Delegation Asking For Study
On Future Courthouse Needs
BY TERRY POPE
An increase in the county's population has also re
sulted in an increase in criminals.
Brunswick County's two 75-seat courtrooms have
become crowded, a delegation from the 13th Judicial
District told Brunswick County commissioners Monday
night.
The judges and court personnel who made up the del
egation told the board that conditions will get worse if
the county doesn't build additional courtrooms soon.
"We don't have any control of our inventory," said
Judge Giles R. Clark, senior resident superior court
judge for the 13th Judicial District.
The "inventory" is the number of criminals that fil
ters through the Brunswick County court system.
Statistics show a significant increase from 1980 in the
number of cases tried in Brunswick County's two court
rooms. The courthouse was built in 1978.
"It is getting critical, sir," Clark told Kelly Holden,
chairman of the board. "We're getting mighty close
up."
The delegation asked commissioners to name a com
mittee to study future courthouse needs and to include
court personnel on the panel.
Commissioners took no action Monday on the re
quest.
Clark, who has served in the 13th District since 1968,
was a district court judge until 1975, when he was ap
pointed to the superior court bench. He said the number
of judges has increased in the district, but scheduling
around two courtrooms remains a problem, especially
vhen a trial is carried over into the following week.
'These things don't happen everytime and everyday,"
Clark said, "but they do happen frequently."
In 1980, approximately 352 criminal cases were han
dled in Brunswick County Superior Court. Last year,
Clark said the same system handled 736 cases.
Projected figures indicate Brunswick County is ex
pected to handle 1,167 Superior Court cases in the year
STAFF FHOTO ?Y TttHY POPf
SUPERIOR COURT Judge Giles R. Clark presents a study to Brunswick County Commissioners
Monday that projects the county's court facility needs until the year 2025.
2,000, according to the delegation's report, "Brunswick
County Courthouse Facility Needs, 1990-2025."
Other members of the delegation that helped compile
the report were Superior Court Judge William C. Gore
Jr., Chief District Court Judge D. Jack Hooks Jr.,
District Court Judge Napoleon "Poli" Barefoot Jr.,
Clerk of Superior Court Diana Morgan, District
Attorney Rex Gore and N.C. Trial Court Administrator
Steve Foster.
Hooks said the number of cases in Brunswick County
District Court increased from 4,919 in 1980 to 7353 in
1990. The Figure will almost double, to 13,423 project
ed cases in the year 2000, Hooks predicted.
The county converted a small courtroom at the court
house lasl year for use as a grand jury room or coun
room for smaller cases.
Ms. Morgan said the relationship between countv
government and its court system is a unique one in the
stale.
"I've been pretty much smug about it at some of the
meetings I've attended," Ms. Morgan said.
Gore said without expansion the courthouse will not
be able to handle the future caseload of the district at
torney's office.
"We live here," said Gore, of the long hours for court
personnel. "We not only have the work interest, but wc
want our people to have what's best."
The number of superior court sessions has been in
creased by three additional weeks after July because of
the increase in caseload, Clark said. District court is be
ing held 14 days a month instead of 11 days a month
this calendar year becausc of the higher caseload.
Other Business
In other business, the board:
?Approved a contract with Tax Management
Associates, which has offices in Charlotte and Raleigh.
TMA will work on a contingency basis, keeping 35 per
cent of tax revenue recovered from audits of business
property tax listings. The company will audit large
business accounts to see if they are in compliance with
state and county tax laws. The county will keep 65 per
cent of recovered revenues The company tries to un
cover tax mistakes, either made intentionally or unin
tentionally, by large firms that have stores in die couniy.
? Approved in concept a program that will add flouridc
to county water. Public Utility Director Jerry Webb pre
sented figures to the board Monday that indicate the
county will need $57,000 to start the flouridation pro
gram. Last week, the Brunswick Couniy Board of
Health began lobbying commissioners to approve the
program, which was approved in concept last April by a
previous board of commissioners. The county will ap
ply for a state grant to fund the program.
