THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
VOL UME 45 NUMBE R 32 16 PAGES TOD A Y SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA FEBRUARY 27,1974
10 CENTS A COP Y PUBLI SHED E VER Y WEDNESDA Y
LONG LINES OF CARS waiting for gas at
various Southport area stations has been
prevalent during the past week as station
operators have cut their operating hours and the
amount of gas sold way back. The line at Con
venient Food Mart, which apparently has the
greatest supply of gas locally, sometimes
reached three blocks. A comparable line stretch
along the shoulder of Howe Street Monday af
ternoon, waiting for gas at Roy’s Gulf. Southport
Sunoco and Hufham’s Exxon have pumped
limited quantities each day.
$11 Million Called For
Board Reviews Proposal
For County School Bond
By BOBBY HILL
The Brunswick County
board of education Monday
finalized proposed plans for
an $11 million school im
provement project for state
and county commissioner
approval.
Included in the proposal is
a $5.5 - million county school
bond issue.
Besides approving the bond
issue, the county will also be
asked to fund $3.6 million
over a six - year period.
Supt. Ralph King told the
board they will “not be
completely locked in” by
approving the plans.
There wili be “no question”
about the first four of the
proposed projects, said
assistant superintendent
John Hicks. He said these
first projects will be funded
by the $1.7 million the county
received from the state
School Bond funds.
The first four of the 14
projects need state approval
next month, Hicks said.
Included in the four
projects for 1974-75 are
Lincoln Primary School
($440,400), Bolivia
Elementary School
($511,800), Union Primary
School ($467,600) and Wac
camaw Elementary
($282,200).
The remaining projects
require both state and
commissioner approval.
They are proposed to be
funded from capital outlay
and the school bond.
In order of listed priorities,
the remaining projects in
clude Leland Middle School
for 1976-77 ($2,100,000),
Shallotte Middle School for
1976-77 ($2,520,000), South
Brunswick Junior School for
1976-77 ($1,200,000), Bolivia
Elementary School for 1977
78 ($1,176,000), Waccamaw
Elementary School for 1977
78 ($924,000), Southport
Middle School for 1977-78
($220,096), Lincoln Primary
School for 1978-79 ($183,264),
Shallotte Middle School for
1978-79 ($78,000), Union
Primary School ($153,336)
and a central administrative
complex for 1980 to include
maintenance buildings and a
school bus garage ($500,000).
Hicks told the board they
should hold a bond election
"within the next year.” He
said they should determine
an election date next month.
King warned against
political involvement with the
issue, and he recommended
that the board consider
holding a special election for
the bond referendum. He said
a special election would cost
about $12,000.
Member Bill Sue also (
cautioned turning the school
projects into a “political
football.”
However, member Dr.
John Madison replied, “I !
don’t see how it can become a ;
political thing.” He said the '
school projects had been j
planned with a county - wide
(Continued on page 4)
No Position Uncontested
All Incumbents Seeking
Re-Election, Races Full
All incumbent elected
county officials are seeking
re-election as filing ended
Monday for the May 7
primary election.
Eight Republican can
didates filed for two - year
terms as county com
missioner. The incumbent
commissioners finishing
their second terms include
Robert Simmons of Shallotte
Local School
Bids Are Let
Bids on the Southport
Primary School are being
advertised and will be
received March 21, the board
of education announced
Monday.
“Right now, I don’t see any
hang-ups,” said assistant
superintendent John Kicks of
the planned $1.4 million
school.
Hicks said a possible
“problem” will be contracts
for the school’s plumbing,
heating and electrical
systems.
Hicks also said plans to tie
the school to a Southport
water and sewer system have
not yet been finalized. South
port aldermen recently voted
for final engineering plans to
be made on the water and
sewer system.
Township, William A. Kopp,
Jr., of Town Creek Township,
J.T. Clemmons of Lockwood
Folly Township, John Bray of
Smithville Township and
Vardell Hughes of Wac
camaw Township.
Those Republican can
didates seeking their first
commissioner post include
John J. Ci.ild, Sr., of Nor
thwest Township, Richard L.
Appling of Smithville
Township and Carolyn R.
Roberts of Lockwood Folly.
Democratic candidates for
commissioner include An
drew Gray from Lockwood
Folly Township, Willie E.
Sloan from Town Creek
Township, Ira D. Butler from
Smithville Township,
Frankie Thomas from North
west Township, W.T. Russ,
Jr., from Shallotte Township
and T. David Bowers from
Lockwood Folly Township.
Eight candidates are vying
for three non- partisan board
of education slots for four -
year terms.
Candidates include in
cumbent Wilbur E. Rabon of
Town Creek Township,
Barbara (“Bobbie”) Young
of Town Creek Township,
Carter T. Lambeth of Smith
ville Township, incumber;
May W. Barbee of Smithville
Township, incumbent John T.
Madison of Shallotte
Township, James R. Prevatte
of Smithville Township,
Franklin Randolph of Lock
wood Folly Township and
Tax Funds Received
The lowest collection of the one - cent sales and
use tax in Brunswick County in nearly two years
was reported in January.
The collection totalled only $41,906.17. The N.C.
Department of Revenue said the March ‘72 amount
was $37,000, but monthly totals since then had
ranged in the upper - $50,000 bracket.
Also announced this week was the fourth -
quarter distribution of sales tax funds to the
bounty and nine municipalities. The county’s share
s $139,671.
Southport will receive $5,606; Yaupon Beach,
>1,732; Long Beach, $9,208; Boiling Spring Lakes,
®81; Bolivia, $71; Holden Beach, $1,815; Ocean
sle Beach, $1,227; Shallotte, $2,670; and Sunset
teach, $890.
