THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
t VOLUME 42 No. 40 14 PAGES TODAY WEDNESDAY, April 21,1971 SOUTHPORT, N. C. 5c A COPY PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY '
Early Opening
For Shrimping
Shrimp season will open
early this year in some
Brunswick County waters as
a result of research efforts by
the state Division of Com
mercial and Sports Fisheries.
The season traditionally
opens about May 15, but this
year certain waters opened at
five o’clock this afternoon
(Wednesday). Waters to be
opened are Intracoastal
Waterway ONLY.
Division biologists
recommended this break
from tradition after the
results of this past winter’s
work, along with four
previous years of shrimp
research, were studied.
Research has shown that
“We need to take a closer
look at shrimp manage
ment," according to Ed
McCoy, division chief of
research and development.
The water temperature is
now high enough for the pink
or spotted shrimp to be up
from their winter hibernation
and moving about, he said.
The big ones are migrating
toward the inlets and wifi
move out into the ocean and
southward. If the season is
not opened now, these
migrating pink shrimp will be
lost to North Carolina
fishermen.
Migration, as well as
growth, are brought to a halt
by cooler water temperatures
during October and
November, according to
McCoy.
Also, he said, our research
has shown that as soon as
pink shrimp reach a
marketable size, they should
be harvested. In addition to
the larger shrimp migrating
now, there are quantities of
acceptable marketables that
can and should be caught
now.
With the water now warm
enough for migration, it is
quite clear that if we are to
approach maximum
potential yield, now is the
time to open the season in
some areas, McCoy con
cluded.
Library Week Program
Shows Community Effort
Friends of the Library in
Brunswick County sponsored
an observance of that event
Sunday afternoon at the
Southport - Brunswick
County Library in Southport,
with Dr. Richard Corbett as
the speaker.
Also on hand to receive
recognition for their efforts
were winners in the Essay
and Poster Contest sponsored
by Friends of the Library.
These young people and their
parents helped to swell the
crowd in attendance to
around two hundred.
An enjoyable feature of the
program was the concert by
members of the Brunswick
County - Southport High
School Glee Club, under die
direction of James Frink.
Robert Howard served as
master of ceremonies for the
>» ■ ___m.i
Presenl
Principal James <
Elementary School, rig
introduced Dr. Richard <
for National Library V
afternoon at the South]
Library. (Photo by Del<
Helicopter Carrier Here
The amphibious assault ship Guam, a ' deployment maneuver in the Mediterranean,
hellicopter carrier, was one of the ships of the This big ship is shown as it approached the dock
Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Force which came at Sunny Point. The Guam can carry 2,000
into Sunny Point over the past weekend to loan Marines and 20 helicopters.
U.S. Marines and supplies for six months
Grandstand Falls; More
Than 125 Race Fans Hurt 1
The Leland Raceway
grandstand collapsed
Saturday night, injuring
about half of the 250 persons
sitting on the wooden seats.
Some fell as far as 30 feet.
No one was hurt seriously,
according to reports, and the
worst injuries were broken
bones.
Ambulances and rescue
squads from throughout
Brunswick and New Hanover
counties made continuous
runs between the track and
Wilmington hospitals.
The first warning of
danger, said several persons
who fell from the stands, was
a cracking sound.
An administrator of New
Hanover Memorial Hospital
termed it “a miracle” that no
one was killed. Extra medical
personnel were brought in for
the emergency, and Cape
occasion and called upon the
Rev. Reginald T. Bliss for the
invocation. A welcome was
extended by Mrs. Edna
Gause, Brunswick County
Chairman for National
Library Week. Guests and
library week committee
members were introduced.
James Clemmons, prin
cipal of Lincoln Elementary
School, introduced Dr.
Corbett, who praised
Brunswick County citizens
for the manner in which they
have cooperated to achieve
the high standards of library
service which is available. He
said that he was greatly
impressed with the ob
servance program that had
been arranged for this special
occasion.
Dr. Corbett pointed out that
s Speaker
Clemmons of Lincoln
ht, is shown here as he
Corbett, principal speaker
leek observance Sunday
>ort - Brunswick County
>res Spencer).
library facilities are the tools
for continuing education and
are particularly valuable for
those who have not had the
(Continued On Page Kvi)
Five Candidates
Enter Each Race
Last minute filings and one
change in category has led to
a ballot for the municipal
election in Southport which
has five candidates for
aldermen in each of the two
wards and five candidates for
the office of mayor.
