BY DOUG RUTTER
Should the Brunswick County Alcohol
Beverage Control (ABC) Board follow
through on plans to build a liquor store in
i Ash?
Some residents of the rural community
?y they're in favor of the idea, while oth
? ers are vehemently opposed. Groups on
both sides of the issue are trying to orga
Representatives of eight Ash area
opposed to the liquor store met
ly at New Britton Baptist. A public
? is planned Thursday at 8 p.m. at
New Britton.
There are others who support the county
- board's plans for a local store. They
ty it would be more convenient for area
nts who now must drive about 10
to Shallotte to purchase liquor.
Since 1990, the county ABC system has
ned one store near Holden Beach and
? U.S. rk~ M?u/
Hanover county line.
The three-member county ABC board,
whose members are appointed by county
commissioners, has decided the third store
should be located somewhere in Ash, said
ABC system manager Dot Kelly.
Tom Rabon, who represents Ash on the
county board of commissioners, said he
doesn't know whether more people in the
community are fur or against an ABC store.
"I've had some feedback pro and con,"
Rabon said Tuesday. "I really couldn't give
you an answer one way or the other on that.
I really don't know."
Brunswick County Commissioners
passed a resolution earlier this month urg
ing the ABC board to reconsider its plan to
open a store in Ash.
"We've already done our thing," Rabon
said. "We passed a resolution. I guess that
says what we intend to say, I assume. It's
up to the ABC board what to do next."
TV C"""hi ART hnarrl'c tun
"There's an awful lot
of people in Ash that
want this store. We
wouid Uke to see Ash
growalso
? Jim Smith
" Our biggest concern
is that it goes against
our spiritual beliefs. "
?Tom Mabry
. .. zrr _ . _ . ? ?
will be Wednesday. July 27, at 5 p.m. in
commissioners' chambers at the govern
B in Rnltvia
Religious Arg i
"I guarantee you we'll have a group of
people there on the 27th," said Jim Smith,
who owns the Roadside Rxcing store in
Ash and supports plans for an ABC store.
Smith said an overwhelming majority of
the people in Ash are in favor of a local
liquor store.
"The community right here I would say
90 percent are for iL I have personally
heard nobody say anything against it," he
s*id- "There's an awful lot of people in Ash
that want this store. We would like to see
Ash grow also."
Kelly has declined to say where the new
store might be, but Smith said county ABC
officials have talked to him about building
the store next to his business on N.C. 130.
Smith said a liquor store on the east side
of the highway would catch traffic headed
to the beaches. "1 definitely think it would
help the area. All the traffic that goes flying
through here would stop," Smith said.
Brnny Kisg ?? azsosg the people in Ash
who arc opposed to a county liquor store.
"We stand against it because we just
don t think it's needed in a rural area like
this," he said. "I just don't know what
would be the benefit of having it in this
area. 1 can't see it out in the country like
this."
Tom Mabry, a deacon at Myrtle Head
Baptist Church, said the purpose of
Thursday night s meeting "is to mobilize
support to fight the proposed ABC store for
the Ash community."
Eight churches are spearheading the op
position, but Mabry said all of the local
churches are going to be involved.
"Our biggest concern is that it goes
against our spiritual beliefs," he said. "You
don't have to go very far to see the destruc
tion alcohol causes in lives, especially
teenagers' lives."
People on both sides of the issue said
they only found out about the county ABC
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L Coroiino* Ifruraday, July 21, 1994 50? Pfcr Copy 42 Pog?, 4 Sections, Plus Insert ~]
Why Sweat It?
It may be hot on the street, but the water's just fine. At left, Megan Anderson, 4, of KannapoHs makes no effort to conceal her enthusiasm
for summer vacation. At right, Jordan Jeffries of Buriington ami Christine Kkrby of Mebane cool off on a hot afternoon by floating in the
surf. The two 7-year-oids became friends while their parents vacationed at in the South Brunswick Islands recently.
School Board Declines County Offer;
Hopes Mediation Will Resolve Issues
BY SUSAN USHER
Brunswick County Board of Education mem
bers Monday declined an offer of $800,000 from
county commissioners to settle a budget dispute,
and instead instructed their attorney to continue
the appeal process.
A letter from Clerk of Court Diana Morgan for
mally referring the dispute to Superior Civil
Court for settlement was filed Monday afternoon
by Deputy Clerk Yvette Murray. Also county at
torney Michael Ramos filed a request for the case
to be beard by jury trial.
