VOLUME 45 NUMBER 29
THE STATE PO
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
!6 PAGES TODAYSOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA FEBRUARY 6,1974 10 CENTS A COPY
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDA Y
School Project
Ready For Bids
The Southport Primary
School project will be ready for
bids within a few weeks,
i Board of Education members
Monday night reviewed plans
and specifications for the $1.4
million facility — including the
artist’s concept - drawing —
and instructed Assistant Supt.
I John Hicks and Supt. Ralph
King to carefully review the
documents before ad
vertisement.
Hie board, while optimistic,
was not as enthusiastic as
Architect Jack Croft, who said
he did not think there would be
“any problem in having the job
ready for bids the end of this
week.”
Some of the final,
specifications were received by
\ Croft’s Asheboro - based firm
earlier this week and had not
been cross - checked, he
reported.
In matters related to primary
school construction, a water
table ranging in depth from 5 to
8 feet was reported, and Board
Chairman Wilber Rabon
relayed a Department of
Transportation memo that the
access road to the school in
volves a 23 - degree curve — too.
sharp, DOT says.
Supt. King told board
members the angle probably
could be changed by starting
the curve earlier.
A special meeting has been
set Feb. 25 to finalize Board of
Education long - range plans
for construction and renovation
of school facilities throughout
Brunswick County. Estimated
cost of the work is $10 million
over a six - year period, to be
financed in great part by a bond
issue.
The board is awaiting
information from the county
commissioners about capital
outlay funds that can be ex-,
pected.
Local representatives voiced
hope of meeting with the
Department of School Planning
review panel March 22; plans
would have to be submitted two
weeks prior to that date.
Included for consideration
Feb. 25 are (1) the question Of a
new junior high school in the
South attendance area plus
continued use of the present
elementary school (vs. a new
grade 4-8 facility), and (2) a
centralized maintenance shop.
Concern also was expressed
about the acquisition of ad
ditional acreage adjacent to the
Bolivia school site.
Asst. Supt. P.R. Hankins
reported me school Food
Service program as “in the
black, overall”, though some
schools that were operating at a
deficit still are. The service
right now is maintaining “an
even keel,” Hankins said.
The local system has just
received its November state
reimbursement, while
December funds are expected
this week, he noted. A change in
the rate of reimbursement also
is expected, the assistant
superintendent continued, and
the January report is being
delayed for this reason.
The cost per half - pint of milk
was a temporary problem,
Hankins told the board. A
neighboring county was
receiving milk for less than
Brunswick County but the
discrepancy has been
corrected, resulting in a four -
tenths cent reduction locally.
The county is “still in the
running” for an ESEA grant
that would be used to improve
math programs in the county.
Hankins reported to the
board that ESEA funds im
pounded by the president have
been released. Local share is
about $54,000, including $12,709'
being used for an additional
(Continued on page 10)
Thursday Hearing Set On
Coastal Management Issue
The Coastal Management
Act will undergo a record
seventh public hearing
Thursday in Raleigh.
Sponsor of the bill, Willis P.
Whichard (D-Durham), said
that pressure from “coastal
people” had Forced the new
public hearing.
He said he personally does
not think a seventh hearing is
necessary but, “I don’t want
it to be said that people didn’t
have a chance to be heard.”
Whichard declined to
identify the “coastal people”
applying pressure for a new
hearing.
The hearing will be held
before both House and Senate
environmental committees.
A series of public hearings
on the bill were held along the
coast this summer. As a
result of local opinion, the bill
has undergone major
changes giving local
governments more power in
enacting and enforcing the
bill.
The bill attempts to control
haphazard development in 22
coastal counties by
establishing a state Coastal
Resources Commission
appointed by the governor.
The commission would
establish “environmentally
critical areas.”
Before building a critical
areas, a state permit would
be required for major
projects.
The bill would also require
a county land • use survey to
be completed within a year
by county commissioners
under state guidelines
naming the environmentally
critical areas.
Recent amendments would
(Continued on page 10)
state school Boards
County To Host
District 5 Meet
The annual meeting of the
District 5 State School Boards
Association will be held at
North Bnnswick High School
on Tuesday.
According to Mrs. May
Barbee, Brunswick school
board member and president
of the District 5 State School
Boards Association, the
theme for this year’s meeting
is “Building Better
Tomorrows Through Public
Education”.
“We have planned what we
think will be a very in
teresting and informative
program. The North Carolina
School Boards Association
will conduct a workshop
designed to provide learning
experiences in school board
problem solving; and the
feature speaker will be Dr. A.
Craig Phillips, State
Superintendent of Public
Instruction, who invariably
provides stimulation and
challenges for those involved
in public education.
“We feel that we have all
the necessary ingredients for
a most sucessful meeting,”
Mrs. Barbee said.
Mrs. Barbee noted that
approximately 200 persons
including school board
members, superintendents,
local committee members,
principals, PTA represen
tatives, and other invited
guests will attend the
meeting.
Commissioners’ Vote Split 3-2
Contract Voided On 14 Sheriff
Vehicles; Delivery Not On Time
By BOBBY HILL
The county commissioners
Monday voided a contract for
14 cars for the Brunswick
Cowity Sheriff’s Department.
The contract with Willetts
Ford called for the cars to be
delivered by January 1, the
commissioners said. The cars
have not been delivered.
The vote to void the con
tract was split. Chairman
W.A. Kopp, Jr., and Com
missioner Vardell Hughes
voted against the measure.
Commissioners John Bray,
J.T. Clemmons and Robert
Simmons were in favor of
termination.
Willetts Ford had won the
contract October 1, 1973 with
a bid of $54,161.24.
Prior to the vote, county
attorney Thomas Horne told
the commissioners he
“doubted” if they had the
authority to extend the
delivery deadline. He said the
“contractor has not complied
with the contract.”
