Wally Ausley Remembered As
A Positive, Charismatic Leader
BY DOUCJ RUTTER December IW1. died last Wednesday at his home. He
lb most of North Carolina, Wally Ausley was a fa- was buried Monday in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens
mous radio sportscaster. He was the rich voice that de- following a service at Sugg Funeral Chapel in Fuquay
scribed hundreds of N.C. State Wolfpack football and Varina.
basketball games over a career that spanned more than "The chapel at the funeral home was full to overflow
30 years. ing," said David Sandifer, a town commissioner and
To the folks at Holden Beach, though, Auslcy's out- close friend of Ausley. "It was a very, very moving cere
standing career as a radio personality may have been the mony."
least of his many accomplishments. Ausley, 65. was found sitting in a recliner at his home
Neighbors will remember him as a kind man. great on Clippcrship Drive last Friday afternoon by a Holden
friend and devoted Christian. His booming laugh and in- Beach police officer. A widower, Ausley lived by him
fectious positive attitude uplifted others and made him self.
an outstanding promoter of Holden Beach. Bmnswick County Coroner Greg White said Ausley
Ausley, mayor of the small island community since (See NEIGHBORS, Page 2-A)
Holden Board Meets Friday
To Discuss Succession Plans
Who will be the next mayor of Holden Beach? And if it's one of the
town commissioners, who will be appointed to the vacant seat on the
town board?
Those arc the two biggest questions being asked these days at
Holden Beach, where the board of commissioners will meet Friday morn
ing to discuss the appointment of a mayor to replace the late Wally
Ausley.
Commissioners met briefly last Friday after hearing of Ausley's
death and decided to wait until this Friday to discuss the appointment.
The board will meet at 9 a.m. at town hall.
Under state statute, it is up to the board of commissioners to appoint
the next mayor. The mayor may be a member of the town board or anoth
rii'~"?nr W V 1 er rcs'dent ?f Holden Beach.
wHAmr 'i If one of the commissioners is named mayor, the board also must ap
f D ftTTll ??? A point someone to fill the vacant commissioners' seat. In both cases, ap
VV\I I Y M'SI FY pointccs will serve until the next election in 1995.
PO
POABOX 16?S BOOK BINDERY
SPRINGPORT MI 49284
Thirty-Second Year, Number 24 ? :?? MuNSwKn si AC ->N Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, April 14, 1994 50c Per Copy 46 Pages, 4 Sections, Plus Inserts
jF d
STAFF PHOTO BY LYNN CARLSON
Geometric Beauty
One of hundreds of visitors to last weekend's Quilt Show '94 is reminded that the craft of quilting
thrives in modern times, though more as a form of artistic expression than frugality. The Hrunswick
County Lxtension Homemakers Clubs sponsored the two-day ajfair at Shallotte Middle School.
EIGHT^^UJNTEEiriw ~
Sunday Fire Destroys Shallotte
Church Thrift Shop, Classrooms
BY SUSAN USHER
"My school, my school."
Fighting back tears, Carolina Christian Academy
teacher Latisha Graham repeated the phrase again and
again as she watched firefighters from eight communi
ties battle a Sunday afternoon fire in downtown
Shallotte that gutted a church-operated thrift shop and
school.
It took firefighters more than two hours to secure the
noon fire, which gutted the brick and concrete block
building beyond repair. The loss was more than
$1U0,(XX), said Shallotte Fire Chief Tim Carter.
More than 60 fire and rescue volunteers responded, as
well as county and town law enforcement officers for
traffic control.
Overheated ballast in a fluorescent light mounted
flush with the ceiling in the left rear classroom area ap
parently caused the blaze, according to an SBI fire in
vestigator called to the scene by Shallotte Police Chief
Rodney Gause as routine procedure.
"That was the best he could determine," said Carter.
Owner Hd Thomas said Monday his first priority is to
raze what's left of the building and clear the site of de
bris, an effoit he has been assured his insurer will expe
dite. "It's a hazard right now. I want to get it cleaned up
before any kids or anyone else gets hurts."
After that, Thomas said he and his wife Sandra will
talk it over and confer with town leaders before deciding
what to do with the downtown location.
"We're going to put our heads together and see if we
can't make a bad thing better," he said.
The fire had probably smoldered for several hours be
fore it was detected. Carter hypothesized, for the heat in
side to have built to such an intensity "and cause the
problems it caused."
After the report was called in to 911 at 11:54 a.m.
from Eastside Fellowship and dispatched immediately
by Central Communications, Shallotte had firefighters
and its first truck on the scene by noon, said Carter.
"We were pumping water in 10 to 15 minutes and try
ing to gain entry into the building without causing too
much damage," he said.
Additional firefighters and equipment were already
on the way from Shallotte Point and Civietown. Vol
unteers with five other departments reported to their sta
tions on standby. Carter, incident commander, and
Brunswick County Fire Marshal Cecil Logan called the
departments to the scene at staggered intervals. "That
saves confusion in communications," Carter said.
(See BUILDING'S, Page 2-A)
Inside...
Birthdays 2B
Business News I0-11C
Calendar 8B
Church News 5B
Classified 1-9C
Club News 4B
Crime Report 12B
Crossword 7A
Court Docket 9-1 OB
Fishing .31)
Golf 4D
Obituaries 5B
Opinion 4-5A
People In The News...I2D
Plant Doctor JB
Sports 1-4D
Television ?-/M
Look...
...for Bill Faver's nature
column in a new place.
It's "Under the Sun"
on Page I-B.
Yelton Said Improving;
County Board May Name
Temp Manager Monday
BY ERIC CARLSON
Brunswick County Manager Wyman Yelton was
moved from intensive care to a private room at Duke
University Medical Center Sunday
as his condition continued to im
prove from the Easter Sunday car
wreck that killed his wife and a fe
male college student. .
