THE STATE PORT PILOT
^e-1916
Volume 47 Number 50
June 30, 1976
Southport, N. C.
40 Pages Today
10 Cen ts
Patty Pawlak '
1976 Miss N. C. Fourth Of July
Southport’s annual N.C.
Fourth of July Festival
begins Saturday to continue
for three celebration - filled
days.
Highlights of the many
activities planned include
Heritage House, per
formances of “Revolution!”
and “I Love America,” the
parade and the fireworks
display.
Several events continue
throughout the festival. The
USS Fortify, an oceangoing
minesweeper, will be tied up
at the municipal pier
Saturday through Monday.
The ship will open to the
public at 10 a.m. and will be
open all day.
Two art shows are planned
for the weekend. A sidewalk
art show in front of Leggett’s
Store will open at 10 a.m.
Saturday, at noon Sunday and
at ll a.m. Monday.
The Junior Woman’s Club
art show will begin at 11 a.m.
Saturday, at l p.m. Sunday
and at 9 a.m. Monday. It will
be at Trinity United
Methodist Church.
Heritage House, to be in the
Community Building, opens
at 10 a.m. Saturday, at 2 p.m.
Sunday and at l p.mr Mon
day- . i . ..; ; '.... •
Live entertainment is
scheduled for l to 5 p.m. all
three days at the Indian Trail
City’s 50-Cent Rate
Okayed By Aldermen f
By EMILY HIGHTOWER
Staff Writer
The Southport Board of
Aldermen approved the 1976 -
77 budget last Wednesday
night, setting the tax rate at
50 cents per $100 valuation.
Three citizens attended the
public hearing which
preceded unanimous ap
proval of the budget.
The new tax rate is 26
percent lower than the 1975 -
76 rate of 68 cents per $100
valuation. The 50-cent rate
was based on a property
valuation of $22 million and
an estimated rate of
collection of 94.5 percent,
Mayor Eugene B. Tomlinson
said.
Joe Walton asked the board
to give Recreation Director
Gary Walker an $850 raise in
salary. He said that Walker is
working more hours than
anticipated and that this is
not reflected in his salary.
Walker now makes $8,500
per year.
Walton said Walker is
supervisin" three employees
and is i ^onsible for the
upkeep of the Little League
field and Taylor Field. “This
is the largest (recreation)
program Southport has ever
had,” he said.
Alderman Conley D.
Koontz said that Walker now
may use a city vehicle for
Recreation Department
business.
Koontz proposed that the
increase be made a bonus
because no city employee
received a salary increase
this year.
He moved that Walker be
given an $850 “meritorious
bonus,” to be awarded$425 on
July 1 and $425 on Jan. l, 1977.
Tomlinson added that the
board would expect Walker to
continue to put in as many
hours as the job demands.
The motion passed
unanimously.
The final budget reduced
the Recreation Department
appropriation $9,000 by
eliminating two items —
$6,000 for two tennis courts
and $3,000 for landscaping
along the waterfront.
During the public hearing,
C.D. Pickerrell said, “I’m a
taxpayer and I just wonder if
this is the point in time to cut
taxes.”
“I’d like to see some of the
things we started be brought
up to the future,” he said. He
Water OK By |
Beach Voters i
Long Beach residents approved expansion of
the town water system, 275 to 59, in voting
Tuesday.
Town manager John Berry said Pierson &
Whitman, Inc., the engineering firm which
designed the project, would begin laying out the
system immediately.
The town probably will receive bids for con
struction of the project within six months, he
said.
The vote authorizes the sale of $2.9 million of
General Obligation bonds. The revenue from the
bond sale will finance construction of water
mains and lines, a water tank and installation of
meters and valves.
The system will be constructed in stages, with
the most populous areas of Long Beach being
served first.
Minimum water bill will be $8.92. Property
owners will be assessed $1 per running foot once
construction of the system reaches their street.
gave as examples of
unfinished projects the
Frying Pan Lightship and the
gymnasium.
City Attorney Carter
Lambeth pointed out that if
the Dosher Memorial
Hospital referendum passes
the tax rate would rise as
much as four cents, effective
immediately.
