County's Yellow Buses Will Stick To 35 MPH Speed Limit j BY SI S \N I'SHEK Brunswick. County's entire fleet ot yellow -orange school buses will continue traveling at .'5 mph or less, .it least for the time being, though the state now permits school dis tricts to set speeds ot up to 45 mph. Assistant Superintendent of Schools Bill I'urner said he would he recommending no changes at pre sent to the school hoard after meet ing last week with the Brunswick County Bus Council, which has dri ver representatives from all schools, and consulting with Transportation Director George Brown, who over sees the school hus maintenance garage. "We've decided we will maintain everything at 35 mph right now. but we will explore putting some of the buses on 45 mph and track the main tenance to see how it goes." Turner said. "If we put it up to 45 mph we're afraid drivers won't drop speed w hen they move off the main highways." "The bottom line is it is going to cut their (drivers') time." Turner ex plained before the council meeting. "We have to also look at operating of the hus garage. We're looking at factors of safety and of wear and tear on the buses." Vickie Jenrette of the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles School Bus and Traffic Safety Section trains local hus drivers. She also advocates keeping the 35 mph limit, tor safety reasons ind to protect bus drivers" pay Turner said the 45 mph speed lim it was intended to help Piedmont area schools with buses that operate on "all major highways." not dis tricts like ours with a lot of dirt roads and narrow, winding paved roads. His ideas echo those of most of the bus drivers contacted by The Brunswick Beacon. A majority said they don't want the higher speed limit and cite child safely as their No. 1 reason. The dri vers are also concerned ahout the in creased responsibility a higher speed would place on them, possible cuts in pay il the time required to run their bus routes is shortened, and greater wear and tear on the buses themselves, which would increase maintenance. As ot Dec I. IW3. North Caro lina state law changed, giving local school districts the discretion of changing the maximum speed foi vellow buses. North Carolina was the last state in the United States to allow the higher bus speeds. From now on. new state buses will arrive at local school garages with the gov ernors set at 45 mph. but readily switchable to 35 mph. Norfleet Gardner, chief trans portation consultant to the N.C. Department ot Public Instruction, said the law came about because North Carolina state legislators had been getting "lots of complaints" from motorists about buses on major highways and bypasses holding up traffic. "We also wanted better utiliza tion ol buses." he said. "At 55 mph it is harder to stagger schedules. Hut it you increase the speed, if South port Elementary School wants to double up and run two routes with one bus in Southport. it probably could, for example." "The only opposition we got was front school bus drivers." Gardner said "They were concerned they would lose money. Hut they cut their own throats and helped its passage. On the issue of safety, he said drivers also couldn't support their position, because the same drivers were already safely transporting stu dents on school activity buses at speeds higher than 45 mph. Gardner said the Department of Public Instruction would never have asked for the increase if it still relied on student drivers under age !8. "Safety depends on the driver and dri\ ing .is road conditions warrant." he said. "Our drivers have their commercial licenses now and most have five to six years experience. We have the drivers who are quali fied to do it." But not all drivers can. says 15 year driving veteran Wilhelmenia Stanley ?