THE STATE PORT PILOT
Volume 47 Number 20
December 3, 1975
Southport, N. C.
2 Sections, 20 Pages
10 Cent*
POSTER CONTEST WINNERS at Southport Primary School
were (left to right) Marlyse Rollison and Candy Somers,
ribbon winners; Rodney Marion (2nd); Avis Creech (1st);
Joey Huggins (3rd); and Charlie Miller, ribbon winner. The
contest was sponsored by the Junior Woman’s Club of South
port, which was represented at the program by Mrs. June
Harper, Mrs. Martha Eagle and Mrs. Marilyn Deneke (left to
right).
• ' ■ 4 S' .
County To Reinstate Position Of Coroner
\,
By BILL ALLEN '
Staff Writer
The position,of coroner will
be reinstated in Brunswick
County, commissioners '
decided during their regular
meeting Monday.
Chairman Steve Varnam,
Jr., announced that the board
will select a person to fill the
vacant coroner’s position at
the next meeting. Other
commissioners agreed that
having a coroner was the best
way to have a “qualified
person” go to the scene of all
deaths in the county.
Sheriff Herman Strong and
County Manager Don
Flowers, Jr., were instructed
to talk with Dr. Landis G.
Brown, county medical
examiner, and “work out
some agreements before the
board makes the ap
pointment.”
The newly-appointed
coroner, replacing Lowell
Bennett who resigned earlier
this year, will serve until the
1976 election when voters will
make their selection.
Brunswick County has been
without a coroner since
Bennett, who held the post
almost 20 yers, resigned. Dr.
Brown, who was appointed by
the state, has been serving as
medical examiner under a
new system.
Since being appointed, Dr.
Brown has been involved in
controversies with Sheriff
Strong and rescue squad
personnel about which death
scenes he should visit.
Under the proposed new
""System, the coroiTSftvill work
under Dr. Brown. “The
under Dr. Brown. “The co
roner will do the leg work for
Franky Thomas pointed out.
Flowers and County
Attorney James Prevatte,
Jr., told the board that the
recommendaton to appoint a
coroner was made during a
meeting held last week to
discuss the problem. Dr.
Page Hudson, state medical
examiner, Sheriff Strong, and
Dr. Brown attended the
meeting along with the two
county officials. Flowers
reported that Dr. Brown
agreed that the appointment
of a coroner will be the best
solution to the problem.
Prevatte also said Dr.
Hudson agreed that a coroner
should be appointed to work
in Brunswick County. But he
said Dr. Hudson still favors
the medical examiner system
since it provides him better
medical reports.
Sheriff Strong told the
board that he supported the
proposal to have both a
medical examiner and
>.oroner in the county. He
suggested that the county
have two coroners and two
assistant coroners.
Under state law, Prevatte
Steve Varnam
New Chairman
The leadership of the
Brunswick County Board of
Commissioners changed
hands during the regular
meeting held Monday at the
Hood Building in Southport.
Commissioner Steve
yarnam, Jr., who has served
is vice-chairman during the
last year, was unanimously
elected chairman. He
replaces Franky Thomas,
who was not nominated to
serve another term as
chairman of the board.
Commissioner Willie Sloan
ivas unanimously elected to
serve as vice-chairman of the
Brunswick County board. He
s the first black to hold the
second highest elected post in
rounty government.
“I don’t know what to say
ibout this shuffling of
:hairmen,” Chairman
/arnam said after taking
rhomas’s chair at the head of
he commission’s table. “It
(thechair) feels good.”
Chairman Varnam, who
represents Lockwood Folly
Township on the board, is a
Varnamtown seafood dealer.
Sloan is from Town Creek
Township.
Thomas, a controversial
figure in county government,
was elected chairman last
December when the all
Democrat board took office.
He served as the paid interim
county manager while
chairman of the board this
spring and summer.
It has been rumored since
September that a move was
underway to remove Thomas
and elect Varnam chairman
and Sloan vice-chairman.
After calling the meeting to
order, Chairman Thomas
said that state law requires
county boards to reorganize
every year and elect a
(Continued on page 2)
said that the county can only
have one coroner. But he said
the coroner could have
assistants to help him with
the worE. “
The county attorney also
said that the board can ap
point a coroner without
asking for a recommendation
from the county democratic
executive committee. The
procedure is used to fill other
vacant elected offices to
make sure the person named
is a member of the same
political party.
Sheriff Strong told the
board that the county has had
problems with the medical
examiner system because
people expected an official to i
go to the scene of all deaths.
“This is what Mr. Bennett ..
did ffnd the people expected
it,” he stated. “He was paid;-.
$20 per call plus mileage to go
to the death scenes.”
The sheriff said problems
developed because Dr Brown
did not go to death scenes.
"Dr. Brown did not feel he
should attend all deaths,”
Sheriff Strong declared. “He
expected law enforcement
officers to delcare a person
dead and give it to him on a
platter.”
