THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
VOL UME 46 NUMBER 3 _ 18 PAGES TODAY SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA AUGUST 7, 1974 10 CENTS A COPY PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
A SOARING GULL glides smoothly past a row
of blackfish flag-markers at the old Southport
Yacht Basin. Stormy weather Sunday left the
fishermen in port; the flags were still under an
overcast late afternoon sky.
Designation Has Problems
Price Sees Higher Pay
For County Tobaccomen
By BILL ALLEN
Upper stalk tobacco or “B”
grade leaf should sell for over
$1.00 per pound this season,
said Manager Ralph Price of
the Agricultural Stabilization
and Conservation Service
(ASCS) in Shallotte.
Price, admitting hg was
more optimistic at this time
that most Brunswick County
tobacco farmers, predicted
that tobacco will sell for
prices ranging between $1.00
and $1.10 to $1.15.
“The prices will go over
$1.00 per pound because
tobacco company
representatives have told me
there is a shortage of upper
stalk or the “B” grade leaf,”
Price stated.
The ASCS office manager
said he agreed with Brun
swick County growers that
prices should be higher than
his prediction because of
increased production costs
this year. “But I know that
farmers will be better
satisfied with prices in the
dollar range than with what
they have been receiving,” he
pointed out.
Price reported that most
Brunswick County tobacco
farmers where “sick because
of the low prices” they
received when the markets
opened last month.
“During the first week the
markets were open, tobacco
was selling for less than it did
last year, and it still is,” he
declared. “This is happening
despite the known fact that
production costs this season
have increased about 40
percent over last year. Our
farmers became discouraged
because they knew they could
not make money to pay their
debts.”
During the opening week of
the market, Price reported
that one Brunswick County
farmer received only 65 cents
for the small quantity of
tobacco he sold. It is the
lowest price he has heard a
county farmer selling
tobacco for this season.
Since the opening week,
prices have started to climb
slowing upward at area
tobacco markets. “Although
the average is still lower than
last year prices are up to
better than 90 cents, which
allows farmers to break
even,” he pointed out. “Some
(Continued on page 15)
Mrs. Barbee Will Head
County College Program
Mrs. May W. Barbee of
Yaupon Beach has been
named coordinator for the
college transfer program
which starts this fall in
Brunswick County under
joint sponsorship of
Southeastern Community
College and the Brunswick
County school system.
Mrs. Barbee has met in
recent days with
Southeastern Community
College officials and with
Ralph C. King, superin
tendent of Brunswick County
schools, to formulate and
outline planning and ac
tivities for opening the
program.
“We are delighted to have
Mrs. Barbee as coordinator,”
said Dr. Richard Paulsen,
academic dean at
Southeastern, in making the
announcement, “She is ex
tremely capable for the job
and brings a strong com
mitment to this phase of
higher learning.”
The program proposes to
bring educational services to
the population of Brunswick
County which may want to
take college transfer courses.
Enrollees may earn the
associate degree, or continue
on at a four - year, senior
institution. Southeastern
plans to set up branches^ or
satellite campuses, in
Brunswick with full
curriculum and instructional
staff.
Physical facilities would be
provided by Brunswick
County. SCC is conducting a
survey in the county to
determine the kind of
response prospective ap
plicants may give.
Dr. Paulsen expressed
confidence that the program
will be well - received, and
offer an excellent opportunity
for enrollees to take college
transfer classes at locations
convenient to them, and at
times equally convenient.
Mrs. Barbee is a graduate
of Duke University with a BA
degree in Kisiory. She taught
one year in the Southport
schools, and has worked in
part - time self - employment
(Continued on page 4)
Commissioners Hold Session
County Road Fund Cut;
Area Water Work Set
By BILL ALLEN
The Brunswick County
Board of Commissioners
spent a great deal of time
discussing secondary road
needs, and then approved
three matters on split
decisions during a regular
monthly meeting in Southport
Monday.
Chairman William Kopp,
Jr., and Grover Sellers,
county maintenance
superintendent, told the
board there will be less
money available to make
needed repairs and im
provements to secondary
roads in Brunswick County
this year.
