The Pilot Covers
Brunswick County
THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
i
Most of the News
All The Time
VOLUME 42 , No. 21
22 Pages Today
SOUTHPORT N C. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1970
5c A COPY
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
Court Action Is Next Step
After House Vote Deadlock
For the first time in more than
100 years, a member of the North
Carolina House of Represen
tatives may be seated by his
peers.
Sunday, the State Board of
Elections announced its decision
to count the ballot of Mrs. Grady
Carol Formyduval. The ballot,
which showed a vote for Thomas
Harrelson but was declared
spoiled by election officials in
South Lees precinct, deadlocks
the race between Harrelson and
Democrat Arthur Williamson at
5,453 votes apiece. Both men
were certified by the state board.
Usual procedure would have
Some strange things happen on the beach, and one is to find a pilfering cat who
steals fish from beach fishermen. Brice Helms though he had been losing a part
of his catch from his gill net, and Dan Shannon caught the feline culprit in the act.
Yes, that’s fish the cat has in its mouth.
HEW Orders Board
To Change Bus Plan
Federal officials from the Civil
Rights Office of the Department
of Health, Education and Welfare
visited die Brunswick County
School System last week for the
purpose of making a unit-wide
review and survey relative to
school desegregation matters.
The two-day survey was
conducted by three HEW staff
members from the Washington
and Atlanta Civil Rights office
and included an on-sight in
spection of the operation of each
of the eight county schools ac
cording to Ralph C. King,
Superintendent, Brunswick
County Schools.
The officials requested detailed
information as to school tran
sportation, staff and student
assignments, sale of property to
private schools, class
organization, extra-curricular
activities and many other facets
of the total school operation.
As a resultof the visit the group
cited some discriminatory
practices observed in the schools
and listed some major
deficiencies of the school system
in its effort to eliminate the dual
school system.
The school system was directed
to reorganize the school tran
sportation system in a manner
which would eliminate all
vestiges of a dual bus system.
Reference was made to previous
directive from HEW which
states:
“School systems are respon
sible for reorganizing their
transportation system to
facilitate the elimination of the
dual school structure. Race,
color, or national origin may not
be a factor in assigning students
to buses, nor may school systems
continue to maintain overlap
ping, duplicative bus routes
which segregate students.
Therefore, affirmative steps
must be taken to eliminate the
problems dealing with
segregated bus routes.’’
Another concern of the HEW
staff members was the assign
ment of teachers to the various
schools. It was cited that the
racial percentage of each school
did not reflect the county-wide
percentage which is required by
law according to a directive
received from HEW which
states:
“Faculty Desegregation
Faculty members have not been
reassigned so as to completely
desegregate the faculties of all of
your schools. In this connection,
current judicial decisions, as well
as our policies, require that staff
members be assigned so that the
ratio of Negro to white teachers
in each school is substantially the
same as the ratio that exists
system wide.
“Under the requirements of the
above stated ratio rule, no faculty
of any of your schools should be
predominately black, since your
black-white faculty ratio is ap
proximately 38 percent black and
62 percent white.”
The Brunswick County Board
of Education and officials were
given until December 18 to come
forth with plans to satisfy the
above concerns or legal action
which would involve ad
ministrative enforcement to
proceedings by the Department
of Health, Education and
Welfare, these to be initiated
immediately.
either candidate seated by the
predominantly Democratic state
legislature, but Harrelson said in
a telephone interview that he will
take the matter to court.
“We will file an appeal to Wake
County Superior Court to get a
recount of ballots in every
precinct in Columbus County,”
the Southport man said. “We
contend that the registrars and
other election officials were
improperly instructed how to
count the votes and how to
determine whether or not some
votes were valid.
“It was proven in South Lees
precinct that the officials were
unable to count the votes
properly and could not determine
the validity of some ballots,”
Harrelson stated.
Unofficial results of the
November 3 general election had
Harrelson trailing his opponent
by five votes in the race for a
House seat to represent
Columbus and Brunsiwck
counties. The Brunswick County
canvass showed an additional 15
votes for Harrelson and six more
for Williamson, but the Chad
bourn farmer-businessman
picked up seven votes in his home
county for a two-vote margin.
Harrelson asked for a recount
of votes in Columbus County but
the request was denied by the
county Board of Elections. The
state board heard an appeal and
allowed a recount in South Lees,
where the Republican judge said
13 votes were cast foi Williamson
and the Democratic judge and
registrar stated the candidate
received 20 votes.
The recount showed 19 votes for
Williamson, cutting his apparent
victory margin to—one. Friday,
the state board heard an appeal
by Harrelson that concerned a
disputed ballot, also in South
Lees precinct.