Sheriff Strong said the
Holiday House
This Weekend
The annual Holiday House
sponsored by seven area
woman’s and garden clubs
will be presented on Saturday
and Sunday of this week in
the Southport Community
Building, each day from one
o’clock until 6.
Those who are preparing
the building will be working
on Friday to have everything
ready on Saturday morning
for citizens to bring their
exhibits beginning at 9
o’clock. All items must be in
by noon, as it will take the
committee the final hour to
ready the show for opening.
Many are helping with
various duties. Mrs. Vi
Scarborough will be in charge
of registration on Saturday
morning. The Woodbine
Garden Club is in charge of
readying the building for the
show. The Green Thumb
Garden Club is lining up
hostesses to serve while the
show is open.
Mrs. Jean Fairley is in
charge of the wassail. Mrs.
Fonda Stephenson is
arranging for all the doors to
be decorated and the Junior
Woman’s Club of Southport is
decorating the fireplace,
using the theme of the show,
“There’s a Song in the Air.”
Several persons are in
charge of specific categories
of entries: madonnas,
Barbara VanDerslice; bells,
Susan Miller; packages,
Gretchen Hegler;
angels,Jane Minard; can
dles, Dorothy Hardee;
(Continued on page 2)
could have worked if Dr.
rown had gone to the death
scenes. But he said Dr.
Brown did not “sel^ himself
the' program to" the
people.”
Sheriff Strong said the
problem he faced was that
he and law officers needed
the authority to pronounce a
person dead. In addition, he
said the person making the
pronouncement needed to be
“qualified as an expert
witness” to testify in court.
“The coroner is a
prestigious position that
should be elected by the
people,” Sheriff Strong
stated.
Glenn Kye, a member of
the Town Creek Rescue
Squad, told the board that he
agreed with Sheriff Strong
that the county needed an
official to go to all death
scenes.
Chairman Varnam said the
coroner would have to work
with Dr. Brown. “The
coroner will not be able to
remove a body or sign a death
certificate without the ap
proval of Dr. Brown,” he
stated.
Commissioners expressed
the hope that agreements can
be worked out between Dr.
Brown and the coroner to
avoid any problems with the
system. “If Dr. Brown does
not want the job (medical
examiner), he can resign,”
Prevatte told the board.
“This is just another alter
native.”
Sheriff Strong said he had
recently learned that the
state will pay rescue squads
:10 cents per mile to transport
dead bodies. But he said
squads in the county have not
been collecting the money
because they did not know
they could gel it.
If Brown-Knox Fails
Tests Possible
• ' V
On 2nd Choice
By BILL ALLEN
Staff Writer
Soil analysis tests will only
be made on the Canal
Woodland if the Brown-Knox
site proves unfeasible, the
Brunswick County Board of
Commissioners ruled
Monday.
The board voted on a split
decision to have a soil
analysis made on the Canal
Wood land ONLY IF the
Brown-Knox site proves to be
unfeasible for the con
struction of the courthouse
complex.
Commissioner Willie Sloan,
who voted in opposition, said
it was too early to make the
decision since the board had
not received the results of the
Brown-Knox tests.
Chairman Steve Varnam,
Jr., said he had been told by
LBC&W officials, the firm
doing the engineering and
architectural work on the
multi-million dollar project,
that the results of the soil
analysis made on the Brown
Knox site will not be
available for two to three
weeks.
Commissioner W.T. Russ,
Jr., originally made a motion
to have LBC&W conduct soil
analysis tests on both the
Brown-Knox and the Canal
Wood sites. Chairman Var
nam seconded the motion, but
Commissioners Sloan, Ira
Butler, Jr., and Franky
Thomas expressed op
position.
However, Russ changed his
motion at the suggestion of
Chairman Varnam to have
the tests'made on the Canal
Wood land only if the Brown
Knox site is unfeasible.
Thomas seconded the second
motion and it was approved
with Sloan in opposition.
Both Russ and Chairman
Varnam said they did not
make the motion to “knock*'’
the Brown-Knox Site. They
said they wanted the two teste
made to be sure the county
obtained the best land for the
complex.
Russ said he wanted to
make the original motion
because people were upset
because both sites were not
being tested.
Thomas said he was con
(Continued on page 2)
Tax Still Due
Before Jan. 1
Despite the fact county
taxpayers received their
notices late this year, 1975
county tax must be paid in
December to avoid penalty,
Brunswick County Tax
Collector Homer McKeithan
said this week.
“The Machinery Act of
North Carolina requires that
county taxes be paid before
the end of December to avoid
the two-percent penalty,
which takes effect January
1,” McKeithan pointed out.
The county was late sen
Watson Named
Yaupon Mayor
By KENNY HEWETT
Staff Writer
Incumbent board member
Marvin Watson was named
Mayor of Yaupon Beach
Monday night, following an
unusual behind-closed-doors
session.
It was unclear at the
meeting what exception to
the N.C. Open Meetings law
the executive session came
under. The only “personnel”
matter that should be con
sidered in closed session is
the hiring or firing of em
ployees, a source familiar
with the law noted.
