%
7^6-l9^
THE STATE PORT PILOT
Volume 40 Number 12 October 6, 1976 Southport, N. C. ^22 Pages Today 10 Cents
mmm
HHHHH
U.S. 17 ALTERNATIVES
ALTERNATE
ALTERNATE
ALTERNATE
ALTERNATE
ALTERNATE
ALTERNATE
ALTERNATE
MODIFIED
ROUTES THAT U.S. 17 might take in the Bolivia-Supply area was the
subject of a hearing Thursday night at the Hood Building in Southport. The
state Department of Transportation has favored Alternate IV, the nor
thernmost route, while the county after hearing from area residents has
P ^ recommended Alternate VI, the route that leaves the Alternate IV route
north of the shaded area (the county courthouse site) and veers southward to
avoid farmlands and a creek area.
County Commissioners Answer:
By ED HARPER
News Editor
The Brunswick County
Board of Commissioners has
asked the court to dismiss the
lawsuit that charges the
board acted un
constitutionally in calling for
the August 17 Dosher hospital
referendum.
The motion is based on the
argument that plaintiffs “do
not constitute a sufficient
fclass as required by Rule 23
(a)’’ of the Rules of Civil
Procedure.
The commissioners in their
answer also noted that
Dosher hospital is “the only
existing and presently
operational acute care
hospital facility available to
and serving all the people of
Brunswick County at this
time, that there is no
assurance that the Brunswick
County Hospital Authority
will ever be capable of
staffing or operating its rural
facility to the same high
degree as presently existing
in the metropolitan area of
Smithville Township, and
that the Smithville Township
Hospital District created for
the purpose of operating and
renovating a metropolitan
acute care hospital facility is
0.4-Acre Tract Could
Cost Taxpayers $25,000
By KENNY HEYVETT
and BILL ALLEN
Staff Writers
Brunswick County has
taken a giant step towards
paying a price not exceeding
$25,000 for land valued on the
tax books at $400, The Pilot
learned this week.
The Brunswick County
Board of Commissioners is
apparently willing to pay the
high price in order to obtain
0.4 acres of land for the water
tank site at Holden Beach.
The board has already paid
$2,500 to enter into a six -
month option agreement to
purchase the land for the
price not exceeding $25,000.
But according to in
formation provided by
Brunswick County Tax
Supervisor K.T. Bellamy, the
0.4 acres of land, located near
the Holden Beach causeway,
is listed on the tax books for
only $400.
The value was established
by Allied Appraisal Com
pany, which was not known
for setting low property
values, at the time of the 1975
revaluation and never
changed, according to the
property card produced by
Bellamy.
Bellamy said the Robinson
land was valued at $1,000 an
acre by Allied. Since the
county proposes to buy 0.4
acres, the value of the
property on the county tax
books would be $400.
Commissioners voted
unanimously at a special
meeting Thursday night to
Jones Brothers Named
In Seafood Theft Case
Yaupon Beach Assistant
Police Chief L.D. Jones and
his brother Jarvis Jones,
owner of Jones Restaurant at
Long Beach, have been in
dicted by a New Hanover
County Grand Jury on
charges of receiving stolen
goods.
Six other people were
named in the indictments,
which were based on
evidence presented by the
State Bureau of Investigation
following a three - month
investigation.
The Jones brothers are
charged in the true bills of
indictment with receiving
stolen seafood allegedly
taken from Holmes Poultry
and Seafood Company in
Wilmington.
Investigating SBI agent
Neil Godfrey said the thefts,
which amounted to over
$5,000, allegedly took place on
a number of occasions from
late November of 1975 to June
of 1976, with the stolen
seafood being delivered to the
Jones restaurant.
The other men named in
Caswell Beach
Town Meeting
The Caswell Beach town
board will meet Saturday at
7:30 p.m. at the Oak Island
Club.
The meeting has been
scheduled for Saturday,
according to Mayor Robert
Jones, so that non-resident
property owners may attend.
the indictments are 20 - year -
old Charles Dewitt Hawsey,
17 - year - old Edward Lee
Toliver, 18 - year - old Rickie
Lee Herd, 23 - year - old
Thurmond McClammy, 17 -
year -old LeRoy Lewis, and a
15 - year - old juvenile.
