The Pilot Covers
Brunswick County
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THE STATE PORT PILOT
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VOLUME 412
No. 5
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SOUTHPORT, N. C. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 1970
St A COPY
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
Crowds Line Up To Watch Nefrve Gas Ship Head Out To Sea
.The Southport waterfront was the scene of busy activity late
Sunday afternoon as the liberty ship Lebaron Russell Briggs
carrying a deadly cargo of nerve gas passed through the local
harbor on her way to sea for her final voyage. On Tuesday she
was scuttled, carrying down with her the controversial munitions
shipment. (Photo by Spencer)
Board Hears
Erosion Talk
The Board of County
Commissioners met Monday and
heard several citizens from the
Holden’s Beach area in a general
discussion of a recently enacted
safe boating law. At the
conclusion of this discussion the
County Attorney was directed
to take the proper action in
settiup a public hearing in
regards enforcing safeboating
regulations along the inland
waterway in his area of the
county. The board set
September 21 as the tentative
date for the public hearing.
Odell Williamson and M.C.
Gore, developers from Ocean
Isle Beach and Sunset Beach,
came before the board to discuss
the erosion problem along the
entire Brunswick county
coastline.
Parks C. Fields, county
supervisor for FHA and C.D.
Pickerrell, City Manager for
Southport, came before the
board for a discussion of the
growing solid waste and garbage
disposal problem. Fields
explained the operation of a
program which the FHA helped
finance and implement in
Sampson County recently. He
promised the full cooperation of
his department in hopes that a
plan can be worked out and
(Continued On Page Ten)
Board Meeting
Held Wednesday
The Brunswick County Board
of Education met in special
session on Wednesday.
The following teachers
contracts for the 1970-71 school
year were approved: Bolivia,
James E. Duers; B.C.H.S.,
Glenda Scott, D.R. Crutchfield,
Frank Barbee and William
Robert Thorsen; Leland, Mamie
G. Hepler and Donna Goldstein
Norris; Shallotte, Thomas
Franklin Roberts; Union, Bobby
D. Golden; Waccamaw, Karen
Bledsoe and Wanda Sue Wescott
Sellers.
Wade H. Duncan was elected
principal of Bolivia High School
upon the recommendation of
Superintendent Ralph King.
The board agreed to allow
partial placement of the Board
of Elections trailer on Bolivia
School property adjacent to
Agricultural Building and the
Bolivia Fire Station.
Superintendent King informed
the board that Trinity United
Methodist Church of Southport
would submit by Monday the
estimated cost for housing one
grade of the elementary school
for the 1970-71 school year.
Attorney Anderson informed
the board that a fee simple deed
of trust had been drawn and
submitted to proper attorneys
for consideration and approval
(Continued On Pago Ten)
Waccamaw Bank Announces Promotions
Lester V. Lowe, vice-president in charge of the local office of the Waccamaw
Bank & Trust Company, announced this week the following promotions affecting
personnel m the Southport office: Robert D. Howard, center, to assistant vice
president; Douglas H. Hawes, left, to cashier, and W. Jackson Keith, Jr., to assis
tant cashier. The bank is pleased to recognize the outstanding work each of these
men, Lowe said. (Photo by Spencer) f
Education Board
Ponders Problems
The Brunswick County Board
of Education met in special
session on Monday.
The board granted a teaching
contract to Mrs. Dorothy Blue,
librarian, Southport School for
the 1970-71 school year.
The resignation of John
Vereen as committeeman for
Brunswick County-Southport
High School was accepted.
The board was informed that
Southport Methodist Church
officials had not submitted cost
estimate for possible utilization
of church facilities for housing
students during the 1970-71
school year. This estimate is to
be forthcoming, but the use of
this facility is subject to
approval by the church
membership Sunday on
September 6.
Authorization was extended to
Superintendent Ralph King to
receive bids on additional mobile
units to house students at
Southport. The board is to
determine at its regular meeting
in September whether these
units are to be purchased.
The following teacher aides
were employed for the 1970-71
school year: Bolivia—Elizabeth
R. Mercer, Esther P. Willetts,
Aileen B. Ward, Wanda F.
Williamson, Mary C. Palmore,
Nancy Vereen; Leland—Annie L.
Brown; Shallotte—Aggie
(Continued On Page Ten)
e And Tide
The little Coast Guard patrol boat Naugatuck was off on a
mission-looking for rum-runners. This may sound a bit funny, but
the year was 1935, and the story appeared in our August 14 issue.
