Newspapers / State Port Pilot (Southport, … / Sept. 15, 1976, edition 1 / Page 1
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Volume 48 Number 9 September 15, 1976 ' Southport, N. C. 20 Pages Today 10 Cents ■ ■■■ ■—■. . .—— ii ■ m i »'■* .i ■ * ..— - ■■■■■■— i .— 1 .. I 1 — - 11 ’ ■»■■ ... Marina Dispute Coming As Access May Be Cut By BILL ALLEN Staff Writer Apparent problems being caused by Southport Marina, Inc., dominated the monthly meeting of the Southport Board of Aldermen held Thursday night. The board voted unanimously to ask the state to study and make a recommendation to provide better traffic flow to the marina, which was known as the Small Boat Harbor until it was leased to private businnes this year. Mayor E.B. Tomlinson, Jr., told the board that the city had received numerous complaints from residents about traffic on West Street, which goes to the marina. , Since the board opposes cutting trees to make West Street wider, the mayor suggested that the dead-end Brown Street be opened to marina traffic. If the street can be opened, he said, West and Brown can be made one way in opposite directions. Mayor Tomlinson said he believed it would be the responsibility of the state to buy the land to open Brown Street if the state approves the plan. “We are not pulling the state’s chestnuts out of Early Graduation Rules Are Weighed By Board ;s - S ' By ED HARPER News Editor Board of Education members saw the need Monday night to better define — and put in writing — rules for early graduation from high school. The board voted 2-1 to not allow West Brunswick High School student Cindy Ann Harrell to take junior and senior English at the same time in order to graduate next May. She had been in formed that summer school would be necessary but had “hoped” to take both courses at once. “She didn’t live up to her part (of the requirement),” said board member Frank Randolph, who cast the negative vote in the decision, “but this board is not in the clear either. We need to set our house in order here.” Mr. and Mrs. William Bak er Harrell had brought their daughter’s case to the board because, they said, she had been given permission for early graduation but not the opportunity. Mrs. Harrell said she and her daughter had been led to believe by the guidance counslor that it would be okay to take both English courses at the same time. But the guidance counselor, Grace Keziah, said in a letter to Supt. Ralph King dated April 13 that although she supported Cindy’s petition to graduate early, “I believe it should be conditional upon attending summer school. “We have never allowed a student to take junior and senior English in the same year to meet early graduation requirments and it would pose a troublesome precedent,” said Mrs. Keziah. Mrs. Harrell had not heard Mrs. Keziah state this daughter were told by the opinion, which she said is counselor. contrary to what she and her Cindy Harrell was told in State To Hold Dosher Hearing The state will conduct a public hearing next week in Southport to determine support for an improved Dosher Memorial Hospital. Chief Lawrence Burwell of the State Health Planning and Development Agency, who made the announcement, said the public hearing will be held Friday, September 24, at 7:30 p.m. at the Brunswick County Courthouse. Dosher Hospital Attorney Carter Lambeth urged all supporters of the hospital to attend the hearing since the state will not accept the results of the referendum held last month as proof of support. “The purpose of the hearing is to receive public input regarding the proposal of the Board of Trustees of Dosher hospital to construct a replacement hospital (51 beds) in Southport,” Burwell stated. “The proposal is for an estimated $2.0-million project that includes new hospital facilities and renovation of the existing building for am bulance care and ancilliary services,” he stated. Any interested person can appear at the hearing . But persons must obtain prior approval to make statements, he said. Anyone wishing to make a statement should notify Gerald Boyles, State Health Planning and Development Agency, 325 North Salisbury Street, Raleigh, N.C. 27611, in writing on or before September 21 and provide a written summary of the testimony to be given at the public hearing. The hearings are being held as part of the review process conducted by the agency. writing by the superintendent on April 27 that early graduation was approved “based on summer school attendance and earning credit for one unit of English with a minimum grade of ‘B’.” Mrs. Harrell said that summer school was “almost impossible;” Cindy had no driver’s license, Mrs. Harrell was working and the nearest the course was offered was at North Myrtle Beach, S.C. Member William Sue said it would be “like opening Pandora’s Box” to allow students to take two English courses at the same time because ti could potentially do away with senior classes. Mrs. Harrell also said her daughter would like to par ticipate in senior activities since this will be her last year at West Brunswick, but member Mrs. Barbara Yount said that was dependent on local school requirements for being a senior. Cindy has 12 credits — the number required when she entered high school — but the present handbook reads 13. The board voted 2-1 to not allow the taking of two English courses at the same time for the purpose of early graduation, to apologize to the Harrell family for any misunderstanidng, allow graduation in three years plus summer school next year, and to clarify county school policy about early graduation. Board members seemed in agreement that completing the courses would not be enough, that certain grade standards might be needed. It also was suggested that the number of required credits be increased from 18 to 20 so that early graduation would result only from ex (Continued on page 2) the fire like we did on the Howe Street right-of-way purchases,” he declared. Police Chief George Mc Cracken told the board his department was making a special effort to check traffic on West Street because of the large number of vehicles using the street. The board voted unanimously to hold a public hearing September 30 at 7:30 p.m. to discuss Southport Marina’s request to construct an office building with an apartment above it at the site. Planning-Zoning Board Chairman James K. Por terfield said the marina company wants the hearing held to change the entire city ordinance to allow the con struction. Southport attorney Ernest Parker, Jr., representing the marina, told the board in a letter that the company wants the ordinance changed to “permit higher-class use in lower-class