Senior Center
Diners
Launch
Food
Fight;
'What
IS This Meat?'
BY MARJOR1E MEGIVERN
If it's not mushy beans, it's tough cabbage; if not
sour milk, it's unidentifiable meat. The food served at
the Shallottc Senior Center just doesn't get four stars
from some of its guests, especially Nell Fulmer.
"Ever since they changed services in August, it's
been bad." said the center regular, who has buttonholed
county commissioners and contacted the media in an
effort to change cooks. She lets everyone know about
her dissatisfaction with meals served by Service
America.
When Brunswick County's Department of Social
Services (DSS) decided Aug. 1 to award its food ser
vice contract to Service America, seniors here began to
miss the "home cookin'" of Robert Smith, who had
previously prepared their food along with that served at
the Government Complex cafeteria. Centers at
Shallotte. Leland and Southport offer a hot lunch every
week day. while one at Oak Island serves only on
Thursdays. The food is cooked in Wilmington and
transported from there daily. While elderly guests using
the center can make a contribution for the meal, there is
no charge for it.
Fulmer. who said she pays 50 cents for her lunch,
was furious about the quality of food served. "We don't
know what this meat is but it's the same every day. with
a different sauce on it," she explained. "We had such
bad stew beef one time. Oak Island center sent it back.
One day somebody saved their meat and took it home
to their dogs and cats and they wouldn't eat it. Nobody
else around here will speak up. but I think we deserve
better food. For some of these people it 's the only meal
they get all day."
The complaints from some center guests revolve
around vegetables, either over- or undercooked, lack of
seasoning and the sameness of the meals. Nicholas
Daddario said. "I eat it. That's all I'll say. but I don't
like vegetables cooked to death." A woman who did
not want to be identified called the food, "not just bad,
but lousy," and added, "We used to have good meals."
However, not everyone was discontent. Two cheer
ful women said they enjoyed eating anything they
didn't have to cook, while others pronounced the lunch
"good."
However, Site Manager Mary Smith, wife of Robert
Smith, said. "Everybody complains. We asked county
commissioners to come and try it and some of them
did. They said they'd work on it, but nothing has
changed." Pointing to a weekly menu. Smith said the
only meats served are beef and chicken. A roast pork
rib on the menu she called "the same as the hamburger
patty the day before."
Smith said she and other site managers had visited
the Wilmington location where meals originated and
she found no cooking in progress. "We saw trays of
food already prepared for the next day," she said.
Brunswick Social Services Director Jamie Orrock
said the change to Service America was dictated by
cost. "We get this service for about 50 cents less per
meal than we were paying Robert Smith. He charged
S2.W per meal and we're now paying $2.56. When
you're feeding around 150 people every day. that
amounts to a lot."
Orrock defended the nutritional quality of Service
America meals, purchased under a United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) contract. "They re
quire healthy food, not a lot of fat and salt these people
were used to. Sure, it tasted better, hut it's not good for
them. I'd like ice cream on my apple pie. but my wife
won't serve me pie; should I get a new wife?"
He said many allegations about the food were sim
ply untrue. "For instance, they serve many other dishes
besides beef and chicken. I ate ham there myself one
day last week and it was fine. They rotate the same dish
twice every month."
Orrock acknowledged some initial problems that he
said Service America Was quick to correct. "There was
bad stew beef and we quit using it; there was also sour
milk one time and we got that corrected. Everything
we've complained about, they have taken care of. As
far as I know, there hasn't been any mention of specific
problems since then."
The buck stops in the kitchen of a Wilmington se
nior center where Kathy Sommese said she begins
work every morning about 4 a.m. "The food comes to
me from Columbia, S.C.," she said, "and I prep it the
day before, cutting up vegetables and making sauces,
but I do the final cooking the same day it's served."
She. too, emphasized the need for proper nutrition.
"We have to follow USDA guidelines, which means
low-fat and low-sodium meals, with nothing more than
2 percent (fat) milk," she explained "I substitute
spices, like lemon-pepper and garlic for salt. I know
nothing tastes better on green beans than bacon grease,
but we just can't use that.*'
Sommese addressed the charge of "overcooked
vegetables," saying, "The cambrios in which meals are
transported are like coolers that maintain the heat up to
eight hours. That means the vegetables keep cooking.
