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THE STATE PORT PILOT
Volume 47 Number 32 February 25, 1976
Southport, N. C.
18 Pages
10 Cents
Sales Tax Disbursed
Sales tax collections totalling $179,136.23 for
the quarter ending December 31 have been
distributed in Brunswick County.
The county received the largest share —
$162,007. Other disbursements included Boiling
Spring Lakes $613, Bolivia $83, Calabash $172,
Holden Beach $1,409, Long Beach $6,437, Ocean
Isle Beach $996, Shallotte $1,509, Southport
$3,622, Sunset Beach $923 and Yaupon Beach
$1,360.
Shady Forest and Caswell Beach have not been
incorporated long enough to share in the
disbursements.
Also this week the report of sales tax collec
tions during January was received. Brunswick
County collected $52,221 - among the lowest
totals of the past three years - the Department of
Revenue noted.
Possible Funds For
Courthouse Get Axe
The bill Brunswick County officials had hoped
would provide a large amount of federal funds to
construct the courthouse complex was killed in
Washington last Thursday.
The Public Works Employment Act of 1975
died in Congress when the Senate failed to
muster the two-thirds margin needed to over
ride President Gerald Ford’s veto of the bill.
The vote in the Senate was 63 to 35 to over-ride
the veto. But it was three short of the margin
needed to over-ride a veto by the President and
enact the bill.
The House had supported over-riding the veto
319 to 98 three hours before the Senate voted on
the bill. The House margin was 41 more than the
two-thirds vote needed to over-ride.
Both houses of Congress had voted over
whelmingly to approve the approve the bill but
President Ford, calling it a “Christmas tree
bill,” vetoed it. ..,.,,..3*
The House voted 4 to 1 to approve the original
bill. The Senate supoorted the bill 65 to 28 last
July 29 However, President Ford picked up nine
Republican votes while losing two Democrats in
the Senate vote Thursday.
“Those members of the Congress who stood
firm against enormous political pressures in
favor of this bill deserve the appreciation and
gratitude of all Americans,” President Ford said
after the Senate sustained the veto.
County Planner Johnny Sutton and officials of
Minton and Associates, the Raleigh firm em
ployed to seek federal funds for the county, told
(Continued on page 2)
FEEDING THE GULLS ...This youngster on the Southport waterfront
seems to be having fun Saturday afternoon as he tosses bread scraps to
seagulls, which usually are quick enough to catch the crumbs before they hit
the ground. There are more gulls than usual this year on the waterfront, and
with feeding like this they are likely to stay around.
Bids Sought
For Roofing
The Brunswick County
Board of Education is asking
for bids to repair the leaking
roofs at the three high
schools, Chairman Wilbur
Earl Rabon has announced.
The bids will be opened at a
special board meeting on
March 18 at 2 p.m. at the
Board of Education office.
The bid work will consist of
the application of new roofing
to the three high schools, and
other renovations associated
with waterproofing.
The associate work, in
addition to roofing and
flashing, will consist of new
(Continued on page 2)
Long Beach Tax Base
Jumps To *86 Million
By BILL ALLEN
Staff Writer
Long Beach has a tax base
of more than $86 million, town
commissioners were in
formed at their regular
monthly meeting Wednesday
night.
Town Manager John Berry
said the tax base totals
$86,013,273 “at this time”
when questioned by ' Com
missioner Russ Morrison.
However, Berry said the
tax base was not a final figure
since “all releases have not
been made.”
Morrison pointed out that
the town’s tax base has
climbed from an estimated
Beach Water System
Is ‘Closer To Reality’
By BILL ALLEN
Staff Writer
The proposed Long Beach water
system is moving closer to reality,
Mayor Pro-Tem Ellis Dudley
reported at the regular monthly
meeting Wednesday night.
The board discussed having a
four-phased system with
representatives of Pierson - Whit
man during a special meeting last
month. Another meeting will be held
later this month to discuss the final
report, which is due March 1.
The Pierson - Whitman
representative said the long Beach
bond referendum might be for $2
million when it is held, hopefully this
spring. 1
But Dudley said the referendum
will not be for more money than the
town can obtain from FHA for the
water system.
It has been estimated that Phase I
will cost about $1,071,116 plus
laterals, meters, etc. The cost will
depend on how much the county will
help.
