home Health Care.
Kim Smith, who is coordinating
the project for Comprehensive, said
the agency had first intended to
sponsor the ribbon/essay project in
one class at one county school. But,
at the urging of enthused school of
ficials including Superintendent
P.R. Hankins, the agency decided to
include all grades at all 1 1 schools.
Younger students are drawing; mid
dle and high school students, writ
ing. Some will receive class grades
for their efforts, others will not, at
their teacher's option.
The project is just one of several
forming locally as churchcs, civic
groups and individuals rally behind
American troops through prayer,
letters and support groups.
Of the 21 students in Mrs. James'
class, only one had a family mem
ber or friend serving in the Middle
East Max Crawford said his uncle,
David Salada of Fayettcville, a
medic at Pope Air Force Base, was
recently called up.
"1 think it's for a good cause, but
I think we shouldn't try to fight on
the ground instead of in the air un
less we have to because we would
lose more people," said Crawford.
Others were "'so concerned that
soldiers serving in Operation Desert
Stem fight "smart" and make it
home safely. Still, for most the
events in the Middle East seemed
distant, not entirely real, though the
object of almost continuous news
casts since the outbreak of war al
most a week earlier.
Ribbons pinned on and task as
signed, at first the class slimed rest
lessly, ideas formed reluctantly.
Then, as they shared their thoughts
out loud, the words began flowing
swiftly, decisively.
"I think it means that we're not
going to treat them like we did the
Vietnam veterans," suggested one
student
Another spoke up. "I feel like it's
bad that it takes this for us to sup
port our military."
Matthew McDonald sees the
fight as one not for oil, but for a
people's freedom from oppression.
He is convinced the United States is
where it should be. "If we don't
slop it there it will soon be at our
back door," he said.
Paul Whitley, who wants to be a
Navy pilot someday, said he would
just as soon be one now so he could
participate in an air war he expects
will reduce casualties incurred by
allied ground troops.
Leading the class discussion, the
feelings and ideas expressed by stu
dents had spccial meaning for Mrs.
James, whose son, 2nd Lt Matthew
Gore, is serving with the 24th
Mechanized in Snudi Arabia.
Wearing the yellow ribbon, she
suggested, is one way those here
can feel less helpless and more in
volved in the war effort, a way they
can support the troops involved in
combat and their families stateside.
"1 know if I was walking down the
street and saw you wearing a ribbon,
it would make me feel good," she
said.
Remembrance Of Post War
Many Brunswick County residents found work during
World War 11 helping build IJberty ships at N.C.
Shipbuilding Co. in Wilmington. The yard turned out ap
proximately 280 of the steel-hulled ships before the end
of the war, some of which were later " mothballed " along
the Brunswick River. Bruce Hamilton Spencer of
Bricklanding was among those shipyard workers and still
has one paycheck to prove it. After a week out of work,
Spencer said he returned to the job only to receive a
check for one cent, a piece-rate bonus that apparently
was due him from an earlier pay period. "I could have
bought gum with it, but I decided to keep it," he said. It's
the only check for such a small sum he's ever received.
' ? ? - STAfF mcrro BY SUSAN USHER
BRUNSWICK COUNTY STUDENTS are donning yellow ribbons in support of military personnel in
Operation Desert Storm, with the help of a local business. Above, West Brunswick High School
English instructor Phyllis James, who has a son serving in Saudi Arabia, distributes ribbons to (front
to back) Mathew McDonald, Nicole Norris and Ashley Woolen.
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^WTHOWUEO SIGNATURE
Resident Asks Calabash Board To Put Expansion On Hold
BY DOUG RUTTER
A Calabash area resident ap
peared before town commissioners
Tuesday night asking them to delay
plans to bring him and his neigh
bors into the town limits.
Anthony Clemmons, a native of
Calabash, requested that the town
board postpone its efforts to annex
through state legislation his land
and property owned by his neigh
bors on Persimmon Road.