Among the more
significant late developments
was the entry of Lester V.
Lowe into the mayor’s race.
A companion development
was the withdrawal of Mrs.
Dorothy R. Gilbert, from the
mayor’s race and her
decision to seek instead to be
re-elected to the Board of
Aldermen, this time as a
representative from Ward
Time And Tide
Three members of the Cape Fear Pilots Association had had
a thrilling experience on the Thursday before our issue for
April 22,1936. The water pump on the little pilot boat, the R.R.
Stone, had become disabled adn the craft had filled with water.
The men of the Oak Island Coast Guard station saw the
distressed craft and rescued all hands aboard. The late Dr.
Roy C. Daniels had been elected president of the Southport
Building & Loan Association, succeeding his father, the late
J.N. Daniels, in that office.
Dr. Ralph McDonald, candidate for governor, was coming to
Southport for a Saturday speech; the thermometer had
dropped to a cool 39-degree reading during the previous
weekend; and Ira Chadwick had been named the most athletic
boy at Shallotte High School.
The paving project on the road to Long Beach was nearing
(Continued On Pag* Four)
Fear Memorial Hospital and
Babies Hospital at Wright
sville Beach also par
ticipated. The latter did not
treat any patients, although
extra staff members were on v
duty.
TTiose with simple frac
tures were treated and
released, but 13 persons were
admitted at New Hanover
Memorial Hospital, and their
conditions were listed as
“good.”
Deputy George Britt noted
that rescue operations were
hampered by about 75 to 100
persons who demanded a
refund of their money. All
racing was cancelled after
die granstands collapsed.
He estimated that 6,000
persons were at the track
Saturday night.
A raceway official, who
said the stands had been
repaired during the past
month, attributed the mishap
to “overloading”.
No. 1.
With Lowe in the contest for
mayor, that race now has
William R. Thorsen, J.K.
Porterfield, William H.
Crowe and Robert Tharp as
other contestants.
In addition to the an
nouncement by Mrs. Gilbert
that she will be a candidate
for alderman from Ward No.
1, Bill Miller and Dempsey W.
Hewett also filed for that
office. W.L. (Shorty)
Hufham, a member of the
present board, and A1 Martin,
previously had announced.
In Ward No. 2 Harold
Aldridge, incumbent, has
(Continued On Page Five)
Plan Barbecue
For Hospital
“Babies in Brunswick”
campaign will get under way
Saturday with a barbecue
dinner on Dosher Memorial
Hospital gorunds. Advance
tickets are on sale at various
places in Brunswick County.
.Picnic tables will be set up
under the oak trees for those
who want to eat at the
hospital. Barbecue, cole
slaw, candied sweet potatoes,
hot cornbread or hush
puppies and desert will be the
order of the day.
Serving will begin at 11
a.m. and end at 6 pun.
Proceeds will be used for the
purposed OB-Unit at Dosher
Memorial Hospital so
mothers-to-be will have a
NEW, modem place to have
babies in Brunswick County.
“Come help us have ‘Babies
in Brunswick,’ urges Mrs.
Lou Lewis this week.
While many persons are
cooperating to make this
event possible, Mrs. Lewis
said that leaders in the
venture are members of
Town Creek Rescue Squad,
Hermar: Strong and Edgar
Finch.. The latter will of
ficiate at the barbecuing
ceremony for twenty pigs.
Ground Breaking Ceremony
These persons comprised a portion of the crowd
which gathered Wednesday for groundbreaking
ceremonies for the new building which will serve
as headquarters in Brunswick County for C&D
Commercial and Sports Fisheries Division. The
man holding the shovel is Roy Sowers, Director of
the Department of Conservation and Develop
ment; to his right is Ernest E. Parker of South
port, chairman of the C&D Committee of Com
mercial and Sport Fisheries. On Sowers’ left is
former Representative Arthur Williamson, who
was largely responsible for obtaining funds for
this project. On Parker’s right is Representative
R.C. Soles, and on the extreme right is
Representative Thomas J. Harrelson. (Photo by
Delores Spencer).
Owner Defends Plan
Of Island Development
If the state were to buy
Bald Head Island it would
cost more than $20 million,
the owner says. But there’s
one problem:
The island isn’t for sale.
