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THE STATE PORT PILOT
7^6-l9l6
Volume 46 Number 40
April 23, 1975
Southport, iV. C.
22 Pages
10 Cents
By Sheriff Strong
Leland Jail
Is Proposed
li Sheriff Herman Strong
announced he will propose
•that a jail be built in the
Lelahd area when he presents
his 1975-76 budget.
-1 “We have a great need for a
jail in the Leland area,”
Sheriff Strong said. “When
we make an arrest in the
Leland area, we have to
transport the person about 30
miles to a jail at Southport or
ShaOotte.”
> Sheriff Strong said he
wants the county to construct
a 3,213-square-foot jail that
can be expanded in the
Leland area. He said the cost
will run about $200,000 for
land, construction and
equipment.
He said the proposed jail
will have four junveile cells,
four women’s cells, three
maximum security cells, and
a 12-man block. In addition, it
will have rooms for the
dispatcher, medical services,
visiters and an office.
Sheriff Strong said he
wanted to have a dispatcher
(Continued On Page 12)
Meeting Was If
Put On Tape
The State Port Pilot has a
tape recording of a Dec. 16
closed session of the Brun
swick County commissioners
that shows the county board
in violation of the Open
Meetings law.
The tape, which was
recorded when the com
missioner unintentionally
turned on the recorder a Pilot
reporter had turned off, was
played Tuesday for four
members of the Brunswick
County Board of Com
missioners. Reason for
playing the tape, said Pilot
News Editor Ed Harper, was
the continued insistence by
board members that what the
newspaper said happened,
never did.
Commissioner Rusty Russ
of Shallotte was not present
when the tape was played.
“We thought it was a dead
issue,” said Harper, “but
when a commissioner came
to The Pilot office last week
and demanded an apology
for accusing the board of
violating the Open Meetings
*law, we felt we should play
the tape for the com
missioners and set the record
straight.”
The tape is not to be con
A. .
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sidered a threat, Harper said.
"As far as we’re concerned,
the report of the Dec. 16
violation is a first warning
everybody deserves. In our;
successful lawsuit against the
former board for violating
the Open Meetings law we did
not act until there were
repeated, flagrant violations.
We would not act on this
single violation by the new
board.”
Chairman Franky Thomas,
for whom the tape was played
Monday, said afterwards,
“There was nothing improper
about the taping; in fact, we
unknowingly taped our
selves. I think I was out of the
room when the discussion of
the water treatment plant
(which The Pilot contends
was illegal to discuss under
“personnel”) took place.
“There have been no
threats made about ‘using’
the tape,” said the chairman.
“Mr. Harper simply asked
that I go back to the board
and tell them our meeting
was on tape, and asked that
anyone on the board claiming
that the alleged illegal
discussion didn’t take place,
please stop telling their
people that.”
OLD BALDY, the famous Bald Head Island lighthouse visible from the
Southport waterfront, has been nominated for inclusion in the National
Register of Historic Places by Robert Stipe, state historic preservation
officer. It is the oldest standing lighthouse in North Carolina, funded by the
General Assembly in 1784 and completed in 1794. It was destroyed between
1812 and 1815. The 110 - ft. - high structure was rebuilt in 1817.
Manager’s Post
To Be Filled By
i:>: . 5; .,y
Chairman Thomas
Chairman Franky Thomas
was named interim county
manager during the closing
minutes of the regular
monthly meeting of the
Brunswick County Board of
Commissioners Monday
afternoon at the Hood
Budding in Southport.
Thomas, a newcomer to
politics who took office in
December, assumed his new
full-time position with the
county Tuesday. In addition,
he will continue to serve as
chairman of the board of
commissioners.
Thomas, who has business
but no government
managerial experience, was
unanimously selected to
serve as interim county
manager by his follow
commissioners. He will
replace County Manager Neil
Mallory, who resigned last
Thursday. (See related story
in this edition of The Pilot.)
The board voted
unanimously to name
Mallory to serve as assistant
county manager until his
resignation becomes effec
.4ive May 30. He has served as
county manager since
August, 1973.
Both Thomas and Mallory
will receive the same salary
— $18,590 '— the money
earned by the county
manager in Brunswick
County. Thomas said he will
receive none of the regular
allotment given county
commissioners.
The board took no action to
begin the process of seeking a
county manager during the
meeting.
Thomas told The Pilot that
the board was not going to
make a “hasty decision” to
find a new manager. “We are
going to take our time to find
the right person,” he stated.
County Attorney James R.