County Commissioners Chairman
Don Warren, who is overseeing
county affairs until an acting manag
er can be appointed, said he spoke
with Yelton by telephone Sunday
night and found him "alert and in
good spirits, but real tired." yelton
"He told me he was just banged up," Warren said.
"He was already concerned about how things were go
ing with the budget. 1 told him not to worry about his
job and to just concentrate on getting better."
Warren and several other commissioners and county
officials attended the funeral of Kathryn Shirley Yelton
in Morgantoii Friday. She wd.-> driving the couple's
Mercedes Benz back to their home in Southport when a
University of North Carolina coed lost control of her car
* ??
on Interstate 40 in Durham, crossed a grass median and
slid sideways into the Yelton's car.
Olivia Frigga Tjia, 21, of Cary was killed instantly in
the resulting crash. Mrs. Yelton was trapped in the
wreckage for more than an hour before she could be air
lifted to the hospital where she died that night.
Wyman Yelton has had three operations for injuries
suffered in the accident, including a broken right shoul
der, a crushed left knee and a compound fracture of the
lower left arm. He is expected to undergo a fourth round
of surgery to repair a crushed rib cage. Warren said.
Doctors have are not speculating about whether
Yelton can fully recover the use of his leg and shoulder.
Warren said. Nor have they indicated how long he will
be hospitalized.
Meanwhile, Warren said he hopes the board of com
missioners can appoint a temporary county manager at
their next meeting April 18. He said he has consulted
with the N.C. Association of County Commissioners
and the N.C. Council of Governments and found "three
strong candidates" foi the post.
None of the three are currently working in Brunswick
County, he added.
STAFF PHOTO 8Y LYNN CARLSON
AS THE BUILDING'S REMAINS cool down, firefighters examine the damage from Sunday's fire in
Shallotte. More than 60 volunteer fire and rescue volunteers responded to the afternoon blace, which
took more than tw o hours to bring under control. The loss is estimated at $100,000; the building has
been in the Thomas family since the 1960s. More photos are on Page 2-A.
SECOND VOTE REQUIRED FOR ADOPTION
OIB Opts
3-2 To
Give ETA Duo Full Planning Board Vote
BY SUSAN USHER
Despite public sentiment to the contrary,
Ocean Isle Beach Commissioners decided
Tuesday on a rare split vote to keep its current
five-member planning board and allow the
two extraterritorial area representatives to vote
on all town planning and zoning matters.
Voting for Commissioner Debbie Sloan
Fox's motion were Commissioners Janet
Sanders and Bill Benton. Opposed were
Commissioners Kendall Suh and Ken Proctor.
Bccause at least a 4-2 vote would have been
required to adopt the ordinance on first read
ing, commissioners will have to vote again at
their next meeting.
"I think this board deserves a chance to
function," urued Fox, who rejected with sec
onder Hill Benton a request trom Proctor to
amend her motion to include more members
She cited current members' qualifications
and public access to commissioners, planning
board members and public meetings. "My mo
tion is not saying we're not listening," she said
over a growing rumble of "But you're not lis
tening" from audience members. "I think these
five members are well qualified to make rec
ommcndations to this board of commission
ers...! don't think the board's size has any in
fluence over the public's making its wishes
known."
Benton concurred, saying a smaller board
would work better, was more likely to reach
consensus on issues and that it was time for
the ETA "to have a vote" in town affairs.
A former planning board member who had
urged its restructuring since his election as
town commissioner. Proctor charged town
leaders Tuesday with ignoring the wishes and
best interests of Ocean Isle Beach residents.
"We as elected officials of this town have
promised voters to do what is in the best inter
est of the town." Instead, he said, "what we
said todav was 'we know better than you."*
No speakers at a 35-minutc public hearing
Tuesday supported the planning board recom
mendations commissioners approved on first
reading.
live speakers, including ETA residents
James Kuss and Nick Newton and island resi
dents Phil Holcombe .ind Stuart Ingram, advo
cated a larger planning board. Russ suggested
greater ETA representation as the only way to
educate and inform its residents on planning
and zoning issues and to have enough mem
bers to conduct business. Newton recommend
ed requiring a four-fifth's vote to adopt any
motion and holding night meetings.
Ingram and Holcombe strongly opposed
giving ETA members full voting privileges.
The planning board consists of three town
residents appointed by the town board, and
two residents of the extraterritorial area ap
pointed by Brunswick County Commissioners,
usually concurring with nominations made by
the town. The board has no policy-making
powers, but makes recommendations to the
town commissioners on matters relating to
planning and zoning.
While ETA members could participate in all
planning board discussions, in the past they
could only vote on matters relating to the
ETA. Town members voted on town and ETA
matters.
Suh predicted that giving ETA members
voting power on town planning matters
wouldn't go over well with town residents
since town issues differ from those in the
ETA, and ETA residents don't pay town taxes
while lown residents do pay county taxes.
" The people have unanimously said (in the
public hearing) they want an expanded plan
ning hoard," he said. "I think we need to listen
to them. I think going with the planning board
recommendation is going against that and sets
bad precedent."
Alter the meeting town resident Stuart
Cooke said he "applauded" the stand taken by
Proctor and Suh in support of "what the public
is espousing."
Town Attorney Llva Jess argued before the
vote there is defensible reason to give ETA
members a larger voice, given the mutual in
terests of the town and the community at its
entranceway.
"The town has power and authority over
the ETA area in all zoning and planning mat
ters and they have no power," she said.
"Placing them in positions on the planning
board where they make recommendations is
all you have done. The impact you have on
them is much more powerful."
The planning board has had a longstanding
problem with irregular attendance and inabili
(Scc OCEAN ISLE, Page 8-A)