THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
VOLUME 43 NUMBER 8 10 PAGES TODAY WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1971 THPORT, N. C. 5c A COPY
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
School children from Oak Island are shown
here at the Southport Boat Harbor after
disembarking from the ferry which transported
them from Oak Island Coast Guard Station.
School buses are lined up to carry them to their
respective schools. This proceedure is expected
to continue for several months. (Photo by
Spencer). *
Free Protection Offered
To County Equine Owners
A vaccination program
against VEE will be started
in Brunswick County.
The program is jointly
administered by the North
Carolina Department of
Agriculture’s Veterinary
Division and the Animal
Health Division, Agricultural
Research Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture,
says Milton Coleman,
Associate Agricultural Ex
tension Agent for Brunswick
County. The U.S. Department
of Agriculture will furnish the
vaccine at no cost and pay
participating licensed ac
credited veterinarians $4 for
each horse vaccinated,
properly identified, and
reported.
The veterinarian cannot
charge the horse and mule
owner and charge USDA also.
The participating
veterinarian may elect to
take part in the program as a
Federal Fee Basis
Veterinarian by signing a Fee
Basis Agreement, and he will
be paid by USDA $4 for each
horse vaccinated. He cannot
do any vaccinating at owner’s
expense once he has signed
the Fee Basis Agreement. He
may elect to not sign the Fee
Basis Agreement and do
vaccination at the owner’s
expense, if he so desires.
In this case, USDA will
furnish the vaccine at no cost
and will not pay any part of
the fee for vaccination. In
other words, the practicing
accredited veterinarian must
elect to go one of two ways:
either at owner’s expense or
Charged Slayer
To Be Observed
me accused siayer or tour
diildren has been sent to a
state mental hospital for
examination.
Robert Atlas Johnson, a 47
year old out-of-work truck
driver, is charged with the
murder of four of his five
children in a wooded area
near Leland last Tuesday. A
fifth child survived the attack
and is recovering in New
Hanover Memorial Hospital,
Wilmington.
Judge Ray Walton ordered
that Johnson be sent to the
hospital for a period of ob
servation not to exceed 60
days. The court ruling came
in the early morning last
WprinPsHnv nhnnt 14 hnuro
after the brutal killings
reportedly occurred.
Johnson, who remained
calm throughout the in
vestigation by Brunswick
County, Wilmington and SBI
officers, reportedly killed the
children in an attempt to get
his wife to come home. A call
by Johnson to a Wilmington
television station after the
children were killed asked
that his wife come back
because the children were
dead and he needed her.
The tragic deaths climaxed
a two-month period of ap
parent marital troubles
between Johnson and his 29
year old wife Bonnie. The
troubles began, Johnson said,
when his wife started
working at a drive-in.
The murder scene, a
wooded area near Leland in
northeastern Brunswick
County, was found by law
officers who followed
directions trom jonnson.
When they arrived, two
children were still breathing
although one died a short
while later in the Wilmington
hospital.
A tire tool was used in the
killings.
The preliminary hearing
for the defendant was
scheduled for District Court
in Southport on September 27
but the order to admit
Johnson to the Goldsboro
hospital probably will delay
the trial. James C. Bowman
of Southport, a former judge
who recently returned to
private law practice here,
was appointed to represent
Johnson.
on a Federal Fee Basis
Agreement. He cannot do
both. At the time of vac
cination, each horse or mule
vaccinated will be identified
with a mane or tail tag.
If animals are already
identified by registration
numbers or lip tattoo, these
numbers may be used. A
certificate of vaccinated will
be given each owner by the
veterinarian at the time of
vaccination.
In Brunswick County, the
vaccination program will
start around September 23,
says Coleman. Veterinarians
from neighboring counties
will be doing the vaccinating.
On September 21, a
meeting will be held in die
Agriculture Extension
Service Building in Supply to
discuss encephalomyelitis.
Dr. Robert Behlow, Extension
Veterinarian, will discuss the
Eastern, Western, and
Venezuelan strains. It is
planned to announce at this
meeting the dates and
location of clinics in the
county, says Coleman.
Anyone desiring additional
information about the
program should contact the
Agriculture Extension Office.
QUARANTINE
All horses, ponies, and
mules were quarantined to
the premises on which they
are located, effective Sep
tember 9. As soon as they are
vaccinated against VEE, the
quarantine is automatically
lifted and they are free to
move within the state. They
should be accompanied by
the owner’s copy of the
vaccination certificate. This
certificate is to be issued by
the veterinarian to the owner
at the time of vaccination.