“I sure have reservations
about that,” Kopp said. He
maintained it would be
“unfair” to make the dealer
“eat” the cars after having
signed the contract.
Bray, however, said he felt
“obligated to cancel, since it
was done on competitive
irrrrnrnT-nrriiiiKiitriiinmiiiiHii ....
bidding."
“We’re compelled to en
force it (the deadline)," he
said.
The commissioners also
directed a letter to the New
Hanover County com
missioners encouraging them
to participate in a Resources
Conservation and
Development Project.
Maynard Owens, Soil
Conservationist, told the
commissioners the New
Hanover commissioners have
not yet joined the program
because of “internal
problems.” He said par
ticipation must be obtained
from all governmental
agencies in the area to have a
good chance of federal ap
proval. ;(1
Owens said the project
would not require local fluids
(Continued on page 10) S
A NEW SOUTHPORT PRIMARY School expected to be in
1 use by fall, 1975 will be ready for bidding within a few weeks,
S according to reports by the Brunswick County Board of
| Education at its regular Monday night meeting. The $1.4
million facility for grades K-3 will be located inside Southport
city limits in an area known as the Cottage Tract. An access
road will be extended to the 19.4 acre school site.
I
Auto Program
Is Recognized
The Brunswick County 4-H
Automotive Safety and Care
Program conducted last
spring has been recognized
by the Firestone Tire and
Rubber Company.
Presentation of a plaque in
recognition of the program
was made on Monday in
Southport to Edwin Clem
mons, coordinator of the
steering committee.
In accepting the award
from David Burnette, 4-H
Traffic Safety Specialist with
North Carolina State
University, Clemmons said,
“This program was a com
munity effort. Many people,
school officials, driver
education instructors, in
surance agents, mechanics,
tire dealers, car salesmen,
and others, made the
program possible by
volunteering to give a small
portion of their time for our
youth."
The 4-H Automotive
Program was developed by
the Brunswick County 4-H
staff under the direction of
Milton Coleman, Agricultural
Extension Agent. Plans are
being made to conduct the
program again this spring.
Mobile Office
The mobile district office of
Congressman Charlie Rose
will be in Brunswick County
this week, at or near com
munity post offices between
the hours of 10 a.m. and 3
p.m.
After spending Thursday at
Leland, Rose assistant Rip
Collins will be in Bolivia on
Friday, Southport next
Tuesday and at Shailotte next
Wednesday.
Town Refuses To Pay Lawyer
Murphy Plans To Resign
As Yaupon Beach Mayor
By BOBBY HILL
Mayor Clarence E. Murphy
said Monday he will resign
March 4 at the town’s next
meeting.
The audience was shocked
by Murphy’s unofficial
statement. When asked why
he is resigning, Murphy said
he will present his reasons in
a letter in March.
Murphy said only that he is
“tired” of the mayoral job.
Having served for 15 years
on the Yaupon Beach council,
Murphy has a year and a half
remaining of his term as
mayor.
If the mayor does step
down in March, the
remaining four com
missioners must appoint a
replacement. The council
then must hold an election to
designate another mavor.
Immediately prior to the
resignation statement, a
short executive session was
held, reportedly on personnel
matters.
The council also voted
unanimously to reject a $100
bill for services presented by
town attorney Thomas
Home.
“There’s not five cents
worth in that whole paper,"
Board of Elections Chairman
Ernest Rees said of Home’s
legal advice on election laws.
The legal advice is dated
September 28,1973, and Rees
said he could not account for
the whereabouts of the
papers for the past six
months.
Commissioner W.E. Mc
Dougle said the council
should pay the tall if the
services had been requested
and the town owed it.
Commissioner William
Smalley replied that no in
dividual commissioner can
“run up an expense like that
without a vote or motion of
the council.”
Rees maintained the
papers submitted by Horne
are “straight from the law
book,” and he said a single
paragraph of legal opinion is
“in error.”
He said legal information
on elections can be obtained
free from county and state
election boards.
He contested Horne’s
opinion that the voter
registration book must be
kept “at all times in the office
of the Clerk of Yaupon
Beach.”
In a letter directed to
Horne, the council declined to
pay the bill and requested
that Horne not perform
further services for the town
unless formally directed.
Contacted Tuesday, Home
said he fully intends to collect
for the bill. He said he
charges $25 an hour.
“If they expect to get legal
service out of me, they can
expect to pay for it,” Horne
On The Inside...
— West Brunswick dumps Whiteville
88-72, North pulls away from South in the
fourth quarter, and girls’ baskvtball.
Stories and photos on page 6 and 7.
— The Sea Captain Motor Lodge near
the Southport Boat Harbor is the newest
accommodation in the county, and
perhaps the one built most on a prayer.
Story on page 2.
said. He said he will take the
town to court if the bill is not
paid.
A public hearing set for
February 21 on proposed
zoning ordinances was
questioned by planning
chairman Gerald Whitehurst.
Whitehurst said the Planning
and Zoning Board has not yet
approved the ordinance or
presented it to the com
missioners.
Copies of the ordinance
were mailed by attorneys to
the council instead of $he
planning group, Whitehurst
said. He said his boar4
i eiuses 10 preseni yie
ordinances until they have
been reviewed. , .f
Smalley said the presen
tation is a “technicality.” He
maintained the public
hearing will give ample
chance to correct any ob
jections to the ordinance.
Planning member John
Barbee also disagreed with
the procedure followed with
the ordinances. "I think it’s
being steamrolled ... over
the Planning and Zoning
Board’s head,” he said.
Whitehurst agreed that the
planning board will meet to
review the ordinance prior; jo
the public hearing. He sajd
the group will report to the
council in a special meeting
(Continued on page 10) •>