>l Sliallottc. who drives Bus (' for Shallotte Middle School. "For me. it would he fine. I would drive like I do anyway. But not everyone is goin^i !o he curcfu! ;>nd can stand the pressure." she said. ' I would not want to trust mv children to some of the drivers in this job. You have got to pay attention. "This is one of the most important jobs in the system?transporting those kids." Once construction ends on U.S. 17 south of Shallotte. a 45 mph limit would work fine as she "dead-heads (drives some distance with no stops)"' out of Calabash, she said, "but right now I don't need it." She believes the district will eventually go to the higher speed limit, but cautioned. "This is some thing they need to think about real good before they put it in action." Pinta Todd of Supply drives Bus 160 for Shallotte Middle School. Her route winds through the Holden Beach and Varnamtown areas and requires about one hour 35 minutes or slightly longer in travel time. "The way my route is there are not too many places I could drive over 35. maybe on 130 between Oxpen and Shallotte. On some dirt roads you can'i even drive 35." she said. "In some places it would help. The people who drive on (U.S.) 17 would probably benefit from it a whole lot." she said, noting it would help traffic low while cutting chil dren's lime on the bus and possibly saving money on bus drivers' pay. On the other hand, drivers would need to be conscious that with a higher speed and the weight of the STAFF PHOTO BY SUSAN USHER THE YELLOW BUSES that tron.span children to and from Brunsnick County Schools will continue to travel at a maximum speed of 35 mph for now, though higher speeds on some roads are a future possibility. hus. more braking distance would be required to stop. "The safety of the children. That's something to think about." she said. John Hewett of Sunset Harbor drives Bus No. 130 for West Bruns wick High School and also doubles as a custodian at the school. "It's hard enough for a driver to watch the kids. If they have to watch the road more and the kids too, it wouldn't be as safe." he said. "With elementary and middle school stu dents. drivers have to watr Vi the kids even more because of the possibility of a child darting out from the side of the road." "I'm pretty sure the night the (school) board has thai discussion, there *v i!! he plenty of parent^ there," he predicted. Hewett also predicts that drivers would stand a greater chance of get ting speeding tickets, because they would need to remember to lower speed if the posted speed limit drops, as inside town limits. While safety is his main concern. Hewett shares drivers' concerns about pay. In his sixth year at the wheel, he earns $7.16 an hour. His route takes an hour and a halt one way. It a higher speed cut that hy 30 minutes one way (county officials estimate the most that could be cut from any route is 15 minutes one way) he could lose 20 hours a month. At least one longtime county dri ver thinks the higher speed limit is a good idea that warrants attention. "I think it's necessary in some ar eas," said Pani Clardy, who drives Bus 174 for Union Elementary School. "I have driven so much on 17 and have come so close to acci dents with pulpwood truck drivers. Maybe if we were going a little faster they wouldn't be that anxious to pass." "Safety-wise I think it would he better on the busy highways. I don't have any facts to prove that, but that's how I feel." Clardy said if allowed to drive 45 mph on major roadways such as U.S. 17 or N.C. ''04. she wouldn't drive that fast "anywhere else." If and when that happens, said both she and llewett. it should be easily detectable. "They could tell it someone is doing 45 mph on a dirt mad because the bus would be lorn all m pieces." said ('lardy. Drivers at Union Elementary, she says, arc "real responsible people. We don't break the rules. Hut there are a few out there who are going to abuse it." She agrees that higher speed lim its mean drivers need "to be more aware" so they can react more quickly. As for pay. Clardy believes the current structure for computing wages would provide some insula tion from the cuts other drivers fear. Pam Lanier at Bolivia will follow whatever guidelines she receives. "It's going to have to come from the bus garage. It doesn't really mat ter to me one way or the other," said Lanier, a teacher s assistant at Bolivia Elementary School who also drives Bus 154. Shallotte Middle School Lists First Term Honor Roll Shallottc Middle School has be latedly announced its honor roll for the first nine-week grading period of the