The quarantine will not
prohibit horse, pony, and
Time And Tide
In our edition for September 16,1936, there was a front page
picture of a new silo at Hillcrest Dairy near Southport, now the
Lindner Brothers Farm. Robert Jones was the manager. There
was another picture, showing Eleanor Howey (McAuley),
Hannah and Carey Reece, all double winners in the Southport
Tennis Tournament.
There was talk of holding a sailing regatta at Southport the
following summer; sports fishing was good again here in the
lower Cape Fear after muddy water caused by up-state rains
had cleared; and although several tobacco warehouse ad
vertisements said that prices were high and that selling was
brisk, nowhere could there be found a statement of the average
price being paid. Must have been pretty bad!
September 17, 1941, and the most interesting story on the
front page of The Pilot that week was about a couple of
youngsters who had locked themselves inside an abandoned
hearse, then had frightened off their would-be rescuers with
unearthly noises. But the story came off with a happy ending.
This might well have been dubbed “Crazy Week,” for another
(Continued On Page Fours
mule owners from carrying
their animals to a veterinary
clinic to get them vaccinated.
People desiring to carry
horses to other states should
check with the State
Veterinarian in state of
destination to get his
requirements before moving
equines even though they
have been vaccinated against
VEE.
Island Link Restored,
But Folks Not Happy
Conditions at Oak Island
are about as normal as they
are likely to be this week until
the next stage is reached in
the restoration of normal
contact with the mainland.
That will be the completion of
a pontoon bridge at the site of
the drawbridge which was
completely destroyed last
week when struck by a
barge; and the best estimates
on the completion of that
project is several months
from now, probably about the
first of the year.
More than 200 school
children are being tran
sported daily by ferry from
Oak Island Coast Guard
441__4 TT_1_z_
Southport. This operation
began Thursday and early
this week a cover was
provided to keep the rain off
the passengers.
Also last week the State
Highway Commission began
the task of transporting the
automobiles of stranded
tourists to the mainland, this
being done on a priority set
up by the police departments
at Long Beach and Yaupon
Beach. By Sunday this phase
was complete and vehicles
owned by local people were
allowed to load board the
ferry slip at Fort Caswell on
the grounds of the N.C.
Baptist Assembly, but on the
first trip Tuesday morning
for two-way traffic the ferry
lost control in a strong tide
and smashed a portion of the
temporary structure. Later
in the day work was resumed
on two-way traffic operation,
sport passengers back and
forth across the intracoastal
waterway. Most of the time
this is a peaceful and orderly
operation, but in the morning
when scores of workmen are
trying to get over to the
i
New Regulation
To Affect Plant
Carolina Power & Light Co.
officials said today the
Atomic Energy Com
mission’s issuance of an
amended regulation on
compliance with the National
Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) will require sub
mission of additional en
vironmental reports on the
company’s nuclear facilities
at Hartsville, S.C., and at
Southport.
J.A. Jones, CP&L senior
vice president for
engineering and operating,
said a preliminary review of
the AEC regulation released
last Friday indicates CP&L
along with other companies
must file additional en
vironmental data on all
nuclear power plants for
which the AEC granted
construction or operating
permits after January 1, 1970.
CP&L’s 700,000 kilowatt
Hartsville plant was placed in
operation last May, while
construction is about 30 per
cent complete on the first of
two units at Brunswick and 15
per cent on the second. A1974
operating date is projected
for the first unit, with the
second to begin in 1975.
“We believe that the
continued construction or
operation of these plants will
have no significant adverse
impact on the environment,”
Jones said.
He explained that the AEC
will be reviewing en
vironmental considerations
that were taken into account
by CP&L in the planning and
design of its facilities. These
environmental con
siderations were examined in
detail by competent state and
federal agencies, and their
comments also were taken
into account by CP&L in the
design and construction of its
nuclear plants, Jones em
phasized.
In regard to the possibility
of an interim suspension of
Hartsville plant operations
by the AEC, Jones said
“operation of the facility
under existing licenses and
environmental criteria leads
CP&L to believe the plant
should be permitted to
continue to operate.”
The amended AEC
regulation is a result of a
recent court decision which
stated that the AEC, in
licensing nuclear plants, can
no longer rely solely on the
evaluations of other govem
(Continued On Paare Flvei
Southport side to go to work
at Brown & Root, conditions
become congested. The same
process is repeated in the
afternoon. There are further
complications brought on by
the fact that there are others
who live in the beach area
and must report for work in
Southport.
One thing that makes this
operation difficult is that
nothing has been done to
make the landing areas on
either side of the waterway
either safe or convenient.
This is particularly true on
the south bank with its steep,
muddy sides. This means that
conditions which are
tolerable during emergency
operations last week are now
receiving much criticism,
particularly in view of the
fact that they probably wUl
continue to be in use for
weeks to come.