Prevatte, Jr., read the law
about interim county
managers after being
requested by Thomas during
the meeting. Prevatte said if
the board acted, Mallory
could be named ad
ministrative assistant or
assistant county manager.
Mallory asked if his salary
would be reduced with the
title change. Thomas said he
(Mallory) would receive the
same salary until his
resignaiton becomes effec
tive.
After the vote, Thomas
asked the commissioners if
they wanted to name an in
(Continued On Page 7)
Favorable Report
The controversial Allen Ward bill to move the
Brunswick County seat of government to Supply
received a favorable report this morning from the
Local Government II Committee, according to the
Institute of Government.
The bill, which calls for a referendum to decide
whether to move the, county seat or leave it at
Southport, how goes to the floor of the House- of
Representatives.
One Township Favored
For Lakes Community
Brunswick County com
missioners indicated after a
Monday night hearing they
will take action to place
Boiling Spring Lakes entirely
in Town Creek Township.
“We hope to have
something for you at our next
meeting,’’ Chairman Franky
Thomas told the 20-member
delegation at the hearing.
Chairman Thomas in
structed County Attorney
James Prevatte to draw up
the resolution to present at
the next meeting.
All the residents who spoke
at the hearing favored
placing Boiling Spring Lakes
in Town Creek Township
except A1 Martin.
Martin said he opposed
placing the town in Town
Creek Township without a
vote of the people. He said he
believed that the town board
recommended the action
because four members live in
Town Creek Township.
Col. Paul Day, mayor pr
otem, said the board
unanimously approved a
resolution eight months ago
' asking that a voting precinct
be placed at Boiling Spring
Lakes and the town be placed
in Town Creek Township. He
said he had heard no op
position until Martin spoke at
the hearing.
“The fact that four town
commissioners live in Town
Creek has nothing to do with
it,” Col. Day declared. “It is
not a political issue.”
He said the town, which has
a projected population of
20,000, would rather be in
Town Creek than Smithville
Township. Allen Creek
divides the town between the
two townships at the present
time.
“Ira Butler, who
represents Smithville on your
board, represents one-third
of the people in Brunswick
County,” Col. Day pointed
out.
Martin said most of the
residents at the hearing were
members of the Boiling
Spring Lakes Property
Owners Association. He said
the association represents the
minority because most
residents don’t want to pay
the membership dues to be
members.
Chairman Lester Babson
said the town needed to make
a written request to the Board
of Elections to establish a
voting precinct. But he said
no new precinct could be
established while the town is
divided between two town
ships.
Babson said he could not
predict what action the board
will take on the request since
he is just one of three
members. But he said it was
“feasible” since residents
now have to vote at Bolivia or
Southport, depending on
where they live.
Board of Elections Member
Johnny Mills said he believed
the board would do what was
“best for the people.”
Arthur Greene said
residents have been working
on the matter for years, but
no action had been taken. He
said residents wanted to have
the town placed in one
township.
Melvin Riley said 90 per
cent of the delegation at the
hearing would vote to place
the tcw*i in another township
beside Smithville.
Hal Warner said it made np
difference to him what
township the town was in.
Ralph Nordquest said he
did not know anyone was
against placing the town in
Town Creek until Martin
spoke.
Nelson Starnes said he
believed “we should go along
with our elected represen
tatives on the town board.”
Bob Lloyd said he believed
the town board represented
all the people.
Effective May 30
Mallory Quits
Manager Post
County Manager Neil
Mallory resigned during a
special meeting of the
Brunswick County Board of
Commissioners Thursday
morning.
Chairman Franky Thomas
annoimced at the conclusion
of a 43-minute closed
executive session that
Mallory had submitted his
resignation. The resignation
is effective May 30.
He also announced that
Carole Greene, who has
served as clerk to the board,
had . resigned effective
Wednesday, April 9.
Mallory assumed his duties
as county manager on August
1, 1973. Mrs. Greene would
have served as county clerk
three years in August. Both
were first employed ixider
the former Republican board
of commissioners.
The special meeting had
been called to discuss
“personnel.” Chairman
Thomas said that “no action”
had been taken before
making the two an
nouncements. Commissioner
Steve Varnam, Jr., did not
attend the meeting due to
“business reasons.”
“This is to confirm my
announcement to the Board
of Commissioners pertaining
to my resignation as county
manager effective May 30,”
Mallory said in his letter of
resignation to Chairman
Thomas. “Please be assured
that I have enjoyed my
(Continued On Page 12) >.
Mayor Will Quit, Too
Beach Manager Kivett Resigns
Despite a 24-to-something
show of hands in the af
firmative, the Long Beach
Board of Commissioners
voted Monday not to resign in
force.
