THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
VOLUME 45 NUMBER 36 16 PAGES TODAY
SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA
MARCH 27, 1974
10 CENTS A COPY
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
A GLOOMY DAY, Monday was, certainly no time to use
these small boats beached on the Southport waterfront near the
Garrison. The rain and 40 - degree temperature was to be
expected from March, (photo by Ed Harper)
‘Freedom To Operate’
Hospital Trustees
Request ‘Authority’
By BOBBY HILL
Brunswick County
Memorial Hospital trustees
opened an old wound with the
county commissioners
Thursday by asking for a new
structure for their board.
The trustees in a “report to
the press” asked the com
missioners to change the
trustees to a “Hospital
Authority.” The change, the
report says, “would remove
the hospital’s future from the
political arena.” The trustees
asked to meet with the
commissioners on this
subject.
The authority would be a
more autonomous group than
the present trustee board.
The commissioners presently
hold the power to appoint
trustees and to approve their
budget.
The hospital board
organization reportedly was
one of the subjects of an
alleged Illegal meeting July
22,1973 in the office of county
attorney Thomas Home.
At meetings July 2 and July
16, commissioners argued
over the formation of a
governing body for the
hospital.
The conflict was postponed
July 2 when Home recom
mended the commissioners
delay a decision. He advised
the commissioners to create
the body after selection of a
hospital site and final con
struction plans were in
motion.
Chairman W.A. Kopp, Jr.,
and Commissioner J.T.
Clemmons were in conflict
July 16 over the governing
board question. Clemmons
made a motion to establish a
board of trustees, although
the motion died for lack of a
second. Included In Gem
mons’ motion was a measure
not to turn over any
“decision-making authority”
until the hospital is almost
complete.
The commissioners voted
August 6 to establish a board
of trustees. However, Kopp
and Gemmons again clashed
on the subject. Kopp favored
a hospital authority. Ac
cording to an account in the
August 8 issue of The State
Port Pilot, Gemmons “was
strongly against this form of
governing body (hospital
authority).”
The trustee system in
cludes an eight-man board
appointed by the com
missioners. The group is also
“accountable” to the com
(Continued on page 4)
Local Attorney Hired, Too
Beach Employs Manager,
Liggett Controversy Ends
By BOBBY HILL
The Long Beach town
council Thursday hired a
town manager and a new
lawyer, arid moved to join the
county water system.
With six unanimous
motions on key questions, the
meeting proceeded smoothly
before a quieter and smaller
audience than usual. About 40
spectators viewed one of the
shortest meetings recently —
less than an hour and a half.
Naming Frank M. Kivett
the new town manager,
" Mayor E.W. Morgan said the
administrator from Charlotte
would start work April 8.
Hiring Kivett apparently
ends a controversy since
November over Acting Town
Manager Ed Liggett. Morgan
and Councilman Russ
But Not Enough Yet
Corncake Inlet
Water Cleaner
Buzzard Bay Is still closed
to shellfish taking, but state
officials report the water
quality there has improved
since the opening of Corncake
Inlet.
Future water checks are
planned, and Rep. Tommy
Harrelson expressed hope the
area will be opened next fall.
Harrelson reported the
results of the state tests in a
letter to O.R. (“Pappy”)
Stubbs. “Unfortunately the
test did not prove to be safe
enough to open it (Buzzard
Bay) this year,” he said.
However, he added that “the
quality of the water has
Improved markedly since the
opening of Corncake Inlet.”
Harrelson also said he
would urge the state Division
of Commercial and Sports
Fisheries “to have the waters
tested on a continuing basis.”
The area water quality was
checked January 31,
February 4 and February 11
this year. Robert G. Benton,
supervisor of the Shellfish
Sanitation Unit, said the tests
showed Buzzard Bay water
“did not meet the minimum
standards for shellfish
growing waters.”
