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Towns, Agencies Told Good Paper Trail Is Key To Federal Storm Aid
BY SUSAN USHER costs. iar territory after having gone through a sim- Brunswick County, and Brunswick Electric
"Document, document, document." "It's really important to go back and look i^Y0U flCfZd tO TTlClkC ilar process following Hurricane Hugo. This Membership Corp. filed "noticcs of inter
That's the advice given last week to local at your recordkeeping," said Steve Glenn, ^ , ??=??? time, Brunswick County is one of 10 eastern est," or intentions to seek reimbursement
agencies interested in applying for federal Area C coordinator for the N.C. Division of wfiiM. C-CLtl lu?Hlljy counties to qualify so far for only limited grants. The towns of Holden Beach, Ocean
relief assistance following a March 13 storm Emergency Management, as he led the Is&wJ;ffttr#TnfoP**'^ aid; reimbursement to local governments Isle Beach. Southport, Calabash, Yaupon
that hammered Brunswick County with hur- group through the paperwork and a time- ^ certain other agencies for up to 75 per- Beach, Caswell Beach Long Beach and
ricane-force winds and left behind an esti- table. "You need to maJte sure you can iden- fh^S* Wjffir ccnt cosl cmcr8cncy protective Bald Head Village fileu notices, and two
mated S23.5 million in damage and clean-up tify who was where and what ihey were do- - ~ measures taken during the storm and debris others. Sunset Beach and Bolivia, plan to do
costs. ing during the storm." removal during and afterward, specifically so, said Brcnda Freeman, administrative as
Pictures, videotapes, work orders, over- Glenn and Roger Free of Denver, Colo., a - t * within six months of the April 26 declara- sistant in Brunswick County's Emergency
time logs, financial records. All these make coordinating officer for the Federal 5lJOn- Management Office.
up a paper trail that could make the differ- Emergency Management Agency, met with Glenn said additional declarations may The county's other large utility coopcra
cnce in a municipality or agency's efforts to about 25 representatives from Brunswick, for the federal reimbursement grants and later qualify the county for aid to businesses live, Atlantic Telephone Membership Corp.,
qualify for reimbursement of up to 75 per- New Hanover and Columbus counties last what they would and would not cover. or individuals. has not filed notice that it intends to try to
cent of some, but not all, storm-related Thursday at Bolivia to discuss how to apply For some of those listening, it was famil- Last Thursday, eight municipalities, (v^,e STORM, Page 2-A)
wmsmm.
TH E BRUNf
Manager Candidates'
Field Is Narrowed To 5
7:^1
STAFF PHOTO BY DOUO tUTTE*
A Young Man's Fancy
West Brunswick High School's Bryan Fleming (left) hit two home runs last week, including a two-run
blast at Whiteville that carried an estimated 430feet. He is pictured with Trojan Coach Mike Alderson.
For more baseball and other spring sports, see Pages 8-1 IB.
No Vote To Fire Barefoot,
Though Rumors Continue
BY ERIC CARLSON
Contrary to a television news report Monday night, no
vote was taken at Monday's Brunswick County Com
missioners' meeting to remove Board Clerk Kelly Bare
fool from her appointed position. Nor was such a vote
scheduled for the board's May 17 meeting, as a
Wilmington station reported Tuesday.
Still, rumors persist that the board's three-member
Democrat majority plans to fulfill a campaign promise
to dismiss Barefoot, who is also a registered Democrat,
and replace her with former Clerk Regina Alexander,
who lost her job nearly two years ago in a reorganization
of county administration by the former Republican
board.
There had been speculation last week that the firing
would take place Monday nighL But Democrat
Commissioner Wayland Vereen failed to show up,
dooming any possibility of a party-line vote to remove
Barefoot.
Vereen did not respond to a telephone message left
with his secretary Tuesday. Attempts to reach
Commissioner Tom Rabon Tuesday also were unsuc
cessful.
Commissioners Chairman Don Warren said he had
"no comment" on the rumored plan to fire the county
clerk.
He also had "no comment" when asked if he felt
Barefoot was properly performing her duties.
"However, the clerk to the board serves at the plea
sure of the board," Warren said. "If anyone is removed,
it will be on the basis of performance, not politics or any
other factors."
Barefoot also said she had "no comment at all" about
the rumors.
