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THE STATE PORT PILOT
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Volume 47 Number 37 March 31, 1976
Southport, N. C.
22 Pages
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PRIVATE ENTERPRISE will take over operation of the Southport Small
Boat Harbor next month. William Arnold (center) and Ernie Pawlak
(right), who will lease the facility, show their plans for the harbor to Gene
Merritt of the State Ports Authority.
A RALEIGH PLANNING FIRM has developed plans to provide a “new
image” for the Southport Small Boat Harbor. William Arnold and Ernie
Pawlak, who have leased the facility from the state, believe the plan will
result in higher use of the harbor.
Ports Group Okays
Boat Harbor Lease
By BILL ALLEN
Staff Writer
The Small Boat Harbor,
which has been operated by
the state for the past ten
years, has been leased to
private business interests in
Southport.
Gene Merritt, director of
public relations for the North
Carolina Ports Authority,
was in Southport on Tuesday
afternoon to make the official
announcement.
William Arnold of Sanford
and Ernie Pawlak of South
port, who operated Carolina
Yacht Brokers, Inc., on Howe
Street, will take over the
facility on April 15.
Arnold and Pawlak an
nounced that the name of the
Southport Boat Harbor will
be changed to Southport
Marina when they begin
operating the facility.
“It is my belief that with
private enterprise and with
our plans, it can be what it
was intended — an out
standing boating facility that
will help the economy of
Brunswick County and South
port,” Arnold Declared. “I
think we can convert it into a
business that can make a
profit.”
The State Ports Authority,
meeting in Pinehurst on
Friday, voted to lease the
Southport facility to Arnold
and Pawlak. The authority
has been considering leasing
the facility since last Sep
tember. A committee, headed
by Coolidge Murrow of High
Point, has been looking at the
future of the Southport boat
harbor.
Six individuals and com
panies originally submitted
bids to lease the facility, but
one dropped out of the
building. The authority ac
cepted Arnold’s proposal, but
the lease price was not
disclosed.
“Mr. Arnold was the
highest bidder and had the
best plan for the boat harbor
here in Southport,” Merritt
reported.
Hie Small Boat Harbor,
which has been located in
Southport for the last ten
Beach Subdivision
Rule Not Changed
By BILL ALLEN
Staff Writer
The Long Beach Board of
Commissioners turned down
two amendments to the
subdivision ordinance after
developers expressed strong
disapproval during a public
hearing Wednesday night.
The board deadlocked 3 to 3
on a motion to approve the
two amendments. Mayor
Harold Crain, who had
seconded the motion and
voted in support, announced
that the deadlock vote had
defeated it.
Developers objected
strongly to the requirement
tht residential lots would
have to be least 13,200 square
feet if the amendments were
approved — a point made by
Gib Barbee.
The minimum lot sizes of
8,000 square-feet and 10,000
square feet contained in the
proposed amendments will
not apply at this time because
Long Beach does not have
water or sewer in the areas,
Barbee pointed out.
Tax Review Convenes Tuesday
The Brunswick County
Board of Equalization and
Review will hold its first
session this year Tuesday
morning at 10 o’clock at the
Hood Building in Southport.
All residents who disagree
with the values places on
their property will be able to
discuss them with board
members during the meeting.
Taxpayers who would like
to appear before the board
have been asked to call Tax
Supervisor K.T. Bellamy at
his office (457-6436) in South
port to make an appointment.
Bellamy told The Pilot last
week that his office had
received no calls asking for
appointments although the
meeting is being advertised
in county newspapers A
person reading the ad
vertisements, however,
cannot tell that taxpayers can
discuss valuations at the
Board of Equalizaton and
Review hearing. (See ad
vertisement in this edition of
The Pilot.)
The advertisement was
apparently written to satisfy
legal requirements that the
meeting be advertised to the
public, but without providing
much information.
“If I had not seen the words
Board of Equalization and
Review, I would not know
what the advertisement
meant,” one county official
said.
The advertisements don’t
mention that citizens can
protest^heir tax values at the
Board of Equalization and
Review meeting. Instead, the
advertisements said that the
hearings are being conducted
“in accordance with Chapter
105 of the General Statutes of
North Carolina.”
