THE STATE PORT PILOT
A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
VOLUME 46 NUMBER 16 18 PAGES TODAY SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA NOVEMBER 6, 1974 10 CENTS A COPY PUBLISHED EVERY W EDNESDAY
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GOP Board Ousted,
Strong Easy Victor
Brown, Bennett Wins Easily
Unofficial Returns, Page 18
By BILL ALLEN
Tuesday was a miserable
day for Republicans in
Brunswick County!
After four years in the
wilderness, the Democrats,
riding a state and national
tide, swept almost all the
Republicans out of office
during the general election.
Herman Strong, Jack
Brown, Lowell Bennett, W.T.
Russ, Jr., Steve Varnam,
Franky Thomas, Willie Sloan
and Ira Butler, Jr., rolled up
almost landslide margins of
victory.
Sheriff Harold Willetts and
members of the board of
commissioners were driven
from office by a wave of
Democrat votes coming from
almost all precincts in the
county.
Board of Elections
Executive Secretary Linda
Babson estimated that about
62 percent of the registered
voters in Brunswick County
cast ballots Tuesday.
Chairman Lester Babson said
the percentage is the highest
he can remember during the
33 years he has served on the
board.
All totals printed in The
Pilot this week are unofficial.
The official totals will not be
known until the Board of
Elections conducts the
canvass Thursday morning
starting at 11 o’clock at the
Courthouse in Southport.
Republicans blamed the
defeats on a split party.
Watergate and “poor
organizational work.”
The newly-elected officials
will take office the first
Monday in December.
Strong pulled off one of the
major surprises when he
defeated Willetts, who has
held office the past eight
years, by 872 votes in what
was predicted to be a close
Kopp Reimbursed
Public Taxed
For Injunction
The North Carolina At
torney General’s office has
said that Brunswick County
taxpayers “may” pay the
court costs involved in the
Open Meetings injunction.
Mrs. Carole Greene, clerk
to the Brunswick County
Board of Commissioners,
said she received a letter
from Associate Attorney
General Richard F. Kane
saying the money to pay the
court costs can come from
tax money.
“In response to your letter
of October 30, 1974, this office
is of the opinion that Brun
swick County may provide
for the cost of defending its
employees or officers for acts
or omissions done or made in
the course and scope of their
employment,” Kane said in a
letter to Mrs. Greene.
Mrs. Greene wrote the
Attorney General’s office last
week to determine the
“meaning of the court or
der.” The judgment order
said that the court costs
should be “taxed against the
defendants individually and
as the Board of Com
missioners.”
County Budget Officer
Regina McKeithan said the
county will pay the full court
costs involved in the Open
Meetings injunction because
of the ruling from the At
torney General’s office.
Mrs. McKeithan said the
county will send the Clerk of
Court’s office a check for
$1,451.54 next week when bills
are paid. Payment of the
costs will remove the
judgment against the com
missioners involved in the
action.
In addition, she said the
county will send Chairman
William Kopp, Jr., a check
for $362.90. Shortly after the
bill was presented, Chairman
Kopp went to the clerk’s
office and paid $362.90, which
was one-fifth of the total cost.
Officials said the county
will pay the full costs even
though County Attorney
Thomas Horne recommended
that the submitted bill be
reduced $169.84.
Kane said the question of
whether the individual
members pay or the board
pays “has been specifically
answered in the General
Statutes, Chapter 160A,
Section 167.”
“There the General
Assembly provided that a
county may spend funds for
the defense of officers of the
county where an action is
brought against either in
their individual or official
capacity or both,” Kane said
in the letter.
“In the instant case the
board of commissioners was
sued as individuals and as
members of the board for
action taken in the course and
scope of their office,” Kane
continued. “Therefore, G.S.
160A-167 controls and the
county is authorized, upon
request, to pay the cost of the
action as ordered by Judge
Braswell on August 10, 1974.”
race for sheriff.
Strong, who has served as
police chief of Southport for
about 10 years, rolled up 4,794
votes while Willetts had 3,922.
The Democratic candidate
for sheriff took 13 precincts
while Willetts was ahead in
seven. However, Strong won
most of his precincts with
large margins while Willetts
won his in fairly close races.
He even held Willetts to a 399
to-203 winning margin in
Willetts’ home precinct in
Bolivia.
In fact, Strong rolled up
more votes in the first 18
precincts that reported than
Willetts had when he was re
elected four years ago.
Brown, who has served as
clerk of court for past 20
years, headed the
Democratic ticket in Brun
swick County.
me veteran cierK iook
every precinct in the county
except Waccamaw and ran
up a total of 5,824 votes. He
had a 3,046 victory bulge over
James (Jim) Jeffreys, Jr.,
who polled 2,778.
