Storm's
(Continued From Page 1-A)
Manager David Batlcn. But by late Monday night only
isolated customers remained without power.
While Logan said the storm was less powerful than
either Hurricane Hugo or Hurricane Diana when they
made landfall, during a hurricane high winds usually last
only a few hours, Batten noted. But Saturday gale force
winds blew continuously for 12 to 14 hours.
"We'd restore power in an area and it would be
knocked back out again."
Batten said he tried to line up outside help Saturday
morning, but that no help was available because most
utilities across North Carolina and in neighboring states
were coping with stonn-related problems of their own.
Approximately 100 BEMC crew members worked
throughout the storm, along with approximately 20 reg
ular contract people and one-fourth the office staff, who
were called in to answer telephones that jangled non
stop.
Loss of electrical power disrupted cable television
service in the county, said Atlantic Telephone Mem
bership Corp. customer service representative Percy
Woodard, while power surges damaged some cable
equipment. Few telephone customers experienced ser
Holden Damage
(Continued From Page 1-A)
the strand.
"Wc have catwalks coming out of
our cars," Carroll said.
Included in the damage were 17
town-owned bcach acccssways,
which Parker estimated will cost
Si.UOO cach to replace. Holden
Bcach also lost about 100 trash bar
rels that were set up along the bcach.
"It's a lot of damage. On a small
town budget, that's quite an impact,"
Parker said. "The town has to give
up some of the other things it was
working on and take care of these
things first."
Holden Beach Bridge was closed
to everyone except residents, home
owners and contractors from noon
Saturday until 3 p.m. Sunday. No
body was allowed on the bridge for
several hours Saturday when the
winds were at their strongest.
"There were so many problems
out here with hazardous conditions,"
Parker said of the bridge closing.
"The board of commissioners felt
we couldn't allow total free acccss."
Parker said town officials didn't
want people coming on the island to
gather lumber and other materials
that were scattered up and down the
beach. "You had to have a good rea
son to be out here."
Most of Holden Bcach lost elec
Sunset Bridge
(Continued From Page 1-A)
the day, but Knapp clected to wait
and leave when the bridge reopened.
"The mayor did everything he
could," Knapp said, adding, "I
wouldn't have died if I'd had to wait
until the next morning."
While acknowledging the unpre
dictable force of Saturday's storm,
Knapp said he doesn't believe the
bridge should be closed to traffic un
til a police car is stationed on die is
land and residents arc given the op
tion to evacuate.
However, the mayor says the
storm made him even more con
vinced that as long as those kinds of
logistics arc necessary, people's
lives will be in danger.
"It's time to gel on with the pro
gram" of replacing the bridge in the
interest of safety, he said, even if
some residents and property owners
object
The town council resolved unani
mously to seek an acceleration of
the court-ordered environment im
pact statement which must be com
pleted before construction of a new
bridge can proceed.
Council has the support of new
N.C. Department of Transportation
board member Odell Williamson of
Ocean Isle, in whose honor the
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I
Ferocity,
Length A Surprise To Officials And Residents
vice disruptions, only some ol Uiosc served by aerial
drops.
Brunswick County Sheriff's Department responded to
numerous minor auto accidents, some involving drivers
who told officers they were "out looking at the storm."
Officers said their biggest problem was "sightseers" go
ing to the beach to watch the storm, said Lt. Carl
Pearson
The sheriff's department, which was operating on
back-up generators Saturday night, was "swamped" with
telephone calls, many from non-residents property own
ers asking that their property be checked for damage.
Unable to keep up, the department switched the calls to
the county's emergency communications center.
As of late Monday night only isolated Brunswick
Electric and Carolina Power & Light customers in
Brunswick County remained without power.
A lack of power or delays in a return of power cut the
school day short Monday at three county schools, said
Assistant Superintendent Bill Turner, but the storm
caused less structural damage thar. anticipated.
At North Brunswick High School, students arriving at
school were sent immediately home because CP&L had
not yet restored full power and the main building was
Estimated At $8 Million
tricity at least temporarily. Power
was restored to most of the island by
Saturday night, with side streets fin
ished early Sunday.
