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^ovuriQv mr\ 5-* % 1976 7^6-l9^ m / STATE PORT PILOT Volume 46 No. 46 June 4, 1975 Southport, N. C. 22 Pages 10 Cents By BILL ALLEN Staff Writer Dosher Memorial Hospital was transferred back to the Board of Trustees, who were -given—“full authority to manage and operate same,” shortly after noon Tuesday following negotiations in Brunswick County Superior Court this week. “This is a great day in the life of this county, for citizens who have managed areas of disagreement this day have entered into a consent order approved by this court concerning their hospital facility,” Judge Edwin S. Preston of Raleigh an nounced from the bench before reading and signing the consent order. “In entering this order, it becomes a giant step, in my opinion, for resolving all the differences at a later time,” Judge Preston continued. “Quite frankly, it has made my whole week here.” When the case was called Monday morning William Shell, one of the attorneys representing the City of Southport, asked the court if negotiations, which began Friday at the request of the defendants, could continue to reach a settlement. Judge Preston, who said he had spent two weeks reading the case file, said he would not oppose negotiations. The negotiations, which began at 10:40 a.m. Monday morning, did not end until shortly after noon Tuesday. The consent order transfers to the Board of Trustees the “full authority to manage and operate Dosher hospital pending the trial of the case on its merits or until further orders of the court.” ‘‘The Brunswick County Hospital Authority shall immediately transfer all render an accounting to said Board of Trustees,” the order said. “From the time of the transfer, the trustees of Dosher hospital shall be responsible and liable for the management and control of said hospital until further orders of the court.” The order said the question of whether they are or are not a duly-constituted board with authority to operate the hospital is not decided.-“This order is without prejudice to the right of. the Hospital Authority to close Dosher, which questions have not been determined,” it con tinued. • Damage actions against the Hospital Authority as a body politic remain only as to the question of just com pensation for the taking of property and any riamago incurred as a result of the taking and operation of the hospital from February 3 until the date of the transfer, if the plaintiffs should prevail as to these aspects, the order said. It said the action is in all respects dismissed as to all members of the corporate bodies in their individual capacities. As to all other matters, the order said the cause is con tinued until the case is tried on its merits. “Nothing in this order shall be construed as an impediment to the Hospital Authority’s right to proceed with the plans to construct Brunswick County Memorial Hospital and to secure fun ding from any source, nor as to the right of Brunswick County to proceed with the sale of bonds to finance it.” —The order said that “any party retains the right to have this action determined by motion to the judge holding court in the 13th Judicial District to set same peremptorily, and the parties agree that the case may be heard in any county in the district as to any manner remaining to be determined this cause except the damages issues, which shall be heard before a venire (jury) in Brunswick County.” The order dismissed ‘In all respects” the 17 members of the State Medical Care Commission. I.O. Wilkerson, Jr., individually and as director of the Division of Facilities Services, David Flaherty, individually and as secretary of the Department of Human Resources, Lawrence Burwell of the x/ivision or racuity ocivivcs, Chairman Mason H. An derson and Director Warren Oliver of the county Hospital Authority, and Rep. Allen Ward, individually, and North Carolina Attorney General Rufus Edmisten. After reading the consent order in court, Judge Preston reported that Assistant At torney General Parks H. Icenhour had talked by telephone on Tuesday with Secretary Flaherty of the Department of Human Resources. Judge Preston reported that Flaherty told Icenhour that Dosher’s temporary license would be renewed “so long as the Board of Trustees in good faith carries out its tWee-year plan for renovation.” He said the three-year plan of December 1, 1975,. has been "accepted” by the Depart ment of Human Resources. Icenhour told Judge Preston he reported Flaherty’s statements about the license and three-year plan correctly. The consent order was signed by Louis Newton of Murchison. Fox and Newton, representing the city; Icenhour, representing the Medical Care Commission and members, Edmisten, Rep. Ward, Wilkerson, Flaherty and Burwell; Jack Hooks and J.B. Lee, representing the Hospital Authority, members, An derson and Oliver; and County Attorney James Prevatte, Jr., representing the board of commissioners. “I see that this consent order has been duly ^signed by everyone except me,” Judge Preston remarked from the bench. “Quite frankly, I can’t wait to sign it.” During the almost two days of negotiations, Judge Preston announced in court the progress that was being made and his hopes for the order that was approved by the parties involved. “What this order will do is to give an opportunity for some more time to let the parties come closer together deciding what