Town officials have asked State
Rep. David Redwine of Ocean Isle
Beach to introduce legislation this
year that would expand the town
boundaries and bring several unin
corporated pockets into the town
limits.
The pocket areas, including land
on Persimmon Road, were created
in 1989 when a state bill introduced
by Redwine set the stage for the
consolidation of the old Town of
Calabash and the Carolina Shores
golf course community.
While Redwine hasn't agreed to
grant the town's request, Clemmons
urged town officials to hold off on
the proposal until they get a better
handle on existing challenges and
can offer more services.
Clemmons said he was represent
ing 1 1 families who own land on the
east end of Persimmon Road. He
said the families support growth of
Calabash and want to be part of the
town in the future.
But the people want the chance to
participate in the growth process
and want to receive services for
their tax dollars when they do be
come part of the town. Clemmons
said he supports town expansion
when adequate services are avail
able.
"We don't want to come into the
town on good intentions," he said.
"You can't put good intentions in the
bank, no matter how good they are."
Clemmons recenUy told the
Beacon that his neighbors would
like services such as water, police
protection and street lights. The
people also want sewer service or a
commitment that sewer service will
be provided in the future.
He said Tuesday that he would
like to see a better mix on the town
board so it better represents the peo
ple of the town. Most of the town
commissioners are retired, and there
is one woman on the seven-member
board.
While he commended town offi
cials for their work on various im
provement projects, Clemmons said
the town needs to work on human
relations before it looks to expand.
Clemmons said he has taiked
with people in both districts who
have told him they don't want any
thing to do with pw>ple who live in
the other district. He said town offi
cials should focus less energy on
growth and more energy on creating
a healthy community spirit.
Commissioners said they have
worked together in the best interests
of the town. But they admitted that
there are community residents who
have fought against the two districts
forming one town.
Commissioner Jon Sanborn said
he thinks the town boards have set a
good example for the community
with representatives of both districts
working together. But, he added,
"You cannot legislate how some
body feels."
Board member Ed Rice said the
board has been able to work out its
differences and vo'c together on al
most everything. "I don't feel
there's a split in this group. There's
a split out there."
Getting Ready
Commissioners continued to gear
up for a forthcoming change in san
italion service, approving a lease
that will allow town residents to use
the Persimmon Road dump site
through the end of 1991.
The commission approved a lease
with the Carolina Shores Property
Owners Association (CSPOA),
which owns the dump site. The only
cost to the town will be $200 for le
gal fees incurred by the CSPOA.
The Brunswick County Landfill
County May Attach Cash Assets
In Effort To Collect Back Taxes
(Related Stories, 1-A, 2-A)
BY SUSAN USHER
Faced with a falling property tax
collection rate, Brunswick County
Commissioners authorized county
officials to attach, or legally take
property owners' cash assets to
meet their tax obligations.
County Manager/Attorney David
Clegg used the words "simpler,"
cleaner" and "efficienfin compar
ing the process to the in rem and in
personam foreclosures used by the
county in previous years to collect
back taxes.
The need to pursue collections
was spurred by a significant drop in
collections for 1990. After process
ing the "batch mail" received at or
near deadline for tax payment,
county tax officials had taken in
87.9 percent of the money due the
county, compared to 89.67 a year
earlier. "The net loss to us so far is
5470,000," said Clegg. That is
equivalent to slightly more than one
cent of the county tax rate.
He recommended that collections
start with those taxes due now,
working back. With foreclosures the
county had started with the oldest
tax-due accounts.
The county's budget is based on a
collection rate of 95 percent; to
meet it the funds must be collected,
said Clegg.
The problem with using foreclo
sures, he told commissioners, is
this: "We collected the taxes, but in
effect have taken the property off
the tax rolls."
Clegg later explained that much
of the land on which the county has
foreclosed in recent years is of
"marginal" or negligible resale val
ue, which means the county has not
been able to sell the property.