Benefit To Honor
Clemmon's Memory
A June 30 program that was to honor longtime Brunswick County
educator James (Jimbo) Clemmons while raising funds for a Leland area
charity will be held, as a memorial to Clemmons.
He died March 12 at iiis Leland home of a heart attack.
Clemmons had served 33 years as principal of Lincoln Primary
School, retiring from the post to begin a six-year stint on the Brunswick
County Board of Education representing District 5. The Democrat lost
his re-election bid in November to Republican Yvonne Lewis Bright.
"A Day in School Honoring J.F. Jimbo Clemmons," will benefit
Helping Hands in Brunswick County. Volunteers with the non-profit
Leland group work with impoverished families to improve their living
conditions.
The program will be held Sunday, June 30, at Leland Middle School.
It will begin with a worship service at 11 a.m., followed by lunch at
12:30 p.m. and a memorial tribute Clemmons at 2:30 p.m.
Tickets are S10 per person, with proceeds going to Helping Hands.
Tickets and more information are available from either CaJvin and
Angela Moore or the Rev, and Mrs. Thurman Everett of Leland. Everett
can be reached at either 253-4301 days or 371-21% evenings.
DA Drops Murder
Charge Against
Long Beach Man
A charge of second-degree mur
der was dismissed Tuesday evening
against a man who had been ac
cused in connection with the week
end death of his housemate after an
argument between the two.
Steven Allen Powell, 39, of Long
Beach, was released shortly before
5 p.m. Tuesday from the Brunswick
County Jail, where he had been held
under SI 00,000 bond.
Powell had been charged by
Long Beach Police with second-de
gree murder in the death Saturday
night of John Spurgeon Cain Jr., 66.
Tuesday night District Attorney
Rex Gore said he decided to volun
tarily dismiss the charge after con
ferring with the Long Beach offi
cers handling the case, and others.
"We discussed the evidence they
had and the autopsy report and I
talked with the medical examiner,"
he said. "We decided the evidence
we had was insufficient to attempt
to prosecute for second degree mur
der, so we took a dismissal."
Gore said the autopsy conducted
Monday by the regional medical ex
aminer in Jacksonville showed that
Cain had suffered a heart attack ana
had hardening of the arteries. There
was no evidence of physical injury.
The autopsy was ordered by Greg
White, county coroner.
Cain died following an argument
with Powell at Cain's home at 114
N.W. 14th St., Long Beach Saturday
night.
Officers were dispatched to the
house in reference to the fight.
When they arrived around 8:30
p.m., Cain was unconscious but still
breathing. He was pronounced dead
at Dosher Memorial Hospital in
Southport about an hour later.
County Approves
2,099 Road Names
Eighteen people attended a public
hearing Tuesday night on proposed
changes in 2,099 county road
names, but not one spoke up.
At the close of the 10-minute
hearing, Brunswick County Com
missioners adopted the complete list
by unanimous vote, clearing the
way for the next step toward a
countywide 911 emergency commu
nication system.
The sparsely-attended hearing
was held in the Public Assembly
Building at the Brunswick County
Government Center at Bolivia.
"1 think it is a compliment to the
staff that we don't have anybody in
Brunswick County who is unhappy
with the job they've done," said
District 3 Commissioner Gene
Pinkerton.
Road signs will be ordered imme
diately. A part-time temporary crew
of four workers will begin erecting
the signs as soon as they are arrive,
in approximately six weeks.
The new signs will designate a
direction for all roads, streets and
cartways, while a number of names
have been changed to eliminate du
plicate or too-similar names within
the same postal area.
"The next step is house number
ing," Brunswick County Planning
Director John Harvey said.
Assigning of numbers will begin
immediately and property owners
will be notified of their new house
numbers in mid-July.
"In January, 911 will start
whether all the signs arc up and
ready or not," said Harvey.
County Commissioners have the
power to change the name of any
road on the list adopted Monday.
However, each must go to public
hearing individually, said Harvey.
After naming county roads in
1980, the county received 16 peti
tions to change specific road names
and each request was acted on sepa
rately by commissioners.
