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Classifieds, p. IB
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INSIDE
Volume 61/ Number 48
Southport, N.C.
July 15,1992 / 50 cents
'My position is, I own the land, and ifs for sale'
Developer says he owns marsh, roadside strip
By Jim Harper
Staff Writer
Surveyor-developer Bob McHenry
has purchased 288 acres of Davis
Creek marshland in conjunction with
two other Oak Island developers and
plans to sell either water access from
the south or view from the north to
adjacent property owners.
McHenry also says he has acquired
a 20-foot-wide strip along the north
side of Oak Island Drive from 46th to
64th streets east - the Long Beach
business district - and plans to nego
tiate with either the town or the adja
cent property owners over future use
of the land.
McHenry on Friday said the pur
chase was made this spring by him,
Homer Wright and Ken Clifton -
principals in the Hoboke Corporation
- from theresidueof the old Middleton
holdings in Long Beach.
Wright has been involved in many
Oak Island developments and is pres
ently involved in the St. James Plan
tation project across the Intracoastal
Waterway. Clifton is developing the
Turtle Creek subdivision in Long
Beach.
McHenry said that subsequent to
the purchase he has obtained Wright's
Hoboke stock and is negotiating to
Oak Island surveyor-developer Bob McHenry shows the extent of his
holdings in the Davis Creek marsh of Long Beach, part of a purchase
Photo by Jim Harper
.the Hoboke Corporation made of the residue of the E. F. Middleton
real estate development.
obtain Clifton's share.
"I bought the land to make a dol
lar." McHenry stated Friday. "I bought
all of Loyal American Insurance
Company's holdings oh Long Beach.
They had bought the land from Na
tional Development Company (the
old E. F. Middleton company which
was the initial Long Beach develop
ment group).
"I got all the marsh from 40th Street
to where Davis Creek crosses in front
of Blue Water Point -- from the Davis
Canal to the edge of the marsh off
Pelican Drive."
McHenry concedes that none of the
land in the marsh is buildable under
present standards, though there is
some high ground there. He is aiming
to sell property to adjacent owners to
enhance their holdings.
"I quoted a fellow S1,500 last nigfit."
McHenry said Friday. He said his
prospective buyer owns land on the
north side of Davis Canal and "wants
to cut the trees off the island so he can
see the ocean." *
McHenry said he is negotiating with
at least one other northsider for the
sale of four lots on the land across
Davis Canal, and he said that he is
willing to negotiate with southside
landowners who would like to put a
dock across his marsh to the canal.
He said he has the figure $ 1,500 in
mind for an access, though "I want
somebody to make me an offer. I
might take less."
Likewise. McHenry said he is will
ing to talk with either the Town of
Long Beach or with property owners
for use of the 20-foot strip along the
north margin of Oak Island Drive.
"If the town shows they own it. I'll
backoff." McHenry said. "There'll be
no conflict."
And if the town doesn't challenge
his claim?
"I'll work it out with the town or
See McHenry, page 3
CP&L and
NRC meet
Thursday
Representatives of Carolina Power
and Light Co., including Brunswick
nuclear plant vice-president R. B.
Richey and former Brunswick vice
president Russ Starkey, will meet with
Nuclear Regulatory Commission rep
resentatives in Atlanta Thursday to
discuss "restart issues.”
Brunswick's two generating units,
shut down by the company April 21
while emergency facilities there were
repaired, are under an effective shut
down by the NRC, which has insisted
on a comprehensive management,
repair and maintenance program im
provement before the units can oper
ate again.
NRC regional administrator Stewart
Ebneter has given the power com
pany until next week to respond to
two reprimanding letters which cite
problems ranging from management
to corrosion, but last week Ebneter
summarized Brunswick's problems as
poor communication between com
pany headquarters and local opera
tors, poor local leadership and poor
material condition.
The plant was shut down by CP&L
in April for repairs to walls in the
emergency diesel generator building
which did not meet earthquake-proof
standards as designed. Emergency
diesels would be used in shutdown of
the plant if normal sources of electric
ity were cut off.
A big hit in Southport’s youth recreation program these torrid
days is the sprayer which creates its own cooling rain when at
tached to a fire hydrant.
spotlights retirement
Southport-Oak Island has gained national dis
tinction again as one of the top retirement areas in
the country.
The August issue of Kipllnger's Personal Fi~
nance magazine spotlighted ten towns and small
cities like Southport that retirees are choosing
over planned communities in Florida and Ari
zona.
The list was compiled with assistance from
DavidSavageau, a relocation consultant and au
thor of Retirement Places Rated. That book, pub
lished in 1987, rated Southport 18th out of 131
cities across the country in six categories retirees
consider most when looking for a new home.