Carroll said part of the seawall at
Surfsidc Pavilion caved in under the
huge waves, icaving the ends ol
Ferry Road and Holdcn Street with
little protection against erosion.
Waves broke through the dune in
several areas, including the 200
block of Ocean Boulevard East and
the 500 and 700 block of Ocean
Boulevard West. The street was cov
ered by more than a foot of water in
those areas Saturday.
Ocean water also washed over the
small dune beside Holdcn Beach
Fishing Pier and flowed through the
parking lot.
Pier manager Gil Bass said the
pier lost some braces, but none of
the pilings were damaged. "It could
have been a lot worse, but it was bad
enough," Bass, a town board mem
ber, said of the storm.
Mayor Ausley said he expects
town commissioners to discuss re
pairing the oceanfront dunes when it
meets March 24. He said fdling in
several holes in the dune will be the
top priority.
Based on conversations Monday
with coastal experts, Ausley said the
best way to repair the dune may be
Push Begins Anew
"People sat over
there all that time
running their engines
for heat and running
out of gas...They
looked like they'd
been through the
Battle of the Bulge."
?Mayor Mason Barber
South Brunswick Islands' first high
rise bridge was named. "I'm for that
100 percent," Williamson said in a
Tuesday telephone interview, adding
that the present is "a good time to
move, since the president has
pledged to get people working on
roads and bridges."
In his first DOT board meeting
two weeks ago, Williamson had an
additional 5100,000 appropriated to
the Sunset Beach bridge replace
ment project to cover preliminary
engineering, utilities and right-of
way costs. Williamson said SI.8
million has been appropriated so far,
though construction of the bridge is
hauling in sand from somewhere
else and dumping it on the beach.
"Obviously that's a costly way to
improve it," he said. "The question
would be how much to do and how
to pay for it."
Holden Beach officials said ihc
winter storm wasn't nearly as severe
as Hurricane Hugo, which caused
approximately S30 million in prop
erty damage in September 1989.
However, Parker said very few
people expected the weekend storm
to do the damage it did. Hugo,
which leveled oceanfront dunes, was
tracked aevciai days before it
slammed the coast.
"It was without warning really,"
Parker said of Saturday's storm.
"There was no warning the storm on
the coast would hit the way it did. It
was sort of out of the blue."
Carroll was one of the few people
who wasn't surprised. "I don't think
people were expecting it I was.
When the weatherman said the
storm of the century was coming up
the coast, I took his word for it."
Parker stid the town's trash
hauler. Waste Industries, will have a
truck on the island through Friday
picking up debris that is left beside
the road. Storm debris also will be
removed during the normal trash
pickup next week.
not currently in the state's
Transportation Improvement Plan.
Thirteen years ago DOT began
making plans to replace the pontoon
swing bridge with a fixed high-rise
span. The proposal met stiff opposi
tion and was instrumental in the for
mation of the Sunset Beach Tax
payers Association, of which Knapp
is a leading member.
In 1990, SBTA won a court battle
aimed at hailing construction of the
bridge. U.S. District Judge Earl Brill
ordered the environmental impact
statement and voided all permits al
ready obtained for the multi-million
project. Estimates are that, at the
current pace, the statement could
take another year or longer to com
plete.
Last November, DOT staffers at a
public meeting presented townspeo
ple with plans for several types of
bridges, including drawbridges in
several heights or the fixed high-rise
bridge. Most who turned out said
they want something more efficient
that ihe existing bridge, but short of
the high-rise span first proposed by
the state.
Damage Estimated
Sunset Beach, with its low ero
sion rate and broad beach, fared bet
ter than other South Brunswick
Islands beaches in Saturday's storm
Building Inspector Danny Cordell
estimated damage to structures at
S200,(XX) and erosion damage at
S30,(XX). An average 10 feet of dune
was lost on the cast end, but "the
west end held," he said.
Ovcrwash from the marshes and
waterway made it necessary for the
causeway to be graded after the
storm.
Shallotte To Pick Up Storm Debris
BY DOUG RUTTKR
Shallotic residents who accumu
lated branches, shingles and other
debris in their yards during the
weekend winter storm don't have to
get rid of the junk on their own.
Tne town is pitching in. At their
meeting Tuesday night, aldermen
decided to have town employees
pick up storm debris at residences
and businesses through March 31.
