Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / Jan. 21, 1993, edition 1 / Page 10
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Varna mtown Residents Resistin g Town Plan To Improve Boat Ramp BY DOUG RUTTKR A dozen Varnamtown residents turned out at Monday's town meeting to argue against a proposal to improve the communi ty's public boat ramp on Lockwood Folly River. Residents said the ramp already causcs problems because people using it park their trucks and trailers in front of driveways and keep carriers from delivering mail. They say improving the ramp would make the prob lem worse. But Alvierman Ada McDonald said Monday night the only people opposed to rebuilding the crumbling boat ramp are the ones who live near it and keep their fishing beats in the water all the time. Most Varnamtown residents want the ramp improved, she said. "There's a lot of people in this community who don't live right down there at the water who arc beg ging for this ramp." Mayor Judy Galloway said the town board is interested in building a new ramp because the existing ramp is in poor condi tion and people have been damaging their boats when they use it. Aldermen haven't decided if they'll im prove the ramp, but the town board accepted a proposed design from the planning board Monday night and received a lease offer from the owners of the ramp property. McDonald said owners Junior Thompson and Blondell Robinson have agreed to lease their portion of the ramp property for 15 years. Nicky Varnam, who owns the rest of the property, has agreed to lease it for 25 years. Planning board member Jim Minera, who designed the proposed new ramp, said it would be 77 feet long and 41 feet wide, stretching from the bulkhead at Varnam's business to a walkway on the other side of the ramp. The ramp would i>c made of eight inches of steel-reinforced coicrctc and would be built so there is at least three feet of water at the bottom of the ramp at low tide. The cost estimate is S21,780. Aldermen said Monday night they plan to poll community residents to gauge public support for the project. The people at the town meeting were generally opposed to the idea. "There's a lot of people in this community who don't live right down there at the water who are begging for this ramp." ?Ada McDonald Alex Kuigrc was among ihc residents who voiced concern about increased traffic once the ramp is improved. -He said the number of people parking beside the road in front of his house would increase. "The boat ramp's fine if they got a place to put the cars," Kuigrc said. "We can't hardly get in and out the driveway. If you got a big parking area to park the cars that's fine." Several residents told the town board that they had contacted the N.C. Department of Transportation to correct the parking prob lem along the street, but nothing was done. Kuigrc also asked if the town could afford the ramp without increasing the lax rate. He and others suggested the town board use the money to improve the town park so the chil dren can use it. Town board member Tonya Robbins said the few people opposed to the new ramp should think about the residents who need acccss to the river and can't afford to con stantly repair their damaged boats. Resident Terrcncc Galloway said the peo ple who don't live near the ramp don't un derstand the parking problems it creatcs. "The majority doesn't live in 'he bottom of Varnamtown. You got to live down there to know what goes on." "You're living down there by your choice," Alderman John David Dawson pointed out. Former mayor Tracic Varnum said the community needs to "decide between the parking problem and a good ramp to serve our people." Bui McDonald suggested the parking problem could be solved if the town board contacted the DOT. "There's more power coming from a mayor than just a citizen," she said. Town official., also said landowners near the ramp have agreed to allow parking on their vacant property until they sell or devel op it. There's no guarantee how long that parking would be available. The town board had originally hoped it could get a state grant to help pay for the new ramp, but Mayor Galloway said Monday night she doesn't cxpcct outside as sistance. "They said it would be unlikely we couid get funds because we don't own the property." Aldermen tabled the boat ramp proposal Monday night and agreed to resume their discussion at the next regular