The Pilot Covers
Brunswick County
THE STATE PORT PILOT
Most of the News
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
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i
VOLUME 42 No. 17
10-Pages Today
SOUTHPORT, N. C. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1970
5c A COPY
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
t
Steel Skeleton Of A Plant
The framework of the Carolina Power and light
Co. nuclear power plant now under construction near
Southport gradually is taking shape. Shown is the
steel skeleton of that installation as it appeared this
week when this picture was taken by staff photo
grapher Boyce Spencer.
Governor Asks
For Committee
Governor Robert W. Scott has
called on the boards of county
commissioners across North
Carolina to appoint county
bicentennial committees to work
with the state American
Revolution Bicentennial Com
mission in planning appropriate
programs and projects for
commemorating the bicentennial
of the American Revolution. A
letter from the governor said, in
part, that the approaching
bicentennial of the founding of
our state and nation would afford
North Carolina citizens with an
excellent and timely opportunity
“to reflect upon our heritage, to
assess the present, and to give
due thought to the future.”
Governor Scott expressed the
hope that the county bicentennial
committees would reflect a broad
cross section of the communities,
would seek to include represen
tatives from the various interests
and organizations in the counties,
and would pay particular at
tention to the inclusion of youth
representatives.
Senator Hector MacLean of
Lumberton, chairman of the
commission, has also written the
county boards, reminding them
that die bicentennial period will
be the biggest public event in two
hundred years of American
history and Requesting a unified
effort to insure that it will also be
the most significant and
rewarding.
The North Carolina American
(Continued On Pun Ibur)
US 74-76 Route Discussed
By Leland Area Residents
The proposed US 74-76 bypass
of Leland was discussed at a
public hearing Tuesday with
some opposition aired by area
merchants who claim their
businesses will be hurt by the
highway route change.
“We’re here to fight city hall,”
said one person at the hearing,
“but I don’t think it will do any
good.”
The proposed Leland bypass
has been called a “missing link”
in the US 74-76 project that will
extend from the coast to the
Piedmont. Most of the route is
four-laine, including a completed
stretch in Brunswick County west
of Leland to the Columbus County
line.
The proposed bypass route,
designed by the State Highway
Commission and shown on page
ten of this is: ue, extends from the
existing divided roadway west of
Leland to Alligator Creek. There
will be two 24-foot roadways with
a depressed median, and several
interchanges with existing routes
in the area.
The project will interchange
with state road 1441 (the DuPont
Road), overpass existing US 74-76
and the Seaboard Coastline
Railroad, underpass relocated
state road 1437 (the Old Fayet
teville Road) without contact,
interchange with relocated US 17
and relocated NC 133, and tie to
the existing divided roadway at
Alligator Creek, leading to the
Cape Fear River bridge.
The total cost of the project is
set at $4.7 million, of which the
state and federal governments
each will pay half.
There was expected opposition
at the Tuesday public hearing,
which was held at Leland High
School, mostly from owners of
some of the area businesses from
which traffic will be diverted.
These businesses are dependent
on transit trade, according to the
owners who voiced objection to
the location of the 6.5 mile
bypass.
A map of the project will be
kept with SHC officials in
Wilmington for the benefit of
area residents, who could
determine how the proposed
bypass design would affect their
homes and businesses. Written
statements concerning the high
(Continued On Pace Ten)
Unusual Concert
Presented Sunday
Seldom is an audience given an
insight into what takes place in
preparing for a concert. The one
at the auditorium for the concert
of the New Directions last Sunday
had such an opportunity.
Because of a very tight
schedule, the musical group
arrived at the N.C. Baptist
Assembly grounds a scant twenty
minute before concert time. In
full view of those attending, they
immediately became an amazing
ant-hill of activity, setting up
their staging and sound equip
ment. So perfectly disciplined
were these young people that
Supper For New Directions
As soon as their concert was over Sunday afternoon, members of the New Direct
ions came to Southport where they were supper guests of the Brunswick Sub-Dis
trict MYF members The picture shows a cross section of visitors and hosts and
hostesses. (Photo by Spencer)
everything was put in order and
their program was only five
minutes late in starting.
