THE STATE PORT PILOT
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A Good Newspaper In A Good Community
VOLUME 46 NUMBER 18 20 PAGES TODAY SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA NOVEMBER 20,1974 10 CENTS A COPY PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY
Water, Sewer
Bids For City
Within Funds
The proposed $1 million
plus water, sewer and storm
drainage project for the City
of Southport took a giant step
toward reality with the
opening of bids Tuesday at
City Hall.
“It appears there is a bid
within the total amount of
money in the project sub
mitted in the bond election
last November,” Mayor E.B.
Tomlinson, Jr., announced
after the bids were opened.
The exact totals of the 11
bids received will not be
known until they are
tabulated and verified by
Henry Von Oesen and
Associates, consulting
engineers for the city.
C.E. Davis of Von Oesen
and Associates said he hopes
to be able to make recom
mendations concerning the
tabulated and verified bids to
the Southport Board of
Aldermen with!”, two weeks.
Once the bids are awarded
by the board, construction
work is scheduled to begin
within 30 days. The con
tractors will have 240 days to
complete the project.
Davis, assisted by City
Manager Alvin Kornegay and
State Representative Everett
Scott of the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), opened
the 11 submitted bids.
“I am extremely well
pleased with the bids
because, since being elected
mayor, I have spent more
time and concern on this
project than anything else
except the hospital,”
Tomlinson declared.
Mayor Tomlinson,
Aldermen Pierce Horne and
Conley Koontz, who attended
the ceremonies, all said they
were pleased with the bids
received on the project. “We
will be able to complete the
entire project with the
available funds,” Horne
noted.
Officials had expressed
concern before the bids were
opened that skyrocketing
costs might endanger the
project. They feared that the
Funds Distributed
The largest sales and use tax distribution in
three years has been made to Brunswick County
and nine municipalities.
A total of $223,391 has been distributed for the
quarter ending Sept. 30. Brunswick County
received the greatest share — $199,955. Of the
remainder, Long Beach received $10,178, South
port $4,283 and Shallotte $2,230.
Boiling Spring Lakes received $742, Bolivia
$56, Holden Beach $1,897, Ocean Isle Beach
$1,240, Sunset Beach $933, and Yaupon Beach
$1,874.
The one - cent tax is collected with the state
three - cent levy, then returned to local govern
ments by the N.C. Department of Revenue Local
disbursement is made on an ad valorem tax
basis. Newly - incorporated towns Calabash and
Shady Forest were not allotted any funds.
project might have to be
reduced because of rising
costs. The board even held a
special meeting this summer
to consider cutting items
from the project, but took no
action.
Mayor Tomlinson
predicted at the summer
meeting that the bids might
not be as high as estimated
because of the downward
turn in the construction in
dustry. He said at the time
companies might submit
lower bids in order to keep
tneir crews wornng.
After the bid* openings,
David said the scarcity of
work had kept prices dcwn
despite the rising costs.
Mayor Tomlinson said he
made his summer prediction
based on economic in
dicators, such as bid
openings, material costs and
labor availability. “They
seemed to indicate the peak
was passed in June or July
and we would reach a
favorable price situation in
the fall,” he pointed out. “I
believe that is exactly what
happened.
Southport approved the
$300,000 bond issue for the
water, sewer and storm
drainage project in
November, 1973. The rest of
the funds for the $1 million
plus project came from HUD,
the Coastal Plains act and the
Clean Water Bonds act.
•x-x-x*x*x*x*x*x***&:.>:.:.:*:
TURKEY SHOOT
The Supply Lions Club will
sponsor a turkey shoot on
Saturday behind the Holiday
Drive-In on US 17 just north
of Shallotte. The shoot starts
at 11 ajn. Ammunition and
guns will be provided when
needed.
Court May End Marina Dispute
U.S. District Judge John D. Larkins
has tentatively set a hearing in New
Bern today (Wednesday) to consider
the long - appealed Bald Head Island
marina suit.
Judge Larkins is expected to con
sider whether to dissolve the en
vironmentalist complaint about the
proposed marina and let the project
continue during the tentatively
scheduled hearing.