meeting Monday, Feb. 15, at 7:30 p.m. in town hall. In other business Monday, the board vot ed to change its insurance policy for general liability and public officials. Mayor Galloway said the town would save S740 per year with the new policy. Shallotte Eyeing Options For Yard Waste Disposal BY DOUG RUTTFK With a new state rule prohibiting the mingling of yard waste and other types of trash, Shallotte officials are considering ways they can help homeowners get rid of unwanted branches, clippings and leaves. The state regulation that took ef fect Jan. i bans the landfill disposal of yard debris thai is mixed with other solid waste. A section of the Brunswick County landfill has been set aside just for yard waste. While considering various op lions, including the creation of a central yard waste collection area, Shallotte officials plan to continue with the same policy they've used in the past. Specifically, residents with yard debris can borrow the town's dump truck and haul their limbs and brash to the landfill. Maintenance Director Albert Hughes said the cost to resi dents is SI per mile, or about S20 per load. Hughes said townspeople haven't taken advantage of the service much in the past, but many homeowners have been mixing yard debris with other trash. Thai's no longer al lowed. Alderman Wilton Harrelson, an expert in the lawn and garden care field, said most homeowners could solve the problem by setting up mulching bins in their back yards. Plans for the inexpensive bins, he said, arc available at the Brunswick County Cooperative Extension Of fice in Bolivia. "I doubt many homes generate more yard debris than they could mulch and use in their yard." Harrelson also suggested that people leave their grass clippings on the lawn after mowing. He said leaving the clippings behind helps the lawn and saves landfill space. Town board member David Gause chaired Tuesday night's regu lar meeting in the absence of Mayor Sarah Tripp, who couldn't attend due to an illness in the family. Hearings Slated Town officials will conduct two public hearings next Tuesday?one on a proposal to expand the extrater ritorial jurisdiction area (ETJ) and a second on the initial zoning of the ETJ. The first hearing will start at 7:15 p.m., and the seconds starts at 7:30. Aldermen propose expanding the ETJ to include an area east of River Road and south of Copas Creek. A map of the entire ETJ, with the proposed zoning districts, can be seen at the town ha'l weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Viewers Unhappy Representatives of Atlantic Telephone Membership Corp. and Vision Cable wiii be invited to an upcoming town meeting to discuss cable television service with town officials. Alderman Morris Hall said Tuesday some residents arc unhappy with certain aspccts of Atlantic Telephone's cable service, including the limited number of channels it of fers. Hall said the town's franchise agreement with ATMC expires in May 1995. He said Vision Cable, which serves Holden and Ocean Isle beaches, presently offers more chan nels than AUantic Telephone at a lower price. Tabled Until Spring Also Tuesday night, aldermen voted 3-1 to postpone a discussion about compensation for fire depart mcnt members until the new budget is considered in the spring. Alderman Paul Wayne Reeves raised the issue in relation to em ployee Christmas bonuses, which were SI00 last year. He voted against Roncy Cheers' motion to table the issue until budget time. Reeves said the volunteer fire fighters deserve more than the town has been giving them in the past. "1 wouldn't work out in this cold weather for nothing and then not even get a pat on the back," he said. "1 think we ought to do more in the future, it's noi fair." Cheers agreed the town should "iron oul" ihc problem if there is one, but not until the new budget is presented in a few months. "I'm not in favor of treating anybody as a red-headed stepchild," he said. Harrelson suggested the town put off discussing the issue until it starts considering the 1993-94 budget. "1 think we should forget it until that time," he said. Other Business In other business Tuesday, alder men: ?Took no action after meeting for 30 minutes in executive session to discuss a police department matter. ?Approved a mutual aid agree ment allowing Shallottc and Ocean Isle Beach police departments to as sist each other in tiie event of an emergency. Three