Republican Commissioner Donald Shaw Tuesday
called Barefoot "a model clerk" and said he had experi
enced "not one problem" with her job performance. He
said he had heard "talk on the street" about plans to re
move her, but has not been told of such an effort by the
other commissioners.
"I hope they don't do this," Shaw said. "I don't know
(See BOARD, Page 2-A)
BY KRIC CARLSON
All five axe from North Carolina,
said Commissioners' Chairman Don
Warren. Most have "in excess of 10
years" experience in county govern
ment "at the level of department
head or higher."
According to Commissioner Jerry
Jones, "one or two" of them are cur
rently managers of other counties.
One is an assistant county manager.
Another is a former county manager
now employed by a regional council
of governments. None of them arc
from Brunswick Counly. But one is
from a neighboring counly.
One of ihc candidates is "a minor
ity," according to Commissioner
Donald Shaw.
That's about all the board mem
bers arc saying about the five final
ists whose names will be revealed at
3 p.m.. May 17, when the commis
sioners conduct public interviews of
the candidates for Brunswick Coun
ty manager.
Only seven of the 37 applicants
met the minimum qualifications
specified in the board's advertise
ment for a new county manager.
Warren said Monday night. Still, he
said he feels the commissioners
have narrowed the field down to
"five good candidates that have the
experience and background" for the
job.
But Jones had some reservations
about the response, saying he had
hoped to receive inquiries from a lot
more qualified applicants. He
blames the county's recent approval
of two-year terms for discouraging
applications from top-notch manag
er candidates.
Under the new terms of office, all
five county commissioners will be
up for election every two years, be
ginning Nov. 1,1992.
"Whoever we hire won't get here
for at least a month," Jones said.
"Which means that after a year and
a half, he could be working for an
entirely different board. They could
come in all gung ho and say they're
going to change the whole works.
"If 1 was a well-qualified county
manager with a good position and I
saw a job opening here, I'd be ask
ing myself, 'Why take a chance?*"
Jones said.
Commissioner Shaw echoed
Jones* lack of enthusiasm for the se
lection process, saying he felt the
county "had the best already" in for
mer County Manager David Clegg,
who resigned March 15.
After Clegg's departure, Shaw
charged that the manager had been
"forced out" by the board's recently
elected three-member Democratic
majority. The three have denied
Shaw's allegation. Shaw and Jones
were members of the all-Rcpublican
board that hired Clegg, a Democrat,
as county manager.
"We may find one who is pretty
good, but we won't find another
David Clegg," Shaw said. "I really
regret what happened about that."
The county advertised for the
manager position in several newspa
pers and in a statewide county gov
ernment publication. Applications
were received from across North
Carolina and from other states as far
away as New Jersey.
Among the advertised require
ments for the position were "acade
mic credentials in either govern
ment. political science, business ad
ministration or finance" and a mini
mum of "five years of professional
county government administrative
work experience in North Carolina."
At their April 5 meeting, the com
missioners agreed to interview the
finalists in public. Some boards hold
such inquiries in closed meetings,
calling the selection process a "per
sonnel matter."
The board directed county Per
sonnel Officer Staric Grissctt to re
view the applications and note
which one's met the advertised re
quirements. The commissioners
were given all the applications for
review. According to Warren, Gris
sctt determined that seven of the 37
candidates met the requirements.
Warren said the other commis
sioners had been "polled by phone"
in an effort to narrow the field. He
said there was no dispute over which
of the five finalists should be called
in for an interview. The five have
been contacted and asked if they
will agree to be interviewed in pub
lic.
The board will interview the can
didates onc-by-onc, with the same
questions directed at each. Warren
said. The commissioners could vote
to hire the county manager at the
board's regular meeting at 6:30 p.m
Officials Mum On Holden
Beach Workers' Suspension
Two Holden Beach employees,
including one department head, have
been suspended without pay.
Public works director Jim Holt
and David Hair, a public works em
ployee, were suspended April 23,
according to Town Manager Gary
Parker. Both have worked for the
town since the spring of 1991.
Parker refused to say why he sus
pended the workers, citing a stale
law that limits the type of informa
tion that can be released from public
employee files.
"I really can't tell you any more
because it is a personnel matter...,"
Parker said Tuesday. "You can't gel
into the reasons. There's an obliga
tion to protect the privacy of the in
dividuals involved."
Parker would not confirm or deny
rumors surrounding the suspensions.
"Under the privacy act I wouldn't
comment one way or another," he
said when asked about the rumor.