It was noted that the county and
town entered into a verbal and
written agreement in 1974 about the
Long Beach water system. The
county agreed to install distribution
lines within the city and connect its
(Continued on page 2)
$50 million last July to $80
million and finally to $86
million. He said he hopes the
board can start working next
month to reduce taxes.
Berry told the board that
town Tax Collector Lorell
Duncan has collected 74.8
percent, or $369,609.48, of 1975
taxes. He said $136,368.12 is
outstanding to be collected at
the present time.
The board voted
unanimously to hold the tax
lein sale on unpaid real
property taxes for 1975 on
June 14 at Town Hall, upon
the recommendation of
Berry.
Town Attorney James
Prevatte, Jr., told Morrison it
was legal to hold the sale
despite the fact some
property owners have said
they are withholding the
payment of their taxes to
protest the rates.
The board voted on a split
decision to hold a public
hearing March 24 to con
sider two amendments to the
subdivision ordinance.
The Planning Board
requested that the board
adopt the amendments to
clear up “conflicts” in the
subdivision ordinance.
Prevatte was asked at the
last meeting to reword the
amendments and present
them to the board.
Morrison voted in op
position to holding the public
hearing to discuss the
proposed amendments,
which follow:
“10.02 Subdivisions Subject
to Zoning Ordinance District
Regulations
“Property within the Town
of Long Beach that was
subdivided as per definition
in North Carolina General
Statute 160A-376 and as in
Article V. 1 of this ordinance
before (Date of passage of
amendment); which is
located within a district
specified by the Long Beach
Zoning Ordinance, shall meet
and conform to all lot, size,
dimension and building set
back requirements of said
Zoning ordinance.
“10.03 Property Not Sub
divided
“Property within the Town
of Long Beach that was not
subdivided as per definition
in North Carolina General
Statute 160A-376 and as in
Article V. 1 of this ordinance
before (Date of passage of
amendment) shall be subject
to the following
requirements:
“10.03.01 Residential Lot
Area
“(1) Lots served by both
public water and public
sewer shall have an area of at
least 8,000 square feet.
“(2) Lots served by public
sewer but not public water
shall have an area of at least
10,000 square feet.
“(3) Lots served by only
(Continued on page 2)
4
Wholesale Cost Jumps
County Electric
Rates Going Up
Brunswick County
residents will have to dig
deeper in their pockets to pay
their electrical bills next
month.
Carolina Power & Light
Company has announced it
will raise its wholesale rates
a total of 34.5 percent on
Monday, March 1.
The new increase will not
become permanent until the
Federal Power Commission,
which must approve
wholesale rate hikes, makes
its ruling in the matter. The
FCC has five months to make
its decision.
However, CP&L plans to
post a bond and begin
charging the new rate on
March 1. If the FCC turns
down the request the com
pany will have to reimburse
its customers.
A total of 22 cities and 18
rural cooperatives in North
Carolina — including the City
of Southport and Brunswick
Electric Membership Cor
poration — are affected by
the rate increase. They buy
their power from CP&L and
re - sell it to homes,
businesses and industries.
CP&L officials have
estimated that the 34.5
percent hike will raise its
annual income from
wholesale customers by
about $33.7 million.
Electricities, which
represents some CP&L’s
wholesale customers, has
expressed alarm about the
rate hike. Southport decided
to join the organization to
protest the new rates at a
board meeting last week.
An Electricities
spokesman said the rate hike
apparently would raise the
wholesale prices almost to
the level now charged by
CP&L to retail customers.
“That would mean retail
customers of municipalities
and cooperatives would have
to pay more for their power
than CP&L’s own retail
buyers because those
systems must add the costs of :
their operations to their'
power rates,” the spokemsn
explained.
Mayor E.B. Tomlinson, Jr.* ;
said Southport will probablyv
have to raise its rates to
customers about 28 percent
because of the CP&L
wholesale hike.
“The average retail
customer’s rates will go up,
say, by $8 to $10 a month,” the
mayor estimated.
Mayor Tomlinson said he
didn’t believe the CP&L hike
was justified “in light of the
fact that I hear the utilities
had their best year last year,
profit - wise, in several
years.”
