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THE STATE PORT PILOT
Volume 47 Number 22 December 17, 1975 Southport, N. C. 24 Pages 10 Cents
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FIRST GRADE STUDENTS of Miss Janet
Hobbs at Southport Primary School have bought
and decorated a live Christmas tree that will be
planted on the school grounds. According to a
class spokesman, the custom of decorating a live,
community Christmas tree came before the
custom of bringing trees into the home, and
became a symbol of sharing.
Dog Control Ordinance
Draws JVlixed Response
By ED HARDER
News Editor
The old dog in the street
that never bothered anybody
is a thing of the past, claim
Southport residents in favor
of canine control, but he will
play an important role in the
type of ordinance enacted by
the Board of Aldermen.
The “old dog” tradition
was noted throughout the
public hearing on the
proposed dog control or
dinance, held by the Board of
Aldermen prior to its regular
meeting Thursday night. “A
dog on a leash, that ain’t
right,” protested Worth
Ward. “I can’t see having the
dogs off the streets.”
The proposed ordinance
was prepared by City
Attorney E.J. Prevatte, who
" ■ * * •• r>, :■ ■ ' * i
referred to the provisions as
“dog control” rather than a
“leash law.”
“Maybe we’re getting too
big,” commented Rev. Earl
Richardson, who retold the
story of the man coming to
town, finding the legendary
Pot Licker lying under the
stoplight and declaring this
was the place for him to
settle.
The first speaker was
“very pro” the control or
diance. Bob Midyette, who
operates a downtown san
dwich shop, said he hangs
trash cans from his “garbage
tree” and even that doesn’t
solve the problem of over
turned and scattered refuse.
“It is needed for the public
welfare,” he said.
But Jerry Dilsaver
disagreed. He said he was
against the ordinance, but
was against vicious dogs, too.
“There are good dogs and
bad dogs," he said. His is a
good dog. “The leash law
breaks the dog’s spirit,”
noted Dilsaver, who said he
moved back to Southport
because there was no leash
law.
Mrs. Cecelia Franck said
there was a need for the
ordinance; Mrs. Margaret
Connaughton said the or
dinance was “the appropriate
thing for the preservation and
beautification of the town,”
going on record for the
Woodbine Garden Club.
“I don’t believe we need
one,” said Bobby Thorsen.
“We need one for the
protection of the children,”
responded a man. Skippy
Stiller, who reported he had
Maintainance Of Roads
By County Questioned
A question of “legality”
was raised about the county
going into the road main
tenance business during the
bi - monthly meeting of the
Brunswick County Board of
Commissioners Monday at
the Hood Building.
County Planner Johnny
Sutton said that Institute of
Government officials told
him the county has no
authority to maintain dirt -
neighborhood roads.
“They said the county has
no authority to maintain
roads unless it comes from
the laws,” Sutton stated.
“They said it was a far
stretch of the imagination to
say that the county can
maintain roads.”
County Attorney James
Prevatte said he agreed with
Sutton since the laws place
public roads under the state.
“The county shall not levy
taxes to maintain roads,” he
stated.
But Prevatte said that
attorney Gene Smith of the
Attorney General’s staff told
him for Brunswick County to
go ahead and do it. “If we do,
lax money should not be
used,” the county attorney
added.
Secondary Road Com
missioner Jackie Murdock of
the Department of Tran
sportation does not like
counties to try to maintain
roads “because of the legal
ramifications,” Prevatte
reported. But he said Mur
dock said he would be “glad
to help us” with the problem.
After more discussion,
Prevatte was asked to do
more legal research and
report back to the board.
County Manager Don
Flowers, Jr., was asked to
arrange a meeting with
Murdock and District
Engineer Ted Funderburk in
Raleigh or in the county to
discuss the matter.
The county is considering
obtaining a small motor
grader to maintain “neigh
borhood” dirt roads.
Sutton reported that he and
Shoreline Protection Officer
James Gordon went to
Raleigh, but were unable to
find a surplus motor grader.
He said they were told that
(Continued on page 2)
Student Vacation
Christmas vacation for Brunswick County
school children will begin at the close of the
school day Friday and will last through January
4, according to School Supt. Ralph C. King.
The Board of Education office will be closed
December 24 , 25 and 26 and January 1.
Maintenance and Garage departments will be
closed December 22 through 26 and January l.
School principals can be reached at their
respective schools through December 23.
lost a dog to poison, said he
would erect a fence and
control his dog if the or
dinance was approved.
Member Mary McHose said
she “loved the protection” of
her dog lying on her front
porch.
“What is ‘under control’?”
