Schools Asking
For $7.89 Million
(Continued From Page 1-A)
lion by Doug Baxley, to trim the
budget by about S 19,500, starting
with cuts in staff travel, to squeeze
in a new salary schedule for coach
es With the increases, the schools
would pay 5101,900 in coaching
supplements this year.
In making his request. Athletic
Director Nelson Best said the pro
posed schedule would compensate
coaches based on how long they ve
received coaching supplements. The
scale would remain as is for those
with zero to two years of paid expe
rience. For instance, a head football
coach with two years' paid experi
ence would receive $2,500, com
pared to $3,250 for someone with
12 years' paid experience. At the
other end of the scale, a golf coach
could rcccivc from S300 to S500.
The coaches' salary schedule has
not been adjusted in seven years.
Best said. "These guys go out every
day after school, weekends and hol
idays. We need to recognize what
they do for these students."
The budget package also includes
money for an athletic trainer at
North Brunswick High School and
$6,000 in equipment and supplies to
start a countywide high school soc
cer program, building on the iwo
y ear-old middle school soccer pro
gram and four-year-old recreational
league.
Best said a study committee de
cided it would be feasible for the
county schools to begin on a small
scale by playing each other four
times during the year, if suitable
coaches can be identified and a
practice and playing field found for
West Brunswick High School.
Soccer causes high wear and tear on
playing fields; the schools' football
fields would not be used for match
es.
Change In Policy Eyed
The school board could change
the way it pays employees shifted to
a lower position without a cut in
pay so as to avoid actual demotion.
Presently those employees receive
all pay and supplement increases,
but school officials said Monday
that's not neccssary.
"The attorney general's office
says you don't have to do that, said
attorney Glen Peterson. "You just
have to maintain their same salary."
Freezing those salaries would re
sult in a savings in the local budget,
because the state only puts up a por
tion of the salary cost The county
pays the rest.
"I can't see putting somebody in
a lower position and paying them
more money than someone else in
that position," said Chairman
Donna Baxter. 'That's not fair."
On a motion by Doug Baxley, the
board asked staff to draft a policy
amendment and gather figures on
the number of positions affected
and the potential savings.
Construction Continues
Plans to build a new elementary
school at Supply and a new cafete
ria at Southport Elementary arc pro
ceeding on schedule.
The 1991-92 capital outiay bud
get includes S2.8 million in carry
over money from this year for the
new school, plus another S2.S mil
lion in new half-cent sales tax rev
enue. Another S300.000 of the tax
fund would be used to buy furniture
for the school.
The budget includes 5343,000 for
the cafeteria project, with intentions
of also using another $403,000 from
the half-cent sales tax fund. Once
the new cafeteria is built, the old
space will be remodeled to provide
a special education classroom, a
regular classroom, a faculty work
area and a new resource room.
The commissioners' appropria
tion is the largest source of local
funds for the schools, but not the
only one. It also receives $10,500
for indirect costs, $10,000 in mis
cellaneous revenues and SI, 200
from building rental under the com
munity schools program, as well as
fines and forfeitures collected
through the courts.
Mrs. Fallon had budgeted
$150,000 in fines and forfeitures for
next year, but learned Monday night
that figure could increase substan
tially.
District Attorney Rex Gore an
nounced plans to begin levying
higher fines as of May 15 for speed
ing charges that are plea bargained.
Instead of judges giving out $10
fines plus court costs ($51), the de
fendant will pay a $49 fine plus
costs when they plead guilty to a
lesser charge.
Driver Charged
With Manslaughter
(Continued From Page 1-A)
Damage was listed at $9,000 to
the car and S500 to the drain culvert
owned by the N.C. Department of
Transportation.
A Bolivia woman was charged
with driving left of center early
Sunday after the car she was driving
ran off the road and struck a mail
box and fence posts.
Aretha Hooper Freeman, 42, was
traveling on U.S. 17 about three
miles north of Bolivia when the ac
cident occurred, Jones reported.
Ms. Freeman's 1989 Ford ran off
the left, struck a mailbox owned by
C.V. Walton, and then ran off the
right shoulder, hitting a telephone
pedestal owned by Atlantic Tele
phone Corp. and two fence posts
owned by DOT.