We try to figure how much to cook them ahead so that
retained heat doesn't overcook them."
Acknowledging that service to senior centers is a
"first" for Service America. Sommese was distressed
over the recent rash of complaints at the Shallotte site.
"After those problems right at first, I hadn't heard
anything at all from them," she said, "until week before
last when I learned they were starting a petition and
contacting the media about their food. I went over there
last week to find out what they were unhappy about.
They told me about undercooked and overcooked food,
strange meat and lack of seasoning and I tried to ex
plain. I told them I really do care about them and want
them to call me when something goes wrong. I gave
them two telephone numbers for me."
Service America, the second largest food service
company in the country, usually services colleges and
industrial cafeterias, like Carolina Power & Light and
duPont, she said.
"I take this very personally," she said of the com
plaints. "It was like hitting me upside of the head. I
have an 83-year-old mother who is on this program in
New Hanover County, and I wouldn't give them any
thing I wouldn't want her to eat."
Recruiter To Visit Here
A recruiter for the N.C. School of
Science and Mathematics will lie in
the area to conduct information ses
sions about the public high school
for students academically motivated
in science and mathematics.
Recruiter John Poe is scheduled
to be at West. South and North
Brunswick on Thursday. Oct. 7. The
presentations are open to the public,
but tenth grade students and their
parents in particular are invited.
Students are selected during their
sophomore year for admission the
following fall. Applications for ad
mission in the fall of 1994 are due
Jan. 15. 1994.
NCSSM. a statewide, residential
public high school for students with
high aptitude and interest in science
and mathematics, is on a 27-acre
campus in Durham. The coeduca
tional school enrolls 550 students,
serving all of North Carolina's 100
counties. No tuition or room and
hoard fees are charged.
Additional information is avail
able from local science and mathe
matics teachers, principals and guid
ance counselors.
Supply Man Arrested On
Forged Check Charges
A 34-year-old Supply man was
arrested Friday on eight felony
charges accusing him of forging sig
natures on checks from two stolen
checkbooks and passing them at lo
cal businesses, a Brunswick County
sheriff's detective said Monday.
The suspect, Willie James McKoy
of Route 3, has been charged with
four counts each of forgery and ut
tering by Det. Donnell Marlowe.
McKoy allegedly signed two
stolen checks for S97 and one for
S85 and cashed them at the Seaside
Minute-Man store on Sept, 21.
Another forged check for $75 was
cashed by McKoy at the Subway
restaurant in Southport on Aug. 23,
Marlowe said.
Three of the checks belonged to a
Supply couple who had their check
book stolen from an automobile in
Shallotte. Marlowe said. The other
check was taken from a woman in
Loris. S.C.
An investigation into the case is
continuing and more charges are an
ticipated. Marlowe said checkbooks
are common targets for thieves who
break into cars.
'"Mv advise to anyone would be
to lock their cars and put valuable
property away where it can't be
seen," Marlowe said. "If you leave
things out in the open? especially
checkbooks ? you may be inviting a
break-in."
McKoy was being held in
Brunswick County Jail in lieu of
S25,(MH) secured bond Monday.
UNDER $200 SECURED BOND
Sunset, OIB Police Charge
Man In ' Flashing ' Incidents
A zu-year-old Shallotte man was
charged with indecent exposure by
Ocean Isle and Sunset Beach police
last week after he "flashed" women
on both beaches, according to
Sunset Beach Chief J. B. Buell.
A vacationer was walking on the
east end of Sunset Beach about 2
p.m. Sept. 23 when "a man walked
out from the dunes, dropped his
pants and smiled at her," Buell said.
The woman then began walking
toward some sunbathers "and he
pulled his pants up and followed
her," the chief added. "She sat down
in one of their beach chairs until he
went away. Then they called us."
Lt. Sam Grantham went to inves
tigate but the suspect had apparently
left the area. Buell said.
Later in the day. Ocean Isle police
had a similar complaint and OIPD
Sgt. Jerry Bass arrested Aaron T.
