The Pilot Covers
i
Brunswick County
THE STATE PORT PILOT
Most of the News
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
All The Time
VOLUME 42 No. 14
12 Pages Today SOUTHPORT, N.C. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1970
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5c A COPY PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
Fire Destroys House
Fire of undetermined origin destroyed the big two
story house on the Finch farm, located on N. C .High
way 87 near Southport, last Wednesday night. The
house has been abandoned as a residence, so the cause
of the fire remains a mystery. This picture was taken
at the height of the .blaze, and <a few minutes later
the structure had been reduced to a pile of hot coals.
I ! . .
Baptists Here
Plan Revival
Southport Baptist Church will
conduct a series of revival ser
vices next week, October 25-30.
The services of worship will be
held at 7:30 nightly, Sunday
through Friday.
The pastor, Rev. John C. Dean,
will be preaching, and he will be
joined in the pulpit each evening
by a minister from one of the
local churches who will read the
scripture and lead in prayer.
Visiting pastors will be the
Rev. Tom Taylor, St. Phillips
Episcopal Church; the Rev. Paul
Scott, Trinity United Methodist
Church; the Rev. Samuel
Levenberger, Southport
Presbyterian Church; the Rev.
Bill Deitz, Lebanon Baptist
Church; and the Rev. Macon
Wood, Bethel Baptist Church.
Special music will be offered by
the church choir and soloists
during the week. The church
extends a cordial welcome to the
community.
Coastal Corridor Highway
Would Benefit This County
Governor Robert W. Scott told
an estimated 500 persons here
Monday he is convinced that a
proposed coastal corridor
highway linking Norfolk, Va., to
Savannah, Ga., “is of critical
importance to the economic
development of our coastal
plains and coastal area.”
A similar response was heard
from spokesman representing
South Carolina Gov. Robert E.
McNair, and Georgia Governor
Lestor Maddok during the East
Coast Highway Conference in
Convention Center.
Brunswick county was
represented at this neeting by
Commissioner V.A. Creech, Jr.;
Mrs. A.P. Henry, Jr., secretary of
Southeastern Economic
Development Commission;
Beaman Hewett, mayor of
Shallotte; Lester Lowe,
vice-president of Waccamaw
Bank & Trust Co.; and Mr. and
Mrs. James M. Harper, Jr., of
Southport.
Gov. Scott reviewed avenues
of financing the highway, noting
that the states were committed
to a governmental partnership in
highway construction. “The
challenge at all levels of concern
during the next few months
must be on the decision-making
process in Washington,” he said.
“The success or failure of a
coastal corridor rests to a large
extent on the continued interest
and support of people such as
you at their gathering.” He
called on the audience,
representing business and civic
interests from Maryland and
Georgia, to a “commitment to
follow up on this program and
to effectively represent our
needs to the national
administration and to the
Women weren’t left out of the action Sunday afternoon at the horse show sponsor
ed by the Southport Jaycees Hundreds of people watched the show at the Bonnett’s i
Creek arena next to the Cape Fear River, (photo by Ed Harper)
Congress.”
These present for the
conference unanimuously
adopted a resolution noting the
urgency of the coastal corridor
highway in terms of economic
development and “strongly
recomending the earliest
construction” of the highway.
The resolution also petitions
the governors of North Carolina,
(Continued On Page Two)
Education Board Okays
Consolidated School Bids
Members of the Brunswicl
County Board of Education vote*
Monday night to award contract
for the construction of threi
consolidated high schools ii
Brunswick county, this to be don*
as soon as all phases of th<
contracts have been approved b;
the State Board of Education.
The following firms will b<
awarded contracts:
General Construction: J.W
Cook, Northern School, $752,872
A.G. Carter, Western & Southerr
Schools, $1,548,716; Electrica!
Contract: Watson Electric
$446,216; Plumbing Contract:
Sneeden, Inc., $341,957; Heating
and Air Conditioning: Henrj
Baker Heating Company
$412,185; Kitchen Equipment:
Jacobi Supply, $93,383.58.