Louise Corbett was named
mayor pro-tern.
Most other business before
the Yaupon Beach town
board was postponed until a
special meeting called for
Monday, Dec. 8.
The board voted
unanimously for Jackie
Thomas and Dorothy
Thompson to serve on the
Planning Board. Com
missioner Ted Wood said
Thompson would resign from
the Consolidation committee
and would accept the
position.
Wood nominated Thompson
with a second by Bill
McDougle. Louise Corbett
nominated Thomas with Bill
Smalley offering the second.
Smalley noted that he had
received several comments
from citizens complaining
about paying county taxes
and not receiving benefits. He
said residents do use county
schools, but that Yaupon
citizens are not receiving
police protection or mosquito
control.
Claire Rees, town clerk, i
presented to the board a <
letter addressed to the
commissioners exoressing
dissatisfaction with the 1
county mosquito control i
program. McDougle said <
towns should make a joint I
presentation to the county.
He said there would be no !
(Continued on page 2)
ding out tax notices to tax
payers this year because of
revaluation. In fact, the last
500 tax notices were not
mailed until Tuesday of this
week.
McKeithan said he had
received no instructions to
extend the period that taxes
can be paid without penalty -
because notices were late. He
said he doubted that the
penalty-free period could be
extended.
“The Machinery Act places
the burden on the property
owner to list and pay taxes
even if no notices are sent
out,” he pointed out.
The law requires that taxes
be paid before the last day in
December. A two-percent
penalty is charged during
January. An additional three
fourths of one percent is
added each month after
January that the are not paid.
McKeithan said collections
of 1975 taxes are slow this
year because the notices
were late being sent to
property owners. “I don’t
think we have collected one
(Continued on page 2)
Youth Dies
On Bicycle
A 16-year-old Supply youth
•iding his bicycle died
ruesday night when he was
struck by two automobiles on
JS17.
Herbert Trent Evans of Rt.
., Supply was pronounced
lead at the scene, .3 miles
»st of the intersection with
MC211.
According to the Highway
^atrol, Evans was hit first by
i vehide operated by Bennie
Charles White of Long Beach,
hen by a vehicle operated by
rhurman Hewett of Rt. 2,
Supply.
The mishap occurred
shortly before 7 p.m.
Leland Site Purchase Among Board Topics
By ED HARPER
News Editor
The Brunswick County
Board of Education decided
Monday night to seek an
additional five to ten acres of
land to provide “a more-than
adequate buffer” for the
proposed Leland Middle
School.
Supt. Ralph King reported
to board members that
paperwork is nearly com
plete on the purchase of 36.1
acres from International
Paper Company for the
proposed school. Member
William Sue, who is from the
Leland area and familiar
with the site, asked King
about “squaring up” the
property by acquiring ad
ditional land.
King said the owner of the
adjacent property was
willing to sell part of the land,
which the school would like to
have, or the entire tract at a
considerably lower price per
acre. The superintendent was
authorized to make an offer
on the five- to ten-acre sec
tion.
Neither the owner nor the
asking price was made
known to the public, the
acquisition of land being an
exception to the N.C. Open
Meetings law. The press was
allowed to stay in the meeting
room, however.
In another matter related
to the proposed Leland school
site, the board authorized its
attorney to “pursue the
swap” of land with V.W.
Herlevich that would allow
338 feet of additional road
frontage for the school
property. Herlevich, who
earlier had offered the
property at the price he paid
for it, suggested in a letter to
the board that he exchange
his acreage for an equal area
on another side of the school
property.
The Herlevich deal is
contingent upon finalizing the
purchase from International,
the board noted.
The board scheduled a
meeting for Dec. 22 with
representatives of Ballard,
McKim and Sawyer, ar
chitects of Wilmington, to
ftview and approve steps to
correct roof-leak problems at
the three consolidated high
schools.
The board was told that
bids could be awarded by
mid-February and that work
could be done during the
spring and summer months.
Estimated cost of the project
exceeds $300,000, and the
Board of Education will seek
court action to recover the
cost from the responsible
parties (the architect, the
contractor or the sub
contractor, depending on the
court decision.
“We spent enough money
(in initial construction) to
have schools with roofs that
don’t leak,” said Chairman
Wilbur Earl Rabon.
All three schools are af
fected by roof leaks, the
board noted, the only ex
ception being the middle
building at West Brunswick
High School. The North and
South area schools have no
middle building.
Ballard, McKim and
Sawyer also will make a
general presentation to the
board on Dec. 22. The board
acknowledged letters from
two architectural firms that
made recent presentations
about their work.
The board acknowledged a
letter from the Progressive
Group of Brunswick County
concerning the planned
banquet on Dec. 23 for college
athletes who graduated from
Brunswick County schools
since consolidation. Reuben
Sloan of the organization
cited the high cost of holding
the affair at the Wilmington
Hilton and asked for any help
the Board of Education could
(Continued on page 2)