Residents of the island
have criticized Governor Bob
Scott for not declaring Oak
Island a disaster area. They
claim that had he done so
Modern Bank
Officially Open
Grand opening ceremonies
are being held today (Wed
nesday) and tomorrow at the
Waccamaw Bank & Trust Co.
building in Southport. An
observance on a smaller
scale also is being held at the
bank’s drive-in at Sawdust
Trail near Southport.
Lester V. Lowe, vice -
president of this banking
organization and manager of
the Southport branch, served
as master of ceremonies as
Miss Sandy Allen, Miss
Fourth of July, cut the ribbon
to symbolize the two-day
opening event.
One of the big attractions is
a treasure chest for which
Committee To
Help Schools
Complying to HEW
guidelines, a Local
Educational Agency shall,
prior to applying for
assistance under Emergency
School Assistance Program,
designate at least five civic or
community organizations
each of which shall select a
member to a biracial ad
visory committee.
Members of the committee
as submitted from these
organizations is composed of
the following members:
James H. Bryant, Fossie
Ballard, Willie Brown, Betsy
W. Higgins, Melba Kirby,
Dorothy Maner, Woodus
Mercer, Diana Mintz, John
McMillan, Franklin Ran
dolph. ReguJ .jons stats that
names of committee must
appear in local newspaper
prior to submitting the
project. The committee will
meet prior to applying for
assistance under ESAP.
keys have been mailed to
bank customers. Visitors
may line up for an op
portunity to unlock the chest,
and when they are successful
they receive one of several
hundred gifts which range in
variety and value.
Today’s brief opening
ceremony was begun with the
invocation by the Rev. John
Dean, pastor of Southport
Baptist Church. Lawrence R.
Bowers, president of Wac
camaw Bank & Trust Co.,
was here for the opening and
made a few brief remarks
reflecting the optimism bank
officials feel about this area.
City Manager C. D.
Pickerrell also spoke briefly.
The new bank building in
Southport is an imposing, red
Mi iV >3U UVVUi v- niuui, woo
designed by Ballard, McKim
and Swayer, Wilmington
architects. A distinctive
charactertistic is the area of
standing seam copper which
breaks masonry lines with a
building design which is
typical of some of the older
homes in Southport.
The grounds are im
pressively landscaped with
formal plantings on the
Moore Street side. Provision
has been made for ample
parking for customers and
employees.
(Continued On Page Five)
government assistance would
have been forthcoming in the
way of manpower—probably
National Guard personnel—
and possibly a temporary
bridge of some kind, probably
from one of the branches of
military service.
This pressure has been
increased by the fact that
Congressman Alton Lennon,
State Senator S.B. Frink and
Representative Thomas
Harrelson all have requested
Governor Scott to take this
action.
me governor last ween
directed the State Highway
Commission to move “as
expeditiously as possible” to
restore traffic between Oak
Island and the mainland and
characterized the situation as
an “emergency”. The SHC
forces responsed by bringing
two ferryboats into use,
providing ferry service for
passengers across the in
tracoastal waterway at the
bridge site and furnishing
transportation for the school
children. Their officials also
say that work is proceeding
full speed to prepare a barge
for use in the construction of
a pontoon - type bridge.
On the island no critical'
condition ever has;
developed, save possibly in
connection with the gasoline
supply. Most of the stations
have sold out, even though
this commodity was rationed
by action of the joint boards
at Yaupon Beach and Long
Beach. Today (Wednesday) a
barge is due to haul over a
tank truck which is expected
to alleviate this shortage.
Miss Jackie Herring last
ween organized meaicai
forces on the island and the
efforts of this group has done
much to allay fears of citizens
with chronic illness or with
impending emergencies.
Meanwhile, Chief Arthur
Skipper at Oak Island Coast
Guard Station had made
provision for use of a fast
boat to transport medical
cases to Southport for
transfer to the hospital. This
service was used several
times during the past few
(Continued On Pagre Five)
Food Stamp Use Down
Food stamps were issued to 2,525 people in 660
Brunswick County families during August, ac
cording to a report from the USDA Food and
Nutrition Service field office in Wilmington.
Value of the stamps was $57,741 but the low
income recipients paid only $17,236.50, with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture paying the bonus
of $40,504.50.
This was the scene in Southport today
(Wednesday) as Miss Sandy Allen cut the ribbon
for the Grand Opening of the new Waccamaw
Bank & Trust Co. building. Present for the
ceremony were President L.R. Bowers, Lester
V. Lowe, manager of the Southport office, and
Jackie Stephenson, Director of the Resources
Development Commission. (Photo by Spencer).