Bollinger of Pine Lake Village with
indecent exposure. "He confessed
having flashed the woman at Sunset
Beach, so we arrested him, too,"
Buell said.
Bollinger, who Buell said is origi
nally from Boston, Mass., was
placed under S2(X) secured bond,
and a court date of Nov. 8 set.
Driver Cited Following Wreck
A Wilmington woman was
charged with driving too fast for
conditions follow ing a single-car ac
cident last Saturday near Belville.
Trooper B.C. Jones cited 34-year
old Theresa Lynn Carr after the ve
hicle she was driving ran into a tree
off N.C. 133, said spokesperson
Rebecca Floyd of the N.C. Highway
Patrol.
The trooper's report indicated that
Carr was driving a 1989 Nissan
north on N.C. 133 when the vehicle
ran off the right side of the road and
the driver lost control.
The Nissan crossed the highway
and ran off the left side of the road,
where it struck a ditch and tree, ac
cording to Jones' report.
Floyd said the woman was cited
with driving too last for conditions
because there was a sharp curve in
the road.
The vehicle sustained approxi
mately S4.(HX) in damage. The high
way patrol report indicated that the
driver was injured hut was not taken
to a hospital for treatment.
FALL CRUISE SPECIAL
5-Days Western Caribbean Cruise
Prom Tampa-Cruise Only
Inside Cabins Outside Cabins
$395* $445*
Departures-Nov. 7 thru Dec. 12
?Prices are per person, double occupancy, port charges & lees additional, certain restrictions
nnniw rv??i..?i? $495 Thanksgiving cruise Nov 21 add $50 per person
BRUNSWICK I
TRAVEL INC. I
CRUISE HEADQUARTERS
East Gate Square. Shallotle ? 754-7484 ? 1 -800-852-2736 ?
Brunswick Plant Sirens
To Test At Low Volume
Brunswick County residents in the 10-mile area around Carolina
Power and Light's Brunswick nuclear plant may hear sirens Oct. 5-7.
Because CP&L tests the sirens individually, there is no specific time dur
ing this period when residents could expect to hear the sirens.
CP&L will test each siren at low volume. This will sound like a
"growl" and will last only a few seconds. Residents may not hear the
sirens unless they are very close to a siren when it is tested. The tests are
not intended to check the volume hut to make sure each siren works.
CP&L conducts a silent test every two weeks and conducts the
"growl" tests at least every three months. CP&L conducts a full-volume
test once a year. The rotating sirens are mounted on tall poles at 34 loca
tions within 10 miles of the Brunswick plant.
The sounding of the sirens does not mean the public should evacuate.
If an emergency occurred at the plant, the sirens would alert the public to
listen to radio and television stations for information and instructions
from the Emergency Broadcast System.
Ash Man Killed When Tractor
Overturns On Logging Road
A 36-year-old Ash man was
killed Monday evening when a trac
tor he was driving flipped over and
crushed him in a ditch, a Brunswick
County sheriff's detective said
Tuesday.
The body of Michael Wilson, 36.
of Myrtle Head Road was found
pinned under the overturned tractor
hy members of a logging crew on
their way to work Tuesday morning,
Det. John Ingram said. The accident
occurred on a dirt logging road off
Project Road in the Wet Ash area.
Wilson, a self-employed forestry
worker, had driven his tractor up the
road at about 3:30 p.m. Monday to
ask members of a logging crew
about a job, Ingram said. On his way
out, the tractor apparently ran off the
road and overturned into a deep
ditch, crushing Wilson beneath it.
The vehicle was apparently ob
scured by deep brush and was not
seen by the logging crew as it left
the area at dusk, Ingram said. Anot
her crew spotted the tractor at about
8 a.m. Tuesday.
An autopsy was performed to de
termine the cause and time Wilson's
death. The results were not available
Tuesday afternoon.
Meet The Library Computer
Floppy drive. Mouse. Mother
board. Disk.
Sound like a foreign language? It
doesn't have it to be.
A free Oct. 9 seminar will intro
duce library patrons to the new com
puters at the West Brunswick
Branch Library in Shallotte.