Bennett, seeking his fifth
term as coroner, also won
big. He took 18 precincts and
4,921 votes while Larry An
drews had 2,597.
The Democratic
challengers for seats on the
board of commissioners had
no trouble knocking out the
incumbent Republicans, who
held all five positions for the
past four years.
W.T. Russ, Jr., who is
associated with a family
automobile dealership, and
Holden Beach
Okays Water
Holden Beach residents
voted to pledge the town’s
power to levy taxes as
security for a FHA loan
during the general election
Tuesday.
A total of 74 residents went
to the polls and cast 54 votes
in favor and 20 votes in op
position to the proposal.
3 Of 11, Report Says
Bolivia Buses
‘Overcrowded’
Information concerning the
number of students riding
Bolivia school buses has been
released by Supt. Ralph King.
Supt. King acknowledged in
the report that three of the 11
buses serving the school
carry more than the legal
capacity.
Bus 34 has a legal capacity
of 67 but averages tran
sporting 70 students. The bus
has transported as many as
78 students.
Bus 52 averages 65 students
a day, but the legal capacity
is only 60. The high - low rate
is 67-61.
Bus 84 takes an average of
77 students, but has a legal
capacity of only 67. The high -
low rate is 84-74.
According to the report, the
other buses are averaging
less students each day than
the legal capacity.
Bus 31 has a legal capacity
of 60 and the average number
of students transported is 51.
The high - low range for the
bus is 58 and 40.
Bus 32 also has a legal
capacity of 60 and an
average of 48. The low is 46
and the high is 48.
bus 33 has an average of 55
riders and a capacity of 60.
The high - low range is 57-52.
Bus 36 has a capacity of 60
and averages 45. The high -
low is between 50-40.
Bus 47 averages 66 with a
legal capacity of 67. The high
is 67 and the low 60.
Bus 72 also averages only
one student below legal
capacity. It has capacity of 60
and transports 59 on an
average. The high - low rate
is 63-55.
Bus 88 transports an
average of 52 with a capacity
of 60. The low is 50 and the
high 54.
Bus 40E, which has a legal
capacity of 67, transports an
average of 46 students. The
high - low range is between
50-43.
Steve J. Varnum, a seafood
dealer, topped the ticket for
board seats. Both men polled
4,710 votes.
Russ, who is from Shallotte
Township, jumped into an
early lead and was top man
most of the night. But Var
nam, who started slowly in
the early returns and was
running fourth after eight
precincts reported, came on
(Continued On Page 4)
County Backs
State Winners
Brunswick County
Democrats, who won all local
races, also scored victories
on both the district and state
levels in the general election
Tuesday.
Democrat Allen Ward had
an easy time defeating Ron
Dunn for the 11th house
district seat in the General
Assembly representing
Brunswick and Pender
Counties. Ward, an oil dealer,
received 7,723 votes in the two
counties and Dunn 3,019.
Ward picked up 5,633 votes in
Brunswick had 2,090 in
Pender. Dunn received 2,187
in Brunswick and 832 in
Pender.
Ed Nye of Bladen County
defeated Worth Mercer of
Columbus County for the 11th
district senate seat in the
General Assembly. Nye
received 11,102 in the three
counties and Mercer 7,250. He
won Brunswick County 5,214
to 2,347.
Democrat Robert Morgan,
who won state-wide, had no
trouble defeating Republican
William Stevens in Brun
swick County 5,588 to 2,399.
Labor Party candidate
Rudolph Newsmith had only
84.
Brunswick County also
gave its support to Democrat
Rufus Edmisten who
defeated appointed in
cumbent Republican James
Carson state-wide. Edmisten
gained 4,953 votes in the
county while Carson had 2,694
with Shallotte precinct not
reporting. Labor Party
candidate Marion Porter had
137.
Democrat J. Wilton Hunt
was elected judge in the 13th
judicial district. He defeated
Ralph G. Jorgensen 1,998 to
2,281 in Brunswick County.
Lee Greer, running
unopposed, was elected
solicitor of the 13th district.
He polled 5,502 votes in
Brunswick County.
Although returns are not
available, it is believed that
all 33 Democratic candidates
for judges running in
Brunswick County won.
The county went along with
the state in approving con
stitutional amendment one
changing the name of the
solicitor to district attorney.
The vote was 3,294 “yes” and
1,904 “no” in the county with
two precincts not reporting.
Although constitutional
amendment two about ind
ustrial bonds was defeated In
the state, it was approved in
Brunswick County with two
precincts not reporting. A
total of 2,492 voters supported
the bonds here and 2,191
voted in opposition.