Other town officials also refused
to comment on the reason for the
suspensions when contacted Tues
day.
"I respect both parties' privacy so
I can't say anything at this time,"
Commissioner David Sandifer said.
Board members Jim Foumier and
Sid Swans also declined to com
ment. "It was all in executive ses
sion so I'm afraid I can't tell you,"
Swans said. "It's one of those things
that's pending."
Parker said the matter was dis
cussed during a 35-minutc executive
session at the close of Monday
night's town board meeting.
No action was taken in public fol
lowing the closed session, but
Parker indicated Tuesday the matter
would be resolved soon.
"You'll be notified shortly I
would say, but I really can't get into
anything further at this point," he
said. "Some resolution has to be
made, but I can't tell you anything
further right now."
Chris Caudill's Four-Year Fight With Breast Cancer Ends Quietly
BY SUSAN USHER While wailing for the outcome, in an agree- a routine follow-up visit less than a month Club for several consecutive years and was ruled in the insurance company's favor.
Crystal "Chris" Varruim Caudill, an in- ment worked out with the hospital, she un- ago, the news was bad. involved in almost every activity. Caudill's appeal to the U.S. 4th Circuit
spiration to those who knew her, died quiet- dcrwcnl the procedure "They told her it was back and there was "We're going to miss her. She was an in- Court in Richmond, Va? was heard in
ly at 1:30 p.m. Friday at her home, at rest after friends and neigh- nothing else they could do," said a sister, spiration to me. She held on to her faith un- March, but the decision isn't expected for
after a four-year fight with the cancer that g bors raised enough Beverly "BcBe" Woolen of Vamamiown. til the bitter end," said Wootcn. "If we several more months.
eventually won. money for a deposit "It was in her lungs, her liver and in her could all keep our trust in His will for us, 1 Caudill's court case is built around the
Death for the 37-year-old mother of two against the final tab. bones. They gave her two months." think things would work a loi better for us argument that bone marrow is not actually
came nine months after she underwent a ?[ Efforts to raise money Wooten was holding her sister's hand ^ 311 organ and thcrcforc a 15006 marrow
bone marrow transplant at Duke University to cover her medical whcn shc dicj as jt was "She never complained and she thanked transplant is not an organ transplant as the
Medical Center in Durham, using her own Bft, care continue, with a the hardest thine I ever did in mv life " she God every morning for each day shc was insurance company contends. The policy
bone marrow in a final bid to extend her fund established in her mailed given. Most people don't do that," said slates it docs noi pay for organ transplants
life. ' i I name at United Caro- Wootcn. "She was a blessing to me." not specifically identified.
The expensive procedure had been de- ? ? ' ? " lina Bank. However, overwhelming support from Wooten doesn't plan to return to her own Wooten said that the family still owes
layed on the hope thai her insurance com- caudill She was the first pa- neighbors, coworkers, friends and former job for several months, as she had promised Duke Medical Center approximately
pany, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North ticnt to undergo this type of transplant schoolmates helped see the family through her sister to help James Caudill and the S40.000 of the SI 12,000 cost of the trans
Carolina, would agree to covcr the costs. A through Duke's new oncology outpatient the ordeal, she said. "Words cannot tell how Caudills' two boys through this period of plant. Another $27,000 is owed for related
security clerk at the U.S. Army's Military treatment program. A lingering lung infec- we appreciated how people supported us transition. The children's paternal grand- outpatient care, but the family has applied
Ocean Terminal at Sunny Point, shc was in- lion left her short of breath, but all signs of through this." mother, who has been staying with the fam- for Medicaid and is hopeful it will cover
surcd under a policy for federal civilian the cancer disappeared after ihc procedure, Chris Caudill was an inspiration to her ily most of the past year to help care for the the latter.
employees that the company says does not and Caudill had been optimistic of rcmis- sister as shc was to others, especially at boys, plans to slay on with them. Caudill's husband, James Earl, is still un
cover bone marrow transplants as a treat- sion and a return to her job after an extend- Dixon Chapel United Methodist Church The legal action against Blue Cross & able to return to work. He is under treat
ment for advanced breast cancer. cd leave. where she had sung in the choir since child- Blue Shield will continue, said Wootcn. ment for back injuries received in an auto
Caudill sued Blue Cross & Blue Shield. However, when shc returned to Duke for hood, served as president of the Ladies Last August a federal district court judge mobile accidcnt last November.