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Volume 61/ Number 23 Southport, N.C. January 22,1992 / 50 cents
Long Beach
takes sewer
bond action
By Richard Nubcl
Municipal Editor
By unanimous vote Tuesday night. Long Beach commissioners ratified a
bond order authorizing the issuance of up to $15.5 million in general obli
gation bonds to construct a sanitary sewer system.
But, the public will have additional say in the matter before bonds are
ever sold or a sewer system is built, town officials said.
"Basically, this is just the next step (before) conducting a public hearing,"
town manager David Poston said.
The bond order itself sets January 29 at 7 p.m. as the time and date of a
formal public hearing on the sewer bond issue. The hearing will be held at
the Long Beach Recreation Center.
Commissioners have conducted three workshops at which property
owners have been invited to comment on the proposed $15.2-million pub
lic wastewater management system. A fourth public workshop is to be held
tonight (Wednesday).
The general obligation bonds are to be used to underwrite much of the
cost of the proposed sewer system. Consulting engineer Finley Boney has
told commissioners that Long Beach may qualify for up to $9 million in
low-interest — under four percent — loans in two installments over the next
two years. Assessments and tap fees arc to provide the remainder of the $6
million estimated cost of the proposed system. The N. C. Local Govern
ment Commission, has directed the town, however, to authorize a bond is
sue in nearly the amount of the cost of the proposed project to guarantee its
completion.
Boney said most of the funds needed to begin the project could be ob
tained by selling shorter-term financial instruments known as bond
anticipation notices and as little as $2 million in bonds may have to be
sold.
Commissioners have tentatively set March 31 as a date for a bond
referendum at which voters will be asked to authorize the entire $ 15.5
million bond issue.
Until that referendum, no additional debt is incurred by the town.
"This bond order shall take effect when approved by the voters of the
S?e Long Beach, page 3
Tight economy, low interest:
Is it time to start a business?
were more aggressive in their
questioning of preliminary engineer
ing reports.
Fewer comments from members
of the public were offered Wednes
day night than were posed in the two
previous workshops conducted by
the town board.
Commissioner Horace Collier led
off by countering two assertions
made last week. First, he challenged
former commissioner David Drum
mond’s contention that the federal
Environmental Protection Agency
issued reports discouraging use of
public sewer systems on barrier is
Citizen comment, p. 3
lands.
"I know of no such study," Collier
said.
Mayor Joan Altman said Drum
mond had been challenged to pro
duce the EPA report he cited last
week, but had not done so. Drum
mond did not attend Wednesday
night’s session.
And Collier refuted a claim made
last week by resident Frances Allen.
"Mrs. Allen said wc did not owe
future generations our sewer bill,"
Collier said. "Well, I feel we do
have a responsibility to look beyond
our lifetimes."
Commissioner David Durr rose
next to refute assertions that high
sewer costs would be offset by a tax
increase.
"That is not comparing apples to
apples," Durr said. "It is an addi
tional service. You are getting an
additional service that is reflected in
an additional service charge."
Durr also said he interpreted taped
information from a health depart
ment meeting on sewer and septic
See Sewer issue, page 7
Sunday morning found the Southport yacht basin swarming with
snow, and while there was never a great accumulation it provided
some chilling wintry scenes. Traffic in the community was never
seriously hampered.
Beach board answers claims
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
In the third of what has become a
series of weekly workshops on the
construction and operation of a pro
posed $15.2-million public sewer
system, Long Beach commissioners
By Marybeth Bianchi
Feature Editor
You’re out of work, the unem
ployment checks arc about to run
out and job prospects are slim.
Could now be the right time to be
come your own boss, to start that
business you’ve always dreamed of?
Well, maybe, maybe not. It
depends on what type business you
want to start and what your financial
situation is, according to the director
of Brunswick Community College’s
Small Business Center.
With over 12 percent of the
county’s workforce among the ranks
of the unemployed, more and more
people are calling the Small Busi
ness Center wondering if they have
what it takes to make it on their
own.