Land Conveyed
Commissioners took fellow
member Gene Pinkcrton's advice to
"give it to Southport" Monday
night.
As a result of their action, the
Brunswick County Board of
Education will be free to convey, in
exchange for SI, a lot in Pine
Needles Grove subdivision at
Southport to the City of Southport.
The city, which owns property ad
joining the lot, is interested in using
the site for storage and as the loca
tion for its recycling center.
According to a letter to the coun
ty from Glen Peterson, the school
board's attorney, the city is willing
to assume liability for the old build
ing foundation and for removal of
underground storage tanks buried
on the lot.
The site, owned by the school
board since 1958, had been used as
a school, for certain Chapter 1
classes and for storage.
Under state law, if the school
board has real property it no longer
wishes to retain, it must first offer it
to the county. If the county doesn't
want it then the school board may
dispose of it in other ways.
Named To KAB Board
On the recommendation of Terry
Munn, Clean County coordinator,
commissioners reappointed Chance
Scrantom, Volunteers for Recycling
coordinator at Sunset Beach, to an
other one-year on the the Brunswick
County Keep America Beautiful
(KAB) Board and appointed to one
year terms on the board Gary
Shoemake, Oak Island Lions Club;
Katherine Shawver, president of the
South Brunswick Islands
Interchurch Council; Elizabeth
Harlee, Dosher Memorial Hospital;
and Wendy Long, Brunswick
County Health Department.
Laila Harris was appointed to a
one-year term as the commission
ers' representative.
Questions Raised
Arriving late to the meeting.
State Port Pilot News Editor
Richard Nubel asked to address the
board.
After the agenda was amended to
allow that, Nubel proceed to ques
tion Commissioner Gene Pinkerton
as to whether he is under investiga
tion in connection with a 1989
shopping plaza fire the SBI has de
termined was arson. Pinkerton
owned several of die businesses de
stroyed in the fire and has filed suit
against his insurance company,
which has refused to settle claims
relating to the fire.
While refusing to answer other
questions, saying the fire was a mat
ter under litigation and investiga
tion, Pinkerton told Nubel he did
not set fire to the building on Long
Beach Road.
Chairman Kelly Holden cut off
Nubel's interrogatory, saying, "I
think this ha; gone to far, Mr.
Nubcl." Later he suggested the mat
ter should have been discussed be
tween Nubel and Pinkerton, else
where.
Nubel, however, said he thought
Pinkerton had an obligation to the
public to answer the questions and
that the meeting was an appropriate
place to question him.
Other Business
In other business commissioners:
? Approved the consent agenda,
which included minutes of past
meeting, tax releases, and forward
ing of a petition to the N.C,
Department of Transportation re
questing that Waterview Drive and
West Tanglewood Drive be added to
the secondary road system for main
tenance.
?Heard from Clegg that March 27
is the date set for the annual event
hosted by Brunswick, New
Hanover, Pender and Columbus
counties in Raleigh for members of
the General Assembly. On March
28 the commissioners of the four
counties will hold a joint breakfast
?Amended the budget to reflect ad
ditional ircome and expense in the
Clean County/KAB budget to re
flect anticipated collections of $900
from a new can recycling machine.
AT B00NES NECK
BRING HOME
THE$KAC0N
On Sale At
BILL'S QUICK STOP
AT SEASIDE
BRING HOME
THEftBEACON
On Sal* At
FOOD LION
FOOD MART
NELL'S PIT STOP
Department has been disposing of
trash dumped at the site. Chambers
of South Carolina, an independent
contractor, will start emptying the
dumpsters Feb. 1.
Since the town will be paying for
sanitation service, the dump site and
recycling trailer will be off limits to
people who don't live inside the
town. Residents will be required to
display a town-issued sticker on
their vehicle windshield to use the
dump site. Stickers arc available at
town hall.
The dump site will be open
Monday, Wednesday and Friday
from 7 a.m. until noon. The town
plans to hire someone to supervise
the dump site and recycling opera
tion.
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