Kopp said he had just
Lakes Board
Holds Meeting
The Boiling Spring Lakes
commissioners met Monday
and postponed adding 6,884
feet of Reeves Telecom road
to the city street system until
reported discrepancies are
corrected.
New building inspector
Larry Nielsen also reported
at the meeting, saying he is
now making regular in
spections to insure the town’s
building codes are complied
with.
The commissioners moved
to improve a site on Boiling
Spring Road for a
playground. Reeves Telecom
reportedly offered the use of
a bulldozer to clear the area.
The town will also use its
grader and backhoe for the
project.
The commissioners ap
proved the purchase of a
truck for the street depart
ment. They also agreed to re
advertise for bids on a used
police car.
Complying with a new
county policy, the board
agreed to ask for mosquito
spraying by the county.
Also in Boiling Spring
Lakes news, the official
canvass showed the beer vote
passed 87 to 24. Off-premise
sales of malt beverages are
now authorized and ap
plications can now be made,
according to the town office.
received the “distressing”
news that the 1974 - 75 state
secondary road budget has
been reduced 38 percent from
the 1973 - 74 level. The state
will spend only $17 million
this year as compared to $28
million in 1973 - 74.
The state reduction,
Chairman Kopp reported,
will mean Brunswick County
will receive only $149,001 for
secondary road im
provements in 1974 - 75. Last
year, he pointed out, the
county received a total of
$239,000.
Kopp made the report while
Ready For Board
2,300 Names
Backing Dosher
Mrs. Leila Pigott says she
has over 2,300 signatures on a
petition to the county com
missioners to keep Dosher
Memorial Hospital.
The petitions will be
presented Thursday night to
the Southport aldermen. The
aldermen will submit the
signatures to the county
commissioners.
The petition asks the
commissioners to “give the
residents of Smithville
Township a chance to vote on
the establishment of a
Hospital District” to keep
Dosher open.
Both the commissioners
and the Dosher trustee board
have voted to close the
hospital when they county
opens a new hospital near
Supply. The opening of the
new hospital has been
predicted by hospital ar
chitects for early 1976.
The county commissioners
are empowered by law to call
(Continued on page 4)
Sellers was discussing
needed secondary road
improvements with the
board. The board spent more
than an hour talking about
secondary roads during the
meeting.
Commissioner James W.
(Bubba) Smith said he was
concerned about ‘‘uncalled
for” drainage conditions
existing on SR 1443 in the
Navassa area. “It (the road)
is a plain case of neglect,” he
declared.
‘‘We should not allow any
road in this county to get into
such shape. The road is a
disgrace to the people who
live on it because the
stagnant water in the ditches
can cause diseases.”
WATERSHED NEED
Kopp said he agreed that
the drainage problem had to
be improved. He said the
road was a “prime example”
where the state watershed
program could help. The
program, he said, is designed
to combat mosquitoes
breeding in roadside ditch
water.
In past years, Kopp ex
plained, the county had a
watershed program which
had to be eliminated because
(Continued on page 2)
Water, Sewer Project Cost Up?
Business Zone Hearing
Set Here On August 19
The Southport Board of
Aldermen will hold a public
hearing August 19 to discuss the
controversial zoning ordinance in
the business district.
The board, meeting in special
session last Wednesday night,
voted unanimously to hold the
hearing to discuss changing the
zoning from “C-2” to “C-l” on
Howe Street between Bay and
10th streets.
The zoning change, it was
pointed out, would eliminate the
75-foot setback requirement for
building constructed beside Howe
street in the so-called business
district.
Under a zoning ordinance ap
proved about two years ago, new
buildings facing Howe Street have
to be set back 75 feet from the
front property line.
Recently, Carl FormyDuval,
who seeks to build an air
(Continued on page 18)
MAPPING PLANS — Southeastern Community College
officials and faculty members meet with Mrs. May Barbee of
Yaupon Beach to discuss plans for starting college
transfer classes this fall at several locations in Brunswick
County. Seated are Mrs. Barbee, who has been named co
ordinator of the program, and Robert King, a native of
Brunswick County who is a member of the science faculty at
Southeastern. Standing, left to right, are Earl Hughes of Ash,
science faculty member at Southeastern; Dr. Ron McCarter,
president of the college; and, Dr. Richard Paulsen, academic
dean at SCC.