school year, as follows: A Honor Roll hifth Grade: Amanda I). And rews. Stephanie S. (ate. Grayson H. Cheek. Mary C. Katie Hart. Stacy Ann Hewett. Shannon Hughes, Sar ah E. Spayd. Lauren R. Yoho. Sixth Grade: Charlene Banks. W.K. Bradley ill. Constance Cole man. Jessica Diane Dosher. Kasey Nicole Hewett. Ix-ah Hewett. Car men A. Hickman, Erin E. Holden. I.rica J. Kerley, Christopher R. Kerr. Ian Trent Nott. Amy E. Robinson. Christopher J. Schwab. Cortney Sloane. Candice Smith. Brandy I. Stevens. Alyson S. White and Lau ren Winfree. Seventh Grade: Patrick 1. Covil. Bria S. Hall. Tara I.. Holden. Court ney I) McKen/.ie. Jenny Rose Pate. J.N. Quaintance. Lucas Wagenseil. Jeanette Warner. Eighth Grade: Erin Alderfer. Jaime C. Atwell, Jennifer R Bailey. Thomas L. Carpenter, lomakio S Dennis, Ashley N Hardy. Christina Hewett. Ionia J Jackson. Reginald Manning. Jenny 1 . Trest and Mere dith Varnam. A'B Honor Roll Fifth Grade: John VV Abshire. Tiffany N. Bellamy, liric K Bethca. Brandy L. Blackmon. I.indsey Rhyne Brown, Eric M. Butler. John Andrew Covil, Steven Zak Creech. Tabitha Deberry. Chanty (i. Duran. Matthew R. Edwardv Shamie ' 1 >1 wards. Misf.v hr,r>1 Ri>ti I Macon. Jeremy McCarren. \icholc \K Henry. Amanda I). Mc Keithan. I li/abeth A. Milligan. An nette Mn iuliotta. Raui L. ivioutai LUNCH SPECIAL Choice of entree and 3 vegetables *4.25 (tea or coffee included) UilllllUillim ]XTI 11n Mlli 11111 *"'" ? ii in i" i ni i' u u 1111 u iiMini nni in u Sunday Lunch Buffet ' Relax, we'll do the cooking. 11:30-2 PM Closed Sunday evenings. Seafood ? Sandwich Plates ? Prime Rib Lunch Specials ? Salads ? Carry-Outs /y 22S^JY> m SANDFIDDLER 754-8168 SEAFOOD RESTAURANT 457-65H8 van. Mary Lee Morris, John T. Ov crocker, Jonathan Powell, Lindy Lee Pugh. Daniel A. Richardson. Yesen ia Rivera. Jill M. Rosenbaum. James R. Serritella. Tara Smigiel. Crystal Nicole Smith. Tracy bale Smith. Candice L. Sommersett, Kameen Lynn Spence, Lauren A. Spencer, Amanda J. Varnam. (Catherine Wal ton. Rachel Wheatlev. Melisia G. White, Mindic R. White. Kristen B. Williams. Deanthony Wilson. Justin Wood. Mollis Woodard. Lighth Grade: Stevlin L. Bab son. Tabitha Baines. Jennifer P. Bar ber. David J. Batten Crystal M. Bel lamy. Karen I.. Bellamy. Brandon W. Benton. M.E. Blancharo, Crystal Boswell. Lolita S. Bryant, Hoyt Adam Canadv. Shandal K. Capps, Cynthia L. Crumpler, Marshelia R. Daniels. Matthew Darby, Ryan Z. Davis. Genevieve Dew, Stacey M. Dixon. Adam Ldwards. Amanda Fulford, William J. Gibson. Misli L. Gore, Ryan L. Gore. Daniel J. Gre gory, Ashely D. Grissett. Gisella E. Grisselt, Tracie \1. Grissett. Kristin N. Hardee, Robyn Heavener, Brett Henley, Bradley D. llewett, Brian N Hewett, Rachel A. Hewett. James O. Inman, Henry R. Johnson. lai trish L. Johnson. Lottie Z. Johnson. Candice B. Jones. Demaris M. Lance. Patricia M. Lewis. Angela W. lA)ng, Sarah A. I^ong. Charity D. McKeithan, Michelle Minott. Chris tine Muller, Billy Joe Noble. Me lanie Brooke Odom. Priscilla Panu more. David Powell, Melanie A. Prince. Amanda M. Reinhardt. Jill Marie Rivenhark. Amanda Scog gins. Daren Sellers. Kippy D. Sel lers. Mateus Shannon. Nickolus Shannon, Kanika M. Smimmons. Tiffany D. Stevenson. Zachary Swart/miller. Peter J. Testa. Gary E. Tinsley. Molly S. Varnam, William H. Varnam, Richard A. Ward. James P. Wemvss, Teresa L. White, Ca uiille W'iiiTioih, Gary Dane Wood ard. FAMILY FINANCIAL SECURITY Put Nationwide's life insurance "on your side." Call us about Nationwide's life insurance plan that covers the entire family far one low premium It's one of tf?e best values for financial security Phillip W. Cheers 4700 Main St., Shallotte 754-4366 h NATIONWIDE INSURANCE Nattonwi(M? is on your Na*on*oe Mutoai ?r*su'ance Compan, an mwanc* Camp*0* Une kind of happiness money can buy. If money's the only thing standing between you and your dream house, we can help make your dream come true! Call or stop by and talk to us about a home mortgage. Don't forget to ask about the other types of loans end services that we offer. JB t=r RITY s & Loan ASSOCIATION Shallotte Calabash I0UA1 MOUtlNi LENDtH 754-4371 579-3595 Southport Long Beach Leland 457-5246 278-3942 371-6546