Existing House Doesn't Have To Be
'Pig In A Poke'
BY SUSAN USHER
For Would-Be Buyer
Buying an existing home can be a
smart move? or a disaster. The out
come may depend on whether a
prospective homeowner actually
knows what he is buying.
To avoid the "pig in a poke" syn
drome, take a good look before
making a commitment to buy or get
a professional home inspection ser
vice to look for you.
The need for a close examination
of the structure becomes especially
important for those looking to buy
an older home, especially if it was
built when or where no building in
spection program was in existence
5?23"" (Tommy) Birmingham"
Birmingham, now a planner with
the Brunswick County Planning
Department, speaks from experi
ence? as a former owner of a home
inspection service, former Holden
Beach town administrator and a for
mer building inspector in Hickory,
Charlotte and Ocean Isle Beach.
Brunswick County, for example,
."0 building inspection program
until 1985, he said. "People could
do what they wanted."
Presence of a local government
inspection program gives some as
surance of structural integrity, since
inspectors check to see that work is
done according to state building
code. However, said Birmingham
the programs can't provide any pro
tecuon or assurance that kitchen ap
pliances function properly, faucets
don t leak or that the carpet or floor
tile are in good shape.
Birmingham recommends mak
ing a siep-by-step check of the
house inside and out, from roof to
ground, starting with a visual once
over when you drive up.
How much you can learn about
the house will be limited somewhat
" "?e electrical service or water
supply is shut off.
'The first thing I do is just look
at the general appearance," he said
Much can be learned from check
ing the roof at a distance, even if you
don t climb on the roof itself, for ex
ample: Are the corners cracked9 Do
the shingles lay flat?
By carefully checking the edge of
the roof line, you may be able to tell
how many courses are on the roof
That s important to know,
Birmingham said, because state
building code only allows two
courses or layers of roofing be
cause if the weight of the material
If your roof already has two cours
es, then if it needs attention you will
first have to go to the expense of re
moving the old roofing material
Many Brunswick County homes
are served by drinking water wells
aid most by septic tanks.
Birmingham checks both. He
checks the pump for corrosion and
turns on an outside spigot to check
the flow and qualities of the water.
He looks for evidence of septic tank
failure: If the house has been in use
in the past several months and the
tank is not functioning properly
there will be standing water or a
very spongy area in the yard that
has an odor and a film.
Solid Foundation Needed
A solid foundation is important
If the house has pilings, their in
tegrity can be checked with a knife
inserted in the wood where it enters
the ground. "If it's rotten, the knife
Make a step-by -
step inspection
of the house ,
from roof to
foundation , in
side and outside.
? Tommy Birmingham
Former Home Inspector
will go right through."
He also chccks to see how the
pilings are attached to joists or
beams. "Some older homes are just
nailed," he said. "You need a pretty
large bolt and also some diagonal
bracing to prevent back and forth
movement."
Birmingham looks closely at
foundations. In brick or block, he
looks for cracks. If they exist, it's a
good indication the fooling is inade
quate and that settling is occurring.
That settling could eventually lead
to structural damage or loss of a
wall.
He checks brick walls for signs
of cracking as well. If wood siding
is used he checks its overall condi
tion, looking for peeling paint or
fading stain, mildew and wood roL
From outside you can also check
the condition of doors, windows
and screens and determine if storm
windows or insulated glass were
used.
On cottages with outside stair
ways, Birmingham recommends
checking the rails and the treads,
which are subject to buckling and
splitting.
Corrosion A Concern
Chimneys are a gray area for in
spection. Brick chimneys are sub
ject to cracking, while prefabricated
chimneys are subject to corrosion in
this area becausc of the high salt
content in the air. Prefabricated
chimneys are supposed to be in
stalled with at least a inch of space
from any wood; Birmingham said
that's not always what happens, but
that there's no way to check it in an
existing house.
Corrosion can also be a problem
for heat pumps. "If they last five
years on the beach you're doing
good," said Birmingham. Ideally,
the unit should be placed where
rainwater can reach it and wash
away the salt.