The ballot, which reportedly
was cast by Mrs. Formyduval,
showed a vote for Harrelson and
fOoottuMd On P«(* Mx)
Next Week Is
Clean-Up Time
Mayor Eugene Tomlinson is
calling upon all citizens to ob
serve December 14 through 19 as
Clean-Up Week in this area.
“Begin by your own property
clean-up, then assist with public
property clean-up by meeting at
the Cedar Bench on December 19
at 9 a.m.,” he asks.
“Various clubs and individuals
will move out into assigned areas
to help with a citywide clean-up
for Christmas. Let’s present a
good appearance to the many
people who are beginning to visit
Southport,” the Mayor said.
Mayor Tomlinson stated that
the citywide effort was sparked
by a recent resolution presented
to the Board of Aldermen by local
Garden Clubs who have agreed to
support the Saturday morning
operation.
Bald Head Developer Says Value
Of Island’s Marshland ‘Overrated’
, The man who wants to develop
Bald Head Island does not believe
that only governments can be
responsible.
William H. Henderson, who
reportedly agreed to buy the
island from previous owner
Frank Sherrill for $5.5 million,
told a meeting of the Con
servation Council of North
Carolina Sunday about his plans
to build the island into a multi
million dollar resort without
destroying the beauty of the
property, located at the mouth of
the Cape Fear River at South
port.
He indicated that he wouldn’t
yield to the wishes of Gov. Scott,
and that the would go to court to
secure access to the island. Gov.
Scott and other state officials
have announced they would not
grant dredging permits that
Henderson would need for ferry
access to the island.
Henderson said his lawyers
have told him, “There is no basis
for the state not granting the
permits.”
Henderson, a former official in
the N.C. Department of Con
servation and Development, is
president of Carolina Cape Fear
Corporation. The group is in
volved in one of the greatest
conservation-development feuds
in state history, and one of the
major adversaries is the con
servation council.
The would-be developer said
the question of ferry-access to the
island could be resolved and
construction on the island could
startnext spring. He also doubted
that the courts would uphold a
state decision to condemn the
property so the government could
have the island as its own.
“I do not subscribe to the
theory that only governments can
be responsible,” Henderson told
the conservationists Sunday in
Reidsville. He was an invited
guest at their meeting.
He was reminded of Scott’s
suggestion that he bought the
island so he could raise the price
and sell the 12,000 acre island to
the state. He denied this.
“I am not selling it to the state
or any other group,” Henderson
stated.
Henderson gave an outline of
the development that he claimed
would enhance rather than
destroy the natural value of the
subtropical island.
According to the developer:
—The development, in clusters
of about 100 acres or less, would
never exceed 16,000 persons.
—The value of the marshlands
surrounding the island has been
greatly exaggerated.
—All settlement, including
roads, would be set back from the
shoreline.
—All historical features, in
cluding the lighthouse, would be
preserved.
“This is not the normal kind of
development one might think of,”
Henderson said during his 45
minute speech. “It will be for
people with sufficient ap
preciation of nature.”
No resident would be allowed to
remove a tree over four inches in
diameter or remove or plant any
shrubbery without the per
mission of a special conservation
committee.
Sewage would be processed,
Henderson said, by a treatment
plant more advanced than any
used by a minicipality in this
state. The sewage would not be
released in the water, but even if
it were it would be 300 percent
cleaner, he said.
“We are not going to have a lot
of roads,” he stated.
“Automobiles may be prohibited.
It is my personal desire to
prohibit them if at all possible.”
The discussion of most concern
(OonttaiMd Qa Fur* Mx)
New Commissioners Sworn In
This was the scene in the Brunswick County
Courtroom Monday morning when members of the
new Board of County Commissioners were ad
ministered their oath of office before Judge Ray H.
Walton. Left to right, they are W.A. Kopp, Jr., :
chairman; Robert Simmons, Vardell Hughes, John H. ;
Bray and J.T. Clemmons. (Photo by Spencer)
Swearing - In Ceremony
Participating in swearing-in ceremonies held
Monday morning were Sheriff Harold Willetts, left,
and Clerk of Court J.E. Brown. On the right is
Coroner Lowell Bennett, receiving congratulations
from Judge Ray H. Walton, who administered the
oaths of office. (Photo by Spencer)
New Board Of Commissioners
Name Lewis County Manager
Newly elected Brunswick
County officials were given their
oath of office by Judge Ray H.
Walton Monday morning.
Included were members of the
new board of County Com
missioners, who met and named
W.A. Kopp, Jr., to serve as
chairman. Other members are
John H. Bray, J.T. Clemmons,
CP&L Plant Now
At 10 Percent Mark
Work on North Carolina’s first
nuclear electric generating plant
is approximately 10 percent
complete, according to W.B.