There's a catch. Workers won't go
into your back yard to do the actual
cleanup. But they will pick up debris
left by the side of the road. For ser
vice, residents need to call town
hall.
Building Inspector Albert Hughes
said there's plenty of cleanup need
ed in town following Saturday's
storm, which causcd more damage
cold. Ai Boiling Spring Lakes, power was restored late
Sunday but cold buildings led principals to release South
Brunswick High and South Brunswick Middle school
students early, at 1 p.m. Without power, the schools'
central office at Southport was closed Monday.
Turner reported slight roof damage to buildings at
West Brunswick High School and Supply Elementary
School that is covered by warranty and a few downed
fences at several schools. "We were very fortunate," said
Turner. "I was really surprised when I made the rounds
Sunday. We had no problems at Union Elementary
(where contractors are replacing a roof) or with any of
the trailers."
Should the county qualify for disaster assistance, local
governments and not-for-profit agencies can seek reim
bursement from the federal government for storm-relat
ed losses and expenses.
Logan estimated county damages and costs in excess
of S8 million, ranging from water system telemetry
damaged by electrical power surges to downed fences
aiiu signs, ucbris reinovai and overtime pay. "We don't
have a cost figure yet for the parks," he said.
Utilities Director Jerry Webb said erosion caused a
loss of pipe on the out-of-scrvice water line across
Lock wood Folly Intel connccting Long Beach and
Holdcn Bcach that is scheduled for eventual rerouting.
Water service was lost 30 minutes to 60 minutes at
Occan Isle Beach and Sunset Bcach bccausc of a power
outage at a pump station.
Webb praised Carolina Power & Light Co. and
Brunswick Electric Membership Corp. for giving the
county water department priority in handling power out
ages. That allowed the department to keeping its pump
ing facilities operating, he said.
At Vamamtown Mayor Judy Galloway said one tree
had fallen on a mobile home and another on a car. Other
than missing shingles and messy yards, she said
Vamamtown was fortunate. "It's been bad, but we've
been lucky down here. It could have been a lot worse."
The community's commercial fishing fleet came
through the storm unscathed; but there was some dam
age to riverfront docks. "The water got real, real high?
the highest I've ever seen it."
All coastal waters in North Carolina remained tem
porarily closcd to shcllfishing Tuesday due to heavy
rainfall, extremely high tides, hurricane force winds and
power outages associated with the storm.
>- .'-v .
STAFF PHOTO BY MIC CARLSOI
DON WARREN, chairman of the Brunswick County Commissioners, reads a letter from County
Manager!Attorney David Clegg informing the board of his decision to resign, effective Monday at 5
p.m. Shown with him are commissioners Tom Rabon (left) and Wayland Vereen.
Clegg Resigns Amid Rumors
Of Pressure, Firing Threat
(Continued From Page 1-A)
and had "heard ramors" that Clcgg
was sending out resumes and "look
ing at other employment." He said
he did not put pressure on Clegg to
resign.
Democratic Commissioner Tom
Rabon said Clcgg resigned "for
some reason unknown to me" and
added, "He will be missed." Rabon
said he hopes the county can find a
replacement as soon as possible.
Republican Commissioner Jerry
Jones said the county "just lost a
tremendous employee" and called
Clegg a "truly professional" county
manager. Jones said he did not know
if Clcgg had been forced out of his
position.
"We all know in our minds if that
was the case," Jones said. "That's
only for Mr. Clcgg and the other
commissioners to know."
Several citizens spoke in support
of Clegg during the public comment
portion of Monday's meeting.
"I am absolutely overcome with
what I've heard," Helen Cashwell
told the board. "I just don't under
stand what your mission is except to
return to nepotism and to go back to
what used to be before David
Clcgg."
"I think we arc losing a fantastic
county manager," said Frances
Allen. "It will be hard to find one of
his caliber and I think we're going
to be sorry that he's gone."
"The citizens of Brunswick
County are going to be the losers,"
said Cynthia Tart, evoking a loud
round of applause.
"I think you arc losing a tremen
dous, great man who did wonders
for this county," said Wendy Jones.
"He was honest and straightforward.
