The Pilot Covers
Brunswick County
VOLUME 41 No. 51
THE STATE PORT PILOT | |
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community | All The Time j
10-Pqgw Today SOUTHPORT. N. C. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24. 1970 5* A COPY PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
Pageant Contestants
Nine of the ten contestants for the Southport
Miss Fourth of July title are pictured here and are
(1-r) Dean Jones, Patricia Long, Ann Southerland,
Nola Miller, Dorothy Dellinger, Brenda McRoy, Lynn
Harrington, Helen Walker and Dianne Rees. The
tenth contestant not pictured, is Patti Gail Swan. The
pageant will be held at 8 p. m. on July 2 in the Com
munity Building.
Social Security
Payments Big
For Brunswick
Social Security benefits paid
to residents of Brunswick
County totaled $212,000 a
month as 1969 ended, Albert P.
Mason, social security district
manager, reported today.
A benefit increase, signed into
law by President Nixon on
December 30, 1969, has since
raised the monthly rate of
payment by 15 percent, making
the present montly payment
$235,800 for the 3,266 social
security beneficiaries in"
Brunswick County, Mason
noted.
Of the social security
beneficiaries living in this area,
1,750 are retired workers and
their dependents. Another 879
are receiving benefits as the
survivors of workers who have
died, and 596 are getting
benefits as disabled workers or
the dependents of disabled
workers.
Mason pointed out that
although the majority of social
security beneficiaries are older
people, about one out of every
four is under age 60.
In the state of North Carolina,
182,600 people under age 60 are
collecting Social security
payments each month. The
100,694 who are under 18 are
(Continued On Page Bight)
Highway Head
Lions Speaker
Leland and the rest of
Brunswick County will be prime
benefactors of the proposed
four-Ianing of Highway 74 from
Wilmington to Charlotte,
according to the chairman of the
State Highway Commission.
D.M. (Launch) Faircloth told
the Leland Liens Club Monday
night that the fulfillment of this
long sought wish of the people
would provide economic
benefits by connecting the state
ports authority area with
population centers.
Completion of the four-Ianing
project will also aid the tourist
industry with which Brunswick
County is greatly concerned.
Faircloth said the present
highway commission is
(Continued On Page Eight)
m
LAUCH FAIRCLOTH
More Trophies
Cheryl Johnson, 1969 Miss Fourth of July, recently
participated in the Rhododendron Pageant and return
ed to Southport with three trophies, being first runner
up and winning the evening gown and swimsuit com
petition. She will relinquish her crown when the new
Festival Queen is selected on July 2.
Brunswick Shows
Population Gain
Brunswick County gained 2,560 residents during the decade if the
preliminary population count released by the Bureau of Census
proves to be correct.
Steve Hooks, district manager for the census bureau, said the 1960
official census showed Brunswick County’s population to be 20,278
The preliminary 1970 census appears to be 22,838.
Sister counties of Bladen, Pender, Columbus and Robeson showed
decreases in population since the 1960 census.
Cumberland, and New Hanover counties have added people during
the 10 years.
Hooks, who supervised the taking of the 1970 census on
population and housing, said official population figures will be
published in the fall.
He expressed his own and the bureau’s thanks to residents of the
area, to officals, newspapers, and broadcasters for their cooperation
in the taking of the census here.
Ten Entrants ;|
For Festival
Queen Pageant
Ten lovely young ladies have
entered the 1970 Miss Fourth of
July contest that will be held
July 2 at 8 p.m. at the
Community Building. This year’s
theme will be “America the
Beautiful.”
The Southport Jaycees are
sponsoring the event with the
Jaycettes . in .charge of
production. The price is $1.50
per seat.
Mrs. Connie Young, tfce
pageant director, announced
that the judges will be Miss Jo
Ann Frank of New Bem, Bobby
Guyton of Elizabethtown, Mrs.
Barbara Kelly of Martinsville,
Va., Jerry Ball of Charlotte and
Dr. Lawrence Kelly of
Martinsville, Va. They will arrive
on July 2 in time to participate
in a motorcade featuring the
contestants, visiting queens, and
the judges.
The motorcade will begin at
4:30 and will travel through
town. Later, before the pageant,
the girls will meet with the
judges for a personal interview.
Each contestant is sponsored
by a Jaycee. The contestant, her
parents, and her sponsor are as
follows: Patricia Gail Swan,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Reese
E. Swan, sponsored by William
D. Ezzell; Geraldine Jones,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.E.
Jones, sponsored by James F.