However, Benton said he
plans “to continue periodic
checks in this area.” He said
he would recommend a
(Continued on page 4)
Morrison have repeatedly
attempted to fire Liggett “on
the spot.” They claimed the
Winnabow resident does not
meet town charter
stipulations that the town
administrator be a resident of
Long Beach.
However, the four
remaining councilmen
consistently voted to retain
Liggett until a qualified
replacement could be found.
The four included Ellis
Dudley, Virginia Christen
bury, Herman Joyce and
Nancy Leggett.
Liggett has stated several
times he will “vacate the
premises promptly” when a
replacement is found. Liggett
declined to move to the beach
community.
Morgan said Thursday that
Kivett is a “well - qualified
city manager for any city in
this state.”
Kivett’s salary was listed
at $21,000, substantially less
than he is making now,
Morgan said.
Kivett, 36, is presently
executive director of Cen
tralina Council of Govern
ments in Charlotte, an
organization which includes
31 city and county govern
ments.
Kivett was executive
director of the Mid - East
Economic Development
Commission from at
Washington from 1968 to 1970.
He also served as executive
director of the Sandhills Area
Development Program in
Carthage from 1965 to 1968.
The administrator was
willing to take a salary cut
because he wants to “live arid
work in coastal North
Carolina,” according to his
resume.
Kivett also expressed a
desire to “represent the in
terests of local governments
when the Coastal Zone
Management Bill becomes
law.”
The administrator is
married to Brenda Holt
Kivett. The couple has five
children: Sybol, Kimberly,
Brian, Charles and Mon
(Continued on page 4)
Pageant This
Saturday Nite
Three new contestants
have entered the Miss
Brunswick County pageant,
bringing the total to seven.
The pageant will be held
Saturday at 8 p.m. at
Shallotte Middle School.
New contestants Include
Cheryl Holden, 18, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. E.D. Holden
of Shallotte. A senior at West
Brunswick High School,
Cheryl plans to attend
Scholar Award
Competition Set
High school seniors in
Brunswick County are
preparing for local school
competition in the third
annual “Virginia and Odell
Williamson Declamation
Scholarship Award” on April
12.
This year, the Williamson
Declamation Scholarship
Fund will provide $5,000 to be
awarded in the county. From
this amount $1,800 scholar
ships will be awarded to the
senior boy and girl who are
winners in the county
declamation competition,
which is to be held at North
Brunswick High School on
May 5. Cash awards of $100
each will be made to he two
senior boys and the two
senior girls who are finalists
from each of the county’s
three high schools.
The purpose of the
Williamson scholarships is to
create renewed interest in
writing (composition) and
public speaking,
(declamation) for effect
among high school students.
Fayetteville State. She won
second place In the 1974 Miss
Trojan contest. Her club
memberships include youth
council, DECA, French and
library clubs. She enjoys
dancing, sewing and singing.
At five feet, four inches,
Sheila weighs 120 pounds and
has brown eyes and brown
hair. Her talent will be a
(Continued on page 4)
Gas Frices mgh Jt>ut
Long Lines Uncommon
The local octane rating has
picked up since February’s
gasoline drought, but those with
the most fuel are the higher -
priced independent stations.
A Monday poll of a dozen local
stations found the gas situation
divided between six haves and six
have-nots.
However, lines of cars waiting
for gasoline have practically
disappeared this month. Station
operators report that “panic -
buying” has subsided. Drivers
now make larger purchases, they
say.
Furthermore, several stations
new sell fuel on Sundays. Only one
station was found with a purchase
limit.
The six have - nots were all
major gasoline companies. The
haves were composed of five
independents and one major.
The average local price for
gasoline is about 56 cents per
gallon for regular and about 59.5
cents for premium. This contrasts
with a national average of
“slightly” over 50 cents per
gallon, according to federal
energy administrator William E.
Simon.
The lowest local price was 52
cents per gallon for regular and 54
cents for premium. The most
expensive petrol had a sale tag of
69 cents for regular and 72 cents
for premium.