It's going to be a real loss.
"We've all heard what was going
to happen to David Clcgg and we
don't want to go back to the old
back-room politics. I pity you," said
Eileen Kcllaghcr. She later shouted
out, "Thank God for two-year
terms!"
in Shallotlc than Hurncanc Hugo
did in 19X9.
The winter storm knockcd over
commercial signs, snapped pine
trees and blew shingles from
rooftops.
"There's a lot of pine trees down.
There's a lot of sign damage and
roof damage," Hughes said Monday.
"It was not as bad as it could have
been."
Hughes said small limbs fell on a
few houses, but no major structural
damage was reported.
"Some areas weren't hit loo bad,"
Hughes said alter riding through the
tree-rich Brierwood Estates neigh
borhood Monday morning. "There
are some areas where limbs blew all
over the road."
Several downtown businesses lost
their signs. 'There's a lot of money
"I don't think it
would have been
productive for the
board or for me to
linger week to week
when everyone knew
what was
inevitable."
?David Clegg
Warren directed Barefoot to begin
the search for a new county manager
immediately. He said he would like
to closc the application period with
in 30 days. There was no mention of
advertising for a new county attor
ney.
Harvey will serve as interim
county manager with a Sl,000-per
month increase in salary. He plans to
maintain his office at the county
planning department.
Asked why Doug Ledgcu, assis
tant to the county manager, was not
named as Clegg's temporary re
placement, Warren said Ledgett's
duties as director of emergency ser
vices would not allow him enough
lime to devote to the job of interim
manager. Warren also noted that
Harvey has previously served in the
post during transitions between
county managers.
Ramos will be paid a retainer of
SI,000 per month and S75 per hour
for meetings and other services.
In a telephone interview from
Charleston, S.C., Tuesday, Clegg
said he was "enjoying a few days of
vacation" and would be back in the
county later this week. He said he
currently plans to take several
months off "to get over this experi
ence" and to spend time with his
family.
"I am fortunate in that 1 have
many options that 1 need some time
to sort through," Clegg said. "1 have
in signs gone. Some of those signs
are pretty expensive with all of the
electrical."
Hughes said Hugo didn't cause
much of a problem in Shallotlc. "We
had more trees down this time. We
haven't had a storm that required
cleanup by the town since Diana,"
he said of the 1984 hurricane.
Like many others, Hughes was
surprised by the severity of
Saturday's storm and the hurricane
forcc winds.
"They sort of slipped this one up
on us. They said a major winter
storm was coming, but they didn't
mention the wind," he said.
"It slid by me and 1 think it did
most people. They neglccled to
mention there were going to be hur
ricane-force winds."
some very specific opportunities to
look at. I will continue to be an ac
tive participant in civic and cultural
affairs including the preparation of
Miss Brunswick County for the
Miss North Carolina Pageant."
Clegg would not elaborate about
his reasons for his sudden departure,
saying only that "the tlcanest break
heals the quickest." He said he had
left "no loose ends" in county gov
ernment and would remain available
to the commissioners for consulta
tion.
"Since December it was specifi
cally stated (by Warren) that my ser
vice was to be from meeting to
meeting. There was never a pretext
of longevity," Clegg said. "1 don't
think it would have been productive
for the board or for mc to linger
week to week when everyone knew
what was inevitable."
More Tranquil
Weather Ahead
South Brunswick Islands can ex
pect near normal temperatures and
rainfall over the next few days.
"So far it looks like this will be a
much more tranquil week than the
weekend proved to be," said
Jackson Canady, Shallotte Point me
teorologist
Canady said he expects tempera
tures to average in the mid-40s at
night and range up to the mid-60s
during the daytime, with about a
half-inch of rainfall.
For the period March 9-15,
Canady recorded 1.34 inches of
rainfall, most of which fell during
Saturday's winter storm.
The maximum high for the period
was 72 degrees, recorded March 10.
and the minimum low was 20 de
grees, recorded March 15.
An average daily high of 61 de
grees combined with a nightly low
of 37 degrees for a daily average
temperature of 49 degrees, which is
about 4 degrees below average, said
Canady.
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Telephone 754-6890
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Ai 4709 Main Street
Shallotte, N.C. 28459
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