James D. Bellamy, Jr.,
Harold C. Robinson and
Bryan R. Smith, running
unopposed in the non
partisan Brunswick County
Soil and Water supervisor’s
race, were elected. But the
totals were not available at
press time.
THERE IS NO DOUBT that the new Southport
Primary School will be ready for occupancy next
fall — not with the progress shown during recent
weeks at the site in the northwest sector of town.
The new facility will accommodate all primary -
grade children, making unnecesary the mobile
units that many have used throughout the early
school years.
34 Cents To 56 Cents
Cost Of County School
Lunch Varies 22 Cents
A 22-cent variation in the
cost of preparing lunches in
Brunswick County schools
has been brought to the at
tention of the Board of
Education.
Assistant Supt. P.R.
Hankins submitted the report
that was based on the first 25
days of school. Cost of
preparing a school lunch
ranged from 34 cents to 56
cents; ironically, the ex
tremes were noted at South
port Primary and Southport
Middle schools.
Hankins, stating he was
“concerned with the wide
variation,” noted there were
two possible explanations:
that two large servings were
being offered at the more
Local Picks
Declare 6No’
Two Southport men
selected to serve on the new
Brunswick County Hospital
Authority have declined the
appointments.
Both Robert Howard and
William B. McDougie have
informed county officials in
letters that they do not want
to serve.
Chairman William Kopp,
Jr., of the Board of Com
missioners, who nominated
both men to serve on the
authority, said he was
"terribly disappointed” the
two men declined.
Howard is a Southport
alderman while McDougie is
chairman of the Dosher
Memorial Hospital Board of
Trustees.,
costly schools; and some
lunchrooms might be over
preparing food, having left
over meals.
Board member William
Sue, in response to Hankins’
observation that lunchroom
personnel might be sensitive
to study, said “We’re talking
about money, we’re not
talking about sensitivity.”
The primary school has
shown a $9,972.08 profit; the
middle school has lost
$6,652.33.
Sue suggested that lun
chroom personnel observe
operations at other schools.
Hankins noted that the
higher-cost lunchrooms
“have a reputation for ser
ving real good meals,” ad
ding that a possible cause of
higher cost might be that
managers put a lesser
amount of “extenders” —
fillers — in meat items on the
menu.
On the county level, the
report shows lunchroom
participation greatest in the
western'area. Only North and
South Brunswick and South
port Middle schools are
operating at a loss while
Shallotte and Union schools
have shown the greatest
profit.
The system has 79 percent
participation by students in
the lunch program with 5,705
of the 7,276 participating.
Paid lunches total 2,105 while
free lunches number 3,522
and reduced-price meals 78.
Hankins said the report is
the first indication of how the
lunchrooms are doing. “We
should see some narrowing of
the gap," he told the board.
Following is the school-by
school reported presented by
Hankins:
Bolivia, with an enrollment
of 736, has 528 students or 72
percent of the total eating
school lunches. Some 203 pay
for their meals while 279 eat
free and 28 are charged
reduced prices. A plate costs
37 cents and the lunchroom is
showing a $6,793.74 profit.
Southport Primary has 65
percent participation with 327
of the 506 students eating at
the lunchroom. A total of 156
pay and 170 receive free
meals. A lunch costs 56 cents
to prepare and the lunchroom
has lost $6,652.33 this year.
Leland school has 81 per
cent participation with 560 of
the 694 students eating lun
chroom food. Some 291 eat
free and 239 pay. It costs 40
cents a plate to prepare the
food and the lunchroom has
made $2,882.32.
A total of 471 or 92 percent
of the 512 students at Lincoln
participate in the lunchroom
program. Some 213 eat free
and 250 pay. The cost-per
(Continued On Page 3) ■>;
ife
Thursday, 7:30
Long Beach
Meeting Set
The Long Beach Board of
Commissioners will have a
lengthy agenda to discuss at
the regular monthly meeting
Thursday night at 7:30 p.m.,
Town Manager Frank Kivett
has announced.
The board will consider
establishing procedures for
meeting and public hearings,
lease of land from National
Development Corporation for
motorcyclists and lease of
land from Kings Lynn Cor
poration for parking.
Peirson and Whitman
engineering consultants will
give a report on the proposed
water system.
The board will bold -a
discussion on proposed
charter revisions.
The board will hold public
hearings to discuss three
amendments to the zoning
ordinance. One involves the
definition of portable
manufactured housing units
for permitted uses.
Reports will be heard from
the planning board, the board
of adjustment, the police
department, inspections
department, tax collection
department fire department
and rescue squad, attorney,
engineer and manager,