_ The State Port Pilot
OPINION
Important first step
We arc proud of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington
for hosting a conference of local government officials from this
community last week and pleased that so many of them — mayors,
mayors pro-tem or designees — took the opportunity to go. Out of
the experience it seems there will grow a county conference that im
agines and encourages dialog between municipal and county offi
cials, and if that occurs, won’t it be fine? A good deal of misap
prehension over vital issues, such as zoning, can be avoided through
contact and conversation. A countywide program to encourage this
is a wonderful notion, and do-able.
Also out of the experience grew a greater understanding of what
the university can, and wants to, mean to our various localities. A
vital educational institution is one which develops and maintains
contact with a constituency. UNCW wants to broaden its support in
the localities and has wisely chosen to do so by extending its ser
vices. All winners here.
Moreover, our various community leaders got to know what the
others look like. And perhaps talked. We hope something like that
happened, and that on a community basis leaders will continue to
meet to discuss what needs, cares, woes and wonders they share.
We bet everybody would get along better if that happened.
A Federal issue
The chance of something good happening on Bald Head’s Federal
Road seems remote after Saturday’s village meetings. That is a
shame, because the thoroughfare is a primary artery in the life of the
island community, yet only the people seem to understand that
The people said, "We need that road." They got a committee to
study the matter, along with several other roadwork projects.
Vestige of the old Coast Guard supply line to Cape Fear Light,
Federal Road is vital to life in the village for both safety and
pleasure ~ a link between Middle Island residents and the world; a
way to popular east beach for countless island residents and visitors.
Usually it is poorly maintained, and now that a water line has been
installed in the right of way there is no surface at all.
A temptation on Bald Head is to look toward the developers,
hoping one or both of them will do something with Federal Road,
but the issue here is fundamental. Whose responsibility is a vital vil
lage thoroughfare if not the village itself?
Bald Head village has taken on some formidable tasks, with a re
markable success rate for such a young government. Beach
renourishment was devised and accomplished. Fire-fighting water
has now been piped throughout the community, and the village
started that movement. The village has recently occupied new of
fices at the lighthouse. Major repaving a couple of summers ago
was difficult and costly, yet done quickly and well.
One might expect that government would take care of its trans
portation responsibilities now.
It is precisely what the people of Bald Head Island expect.
It’s about time
We remember when Brunswick County schools used to be ad
ministered out of one room in the county courthouse here - in fact
the room in the Southport City Hall that is the city manager’s office
- and so it is with nostalgia and wonder that we think now of the
education offices moving to a $ 1.2-million building on a four-acre
site near Bolivia.
When most county offices moved to Bolivia in the 1970s, school
administrators got only as far as the county home. A new county
school complex was proposed, but it was deferred while classrooms
were built first In tire interim our schools have been run from that
rustic headquarters on Highway 87, and we’re glad that finally the
county commissioners have seen fit to invite the educators out to the
complex. As with most other educational units, they deserved better
than they got
Hail and farewell, educators, and please leave a 457-number when
you go.
:;s
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The State Port Pilot
USPS 520-280
Published Every Wednesday
James M. Harper, Jr...Publisher
Ed Harper.?.Editor
Diane McKeithan.. Business Manager
Marybeth Bianchi.Feature Editor
Holly Edwards..County Editor
Amitabh Pal.Municipal Editor
Kim Adams.Advertising Sales
Cindy Leverette. .Advertising Sales
Debora McKellar. Graphic Artist
Sue Parker.Classified Advertising
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$10.80 a year in Brunswick County
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105 South Howe Street, Southport, N.C. 28461-3817
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Postmaster. Send address changes to:
P.O. Box 10548, Southport, N.C. 28461-0548
Phone: 457-4568/Fax #: 4579427
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MAYBE NON THAT TUB
ELECTION'S OVER, WE WON'T
FACE THAT CONSTANT BARRAGE
OF OBNOXIOUS COMMERCIALS.
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Not exactly news
Randy Travis, North Carolina’s native country
music man, was in Southport last Wednesday
fdming for an upcoming segment of "Matlock".
The star of the show, Andy Griffith, also was
here but by this time he is almost like a South
port native... Thursday night we watched the
two-hour season premier of this popular lawyer
themed TV series on ABC, and we confess that
throughout the performance we had an eye out
for Southport scenes... There was one episode
which had Orton mansion and grounds as its
setting and that, too, was a matter of local pride.
Speaking of TV coverage, Southport fared
well Thursday when Angela Sparrow, roving
reporter for WWAY, did a comprehensive piece
on the 200th anniversary live oak planting pro
ject Mark Conner of DOT was the star of the
show and John Stevens was the photographer. If
all goes well, the tree-planting project will con
tinue here this week... Last week a friend sent
ps a copy of the September, 1951, issue of Pop
ular Mechanics which ran a lengthy, fully il
lustrated account of George Rappleyea’s at
tempt to convert a mixture of molasses and fuel
oil into a paving compound. He called it "plas
mofalt". It failed to develop a commercial ap
peal and soon its inventor, a restless and im
aginative spirit, transferred his interest to anoth
er project... Speaking of hauling coal to New
castle, one of the trees set out on the comer op
posite Waterfront Park Saturday was a yaupon.
There was this one difference: It was a "weep
ing yaupon", of which we had never heard.
