>iO''0T,0/V
Volume 47 Number 24
December 31, 1975
Southport, N. C.
16 Pages
10 Cents
r~ County Seat
%
The biggest news of the year — relocation of
the Brunswick County seat — might also be
the biggest news of the decade.
A vote to decide the top story would be even
more lopsided than the 5,819 to 2,988 margin by
which voters decided to move the seat of
county government from Southport to the
Bolivia - Supply area. But the year was not
without other big news; in any other year,
either the countywide revaluation of property
or the city - county fight over control of Dosher
hospital could have been no. 1.
Nobody took it seriously at first, but because
of the hands - off policy of the General
Assembly concerning local legislation Rep.
Allen Ward’s bill was brought to a vote of the
people July 19. Since that time the fight has
been over where to put the new county office
complex; a majority of the county Board of
Commissioners says near Bolivia, while
members of the “Vote Yes” delegation are
looking for their reward in having the complex
located near Supply.
COUNTYWIDE REVALUATION
It became big news last January when tax
listing was postponed for three months.
Property owners had so many complaints the
Board of Equalization and Review met a
dozen extra times. The incomplete records
caused towns, which usually know their values
beforehand, to set fiscal year budgets without
knowing how much value they were taxing.
Finally in the last two months of the year most
people received their tax notices, reminding
them of the taxing problems that had lasted all
year, and warning them they have only until
this Wednesday to pay their taxes without
penalty.
DOSHER MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
The General Assembly took Southport’s
share of Dosher hospital and gave it to the
county Hospital Authority, thus eliminating
Dosher’s “threat” to Brunswick County
Memorial Hospital now under construction.
The City of Southport filed a $5 - million
lawsuit against the county and the Authority,
and by June 3 a Superior Court judge had seen
enough to return control of the hospital to its
own board of trustees. Smithville Township
residents, however, are serious about keeping >
a hospital and have made plans for a separate
tax - supported hospital district and a $2 -
million expansion of Dosher.
OAK ISLAND CONSOLIDATION
Biggest news on the island this year has
been consolidation. Both town governments
have endorsed the plan to unite Long Beach
and Yaupon Beach under a single govern
ment, but action wa started too late for a vote
(Continued on page 3)
Dog Aids In
Two Arrests
The Long Beach drug dog
was used when two youths
were arrested on narcotics
charges last week. Det.
David Forythe reported.
Richard Brinson. 18. of
Charleston, S.C., and Jeffery
Russell, 18, of Pinch, W. Va.,
were charged with possession
of drugs.
Officer Larry Barber made
the arrest after stopping their
car on the beach and sear
ching it with their permission
with the aid of the Long
Beach drug dog. Marijuana
and an unidentified drug
were found in the vent and the
console of the car.
Det. Forsythe reported that
the unidentified drug has
been sent to the SBI lab in
Raleigh te.. determine its
name.
‘David & Lisa’
Film Showing
There will be a showing of
the Frank Perry film “David
and Lisa” at the Agape In in
, Long Beach on January 3 at
7:30 p.m.
“Although the film is rated
“G”, the subject matter
would be of interest to teens
and adults in that it shows the
life of two mentally -
disturbed youths who begin to
find a way to relate to each
other and the world,” a
spokesman said. The title
roles are played by Kier
Dullea and Janet Marjolin.
The showing is sponsored
by Ocean View United
Methodist Church, which
hopes to bring other films to
the Agape during the winter
Sand spring. Admission is free,
and the public is invited.
A PROGRAM DESIGNED to help prevent crime has been started by the
Long Beach Police Department. Crime Prevention Officer Sgt. Jerry Young
(right) explains to Chief James Hamlett some of the security devices in
dividuals might use to better protect their property. Sgt. Young is available
as a speaker for clubs and organizations throughout Brunswick County, and
may be contacted at the Long Beach department.
Contractors Have ‘One
More Chance’On Roofs
Contractors are to be given
One last chance to make the
three leaking high school
roofs waterproof before
contracts are awarded to do
the work, the Brunswick
County Board of Education
decided at a special meeting
Monday night.
Robert Sawyer of Ballard,
McKim and Sawyer,
Architects of Wilmington,
presented the board with
detailed proposed plans and
specifications to have the
three roofs repaired.
Ballard said the work will
consist of placing new roofs
on the three buildings and
other renovations associated
with waterproofing. He said
the associated work in ad
dition to roofing and flashing
will consist of construction of
expansion 'joint curbs, re -
installation of wall louvers
and an alternate soffit in
stallation.
School Board Attorney
Mason Anderson said he
believed that the board had
“both a moral and legal
obligation” to see if the
contractors who did the
original work wanted to make
the repairs according to plans
and specifications outlined by
Sawyer.
Board members said they
agreed with Anderson and
decided to give the con
tractors until January 15 to
make their decisions about
whether they want to do the
work.
If the original contractors
don’t want to do the work, the
contracts will be put up for
bids. The bids will be opened
February 12.
Anderson also said that the
board should not spend more
Holiday Closings
Everybody in government and finance will be
closed Thursday in observance of New Year’s
Day.
The banks, the savings and loan associations
and all city, county and state offices will be
closed Thursday only. Post offices will be closed
also, except that box service will be provided.
The Pilot will resume its normal printing
schedule on Wednesday, Jan. 7.
money than necessary to
make the corrections to the
roofs. “It should not be
overdone,” he added.
The board is expected to
spend more than $300,000 to
make the roofs waterproof.
They will file suit against the
general contractor because of
breech of contract to get the
money back.
Sawyer, who has been
working with the board about
the leaking roofs, suggested
(hat bids be taken in
dividually at edcli school and
in combination to obtain the
best price. Five alternates
also should be included, he
said.