Are Arrested In Foiled Break-In Attempt An informant's tip and a late night stakeout by Brunswick County Sheriff's Department detectives re sulted in the arrest of two men and a woman from Boiling Springs Lakes on felony charges Friday night. John Edward Ward, 24, Edward Christopher Ward, 20, and Deborah Lynn Bowers, 22, have all been charged with felonious breaking and entering in the case. Police arc searching for a fourth undidentified suspect who partici pated in the break-in but was able to escape arrest, Dct. Charlie Miller said Tuesday. Miller said the four drove to an unoccupied farmhouse and storage building un Gilbert Road, off Midway Road at about 11:30. The buildings were being used to store miscellaneous items from the Brunswick Pharmacy, Miller said. No drugs were being kept there, he said. "What they didn't know is that we had received an anonymous tip that they were going to break in," Miller said. Eight detectives waited in the nearby woods and watched three of the suspects go inside one of the buildings. The officers closed in and, after a short fool chase appre hended the two men. Bowers was arrested as she stood watch in a parked car, Miiier said. Women Need Insurance, too! Your future depends on today's planning ? Life Insurance ? Annuities ? Disability Insurance ? Health Insurance Plan for a secure future with MODERN WOODMEN SOLUTIONS Glenda J. Barefoot, FIC P.O. Box 2963, Shallotte, NC 28459 919-754-5454 MODLRN WOODMEN OF AMERICA A IK All KNAi till INSURANCE SOClllY HOMl OfflCt ? KlX K IS4 AND IIIINOIS LIFE ?ANNUITIES* IRA'S ia;r;?a;KHBii:fifH:MuM CRC MEETS IN ATLANTIC BEACH Lakes LUP Update Before Coastal Panel A land use plan update for Boil ing Spring l.akcs and a revised ethics policy will be on the agenda for consideration when the Coastal Resources Commission meets Jan. 28 and 29 in Atlantic Beach. Sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. Thursday and Friday at the Sheraton Hotel. Land use plans to guide future growth and development are required of 20 coastal counties and their mu nicipalities, such as Boiling Spring Lakes. Once completed the plans are updated at five-year intervals. The board is also to hear an up date from the Coastal Resources Advisory Council land use planning committee Thursday. An ethics policy subcommittee led by Dave Adams is to report Friday. Efforts to develop a new eihics policy for the board began af ter its original policy, adopted in 1989, was termed inadequate by the State Board of Ethics. Later drafts swamped in commission debate. Also on the agenda, Tom Hoban, a professor from North Carolina State University, will present re search on public attitudes toward water quality and management of the Albemarle-Pamlico estuarinc system, for which a comprehensive management plan has been pro posed. Staff will explain the coastal de velopment permit process by track ing a project from rcccipt of the ap plication to action by the division. Commissioner* will also hear re ports on program enhancement ac tivities such as cumulative impacts, wetlands and coastal nonpoint source pollution control. No public hearings are scheduled. Concurrent meetings from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Thursday of the Implementation and Standards and Planning and Special Issues com mittees. The committees will report Friday at 11 a.m. AT OCEAN ISLE BRING HOME THEtBEACON WM OOtO MI ISLANDER RESTAURANT OCEAN ISLE BEACH SHOP OCEAN ISLE EXXON STATION OCEAN ISLE PIER OCEAN ISLE SUPERMARKET PARTY MART SHEFFIELD'S The General Assembly of North Carolina cordially invites you to attend the opening ceremonies of the 1993 Legislative Session 12:00 o'clock noon Wednesday, January 27, 1993 State Legislative Building Raleigh, NC Senator R.C. Soles, Jr. will take the oath of office as Deputy President Pro Tempore of the North Carolina Senate. ALL THESE PEOPLE HAVE A YELLOW PAGE BOOK, BUT THEY'RE READING YOUR AD IN THE NEWSPAPER. Sr. CO 1 ^-31* 9 ;"^P^' 15 0 (-^0 - - JfSfeferfga =iilff^i i?(?saWf -?. ? ' ^???* ?~ t?~7 - ? 1 ? *2 ? 1 l3 ^?n > : ^ s??=i s g Ojg = 3 5 1|. <?-'- UU-r s of J Beacon advertising works. Call 754-6890 to speak with one of our friendly ad representatives. THE BRUMffiffiACON
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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Jan. 21, 1993, edition 1
10
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