Rev. Richardson asked. He
was told by Prevatte that “at
large” means off the
premises of the owner and not
under the owner’s control,
but not necessarily on a
leash. Mayor Eugene
Tomlinson said he did not
think any "reasonable in
terpretation” would prevent
the house - to - house
movement of neighborhood
dogs.
“That’s not what the or
dinance says,” protested
Member Conley Koontz. “We
have to enforce it to the letter
of the law.” He said he
recognized the dog problem
(two broke into a cage and
killed his pet rabbit, he
reported), but “I don’t think
the answer is a leash law.”
He suggested the city
strengthen the dog ordinance
it now has.
“If we enforced what we
have, it would eliminate 85
percent of the problem we
have,” he told board mem
bers and about 20 spectators.
Member Pierce Horne said
the city has an ordinance
against “pack dogs,” and he
said he felt the problem was
lack of personnel to enforce
the ordinance. He suggested
a dog warden might be the
answer.
Koontz, who noted that the
pet rabbit “could have been a
child,” said he wanted to
leave the responsibility for
controlling dogs with the
people because big gover
nment is taking away in
dividual rights.
Midyette said that system
would be based on identifying
the owner of the problem dog,
which he “can’t to this day”
do. He said he has tried
numerous methods of control, '
including pouring ammonia '
in the cans to discourage the •
dogs. It doesn’t work, he said.
“What you’re proposing has 1
merits,” he told Koontz, “but
it won’t work.”
Horne said the proposed 1
law would not prevent the 1
overturned and scattered 1
trash but Midyette insisted it 1
(Continued on page 2)
Post Office May Issue f
Food Stamps In County
By Bll,l, ALLKN
Staff Writer
The Brunswick County
Department of Social Ser
vices is working on a plan to
have post offices issue food
stamps.
The announcement was
made by Joel Webb, who
recently has been named
director of the department,
during a meeting of the
county commissioners
Monday.
Webb said be believes the
plan to have post offices
distribute food stamps can be
worked out although it is “on
a hold status” at the present
time because of questions
asked by district postal of
ficials. It is hoped the
program can start February
1.
Under the plan, county
recipients would be able to
purchase food stamps at post
offices in Southport, Leland,
Shallotte, Bolivia and Ash
“as a minimum” rather than
having to come to the
department office in South
port once a month.
However, residents who
are eligible for food stamps
will still have to visit the
department main office in
Southport the first time to be
certified.
Webb told Commissioners
Ira Butler, Jr., and Willie
Sloan that the department
can certify a person “in one
day to receive food stamps if
it is an emergency.”
Webb told the board that a
review of the department
administration budget shows
a surplus of $15,900 in non -
matchable county fund
allocations. Foster care, he
pointed out, is in the budget
twice, once at the requested
$16,300 and the second time at
$15,000. Family planning was
placed at $1,800 in the budget,
when it should have beer.
$900.
The director presented the
board with a revised
department budget, which
transferred the $15,900
surplus to other items and
matches it with state and
federal dollars. The revised
budget was unanimously
approved.
“This county money is
thereby utilized to hire
desperately - needed staff for
the new Title 20 program, to
allow the agency to move into
the upper floor of the present
building, to allow for post
office issuance of food
stamps, to purchase badly -
needed capital equipment
and to pay the salaries of the
already - hired child support
enforcement workers,” Webb
explained.
Under the revised budget,
the county share of ad
ministrative cost will be
$88,369 or $14,385 more than
the present share of $73,984.
‘‘This increase in the
county share is more than
offset by the surplus
allocation of $15,900,” Webb
pointed out. “In effect, no
additional county money will
be required this year to make
the changes.”
The director said the board
should keep in mind that the
new position and food stamp
issuance costs will need to be
continued in the 1976-77
budget. “I estimate that if
this transfer is approved and
the budget is continued at
about the same level next
year, the county share for
administrative expenses in
1976 - 77 will grow to about
$90,000,” he pointed out.
Regardless of the action
taken, Webb said he expected
that “the increase will be
necessary anyway” because
of statewide staffing stan
dards, the expansion of Title
20 services and the threat of
Pilot Prints Early
The State Port Pilot will be published early
next week — on Monday — because of the
Christmas holiday.
Deadline for advertising and news copy will be
noon on Saturday.
“We are publishing early for two reasons,”
said News Editor Ed Harper: “First, we believe
our readers should be able to use grocery,
general merchandise and other ads prior to
Christmas next Thursday. Second, the holiday
schedule of our printer makes it necessary to
publish as early as possible in the week.”
charge - backs in the medical
assistance program.
“If the Title IV-D, child
support enforcement
program begins to pay for
itself as it’s supposed to dp,
and if charge - backs are
reduced substantially by
increased staff training and
efficiency, the total overall
budget in 1976 - 77, including
AFDC, medical assistance,
etc., can be held close to the
1975 - 76 levels,” he stated.