Chapter 105 covers the
entire Machinery Act of
North Carolina on taxation. It
is a 154-page document
covering everything from
Short Title, Purpose and
Definitions to Validations in
18 articles.
The board is required to
hear any taxpayer who owns
or controls property taxable
in the county with respect to
the listing or appraisal of his
property or the property of
others. All action taken must
Were You Counted
In Beach Census?
Mary F. Garris, supervisor of the
Special Census of Long Beach, said
today that the census is drawing to a
close. Census takers, who started
canvassing the town on Monday, will
have virtually completed their
initial go-round by Friday.
In order to be certain that no
permanent resident of Long Beach
has been overlooked, Mrs. Garri*
urged that residents who have not
been contacted by a census taker by
Friday evening complete the
special “Were You Counted” form
carried elsewhere in this issue of
The State Port Pilot. It should be
clipped out and mailed immediately
to the address given on the form.
Mrs. Garris again emphasized
that only bona fide residents of Long
Beach or those who have no usual
residence elsewhere will be in
cluded. Specifically, she pointed out,
the count excludes those: here
visiting, vacationing or, who,
(Continued on page 2)
be placed in the official
minutes of the board which
are open to the public, ac
cording to law.
The board, composed of
county commissioners, will
examine and review the tax
lists of the county for the
current year to the end that
all taxable property shall be
listed on the abstracts and the
tax records and appraised
according to the standard
required by law and make
corrections to conform to the
law.
The board can reduce or
increase the appraised value
of any property that mem
bers believe has been listed
and appraised at a figure that
is above or below the ap
praisal required by law.
PORK BARBECUE
The Winnabow Volunteer
Fire Department will sponsor
a pork barbecue dinner and
bake sale on Saturday
beginning at 11 a. m.
Mayor" Crain said the
amendments would reduce
the minimum size from 20,000
to 13,500. Marvin Watson,
Hannon Templeton and A.H.
Gainey, Jr., challenged the
mayor’s statement.
“You are raising it from
7,500 to 20,000,” Gainey
declared. “You are not
lowering it. The 20,000 has
never applied. You are not
doing anyone a favor. ’ ’
Town Attorney James
Prevatte, Jr., told Com
mission Russell Morrison
that the 20,000 square foot
requirement
division ordinance does not
apply since all Long Beach is
zoned.
He said the 20,000
requirement would stay in
the ordinance but it would
have no effect. It would apply
to un-zoned areas and all
Long Beach is zoned, he
explained.
“So we have more than one
(Continued on page 2)
years, has had a net
operating loss of about
$160,000 since being
established.
Merritt said the authority
decided to lease the facility
because members felt it
could be operated more
efficiently by private en
terprise.
“It is easier for private
enterprise to run a business
than a public enterprise in
most cases,” Merritt ex
plained.
Arnold said he believes that
he can turn the direction
around and make a profit
because of the planned im
provements and promotion
work that will be done.
He reported that there are
no plans to change the
current rate schedule for the
harbor, which is only two
thirds full at the present time.
The ten employees at the
facility will continue their
duties, he added.
Lewis Clarks Associates, a
Raleigh professional plan
ning firm, has done the land
use work to improve the
facility. The firm did the land
use plan for the North
Carolina Zoo and has done
work on the Hilton Head
Island projects.
“We are working towards
changing the image of the
facility to make it a needed
boaters can enjoy,” Arnold
stated. •' i v
He said it will take time to
make the improvements and
no completion date has been
set. The schedule will depend
on the use of the harbor. No
price tag has been placed on
the costs of the planned
improvements, which will be
(Continued on page 2)
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A $50,000 FIRST mortgage loan check for St. Peter’s Lutheran Church of
Southport was presented Sunday for the new church building, located on NC
211 west of the Beach Road. Left to right are Rev. Walter Yount, executive
director of North Carolina Lutheran Men; Mrs. Helen Hendricks, Building
Fund treasurer for St. Peter’s; Rev. Hollis Miller, pastor of St. Peter’s
Lutheran Church; and David Fleming, president of North Carolina Lutheran
Men.