“While we are on those
roofs, we ought to fix them
right,” Member William Sue
suggested. “That is our
feeling,’” Sawyer stated.
Sue pointed out that
(Continued on page 2)
«
Listing Starts Late, But:
Improvement Promised
By BII-LALLKN
Staff Writer
Brunswick County tax
payers will not have to start
listing 1976 taxes the first of
January because of printing
delays. Tax Supervisor K.T.
Bellamy has reported.
“We have everything ready
to go, but the printed tax
abstracts," Bellamy said.
“We wanted to start off on the
right fool this year, but the
printing firm has delayed
us."
Bellamy said he ordered
the tax abstracts in mid -
November and was promised
delivery in two weeks. “That
was back in November and
the abstracts have not been
delivered yet,” he stated.
Bellamy said he hopes to
receive the abstracts from
the printer in the near future
so they can be mailed to
taxpayers.
Once the abstracts, are
placed in the mail, taxpayers
will have 30 days to list their
1976 taxes. Listers will be
located in the various
townships to assist tax
payers.
"We have already held two
meetings with the listers to
tell them about their duties,”
Bellamy said. “We want to
give them the answers to the
questions taxpayers will
ask."
The tax supervisor said he
would make a public an
nouncement when the ab
stracts are mailed.
“If a taxpayer does not
receive an abstract," he “
should come by the office in
person.” he stated. “While
we are here to assist tax
payers, the law makes it the
individual taxpayer’s
responsibility to make sure
New Service Stresses
‘Prevention Of Crime’
The Long Beach crime
prevention officer has
recently received special
training, Police Chief James
Hamlett announced this
week.
Del. Sgt. Jerry Young was
appointed crime prevention
officer in the town this fall
after Long Beach received a
Law Enforcement Assistance
Association (LEAA) grant
for_his salary.
“We have needed a crime
prevention officer in Long
Beach for a long time
because of the marked in
crease in crime in our
community,” Chief Hamlett
said.
Sgt. Young has recently
completed the basic course in
crime prevention at the
Coastal Plains Law Enfor
cement Academy in Wilson.
The course was sponsored by
the North Carolina Justice
Academy.
“The course covered crime
prevention programs con
cerning the problems in the
town, security surveys of
homes and businesses and
risk management,” Sgt.
Young pointed out.
Sgt. Young said he plans to
use the instruction he
received at the academy to
reduce crime in Long Beach
with the cooperation and
involvement of the com
munity. He is available for
speaking engagements
throughout Brunswick
County.
He has asned that all Long
Beach residents who have
suggestions to make to
prevent crime in the com
munity call him at the Long
Beach Police Department,
phone 278-5595.
“We need the cooperation
of the public,” Sgt. Young
stated. “We want to be
welcome to make security
surveys in homes and
businesses in the com
munity.”
He said he was sure crime
can be reduced with the
cooperation of the public
since “an ounce of prevention
is worth a pound of cure.”
Sgt. Young, 32 and a native
of Hillsborough, has been a
member of the Long Beach
Police Department since May
of 1974.
A 1961 graduate of Mebane
High School, he spent four
years in the U.S. Navy. He
was serving as a design
engineer in Durham when he
was appointed an Orange
County magistrate. '
Sgt. Young resigned the
magistrate position when he
joined the Long Beach Police
Department. He is attending
Southeastern Community
(Continued on page 2)
their taxes are listed
correctly.”
Bellamy said his depart
ment is going to make a
special effort to make sure all
taxable property in the
county is listed this year.
“We feel like if we can get all
property listed in the county,
each person will end up
paying a little less," he noted.
When taxpayers receive
their abstracts, Bellamy said
they should make sure their
name, address and Social
Security number are correct.
He said Social Security
members are important
because some people have
the same name.
“If the property is listed
incorrectly — acreage or
number of lots — they should
contact my office or the lister
after obtaining the deed book
number, page and date if
possible,” Bellamy said. “If
they don't have the in
formation, they should
provide the pames of the
adjoining property owners to
help us identify where the
land is located."
Bellamy said the tax ab
stracts received by taxpayers
will be similar to the ones
used in past years. A few
changes have been made this
year to reflect new laws.
The state law that provided
tax exemptions for senior
citizens or taxpayers 65 and
older has been changed. The,
(Continued on page 2) 5
Wednesday Last Day
To List Penalty-Free
Wednesday — December 31 — will
be the last day to pay 1975 taxes
without an interest penalty, Brun
swick County Tax Collector Homer
McKeithan reminded taxpayers this
week.
County taxpayers who fail to beat
the deadline, which expires at 5 p.m.
Wednesday, will be subject to a two -
percent January late charge
penalty. Each month thereafter, the
late charge penalty will increase by
three - quarters of one percent.
McKeithan urged all taxpayers to
pay 1975 taxes before the Wednesday
deadline and avoid the penalty. He
said he would check at the post office
before the office closes to pick up
any payments received by mail.
“All taxes received after
December 31 will be subject to the
penalty under law,” McKeithan
stated.
Chariman Steve Varnam, Jr., told
The Pilot that the county board of
commissioners did not want to
charge the penalty because of the 3
lateness taxpayers received their;
notices. -
“If it were up to me and the board, ;
we would relieve the people of?
the penalty,” Chairman Varnam;
said. “But state law requires that;
the penalty be charged after?
December 31.” j
Chariman Varnam said the only*
way the penalty could be dropped
would be for the General Assembly
to change the law. But he said he had
not talked to Rep. Allen Ward of
Thomasboro about introducing such
a bill since he said he understood
that only budget matters would be
considered at the soecial session of
the General Assembly next month.*
“We wanted to give everyone
least 30 days after receiving their|
tax notices to pay the bill without'
interest,” Chariman Varnam said.
“But this is impossible under the
(Continued on page 2)