THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
VOLUME 45 NUMBER 33 16 PAGES TODAY SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA MARCH 6,1973 10 CENTS A COPY PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
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THE SOUTHERN APPROACH to the new Oak Island Bridge, until this
week only a causeway, has taken new elevation with the building of two
supports for the high - level structure. The northern approach from the
mainland had appeared to be far ahead in construction; it does not appear at
this time that the bridge will be ready for use during the peak tourist season.
But as one island resident put it, “The one - lane bridge will take care of all the
traffic we’ll have this summer,” what with gas shortages what they are.
Landfill Plans Slowed
Second-Phase Water Supply
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For Leland, Shallotte Areas §
By BOBBY HILL
The county commissioners
proceeded Monday with plans
for the second phase of the
county water system.
However, the com
missioners slowed plans to
purchase sanitary landfill
equipment.
The commissioners voted
to advertise and receive bids
April 10 for the second phase
of the water project.
Troy Doby, consulting
engineer of Pierson and
Whitman of Raleigh, placed
the estimated cost of the
project at $2.2 million. A
budget for this amount was
adopted by the board.
The system will serve
communities of Leland,
Belville and Thomasboro
Crossroads and towns of
Shallotte, Holden Beach,
Sunset Beach and Calabash.
At Doby’s suggestion, the
commissioners petitioned the
Department of Tran
sportation to use existing NC
133 for water main access to
Oak Island across marsh and
the Intracoastal Waterway.
Doby said the highway
department presently plans
to remove the existing road
and detour to marsh level.
Doby said the cost of
constructing a 12 - inch water
main across the marsh
“would just be out of this
world.’’ He said the con
tractor for the Oak Island
bridge is “unaware” his
contract calls for the existing
Yaupon Hassle Develops
Murphy Stays, Bill Paid,
Rees Is Asked To Resign
By BOBBY HILL
Shocking controversy
erupted Monday after
Yaupon Beach Mayor
Clarence Murphy withdrew
his proposed resignation.
Often at the forefront of the
conflict, town attorney
Thomas Horne attended his
first town meeting in over a
year.
The commissioners voted
three to two to hold a hearing
in about a month to consider
dismissing election board
chairman Ernest Rees.
Commissioner Marvin
Watson charged Rees should
be dismissed for his “general
attitude” and for cursing in
the last town meeting.
The finance and street
committees were abolished,
after being termed illegal by
Home. Also, the com
missioners voted to pay a $100
bill submitted by Home,
which was rejected
unanimously at their last
regular meeting.
Contrary to his statement
February 4, Murphy declined
to resign. He said he will
finish the last two years of his
four - year term.
KEY RESIGNATIONS
Murphy stated he had
changed his mind after
saying he would step down.
"My decision is to stay here
and ride the horse across the
finish line,” he declared.
The small town has been
wracked with several
acrimonious resignations and
de par tares in the past months
of people in key positions.
Planning board chairman
Gerald Whitehurst recently
resigned. Last month, water
and fire department head Bill
Lastei departed his post.
Lucille Laster, former town
clerk, left her position
several months ago. The
commissioners skirmished
openly before Mrs. Las ter
was replaced by Mrs. Ernest
Rees.
Other personnel subjects
have been the topic of *
reportedly heated executive
sessions recently.
Commissioner Watson
ignited the Monday fireworks
by declaring that two town
committees are illegal. After
first stating that no ab
staining votes are allowed by
the town charter, Watson
asked Home to “fill us in” on
the legality of the finance
committee.
Home said state law
requires one finance officer
and one budget officer for the
purpose of town expenditures
and drawing up a budget. He
said one person could fill the
two posts.
“WHO’S IN CHARGE?”
Finance committee
members are Mrs. William
Smalley, Commissioners
G.V. Barbee, Jr., and
William Smalley, and Mayor
Murphy.
Murphy asked Horne,
“Who’s in charge of em
ployees?” He further
questioned, “what the func
tion of the town is.”
Horne said, “Primarily,
the mayor is the head of the
city.” However, he said
appointees and employees
are retained or dismissed on
a majority vote of the com
missioners.
Answering a Watson
question, Horne said the
committees should be
abolished and officers ap
pointed. He said the officers
would have to be bonded for a
minimum of $10,000.
Mrs. Rees, town clerk, said
(Continued on page 16)
Lawyer Decision Expected
Long Beach Looks For
Water; Finds Manager
Long Beach councilmen
Thursday heard engineer
Troy Doby explain that the
town must hold another bond
referendum to take ad
vantage of the county water
system.
At the end of the meeting,
Mayor E.W. Morgan an
nounced the council “has
found a person who will be a
town manager for Long
Beach.” He said the ap
plicant is “very qualified”
and will accept the job.
Morgan said the town
manager will be at Long
Beach within three weeks.
The prospective manager
does not want his name
released because of work he
presently is finishing,
Morgan said. He said a
meeting will be held soon to
‘‘discuss and hire” the ad
ministrator.
Engineer Doby, with the
consulting firm of Pierson
and Whitman of Raleigh,
New Town ?
A bill to Incorporate Shady
Forest, a development out
side Calabash, has been in
troduced in hPth legislative
houses In Raleigh by Rep.
Tommy Harrelson and Sen.
Arthur W. Williamson.
According to a news
release by Williamson, the
legislation is “coming along
well, and (Shady Forest)
ought to be incorporated, as
the bill provides.”
briefed the council on the
county water system. He said
the council must let the
county commissioners know
the town’s intentions for the
water system as soon as
possible.
Long Beach voters turned
down a $2.5 million water
bond referendum January.
In answer to questions
from Morgan, Doby said the
town would save at least
$700,000 by using the county
water system Instead of
opting for the $2.5 million
proposed system already
voted down. He said the town
had planned to spend this
amount on wells on the
mainland and transporting
(Continued on page 16)
road to be removed.