Damage was listed at S5.000 to
the car and S250 to the mailbox and
posts.
There were no injuries in the 7:35
a.m. accident.
Warmer Weather To Continue
Temperatures are expected to
range slightly above normal over
the next few days while rainfall re
mains near normal, Shallotte Point
meteorologist Jackson Canady said
Tuesday.
He said he expects temperatures
to average from the mid-SOs at
night into the mid-70s during the
day, with about a half-inch of rain.
For the period April 2-8, Canady
recorded a high of 82 degrees on
April 8, and a low of 43 degrees on
April 3.
A daily average high of 76 de
grees combined with an average
nightly low of 52 degrees for a daily
average temperature of 64 degrees,
which Canady said was about 3 de
grees above average.
He recorded no measurable pre
cipitation.
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BEACON FILE PHOTO
CONVERTED World War II planes, like the DC-4 shown here in 1989, are usually leased each spring by the N.C. Forest Service to drop
fire retardant chemicals on area woods fires. Due to state budget cuts, the plane is not available this fire season.
Bomber Cut From Firefighting Budget
BY TKRRY POPE
The area's largest firefighicr won't be around
this fire season.
State budget cuts have forced the N.C. Forest
Service to drop its lease of a converted World
War 11 bomber used to dump fire retaruant chem
icals on area woods fires.
Bombers have been used to combat forest fires
in Brunswick County since 1961. This fire sea
son, though the Forest Service must rely only on
smaller planes and a helicopter stationed in
Kinston to help ground crews battle woods fires
by air.
"They don't necessarily take the placc of a
bomber," said Bob Houseman, District 8 Forester
in Whitcville. "You can't take the placc of a
bomber."
Three smaller "snow" bombers arc stationed in
Kinston, each capable of dropping 250 gallons of
chemicals in one trip. A helicopter equipped with
a drop bucket can also perform bucket lifts from
a nearby water supply.
However, the larger converted bomber is capa
ble of dropping 2,000 gallons of fire rctardant
chemicals at oncc, or 500 gallons at a time from
its under-bclly tanks. The four-engine aircraft are
usually leased from an air service in Arizona and
are used to battle hard-to-reach fires in critical
areas.
One bomber is normally stationed at the Bear
Pen airstrip in the Green Swamp in Brunswick
County, about 10 miles north of Supply. A sec
ond plane is usually kept in Kinston.
With the two planes the program costs an esti
mated $125,000 to $150,000 per fire season,
which is normally around three months. House
man said.
"There had been some suggestions, about three
or four months ago, of private enterprises step
ping in and paying the lease," he added, "but it
didn't materialize."
If fire activity increases in Brunswick County,
the planes in Kinston may be moved to Bear Pen,
Houseman said.
A bomtcr at Bear Pen was used on six to eight
fires last spring, he added. The planes flew 156
missions in 1986, the all-time high for fires in the
area.
Sincc then, the area has experienced light fire
seasons. This year, more than 400 acres has
burned near Maco while another 600 acres
burned in Duplin County. Roughly 2,000 acres
have burned in the district during the past two
months. Houseman said.
District 8 includes Brunswick, New Hanover,
Pender, Coiuirbus, Bladen and Duplin counties.
"Wc certainly would have used it (bomber)
had we had one," Houseman said. "We would
have used it to suppress the fires and maybe
could have cut down on some of the acreage
burned."
State budget cuts have also affected the Forest
Service in other areas. District 8 employs 60 full
time workers and hires 50 seasonal workers be
tween October and May, Houseman said.
"Wc have lost some positions and we've lost the
ability to replace some equipment that we need,"
he added. "I'd say it's had an impact on us."
Last week Brunswick County was on Stage 4
in fire readiness, which is normal for this time of
year. Houseman said. Stage 7 is the highest level
of forest fire alert.
Remaining SADs Listed In Order Of Priority
Approximately 50 subdivisions in need of
county water must wait until additional main
distribution lines can be completed during the
1991-92 budge? year.
Monday night members of the Brunswick
County Utility Operations Board (UOB) re
viewed a list of remaining special assessment
districts (SADs), arranged in order ol priority.
