Newspapers / State Port Pilot (Southport, … / Feb. 5, 1975, edition 1 / Page 1
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THE STATE PORT PHOT I A Good Newspaper In A Good Community VOL UME *6 NUMBER 29 16 PAGES TOD A Y SOUTHPORT, NORTH CAROLINA FEBRUARY 5, 1975 10 CENTS A COPY PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY ALMOST.. .the “missing link” between the Southport area and Oak Island is nearing completion, evidenced by this aerial of the old (one-lane pontoon bridge) and the new (high-level structure). Note the protection for the center two supports of the new bridge. iY The Brunswick County board of commissioners took action on the Smithville , Township request for., a separate hospital district during the board’s regular meeting at the Hood Building in Southport on Monday. The board voted unanimously to approve the petition of residents of Smith ville Township “requesting the Commission for Medical Facility Service and Licensure to hold a public hearing upon the question of creating a hospital district’’ under the law. The board approved the petitions “so long as said creation does not interfere with the progress of the Brunswick County Memorial Hospital Authority, the construction of the Brun swick County Memorial Hospital nor the receipt of federally - subsidized funds by Brunswick Memorial Hospital or the Brunswick County Hospital Authority.” The motion was introduced by Commissioner Ira Butler, Jr., during the closing hour of the eight - hour meeting and unanimously approved after a short discussion. The item was not on the printed agenda. Commissioner Steve Varnam, Jr., ask what effect the motion would have on the people of Boiling Spring Lakes inside Smithville Township. The Boiling Spring Lakes town board has sent the commissioners a letter saying they do not favor the separate township hospital district. County Attorney James R. Prevatte, Jr., first said the people of Boiling Spring Lakes living in Smithville Township would be included if the separate district is approved by the voters. “A portion of those people (residents of Boiling Spring Lakes) have definitely told us they want to be excluded (from the proposed district,” Commissioner W.T. Russ, Jr., pointed out. After looking at the law again, Prevatte said the people of Boiling Spring Lakes living in Smithville Township could be excluded from the hospital district if the town board acts on the matter. Varnam said if the district is approved by the voters, the people in Smithville Town ship will have to pay a special tax to support the hospital. He expressed concern that the people of Smithville might oppose future county bond issues since they will be paying a special higher tax to support the separate hospital district. I own Creek, l oo, hays Sloan Northwest Township 6Under Represented9 Chairman Franky Thomas expressed concern at the board of commissioners meeting Monday that people living in Northwest Township have not been appointed to county boards in the past. “I hate to bring up this subject, but Northwest Township is getting the short end of the stick,” Chairman Thomas declared. “It is getting outrageous now.” Thomas expressed special concern about membership of the county Bicentennial committee. He said the committee has 11 members from Smithville, four from Shallotte, seven from Lock wood Folly, five from Town Creek and two from Wac camaw.. He said Northwest To wnship has only one representative on the entire county Bicentennial com mittee. Commissioner Willie Sloan ■aid one of the members listed from Town Creek lives in Lockwood Folly. He said he did not know any of the members from the township he represents. Chairman Thomas also said he wanted to know why the county Planning Board holds meetings in Southport and Supply, but none in Leland. County Manager Neii Mallory said some county Planning Board meetings will be held in Northwest Township in the future. Commissioner Steve Vamam, Jr., said he agreed “100 percent’’ with what Chairman Thomas said. “A lot of this stuff took place before we came into office,” he stated. “We are trying to do something about it.” Chairman Thomas proposed that three residents from each township in the county be appointed to serve on a special advisory com mittee to the board of com missioners. The other commissioners agreed, and the appointments will be made at the next meeting. /Sloan said he believed the township advisory com mittees recently named to work with the county Plan ning Board should be “abolished” since they don't represent the entire county. County Planner Johnny Sutton, who was called into the meeting, told the board that anyone who is interested in county planning can serve on their township advisory committee. He said all the residents have to do is volunteer to serve. “They (the people of Smithville) are going to wind up on the short end (if they approve the separate, district),” Russ declared. “That is my opinion.” Commissioner Willie Sloan said the people of Smithville should be allowed to express their opinion on the matter. “If they want to accept the tax burden, let them vote fore it,” he added. Nuclear Plant, . . Officials Told To Shut Down The Brunswick Nuclear plant and 22 other such facilities across the country have been ordered to cease operations within 20 days to inspect reactors. