THE STATE PORT PILOT A Good Newspaper In A Good Community VO L UME 44 NUMBER 17 12 PAGES TODAY SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA NOVEMBER 15, 1972 10 CENTS A COPY PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDA Y Board Deadlocked Clark Still Behind; Asks For Recount The contest for Brunswick County Register of Deeds remains undecided after the Board of Elections met Tuesday afternoon and reached a stalemate on whether or not to allow a recount of votes. Durward Clark, the Democratic imcumbent trailing Arthur Knox by a narrow 10-vote margin, asked the Board of Elections to consider a recount. He em phasized that he is not alleging any fraud, only the possibility of human error. The Tuesday afternoon deadlock resulted when Democratic Board of Elec tions member A.H. Gainey, Jr., voted in favor of a recount and Lester Babson, in whose house the hearing was convened because of his bad health, voted against the second tally. The vote also was split on whether to recess or simply ajourn the meeting; Board Chairman Hubert Bellamy, who could break either tie with his vote, is out of the area on a vacation planned before the general election. Attorney Ernest Parker of Southport, representing Clark, said the only recourse I open to the Register of Deeds is an appeal to the State Board of Elections. There is a legal question of whether a 1951 law allowing for a recount in races decided by less than one percent is still in effect. Clark has five days to decide whether to appeal to the state board and no decision had been made by Wednesday afternoon. Clark asked for the Board of Elections to consider a recount of votes after the official canvass showed him trailing Knox by only ten votes, 4,247 to 4,237. Unof ficial reports from the 18 county precincts last Tuesday night had the Republican ahead by only seven, 4,222 to 4,215. Knox added 25 votes to his total in the Thursday can vass, held in the Brunswick County Courthouse at South port, while Clark’s total in creased by 22. George Clark, a Wilmington attorney representing Knox at the canvass, challenged the validity of 12 absentee ballots because they allegedly were sealed improperly. The Board of Elections, with members Gainey and Bellamy (both Democrats) voting, allowed the ballots in question to be eliminated. Bellamy said that the ballots were in doubt because “some people voted in the wrong precincts. There was no change in the outcome of races for other local offices. Both sidles added a few votes, but not enough to amount to any substantial difference from the unofficial tallies given election night. In final totals, Republican Bill Kopp, Jr., received 5,016 votes; J.H. Bray, 4,560; Robert Simmons, 4,704; Vardell Hughes, 4,676; and J.T. Clemmons, 4,847. Democratic candidates for County Commissioner received the following: Vereen, 3,349; McKoy, 3,175; McGee, 3,053; Reaves, 3,058; (Continued On Page Eight) AEC Outlines Hearing Rules The Atomic Energy Commission is considering issuance of licenses to the Carolina Power and Light Company for operation of Units 1 and 2 of the Brun swick Steam Electric Plant near Southport, and is publishing notice of a public hearing to be held on en vironmental matters. Ordinarily, a public hearing is not mandatory at the operating license stage of AEC’s licensing process; however, the Commission publishes a notice that it is considering issuance of the license which provides op portunity for the public to request one. In the case of the Brun swick nuclear plant there will be a public hearing on en vironmental matters in any event, because the con struction permits were issued after enactment of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) without full consideration of en vironmental issues at the public hearing at that time. Under AEC regulations implementing NEPA, a Early Edition Next week’s edition of The State Port Pilot will be printed on Tuesday so that newspapers can be mailed Wednesday morning—before the post offices close for the observance of Thanksgiving. Advertisers and persons wanting news items in the Pilot next week are reminded that copy should be in this office by 4 p.m. Monday. Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving. hering is now required in such cases. The Commission also is providing opportunity for hearing on other matters such as health and safety issues. The notice published in the Federal Register on November 3, provided that persons whose interest may be affected may file a petition to intervene in the proceeding with respect to (1) whether the construction permits should be continued, modified, terminated or appropriately conditioned to protect environmental values; and (2) the issuance of the operating licenses. All petitions to intervene must be filed within 30 days (by December 4, 1972) after publication of notice in the Federal Register and should be addressed to the Secretary of the Commission, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, D.C. 20545, Attention: Chief, Public Proceedings Staff. Each petition, with a supporting affidavit, must set forth in detail the facts pertaining to the petitioner’s interest, the specific aspects of the proceeding on which he wishes to intervene and the basis for his contentions. If a petition is granted, the petitioner becomes a full party to the proceeding and has a right to participate fully in the proceeding. For example, he may present evidence and examine and cross-examine witnesses. Any person who does not (Continued On Page Eight) FRYING TAN LIGHTSHIP, now moored on the Southport waterfront, should give a boost to the local tourist trade when it is converted to a nautical museum. Work is progressing on the 133-foot vessel, which used to be anchored off Frying Pan Shoals to give warning to passing ships that otherwise might be lost on the submerged banks. School Board Holds Meeting The Brunswick County Board of Education met last week and heard members of the West Brunswick High School Committee discuss major needs of that school. Committee members Willie Marlow, Albert Parker and Lewis Stanley listed five concerns that the county board agreed to take into consideration: feasibility of a combined athletic field, lighting and securing athletic field, security lights for the school, money for a total vocational program, and an appropriate school sign. The committee was ad vised that the security lights already had been okayed by the board of education. The board delayed action on accepting bids for in stalling a chain link fence at Brunswick County-Southport Middle School. This request was made by the Local School Committee. The board authorized sale of junked activity bus for merly used by North Brun swick High School. Also, the board members discussed a letter received from Waccamaw Bank and Trust Company concerning (Continued On Page Eight) ■SMB*... * -V A NEW