areas.” City Attorney Carter Clemmons Wins Upset Victory Over Vamam ' Cletis Clemmons scored a major upset to gain the Democratic nomination for the Lockwood Folly seat on the county board of com missioners in the second primary Tuesday. Clemmons, winning 14 of the 20 precincts in the county, defeated incumbent Chairman Steve Var nam, Jr., 2,649 to 2,153 in the one-on one race. It was a 496-vote victory margin. * Varnam, perhaps the most powerful man in county govern ment, came within 66 votes of winning the Lockwood Folly nomination in the first primary. He defeated Clemmons 1,764 to 1,461 last month. But it was a different story in the second primary. Varnam’s defeat means that Commissioner Willie Sloan of Town Creek will be the only member of the present board who will be seeking re-election in November. All five (Continued on page 2) Kopp, Short Are Selected Two Brunswick County residents have been ap pointed to serve on the Advisory Council of the N.C. Coastal Resources Com mission. Rosetta Short of Long Beach and William Kopp, Jr., of Bolivia will represent the county on the advisory council. Kopp and Mrs. Short, along with the other 12 advisory council members, were appointed by the commission to “represent local gover nment and areas of special expertise.” Kopp is a former member of the state commission. Mrs. Short is a member of the Long Beach Planning Board who served a term as its chairman. C.B. Jamboree Next Weekend Final preparations are being made for next weekend’s Citizens Band “Jamboree-By-The Sea.” The event, co-sponsored by the Oak Island C.B. Club and the Southport-Oak Island Chamber of Commerce, is scheduled Sept. 24-26 n*- Middleton Park, Long Beach. It will replace Octoberfest as a fall attraction for the beach communities. The Jamboree will get underway Friday at 1 p.m. and will continue that day until 11 o’clock. Music, door prizes, the awarding of the Jam boree’s third prize, children’s activities and a square dance exhibition will highlight the first day events. Saturday the Jamboree will open at 9 a.m. and (Continued on page 2) New Dosher Trustees To Join Vote Lawsuit The newly organized, new Board of Trustees for Dosher Memorial Hospital will seek to intervene on behalf of the county Board of Com missioners in the lawsuit filed by six Smithville Township property owners. Eugene Tomlinson, Jr. of Southport, named chairman at the board’s first meeting last Thursday, said the Southport and Caswell Beach town boards had taken the same action. A hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled for October 18 in WhiteviUe. A hearing on the motion to intrevene will be sought before that date. Harold Crain of Long Beach was named vice chairman at the board’s organizational meeting, Charlotte Wilson of Yaupon Beach was named secretary, and the chief budget officer for Brunswick County, Don Flowers, will serve as treasurer. The law firm of Murchison, Fox and Newton was employed as counsel, and the architectural firm of Ballard, McKim and Sawyer of Wilmington and the Perrault consulting firm of Washington, D.C., were retained. The auditing firm of Ernst and Ernst also was re employed. Tomlinson said board members would “share and share alike’’ in their service. “We’re all in this together.” Other members of the board are Lorraine Bellamy of Southport, Herbert Swain of NC 87, Kenneth Bellamy of NC 211, and George Milligan of Caswell Beach. All were present except Crain, who was out of the area Thursday. Tomlinson reviewed Phases I through III of the hospital improvement project; Phases I and II in cluded the correction of deficiencies to keep the Dosher operating license, while Phase III involves the hiring of architects to develop the renovation and expansion plans. The Phase III work has been financed with individual pledges of money which will be paid with tax funds ap proved in the August 17 vote. The Board of Trustees has assumed the obligations for the Phase III work, already well underway. The trustees approved a motion to accept the deed to the hospital property from Lambeth said that many, cities permit what the marina £' wants. But he said the South* - port ordinance does not permit it and he was taking no position on the matter at the present time. If the city approves the change, it will lead to “spot zoning” in Southport, Por terfield said. Southport attorney Richard Owens, representing Ronnie Bruton of the Sea Captain complex on West Street, told the board that the marina was claiming land that could result in part of Brunswick Street and the city pier at the foot of Short Street being closed to public access. Owens said that Bruton was served an injunction on Wednesday to prevent him from paving the parking lot past the gas pumps at the store he is building across the street from the Sea Captain Restaurant. In the injunction, Owens said, the marina is claiming it owns the land on the left side of the store to a point about in the middle of Brunswick Street. He also said he had heard that the marina plans to close the present entrance to the facility and open a new one in the very near future. He said the (dan would cut-off access to Brunswick Street. When Brunswick street was first opened, Mayor Tomlinson said the state understood it was to run to the marina, which was then owned and operated by the state. “The state never ob jected when Brunswick Street was extended,” he stated. Alderman Conley Koontz said the city needed to get involved in the matter, not to protect Bruton but to “look out for the public’s interest” in the area. Alderman Pierce Horne said he believed that the city “should get involved” in the legal question about the state leasing the property to private business. Lambeth said he believed that it was unconstitutional for the state to lease state property to private business. He said he believed the action being taken by the marina was to “limit business (Continued on page 2) Southport, Brunswick County and the old board of trustees. Also, the new board voted to accept all liability and assets of Dosher hospital. The trustees, who were appointed by county com missioners last Tuesday, will serve until elections are held in 1978. After the election, names will be drawn by lot to determine who will hold office for terms of six, four and two years. After that, an election will be held every two years for board members to serve six-year terms of office. One requirement of the election is that not more than four trustees be elected from the town in which the hospital is located, but Tomlinson has emphasized that Southport (Continued on page 2)
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