A large portion of the audience
of 800 persons was in their seats
when the youthful singers and
musicians walked into the
auditorium, each carrying
musical instruments, cases of
sound equipment, wiring in
various colors, microphones and
folded sections of raised staging.
Even though the auditorium and
its facilities were unfamiliar to
them they immediately set to
work, each doing his own par
ticular task.
J.L. Williams, director if the
group, worked with Fred Smith,
Baptist Assembly Superin
tendent, in making the major
placement decisions as un
packing took place. And out of
apparent chaos things magically
were in place and following a
short inteval of quietness and
orderilness the concert began.
The music of the New Direc
tions was well received by the
audience, the majoriety of which
were young people. Starting off
with a rousing rock number, the
program was gradually and
skillfully guided into message
music which is the specialty of
this group.
The contagious enthusiasm of
the singers and their skilled in
strumental accompanists quickly
captured the audience who ap
plauded the various musical
selections with enthusiasm.
Sing-a-longs were participated
in, and in several cases the
audience, including adults of all
ages, clapped in time to the
music.
Among those in attendance
were groups from Wilmington
and Carolina Beach. One group
travelled by special bus from
Spring Lake, north of Fayet
(Continued On Pag* Tour)
Republican House Candidate
Petitions For Vote Recount
Petition for a recount of votes
cast in the disputed House of
Representatives race between
Arthur Williamson and
Republican Thomas Harrelson
has been filed with the Columbus
County Board of Elections and
the case may be taken to court.
A canvass of precincts in
Brunswick and Columbus
counties has Williamson on top by
two votes, 5453 to 5451, in the
contest with Harrelson, a South
port man in his first political
battle. One House seat was
captured by R.C. Soles Jr., while
the fourth candidate, Republican
J.W. Suggs, finished last in the
voting and no longer is in the
picture.
Soles and Williamson
represented Columbus and
Brunswick counties in the 1969
General Assembly, but the
Chadbourr. farmer-businessman
is faced with the prospect of
losing his House seat.
Unofficial returns after the
November 3 election showed a
four-vote lead by Williamson, but
a canvass of the Brunswick
County precincts added 15 votes
to Harrelson’s total and six votes
to Williamson’s, giving the
Republican a five-vote lead
coming into the Columbus County
canvass.
The Columbus County canvass
began Thursday, as directed by
State Board of Election Chair
man Alex Brock, but there was no
significant development until
Friday when the Board of
Elections found seven votes for
Williamson in South Lees
precinct that were not included in
the unofficial election results.
_ Based on alleged irregularities
in the election procedure. At
torney Thomas Heine of South
port filed the recount petition on
Harrelson’s behalf.
The canvassing Friday took
place in the Superior courtroom
where presiding Judge Hamilton
H. Hobgood stepped in oc
casionally from his chambers to
Local Woman
Heads Drive
Mrs. James M. Harper, Jr., of
Southport, has been named
Special Gifts Chairman of the
1970-71 Alumni Giving Fund from
Greensboro College.
..The appointment was an
nounced by Fred T. Jones, Jr.,
Director of Development and
Public Relations for the 132-year
old Methodist-related college. He
explained that the general
campaign, headed by Ken S.
Anderson, Jr., of Greensboro,
will run through June 30th
A definite monetary goal has
not been set for the campaign,
but Jones said the objective is to
exceed last year’s contributions
of some $45,000 from 1,240
alumni. Greensboro College has
about 6,000 alumni, and it is
hoped that this year’s campaign
will reflect a larger percentage of
alumni participation in giving
than previously.
Mrs. Harper, recipient of the
Greensboro College
Distinguished Alumni Award in
1966, is prominent in public af
fairs of North Carolina. She is
Secretary-Treasurer of the North
Carolina Presss Association.
see that everything was running
smoothly.
On Thursday afternoon at 4:35
he had entertained Harrelson's
petition in Southport where he
was holding court, and had
signed an order for the Columbus
County sheriff to immediately
impound and retain for
safekeeping all ballot boxes,
ballots, registration books, ab
stracts, tally sheets, uncounted
ballots, and keys to locks on all
ballot boxes.
Judge Hobgood said these
items should be ke[ t in a secure
place in the Columbus courthouse
under joint supervision and
security of the sheriffs of
Columbus and Brunswick.