Judge Larkins, the first judge to
handle the long - delayed suit, was re -
assigned the case by the U.S. 4th
Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond,
Va., Officials of both Carolina Cape
j Fear Corporation, developers of the
island, and the environmentalist
groups have expressed confidence that
Judge Larkins will rule in their favor.
Corporation attorneys have said
Carolina Cape Fear faces financial
ruin and may go out of business if the
federal courts don’t dissolve the legal
tangle the environmentalists have
been using to stop development of the
island.
Judge Larkins held a hearing in
volving attorneys representing
Carolina Cape Fear, the en
vironmentalists and the government in
Wilson last Tuesday. But the hearing
ended after it was discovered that
there had to be a 21 - day period for
attorneys to file briefs before the case
could be resolved.
The Court of Appeals in Richmond
ruled last Wednesday that Judge
Larkins could ignore the 21 - day
waiting period after a Carolina Cape
Fear attorney, David Nash of
Wilmington, made the request.
The environmentalists are seeking
an injunction against the marina
permit because no environmental
impact statement was required by the
U.S. Corps of Engineers. Federal at
torneys said the statement was not
needed because the marina is a minor
part of the total development of the
island.
The Appeals Court, the third court to
hear the case, rejected most of the
(Continued on Page 20)
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THE NEW PEOPLES Savings and Loan Association office in in the same block of Howe Street in downtown Southport, ex
Southport is scheduled for a spring opening. Both Peoples and panding what has become a principal financial district.
Security Savings and Loan have under construction new offices
Energy Crisis Or No, Christmas Lights Here
Southport will have
Christmas lights despite the
energy crisis.
The Board of Aldermen,
holding its regular monthly
meeting Thursday night,
unamiously voted to burn
Christmas lights this year
four hours a night from
December 18 until December
31. The lights also will be
turned on the night Santa
Claus arrives in Southport.
The city will put up the
same number of outdoor
lights it has previously and in
the same areas. In addition,
the city will light the weather
tower near the Garrison
House.
The outdoor Christmas
lights will be put up on Howe
Street from the City Park to
the waterfront and from the
Lord Street corner to the
county tax office on Moore
Street.
Aldermen Harold Aldridge,
Robert Howard, Pierce
Horne and Mary McHose
were asked by Mayor E.B.
Tomlinson, Jr., to make sure
the lights are equitably put up
in the designated areas.
The action was taken
despite the fact City Manager
Alvin Komegay, Jr., told the
board the Federal Power
Commission has discouraged
because of the energy crisis.
Howard and Aldridge,
however, took the lead in
urging the board to burn
Christmas lights in Southport
this year.
Aldridge questioned
whether an energy crisis
existed in the country after
hearing the federal recom
mendation against burning
Christmas lights. “I don’t
think there is that much of a
shortage of electricity,” he
declared.
He said he found it hard to
believe that a crisis existed
as long as one of the major'
power companies burns as
many lights as it does at
night.
Board members do not
know how much it would cost
to burn the lights this
Christmas season. But the
cost was estimated at over
15,000.
Aldermen Conley Koontz
said it cost the city about
53,500 to burn outdoor
Christmas lights in 1972.
Horne urged the board to
put up Christmas lights on the
Frying Pan Lightship, but no
action was taken on the
request.
In other business, Kor
Injunction Sought To Stop
Program This Weekend At Leland
By BILL ALLEN
The Brunswick County
Board of Commissioners has
hired an outside attorney to
try to stop the proposed East
Coast Concert from being
held this weekend at Leland.
Southport Attorney Grover
Gore was employed by the
board Monday on a
unanimous vote to try to
obtain an injunction to stop
the concert scheduled at the
Leland race track.
The board took the action
after Gore, who said he
represented about 200 Leland
property owners and
residents, and V.A. Creech,
Jr., a Leland Businessman,
urged commissioners to stop
the controversial concert
from being held.
Gore told the board he
believed he could obtain the
injunction to stop the concert
although “it would be close"
because of the time element
involved.
