THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
VOL UME 45 NUMBER 35 16 PAGES TOD A Y SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINAMARCH 20,197410 CENTS A COPYPUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
PRESENTING THE KEYS to 14 new cars Friday morning
was Sheriff Harold Willetts, here lined up on Howe Street with
the recipients. The county commissioners voted 3-2 recently to
purchase the 460 cu. in. vehicles from Willetts Ford.
Sheriff: *More Coverage For Less Money9
By BOBB Y HILL
Brunswick County Sheriff’s
Department personnel formally
received their 14 patrol cars Friday -
and they’re happy.
As Sheriff Harold Willetts said
Tuesday of the 14 men driving the
new vehicles, “They’re as proud of
those cars as a little girl is with a
new doll baby.”
Sheriff Willetts thinks the citizens
of Brunswick County should be
pleased with the new automobiles,
too. In fact, he has a plethora of
reasons why the mobile units are
desirable, practical ... and, yes,
necessary.
Basically, the sheriff stoutly
maintains the cars will give “more
coverage for less money.”
Starting Monday, the sheriff’s
deputies went on shift work — seven
days a week, 24 hours a day. With
two units off each day, Willetts’
schedule will have a minimum of
three cars on the road at all times.
From ll pm. to 2 a.m. on Fridays
and Saturdays, two shifts will
coincide to have six cars patrolling
the county. The sheriff calls this
“around - the - clock” coverage.
Willetts also says his men will
prefer the shift work. “A man knows
when he’ll be home with his family,”
he said of the divided hours. Of
course, all officers are subject to
being called up for emergencies, he
added.
The vehicles will also give in
creased coverage, because Willetts
says the department will now begin
enforcing traffic laws. “We will be
enforcing moving violations ...
.especially reckless driving,
speeding and drunk driving.”
Willetts declared his men are
qualified to drive the powerful
vehicles with 460 cubic - inch engines
at high speeds. “Some of my men
are just about as capable (of driving
(Continued on page 16)
Annexation Request Made;
6City Service Comes First’
Southport aldermen
Thursday referred a
Highland Heights request for
annexation to the planning
and zoning board.
Mayor Eugene Tomlinson
said the board is first
“committed to the people of
Southport for water, sewer,”
and other services passed in a
November 6 bond issue.
Newly - annexed areas can
demand water and sewer
within a year after becoming
part of the city, he pointed
out.
Residents of Highland
Heights had signed a petition
requesting annexation. The
subdivision is north of city
limits, off Leonard Street and
Park Avenue.
The planning and zoning
board will hold a public
hearing on the request,
Tomlinson said. He said the
zoning group then will make
recommendations back to the
aldermen.
Alderman A1 Martin
questioned whether the
subdivision meets the 24-foot
street requirement.
Planning chairman W.B.
McDougle said the Highland
Heights subdivision plan had
never come before his board
for approval.
CITY COMES FIRST
“I would like to have some
city benefits, too,” said Bob
Thorsen, a spectator,
Thorsen said he is a resident
adjacent to the area
requesting annexation.
At this point, Tomlinson
said Southport residents have
first priority in the water and
sewer project.
Tomlinson also asked Town
Manager Alvin Komegay to
Coastal Act Amended,
Greater Seaside Voice
The Coastal Management
Act received tentative Senate
approval Thursday.
Under a new amendment,
the bill would allow all
municipalities adjacent to the
ocean to nominate one
candidate for appointment by
the governor to the 15-man
coastal commission.
Senator Arthur Williamson
was one of those voting
favorably on the measure,
which passed 37-10.
Williamson represents
Brunswick, Columbus and
Bladen counties.
Rep. Tommy Harrelson
previously had withdrawn his
support for the bill. However,
he spoke favorably of the
measure Monday, Indicating
his support for giving
nominations to seaside
municipalities.
Although the bill had
seemed doomed last week, an
amendement by Senator
Philip P. Godwin (D-Gates)
sparked the favorable vote.
Democratic legislators said
the amendement would give
control of the coastal com
mission to Democrats — a
change from original control
by Gov. James E.
Holshouser, Jr.
Harrelson had previously
attacked partisan opposition
to the coastal legislation.
The beleagured bill has
already faced a year of public
hearings, floor fights in both
houses and criticism from
both politicians and
developers. The measure
proposed to control un
desirable development in
ecologically sensitive coastal
area in sections of 22 coastal
counties. It would charge a
15-member coastal com
mission with implementing
and enforcing the new
planning law.
The commission would
designate environmentally
fragile areas and approve,
disapprove or modify permits
for major developments
within those areas. It would
also instruct counties and
towns to develop and Im
plement a land-use plan
within two years in the area
designated critical. It would
supply money and technical
assistance for that planning.
Some federal money for
planning assistance is
reportedly no longer
available — the funds having
expired their eliglblity during
the year-long struggle, ac
cording to Harrelson.
The bill’s principal spon
sor, Senator William W.
Staton (D-Lee) said he is
“very anxious not to let
politics emerge in the bill
(Continued on page 16)
obtain final water and sewer
plans from Wilmington
engineer Henry Von Oesen.
Korengay said Von Oesen
should have the plans com
pleted by the end of this
month.