Top among retirees' concerns is finding a spot
with a sense of "authentic" community. The
Kiplinger article states that retirees want "quiet
streets instead of congested mail parking lots.
Changing seasons rather than endless summer.
And a chance to stand out and be different rather
than blend in with the other retirees."
AH of that can be found in the Southport-Oak
Island area, Karen Hope, executive vice-presi
dent of the chamber of commerce, pointed out.
"We have It all," sire boasted. "It's an excellent
spot to retire.
“Retirees who have relocated here have really
been sold on the area because oflow taxes, cost of
living and culture," she said, pointing out that she
has seen quite a few people who have tried
Florida only to make the Southport-Oak Island
area their permanent home.
"We attract more independent retirees who like
tbei rhouse and garden and wire like the change of
season.” said Hope.
With 6.4 holes of golf per 1,000 residents ami
20 courses, the Southport area is "ideal for golf
ers," according to the article in Kiplinger’s, and
the author suggests that anglers and boaters will
See KipKnger, page 5
'Different problems'
Schools study new methods
By Marybeth Bianchi
Feature Editor
Two high school principals got
stamps of approval from the
Brunswick County Board of Educa
tion Monday night on plans to en
hance learning at their schools.
Sue Sellers of South Brunswick
High School and Bob Harris of North
Brunswick High are trying to reach
the same goal with different methods.
U.S. 17 work tops TIP agenda
By Ed Harper
Pilot Editor
Completion of a four-lane U. S. 17,
a planned connector with Interstate
40 and an overpass where N. C. 130
crosses the Highway 17 bypass of
Shallotte are BrunswickCounty high
lights in a SS.S-billion Transportation
Improvement Plan (TIP) draft released
this week by the state Department of
Transportation.
A second high-level bridge to Oak
Island has not yet reached the draw
ing board. According to the TIP draft,
the planning , phase would begin in
fiscal year 1994 with completion
scheduled in 1999, if the proposed
IIP is adopted this year, by the N. C.
Board of Transportation and holds to
the seven-year schedule.
The TIP, for years 1993-99, places
U. S. 17 projects high on the priority
list. Included are:
•An additional S22.3 million for
construction of a U. S. 17 bypass of
Wilmington from Interstate40inNew
Island bridge up
“Si*
ssim*
How close is the new crossing to Long Beach? Homer Wrij
developer of St. James Plantation and co-owner of the land ov
which a Middleton Street bridge would be approached, says hu^
granted an easement In principle, hot things are far from final |®|
LI “We have granted them (DOT) a right-of-way along the.qjm
r SwainBeachRoad byletter,“ Wright said Monday. "But there w|»
Hanover County to existing U. S. 17
in Brunswick County. Construction
is scheduled to begin in 19%, accord
ing to the HP draft, with completion
not expected until after the current
TIP expires.
•An additional S3.S million tobuild
an interchange on U. S. 17 at N. C.
130 in Shallotte. Right-of-way acqui
sition is scheduled to begin in 1993
and construction in 1994. The inter
section, now controlled only by a traf
fic light, has been the scene of several
serious wrecks, including a double
fatality last November that drew pub
lic outcry and Department of Trans
portation response.
Among other Brunswick County
See TIP agenda, page 5
School news, pages 6-7
"Every school has a personality.
Every school has different problems."
Harris told the board. He said he
doesn't want to jump in a total pro
gram like South Brunswick, which
will implement the Comprehensive
Management Program when school
starts in August. West Brunswick is
gradually phasing in Outcome Based
Education and this year will have the
ninth and tenth grades involved in the
program.
Sellers explained how the Compre
hensive Management Program will
be incorporated into the curriculum at
South Brunswick.
Four major components will be the
See New methods, page 6
OUTSIDE
Forecast
The extended forecast
calls for partly cloudy skies
Thursday and Friday, with
highs remaining 90 to 95
degrees. It will be cooler
Saturday and Sunday --
highs in the 80s — but with
a prediction of scattered
showers.
Tide table
HIGH LOW
THURSDAY, JULY 16
9:42 a.m. 3:42 a.m.
10:06 p.m. 3:42 p.m.
FRIDAY, JULY 17
10:19 >.m. 4:19 a.m.
10:40 p.m. 4:20 p.m.
SATURDAY, JULY 18
10:54 ajn. 4:54 a.m.
11:10p.m. 4:59 pjn.
SUNDAY, JULY 19
11:29 ajn. 5:31a.m.
11:42 p.m. 5:38 pjn.
MONDAY, JULY 20
— a.m. 6:05 ajn.
12:11p.m. 6:21 pjn.
TUESDAY, JULY 21
12:19 ajn. 6:48 ajn.
12:56 p.m. 7:10 pjn.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22
1:01 ajn. 7:33 ajn.
1:48 pjn. 8:06pjn.
The following adjustment* 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.