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^o^UT,0/v * l w THE STATE PORT PILOT ^e-1916 Volume 47 Number 27 January 21, 1976 Southport, N. C. 18 Pages 10 Cents “REVOLUTION!” HAS GREAT potential as an outdoor musical drama, based on the public acceptance shown Sunday at the open house “Backers Audition” here. Lew Hardee, a Southport-native who composed the music for “Revolution!”, accompanies leading players Susan Griffin, a former Miss North Carolina, and Vincent Knue. | Prospects Are | Bright For 1‘R evolution! ’ $ ... : ■; \ Southport got a “tremendous” first impression this weekend of the outdoor musical drama “Revolution!,” slated for performances here June 29 through August 28. “I’m very, very excited about it,” declared a guest at one of several “Backers Auditions” held in Southport over the weekend. “They were right when they said it has the potential of being at least as popular as ‘The Lost Colony.’ ” Sponsors of the drama hope to make “Revolution!” a permanent attraction of the area. Performances this year will be presented in Franklin Square P&rk, behind City Hall. Southport native Lewis Hardee, Jr., who wrote the music for “Revolution!,” said that despite the use of professionals “the whole thing must be a community project.” The leading roles of the drama — Abner Nash, who became the first governor of independent North Carolina, and Justina Davis, widow of colonial Governor Dobbs who became Nash’s wife — will be played by Vincent Knue, a young New York actor and drama student of Hardee’s dramatic Arts in New York, and Susan Griffin of High Point, a former Miss North Carolina. They sang several of the leading numbers in the drama, with Hardee playing his music on the piano and librettist Ethan Ayer of New York reading portions of the script. The story starts in the 1760’s at Brunswick Town, moves on to New Bern with Gov. William Tryon and to Alamance with the militia against the' Regulators and climaxes with Nash declaring his stand with the colonials, con cluding with a tribute to the American cause. Among characters in the drama are Cornelius ETHAN AYER reads a portion of the script for the outdoor drama “Revolution!” 1 Harnett of Brunswick Town and Wilmington, Robert Howe, for whom Southport’s main street is named, Gov. Tryon, small farmers of the Piedmont, Herman Husbands and James Pew, and other leading figures of the era. Hardee said 100 period costumes will be j needed for the production and these will be made ; by residents of the county. Mary Russ, county: home economics agent, is coordinating tLis: effort. , : Connie Ledgett of Southport, producer, who: acted as master of ceremonies Sunday, said; (Continued on page 2) : Revised Dog Ordinance Receives Favorable Nod ByEDHARPER News Editor A revised dog control or dinance is expected to have unanimous support of the Southport Board of Aldermen at its next regular meeting. The board held a special Thursday night session with the dog ordinance the only matter on the agenda. County dog control program manager Edwin Clemmons was present to explain the county ordinance and describe the dog pound that will be available for use by the City of Southport. The only spectator on hand of fered no comment, but said when asked he thought the proposed ordinance would work. The major change, suggested in prepared written form by new Alderman Bill Furpless, was revision of the term “at large” to read: “The words ‘at large’ shall mean off the premises of the owner, when neither under control of the owner nor some other person assuming responsibility for the owner’s dog.” Furpless had referred to the original definition as “vague,” and several other board members had objected to what they saw as the mandatory use of a leash. - There is no longer any * reference to a “leash" in the ordinance to be considered by the board. “I just don’t believe all dogs need to be on a leash,” Furpless stated Thursday night. In other revisions, the board changed the definition of “dog” to mean “any dog, male or female, of any age.” The original draft of the propsed ordinance included an age of four months. A third change — again at the suggestion of Furpless as most of the changes were — altered the definition of “vicious dog” to read: “Any dog which has bitten one or more persons or animals without provocation and such has been verified by a town or county dog warden. Upon verification, the dog warden with jurisdiction shall notify the owner that his dog has been classified vicious.” The original definition of “vicious dog” referred to the “propensity to attack humans or other animals.” The board added to the description of “owner” the phrase, “The owner will be held legally responsible for the action of the dog.” The board modified Section 1-1 to omit the reference to a dog being “four months of age,” make all dogs including “seeing-eye” guide dogs subject to vaccination requirements, and make license taxes for dogs “im mediately due and payable to the city.” The board added to the section regulating ‘‘vicious dogs” that it will be unlawful for the owner to let the dog roam “after he has been notified that such dog has been classified vicious.” Alderman Mary McHose pointed out that even if a dog is judged “vicious” the owner should retain the right to keep the dog on a leash or fenced in. , In the section regulating “barking dogs” the board agreed to add the wording: “A dog shall be classified as a barking dog by the dog warden or officer after verification of three or more written complaints con cerning said dog’s barking or noise. Upon verification of such the dog warden or of ficer shall notify the owner in writing that his dog has been classified as a barking dog and is in violation of a city ordinance.” City Attorney Carter Lambeth asked, “Then what?”, pointing out the possibility of the city being sued by the dog owner. “We can always go back to ‘public nuisance,’ ” Mayor Eugene Tomlinson noted. Punish ment for the “barking dog” should be defined, Furpless suggested. The board agreed to add the provisions outlined in the county’s ordinance: up to a $50.00 fine and - or 30 days „ imprisonment. In other sections of the proposed ordinance the city sought to conform with the county regulations. Dogs must be impounded for five days if not claimed by the owner before that, and after the five days may be destroyed. Impoundment will be in the county dog pound, located off NC 211 this side of Supply, and notice of the impoundment area — but not. of the dogs that are there — will be posted in the city police department. Board member Harold (Continued on page 2) Hearing For Consolidation The Long Beach - Yaupon Beach Consolidation Com mission, created last spring to study the merger of the two towns, has released its report. After attempting to assess the effect of consolidation on the two towns