Underneath the crawl space or pil
ings, Birmingham has another list of
items to check, starting with the
framing. He recommends looking for
termite damage, which is easily evi
dent. "The termites eat die cellulose
out of the wood and the wood looks
like Swiss cheese," he said.
He also checks the floor for insu ?
lation. If the house is on pilings, as
with standard beach homes, ply
wood may cover the insulation. You
may be able to check the insulation
at a hole where a pipe enters the
house.
If plumbing pipes are exposed
they could break and freeze?a sce
nario more likely in a house on pil
ings than on a foundation.
Birmingham recommmends hur
ricane strapping on houses not only
on the beach but within several
miles of the water. The straps help
hold the house together under
strong winds.
Inside The House
Inside the house, Birmingham
recommcnds starting once again
with a general look at its condition
and appearance ? cabinets, walls,
flooring, then a closer look at
specifics.
Flooring in the kitchen and bath
warrants a close look; these areas
are subject to damage. If the floors
arc tiled and the tiling is old, water
may have seeped through the cracks
and rotted the plywood subfiooring
underneath.
In the bath, rotting of the sub
fiooring is commong around the toi
let and sink. "If it is the least bit
spongy, chances are it is rotten," he
said.
Check sink faucets for drips and
check the pea traps underneath as
well. Flush the toilet to see if it cuts
off promptly.
Check the heating and air condi
tioning systems. Professionals use a
small thermometer than can be hung
in the duct itself, quickly registering
changes in temperature.
Closets are another concern. If a
home was built primarily for rental
to tourists, storage space may be in
adequate for full-time occupants. "I
know," said Birmingham. "We lived
in one like that."
Check the panel box: Turn on a
light or two and then see if the
breakers function properly.
Check the fireplace to see if the
fire brick is cracked.
You can check for those in the at
tic, depending on the pitch of the
roof.
In the attic, check the framing
and sheeting beneath the roof for
water staining, evidence of leaks,
and check the insulation.
Birmingham favors prefabricated
trusses. But, if the framing is slick
built, he suggests checking the si/c
of the material used and the span
used. A local government building
inspector can t?'!! you what the ap
propriate distances should be for the
materials used.
If electrical current is available,
an inexpensive device is available to
use in checking whether oudets
work. You should also check to see
if all appliances arc working, includ
ing units on the stovetop and in tin:
range.
Along with hurricane strapping
underneath, Birmingham recom
mends use of hurricane clips to help
secure the roof to the house? one
clip on every rafter, including
porches.
He says porches arc frcqucnUy
left undipped ? and tear away easi
ly during a hurricane or high wind
storm.
If all of the items checked arc in
pretty good shape, chances arc the
house is in pretty good condition,
says Birmingham.
If not, with the information front
your housing inspection, you may
decide the house isn't what you
were looking for after all. Or, you
may begin negotiating with the
owner to make certain repairs or to
cut the price if you choose to handle
the repairs yourself.
"Personally," Birmingham said,
"I'd rather have them fix it, so I
don't have to move into something
that doesn't half work and go to the
trouble of finding people to do the
work."
? SHIRTS by Alexander
" ' Julian. Santana. Saturdays: -
Ganr. Euro. Salty Dog.
Boston Traders. B.D.
** . Baggie. AT Ease
? ? . SLACKS by Berle.
Sansabelt. Farah. Levi.
Dockers. Duck Head. Bugle
^ Boy. Dickies
SUITS and SPORTCOATS
by Palm Beach. Private
Label. Racquet Club
Handsome Selection of
SILK TIES
Rockport and Sperry
Topsider Shoes i
I ? * ?? ? DEDUCED
ji You'll find everything here to
please your Irfdivfdual
./ tastes. ..distinctive quality,
| excellent choice and personalized assistance.
?? ? -? , I
Compliment and coordinate your entire wardrobe Take top I
billing this holiday.
Well Suited For Easter
Mon-Thurs 9-6. Frl Sat. 9-7
COASTAL PLAZA. SHALLOTTE ? 754
5000
V