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)