School board Chairman Donna Baxter said that
board hopes that court-ordered mediation will
provide another chance to discuss the budget with
commissioners.
"We hope we can go through the figures one
more time and resolve any questions they have,"
she laid. "We think we've gained a lot more
knowledge of how to defend our budget and how
to present it as a result of going through the
process a year ago."
County commissioners appropriated $9.26 mil
lion to the schools for the 1994-95 school year,
which the schools said isn't enough to continue
programs and services at existing levels. The
schools returned to the county commissioners to
ask for at least another $1.2 million.
The commissioners' offer last week included
$150,000 toward establishment of alternative
learning center for middle and high school stu
dents who don't Auction well or ate disruptive in
a regular school setting, and $650,000 toward
general operating expenses.
They also offered in-kind assistance from staff
members. They're trying to help. They realize the
If the iiulxc agrees to a
jury trial, he. will he
breakup uitli the
c onrt s standard
method oj Operation.
concerns," said Baxter. But, she added, the county
has the responsibility of meeting the school sys
tem's needs.
During the first four years of her six years on
the board, said Baxter, the board's budget process
was "go, come back and cut," based on its alloca
tion from the commissioners, rather than to de
fend the budget or the process by which it was de
rived.
"We looked at the pros and cons. This was a
principal-driven, bottom-up budget," she said
"We're still willing to compromise, but we're
concerned." Those concerns include being able to
take advantage of and build on a technology pian
the schools began implementing last year at a cost
of S3 million, including a $1 million special ap
propriation from the county, and matching state
pay raises for locally paid employees, among oth
er needs.
The schools' $1.2 million compromise request
came before the state legislature granted higher
pay raises for teachers than the school system had
anticipated. While the state pays salaries for most
teachers, the school system must match those
salaries for additional teachers paid with local
funds. The school had budgeted with the expecta
tion of 4 percent across-the-board raises or 3 per
cent raises and a 1 percent bonus. Instead teachers
with three to 30 years' experience will receive an
average 7 percent increase plus a 1 percent bonus.
Finance Officer Rudi Connor hasn't received
final figures but told the school board Monday
she estimates the raises will cost at least another
5120,000 more than first anticipated.
School board members reached their consensus
Monday morning after meeting for approximately
an hour with board attorney Glen Peterson.
"I got the sense the board feels very strongly
about the budget request it has submitted," said
Peterson. "The board feels it is needed."
Resident Superior Court William C. Gore was
hearing court in Robeson County and could not
be reached this week. If he agrees to immediate
scheduling of a jury trial. Gore will be breaking
with the court's standard method of operation.
Mediation is standard first procedure for all
civil Superior Court cases coming into the 13th
District According to trial administrator Steve
Foster, mediation is based on the premise of give
and take by both parties that results in a reason
able settlement. If the two parties are unable to
reach an agreement, the mediator declares an im
passe and the budget appeal case gets top priority
an the Superior Court's calendar.
The school board's July 20 meeting, first set to
continue revisions of several policies, was
rescheduled for Wednesday, July 27, at 5:30 p.m.,
for policy revision, personnel and attorney-client
JONES QUITS PLANNING BOARD
Commissioners
Ask For New
Look At Zoning
BY ERIC CARLSON
Feeling overwhelmed by public
hearings on proposed zoning
changes, Brunswick Commissioners
on Monday called for a comprehen
sive study of the county zoning map
and ordinance to identity -inconsis
tencies" that might need to be cor
rected.
But the county planning director
and the chairman of the planning
board on Tuesday said the process
of fine-tuning county zoning has
been under way for months and is
directly responsible for the large
volume of hearings, which are re
quired by state law for any zoning
change.
They also questioned the wisdom
of cutting two employees from the
planning staff as rezoning requests
continue to mount and the depart
ment is being called upon to help
implement the commissioners' new
central permitting office proposal.
And in a surprise move that fol
lowed a brief discussion of zoning
problems. Commissioner Jerry
Jones resigned from his seat on the
planning board saying, Tve served
about three years now. I think it's
about time for someone else to try it
I've tried to do a good job. I will at
tend the next meeting (July 20).
Now let somebody else get some of
the action."
At the commissioners' regular
meeting Monday night. Chairman
Don Warren not
ed that there
nave uccu
"many requests
for zoning vari
ances at each
meeting" and
said it is time to
address the "ob
vious inconsis
tencies" in the
law. JONES
"I'd like the county manager to
look at getting a time schedule for
the planning department and the
zoning administrator to go through
the county section by section,"
Warren said. "There are too many
inconsistencies between what is on
site and what the ordinance says. It's
hurting too many people's lives."