One of the biggest hurdles the
Don t expect to be an overnight success
in the world of small business, Velva
Jenkins warns. In fact, three out of five
businesses will fail within the first three
years.
aspiring small business owner faces
is getting a bank loan, center direc
tor Velva Jenkins said. Financial in
stitutions are being extremely cau
tious considering the current eco
nomic conditions and arc thinking
twice about loaning money on what
some might consider a risky ven
ture, she explained.
However, she added, "You may be
unemployed, but your net worth
may be wonderful. Bankers will
look at that. They’ll also look at
what you’ll put into (the business).
They want to see you’re making an
investment in it." It also helps if the
banker knows you, she said.
The amount of money one needs
to start a business depends on the
type of business. For example,
someone opening a retail store
See Business, page 15
Four_ years in the making
County’s 911 system
is no reason for alarm
By Holly Edwards
County Editor
It’s 2:30 a.m. and you hear an in
truder in your house. Fearing the
worst, you reach for the phone and
dial 911. An emergency operator
answers, you tell him there is a
stranger in your house, and the oper
ator begins to ask you a series of
questions.
What is your address? Where are
you in the house? Where is the in
truder? Can you escape the house
safely? If so, do you have some
where to go? Is there a phone there?
Impatiently, you tell the operator
you may be in imminent danger, and
need to notify the police immediate
ly. But, the police were called as
soon as you told the operator your
problem, and they arc already on the
way. You tell the operator you will
try to get to a neighbor’s house, and
he asks you to call back as soon as
See 911 system, page 6
Board hears noise complaints
By Holly Edwards‘
County Editor
After hearing repeated complaints
over the past several weeks from
irate members of the public who
can’t sleep because of loud neigh
bors, the Brunswick County Board
of Commissioners decided Tuesday
night to consider an ordinance that
would regulate excessive noise.
"It’s a shame that we as neighbors
can’t get along. I don’t think we
want to put restrictions on anyone.
But, there are some people with real
problems, and they need something
to assist them,” said commissioner
Jerry Jones. "All of us have proba
bly had calls about it"
‘... / don't think we want to put restric
tions on anyone. But, there are some
people with real problems, and they need
something to assist them.'
Jerry Jones
County commissioner
Some have called the sheriffs de
partment about raucous neighbors,
but law enforcement officials cannot
do anything because there is nothing
in the law that prohibits excessive
noise, Jones said.
The proposed noise ordinance
would make it illegal for any person,
firm or corporation to make any
"unnecessary or excessive" noise
that disturbs, injures or endangers
the peace, quiet or safety of any
other person. Specifically, the or
dinance would prohibit noise caused
by things such as horns, radios, tele
visions, loudspeakers, animals,
chainsaws and any shouting or
crying that disturbs any other per
son. The ordinance would not apply
to sporting events, public functions,
parades or churches.
The commissioners agreed to
review the ordinance, and will set a
public hearing on the document at
their next meeting.
"I need a couple weeks to digest
See County board, page 3

Forecast
The extended forecast
calls for rain on Thursday
with highs in the 60s and
lows in the 40s. Friday, ex
pect clearing skies with
highs in the 50s and lows
in the 40s, then on Satur
day fair skies with highs in
the SOs with the tempera
ture dropping into the 30s
• that night „
Tide table
HIGH LOW
THURSDAY, JANUARY 23
10:39 a.m. 4:21 ».m.
11:14 p.m. 4:49 p.m.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24
11:29 am. 5:14 a.m.
-pm. 5:37 p.m.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 25
12:08 am. 6:09 am.
12:21pm. 6:28 p.m.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 26
1:03 a.m. 7:07 a.m.
1:14 p.m. ' 7:21pm.
MONDAY, JANUARY 27
1:59 a.m. 8:06 am.
2:11p.m. 8:21pm.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 28
2.59 am. 9:08 am.
3:08 p.m. 9:17 pm.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2*
3:58 am. 10:06 am.
4:04 p.m. 10:13 p.m.
The following adjuttmenu should be made:
Bald Head Island, high -10, low -7; Caswell
Beads, high -5, low -1; Southport, high +7,
low +15; Yaupcn Beach, high -32, low -45;
Lockwood Folly, high -22, low -8.