ISSUE 31
PII^ KNOLL SHORE LINE
November, 1975
Editors: Mary Doll
Betty Hammon
ELECTION 19751 mm
A friendly, small group of about 25 gathered outside the Town Hall election night,
November 4th, to await results of our second election hore, suspense heightening as
tijne passed, lights burning brightly inside as tho "cciri+ers” worked over the 208
votes they had unrolled from the big box at the end of 'che day*
ART BROWNE GOT THE MOST VOTES OF ALL* l62. Next was .KEN ILALLER with I5I, and
third was MARY CATHERINE SMITH, 140, These three will autcraatically serve four year
terms. The next tliree, RUDY McBRIDE, 133; HAYES McGULLEY, 120,* and JAMES W. RAMSEY,
JR., 115; will serve two year terms.
Losers (darn it! somebody always loses, dampening spirits somel) were WILLIAM
MACDONALD, lOOj RAY G. SCOGGINS, 97; and JOHN COLLIER, 82. RUDY and JIM were incum
bents.
Out of some 260 eligible voters, 24? of whom were in town, 208 voted (five were
absentee ballots).
Both proposals on the ballot passed1 The Town will have fire protection with an
annual expenditure of not more than five cents per hundred dollars property tax
value in contract with Atlantic Beach, and the Commissioners will be allowed to wairA
operational and maintenance expenditures of more than $10,000 but not make any
capital investments of more than $10,000, Tally on the fire protection: For,.123t
against, 81, and on the other — For, 130j Against, 75,
The following afternoon the new Commissioners were sworn in at the Court House by
Clerk of Courts Mary Austen, met immediately afterr^rds and chose their mayor, in
accordance with the PKS Charter? he is KEN HALLER and will serve a two year term,
totals were NELL CRUMLEY, registrar, and two judges, VERA BLOOMER and
LETITIA MITCHELL: also present was GEORGE NELSON of the Board of Elections, who
eventually appeared on the steps of the tiny Town Ha.ll to read aloud results to the
assembledge, ED CRUMLEY was official telephone answerer for the night and had, he
confided to us in a whisper, also appointed himself chief cook for a gourmet sounding
reast he had put together for him and Nell following the count.
Mthough BILL MACDONALD did not win a term of office, he said, "I got what I wanted-
I m happy and he referred to the fire protection referendm on which he had worked
hard, doing much research and showing the community a rare dedication,
01^ COLLIER, visibly disappointed, nevertheless was a good sport, laughingly
saying he w9^ "still hustling”, and commented as well that he was proud to know he
lived in a place where a good clean campaign had been conducted, RAY SCOGGINS was
not present at the Town Hall election night,
ART BROWNE, the big vote getter, as they say, who stands for careful town planning,
^y ng attention to the fragile environment we live in here, and good communication
Detween the Board and residents, was bom in Massachusetts in 1912, spending early
ye^s in California, He served the Federal Government as an economist, paxt of
administered marketing research and marketing service programs. He
an his wife, CONNIE, lived most recently in a small community in Virginia where he -
neiped organize the town board, and served as its treasurer, (We give you these
s ort biogs on BROWNE and SMITH because we did not have them available before we
printed last month,)
M^Y CATHERINE SMITH has haxi I7 years service in municipal work, has a certificate in
un cl^l Administration and a certificate in the fundamentals of property and privi-
li-^^nse tax collection, and was at the head of the water department in Graham,
f*, * soroe time. She will encourage citizens to take part in community action,
fire protection contract with Atlantic Beach, hopes to work to keep tax
h -r approached by the "press”, heh, heh, for comment on her election,
-^st outburst was, "OOh, four years I” She was pleased, though, and proud! —
- ne will be the only woman on the Board,
BROWNE says he was ggjjuinely surprised at his many votes because he and CONNIE are
Gja.tively new in PKS, but his pleasure is obvious, too, and he said, "I hope I’ll
Q able to carry my share and do my part,** He feels he will be working with a fine
group people who he thinks will get along splendidly.
The other ue^ly elected Commissioners had similar comments, which, put all togeiher,
^ cate good apirl-t^ oo-*oporative moods, and enthusiasm in full force*