DRESS for Miss Fourth of July, Stephanie Helms, has been presented by the Southport Jaycettes. The red and white gown, designed especially for Stephanie, will be worn to the numerous parades and pageants she will attend throughout North Carolina this year. Ocean Isle, Sunset Beaches Qualify Ocean Isle Beach and Sunset Beach in Brunswick County have qualified for HUD’s National Flood In surance Program and local property and casulty agents can start selling additional coverage there on Friday. “Now that a rate study has been completed and the area of special flood hazard has been defined for these communities,” explained Federal Insurance Ad ministrator George K. Bernstein, “we are able to expand the availablity and limits of coverage under the program.” However, he said that coverage under the regular program should not be confused with coverage under the emergency program. “Under the regular program,” Bernstein said, “coverage is now available, for the first time, to the owners of newly-constructed residential and non residential properties. Those County Resort Receives Name “Carolina Shores” is the name Carolina Caribbean Corporation and Blythe Properties, Inc., have selected for their new resort oriented community located near Calabash in Brunswick County. Carolina Shores will be a $15 million multi-phase project encompassing almost 2,000 acres near the coast on the South Carolina boarder. Construction and development of the first phase has already begun with marketing scheduled in early Bryant Named Board Member James H. Bryant of Supply has been elected to the board of managers of the North Carolina Congress of Parents and Teachers, according to an announcement by Mrs. Frank Hull Crowell, state PTA president. Bryant will serve as chairman of the Historian and Founders Day Com mittee. Bryanthas long been active in work for the public schools and children. He has served as president of the Union Elementary School PTA, public relations director for District 13 and is currently serving as president of the West Brunswick High School PTA. The Historian and Foun ders Day Committee of the state PTA compiles, main tains, and preserves an ac curate and concise record of the activities and achievements of the association from its organization to the current year. 1973. The first phase will include 235 single family cluster sites, 120 estates sites, an 18-hole championship golf course and clubhouse, commercial tracts and a marina on the Calabash River. Construction on the joint venture is being done by Blythe, and Carolina Caribbean will market the resort nationally. Blythe Properties, Inc., a real estate development corporation, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Blythe Brothers Co., a Charlotte based construction firm. Carolina Caribbean Cor poration is a recreational resort developer based at Beech Mountain in western North Carolina. In addition to Beech Mountain, an all-seasons resort which features skiing during the winter months, CCC is also the developer of Land Harbors of America, resorts for campers at Lin ville and Little River, S. C.; The Reef, a condominium development on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands; and Triple C Mini Ranches near Charlotte. properties started after the emergency program became effective and located within the area of special flood hazard are eligible for coverage only at actuarial rates. New properties located outside this area, however, are eligible for coverage at the actuarial and-or sub sidized rates, whichever is less.” Additional coverage, also at actuarial rates, can now be t purchased for existing structures within the entire area eligible for flood in surance. Under the emergency program, he added, limited amounts of flood insurance can be bought at federally subsidized rates for struc tures existing at the time the community becomes eligible. Besides covering against loss, the federal flood in surance program helps promote sound floodplain management and land use control. In becoming eligible for flood insurance, Bernstein said, the governing bodies had to adopt land use control measures appropriate to the characteristics and specific flood threat of the com munity. These measures, he added, “Are supposed to be designed to guide future development away from flood hazard areas and set foundation and floor construction standards thus helping to promote sound floodplain management and land use control.” Official maps identifying local flood hazard areas can be examined at the town halls of Ocean Isle and Sunset beaches. Co-op Meeting Was A Failure Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation’s annual membership meeting had such a small turnout Friday — 555 persons — that the cooperative’s annual business session could not be held. A five per cent quorum — or 780 of the co-op's 15,605 members — would have been necessary before the business meeting could have been held, according to BEMC attorney D. Frank McGougan Jr. A new time for the 1972 business meeting was not announced Friday. Observers attributed the small turnout to the short notice — one week, it was reported — given to the memtx '•ship of the meeting’s existence and the fact that it was scheduled for a Friday Bid Openings Bids for construction of the high-level Oak Island bridge will be opened next Tuesday morning at the State Highway Commission building in Raleigh. If the law bid is acceptable, construction would be expected to begin in January. Also on Tuesday, the State Highway Commission will consider bids for 12.9 miles of bituminous concrete surface for resurfacing three sections of primary roads and one section of secondary road on US 17 and US 74 (part) in Brunswick and New Hanover counties. rather than a Saturday, as in 1971. The session was held in Smith’s Warehouse on 701 Bypass north of Whiteville. Congressman-elect Charlie Rose of Fayetteville, who said he was making his first public speech since his election to Congress three days earlier, told the members present that “This organization stands for the spirit of our people: people doing for themselves things that other people said could not be done.” “My Job in Congress will be twofold: to strengthen agriculture and to see that people of this area have equal opportunity for jobs and employment, in other words, to bring more industry to this partof North Carolina,” Rose added. “I love the farmers of this district as much as I love anything in this world,” the Congressman-elect told his listeners. “But the farmers of America are to being treated failry by the rest of our economy — they deserve a fair break, a fair return for their investment." Rose promised to work for 100 per cent of parity, poin ting out that he was “going to try and get on that Agriculture Committee.” BEMC President C.D. Branch of Evergreen called the annual meeting to order, (Continued On Page Bight)