“By utilizing the surplus
allocation now, we will be
making immediate definite
improvements that will more
than likely be required next
year anyway.”
Webb said he wanted to
create four new positions in
the department with part of
the surplus. The new
positions include an ad
ministrative assistant and
secretary and two Title 20
workers.
He said the department is
paying $400 a month to rent
the first floor of the Harrelson
Building in Southport. He
said it will cost an additional
$200 a month to rent the
second floor.
Commissioner Franky
Thomas said he had been
informed that the department
could rent the entire building
for $500 a month. Webb said
he would check on it.
Webb said post office
(Continued on page 2)
County Planning Effort
Receives Pat On Back
Brunswick County’s
Coastal Area Management
Act plan is “unquestionably
the most comprehensive and
professionally done plan”
submitted thus far.
That was the reaction of an
official of the Department of
Natural and Economic
Resources, County Planner
Johnny Sutton told Brun
swick County commissioners
Monday.
The DNER official said he
knew that there was some
initial disappointment that
the Brunswick County
preliminary plan did not
reach the Coastal Resources
Commission in time for the
first review.
“However, my initial
review of the plan indicates
that the wait was well
Gilbert Fills
Coroner Post
By BILL ALLEN
Staff Writer
A Southport funeral home
operator has been appointed
coroner of Brunswick County.
Thomas E. (Tommy)
Gilbert, IV, was selected to
serve as the Brunswick
County coroner during a
meeting of the county
commissioners Monday
afternoon.
He was unanimously
selected after the board spent
t6 minutes in closed
executive session in
terviewing five candidates,
including two women, for the
post.
Gilbert will fill a vacancy
that has exfsted since veteran
Coroner Lowell Bennett of
shallotte resigned earlier this
('ear. A Democrat, he will
have to run in the 1976
election to fill the remaining
two years of Bennett’s term.
Gilbert or his assistant will
50 to the scene of all deaths in
he county. He will serve as
he “leg - man” for Dr.
-andis Brown, who is the
:ounty medical examiner.
Gilbert said that he will
TOMMY GILBERT
appoint an assistant coroner
to help him perform the
duties of the office. He said he
hoped to appoint his assistant
next week.
Commissioners expressed
the hope that the appointment
of a coroner, who will go to
the scene of all deaths, will
resolve the conflicts that
have developed between Dr.
Brown and Sheriff Herman
Strong and some of the rescue
squads since the medical
examiner system was put
into effect after Bennett
retired.
County Manager Don
Flowers, Jr., said both Dr.
Brown and Sheriff Strong
agreed during joint meetings
that the appointment of a
coroner was the best way to
solve the problems that have
developed. He said guidelines
have been developed to spell
out the duties of the coroner
and medical examiner.
Mrs. Mavis Freeman of
Shallotte told the board that
the county was taking a “step
backwards’’ by appointing a
coroner since the state
recommends a medical (
examiner.
Gilbert, who will be paid
$25 per case plus mileage, is
an owner of Gilbert’s Funeral
Home in Southport. He has
been in the funeral home
business the past two years.
Gilbert graduated from
Miami - Dade Junior College
in Florida in 1973 with an
associate degree in mortuary
(Continued on page 2)
justified,” the DNER
representative told other
state officials in the letter.
“Of all of the plans I
reviewed, I feel that Brun
swick County’s is
unquestionably the most
comprehensive and
professionally done plan so
far,” he declared. “It ft
apparent that the Brunswick
County Planning staff has
taken that extra step to
comply with the letter and
spirit of the Coastal Area
Management Act. ”
He said that he felt that
both the Brunswick County
Planning Department staff
and Ed Gore, chairman of the
Brunswick County Planning
Board, ‘‘should be com
mended for their efforts
during a particularly trying
period of the Coastal Are# •>
Management Act program/tV
Sutton read the letter t<j
commissioners during the
meeting. After he finished,
Commissioner Ira Butler,
Jr., asked him to read ij
again.
Commissioners said they
hoped the press would print
an article based on the letter
to let people know about some
of the accomplishments.
Sutton also announced that;
the Planning Department has.
moved into a new office at the
old Southport school sit**
directly across Dry Street
from the Parking lot behind
the courthouse. The depar
tment was formerly located;
on Davis Street.
Grift Wrapping
offered at Live Oak Village
shopping center by Girl Scout
Troop 455 each day after,
school hours and on Saturday
and Sunday until Christmas*
The troop is accepting
donations as pay for the
wrapping, and is using the
store area between Mann’s.
Dept. Store and the Rx
shoppe.
Gift wrapping is being