SADs are areas where property owners arc as
sessed the cost of extending water lines from
main distribution lines into neighborhoods.
Since the first SAD was completed in June
1988, the Brunswick County Water Department
has installed more than 42 miles of pipe to serve
4,481 parcels in those SADs, said Jerry Webb,
director of public utilities.
SADs on the o'iginal list that have not yet
been served were carried over to the new list,
Webb said.
Engineer Jay Houston, of Houston and
Associates of Shallotte, told the board Monday
that his firm is on schedule with its design of
the capital improvements project, which in
cludes lines to serve the Shallotte Point commu
nity.
"Everything is looking fairly good, except we
perceive some problems at the N.C. 904 intersec
tion," Houston said.
Atlantic Telephone Corp. is burying cable on
both side of the roadway there that could inter
fere wilh the water pipeline. Easements may be
needed from landowners, Houston said.
Designing the project will take about four
more months, he added.
The remaining SADs as listed by priority arc
as follows:
?SAD 16 A-C: Shell Point Recreation Village,
Shell Point Acres, Civietown Road, a S>460,8UU
projcct to serve 515 homes at S894 each or 960
parcels at S480 each.
?SAD 11 A-C: Sea Village, Pier I, II, III, a
S 140,000 projcct to serve 129 homes at SI, 085
each, or 294 parcels at S476.
?SAD 17 A-H, 18 A-K, 19 A: Tanglewood,
Hcrnandoes Hideaway, Windy Point Park,
Shoreline Estates, Oak Haven, Greenwood
Acres, Oakyaupon Harbor, Roach-Gore, Robin
wood, Bacon Bluff, Driftwood Acres, Ocean
Sound, Four Winds, Boone's Neck Road West,
Whispering Heights, Boone's Neck Road East,
Sandy Shoals, Bivens Run, Gator's Grant and
Fisherman's Paradise.
The S1.4 million project will serve 1,403
homes at a estimated cost of SI, 026 per struc
ture or 2,778 parcels at S518 each. The area
must await the construction of a main line down
Ml Pisgah Church Road.
?Maple Creek, Sandy Bluff and Sea Castle, at a
cost of S259.200, or 147 homes at SI, 763 each,
or 460 parcels at $563 each.
?SAD 29 A&B at Sunset Harbor, at a cost of
S988.320 to serve 640 homes at SI, 544 each, or
1,176 parcels at S840 each. This project will re
quire a pipe be buried beneath the Atlantic
Intracoastal Waterway from Oak Island, part of
the 1991-92 improvement plan.
?SAD 14 A-H: Shallotte Inlet Park, Wood
Crest, Middle Dam Road, Shalamar Estates,
Sundown Acres, Hickory Hill, Shady Rest and
Rivcrbcnd subdivision. This Sl.l million project
will serve an estimated 874 homes at a cost of
SI, 3 18, or 1,100 parcels at SI, 047 each.
?SAD 26 A-C: Siesta Sands, Coastal Retreat
and Sandy Bluff, an estimated S489.600 project
to serve 277 homes at SI, 767 each, or 330
parcels at SI, 483 each. ?. -a
?SAD 15 A-C: River View, Litilc Shallotte
River, Shell Point, a S336;000 project to serve
147 homes at S2.285 each, or 238 parcels at
$1,411 each.
?SAD 13 A-C: Marsh Hen Cove, Robert and
Sarah Rodgers and Devane Road, a $124,800
project, serving 12 homes at $10,400 each, or
161 parcels at $775 each.
?SAD 27 A-C: Stanley Road and Stanbury
Heights, a $360,000 project to serve 89 homes
at S4.044 each, or 86 parcels at S4.186 each.
This area could possibly be combined with
SAD 26 as one SAD.
Five New SADs To Get County Water
BY TERRY POPE
Five communities will get county
water during the coming fiscal year
under a schedule approved Monday
by the Brunswick County Utility
Operations Board.
Design work will begin on these
SADs in the Bolivia, Winnabow
and Town Creek areas: Randolph
ville Road and Piney Grove Road in
Bolivia; portions of Zion Church
Road and Town Creek Road; por
tions of Mill Creek Road; part of
N.C. 87 to Oak View Estates near
Winnabow; and Governor's Road in
Winnabow.