On Thursday night deputies
from both counties kept the
materials under guard. This
guard was lifted Friday morning.
Judge Hobgood appeared in the
courthouse Thursday night at
(Oorattnued on Page Two)
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(Photo by Elgie Clemmons)
Impound The Evidence v'
Foltowinig the judge’s orders and placing all election material under guard and
lock Thursday night were members of both the Columbus and Brunswick county
Sheriff s departments. Columbus Sheriff A. L. (Ben) Duke, left, watches as election
ma^ri^-m'e“milt;aTiM'~/jFom”tiir'r6eaKfjrvanr“‘BMnswTck~DepftjrX’H':"T5sBurne~
assists in the unloading. Deputies from both counties went to all precincts and
brought in all materials from the polling places. The security van was used to bring
in materials from the board of elections office.
Church Bazaar
Plans Progress
The Women’s Society of
Christian Service Bazaar, an
annual affair at the Trinity
Methodist Church in Southport, is
scheduled for November 20
beginning at 9 o’clock.
There will be several specialty
tables including the Christmas
table, the bake table, the francy
work table, plus two new ideas: a
table of hose (panty and sup
(Continued On Pifi Vtour)
Tii
And Tide
It was the month of November, the year of Our Lord 1935, and a park
beautification project was to begin in Southport under the sponsorship
of WPA—and therein lies the tale of the beginning of our beautiful
Franklin Square. Weekend fishing had been interrupted by a 48-hour
display of storm warnings.
Weather Bureau statistics showed that October had been the driest
month of the year in Southport; and Armistice Day dance was
scheduled at Camp Sapona (CCC Camp at Southport); and speakers
had been scheduled for each of the five consolidated schools of Brun
swick county for patriotic addresses on Armistice Day.
A screaming black headline across the front page of The Pilot for
November 6, 1940, announced that “Democrat Candidates Win In
County.” And so they had, for county, state and federal offices. That
was the year Franklin D. Roosevelt was re-elected for his third term.
In another but less colorful election, the Rev. A.L. Brown had been
elected moderator of the Brunswick Baptist Association.
A Red Cross First Aid class was being taught in Southport; a
Washington, D.C., sports writer, Don Carpenter, was coming here on a
fishing trip to test some of the highly publicized off-shore fishing; and
the editor was having a farewell say about the Outdoor Writers ci
America, who had met here and had adjourned with words of praise
(Csnttnuad On Pag* roar)
Employment Check
Is Underway Here
A survey of employment and
unemployment in several rural
areas throughout the United
States began in Brunswick
county Monday, according to
Joseph R. Norwood, Director of
the Census Bureau’s regional
office in Charlotte.
Interviewers who will visit
households in this area are Mrs.
Karen Perry, Mrs. Darnella
Brown and Mrs. Elizabeth
Hughes.
The Employment Survey has
been developed by the Census
Bureau to provide information
about how many people are
employed and unemployed in the
survey areas, the sources they
use in looking for a job, and their
transportation to and from work.
The survey is also being con
ducted in a number of cities
throughout the Nation.
Facts supplied by individuals
participating in the survey
are kept confidential and the
results are used only to compile
statistical totals. The law
safeguarding the privacy of the
individual applies to all in
formation collected by the
Census Bureau.
Counties in this area incuded in
the survey are: Hoke, Cum
berland, Scotland, Duplin, On
slow, Pender, Brunswick,
Columbus, Bladen, Sampson,
New Hanover, Robeson.
Fields Attends
FHA Meeting
Parks C. Fileds, Farmers
Home Administration Supervisor
for Brunswick County, attended a
community programs meeting in
Raleigh Thursday.
James T. Johnson, State
Director of the Farmer Home
Administration, stated that the
meeting was held to discuss
processing and servicing loans
and grants for rural community
water and waste disposal
systems. Information was also
provided for making loans and
grants for solid waste disposal,
said Johnson. Under this
authority, FHA makes loans and
grants to purchse and develop
landfill sites and to purchase
equipment for operating land
fills. According to Johnson, there
is a tremendous need for sanitary
solid waste disposal facilities in
rural North Carolina. He in
dicated that his agency is
receiving an increasing number
of loan and grant applications for
(Ooatlnued On Pax*