Other news from this vessel was that the pet fox that was her mascot
had been lost at sea during the last trip outside. Shipping had been
plentiful during the past weekend, with five cargo vessels having
passed through the Southport harbor in two days. The threat of fire
to tobacco curing barns was dramatized by a front page picture
showing one ablaze.
The survey by State Highway engineers to determine the best
“ be, followed in paving Highway No. 130 from Shaliotte to
Whit,eville.had been completed, and the editor urg'd that politics
and local jealousies be left out of the final decision in the hope that
the project would be speeded to completion.
„nThe B°rdfr Belt Tobacco Market opened late in 1940-on August
20, m fact. A headline proclaimed that “Whiteville’s Six Big
Warehouses Await Opening Tuesday”. Completion of the paving
project on Highway No. 130 was announced, just in time for
Brunswick fanners to haul their crop to market on hard surfaced
roads. A huge passenger liner had sought refuge in the Southport
harbor Sunday from a hurricane that caused a score of deaths and
thousands of dollars in damage along the South Carolina coast
There was no damage in this area.
(Continued On Pag* Hour)
Library Group
Backs Service
A Friends of the Library
meeting was held Thursday
evening at the home of the
president, Mrs. A.P. Henry, at
Winnabow. Minutes of the last
meeting were read and approved
and the treasurer, Mrs. Catherine
Skipper, reported a balance of
$755.
Mrs. Mary Hughes Bliss
reported that the appointment
committee including Mrs. Bobby
Jones and James F. Clemmons
had met with the county
commissioners and that Mrs.
Jones had presented the needs of
the library and had asked for
increased financial aid. The
commissioners heard their
request but made no
committment.
Mrs. Christine Andrews
reported that the contact with
the ABC Board revealed the fact
that the local board has no
authority to make any changes
in their budget. This would have
to be done through contact with
the State Representatives in the
General Assembly. Mrs. Henry
has contacted one of these men
and was advised that a bill
should be presented to the
legislature asking for more
support for the library.
The new bookmobile has
started making its rounds to
communities throughout
Brunswick county and the
committee discussed ways to
pay for this vehicle.
Mrs. John Dingle was a visitor
at this meeting and gave some
inspiring and helpful suggestions
to the group. The organization
decided to place a donation box
at each library and also on the
bookmobile for the convenience
of anyone who would like to
make a contribution. Signs on
♦he boxes will read “We are
happy to share our library with
everyone. Would you like to
make 'i donation?”
Wreck Fatal To
Local Citizen
James Bernice Russ, former
postmaster at Southport and
more recently a city employee,
was killed instantly Saturday
night when the automobile in
which he was returning from
Wilmington with his wife ran off
highway No. 133 near Lilliput
Creek. MA, Russ was painfully
injured but is convalescing at
Dosher Memorial Hospital.
The- couple had been to
Wilmington to attend a show as
a celebration of their 16th
wedding anniversary.
The deceased was a native of
Southport, and following
graduation from Southport High
School attended Duke
University. During World War II
he served as an officer in the
U.S. Naval Reserve. Following
his release from service he was
named postmaster at Southport,
but during the Korean conflict
was called once more to active
duty in the Navy.
Survivors include his widow,
Mrs. Thelma A. Southerland
Russ; a son, R. David Peters of
Charleston, S.C.; two daughters
Mrs. Shepard of Weaverville, and
Mrs. Diane Bazydlo of Troy,
Mich.; a brother, W.A. Russ, Sr.;
(Continued On Pag* Thraa)
Nerve Gas Is Gone;
Port Back To Normal
By ED HARPER
Southport accepted the nerve
gas for what it was—another
cargo of dangerous war materials
that pass through Sunny Point
every day. But when the rusty,
gray hulk of the SS LeBaron
Russell Briggs was towed from
the Cape Fear River Sunday
afternoon, local residents, along
with the rest of the country,
breathed a sigh of relief to know
that it was gone.
The near-derelict Liberty ship
and its cargo of lethal nerve gas
were headed for a point 282 miles
off the Florida coast, where it
was scuttled Tuesday in 16,000
feet of water.
Weather delayed the ship’s
departure from Sunny Point;
political clamor nearly
postponed the operation
indefinitely.