The SBI charges that these
six persons committed the
thefts, and delivered the
stolen seafood to the
restaurant.
Godfrey said that other
charges may be pending in
the case.
L.D. Jones, who was in
dicted on two counts of
receiving stolen goods,
recently announced that he
would be a candidate for
sheriff of Brunswick County
in 1978. According to Pilot
sources, he resigned from the
Yaupon Beach Police
Department last week.
spend $2,500 to enter the
option. The action was taken
after the board held a closed
executive session to discuss
land acquisition. (See related
article in this edition of The
Pilot.;
After the Thursday night
vote, the county entered into
an option agreement with Mr.
and Mrs. J.W. Robinson of
Holden Beach, the owners of
the propety, the next day.
Under the terms of the
option, which is in effect from
Monday, October 4, until
April 1, 1977, the total price of
the land will not exceed
$25,000 — less the $2,500 paid
at the execution of the option
agreement — if the county
decides to buy.
County Manager Don
Flowers, Jr., said he believed
that a mistake had been
made somewhere along the
line.
“It would appear that
Allied either made a mistake
in land valuation or perhaps
the tax supervisor (Bellamy)
looked at the wrong lot,” he
stated.
Bellamy said he believed
he looked at the right
property card. That is the
right piece of land as far as I
know,” he stated.
According to reports from
the closed session, Chairman
Steve Varnam, Jr., who is
from Varnamtown, presented
the land matter to the board
He said he believed the $2,500
was a fair option price, it was
reported.
The 0.4 acres, proposed to
be the site of the Holden
Beach water tank, is located
across Highway 130 from
Robinson’s restaur-ant, the
"Ebb Tide.” Robinson’s
house is near the site.
Robinson, who is known to
(Continued on page 2)
. . there is no assurance that the Brunswick County
Hospital Authority will ever be capable of staffing or
operating its rural facility to the same high degree as
presently existing in the metropolitan area of Smithville
Township. .
Hospital Lawsuit Answer
a reasonable, logical, just
and necessary function.”
The answer, filed Monday
afternoon, said that
“plaintiffs in reality only
represent a very small
minority of the taxpayers and
freeholders of Smithville
Township, as evidenced by
the results of the August 17,
1976, election on the question
of a tax levy and issuance of
bonds for the creation of the
Smithville Township
Hospital.
“At said election 84 percent
of the voting electorate cast
their ballots in favor of the
proposition by the following
vote — 1,866 for said
resolution, 344 against said
resolution,” the answer
noted.
The motion contains the
same argument for dismissal
as is contained in a proposed
answer to be used by the City
of Southport, the Smithville
Township Board of Trustees
for Dosher, and individuals if
they are allowed to intervene
on behalf of the county. (See
front - page article in last
week’s Pilot). A hearing on
whether the parties will be
allowed to intervene is
scheduled this week before
Superior Court Judge Henry
McKinnon.
In the county answer to the
lawsuit, the defendant county
commissioners said the
plaintiffs “cannot and do not
speak for the vast majority
of the taxpayers and
freeholders of Smithville
Township.” Accordingly, the
argument continued,
“plaintiffs do not constitute a
class which insures adequate
representation of the great
majority of said taxpayers
and freeholders.”
The commissioners asked
for a summary judgment in
their favor “inasmuch as the
pleadings show that there is
no genuine issue as to
material facts.”
The answer rebutted the
(Continued on page 2)
Coleman Is Named To
V, .y>i • ,&a V < •
County Extension Post
R. Milton Coleman has
been named County
Agricultural Extension
chairman in Brunswick
County.
Coleman, who has been a
member of the county staff
since 1966, was unanimously
elected chairman during a
meeting of the Brunswick
County Board of Com
missioners on Monday.
Dr. W.G. Andrews,
chairman of the Southeastern
Extension district, said that
Coleman was recommended
for the post by Dr. George
Hyatt, Jr., director of the
N.C. Agricultural Extension
Service and associate dean of
the School of Agriculture and
Life Sciences at North
Carolina State University.