Howard, Jr.; Patricia Ann Long,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Curtis
T. Long, sponsored by Irving D.
Smith; Barbara Lynn
Harrington, daughter of Mrs.
Ruth Harrington, sponsored by
James B. Kenney; Nola Evon
Miller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Charles A. Miller, sponsored by
Jerry S. Sherrod; Brenda Iona
McRoy, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. W.H. McRoy, sponsored by
Leonard Lewis, Jr.; Helen Louise
Walker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
A.C. James, sponsored by Lee
Aldridge; Ruth Ann
Southerland, daughter of Mrs.
(Continued On Page Eight)
Tuesday Fire
Destroys Two
Huge Stores
The newest addition t<
Shallotte’s expanding busines
district was destroyed by fin
Tuesday afternoon.
Lewis’ Red and White ant
Mack’s Variety Discount Ston
burned in less than an hour
according to Shailotte Fire Chie
Robert Hawes. The stores wen
located in a single brick anc
masonry structure on Highway
17 just west of the Brunswicl
County town.
The shopping center, which
was opened in March, is tht
property of Dawson Lewis.
Lewis’ son Jerry said he saw
smoke in the back when he wat
driving up to the grocery store.
He jumped out of the car to dc
something about it and saw
flames breaking through.
The searing flames firec
nearby brush and woods and
members of the State Foresl
Serivce were called in tc
extinquish these fires.
Local firemen were on tht
scene in minutes after the alarm
sounded. Chief Hawes said the
fire started in the roof area. It
spread rapidly with the high
winds, and after breaking
through the roof broke over and
around the fire walls to engull
the long one-story structure.
An observer said the fire
broke through the roof at 6:45
p.m. Tuesday.
The interior of the building
was demolished.
Almost nothing was saved
from the buildings. The stores
were reportedly well-stocked for
the summer season. No estimate
of loss was available Wednesday
morning.
Besides the Shailotte Fire
Department, the Tri-Beach
Department and the Southport
Department joined in the fire
fight. The Shailotte Rescue
Squad joined in the effort.
Open Office
For Festival
The former office of Dr. N.A.
Templon on Howe Street in
Southport is the location of the
Southport Fourth of July
Festival Headquarters and is
staffed by Mrs. Marilyn A. Swain
each afternoon between the
hours of 1 and 5 p.m. Anyone
having business to transact with
the committee should contact
Mrs. Swain at that address or by
telephone at 457-6585. The
Festival Headquarters will be
open all day July 2-4.
Girls are needed to ride floats
and any girls interested in
participating should contact
Festival Headquarters.
On the morning of the parade
Howe St. will be closed to
parking from West St. to Moore
St. and Moore St. will be closed
from Howe to Davis St. This will
enable spectators to view the
parade from the sidewalks
without having their view
restricted by parked cars and
trucks and will also allow the
full width of the street for the
parade units to pass.
On the afternoon and night of
the Fourth of July Bay Street
will be closed to vehicular traffic
between Howe and Davis streets
(Continued On Page Bight)
e And Tide
An announcement in our edition for June 19, 1935, stated that
L.J. Dawkins, principal at Southport for the past 9 years, had
resigned to accept the principalship at Dixon High School in Onslow
county. There had been a spectacular blaze that had removed a
landmark on the Southport waterfront. The railroad dock at the end
of Rhett street had burned, but members of the Southport
Volunteer Fire Department and members of the crew of the Coast
Guard Patrol Boat Naugatuck hsd prevented it from spreading to
other waterfront structures.
A front page bulletin announced that one of the governmental
agencies would erect a fish freezing and canning plant at Southport.
A reader of The Pilot had paid tribute to the faithful and effective
service of a number of correspondents we had reporting news from
their respective communities—a condition we wish were being
duplicated now; and the society editor of that day, Mrs. Ruth Hood,
had gleaned a full column of personals—another condition which we
wish were being duplicated now.
The time was June 19, 1940, and Europe was at war. We had gone
international in our coverage to the extent of announcing that
France had fallen to Germany; and there were other stories to
suggest that the United States was making military preparations. The
US-Army Engineers had announced that dredging of the Southport
Yacht Basin would begin in August. Another nautical note was the
report that U.S. warships were cruising off Southport, close enough
for local boatmen to see them in operation.