Florida Gov. Claude Kirk,
arguing that the seadump
involved unwarranted risk,
joined with the Environmental
Defense Fund and sought an
injunction that would halt the
operation. Federal Judge June
Green refused to issue a
restraining order that would
keep the ship moored at Sunny
Preparations To
Begin Fall Term
Summer vacation for the
approximately 6,000 school
students in Brunswick county
will end next week as they
report and register on Friday,
according to Ralph C. King,
Superintendent of
Brunswick County Schools.
This first day will be orientation
day and school will operate on a
short schedule. All students are
urged to be present and register,
so as to reflect an accurate
enrollment count.
Principals of all county schools
are currently on duty and are
available to clarify inquiries
about school matters relative to
their particular school
operations. Principals are
presently involved in planning
for school opening. .
Principals serving in the
schools are as follow: Bolivia
High School, Wade H. Duncan;
Brunswick County-Southport,
E.L. Pettiford; Leland High
School, W. Nelson Best; Lincoln
Elementary School, James F.
Clemmons; Shallotte High
School, Jasper T. Keziah;
Southport Elementary School,
Col. Marion L. Burn; Union
Elementary School, Jonathan
Hankins; Waccamaw High
School, Roland W. English.
The county’s 260 teachers and
staff members will report for
work on August 27 and will
devote their efforts to planning
for the new school term.
School buses will be picked up
by drivers on August 26th. A
meeting of all bus drivers will be
held in the Shallotte High School
auditorium prior to taking
charge of buses.
(Continued On Page Ten)
— JUDGE RAY WALTON
Judge Walton
At Alabama
Judge Ray H. Walton of the
North Carolina 13th District
Court has been awarded a
scholarship to the 1970
American Academy of Judicial
Education. The scholarship is
supported by a grant from the
Law Enforcement Assistance
Administration of the United
States Department of Justice.
The Academy will be held at the
University of Alabama from
August 16-28.
The purpose of the Academy,
which is co-sponsored by the
North American Judges
Association and the American
Judicature Society, is to provide
(Continued On Page Ten)
Point, although she did request
that the Army find another
disposal area where the water
was not so deep.
Kirk and the environmental
group appealed the decision and
the case was heard by the U.S.
Court of Appeals Sunday
morning. Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court Warren Burger
had ordered that the ship not
leave port until 10 a.m. Sunday,
but the three-member appellate
court extended the delay
another 24 hours while the
special court session was held in
Washington.
The court upheld Judge
Green’s decision and a quick
check with Gov. Kirk and the
Environmental Defense Fund
indicated they would not appeal
the ruling to the U.S. Supreme
Court. Hie nerve gas convoy was
cleared for sailing.
The destroyer escort Hartley
and the Coast Guard cutter Cape
Upright preceded the Liberty
ship downriver. The obsolete
Navy ship was towed by one
commercial tug while another
was nestled beside the 442-foot
vessel. Three Sunny Point tugs
followed.
nunareas or ooutnport
residents lined the waterfront to
watch the memorable shipment
pass by. They were bothered
more by a sudden shower that
sent them scurrying for shelter
than by the deadly cargo in the
hold of the Briggs.
The Coast Guard clamped a
tight security lock on the lower
Cape Fear River. Small boats,
some manned by curious
observers and others operated by
fishermen minding their own
business, were kept at a distance,
and .the vessel that was to meet
the nerve gas convoy offshore
and retrieve two Cape Fear River
pilots was allowed to rnintinno
only after official clearance.
The ominous ship left port in
equally-threatening weather. The
sky was overcast as the convoy
made its way down the Cape
Fear, then cleared for a few
minutes only to cloud again and
rain as the towed vessel passed
the waterfront. Few waited to
see the ship leave the river.
Once at sea the convoy was
joined by USCG ships Mendota
and Cherokee. The smaller Cape
Upright returned to port along
with the Sunny Point tugs, and
ships anchored offshore awaiting
the departure of the nerve gas
were allowed to enter the
harbor.
Army officials claim this is the
last nerve gas that will be
disposed of at sea, and admit
(Continued On Pace Ten)
Work Progressing On Nuclear Power Plan!
This was the scene at the CP&L nuclear power
plant site near Southport this week as work progres
ses on the construction of this $300-million instal
lation. The tubular structure on the right is the base
for a new super-power crane to be used in construc
tion operations. (Photo by Spencer)