MORE FOR LELAND
The commissioners voted
to add sufficient water supply
to Leland for fire protection
use. The additional cost will
be about $150,000, according
to Do by.
The engineer said he will
present the commissioners
with a schedule for com
pletion of the project in two or
three months.
The commissioners also
voted to authorize Pierson
and Whitman and County
Manager Neil Mallory to
secure bonds and grants for
the system.
Doby said he anticipates
receiving about $.15 million in
grants. The county’s share of
the project will be about
$750,000, he said.
Present for the water
discussion were Long Beach
councllmen Ellis Dudley,
Nancy Leggett and Virginia
Christenbury and Mayor
E.W. Morgan. They ex
pressed interest in par
ticipating in Phase I of the
project.
Doby said the town must
hold another referendum to
proceed with water plans.
Long Beach voters in
January defeated a $2.5
million water system
proposal.
Doby asked the Long Beach
delegation for a resolution of
intent to participate in the
county water system. He also
asked the councllmen to
indicate a willingness to
cooperate in planning for an
elevated water tank on the
island.
Doby dodged councllmen
attempts to hire him for the
water project while the town
has an engineer. Engineer
Henry Von Ossen is presently
employed by the town for this
purpose.
MORE LEGAL$$$
In other business, the
commissioners approved
several budget transfers.
Accountant Regina
McKeithan said the change *
should last the budget
through the rest of the fiscal
year, which ends in July.
The commissioners
transferred $65,000 from the
sanitary landfill account to
the planned hospital. This
leaves a hospital balance of
$127,940 and landfill funds
I
remaining of $72,874,40.
The legal account waa
increased by $5,000, which
will allow payment of the
January bill of county at
torney Thomas Home. Home
has spent $11,231.79 thus far
this fiscal year, with seven
months of the fiscal year
passed. This is the second
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School Hours
Are Changed
Effective March 18, Brunswick County
schools will open one - half hour earlier — at
8:30 a. m. — because of “sufficient daylight
to accommodate the busing of children.”
Supt Ralph King said that school starting
time had been changed to 9 a.m. on Jan. 6
because of Daylight Savings Time. The
Board of Education agreed Monday night
that it was getting light earlier now, and the
switch back to regular scheduling would be
practical.
School will end at 3:15 p.m. — a half - hour
earlier.
Teachers and principals will report to
school one - half hour earlier also — at 8 and
7:30 a.m., respectively. The central office
hours (8:30 — 5) are unchanged.
In a short Monday night business session
the Board of Education approved the
(Continued on page 16)
15,000 added to Horne’s
budget section, with 19,000
allotted originally for legal
fees.
The commissioners in
structed Emergency
Preparedness Officer Col.
James E. Gordon to report at
the next meeting on the
energy shortage.
CRISIS TO CHAOS” ,:k
Commissioner J.T.
Clemmons requested the fuel
study, saying he does not
want “one extra drop" of
petrol for his Texaco station
near Shallotte.
Clemmons said the energy
situation went from a
“shortage" in December to a
“crisis” in January and to
“chaos" in February.
Both Clemmons and
Chairman W.A. Kopp, Jr.,
agreed Gov. James E.
Holshouser’s voluntary gas
plan is not working.
Holshouser suggested cars
with license plates ending in
even mxnbers buy gasoline
on Tuesdays, Thirsdays and
Saturdays. He said cars with
odd numbers should purchase
the fuel on Mondays, Wed
nesdays and Fridays.
Clemmons said the
governor’s plan “cannot
work unless there is gas for it
to work with." He charged
that “Brunswick Coimty is
receiving less than its fair
share of gas, I believe."
The commissioners passed
(Continued on page 16)
First-Of-Month Supply
Only Drop In The Bucket
ByBOBBY HILL
The first week of the month
was supposed to bring a
ready supply of gasoline once
again to the Southport - Oak
Island area.
However, a telephone
survey Tuesday afternoon
found over half of the area
stations out of gas. Lines
were shorter at those places
selling petrol, but the first of
COMING SOON for travelers between Southport and upstate will be a
lengthy detour as work is done on NC 211 between Midway and Supply. Signs
have been erected for several weeks but have been turned away from the road
so as not to confuse motorists. All traffic will be routed by Bolivia, with heavy
truck traffic required to use NC 87 to Winnabow.
the month has not yet brought
about a gasoline bonanza.
What about the rast of
March? If gas was supposed
to be available the first week,
what is it going to be like as
March winds give way to
April showers? Gasoline
retailers are markedly
divided in their predictions,
leaving only the conclusion
that no one really knows what
the future holds for the gas
pump.
The county commissioners
are also trying to gauge the
future. Civil Preparedness
Officer James E. Gordon has
been asked to report to the
commissioners on the county
fuel situation. The report
should come within the next
two weeks, according to
Commissioner J.T. Clem
mons. He urged citizens not
to take any unnecessary
trips.
In the meantime, most
station operators say their
distributors do not inform
them of what to expect. “I
never know when I’ll get it,”
said Frank Aman of Yaupon
Beach.
Other station operators talk
vaguely of dealers hinting
that fuel supplies will get
better “later in the month.”
Only two stations were even
mildly optimistic about their
chances of a steady
petroleum supply. The neat
best attitude was: “It can’t
(Continued on page 16)
Sasser Gets
WB&T Post
E. Rhone Sasser, executive
vice • president of Wac
camaw Bank and Trust
Company, has assumed full
responsibility of Branch
Administration for the 18
offices of Waccamaw Bank.
Cecil Register, vice S
president of Waccama#
Bank in Sh&llotte, will suc
ceed Sasser as the executive
in charge of that branch., .'