Residents of Smithville
Township will vote in the
referendum, to be held
August 17, on whether $2.5
million of bonds may be
issued to finance im
provements and additions to
the hospital.
Pickerell also inquired
whether the city could not set
- up a program to assist
persons living in substandard
housing.
The mayor and City
Manager Alvin Kornegay,
Jr., said they would in
vestigate what could be done.
Koontz and Walton ex
pressed concern about
modifications the
“Revolution!” staff has
made to the gymnasium.
Walton said they have built
stagings and drilled holes
through the cinderblock
walls. They have removed
the windows, causing the
walls to crack from the
windows up to the ceiling, he
said.
Walton questioned whether
the Recreation Committee
has enough money to.
renovate the gym after the
(Continued on page 3)
• ‘RevolutionV opening night on page 2
• Festival events, schedule in second section
Tree. Puppet shows will be
given at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Saturday and at 2 and 3 p.m.
Sunday at the Southport -
Brunswick County Library.
The Cape Fear Water
Skiing Club will perform at 2
p.m. Sunday and Monday on
the waterfront.
County Tax Rate
Set At 42 Cents
By BILL ALLEN
Staff Writer
The Brunswick County
Board of Commissioners
increased the tax rate three
cents to 42 cents to finish
funding the Leland school
before adopting the 1976-77
budget Thursday night.
The board voted on a split
decision — 3 to 1 — to in
crease the tax rate from 38.5
cents last year to 42 cents this
year to raise taxes needed to
fund the new budget.
The last three cents were
added to the tax rate to
complete the funding of the
Leland Middle School.
Supporters of public
education in the county urged
that the school be funded
during a public hearing held
Thursday morning. (See
related story in this edition of
The Pilot)
Commissioner Ira Butler,
Jr., pointing out that the
construction of the new
Brunswick County cour
thouse-complex was adding
to the tax rate, proposed
several times that it be
reduced to 40.5 cents.
He said the rate could be
reduced the 1.5 cents by
delaying for one year the
construction of the county
administration building at
the complex. The ad
ministration building has
been budgeted to cost the
county $188,000.
Commissioner W.T. Russ,
Jr., said the board was
“under an obligation” to
build it because of the 2 to 1
vote on the referendum to
move the courthouse
complex to a central site.
“We have an obligation to
build it come hell or high
water,” Commissioner
Franky Thomas declared.
“Very well said,” added
Russ.
Butler said he agreed the
board had an obligation to
build the complex. But he
said the administration
building could be delayed one
year to lower the tax rate to
40.5 cents. “It (the difference
between the two tax rates)
will made a big difference,”
he declared.
Butler made his proposal
several times before the
budget was adopted. But he
never put it in the form of a
motion reauirinc boad action.
After a long delay Thomas,
who hud said at one point that
he would go along with the
majority on the question,
made the motion to approve
the budget with the 42-cent
tax rate. Butler seconded it.
Russ, voted in oppositon to
approving the new budget. He
said he favored a 39-cent tax
rate with funds for the Leland
school included in a bond
referendum for school con
struction in the county.
Chairman Steve Varnam,
Jr., was not present at the
meeting when the budget was
Finally, performances of
“Revolution!” will be given'
at 8 p.m. Saturday and
Sunday. Kachada Indian
dances are set for 8:30 p.m.
Saturday and 9 p.m. Sunday
at the Whittier’s Bench on the
waterfront.
Other events scheduled for
Monday include children’s
colonial games at 10 a.m. on
the Garrison Lawn, go-cart
races at 2 p.m. and semi
finals in the tennis tour
nament at 3 p.m.
The Southport Little
Leaguers will play an all-star
ball game at 4:30 p.m. at the
approved. Under state law,
Chairman Varnam is
credited with an affirmative
vote since he was not present.
Before the meeting ended,
however, Chairman Varnam
telephoned the other com
missioners and th press and
announced that he approved
the new budget with the 42
cent tax rate.
“I felt the Leland people
(Continued on page 20)
llth-Hour Cut -
Upsets Public
By BILL ALLEN
Staff Writer
Brunswick County public
education supporters
strongly protested massive
reductions in the school
budget during a public
hearing Thursday that had to
be held in the Courthouse
because of the large crowd on
hand.