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission in Washington said in an order issued last Wednesday that the nuclear power reactors had to be shut down to search for cracks in emergency safety system pipes. The NRC took the action after Commonwealth Edison reported the discovery of five small cracks in the walls of two 10-inch diameter water lines at the utility’s Dresden reactor at Morris, 111. The lines, it was noted, are part of a water spray system. The cracks were reportedly found near where the lines penetrate the reactor vessel. A NRC spokesman said the 23 nuclear facilities — all of the boiling water types — will probably have to be shut down for about two weeks to make the inspections. The NRC has ordered of ficials at the 23 nuclear facilities to inspect the spray lines as well as other primary and back-up emergency cooling systems. Sid Linton, a Carolina Power & Light Company spokesman, said he knew of no safety problems that arose during the construction of the Brunswick nuclear plant. He reported that Unit 2 is undergoing the fueling process. He said about $30 million worth of processed uranium is being placed in the reactor in preparation for its becoming operational. He said the plant was not scheduled to begin creating (Continued on Page 2)' Short-Lived Restraining Order Falls Clark Changes Dosher Ruling The City of Southport received a temporary restraining order Tuesday afternoon in the battle to save Dosher Memorial Hospital. The temporary restraining order, signed by Judge Giles Clark in Whiteville, “en joined and restrained ... any attempt to transfer management and operation of Dosher Memorial Hospital to the defendant Brunswick County Hospital Authority.” Judge Clark said in the ruling that the order became effective at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday when he signed it. He said the City of Southport was not required by statute to post any security or bond prior to issuance of the order. He ordered the defendants, including members of the county board of com missioners, the board of trustees of Dosher hospital, the Brunswick County Hospital Authority and North Carolina Attorney General Rufus Edmisten to appear before him in District Court in Southport at 10 a.m. next Wednesday (Feb. 12) and “show cause, if any they may have, why this order should not be continued to the trial of the action on the merits.”; The. Southport Board of Aldermen filed the action Tuesday after the General Assembly approved the Dosher transfer bill and the Brunswick County Hospital Authority moved to take over the hospital in Southport Tuesday morning. Defendants named in the suit included Franky Thomas, Ira Butler, Steve Varnam, W.T. Russ, Jr., and Willie Sloan of the board of commissioners; William McDougle, Basil Watts, Tom Gilbert, L.T. Yaskell, AJfc Gainey, Jr., Ralph Nor dquest, Ed Johnson, Willie Ward and Willie Beatty of the Dosher board of trustees; (Continued On Page 4) Hearing District Court Judge Giles Clark reversed his Tuesday decision this afternoon and dissolved the restraining order that would have prevented the takeover of Dosher Memorial Hospital by the county Hospital Authority. The decision, announced after a two-hour special hearing, was based on the immediate takeover of Dosher financial records Tuesday morning, before a restraining order could be issued. A The hearing in open court before District Court Judge Giles Clark was requested by the defendant Hospital Authority, which claimed that the Tuesday morning transfer of Dosher funds would allow the Authority to operate Dosher. To return the funds to Dosher — as would likely be necessary if the restraining order were continued — would “disrupt” Authority plans to operate the Southport facility. » The defendant Authority, represented by Chairman Mason Anderson, assured Judge Clark it has passed suitable resolutions to insure the continued operation of Dosher. Attorney for the plaintiff City of Southport, Louis Newton, argued that if the restraining order were dissolved it would cause irreparable damage to the city as part owner of the facility. He asked that the matter be continued until the Constitutionality of taking property (Dosher) without compensation could be determined. Brunswick County Schools One Year And Counting, Leak Problem Unsolved By BILL ALLEN Members of the Brunswick County board of education