They may be rushing the season a little but
evergreen Christmas trees have gone on sale at
many places this week. Buy now and you can
lake your pick... Something new has been added
to the Doshcr Memorial Hospital Flea Market in
the Hood Building on Moore Street — a fancy
front door.
Our pecan trees bore bountifully last year but
this fall we failed to salvage a single nut. We
think the squirrels may have found a few, but so
far as we are concerned this season has been a
total bust... Florida State, N. C. State, Wake
Forest and North Carolina all have bowl bids
safely in hand and Virginia still has an outside
chance. That’s a pretty good showing for the
Atlantic Coast Conference.
Saturday afternoon we came upon an outdoor
oyster roast, complete with a wood fire and an
open pit. We were a little disappointed later to
observe a spraying operation designed to con
trol mosquitoes, which had shown up as
uninvited guest. We thought the way you hand
led that problem was to stand downwind from
the roasting pit and let the wood smoke control
the mosquitoes.
Everybody who didn’t go should have been
there. We are referring to the Charter Tea held
Sunday afternoon at the Community Building.
Not only was there an interesting story told by
Susie Carson about details leading to the found
ing of Smithville, there was enough food pro
vided by Southport Woman’s Club members to
feed the 500, and only the 50 came. Club
hostesses were dressed in period costumes.
Public opinion
Fire response
To the Editor:
The Boiling Spring Lakes VFD
appreciates Mr. Pal’s article
highlighting the positive changes
taking place in our department;
however, I do wish to clarify one
point and mention two others.
First, this department has no im
mediate plan to purchase a new
pumper after the "hot water" we got
ourselves into over a new $135,000
pumper earlier this year. We are,
however, actively seeking a reliable
late-model pumper to strengthen our
current pumping capacity, which is
adequate at best, and also to fill the
proposed joint (ire and rescue sta
tion at Mirror Lake, which is a
priority.
The department wants to state
publicly its appreciation to city com
missioner Tom Simmons. Mr. Sim
mons* grasp of the "bubble princi
ple" that our fire and rescue units
will someday have to deal with, and
his fniding the funds for this year’s
allocation of $14,900, is most en
couraging.
Regards to the city trying to hold
the line on taxes which, as taxpayers
ad, we find admirable. The fire de
partment, and I believe the rescue
•quad, will second this thought.
Every emergency rescue and fire
cill in this community affects our
neighbors, friends or family. A well
funded and strong volunteer mem
bership fire and rescue squad sup
ported by the city and all members
of this community is needed to
ensure that we can continue to meet
our commitment to our neighbors.
Sincerely,
Bill Stephenson
Interim board president
Yaupon home
To the Editor:
Regarding the proposal of a busi
ness in a residential neighborhood
we, the concerned citizens of
Yaupon Beach, wish to express our
heartfelt thanks to each of the plan
ning board members.
They are Millie Murrow, Nancy
Aman, David Lewis, Hugh Zachary,
James Byrd, Buddy Rudd and
Robert Harris. At a time when we
were not sure anybody was listening
to our pleas and concerns, you have
restored our faith in democracy.
We now realize you looked at both
sides fairly, and we appreciate your
professionalism. We commend the
commissioners who wisely ap
pointed you.
Once again, we thank you for tak
ing time out of your busy lives, and
for caring about the future of
Yaupon beach and its people.
Sincerely,
Helga Beacham
Yaupon Beach
County rumors
To the Editor:
Prior to election day and continu
ing even now are rumors that David
Clegg will be replaced by Robert
Howard as county manager and
Wayne Long as county attorney,
Regina Alexander will be restored to
her position as board secretary and
Pearly Vereen will be rehired for his
former created position.
The only person elected to the
To The Editor:
public interst. Comment should be addressed to The Editor andmaifed
toTbe Stale Port Pilot, P.O. Box 10548. Southport, N.C. 2846t.Lettera
should be limited to 250 words, longer tetters will be edited for space,
<* will be relumed to the writer if editing would significantly altar the
content. Please include the writer's address andfor telephone number so
beofshe can be contacted by the Editor if necessary. Addresses and
county board that I know is Mr.
Wayland Vereen. I called him,
hoping he would tell me that these
rumors were merely campaign tac
tics.
I asked what grounds would be
used to justify the firing of David
Clegg. Mr. Vereen replied, "I’ll
have to investigate his record.”
When questioned about Howard and
Long, Mr. Vereen said he doubted
that one of them would take the job.
Mr. Vereen stated that Regina
Alexander and Pearly Vereen had
been improperly discharged, that he
had written the rules for such action
when he was on the county board in
1978-82.
Mr. Vereen added a name for
rehiring that had not been in the
rumors. He said, "The dog catcher
will be rehired." I assume he was
referring to Ms. Babson.
For the past four years Brunswick
Countians have enjoyed a
responsive, reliable and efficient
government. Under the guidance of
David Clegg, the board members no
longer carry county credit cards, no
pips to the West Coast or anywhere
else.
If Mr. Rabon, Mr. Vereen and Mr.
Wanen want to establish themselves
as trustworthy political leaders in .
Brunswick County, they are going at
It the wrong way.
M. L. LaMar ^
Yaupon Beach
General Excellence - NCPA weekly division: first 1989, '91; runner-up 1990