(Continued On Page Ftour)
Disastrous Fire At Shalloile
Fire swept through the Red and White Supermarket and Mack’s Variety Store
at Shallotte late Tuesday afternoon and destroyed both buildings, newest and most
spacious mercantile establishments in Brunswick County. The buildings and their
contents were a total loss, with only partial coverage by insurance. (Photo by
Spencer) J
flllfll
issioners Back Vote
. S . • •
Oldest Democrat
E. O. Rabon was the oldest Democrat present at the
Democratic County Convention Saturday at Bolivia and
was presented a Bible by Mrs. Ina Mae Mintz, who
served for the past few months as Chairman of the Ex
ecutive Committee. The second eldest Democrat in at
tendance was Mrs. Frank Mintz. (Photo by Spencer)
Grover Gore Made
Party Chairman
Grover A. Gore was elected
chapman of the Democratic'
Executive Committee at the
County Convention held
Saturday at Bolivia. Mrs. Ina
Mae Mintz was elected
vice-chairman, a position was
held for the past two terms,
during both of which she wound
GROVER A. GORE
up as party chairman.
Franklin Randolph was elected
second vice-chairman, Thomas
Young, Jr., third vice-chairman,
Mrs. Freeman Hewett, secretary
and Robert Stanley, treasurer.
Special honors were accorded
senior citizens present for this
convention, and E.O. Rabon was
chosen the oldest registered
Democrat present. He was
presented a Bible by the
out-going party chairman. Mrs.
Frank Mintz was a close second
for this honor.
James M. Wolfe, chairman of
Southport Precinct N. 2,
presented a gift to Miss Annie
Louise St. George in recognition
of her long service as registrar
for that voting precinct. She
served for 20 years in that
capacity.
Named to the Congressional
Executive Committee were Mrs.
Catherine Clark and Robert
Howard. Serving on the State
Executive Committee from
Brunswick county will be V.A.
Creech, Jr., and Eugene Gore.
Members of the Judicial
(Continued On Page Bight)
Members of the Board of
County Commissioners in the
third of three meetings here
Tuesday night directed members
of the Brunswick County Board
of Education to re-advertise for
bids for the construction of
three consolidated high schools,
adding that this action was in
accordance with a mandate from
the voters or Brunswick county.
Reference was to the Special
School Bond election held in
April of last year at which
citizens of Brunswick county
voted approval on a proposal to
erect three consolidated high
schools, one each to be located
in the Shallotte-Waccamaw,
South port-Bolivia and Leland
areas.
Recently members of the new
Board of Education voted
unanimously to build two high
schools and one primary school,
the latter to be erected at
Southport. Members of that
body, in the second of three
meetings last night, had
requested the commissioners to
authorize the sale of bonds to
finance their change in plans.
The first of the three meetings
for the commissioners had been
held in the Brunswick County
Courtroom where representative
citizens from Southport and
Leland expressed their
opposition to the changes
proposed by members of the
Board of Education and asked
them to refuse permission to sell
bonds to finance the two high
school and one primary school
plan.
Members of the Board of
County Commissioners were
polled individually concerning
their opinion regarding the plans
for construction. Every member
stood firm on the three high
school concept, saying this was
the proposition brought before
the voters. They expressed
concern over the lack of
sufficient funds with which to
complete all three buildings, but
expressed their willingness to
help work out some plan to
bring about construction of
(Continued On Page Eight)
Tide Table
. FaDowtng to the tide table
tor' Southport during the
week. These boon am ap
proximately correct »ad
were fuutohad The State
Port Pilot through the'
courtesy of the Cepe Fear
Pilot’s Association.
TIDE TABLE
Thursday, June 25,
1:21A.M. 7:46 A.M.
1:57 P.M. 8:16 P.M.
Friday, June 26,
2:15 A.M. 8:46 A.M.
2:57 P.M. 9:22 P.M.
Saturday, June 27,
3:15 A.M. 9:40 A.M.
3:57 A.M. 10:22 P.M.'
Sunday, June 28,
4:15 A.M. 10:34 A.M.
4:57 P.M. 11:22 P.M.
Monday, June 29,
5:09 A.M. 11:28 A.M.
5:51P.M. 12:22 P.M.
Tuesday, June 30,
6:09 A.M. 12:16 A.M.
6:30 P.M.
Wednesday, July 1,
6:57 A.M. 1:00 A.M.
7:27 P.M. 1:10 P.M.