Volume 61/ Number 34 Southport, N.C. April 8,1992 / 50 cents
Photo by Jim Harper
The Southport yacht basin lies still in the early mers and commercial netters -- is usually a feature
morning, though activity -- particularly from clam- of that harbor.
Long Beach board has first
session on fiscal year budget
By Jim Harper
Staff Writer
Long Beach officials were pleased,
almost self-congratulatory, Monday
about the response to their "Super
Saturday” round of meetings and pub
lic discussion of the upcoming bud
get, but there was an implied
acknowledgement of unpleasant work
ahead - probably trimming services
while asking citizens to pay more tax.
"They were very, very productive
meetings," town manager David
Poston said, citing a "good turnout" of
about 30citizens and suggestions from
the floor by nearly half the number.
Also included in the day of dia
logue was conversation with mem
bers of various advisory boards and
volunteer groups.
The focus of everything was May
5. when the manager expects to present
the new budget to a board whose
watchword since the November elec
tion has been "fiscal responsibility".
Back during campaign time, when
a new mayor and three new commis
sioners were being elected, fiscal re
sponsibility meant living within one's
means. Now it is likely to put an ironic
twist on anothercliche, "Less ismore".
At root is the fact that Long Beach
commissioners have kept the city tax
rate low by utilizing the fund balance
- town savings — to meet budget
needs. Poston figures the town is pres
ently getting 49 cents worth of ser
I OUTSIDI
Forecast
The extended forecast
calls for a chance of
showers and thunderstorms
Thursday and Friday, with
highs in the 70s. Saturday,
expect partly cloudy skies
and cooler weather, with
high temperatures in the
60s.
Tide table
HIGH
12:03 a.m.
12:35 p.m.
THURSDAY, APRIL 9
LOW
1:07 a.m.
1:45 p.m.
FRIDAY, APRIL 10
6:32 a.m.
6:44 p.m.
7:34 a.m.
7:53 p.m.
SATURDAY, APRIL 11
2:13 a.m. 8:40 a.m.
2:54 p.m. 9:02 p.m.
SUNDAY, APRIL 12
3:18 a.m. 9:42 a.m.
3:58 p.m. 10:08 p.m.
MONDAY, APRIL 13
4:20 a.m. 10:38 a.m.
4:59 p.m. ' 11:09 p.m.
TUESDAY, APRIL 14
5:17 a.m. 11:31a.m.
5:54 p.m. -p.m.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15
6:12 a.m. 12:05 a.m.
6:45 p.m. 12:19 p.m.
The following adjustments should be made:
Bald Head Island, high -10, low -7; Caswell
Beach, high -5, low -1; Southport, high +7,
low +15, Yaupon Beach, high -32, low -45;
Lockwood Folly, high -22, low -8.
vices on a 39-cent tax rate just that
way.
He provides figures that show Long
Beach maintained a tax rate of 35
cents in 1987 by taking $88,000 from
the fund balance; lowered the rate to
30 cents the next year by using
$104,000 from the fund balance; and
kept the rate at a pleasantly low 31
cents in 1989 by using $205,000 from
See Beach budget, page 6
Airport FBO taxis for take-off
By Holly Edwards
County Editor
The president and vice-president of
Resort Aviation, Inc., the fixed base
operator (FBO) of Brunswick County
Airport, said last week they will not
seek an extension of their lease at the
airport because the airport commis
sion has become "an unworkable
body."
"We find it impossible to continue
to operate in an atmosphere of con
tinuous disruption, uncertainty and a
feeling that our efforts are being un
dermined by (airport) commission
members," corporate officers Dou
glas Carmody and Emest Matacotta
said in a letter to airport commission
chairman John Walters.
Walters recently announced he
would resign his post as chairman,
and the effective date of his resigna
tion was moved up from June 1 to
April 15, said Southport city manager
Rob Hites. Southport aldermen could
appointanotherairportcommissioner
as early as Thursday night
Other members of the airport com
mission said they had not yet seen the
letter announcing Resort Aviation's
pull-out, but would discuss the FBO's
lease at their next meeting on Wednes
day. April 15.
"I find it incredible that (Resort
Aviation) sought publicity before even
bothering to notify the airport com
mission," said airport commissioner
Bill Fairley. "They’ve not expressed
any problem publicly at the airport
commission meetings."
One official familiar with the air
port/FBO relationship say a sense of
misunderstanding and mistrust has
developed between the airport com
mission and Resort Aviation: "What
began as a few cases of hurt feelings
has deteriorated to the point where
nobody believes anybody."
Two months ago. Resort Aviation
officers requested their 18-month
lease be extended another ten to 15
years, said Fairley. A three-member
committee was then formed to inves
tigate the FBO's operational costs and
financial stability. The committee re
quested financial documents to deter
mine what a lease extension would
mean.
