Community Center Plan
BY DOUG RUTTKR
Shallottc officials said last week
they like the idea of converting an
old church near the south end of
town into a community center.
But for now, they can't make any
promises about helping buy the
church property to the group of lo
cal residents that has proposed the
project.
The group, which includes Shal
lottc area artist Virginia "Bunny"
Lauzon and Dr. Marcus Williams, is
interested in turning the old Shal
lottc Presbyterian Church into a fo
cal point for community affairs.
Shallottc Aldermen informally
agreed to explore the community
center proposal after talking it over
with Williams and Mrs. Lauzon at a
town meeting last Wednesday.
Mayor Sarah Tripp said she likes
the idea of a community center, but
she said the town didn't set aside
any money in this fiscal year's bud
get to help buy the church.
"I think everybody thinks it's a
good idea," Mrs. Tripp said. "It's
just a matter of where the funds are
going to comc from."
The new Shallotte Presbyterian
Church off U.S. 17 behind the Ma
sonic Lodge is nearly finished, and
the old church on Sellers Drive is
up for sale. Mrs. Lauzon said the re
al estate firm selling the church
property is asking for 5190,000.
But she said the town board and
broker may be able to work out a
better deal. "If the town wanted it,
they would certainly be willing to
work with the town on that," she
said.
The old church consists of two
buildings that sit on about one acre
of land. The main building includes
4,148 square feet, and a smaller
building has 632 square feet of en
closed space.
Mrs. Lauzon said the proposed
community center could be used to
meet the area's social, educational
and artistic needs and serve as a
home for a number of civic groups.
Williams said the area needs a fa
cility where people can express their
artistic abilities and learn about
{Jtistic crafts and trades. He said
'7 think everybody thinks it's a good
idea. It's just a matter of where the funds
are going to come from."
? Shallotte Mayor Sarah Tripp
there's a lot of talent in the area, but
no place for the people to go.
"I think it's certainly the sort of
thing that would be enriching for
the community," Williams said.
The church is a nice facility, he
said, and there wouldn't be a lot of
work needed before it could be put
to use. With minor modifications,
he said the sanctuary could be turn
ed into a small community theater
Mrs. Lauzon said the small build
ing behind the church would be ide
al for supervised youth activities. "1
just think the building lends itself to
be used right away."
Williams said the group wants to
develop an arts council in the South
Brunswick Islands area because the
Brunswick County Arts Council is
geared too much toward Southport,
where there are galleries and facili
ties to support it.
Before a local arts council could
apply for grants for art shows and
exhibits, Williams said it needs a
place to call home.
There is enough room on the
church lot to move Sunnyside School
from its present spot near the inter
section of U.S. 17 and N.C. 130 West
to Sellers Drive, Williams said. The
school now sits on leased property.
"There's nothing' I'd like to sec
more than Sunnyside with a home
sweet home," Alderman Wilton
Harrelson said.
Harrclson said he would like io
see the town look into the commu
nity center proposal. But he raised
questions about whether town prop
erty owners would be willing to pay
higher taxes to help pay for it. He
also asked how long the church
would be willing to wait to sell the
property.
Mrs. Tripp said Mayor Pro Tem
Paul Wayne Reeves, who missed
last week's meeting due to illness,
told her that he is willing to work
with the group and explore different
funding options.
Requests To Be Reviewed
Separate requests for annexation
of property in Brierwocd Estates
and rezoning of land off U.S. 17
were referred to the town planning
board last week for review.
Bricrwood Builders have asked
that two parcels near the intersec
tion of Country Club Drive an**
Bricrwood Road be brought into the
town. The land makes up 1 .82 acres
and is contiguous to town limits.
Spokesman Chris Lane said the
company plans to re-route Bricr
wood Road, which presently runs
through the middle of the golf
course's parking lot. A new club
house is planned as part of the pro
ject.
Lane said the proposed road
would be built across from Wendy
Lane on land where the golf cart
storage shed is now locatcd. Once it
is built, it would be dedicated to the
town.
In another matter, Henry Carter
has asked that the zoning of a por
tion of his property off U.S. 17 near
its intersection with N.C. 130 East
be changed from residential to com
mercial.
Public hearings on the annexation
and rczoning requests have been set
for Wednesday, March 20, at 7 p.m.
in the town hall.
Other Business
In other business last week, al
dermen:
?Tabled action on replacing the po
lice department roof. Public Works
Director Albert Hughes and Police
Chief Rodney Gause were asked to
get bids for the new roof and for the
installation of the air-conditioning
unit, which is already on the roof.
Most of the bids the town had re
ceived for the new roof did not in
clude installation of the air-condi
tioning unit.
? Voted against giving town em
ployees a day off for the Martin
Luther King Jr. holiday. Board
members said if employees took off
for the King holiday, they would
have to give up one of the two days
they receive at Christmas. Speaking
for their departments, the town
clerk and public works director said
they would rather keep the two days
at Christmas.
?Approved two tax releases and
two tax refunds. The board released
$3,298 billed to White Investments
because the property is outside the
town, and S97 charged to David
Rourk because he had been billed
twice. Aldermen voted to give
Howard Scutt a refund of $33 be
cause of an error in valuation. Fred
Parker will receive a SI 86 refund
for property that was taxed but
wasn't inside the town limits.
?Voted to accept bids from insur
ance agencies for the 1990-91 Fiscal
year through June 1.
?Tabled action on a request from
the fire department for the town to
pay insurance on a vehicle fire
fighters use for training and errands.
Mayor Tripp said fire department
officers asked that the matter be
tabled because they could not attend
the board meeting last week.
Hewett Chosen To Fill
Vacant Alderman Seat
BY DOUG RUTTER
Shallottc native Joe "Junior"
Hewett has been appointed to the
town board of aldermen to serve a
term that expires in December
1993.
Shallotte Aldermen appointed
Hewett to the board last week to fill
the vacancy created when former
mayor Jerry Jones was elected to
the Brunswick County Board of
Commissioners and Alderman
Sarah Tripp was named mayor.
Aldermen approved the appoint
ment on a 2-1 vote. David Gause
and Wilton Harrelscn voted for
Hewett, and Jody Simmons support
ed his nominee, former town board
member Jimmy Marshall. Mayor
Pro Te.m Paul Wayne Reeves was
absent from the meeting.
Immediately following the split
vote, however, Simmons made a
motion that Hewcu be appointed by
acclamation, so he could be ap
pointed with the full support of the
boaru.
Gause, who said he spoke with
four or five candidates for the post,
nominated Hewett. He said Hewett
had attended several recent board
meetings and is interested in the
town.
Mayor Tripp said she had talked
with Hewett about the vacancy, but
had not spoken to Marshall. "Both
men are good men," she said. "I
don't have a problem with either
one of them."
Hewett, 61, is employed by
Federal Paper Company. He said he
plans to retire next March after
more than 15 years of service.
Hewett was bom and raised in
Shallotte and moved back to the
area in 1967 after serving three
years in the Army.
"I believe there's some things
that I can h<*!p with in the town," he
said. "I believe 1 can work with the
people and tfiay can work with me
and get this place so it's a nice com
munity to live in."
Hewett said he thinks the town
buarus nave uOuc a good job in the
past and he is pleased with what the
present board has done. "I don't in
tend to go in there and make any
drastic changes," he said.
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?Comprehensive Eye Examinations
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Suite 3, Promenade Office Park
143 Holden Beach Road, Shallotte
Office hours by appointment.
Evening and Saturday appointments available.
Phone 754-9687
Member American Optometric Association
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