the report expressed no opinion on the merger. “We leave the ultimate decision about consolidation to the citizens of each town,” the report said. The report recommends that the new town, to be called Oak Island, have a six member council-mayor form of government with a city manager.The council members, who would serve staggered four-year terms, would be elected from two districts with the 57th and 58th street property line being the dividing line. Since the total assessed valuation of the two towns is $93.5 million, a property tax rate should be set at 38 cents the first year to produce $355,410 needed to operate the new town. Chairman Hannon Tem pleton, Jr., urged residents of the two towns to pick up copies of the report from the Long Beach or Yaupon Beach town halls or from com mission members. He said that a public hearing on the report will be held at the Long Beach town hall Tuesday night at 8 o’clock. “Public input will have a bearing on the com mission’s decision whether or not to call a referendum on consolidation," Chairman Templeton stated. He said that John Vogt of the Institute of Government who has been working on the study, and Consolidation Commission members will be present to answer questions and discuss the report. If residents attending public hearing desire con solidation based on the recommendations in the report, a referendum will be called, probably in March or April. It will take effect July 1, 1976, if residents of both towns approve in the referendum. A negative vote in either town will kill it. If approved by both towns, the charter and the bill will go to the General Assembly, which must legislate the consolidation and enact the charter of the new town, it was noted. After reviewing Long Beach and Yaupon Beach and their governments, the report discusses the “meaning of consolidation" on the two towns. It lists three major ad vantages and one major disadvantage of con solidating Long Beach and Yaupon Beach. “Because of their proximity and common geography, the towns have similar environmental and land-use problems, and development and events in one town affect the character, living conditions and environment of the other,” the report said. “Thus, Long Beach and Yaupon Beach must plan together to secure the benefits and avoid the pitfalls associated with future development and it would be easier and more likely if the two towns are consolidated into one.” Another advantage of consolidation is that the two. towns face common public’ service needs, including fire1' protection, police protection, sanitary and street main tenance and repair service. “Except for water supply,”,, the report said, “local public*, service needs are virtually;, the same in both towns.” £ The third advantage, of* consolidation is that it “could also result in some tax savings by eliminating (Continued on page 3) By BILL ALLEN j1 Staff Writer | Brunswick County’s tax crate would have had to in crease three cents per $100 valuation in the 1975-76 fiscal •year without general revenue -sharing. J The information is con tained in a report the Council ; of Governments (COG) asked rCounty Manager Don [Flowers, Jr., to use in the -“battle general revenue 'sharing is facing in the up -coming session of Congress. ” j:_Flowers said the general -revenue sharing money -received by the county has 'ft. M I kept taxes from rising. If the current level of expenditures in the 1975-76 budget were maintained without general revenue sharing, the tax rate would have had to increase three cents per $100 valuation, he said in the report. COG has asked local governments in Region “0,” including Brunswick County, to provide the information to make the most impact to show a “solid case that Revenue Sharing funds have been_ utilized wisely and meaningfully." Government units across the United States are facing the real prospect of obtaining only half the amount of revenue sharing funds in the upcoming fiscal year that they have had in the past because of expected slowness on the part of Congress to renew the program. The reduction would be a blow to Brunswick County since proponents of the courthouse referendum said during the election campaign that revenue sharing funds could be used for construction purposes without a tax in crease. It was reported at the time that the present 1975-76 budget contained $1,067,166.55 in revenue sharing for capital im provements. The amount “squirreled away in the slush fund” could have been used to reduce the present tax rate a little more than eight cents, it was noted at the time. According to the report prepared by Finance Officer Regina McKeithan, Brun swick County will have received $2,062,411 in general revenue sharing between November 1,1971, and July 1, 1976. The totals the county has received since the program started include $467,761 from November 1, 1971 until June 30, 1973; $437,854 from July 1, 1963 until June 30, 1974; $500,267 from July 1, 1974, until June 30, 1975; and $656,529 from July 1, 1975 until July 1,1976. Mrs. McKeithan said that as of June 30 of this year, the county will have earned an estimated $102,349 in interest on the general revenue sharing trust fund. She said the county has spent $1,048,762 in revenue sharing. In addition, the county has appropriated $1,428,624 in revenue sharing funds but has not spent the money. It is part of the funds to be used for the courthouse complex. The county also has $37,986 in revenue sharing funds that have not been spent or ap propriated. The money is in contingency surplus funds. Mrs. McKeithan said the community development programs in the county have been "very effective” in obtaining citizen input into the expenditure of revenue sharing. She said that revenue sharing is being used for a number of purposes, in cluding sheriff department cars, $81,533; sheriff department equipment, $6,625; sheriff department operating expenses, $13,583; county manager car, $4,026; county planner car, $1,950; general office equipment, $21,036; sanitary landfill equipment, $212,641; hospital operating expenses, $294,913; hospital purchase of land, $127,000; construction water system, $67,415; revaluation mapping, $58,715; capital improvement to buildings, $8,379; and purchase of land, $73,096. Mrs. McKeithan said all the money is being spent for capital expenses except the sheriffs department and hospital operating expenses. They are also the only two new programs on the list. Future revenue sharing funds are reportedly “up in the air” because of "Congressional in transigence.” N.C. League of Municipalities Official Leigh Wilson said prospects of Congress extending the program in much the same (Continued on page 2)
State Port Pilot (Southport, N.C.)
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Jan. 21, 1976, edition 1
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