Happy
Thanksgiving!
Turkey Day Tube Fare
Looking for a ball game or a movie to nap
with after that huge holiday meal? Check
our TV listings, Page 12-13-C
Ram Tough...
Reidsville's goal is a 1 5th state
championship. West's is to nip
it in the semifinals. Page 5-B.
TH
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12/31/99 **P0
HOAG 2i SONS BOOK BINDERY
P.O. BOX 162
SPR I NGPORT MI 49284
Thirty- Second Year, Number 4
IW3 >f HUN>WK.< MACON
Shallotte, North Carolina, Wednesday, November 24, 1993 50c Per Copy 44 Pages, 3 Sections, Plus Inserts
A/IM Opponents Ask Planners To Nix Mining In Zoninq Law
BY ERIC CARLSON
Their numbers were reduced. They weren't as loud or
unruly. But their message was the same: Don't let
Martin Marietta Aggregates open a limestone mine near
Southport.
About 120 people, nearly all opponents of the pro
posed mine, attended a public hearing last week aimed
at convincing the Brunswick County Planning Board to
eliminate mining and other land uses they oppose from
the currently suspended county zoning ordinance.
The board took no action on the request. The matter
will be discussed at its Dec. 15 meeting, when the board
is expected make a recommendation to the Brunswick
County Board of Commissioners.
Although last week's hearing was comparatively
peaceful, two uniformed sheriff's deputies were sta
tioned conspicuously at the back of the hearing room.
The officers were on hand to prevent a repeat of the pre
vious planning board meeting, which was forced to ad
journ early when an angry crowd of about 300 mining
opponents disrupted the proceedings with loud heckling.
This time, Southport Attorney John Snyder, on behalf
of local mining opponents, made a formal request for
changes in the zoning law that would forbid the opera
tion in Brunswick County of any junk yards, automobile
graveyards, incinerators for the disposal of human or an
imal remains, slaughterhouses, hazardous material treat
ment or storage facilities and mining operations that use
explosives.
The zoning ordinance allows such uses in its heavy
manufacturing zone near Southport, which encompasses
the Brunswick Nuclear Plant, the Sunny Point military
ammunition terminal and Martin Marietta's proposed
mine site.
"The theory behind the changes proposed are to attain
a level of conformity in the land use plan and zoning or
dinance that compliments what Brunswick County has
Tow n, Business
Offices Closed
For Holiday
County government and munici
pal offices, banks, post offices and
many businesses in Brunswick
County will be closed Thursday,
Nov. 25, in observance of
Thanksgiving.
Offices at the Brunswick County
Government Center in Bolivia will
be closed Thursday and Friday,
along with town halls in Calabash
and Holden Beach.
Closed Thursday only will be
town halls at Shallotte, Ocean Isle
Beach and Sunset Beach. Banks and
post offices also will be closed
Thursday, and no mail will be deliv
ered Thanksgiving Day.
The Beacon office will be closed
Thursday.
STAFF PHOTOS BY EWC CARLSON
MINING SUPPORTERS Patrick Newton (left) of Southport and Louie Lewis of Supply were the only
speakers favoring the proposed Martin Marietta Aggregates limestone mine at a public hearing before
the Brunswick County Planning Board last week.
evolved into as a residential, resort, retirement area and Section by section, Quinn went through the zoning or
one of the fastest growing tourists spots in the state of dinance proposing the removal of the "undesirable" uses
North Carolina," said Robert Quinn, a leader of the anti- from each area in which they are "permitted" and specif
mining forces. (See MINE OPPONENTS, Page 2-A)
STAFF PHOTO BY DOUG RUTTER
Touchdown Trojans!
West Brunswick senior Ste\<e "Bummy" Holmes scored three
touchdowns to lead the Trojans to a 43-12 win over Eastern
Randolph last Friday in the second round of the state high school
football playoffs. The Trojans host Reidsville this Friday night at
7:30. The Rams are 12-0 and ranked number one in the state.
Rose Supports Mine
Opponents' Request
To Postpone Hearing
BY ERIC CARLSON
Congressman Charlie Rose (D-7th District) last
week joined Brunswick County mining opponents in
asking state officials to postpone a Nov. 30 public
hearing in Bolivia on Martin Marietta Aggregates'
application for a permit to open a limestone quarry
near Southport.
But as of Monday night, the hearing was expected
to go on as scheduled, beginning at 7 p.m. in the pub
lic assembly hall at the Brunswick County govern
ment complex.
"I believe the concerns raised by (opposition lead
ers) John Snyder and Robert Quinn are sincere and
legitimate. 5 hope you will comply with their re
quest," Rose wrote in a Nov. 17 letter to Jonathon
Howes, secretary of the N.C. Department of the
Environment, Health and Natural Resources
(DEHNR).
A copy of the letter also was mailed to Charles
Gardner, Director of the Division of Land Resources,
the state agency that will decide whether to approve
the permit request.
Rose has also sent letters requested technical as
sistance in reviewing Martin Marietta's permit appli
cation to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
the National Marine Fisheries Service, the U S.
Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
(See CONGRESSMAN, Page 2-A)
BCC Awards Whiteville Firm
Job Of Finishing Auditorium
BY SUSAN USHER
It may cost as much as $180,000 to complete interior
work and site preparation at the Odell Williamson
Auditorium and run a new water line large enough to
serve its fire suppression sprinklers.