"It was very reasonable stuff to
request," said Fairley. "They said
they'd get it to us right away, and then
two to three days later I read in the
newspaper that Resort Aviation says
they're being driven out of town."
The FBO originally had a 20-year
lease with the airport commission.
However, the lease was reduced to 18
months last October after Resort Avia
tion failed to construct hangars and
classrooms.
Resort Aviation is the seventh FBO
the Brunswick County Airport has
had in the past ten years. As FBO, the
company's role has been to serve the
airport commission and to provide
services for pilots, such as fuel sales,
tie-downs, flight training and aircraft
maintenance.
Middle, high schools
Faculty ready for test
of comprehensive plan
By Marybeth Bianchi
Feature Editor
Both South Brunswick High and South Brunswick Middle
schools are busy working to implement the comprehensive
management concept in their schools and. in a show of
support, the board of education gave both faculties time
during the school day to work on the process.
Reporting to the Brunswick County Board of Education
Monday night, principals and teacher coordinators from
the two schools appeared enthusiastic about the changes
taking place and the community involvement.
Fifty-five of 62 teachers at South Brunswick High have
committed themselves to the concept, instructor Karl Tutt
told the board. There are 36 faculty members actively
serving on seven committees which focus on various
aspects of the concept: A safe and orderly environment, a
climate of high expectations, instructional leadership, a
clear and focused mission, providing opportunities to
learn, frequent monitoring and a positive home/school
relationship.
At the middle school, principal Les Tubb reported 100
percent faculty support for the plan with everyone work
ing on the committees. "It's really neat to get a buy-in."
he told the board.
"We hope to implement this program in full," teacher
Patty Gail Price told the board.
Students as well as parents are involved at the high
school, Tutt said.
"Already we've seen some positive results." he noted,
including the publication of a newsletter that is being
mailed to all parents. The middle school is also mailing
a newsletter to parents.
"The bottom line is we're going to make South Brunswick
a better school," Tutt said.
South Brunswick High principal Sue Sellers agreed.
"As you can see we are committed." she told the board.
See Comprehensive plan, page 7
Northern area schools
held back, parents say
By Holly Edwards
County Editor
Students are crammed into class
rooms at Lincoln Primary School in
Leland, leading to serious behavior
problems and causing students to fall
behind state averages of achievement,
parents Glenda Browning and Tina
Child told the Brunswick County
Board of Commissioners Monday
night.
Browning and Child presented com
missioners with a petition containing
about 1,200 signatures, and asked
them to support parents in their re
quest for another elementary school
in the Leland area. Lincoln Primary
School was built for 500 students.
Browning said, but there are currently
760 students enrolled there.
"By the time our students reach the
fourth grade, they are one year behind
the rest of the state." said Child. "There
are a lot of discipline problems in the
school, and the children are on top of
one another."
Education should be the responsi
bility of everyone. Browning said,
and teachers would be able to do a
better job if they were provided class
rooms that were conducive to learn
ing.
"We are trying to take on our re
sponsibility as parents, and we are
asking you county commissioners to
help support us in our endeavors,"
said Browning.
'911’ is put on hold
The target date for the county 911 system to come on-line has been
changed from April 15 to sometime during the week of April 27,
said Emetgency Medical Services <EMS) director Doug Ledgett
All of die 911 equipment has been installed except the radios.,
Ledgett said, but completion of the EMS center is running about
three weeks behind schedule. The interviewing process for
telecommunicators should begin next week, he said.
Within the next week or two, Ledgett said he should be able to
provide an exact date for the 911 system to come on-line. And, he
said, before anything happens the county will mount a campaign
to inform the public about how to use the system and about what
to expect front it.
However, com missione rs' c hairman
Kelly Holden pointed out that the
board of education sets its own priori
ties.
"The hoard of commissioners is
bound by statute to fund the hoard of
education, but they set the priorities."
said Holden. "1 want to know from the
board of education, what are your
goals and how do you plan to improve
the educational environment in
Brunswick County? Our report.card
is an embarrassment, and all we've
heard is they want a new central of
fice."
"Which they are deserving." Child
responded. "But. everyone has to re
alize that children are involved, too.”
Commissioner Donald Shaw said
he toured Lincoln Primary School on
Monday and was "really embarrassed
and ashamed" by what he saw there.
"It w'as very, very crowded." he
said. "It was really hot in the class
rooms, and the children looked like
they were in a state of confusion. 1
urgeeverycommissioneron the board
to go look for themselves."
CommissionerGene Pinkerton said
he was concerned about the situation
in Leland. but that the issue was a
matter for the board of education.
"As long as we need classrooms,
maybe (the board of education) can
do with the office they have now."
See Northern schools, page 8