Commissioner Donald Shaw
agreed saying. "I get more com
plaints about this every day. It hurts
a lot of people and they hold the
board of commissioners responsible.
I want them to know we care."
Calling the zoning ordinance "too
restrictive," Commissioner Wayland
(Sec ZONING, Page 2-A)
Bird Island Owners Propose
Plan For Denser Development
BY SUSAN USHER
Agents representing Bird Island
owner Janie Price came before
Sunset Beach Town Council Tues
day with a compromise proposal for
rezoning the pristine barrier island
to allow a denser level of develop
ment
The changes proposed Tbesday
would cut the size of building lots
by half, increase the number of bed
rooms allowed by one-third; reduce
oceanfront yard setback by one
third; and double the density cap.
"We still feel that what we're
looking at is more restrictive than
what is called for," said John Ryder
of Century 21/von Oesen consulting
engineers in Wilmington. He was
joined at the meeting by Price's son,
Rees Poag. and attorney, H. Glenn
Dunn.
While some individual town regu
lations have their own impact, such
as the oceanfront setback, Dunn said
the "interaction of various regula
tions" increases the loss of usable
land even more.
He asked council to consider what
is understood by the courts to be
the "general rule of thumb" in re
stricting use of private property:
protection of a genuine public inter
est.
"In our opinion you have gone
past that purpose; you have gone too
far with this combination of regula
tions," he said.
Last fall Sunset Beach Town
Council zoned the island, its sur
rounding marshlands and similar ar
eas within its planning limits as a
conservation reserve district, de
(See ISLAND, Pagt 2-A)
Man Called A Hero For Protecting Domestic Violence Victim
BY ERIC CARLSON
O J. Simpson had just emerged as
a suspect in his wife's murder and
made domestic violence a hot topic
of conversation on June IS, when
Robert Poulk left a South port restau
rant for his home in Winnabow.
Little did Poulk know that he was
about to be thrust into the midst of a
violent altercation between an es
tranged couple that could have re
sulted in serious injury ? or some
thing worse ? to himself or others.
Nor did he expect to be cited for
[ heroism in recognition of his actions
lat evening.
"I don't know how heroic it was,"
iilk said in a Tuesday interview. "I
! did what I i i hi lil to help."
Local law enforcement officers,
who consider domestic violence
calls to be some of the most danger
ous situations they encounter, feel
Poulk did more than they expect of
the average citizen.
Which is why the modest 47
year-old Carolina Power and Light
worker will be presented with the
Brunswick County Sheriff * Gold
Service Award, the department's
highest recognition for heroic action
by a citizen, Thursday.
"In a time when non-involvement
is the norm, we in law enforcement
hold in high regard an individual
willing to put aside his fears to help
another in a time of need," says the
award certificate signed by Sheriff
John Cot Davis.
Poulk said he was driving north
on Midway Road that evening when
something caught his eye as he
passed a dirt road near the
Brunswick County Shrine Club. It
appeared that a pickup truck had
been involved in an accident and
looked as if a man was trying to help
a woman out from beneath the vehi
cle.
After turning around to see if he
could help, Poulk said he reached
the scene to find that there had in
deed becrra woman under the truck.
But she had crawled there trying to
escape from a man who had just
succeeded in dragging her out from
beneath the vehicle.
"When I got there she was sitting
in the middle of the road saying.
Help me!. Please help me!'" Poulk
said. "He had her by the shoulders
and was trying to force her back into
the truck. So I yelled for him to
stop."
The man broke off his attack.
Poulk was able to get between them
and see to the woman's condition.
She told him the man had beaten her
and choked her.
"She was having a lot of trouble
breathing." Poulk remembered.
"About all she could say was 'Help
me. Help me.'"
Seeing all the commotion, a near
by resident came over to investigate.
Poulk told the neighbor to call 911,
then sat with the victim and "kept
her calm" until help arrived.
Fortunately, the man maintained
his distance. But he continually im
plored the woman to get back into
his truck, Poulk said. She refused to
go with him. The three waited sever
al tense moments together before
Deputy Rebekah McDonald pulled
up and arrested the assailant on a
charge of assaulting a female.
"An ambulance got there a few
minutes later and gave her oxygen,
which seemed to help a lot, because
she was hyperventilating," Poulk
said.
the victim was transported to
Dosher Hospital in Southport, where
(Sec HERO, Page 2-A)
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