"Hopefully it will cost less," trustee Dean Walters
said last week as he moved to award a contract to Graka
Builders Inc. of Whiteville to complete "punch list
items" not finished by the original general contiactor on
the project.
Punch list work will be done at cost plus 15 percent,
with Graka owner "Buster" Carter estimating comple
tion within six weeks after the job starts.
Trustees also proved a $33,000 contract with Town
and Country Plumbing Co. of Fayetteville, existing
plumbing contractor on the job, to add additional sprin
kler heads to the stage fire suppression system.
Trustees also agreed to spend up to $34,845 to clean
up around the auditorium, patch asphalt, re-grass some
spots and control on-site erosion. Graka may get this
contract, too. but the board authorized its Building and
Grounds Committee to shop first for lower bids.
College trustees agreed a month ago to hire a new
contractor to finish the project, but delayed action until
Graka could provide maximum costs for the work, as re
quired by the N.C. Office of State Construction.
The auditorium was to have been finished Dec. 10,
1992, at a total cost of about $3.2 million. BCC took
temporary custody of the building to hold graduation
Aug. 20. Since early October, Manager fviike Sapp has
been booking events in the facility, with a fire truck dis
creetly standing by because of sprinkler system prob
lems that are still not resolved.
BCC found the general contractor. Hatcher
Construction Co. of Fayetteville, in default after several
missed deadlines, and asked the bonding company,
Hartford Fire Insurance Co., to step in to see that the
project was completed. BCC never heard from Hartford;
meanwhile. Hatcher Construction remained on the job.
Then, in September, BCC trustees voted to hire a new
company to finish the project.
It will also cost more than anticipated to bring water
pressure at the auditorium to a level that will support the
sprinkler system in the grid over the stage and bring it
into code compliance with the N.C. Department of
Insurance.
BCC had hoped to fix the problem by removing a
pressure-reducing valve at the edge of campus and in
stalling meters at each building, at a total cost of less
than $3,000. Last Wednesday, Walters said that approach
wouldn't do the job, because additional testing had
shown higher demands.
Trustees agreed to spend between $25,800 and
$36,350 to install a new water line from U.S. 17
Business along the western side of the BCC campus to
the auditorium. The line will either be 8 inches or 12
inches in diameter, depending on cost.
"If the cost is only going to be a few thousand dollars'
difference, it would probably be responsible of this
board to run the larger line," said Walters, so support fu
ture construction on that part of the campus.
Trustees had already considered and rejected two
more costly and less permanent alternatives ? purchas
ing a fire pump or fire truck.
Graka Builders, which constructed the Brunswick
Interagency Program building, was an unsuccessful bid
der for general contractor on the auditorium project.
Architect Charles Boney Sr. said his firm was "very
pleased they were willing to come in behind someone
else and finish this."
While BCC is proceeding with the work, it's still not
certain who will ultimately have responsibility for the
bills. With the alleged default of the contractor, ques
tions about the design and specifications for the sprin
kler system and other matters, that has become a legal
question. Several subcontractors and suppliers have tak
en legal action against Hatcher to recover payments they
claim are owed them, in some cases attaching liens
against the auditorium.
Effort Toward Temporary West
?
Brunswick Library Gets Rolling; 32 Offer Help I
BV LYNN CARLSON
They aren't certain exactly when or how long they'll
need it or what they'll be able to afford, but a deter
mined group says it'll do whatever is necessary to set
up a temporary library while the Shallotte facility is un
der renovation.
The West Brunswick Library is scheduled to close
for four to six months next spring, Friends of the
Library President John Twomey told the 46 people who
attended an organizational meeting for the effort
Friday. The problem is, no one can say for sure when
the library will close and reopen, and how much it
might cost to move part of its collection to a temporary
space.
Bids to renovate the West Brunswick branch are
scheduled to he advertised in January and a contract
awarded in early March, said County Library Trustee
Marie Harrison. However, as members of the audience
pointed out, there's nothing unusual about construction
projects straying from their schedule.
Nonetheless pledging their commitment to keeping
library service available ? particularly for the children
who live between Calabash and Supply ? 32 people at
the meeting volunteered for a variety of tasks from
raising money to soliciting space.
"I felt there was a lot of enthusiasm generated,"
Friends member Blanche Bechtle said Monday. She
said meetings will be scheduled soon of five commit
tees which organized themselves at Friday's meeting.
The committees include Fundraising Distribution,
which will take charge of hand-distributing a Friends'
solicitation letter in their neighborhoods; Space Search,
to locate an available, usable space to bt rented or do
nated to serve as a temporary library; Townships,
which will approach local municipal governments for
donations; Civic Groups, to ask service organizations
for help; and Fundraising Ideas, to plan events to raise
public awareness and money.
Construction is scheduled to begin March 3, 1994,
on a major addition and renovation to the Shallotte and
Southport library branches. Current plans call for the li
braries to be closed and for all books and equipment to
be put in storage until mid-July. Staff from the two
closed libraries will be temporarily assigned to the new
branches in Leland and on Oak Island.
The Brunswick County Library Board of Trustees
has said it would consider allowing the Shallotte library
(See VOLUNTEERS SIGN ON, Page 2-A)
m*" wa JP9i
STAFF PHOTO BY LYNN CARLSON
VOLUNTEERS SIGN VP to raise funds and find a space to house a temporary library while the
West Brunswick Branch is closed for renovation. Thirty-two people have volunteered, and more are
being sought.