expressed concern about leaking roofs at the county’s three consolidated high schools during a regular, monthly meeting Monday night. “This county has paid for roofs that don’t leak and, by golly, we are going to get them,” Chairman Wilbur Earl Rabon declared. “I am tired of talking about the roofs,” member William Sue stated. “We have been talking aobut it for one year and nothing has happened.” Assistant Supt. John Hicks said a meeting involving everyone connected with the roof problems will be held Feb. 20. “I think we will know what is wrong after the meeting,” Hicks tokl the board. ‘‘I believe they will try to fix it, but they will not replace the roofs.” Hicks said he and Board Attorney Mason Anderson, who reportedly was unable to attend the meeting, discussed the matter with two con tractors during sessions held all day Jan. 10. “The con tractors would like to solve the problem if they knew what to do,” he pointed out. Hicks said the roofs at South and West are “terrible and the one at North is just as bad.” He reported that most of the leaking occurs at the expansion joints.* Chairman Rabon said all that has been done to try to correct the problem is patch work. Hicks said the patch work at all three schools looks “awful.” Board members noted that Anderson had been instructed three months ago to proceed in “all due haste,” but that “nothing has happened.” v BASEBALL LIGHTS „ In other business, the board voted unanimously to proceed with the project to light the baseball fields at the three high school for the 1976 77 season. Chairman Rabon, who estimated the project will cost about $150,000, said the board should either wait until the next budget or request additional funds from the board of commissioners to have lights on the fields for (Continued on Page 2) ►n Personnel Ordinance Discussed Board Asks Who Hires? Who Fires? The Brunswick County board of commissioners decided to make several changes in the county per sonnel ordinance during a 90 minute discussion of the matter on Monday. County Manager Neil Mallory reviewed the 22-page document, which was ap proved by the old board in late November and took effect December 2, with the commissioners. He was assisted by County Personnel Director Steve Hughes and County Attorney James R. Prevatte, Jr. Commissioners said that several changes should be made in the ordinance. The changes will be made and the ordinance will be presented about the Recreation and Parks Committee hiring a new director without the approval of the board. Sloan said the board should have had a “say-so” in the hiring of the new director, to the board again at the next meeting. Chairman Franky Thomas and Commissioner Willie Sloan questioned Mallory Mallory said the personnel ordinance allows boards appointed by the com missioners to hire employees. The board decided to change the ordinance to making the hiring “subject to the ap proval” of the county board. Commissioner Steve Varnam, Jr., said he wanted to know who hires the landfill director — the Health Department of the county board of commissioners? Mallory said it was his un derstanding that the Board of Health hires the landfill director. But he said he would look into the matter at the request of Varnam. Board members asked questions concerning the appointment of the tax collector and the tax supervisor. Mallory said the tax supervisor is appointed for a two-year term and will be up for re-appointment at the first meeting in July. He said the tax collector can be appointed to serve one, two, three or four years. In answer to a question from Commissioner W.T. Ross, Jr., Mallory said the county manager, county clerk and cointy attorney are not subject to the personnel ordinance since they “serve at the pleasure of the board." The county manager said the ordinance gives “first consideration” in hiring all county employees to residents of Brunswick County when job candidates are “equally qualified.” Russ questioned a provision about allowing county employees to ac cumulate a maximum of 30 days vacation leave. He said it could be a problem in the Sheriff’s department when a new sheriff takes office because the county would have to pay the vacation time due each employee dismissed. Mallory said he would discuss the matter with Sheriff Herman Strong and an Institute of Government official and report back. Board members questioned giving petty leave to county employees, which has never been done in the past. Under the provision, employee* would be allowed 14 hows pf petty leave each year, Mallory will look into the matter and report back to the board. Sloan said the ordinance should state clearly that it can be amended by the board at any time.
State Port Pilot (Southport, N.C.)
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Feb. 5, 1975, edition 1
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