■ Bids for certain phases oi
grading and filling will be ac
cepted within the next two weeks,
After further deliberation
concerning cost construction and
WMU Planning
Study Meeting
Woman’s Missionary Union of
the Brunswick Baptist
Association will open its fall and
winter schedule this month by
launching its plans for “Shaping
the Seventies”, which includes
new grouping-grading; new
periodicals and age-level
manuals; more individual choice
for participation in the various
age-level organizations; and new
terminology, all recently adopted
by the Southern Baptist Con
vention for the decade of the
seventies.
In order that the changes may
be batter understood and officers
and leaders trained for the new
work, Mrs. Susan Carson,
Associational WMU Director, has
announced that the WMU Manual
and the manuals for Baptist
Women, Baptist Young Women,
Acteens, Girls in Action and
Mission Friends leaders will be
taught by members of the WMU
Executive Council on Thursday,
Continued on Page Two
Partial Answer
To Erosion Woes
Representative R.C. Soles,
who has been working with
Mayor John Holden to find
some solution to the serious
erosion problem at Holden
Beach, was advised this week
that Governor Bob Scott has
approved the recommendation
of the Seashore Advisory Board
for the construction of groynes
at two points along this section
of the North Carolina coast.
In notifying Representative
Soles of this action, a spokesman
for Governor Scott said “I do
not anticipate any delay in this
project as it already has been
discussed today with Archie
Hathcock, the executive director
of the Seashore Advisory
Commission, who in turn is
working with representatives of
the Highway Department.”
Previously Representative
Soles had written the following
letter to Governor Scott
regarding this project:
“I am sure that you have been
aware for sometime now of the
severe erosion problem along the
North Carolina Coast and
particularly in the Holden Beach
section of Brunswick County.
Presently, the Seashore Advisory
Board has under consideration a
project which would involve the
construction of groynes at
Holden Beach in Brunswick
County and at Atlantic Beach
(Continue On Pag* Vtour)
Time And Tide
There was a sports note on the front page of our edition for
October 16, 1935; Frank Niernsee, a Southport boy, had won the
fall tennis tournament at High Point College for the second vear in a
row. He was a varsity basketball player under Coach Virgil Yow. A
front page photo showed workmen atop the steeple of Southport
Baptist Church, repairing damaged caused by a recent bolt of
lightning.
Friendship Baptist Church in Waccamaw township was to be host
later that week at the annual meeting of the Brunswick Baptist
Association; Belk’s in Wilmington (it was Belk-Williams back in those
lays) had men’s suits advertised for $18.94—and they were all wool;
jut on the editorial page the editor had a piece about “The High
Cost of Living.”
It was the fall of 1940, October 15, to be exact, and R. Gregg
Cherry was coming here for a political speech in the courthouse. Col.
Sari I. Brown had been named District Engineer for the Wilmington
District, U.S. Army Engineers. The late Senator J.W. Bailey had been
i visitor in Southport aboard the engineer’s yacht, Kittyhawk.
A service station man had lifted the hood of a car owned by a
jhallotte citizen and had discovered a bird nest on top of the
mgine—“Guess This Motor Hummed Like A Bird,” quoth the
leadline; and the congregation of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church were
losts to the Brunswick Baptist Association of that year.
A headline on the front page of The Pilot for October 17, 1945
iredicted that one postwar development at Long Beach would be
(Continued On Pi|« Tout)
c available capital the board af
1 firmed subject to final con
i firmation of analysis of cost
! construction and available
i capital to accept Plan 1—
; completion of all buildings less
> gym bleachers, carpeting in
’ classrooms, grading of athletic
fields, etc., planters and pavers
i in courts, and movable furniture
furnishings.
Superintendent Ralph King,
H.M. Anderson, attorney, and
i
Jack Croft, architect, reported to
the board events that took place
during their meeting with the
Brunswick County Com
missioners Monday afternoon.. It
was stated the Commissioners
agreed to the following:
To grant a one year delay on
principal payment on monies
derived from school bonds
($200,000 less interest).
To defer contract covering
kitchen equipment ($93,383.58)
until end of building construction.
Letter of intent to contractor
from the Board of Education is to
verify contract will be honered
and equipment will be installed at
specified time.
County Commissioners af
firmed that additional monies
will be made available during the
next fiscal year to assist in
completing Plan I of building
(Oootfcmad On Pag* roar)
County Will Provide Extra
School Construction Money
Payment of school bond
principal will be deferred by die
Brunswick County Board of
Commissioners to provide ap
proximately $200,000 of the extra
money required for consolidated
school construction.