The North Carolina
Electric Membership Cor
poration has filed a “vigorous
protest” over the wholesale
rate increase.
“It is difficult to tell exactly
what the increase would be,”
(Continued on page 2)
College Course Sign-Up
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At Two County Schools
Registration for the spring
quarter in the college tran
sfer program in Brunswick
County will be March 8-9
from 7 to 9 p.m. on each date,
with classes beginning on
March 10.
“This represents a new
procedure,” explained Mrs.
May Barbee, coordinator for
the program offered by
Southeastern Community
College and the Brunswick
County Board of Education.
“To enroll in classes,
registration and payment of
tuition and bodes must be
done on March 8 at South
Brunswick High School, and
on March 9 at West Brun
swick High School.”
All courses are fully
credited college courses and
are transferable. Instructors
are members of the faculty at
Southeastern Community
College.
Courses to be offered at
South Brunswick include:
Fundamentals of Design,
which meets Mondays and
Wednesdays from 7 to 9:30
p.m. It is an introductory
course emphasizing the
elements and principles of
design, with students having
direct experience in a
variety of media, including
charcoal, ink, paint and
printmaking.
General Biology, Wed
nesdays from 6 to 10 p.m., a
continued study of plants and
animals with special em
phasis on responsiveness in
plants and animals, adaption
and ecology, as well as
current and-past evolution.
Prerequisite needed.
Principles of Accounting
meets Mondays and Wed
nesday from 7 to 9:30 p.m.: a
study of the basic accounting
procedures and the theory
underlying those procedures.
Freshman English, meets
Mondays from 7 to 10 p.m.: a
continuation of Freshman
English, including the study
of the novel and poetry.
Research papers based on the
casebook and the library.
Prerequisite.
Public Speaking, meets
Mondays from 7 to 10 p.m.: a
study of basic speech skills,
including speech
preparation, composition and
delivery; practical training
in the presentation of short
speeches.
U.S. History, meets
Wednesdays from 7 to 10
p.m.: a study of basic speech
skills, including speech
preparation, composition and
delivery; practical training
in the presentation of short
speeches.
U.S. History, meets
Wednesdays from 7 to 10
p.m.: a survey of the Colonial
period and early national
period, covering
colonization, the American
Revolution, the adoption of
the federal Constitution, and
the development of the
national government through
the Missouri Compromise.
Courses to be offered at
West Brunswick include:
American Literature,
meets Thursdays from 7 to 10
p.m.: a study of major
(Continued on page 2)
Warehouse Designation
Program Open Monday
The flue - cured tobacco
warehouse designation
program, started in 1974, will
be continued here in 1976
In order to establish
eligibility for price support on
auction markets, it will be
necessary that Brunswick
County farm operators
designate the warehouse, or
warehouses, at which they
wish to obtain price support
and indicate the number of
pounds they plan to market at
the warehouse.
The farm operator, or
someone to whom they have
given written authorization,
may designate by visiting the
ASCS office and filing the
designation on a prescribed
form. This may be done
during the period March l
through April 2.
At the time they designate
they should be prepared to
indicate the number of
marketing cards they expect
to need for each warehouse.
The marketing card issued
for the farm will identify the
warehouse at which price
support will be available.
A list of warehouses at
which producers in Brun
swick County may obtain
price support is available at
the ASCS office and with each
ASC County and Community
Committeeman. They should
select from this list the
warehouse or warehouses
they desire to designate. It
may be to their advantage to
contact a representative of
each warehouse they will
designate and make
arrangements for the
marketing of their crop
before they visit the ASCS
office to designate.
Any farm operator will be
permitted to designate if he
expects to have tobacco
available for marketing from
their farm this year.
To assist in preventing long
waiting lines, ASCS office
personnel are urging farmers
not to wait until the last of the
period but to come in as early
as possible. Also, to the ex
tent possible, lease and
transfer of quota should be
complete before designation.
This, however, should not
prevent a farmer from
designating during this
period.
Markets available to
Brunswick County farmers
are: Chadbourn, Clarkton,
Clinton, Fair Bluff, Fair
mont, Fayetteville, Kinston,
Lumberton, Tabor City,
Wallace, Whiteville, Conway,
Dillon, Hemingway, Lake
City, Loris, Mullins and
Pamplico.