Thomas J. Gray of Lockwood
Folly Township.
Three Democrats have
filed torun against Thomas J.
Harrelson, of Smithville
Township, who is seeking his
third two - year term in the
state House of Represen
tatives. Democrat
challengers include Allen C.
Ward of Shallotte Township,
V.A. Creech, Jr. of Northwest
Township and K.T. Bellamy
of Lockwood Folly Township.
Finishing his second four -
year term, incumbent Sheriff
Harold Willetts faces
Republican challenger Alvis
E. Lewis of Lockwood Folly
Township. Democrats run
ning for the sheriff position
are Mack Ray McLamb of
Shallotte Township, D.E.
Tripp of Shallotte Township,
J. Walton Willis of Smithville
township and Herman
Strong, also of Smithville.
Veteran coroner Lowell B.
Bennett is the sole
Democratic contender for
another four - year term. He
will be challenged in the
November general election
by Republican Larry An*
drews.
Democrat Clerk of Court
J.E. (“Jack”) Brown, an
incumbent for 20 years, will
face no oppostion in the May
primary election for another
four-year term. The single
Republican candidate for the
clerk position is James I.
Jeffreys, Jr.
Three Die In
Leland Crash
A Leland man and two
brothers were killed Friday
night in a head - on collision
on US 74-76.
The mishap was the first
multiple fatality auto ac
cident in Brunswick County
in 1974.
The accident took place
approximately one-tenth of a
mile west of the intersectin of
Lanvale Road and the high
way, according to State High
way Patrolman L.W. Davis.
There were no survivors in
the accident.
Glen Davis White, 29, of Rt.
3 Leland was killed when his
auto was struck by the
vehicle occupied by the two
brothers. Also ' killed were
Ervin Junior and John Henry
Godbold of Wilmington.
Both automobiles involved
in the accident were
demolished.
Davis said the accident
occurred at a curve in the
highway just west of a new
highway overpass under
construction. He said the
curve has been the scene of
fatal accidents previously.
Witnesses said the Godbold
vehicle ran off the right side
of the road while traveling
east. The driver made a
series of efforts to regain
control, they said. However,
the vehicle returned to the
road traveling sideways,
witnesses report.
The car was struck s
broadside by a pick-up truck
driven westward by White.
The Godbold vehicle was
identified as a 1973 rental car.
White was driving a 1984
truck.
Brunswick County Coroner
Lowell Bennett said all three
victims were killed instantly
in the crash.
Season Ends
Oyster season in Brunswick
County ends at sunset on
Saturday, March 2.
The announcement was
made earlier this week by
Arthur Cooper, director of the
Department of Conservation
and Development. He said his
decision was based on the
recommendation of Com
missioner of Fisheries Ed
ward McCoy.
Long Beach Council Meeting
Town Won’t Fire Liggett,
Hears About Suit Vs. Self
By BOBBY HILL
The Long Beach Town
Council voted Thursday not to
sue itself for retaining Acting
Town Manager Ed Liggett.
Attorney Thomas E. Horne,
in a letter dated February 6,
threatened to sue the town if
it did not instruct the town
attorney to file suit against
“all past and present”
councilmen who voted to
“employ or maintain”
Liggett as acting town
manager. Horne’s letter
listed his clients as Ronald G.
Dunn and “other taxpayers.”
Horne demanded that the
council members pay back to
the city about two years
salary of Liggett. He
threatened a “taxpayers’
suit” if the town did not sue
itself.
Councilman Russ Morrison
and Mayor E.W. Morgan
voted in favor of the suit.
Killing the motion were
councilmen Nancy Leggett,
Ellis Dudley, Virginia
ChristenburyandH.E. Joyce.
The same combination of
councilmen voted last month
to retain Liggett until a
qualified replacement is
found.
Spectators and Councilman
Leggett questioned Dunn
concerning the other clients
in the lawsuit, but no other
names were revealed. Town
attorney Robert Jones said
the anonymous clients must
be named if and when the
matter comes to court.
Dunn was also asked if he is
a Long Beach taxpayer. He
replied, “No, but that’s a
County Gets $706,750
The county has received a $706,750 grant for the
county water system from state Clean Water Bond
funds.
County Manager Neil Mallory said the project
now has a total of $4.4 million in financing.
He said the state grant will be used for Phase I of
the system to serve Southport, Long Beach,
Yaupon Beach, Pfizer and 83 rural families.
The project involves funds obtained through the
state, Economic Development Administration and
a loan irom Farmers Home Administration.
A test well and two observation wells are now
being drilled in the Beaver Dam area along NC
completely irrelevant fact.”
“I think this is the most
ridiculous thing I’ve ever
heard of in my life,” said a
man who identified himself
as a “non - resident tax
payer.” The audience
cheered his statement.
Attorney Jones gave dif
ferent interpretations of
Horne’s letter. He first said
the suit would be “against
those members who voted”
for Liggett. Later he said
Liggett would also be in
cluded in the legal action. "In
other words, the vote is
whether you’re going to sue
yourself or not,” Jones said.
Liggett said success of this
action in court would require
paying back $15,000 to the
federal government. He said
this portion of his salary was
paid through federal grants,
and not by the town of Long
Beach. He said Long Beach
had paid only about $5,200 of
(Continued on page 4)
MORE NEW EQUIPMENT for the playground
across the street from the Southport primary
school was installed this week as part of a project
sponsored by the Junior Woman’s Club of South
port. David Moore, center, physical education
instructor at the school, supervised the digging of
holes by youngsters, making possible the
mounting of the new equipment on a good
foundation. With him is Mrs. Fred Spencer
member of the sponsoring junior woman’s club!