"You're talking about a SI mil
lion worth of water lines," said Jer
ry Webb, director of public utilities.
Because the five SADs are beside
existing main transmission lines,
they represent areas that the depart
ment can begin work on immediate
ly, said County Engineer Robert
Tucker.
"We've sort of gouen to the situa
tion where our SAD program has
caught up with our capital improve
ments project," he said.
The five communities appear on
a priority list of SADs that UOB
THE BRUNSWICIC&fEACON
Established Nov. 1, 1962
Telephone 754-6890
Published Every Thursday
At 4709 Main Street
Shallotte, N.C. 28459
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY
One Year $10.30
Six Months $5.50
ELSEWHERE IN NORTH CAROLINA
One Year $14.80
Six Months $7.85
ELSEWHERE IN U.S.A.
One Year $15.95
Six Months $8.35
Second class postage paid at the
Post Office in Shallotte, N.C.
28459. USPS 777-780.
members reviewed Monday. The
list of SADs was prioritized based
on cost per parcel, cost per struc
ture, health-related ground water
problems and petitions received,
Webb said.
The 1991-92 capital improve
ments project is in the design stage
now. It will route main transmission
lines down the Shalloue U.S. 17 by
pass, along N.C. 904 to Seaside, to
the Shalloue Point community and
down Mt. Pisgah Church Road in
Supply.
Project Estimates
UOB members received cost esti
mates for the five SADs Monday
and voted unanimously to proceed
with the projects as presented.
The Piney Grove Road, Randol
phville Road and Alternative School
Road project in Bolivia is expected
to serve 104 homes at an estimated
cost per structure of S277, or 121
parcels at a cost of S238. The project
is expected to cost around $28,800
and can be served from a main
transmission line on U.S. 17.
Approximately 166 homes along
Zion Church Road, Town Creek
Road and Old Town Creek Road
will be served by an extension from
the U.S. 17 main line, an estimated
$312,000 project The estimated
cost per home is $1,879, or 263
parcels at $1,186.
Portions of Mill Creek Road will
also be served, the west end from an
extension of the U.S. 17 line and the
east end from an extension of the
N.C. 87 distribution line. Webb said
he doesn't know yet if the lines will
meet to serve the entire road.
"Thai's a tough caii to make at
this point," he said.
The Mill Creek project will serve
approximately 91 homes at an esti
mated cost of $2,030 per structure,
or 137 parcels at $1,348 each. Webb
said this SAD could be combined
with other areas to reduce the
$184,800 cost.
A line will also extend down
N.C. 87 north to the Oak View Es
tates subdivision near Winnabow,
where it is expected to serve ap
proximately 112 homes at an esti
mated cost of 52,335, or 175 parcels
at 51,494 each. The project will cost
an estimated 5261,600.
The Governor's Road project will
also route lines down a portion of
State Road 1406, Cherrytree Road.
The 5321,600 project is expected to
serve 92 homes at a cost of 53,495
each, or 1 12 parcels at 52,846.
UOB members also instructed at
torney Michael Ramos to begin pre
paring an assessment resolution for
the Jennifer subdivision near the
Malmo water treatment plant. That
community had previously been ap
proved as an SAD project.
Public Concerns
Shallotte Point resident Scott
Taylor addressed the board Monday,
asking that Gurganus Road be con
sidered for water lines under the
capital improvements project, rather
than as an SAD.
Taylor also spoke at the March
meeting. He said that of the more
than 800 families in the Point com
munity to be served by the upcom
ing project, the greatest concentra
tion of housing lies along the half
mile Gurganus Road.
Taylor said about 10 percent of
all homes in the Point community
are on Gurganus Road.
Lines will be installed along main
roads in the Point area while other
areas will be served by SADs. Tay
lor said he fears a lapse period will
exist between installation of the
main lines and those of SADs.
Bob Black of Shell Point also
presented more signatures to the
board from people in his neighbor
hood requesting county water.
Board Chairman A1 Morrison al
so told Copas Shores resident Bill
Waples that plans for the capital im
provements project to Shallottc
Point have not been presented to the
board. Houston and Associates, the
Shallotte engineering firm hired to
design the project, is still working
on the plans, he said.
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