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THE STATE PORT PILOT
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Volume 47 Number 52 July 14, 1976
Southport, N. C.
20 Pages Today
10 Cents
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Tax Money Involved In Courthouse Move
By BILL ALLEN
Staff Writer
“A new centralized courthouse complex can be
built without any tax money being spent.”
The promise, made time after time prior to
last summer’s referendum to relocate the
Brunswick County courthouse, was proved to be
false by the new 1976-77 budget.
The new budget, adopted June 24, contains
$2,213,440 in a Capital Reserve fund to use for
Phase I constructiona t the complex site outside
Bolivia. The funds are equivalent to 16.11 cents in
tax rate.
If the amount had been distributed in the
budget the tax rate in Brunswick County would
be 25.89 cents next year rather than the present
increased rate of 42 cents.
Some of the funds could have been used for
needed improvements, such as new school
construction, for example, and the rest could
have been used to reduce the 42-cent tax rate.
Commissioners themselves removed $92,560
from the Capital Reserve* fund to use to finish
funding the Leland school. The transfer held the
tax rate to 42 cents, which was up from 38.5 cents
last year.
However, the matter is largely academic now
since Brunswick County residents, apparently
believing the promises, voted more than 2 to 1
last July to relocate the courthouse complex to a
central spot between Bolivia and Supply. The
approved referendum contained deadlines to
accomplish the move.
“But it still does not change the fact that
Brunswick County people will be paying higher
taxes to move the courthouse,” one observer
pointed out. “It is certainly not being done with
no tax money being spent, as- we were
promised.”
The observer also questioned Phase I con
struction projects and the large amount of the
project to be done in Phase I. Phase I covers
about 35 percent of the entire project.
“Once Phase I is finished, Brunswick County
will have three new jails and three new high
schools,” he explained. “But the rest of the
school buildings will continue to go downhill
while we build the new jail.”
Commissioner Ira Butler, Jr., made several
requests before the new budget was adopted that
the board delay for one year spending the
projected $188,000 for the new administration
building. He said delaying the construction one
year would allow the county to lower the tax rate
to 40.5 cents.
Butler pointed out that his request was not
designed to delay the entire project. The cour
thouse facilities, the tax collector’s office and the
tax supervisor’s office would still be built in
Phase I, he noted.
By BILL ALLEN
Staff Writer
City officials were in
structed by the Southport
Board of Aldermen on
Thursday night to see if funds
could be “found” to pay city
employees more money this
year.
“We can come up with the
money if we want to do it,”
said Alderman Pierce Home,
who made the original
request that all employees be
given a three- to five-percent
increase. “It is thatsimple.”
Alderman Harold Davis,
agreeing with Horne, said it
would cost the city about
$25,000 to give employees a
five-percent increase. He
said the city could spend
$20,500 if it wanted to give
each employee a $500 bonus
rather than a percentage
raise.
No city employee was given
a raise in the 1976-77 budget.
However, Recreation
Director Gary Walker was
given a $500 bonus since he
i - ' ..
does" not receive overtime
pay
Public Works Director Tom
Roberts told the board that
there was “uneasiness” in his
department because em
ployees knew Walker had
received extra money in the
budget while other employees
did not receive raises.
Mayor E.B. Tomlinson, Jr.,
said Walker was given a
bonus because he is the only
city employee who is not paid
overtime. Robert said he
would explain the situation to
his employees.
In other business, the board
voted unanimously to make a
$5,000 loan to “Revolution!”
upon the condition that the
outdoor musical drama stay
in Southport in the future.
Robert Britton, business
manager, explained the
financial situation facing
“Revolution!” in making the
request for the $5,000
donation.
He said that it will cost a
little more than $59,000 to
produce “Revolution!” this
Hospital Committee
A steering committee to promote passage of an
August 17 referendum in support of a Smithville
Township hospital was named during a Tuesday
night meeting at Long Beach.
Members include Rosetta Short and Otto
Maehl of Long Beach, Howard Pinkerton and
Jackie Herring of Yaupon Beach, William
Beasley and Jan Eaton of Caswell Beach and
Margaret Connaughton and Cora Davis of South
port. Ex officio members include mayors Harold
Crain of Long Beach, Robert Jones of Caswell
Beach and Eugene Tomlinson of Southport, and
mayor pro-tem Louise Corbett of Yaupon Beach.
Tlie steering committee will be responsible for
advertising, telephone and house-to-house
campaigns, etc., in preparation for the bond
vote.
Mayor Crain presided at the meeting, attended
by approximately 30 persons.
Voting Deadline
Deadline for registering to vote in the August
17 primary elections and the Smithville
Township hospital referendum is Monday, July
19.
Information about voting requirements and
places of registration is available from the
Board of Elections office in Boliva. The South
port - Oak Island Chamber of Commerce office
(457-6964) may be contacted about how to
register in the Oak Island and Southport I and II
precincts.
summer. He said $15,000 to
$20,000 was needed to com
plete financing of the <fi'amar
this summer.- * ~
Britton said “Revolution?”
has been “snake-bitten" by
the the weather during the
Fourth of July holiday period
because several per
formances had to be can
celled because of the rain.
Britton said “Revolution!”
had spent $30,430.37 before
the drama opened. It had
been estimated that over
$50,000 would be spent before
it opened.
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payroll was running about
$2,000 a week, with the
average salary being $50 a
week. He said the salaries
range from $20 a week to $70 a
week. “The payroll is higher
than anticipated because we
did not obtain all the
volunteers we needed,” he
explained.