The board was informed that
about $307,000 extra is needed to
meet the bid totals so that con
tracts could be let for con
struction of schools to serve the
western, southern and northern
areas of the county.
The board, after hearing the
report of School Supt. Ralph
King, Architect Jack Croft and
Associate Architect Ronald
Bibble, agreed that the schedule
of payments of the school
building bonds would be set up to
defer the payment of principal
for the first year.
This should provide an ad
ditional $200,000 for the school
construction.
Commissioner W.D. Ward
moved that the Board of
Education be given a letter of
intent that the county would
provide the other $107,000 in next
year’s budget, to be furnished
within the ability of the tax
structure to support it, and upon
availability of funds.
The motion was unanimously
adopted.
In other business Monday, the
commissioners heard a request
from Lockwoods Folly residents
that the ban on shrimping in the
southern area of Lockwoods
Folly Inlet be lifted. J.W.
Robinson and Jerry Moore
Republicans Hear
State Chairman
Representative James E.
Holshouser, chairman of the N.C.
Republican party, told an
audience of several hundred at A
Varnumtown rally Friday night
that one party rule has resulted in
the highest, most oppressive tax
package ever foisted off on the
people of the state.
The minority caucus leader in
the General Assembly told
gathered Brunswick voters that
the new tax legislation has given
the state a $118 million surplus in
the last fiscal year. He called on
voters to repudiate the
representatives who favored the
new taxes.
Holshouser said that voters
could fight against excessive
taxes by sending Republicans to
Raleigh, since the N.C.
Republican party favors the
repeal of the new soft drink and
tobacco taxes and one-half of the
2 cent additional tax on gasoline.
Between a fish fry and en
tertainment consisting of country
and western music, voters also
heard from Thomas Harrelson
and J.W. Suggs, both Republican
candidates for the General
Assembly. Both Harrelson and
Suggs voiced opposition to the so
called “Democrat Tax Package”
which, they stated, puts a severe
dollar drain on local economies.
Republican candidates for the
Brunswick County Board of
Commissioners outlined the
G.O.P platform of progress for
the county. The Republican
platform includes support for the
Board of Education in its efforts
to implement the three con
solidated high school program,
institution of a county manager
form of government, im
provement in hospital facilities
and quick action to halt beach
and inlet erosion in Brunswick
county.
Harold Willetts, incumbent
Republican sheriff seeking re
election, took note of im
provements within the sheriff’s
department. He cited the new
county-wide radio com
munications system, the addition
(OoaMnmMl on h|« Wvnt)
presented the request, and asked
the commissioners to contact Dr.
Thomas Linton, Fisheries
commissioner.
Dr. Linton has promised to
investigate the situation and
promised relief if it were justified
by the shrimp count.
Tax collector Homer
McKeithan presented a report on
the collections by his department
that showed an increase each
year since McKeithan was
named tax collector four years
ago.
McKeithan addressed a letter
to the board that read:
“Gentlemen:
“It is with great pleasure that I
submit to you my collection
report for the levy year of 1969.
“I would also like to include a
report of collections for the four
years I have been tax collector, in
comparison with the four years
collection prior to my ap
pointment as collector. A break
down will be shown on attached
sheet.
“Since becoming tax collector
on October 3, 1966, I have been
able to show an increase in
percentage collected each year,
despite the steadily growing levy
each year.
“At the time of my appointment
the collection percentage was
only 85.43 percent. I am happy to
report that as of September 30,
(Continued On Pag'e Two)
Postponed
The Democrat Rally and fish
fry planned for Saturday night at
Shallotte has been postponed
until Thursday night of next
week, according to Democrat
Party Chairman Grover A. Gore.
The outing will be held in the
Lions Club Park across from the
Shallotte High School starting at
5:30o’clock. Chairman Gore says
that all Democrats are urged to
attend.
He said that the postponement
was brought about through a
conflict with the Daughters of
Eastern Star, who previously had
made plans to use these facilities
this Saturday night.
Paul Dodge a member of the host Oak Island Golf Club, taps in a birdie during
the weekend Oak Island Men’s Invitational tournament. Dodge collected the birdie
on the par 5, 14th hole at the Oceanside course after hitting his approach shot within
a foot of the hole, (photo by Ed Harper)