is proper, what is the democratic thing, and what the citizens need and want,” Judge Preston said at (Continued On Page 4) Island Bridge Is Dedicated The new Oak Island Bridge was dedicated by Gov. James E. Holshouser, Jr., during ceremonies at the site Friday afternoon. Gov. Holshouser told the large crowd that he felt he p should be present «t the,( dedication ceremonies despite his ankle fracture because of his personal in* terest in the project. He noted that he promised to work for the new bridge before he was elected to office. Gov. Holshouser cut the ribbon to let traffic cross the bridge after delivering his dedicatory address and Rev. Ernest Poston gave the benediction. The governor was in troduced by Secretary Jacob Alexander of the Department of Transportation and High way Safety, who made brief remarks. Brunswick County Chairman-Interum Manager Franky Thomas introduced a number of federal, state and local officials, including Wilber Earl Rabon of Win nabow, who is a member of the Secondary Roads council. Southport Mayor E.B. Tomlinson, Jr., gave the pledge of allegiance and introduced Alexander. Music was provided by the South Brunswick band. The $3,147,567.83 bridge, which was open to traffic March 6, replaces the old swing-span facility which was demolished in a barge collision in September of 1972. The new bridge is 4,250 feet long. The roadway width on the bridge is 40 feet between rails, which provides 65 feet p vertical clearance alcove " mean high tide and 90 feet horizontal clearance over the Intracoastal Waterway. The bridge contains 9,250 cubic yards of cast-in-place concrete, 864 tons of reinforced steel, 19,400 linear feet of pre-stressed concrete griders, 36,900 linear feet of 22-foot octagonal pre-stressed concrete piles and 17,880 linear feet of pre-stressed concrete cored slab mem bers. Bids were let in February of 1973 and construction work was started by Saltsman Construction Company of Bardstown, Kentucky. It was finished by R.R. Dawson Bridge Company of Bloomfield, Kentucky. PLANNING COMMITTEE The Waccamaw Citizens Planning Advisory Com mittee will meet at Wac camaw school Thursday night at 7:30 p.m., County Planner Johnny Sutton an nounced. County Recreation Director Marshall Kestler will address the meeting. Another Beach ‘Conflict’ Noted A Long Beach meeting to discuss “personnel conflict” between the interim town manager and the police department was not held Tuesday night when three commissioners failed to show. Commissioner Nancy Leggett, who was present along with Don McNeill and Mayor H.E. Joyce, said Ellis Dudley, Russ Morrison and Virginia Christenbury “boycotted” the meeting. McNeill said the fact the three did not come showed “they don’t have the interest of this beach at hand.” McNeill said he asked Joyce to call the meeting following reports that members of the police department were ready to quit because of “conflicts” wth Interim Town Manager Carole Greene, who was appointed last month. “She is after Chief (James) Hamlett,” McNeill said outside the meeting room. “If the police department is intimidated — or feels intimidated — it reduces its effectiveness,” said McNeill. He said the town had a good police department before and he wanted to see the standard maintained. Joyce said he had contacted the other three commissioners, who indicated they would not attend. He said Morrison responded about 45 minutes before the scheduled 7:30 meeting. A SPRAINED ANKLE didn’t stop the governor from presiding at the dedication and ribbon - cutting at Oak Island Bridge Friday afternoon. Unauthorized $1,800 Presented To Beach Interim County Manager Franky Thomas transferred $1,800 in Manpower funds appropriated for the Board of Education to the Town of Long Beach at the request of an individual beach resident. The unauthorized funding was not requested by the Vtown nor approved by the county board of com missioners. The $1,800, which Thomas said would be used to hire a recreation director for the town, has been used in stead to employ a carpenter. The unusual spending of county money was brought to light Monday at the close of the county board meeting by Commissioner Willie Sloan, who said he learned of the transaction from non-official sources. The Pilot learned Tuesday that Thomas and Recreation Director Marshall Kestler were at Long Beach for lunch several weeks ago and were approached by a beach resident who insisted on county help in funding a recreation director for the town. According to reliable sources, Thomas told the individual to find a director, that he (Thomas) would see the town got the money. Long Beach Interim Town Manager Carole Greene said Monday afternoon the town had not requested funds for a recreation director, but that several days after she learned of the possible fun ding a man from Hillsborough applied for the * position. She said she gave him an application form but has heard nothing else from him. In the meantime, she said, the town has employed a badly-needed carpenter with the funds. Sloan said he had discussed the matter with Thomas last (Continued On Page 8) Deputy Firing Not Racial, Says Official Sheriff Herman Strong did not fire three black deputies for racial reasons, according to the Civil Rights Com pliance Officer in the Law and Order Section, N.C. Dept, of Natural and Economic Resources. In a letter addressed to Dr. Lonnie Horton, special assistant of