Britton told the board that
Brunswick County recently
made a $5,000 donation and
Kenneth Sprunt a $15,000 loan
to the drama. The Sprunt loan
will not have to be repaid
unless money is made this
year. In addition, Sprunt
made a $1,000 donation.
He said “Revolution!”
expects to take in at least
$5,000 this season from ticket
sales. Since 500 tickets can be
sold, he said it was
“possible” to make $1,500 at
the gate for one performance.
But he said officials expected
to take in only $500 to $600
each night.
Britton said he has already
made his feelings known that
"Revolution!” should remain
in Southport rather than
moving to the Brunswick
Town area in the future
because of the support it had
received here.
nc &cuu nu unc cApcacu me
outdoor drama to make a
profit the first year. He said
the state, which donated
$1,000 this year, is expected to
provide more funds next year
since the first season is over.
Britton told Alderman
Conley Konntz that statistics
show that a community
receives three to four times
the price of a ticket from
visitors who attend outdoor
dramas.
The board voted
unanimously to allow theU.S.
Weather Service to put a tide
station on the city pier.
However, the station can be
no higher that the hand rail
on the pier.
Thomas Orlowski of the
National Oceanic and
(Continued on page 2)
; :’k . ■ • v; ' ‘ v ''' ’ ■ '
if CUB SCOUT TROOP 227, Den 10 of the Supply -
Varnamtown area was busy on Tuesday cleaning
; > the grounds at Ocean Trail Convalescent Center
and earning Bicentennial badges. Members of
j the troop are (left to right) Daniel Varnam, Billy
Smith, Shawn Gore, Scott Powers, Mark Todd,
Wayne Beck, David Lancaster and Gary Gore
(kneeling). The youngsters cleaned the yards so
the residents of Ocean Trail could sit under the
shade trees, a spokesman noted.
Board Favors
Hospital Vote
The board of directors for the Southport-Oak
Island Chamber of Commerce has approved a
resolution calling for the continued operation
and expansion of Dosher Memorial Hospital.
Citing the hospital as an incentive for citizens
to vacation and live here and for industry to
locate in the area, the board urged passage of an
August 17 bond issue that would pay for the
renovation of the facility.
Following is the resolution draw by the
chamber:
“Whereas, the Southport-Oak Island area is
popular as a resort and retirement community
and citizens who vacation and live here have
come to rely on convenient medical facilities;
and
“Whereas, much of the prosperity of Brun
swick County and especially the Southport-Oak
Island area can be attributed to the Carolina
Power and Light Company and Pfizer plants
which would not have located here if it had been
for convenient medical facilities; and
“Whereas, it is the desire of the Southport-Oak
Island Chamber of Commerce to continue to
attract vacationers, residents and businesses
that will increase the prosperity of the county
and the community ; and
“Whereas, the Board of Directors of the South
port-Oak Island Chamber of Commerce feels
that such development of the recreational,
residential and industrial communities will be
greatly restricted if convenient medical
facilities are not maintained;
Now therefore, the Board of Directors of
the Southport-Oak Island Chamber of Commerce
approves a resolution calling for the continued
services of, and improvements to, Dosher
Memorial Hospital; and urges support of the
bond referendum to support Dosher Memorial
Hospital that will be decided Augusut 17.”
Director Presents
Dog Death Report
By EMILY HIGHTOWER
Staff Writer
Reports of killing of dogs at
a county landfill have been
investigated, Yaupon Beach
commmssioners were told
Monday night.
County Dog Control
Director Ed Clemmons ap
peared before the com
missioners to respond to a
letter they wrote him and to
report generally on the
operation of the dog pound.
The board of com
missioners wrote Clemmons
May 18 to inquire whether
dogs were being killed at the
landfill.
“There were dogs slain,”
Clemmons said Monday. But
he said the dogs had been
released to the wardens by a
Yaupon Beach resident in the
presence of a local law of
ficer.
When a dog is released, dog
control officers may put it up
for adoption or may dispose
of it if it is maimed or
diseased.
The resident later returned
to claim her dog, Clemmons
said. When she was told it had
been destroyed, she adopted
another dog from the pound.
Clemmons told the board
that his investigation had
been thorough. “I did not
attempt to cover-up
anything,” he said.
During a June 7 report to
the Brunswick County Board
of Commissioners on the
same issue, Clemmons said,
“I can assure you that it
(killing dogs at a landfill) will
not be repeated.”
He also said the employees
responsible had been
reprimanded.
Clemmons said Monday
night the objectives of the
county dog control program
are to strengthen application
of the state rabies control law
and to protect humans,
livestock and wildlife from
uncontrolled dogs and from
canine diseases.
During the five months the
dog pound has been open,
Clemmons said, employees
have handled more than 900
cases of unwanted dogs. Less
than one percent of this
number were dogs that had to
be picked-up and were not.
signed over by their owners, *
he said. ;
The pound has also dealt!
with 30 to 35 dog bite cases, he?
reported.
The commissioners passed*
a gun ordinance which!
makes it illegal to discharged
shotguns, rifles, pistols orJ
explosive devices within the!
town limits. £
Excepted are police or law!
enforcement officers or*
(Continued on page 2)
‘RevolutionV Special
Next Tuesday and Wednesday will be
“two for one” nights at “Revolution!”
To express their appreciation to
Brunswick County citizens who have
worked for and with “Revolution!” the
producers have authorized next week’s
special.
Anyone who clips the coupon published
on page 6 in The State Port Pilot and buys
(me reserved seat will get another seat
free.
Only one coupon may be redeemed per
family.
Box office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Satur
day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and l to 5
p.m.Sunday.