William Henderson,
president of Carolina Cape
Fear Corporation that owns
the property, addressed a
joint meeting of the House
and Senate conservation
committees a week after
Gov. Bob Scott called for the
state to initiate condemnation
proceedings to force the
owner to sell.
Henderson said his firm
intends to go ahead with
plans to develop the Island
complex.
Conservationists have
fought to maintain the island
in its present state, and Scott
has envisioned the establish
ment of a marine research
laboratory.
Henderson said Bald Head
is not a primeval nor virgin
forest, but has been cut over
Ground Broken
For Office Here
Groundbreaking cere
monies were held Wednesday
for a new Com
mercial and Sports Fisheries
building, called by C&D
Director Roy Sowers “the
beginning of a lot of things we
will see happening in
Brunswick County.”
Sowers was in Southport for
the ceremonies, which
marked the start of con
struction of the $26,000
building adjacent to the
Small Boat Harbor. The
building will house district
offices for the C&D division.
Currently, enforcement
personnel and biologists are
working out of their homes,
with the nearest office in
Morehead City.
The new building in South
port is scheduled for com
pletion in June. It will have
facilities to answer technical
questions about marine life,
as well as office and storage
space.
According to Sowers, the
facility “will help the seafood
industry and it will also affect
the proper development of
coastal areas.”
He said that although the
estuarine study program is
little know, it has provided
invaluable training in marine
life as well as aided in the
evaluation in the land-use
plan.
Others on hand for the
ceremony included 13th
district representatives R.C.
Soles, Jr., Tabor City and
Thomas Harrelson, South
port; Gerald Arnold, Her
tford County representative;
Ernest Parker, a member of
the C&D Board from South
port; Dr. Thomas Linton,
director of the Commercial
and Sports Fisheries
Division; and William Kopp,
chairman of the Brunswick
County Commissioners.
at least three times in this
century, the latest harvest in
the early fifties.
Nor is it a wilderness, he
said, noting the island has
been inhabited at various
times since 1713, including
farming operations, military •
operations, citrus grove and
truck farming, and a suc
cessful hotel and pavilion
operation.
Henderson said various
scientists who have studied
the island have also sub
stantiated it is not a living
laboratory of unique floral
and fauna, since both
vegetation and animals on
Bald Head can be found in
other sections of the state.
Noting the island is not the
only place. North
Carolinians can go and
“quietly contemplate” in a
public area along the
seacoast, he pointed to
government - owned 52 per
cent of the Tar Heel coastline,
including the two national
seashore parks.
He said that due to nature’s
destruction, marsh areas are
not the productive nurseries
they once were, silting from
the Cape Fear River has
destroyed nutrients vital to
the development of marine
life; shellfish areas are
polluted; plant, animal and
bird life are diminishing.
“In short," he said, “good
conservation Dractices must
be initiated and maintained,
programs which will require
the allocation of millions of
dollars if the island’s natural
resources and its en
vironment are to be main
tained in a way that will be
meaningful to mankind.”
Henderson said the officers
(Continued On Page Five)
County Landfill Approved
A solid waste disposal plan
that includes six landfills was
approved Monday by the
Brunswick County com
missioners.
The county board made its
decision after a two-hour
debate with mayors of South
port, Shallotte, Holden
Beach, Ocean Isle Beach and
Boiling Spring Lakes. The
subject of controversy was
which plan would be used to
determine how much each
town would pay for its share,
and no decision was made on
this matter.
The beach municipalities —
Holden and Ocean Isle, along
with Long and Yaupon
beaches — were asked to
provide the commissioners
with information about their
waste disposal loads during
the summer months.
The plan, developed by the
North Carolina Department
of Local Affairs, was based
on a per-capita costs. It was
decided, however, that the
beaches would not be
providing a fair share on this
basis because their
populations are swelled by
tourists during the summer.
All the mayors present
were in favor of the overall
plan, which calls for landfills
to be located at strategic
points throughout the county.
The initial cost of the
program is an estimated
$66,000 and the annual
operating cost would be about
$35,00.
The commissioners had
considered the waste
disposal plan at their last
meeting, but deferred action
until die mayors had the
opportunity to express their
feelings. “We wanted to get
everyone’s feeling on
the plan,” said Chairman
William Kopp.