But announcement was
nade by Mayor Ed W.
Morgan that he will step
down at the next regular
meeting, May 1, for reasons
of health.
The unusual Monday af
ternoon activity was caused
by another resignation — that
of Town Manager Frank
Kivett last Thursday night.
Kivett had said he would sign
no more town checks except
payroll, and the Monday
meeting was called primarily
to name a new finance of
ficer. The tone was set,
however, by the motion to
resign introduced by Com
missioner Nancy Leggett.
Noting that “I did this on
my own,” Mrs. Leggett said
Kivett’s Thursday night
statement is what prompted
her motion. In that
statement, Kivett noted cases
of commissioners' in
terference with his job,
illegal wire-tapping and
threats on the lives on his
family. He said that because
of developments of recent
months, his “professional
recovery may be im
possible.”
Commissioner Ellis Dudley
volunteered some “back
history" for the board and
audience, citing in particular
the absence of financial
reports to the board since
Dec. 18. He said there have
been delays in paying bills
which ‘‘are a little em
barrassing to me." He said he
suggested to the mayor that
someone — reportedly for
mer acting town manager Ed
Liggett — look at the
financial reports item by
item.
Kivett said this item-by
item check is what spurred
his resignation an
nouncement last Thursday.
Stating that the item-by
item check was “nothing ho
rrible’’ and that it happened
all the time in big business,
Dudley asked Kivett to
reconsider signing the
checks, and to stay until a
suitable replacement could
be found. “Let’s handle this
in a dignified way,’’ Dudley
asked.
Mayor Morgan said he
“didn’t call or retain Mr.
Liggett” to check behind
Kivett, and that the first time
he saw Liggett since he
resigned last spring was at
the town hall last Monday.
Richard Owens, a member
of the law firm sitting in for
Town Attorney James R.
Prevatte, Jr., who was in
volved in a meeting of thf
county board of com
missioners, left the room for
a telephone call and the
meeting stopped. During the
pause in the action, Morgan
called for a “straw ballot”
$50,000 Goal
West Library In Midst
Of Fund-Raising Drive
A kick-off dinner was held
last Wednesday night to
prepare for raising finds for
construction of a new facility
in Shallotte to house the
expanding West Brunswick
County Library, a part of the
Brunswick County library
system.
About 50 concerned citizens
attended the Calabash
gathering.
The meeting was presided
over by John Hughes,
Shallotte attorney who is
chairman of the Library
Advisory Committee. The
invocation was given by the
Rev. Freeman Gause.
In presenting the needs of
the library, Hughes
suggested the many ad
vantages of larger facilities
in not only carrying on the
usual activities of the library
but in expanding into services
not presently provided.
Philip Barton, county
librarian, stated in his
remarks that the meeting
was being held at a suitable
time, during National
Library Week. He spoke of
the greater need for library
facilities, noting that infor
mation now is provided on
microfilm as well as in books
and films.
He spoke of the availability
of any book through the inter
library loan system, and said
that plans are being made to
have the Shallotte and Leland
branches contact the State
Library directly for special
book requests.
Barton said that an effort is
being made to rotate the
county book collection among
the Southport, Shallotte and
Leland libraries, as well as
the bookmobile. He said that
the Shallotte branch had
experienced such a
phenomenal circulation
growth that larger quarters
are sorely needed.
Mrs. Margaret Harper, a
member of the county library
(Continued On Page 12)
asking how many were in
favor and how many were
against the entire board
resigning. There were 24
hands in favor, only a few
opposed although Morgan did
not finish the count. “There
wasn’t but 6 or 7,” Mrs.
Leggett noted, and the total
included visiting Yaupon
Beach Commissioner Bill
Smalley.
‘There is just so much
quarreling,’’ said Mrs. Inez
Shannon, who noted that
some of the board members
might be re-elected if another
election were held. Should the
whole board resign, the
governor would appoint
replacements until the next
regular town election.
Spectator Woody Vennel
termed the proposed
resignations “A motion of
quitters.”
Morris Ferrell, who said he
was speaking as a
businessman who hears from
folks upstate, said "for your
tenure all I’ve heard (from
across the state) is your
bickering. There has been
nothing but bad news. Let’s
start all over."
Morgan said he’d resign if
the other board members
would. Commissioner Russ
Morrison asked Ferrell if he
wanted his chair. No, Ferrell
replied.
Member Virginia
Christenbury noted there
have been problems before,
and a spectator brought a
relief of laughter when she
the current situation “is not
(Continued On Page 7)
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