Kincaid, Carolina Power & Light
Company manager of plant
design and construction.
The plant, being built by CP&L
near Southport will consist of two
identical 821,000 kilowatt units
costing over $300 million. The
first unit is scheduled for com
pletion in 1974, followed by its
twin in 1976.
Work is progressing on the
basic foundations and structures
for the units. Nearly 770 em
ployees are working at the 1,200
acre construction site, according
to W.C. Strickland, project
manager for Brown & Root, Inc.,
constructor of the unit.
The first General Electric
reactor pressure vessel is
scheduled for delivery in August
of 1971. The reactor vessel, which
weighs 530 tons, will be inside a
148-foot high containment
building when the plant is
completed.
CP&L has nearly completed a
700,000 kilowatt nuclear unit near
Harsville, S.C. The unit will be
the largest on CP&L’s system
and the first commercial nuclear
unit in the Southeast.
By the end of 1976 the power
company will more than couble
its present generating capacity.
CP&L spends an average of
$500,000 per day on construction.
New Officers
For Lay Group
The Brunswick County Home
Health Service Lay Group held
it's quarterly meeting at the New
Hope Freewill Baptist Church on
November 23 with 15 members
present. John Sloan ot the church
presented $6 to the group and the
Women of the Moose at Yaupon
Beach presented $25 toward the
purchase of a walker for the loan
closet operated by the group.
A new slate of officers was
presented and the following were
unanimously elected: Mrs. Ada
Mims, chairman; Mrs. Josie
Smith and Mrs. Katie Wim
brough, who will work together
as vice-chairman and program
chairman; Miss Kay Moore,
treasurer; Mrs. Peggy Parker,
secretary, and Mrs. Gladys Fish,
publicity chairman. Jospeh
Wimbrough and Vinton Fish have
volunteered to keep equipment in
good repair. Since the meeting
the loan closet has received two
hospital beds from Dosher
Memorial Hospital.
The organization wishes to
remind readers that it can use all
kinds of sick room equipment,
lines, pajamas, robes, etc. The
need is always greater than the
suppiy."
Robert Simmons and Vardell
Hughes.
One of their first act* was to
appoint Jerry D. Lewis as County
Manager, and this fulfills one of
their campaign promises.
Republican candidates for this
office had promised to create and
to fill this position in county
government.
Lewis resigned his position as
an engineer with Riegel Paper
Co. to accept this appointment.
Prior to going to work at Riegel in
1968 he had been doing work as a
consulting engineer for several
years while establishing a retail
business at Shallotte. In 1964 he
resigned from a position with
Western Electric in Winston
Salem to return to his native
Brunswick county. He is a
graduate of University of North
Carolina at Raleigh.
His salary was set at $10,400
per year.
The new Board of Com
missioners named Thomas Home
to serve as County Attorney.
Others sworn in during the
courtroom cerepnony were
Sheriff Harold Willetts, Cleik of
Court J.E. Brown and Coroner
L.B. Bennett.
At the conclusion of the
swearing-in ceremony, Judge
Walton said, “Brunswick County
has a history of good govern
ment. We are more or less tur
ning our government in Brun
swick County over to you for a
few years... I charge you to keep
that tradition moving.”
The board resolved that all
bond proofs be turned over to
Clerk of Court Brown for safe
keeping and in a place where they
could be presented for inspection
at the commissioners’ request to
prevent future troubles along the
same lines.
The board also named Wac
camaw Bank and Trust of South
port and the Bank of North
Carolina at Shallotte as the
county’s two official depositories.
Waccamaw formerly served as
the county’s only depository.
In other actions before
recessing the meeting, the board
discussed departmental
operations with county depart
ment heads.
Ti]
And Tide
December 4,1935, and winter had been here. The temperature had
dropped to 26-degrees, and some out-of-season blossoms had been
blighted by the cold. There was a note that Boatswain Roy Robinson,
in charge of Oak Island Coast Guard Station for the past 4 years, was
being transferred to Boston, Mass.
There had been no Thanksgiving dinner served at the Brunswick
County jail for the simple reason that the local bastile had been empty
during the holiday period. A dozen men from the local CC Camp had
given blood for a patient at the local hospital; and Dr. D.I. Watson had
celebrated his 79th birthday with open house at his home here.
Thomas Crady Floyd, Southport boy, became the first man to be
furnished the armed services through the local Selective Service
Board. He volunteered for one year and left on Wednesday, December
4,1940, for Ft. Bragg. That was the same day The Pilot came out that
week. Orton reported a profusion of early blooming camellias,
probably as the result of an unusually mild November.
(Continued On Pag* m
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