“Is it more important to
have another jail, or new
schools?” was the question
asked time and again during
the public hearing.
Cuts in the Health
Department, high salaries for
county employees and other
items were brought up by
taxpayers during the
hearing. But most of the
people expressed concern
about the reduction in the
school budget.
“I ask on behalf of the 7,500
Brunswick County school
(Continued on page 3)
Leland School
WiU Be Biult
By EMILY HIGHTOWER
Staff Writer
The Brunswick County
Board of Education struggled
Monday night to cut an ad
ditional $76J,616 from its
budget, finally choosing to
fund the Leland Middle
School rather than the
maintenance and garage
facility.
Brunswick County com
missioners approved a
$3,485,343 total appropriation
for the schools June 24. The
Board of Education orginally
requested $6,577,531 and
received a tenative ap
propriation of $4,246,959 on
June 2.
The 1975-76 school budget.
was $3.9 million.
Board members expressed
a desire to fund both the
school and the maintenance
and garage project. They
decided, however, that there
is money enough to build only
one of them.
“We’re going to have to
cut,” chairman Wilbur
Ratxrn said. “We cannot build
the school bus garage and
build Leland Middle School.”
Feeling committed to build
the school, the board decided
to go ahead on that and
allocated $2.8 million for that
purpose. The board
authorized school personnel
to accept bids for the entire
construction of the school and
“appropriate alternates.”
$72,447 Is Collected
Collection of the one-percent sales and use tax
in Brunswick County totalled $72,447 in May,
according to the monthly report by the N.C.
Department of Revenue.
The total is the highest this calendar year,
above the $68,432 collection reported in April.
primary school field. The
Jaycee Donkey ball game is
set for 7:30 p.m. at Taylor
Field, and a Blue Grass
festival will begin at 9 p.m. at
the Whittier’s Bench.
Ecumenical church ser
vices will be held at 11 a.m.
Sunday in the “Revolution!”,,
amphitheatre. At 2 p.m.
citizens are urged to come out
of their homes and ring a bell
in commemoration of the
nation’s 200th birthday.
Other Sunday events are as.
follows: small sailboat races,
at 2 p.m., “I Love America”,
at 3:30 p.m. in the.
“Revolution!” amphitheatre,,
air show at 4:30 p.m. on the
waterfront; shrimp boat
races at 5 p.m. and finals of
the tennis tournament at 6
p.m.
A gospel sing will be held at
8 and at 9 p.m. Sunday at the
Whittier’s Bench.
Monday’s big celebration
begins at 10 a.m. with a flag
raising and a 50-gun salute on
the waterfront. At 11 a.m .the
1976 N.C. Fourth of July
parade will begin to move
down Moore and Howe
streets.
The Clinton High School
Band will give a concert at 1
p.m. on the Garrison Lawn,
followed by U.S. Marine
Corps flag pageant, at 1:30
p.m., also on the Garrison
Lawn.
Other waterfront events
scheduled for Sunday are two
exhibitions to be given by the
U.S. Navy. A parachute
demonstration is set for 2:15
p.m. and an underwater
demolition exhibition for 3
p.m.
The parachute exhibition
will also be given at 5:30 and
at8p.m.
At 3:30 Sunday afternoon
Shrine units will present live
entertainment at the Whit
tier’s Bench. And at 4:30
visitors may enjoy the third
annual “Happy Birthday,
(Continued on page 3)
An alternate plan for
building the school might
consist of constructing most
of it minus, for example, a
group of classrooms or part
of site development.
The board also re-affirmed
its intent to air-condition six
elementary school cafeterias
at a cost of $70,036. t
Transportation sipervisor
Herman Love and main
tenance supervisor Thomas
Allen appeared before the
board to present letters from
their staffs.
Love’s letter cited staff
concerns about working
conditions at the present
school bus garage. The
garage floor becomes wet
when humidity is high, the
letter said, and when it rains
the floor floods. >;
The letter also said the
parking area is too small, a
heating system is non
existent and the wiring
system is poor.
Allen’s letter said that "td
keep modern buildings going
we (maintenance staff) need
a shop and modern equip
ment." Present facilities are
(Continued on page 3)