“1 think I am speaking for
the board when I say you
could not have made a finer
selection,” Chairman Steve
Varnm, Jr., told Dr.
Andrews. “We are looking
forward to his continued
service to the county as ex
tension chairman.”
Other commissioners said
they agreed with Chairman
Varnam. “You have said it
all,” added Commission W.T.
Russ, Jr.
Coleman, who assumes his
new duties immediately,
succeeds Archie Martin, who
retired at the end of June.
Agent Mary Russ has held the
interim position.
Dr. Andrews said that Dr.
Hyatt told him “Coleman has
a good record as an extension
agent, is well trained for his
new role and we feel he will
make a good extension
chairman.”
Coleman who has worked
with 4-H clubs and the
livestock program in the
county, was named North
Carolina’s young farm agent
of the year in 1974 for youth
work.
Coleman, 34, a native of
Columbus County, has been
the agriculture extension
agent in Brunswick County in
charge of 4-H work since
Feburary, 1966.
“Hopefully, I have found a
home here in Brunswick
County,” Coleman declared.
A native of the Tabor City
section of Columbus County,
Coleman graudated from
Cerro Gordo High School in
1960. He was involved in 4-H
work for 11 years while at
v. • :■>*
MILTON COLEMAN
tending public schools.
He attended Campbell
College for two years and
graduated from North
Carolina State University in
Raleigh in 1965 with a degree
in animal science. He has
done graduate work in
subject matters dealing with
(Continued on page 2)
School Board Names
Powell New Attorney
By BILL ALLEN
Staff Writer
A Shallotte man has been
selected school board at
torney in Brunswick County.
W.A. (Bud) Powell was
unanimously elected to serve
as school board attorney
during a meeting of the
Brunswick County Board of
Education on Monday night.
Supt. Ralph King, who has
been asked to make a
recommendation, submitted
Powell’s name to the board.
It was the only recom
mendation he made.
King, who said he had
discussed the matter with
Powell, said he was seeking
an attorney who was both
“non-political and non
controversial” to serve the
school board.
Member Franklin Ran
dolph asked if Powell had
been informed that he was to
provide legal information and
not to consider himself a
member of the board. King
said he had informed Powell
about his duties.
Member Barbara Yount
told member W.T. Bowen that
the school attorney serves at
the “pleasure of the board”.
King pointed out that most
school board attorneys have
served in the position for
years.
Powell replaces Shallotte
attorney Mason Anderson,
who was fired on a
unanimous vote of the board
in August.
In other business, Supt.
King was instructed to
presen*. a proposal at the
November meeting about
holding open house for the
public at the new additions at
Bolivia, Lincoln, Union and
Waccamaw schools.
Chairman Wilbur Earl Rabon
suggested that the open
houses be held at night so
more members of the public
can attend.
Randolph said he hoped
that the principals of the four
schools will tell their teachers
living outside the county to
attend the open houses.
Assistant Supt. John Hicks
told the board he expected the
final inspections to be made
at the four schools by the last
week in October or the first
week in November.
Board members said they
had been informed that the
roof of the new addition at
Waccamaw was leaking.
They said they were being
asked why new buildings^that
don’t leak can’t be built in the
county.
King and Hicks said they
had received no reports that
the roof of the new addition at
Waccamaw was leaking.
King was instructed to
contact Principal Roland
English at once.
King, who made a
telephone call, said English
told him water leaked into a
classroom around the window'
and door during a “blowing
rain.” King and Hicks said
they knew about the problem,
which has been reported.
King told member Bill Sue
that a rash of break, ins has
been occurring at the schools
recently.
During the past weekend,
King reported break-ins at
both North and South
Brunswick. Tool chests value
unknown were removed from
North and vandalism was
done at South. Both have been
reported to the Sheriff's
Department.
King said the central office
and the Sheriff’s Department
were investigating the lar
ceny of $611 worth of food
commodities at Lincoln
school during the summer.
Assistant Supt. PR
Hankins said the freezer box
was unlocked at Lincoln, the
commodities removed and
the box re-locked. He said the
central office did not find out
(Continued on page 2)