Minority Affairs to Gov. James Holshouser, Civil Rights Officer James B. Croteau said Strong is "a strick disciplinarian and does not tolerate any non performance and is making every effort to make the Brunswick County Sheriff's Department a viable law enforcement agency.” The Croteau - to - Horton letter was made available to The Pilot by Franky Thomas, chairman of the county board of commissioners. Strong is being sued by the three black deputies—Earlie Gore, Rapheal Frink and George Ballard—for alleged discrimination. At the same time the three were dismissed, Strong also fired white deputy George Reed. According to Croteau’s letter, “on Friday morning (May 24) a meeting was held in Sheriff Strong's office in Southport. Those present were Charlie Twitty, regional analyst from this office, Jerry Ramsey, the planning director for LEAA funds in die Brunswick County area, and myself. The purpose of the discussions were to provide any assistance Sheriff Strong may need to assure his agency that its employment practices were non-discr iminatory. ‘This sheriff was very candid and spoke with due respect to the situation. His termination of the three black deputies involved was not based on race, he stated and has documentation that these men were not adhering to his rules and orders. “The sheriff does want some assistance on how to have written employment practices that will document that his agency is non disciminatory and this office via his regional planning director will provide him with (Continued On Page 4) t-'i .J'R Manager’s Car Okay But Question About Use The Brunswick County board of commissioenrs voted Monday to purchase a county vehicle, but deferred action on what kind of automobile to buy and who will get to use it. Beacon Ford of Bolivia was the apparent low bidder, quoting a figure of $4,099.93 for a Torino outfitted ac cording to specifications outlined by the county . A two member committee com posed of Commissioners Steve Varnam, Jr., and Ira Butler, Jr., will evaluate the bid by Beacon and three other car offer a dealers and recommendation for pur chase at a special meeting scheduled for Thursday. “I'm embarrassed not for myself but for the people of Brunswick County over the issue that’s been made over this car,” said Chairman Franky Thomas, who also is serving as interim county manager. He said it was his intention in recommending that the county buy a car “to make the position (of county manager) more lucrative” for a professional person who might be hired as county manager. “I’ve got seven cars,” Thomas said. “I don’t need and more.” He said he believed the county vehicle would en courage the manager “to get oilt and travel." After discussion by other board members concerning use of the vehicle by other county employees, Thomas said use by others might be a problem. ‘‘There seems to be more of a negative attitude about it” that when he first suggested the county vhicle, he told fellow board mem bers. Commissioner Willie Sloan said he thought the county “should have one, maybe two” cars for use by county employees. Varnam said the car purchase was “a good idea," but noted several points that needed to be cleared up. He said the public had been lead to believe the county was buying a car for the manager. “This is not the case at all," he said Monday, although he said the manager would certainly use it the most. “We are buying a county car.” He said the manager receives a monthly travel allowance of $210 and this would be eliminated if the county car were used. “And it will be avilable for the rest of the commissioners” to use, Varnam added. It was suggested that perhaps the county planner could use the vhicle. “I would certainly think so,” Com missioner W.t. Russ, Jr., who suggested th car be based at the county offices. "Then all business done with it would be county business," he said. Russ was present for the 11 a.m. bid opening after spending part of the morning in court, where he had been subpoenaed for the court hearing on Dosher Memorial Hospital. • Russ Ford of Shallotte, with which the commissioner is associated, was the second low bidder, with $4,195.53 for a Custom 500. Tom Reich Chevrolet of Wilmington bid $4,215.62 on a Bel Air, and Mintz Chevrolet bid $4,205.45 on a similar model Chevy. Dub Clewis of Brunswick Motors was 10 minutes late for the bid opening and did not submit a proposal. In other business handled during the abbreviated morning session, Mrs. Ressie Whatley told the board she was going to retire at the end of June and asked for two weeks’ paid vcation — her first in 30 years — starting June 15. Chairman Thomas said “Miss Resale" had "set an example that will be hard to match in Brunswick County” as far as dedicated service is concerned. “I’m still a citizen and very interested in county government,” she told the commissioners. The board named Paul Ganey, Jr., of Leland and Thomas Young, Jr., of Winnabow to serve on the expanded county Planning Board, but deferred action on an appointee from Wac camaw Township. Also, the board took no action on naming a member to the Scoial Services board. Chairman Thomas gave a brief report on the Dog Central Center and said there still is a possibility that land (Continued On Page 4)
State Port Pilot (Southport, N.C.)
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June 4, 1975, edition 1
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