County Attorney Thomas
Horne recommended that
Gore be hired by the board
“to institute action on behalf
of the county to obtain the
injunction” to stop the con
cert from being held.
“Otherwise,” Horne told the
board, “you can forget it
(stopping the concert)."
Horne told commissioners
that he would not seek the
injunction himself “without
spending three weeks doing
research” into the Con
stitutional aspects of the
case. “Iwillnotgetintoitthis
late in the game," the county
attorney added.
After being employed by
the county, Gore said he
hoped to file the petition
seeking the injunction with
the Clerk of Court in South
port and have the New
Hanover Sheriff’s Depart
ment serve the papers on the
(Continued On Page 9)
negay said all the dozen or so
streets on the priority list
have been re-surfaced except
Park Avenue. He reported
that the $10,500 in Powell Bill
funds ran out before the city
reached Park Avenue. He
said it would cost about $5,000
to re-surface the street.
The board voted
unanimously, with Aldridge
abstaining, to proceed to
develop Bay Street Extension
east of Kingsley Street as
outlined in the Brunswick
Navigation Company deed
for the property on the north
and south sides.
Herne urged the action to
clear up the disputed
ownership of the property 80
feet wide and 800 feet deep.
The onlv cost involved for'
the city will be the fees for the
surveyor and the attorney,
Howard was informed.
The board voted
unanimously to allow owners
to replace mobile homes
already in the city during the
next year. No new mobile
homes will be allowed in the
city under the ordinance.
The board decided to
establish a non-profit cor
poration to produce a musical
pageant in connection with
the Bicentennial celebration
in 1976.
City Bicentennial Chair
man BUI Crowe, who made
the request, was asked by
Horne to submit two names
for the proposed corporation
before City Attorney E.J.
Prevatte applies for non
profit status.
Crowe told, the board he
hopes the pageant “will
become a permanent fixture
each summer in Southport”
after 1976.
He said his committee
expects to spend about $30,000
between now and 1976 to
produce the pageant. Plans
call for building a theater at a
cost of about $7,000 in the City
Park.
The board voted
unanimously to appoint
Elizabeth Young to serve on
the Bicentennial committee
at Crowe’s request. The
appointment will become
effective when Edwin
Clemmons resigns.
Director Jaciae Stephenson
of the Resources Develop
ment Commission was
unanimously named to
represent the city on the
Airport Commission at the
request of Dr. Richard
Conrad, chairman.
Dr. Conrad told the board
the commission hopes to
build a $1 million airport at a
cost of between $20,0000 and
$50,000 In local funds. The
commission is trying to ob
tain federal and state funds to
pay the rest of the cost.
The board voted
unanimously to apply for a
$4,300 grant for planning
assistance under the Coastal
Management Act.
New Chief George Mc
Cracken, in a letter, ex
pressed appreciation for his
recent appointment to head
the Police Department ‘In
this great city.”
It was pointed out that
Chief McCracken was named
chief by City Manager
Kornegay with the en
dorsement of the board.
Aldermen noted that the city
manager hires all personnel
for city departments. They
said it was incorrectly
reported in The Pilot last
week that Chief McCracken
was appointed by the board.
Mayor Tomlinson said
Chief McCracken wanted to
know if the board favored the
establishment of an Auxiliary
police force in Southport.
Harold Davis. Aldridge and
Kornegay will investigate the
matter and report back to the
board.
The board decided to write
a letter of commendation to
Herman Strong, who served
as police chief until he was
elected sheriff of Brunswick
County earlier this months
Mayor Tomlinson said he
wanted to publicly thank City.
Attorney Prevatte for helping
him present the Dosher side
(Continued On Page 9)
Early Pilot Edition
Next week’s State Port Pilot will be published
on Tuesday so that employees may have time off
for Thanksgiving and shoppers may take ad
vantage of Pilot advertising before the holiday.
No news or advertising material should be
submitted after 12 noon on Monday; no classifed
advertising will be accepted after that time. The
Pilot office will be open from 9 until noon
Saturday and on Sunday from 1 until 6 p.m. for
acceptance of news and advertising material.