Participants in the session, set
from 10 a.m. until noon, will learn
about the basic parts of the comput
er. such as a floppy drive and a
mouse, and how they work together.
All instruction will he in layman's
terms.
The session is geared to adult
learners. Children ages 10 through
12 may participate, hut must he ac
companied by a parent.
Participants are asked to register
in advance at the library's front
desk.
For more information, contact the
library at 754-6578.
?w
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WANTED
C~lL>
Civil War - Spanish American
Co WWI - WWII - Korea - Vietnam
y Military Collectibles
Guns, helmets, uniforms, swords, patches,
? medals, crest, and other items.
\l Buying single pieces, collections, ESTATES* V
TOP DOLLAR PAID s
SAVE THIS AD A?_l
TARBRIDGE TRADING POST ? 1-800-332-9076
C1993 THE BaUNSWtCK BEACON I
We Salute Cape Fear Farm
Credit in Shallotte
We're proud to have provided paving services for your
parking lot resurfacing project.
t-2
Helping Brunswick County Grow!
Grading And
Paving Contractor
754-7177
miles north of Shallotte on
Sunny Point Terminal Celebrates
38th Anniversary With Picnic
Retirees are invited to join current
employees of Military Ocean
Terminal, Sunny Point Oct. 15 for
an old-fashioned homecoming pic
nic in celebration of the 38th an
niversary of service to the nation.
Activated on Nov. 4. 1955 as the
Wilmington Ammunition Loading
Terminal, the port went through sev
eral name changes before it became
known by its current designation as
the 1303rd Major Port Command.
Military Ocean Terminal, Sunny
Point.
The Organization Day celebration
will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a pic
nic luncheon of barbecued pork, hog
dogs, hamburgers and all the trim
mings, while filling the afternoon
with games and renewing old friend
ships, said spokesman Myrtle D.
Meade.
Tickets are $5 for each adults.
Children under 12 will be admitted
free.
Retirees wishing to attend are
asked to call (919)457-8533 or
(919)341-8533 by Oct. 1 to make
reservations. Tickets can be picked
up on the day of the event.
Sign Up For Talent Show
Registration will be Thursday
night for area residents interested in
participating in an Oct. 24 talent
show that will benefit Lt. David
Crocker of the Brunswick County
Sheriff's Department.
Crocker, head of the county's nar
cotics squad, is undergoing treat
ment for seninoma, a form of stom
ach cancer.
Talent show coordinator Mark
Christie said all proceeds from the
show will help pay Crocker's med
ical bills.
Christie will be at Calabash Vol
unteer EMS building Thursday,
Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. to sign up people
interested in participating in the
show. Me is looking for singers,
dancers, musicians, magicians and
other talented people.
The show will he Sunday. Oct.
24, at 7 p.m. at the Calabash fire sta
tion. Winners will receive prizes do
nated by local merchants.
For more information, contact
Christie at 579-2362.
AT ASH
BRING HOME
THtftBEACON
On Sale At
ASH GROCERY
THE CORNER STORE
LONG'S GENERAL STORE
RENY S ANY OLD THING
WACCAMAW MINI-MART
rK&D MFG. CSG
? v.. t ?? ?
Quality Clothing at Outlet Prices
Ladies' Western & Fall Blouses
Small, Medium, Large-18W to 32W
r* Leggings-$1.50
UiriS Stirrups-$2.00
Children's Sweat Sets
Toddler-16 ? Adults Small-32\V ? Monday-Saturday 1U-5
Mulberry St. Shallotie. 754-2260 ? (Across from Dept. of Transportation)
Mulberry St. -Located between Coastal Drugs & Kirby's
GREYHOUND
BUS STATION
HWY. 17 BYPASS ? SHALLOTTE
MONDAY-FRIDAY 8:30-5:30 ? SAT. 9:30 -1 :30
FULL PASSENGER and
EXPRESS PACKAGE SERVICE
-also
MONEY TRANSFERS & TELEGRAMS
FORD ENTERPRISES
CALL 754-3211
U6 H y IT 8y hi
H:
Jess )7
("W
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8
# WESTERN
UNION
Ford Enterprises
Call 754-3211
For ticket and schedule
information