McDougle also reported on
four zoning changes that have
been requested, and he said
public hearing? would be held
on the matters. The planning
board then will give
recommendations on the
requested changes, he said.
(Continued on page 4)
Leland Water
Public Meeting
County commissioners will
hold a public meeting next
Wednesday at 7 p.m. at North
Brunswick High School to
explain the proposed water
system for Leland.
The meeting will center on
explanation of proposed plans
for a water system in the
Leland area, County
Manager Neil Mallory said
Tuesday. Phase II of the
county water system includes
plans for a system in the
Leland area.
The county commissioners
recently instructed engineer
Troy Doby to expand Leland
plans for water lines large
enough for fire protection in
that area.
Mallory said Doby will
attend the meeting.
Doby is a member of the
Pierson & Whitman
engineering consultant firm
of Raleigh. The company has
developed plans for the
county water system.
Cupit Resigns
From Dosher
Dosher Memorial Hospital
administrator William F.
Cupit has submitted his
resignation effective this
Friday.
Cupit, who has held the
administrator post for eight
years, said he is leaving for
personal reasons. “I can walk
out with my head high,” said
Cuipit, with the hospital’s
financial crisis showing signs
of ending.
The hospital, with a loss of
$4,000 since October of 1973,
has shown a profit the past
two months, Cupit said. The
medical facility was in the
black about $4,000 for
(Continued on page 2)
Courthouse To Be Moved?
Offices At Supply
Favored By Board
By BOBBY HILL
County commissioners
Monday moved toward
planning for a consolidated
county office building — to
possibly include the cour
thouse.
The commissioners
requested a report on the
matter at their April 1
meeting, and asked that
consulting engineer Jerry
Lewis be present.
The commissioners also
suggested that Lewis obtain
the services of an ar
chitectural consultant.
County Manager Neil
Mallory said the Raleigh
engineering firm of Pierson
& Whitman has these ser
vices The firm is presently in
charge of developing the
county water system.
The subject was brought up
when Mallory reported on
contacting architectural
consultants for planning the
complex. Mallory said he was
“unaware” the com
missioners had a contract
with Lewis, former county
manager, to plan for the
office buildings. The com
missioners suggested that
Lewis might sub-contract
architectural services.
Chairman W.A. Kopp, Jr.,
said he favored planning for
the complex to allow “court
related services.. .to be
located with the court itself at
all times.” He said this would
increase efficiency.
Commissioner John Bray
of Southport said the con
solidated complex should be
“designed for the courtroom
with it.” However, he first
said he “still agrees on the
location” orginally planned
for the various offices.
TWO LOCATIONS
When the commissioners
contracted Lewis for office
planning last summer, the
county offices were to be
divided between Southport
and Supply. All court-related
services were designated for
Southport locations.
Bray read the list of ser
vices planned for Southport
and Supply. Of the division of
services between Southport
and Supply, he said, “I don’t
have any second thoughts
about it.”
Those services planned for
Southport included county
manager, county auditor,
county commissioners, tax
collector, tax supervisor,
county Resources
Development Commission,
register of deeds and county
board of education. Offices
planned for Supply were
county health department,
social services, Farmers
Home Administration, civil
preparedness, Soil Con
servation, ASCS, board of
elections and shoreline
protection.
Commissioners Vardell
(Continued on page 16)
ABC Store In
New Location
A new ABC store is planned
for 174 N. Howe Street, ac
cording to ABC spokesman
William Dosher.
The new building will be
about twice the size of the
Ezzell Named
JC’s Director
William D. Ezzell of South
port has been elected a
national director of the
Junior Chamber of Com
merce, representing the
Southeastern District of the
North Carolina Jaycees.
His election took place In
Kinston during the past
weekend and came following
an intensive whirlwind
campaign by five Southport
Jaycees and two wives who
attended the regional Spring
Convention.
Ezzell will serve for one
year beginning June 1, and
serving under him will be
four area vice-presidents.
Kinston, Goldsboro, New
Bern, Clinton, Jacksonville
and Wilmington are cities
included in the Southeastern
Region.
Ezzell contemplates that
his year in office will require
much travel to meetings and
other activities within his
region, as well as travel to
meetings of the state and
national organization.
The new Jaycee national
director, a Southport at
torney, is past president of
the Southport Jaycees and a
(Continued on page 2)
present Southport facility,
Dosher said. It will measure
about 80 by 50 feet, with about
half the space to be used for
storage.
Bids for the project will be
let in about a month. Dosher
said the ABC board hopes to
have the store operating in
about six months.
Dosher said the expansion
has been made necessary by
growing business, which he
said has been "increasing
each year.”
Plans call for the facility to
be served by off-street
parking, Dosher said.
The store might use a self
service method, he said. He
said this system has been
“working good” in other
North Carolina stores.
Construction of the store
will be brick veneer, Dosher
said.
Tax Down Again
The second below - average month in a row for
collection of sales and use tax in Brunswick County
was noted during February, according to the
monthly report of the N.C. Department of
Revenue.
Last month $46,743.19 was collected, up from
$41,906 in January. The February total, however,
is the second lowest collection here since April,
1972.
NATIONAL DIRECTOR of the Junior
Chamber of Commerce for Southeastern North
Carolina is Bill Ezzell (left) of the Southport
organization, being congratulated here by Mayor
Eugene Tomlinson.