Word of expected fuel increases
for April have not yet reached
local stations. However, federal
administrator Simon said Sunday
gasoline allocations will be in
creased five percent next month.
Most station operators are kept
in the dark by their dealers.
“They haven’t told me a word,”
said Shorty Hufham of his fuel
distributor.
The major - independent con
trast is viewed skeptically by
representatives from both sides.
Paul Cochran of E-Z - Way
Grocery said it is “mighty fishy”
that fuel became available only
after independent prices rose
above those for major companies.
James Cochran of Harbor
Grocery said the independents
use the more expensive foreign
oil, whereas the major companies
use cheaper domestic petroleum.
Some station operators have
begun selling gas on Sundays,
since the sabbath ban was lifted
last week by President Nixon.
Still more operators say they plan
to sell fuel on Sundays if they have
the commodity that day.
However, a few stations found
the day off pleasurable. “You just
can’t work all the time,” said
Wayland Vereen of Vereen’s Gulf.
David Simmons was also *
against the Sunday sales. “I have -
one free day a week, and I need
one day off,” he said.
Primary School Bids Within $1.4 Million Limit
The board of education
received bids Thursday for
the Southport Primary
School.
With bids to be officially
awarded Wednesday, the
total of the low bids suc
cessfully ducked the f 1.4
million limit placed on the
project by the county com
missioners. School architect
Jack Croft said the total
project cost would by
$1,306,809. Including a six
percent architect fee.
Chauncey & Ray of
Whiteville was low bidder on
the general contract at
$882,000 with a 365-day time
limit.
Other low bidders included
Cape Fear Electric of
Wilmington for the electrical
contract at $136,485. H.V.
Allen Company, Inc., of
Greensboro was low bidder
on the heating and air con
ditioning contract at $199,000.
Sneeden, Inc., of Wilmington
placed the low plumbing bid
at $91,530.
Supt. Ralph King said
Monday the board “an
ticipates no problem” in
awarding the bid and starting
construction. He said the
board Is “very pleased.. .that
bids came In within the
resources designated.” King
said the bids “came in right
on projections.”
While receiving the bids at
South Brunswick High
School, education board
chairman Wilbur E. Rabon
said the board’s “main
concern" is finishing the
school In 365 days. “We’re not
going to waste much time
awarding It (the bids),'” he
said.
Present plans are to have
the school occupied by fall of
1975.
Prior to opening bids,
county commission chairman
W.A. Kopp, Jr., said the
primary school would “be
built entirely by county
funds.” He praised Southport
commissioner John Bray for
“playing an active part In
helping to secure necessary
funds.”
Also during preliminary
activities Rabon said con
struction of a Southport
Primary School is “over
due." He mentioned the
destruction by fire of South
port High School in 1969.
The educational facility
will house kindergarten
through grade four. An
enrollment of 600 ia projected
when the school opens, ac
cording to board of education
plans.
The school will be located
on the Cottage Tract, just
Inside the western city limits
of Southport.
Other bids received by the
board for the general con
tract were J.O. Baldwin
Construction of Myrtle
Beach, S.C., for 1899,717 at
420 days; Smith Construction
of Whiteville for $940,000 at
500 days; Miller Building
Corporation of Wilmington
for $984,882at 425 days; Dixie
General Contractors of
Wallace at $961,450 at 540
days; and Luther T. Rogers,
Inc., of Wilmington for
$989,000 with no deadline date
submitted.
Bidders on the electrical
contract were Watson
Electrical Construction of
Wilson for $176,438, Graves
Electric of Wilmington for
$152,890, Bryant-Durham
Electric of Wilmington for
$159,486, Electricon, Inc. of
Kinston for $153,400, Gene’s
Electric, Inc. of Lumberton
for $182,717, and Hodges
Electric Company of
Wilmington for $158,750.