__ The State Port Pilot
OUR TOWN
Past week's highs & lows
HIGHS
tows
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DECEMBER Average High 58 degrees ■■■■■
Average Low 39 degrees i —I
Data courtesy of Foxy Howard Graph by Debi McKellar
Bald Head Island
The village council Saturday conducted a public hearing on a
property owner assessment to help pay for the recently installed
potable-fire water project down Federal Road to Middle Island and
east beach, but did not impose the assessment after discussion about
how the money would be applied, and what assets the village might
receive in return.
The assessments of about $766 have not been objected to by
Middle Island property owners who would have to pay them.
The project was a joint effort by Bald Head Island Utilities - the
Bald Head developer's private company - and Young Realty,
developer of Middle Island, and was encouraged by the village
because of the fire-protection improvement it provided.
The council will seek its attorney's advice on the assessment-asset
question before the next village meeting.
Long Beach
In the monthly meeting December 15 the town council amended
the town charter to incorporate two referendum initiatives approved
by voters November 3.
Town council seats will be for two-year terms in future elections;
and no defeated bond issue can be resubmitted to the voters within
five years of its rejection.
In the same session the council appointed Peggy Grimes to the
Recreation Advisory Board to fill out a term ending in 1995.
The body also rejected attorney Robert Sena's plea that Evelyn
McKeithan be granted 120 days to get her apartments at 2726 West
Beach Drive repaired to avoid demolition by the town. The council
also authorized demolition of a structure at 120-18th Street SE.
Town offices will be closed tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday for
the Christmas holiday, and will be closed again New Year's Day.
Yaupon Beach
Preliminary assessment rolls for financing the wastewater
treatment project have been prepared and residents are invited to
stop by Town Hall and check to their assessment before a public
hearing on the matter January 7.
Town clerk Nancy Wilson reports that application has been made
to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a
"community service rating" which will entitle residents to a five
percent reduction in their flood insurance premiums.
Wilson said the application is being reviewed, but a reduction is
assured in any case. "Town Hall is concerned for its citizens," she
said.
She said that water bills will go out in the first week of January,
close to the January 5 deadline for paying city taxes without
penalty.
Town offices will be closed tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday for
the Christmas holiday, and will be closed again New Year’s Day.
Boiling Spring Lakes
Garbage pickup this week will be tomorrow (Thursday) instead of
Friday because of the Christmas holiday, though residents can
expect normal pickup service on New Year's Day.
Town clerk Barbara Cumbee said municipal offices will be closed
tomorrow and Friday, and again on New Year's Day.
The next regular meeting of the city board of commissioners will
be January 7.
i
Southport
The board of aldermen will hold a special session Tuesday,
December 29, to approve bids for construction of the Riverwalk
project. City engineer Ed Honeycutt urged the interim session
because the deadline for completion of the wok is March 31, and
he felt a delay until the regular board meeting on January 14 might
tighten the schedule too much.
Included in the work will be a walkway to the Intracoastal
Waterway over the marsh west of town, and construction of a
gazebo overlook there.
Acting city manager Sylvia Butterworth reported that the plan
ning board will begin a review January 21 of the city zoning
ordinance, which might lead to revision.
Meanwhile the board of aldermen will begin interviewing seven
city manager finalists on January 4.
Butterworth said city offices will be closed tomorrow (Thursday)
and Friday for the Christmas holiday, and will also be closed on
New Year's Day.
She said that Bicentennial Christmas tree ornaments will be on
sale at the finance officer’s office through the end of work today,
and will also be available at police headquarters across the hall
tomorrow. The cost of the ornaments is $5.
Caswell Beach
Town offices are closed this week for the Christmas holiday, and
will also be closed on New Year's Day. Normal police service will
continue. Emergency calls may be made to 911, and routine police
information may be obtained by dialing 278-5595.
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER
ASSOCIATION
Developer seeks to have creek reopened
AHCA
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Bald Head Creek remains closed to shellfishing, but an initiative bj
Bald Head management last week may lead to locating the pollutior
source and reopening of the waterway for recreational and commer
cial clamming and oystering. Meantime, finfishing is permitted.
Bald Head shellfishing area
was closed due to pollution
By Jim Harper
Staff Writer
The Bald Head developer has contacted the State Division of
Environmental Management (DEM) and requested a special
monitoring program to help remove a shellfishing ban in Bald
: ■v Head Creek, |■ / ■ .
Ken Stewart, a consultant to developer Kent Mitchell, said
Tuesday be had talked with DEM director Preston Howard and
hoped for action toward getting the ban lifted shortly after
January 1.
Bald Head Creek, a site of both commercial and recreational
oystering and clamming, was shut down by state order in mid
November because of high coliform bacteria counts that turned
up in routine surveys of the waters.
Though the particular figures that caused "no shellfishing"
signs to go up along the waterway came from surveys in 1988
and 1990, a state shellfish sanitation spokesman said that
: another sample taken two months ago showed a coliform
bacteria count much higher than is permissible under state and
federal rules.
"I was able to meet with (Howard) as well as the DEM
Wiimington staff," Stewart sard Tuesday, "and 1 told them this
is an issue to us and we want to Fmd the problem.
”1 told them we'd like them to come over and inspect and give
us their best judgment in designing a monitoring program and
get some kind of grip on it”
Stewart said that DEM personnel will likely be engaged in
studying the Bald Head situation shortly after New Year’s day.
Presence of coliform bacteria, which can come from animals
See Creek, page 3 ' '
Quick action is expected on
sanitary district application
By Jim Harper .
Staff Writer
The Southeast Brunswick Sanitary District board
made formal application for federal funding of its
wastewater treatment project December 16 and hopes
to receive formal approval before New Year's.
Chairman James W. Smith said he was "ninety
nine and ninety-nine one hundredths percent hope
ful" of a go-ahead from the Farmers Home Admin
istration on the $3.3-million project.
"I am very optimistic," Smith emphasized.
The project will initially serve some 800 users in
the district, which is bounded by Highway 211,
Beaverdam Creek, the Intracoastal Waterway and
the CP&L discharge canal.
Service is expected to commence in 1994 for the
initial customers - around the N. C. 211-Beach
Road business area, heavily populated sections west
of Beach Road and along Fish Factory Road. Plans
will be drawn to serve more of the district as water
service is extended.
The project is expected to be funded with a $2.1
million grant and a federally guaranteed $ 1.2-mil
lion loan to be repaid over 40 years.
The average cost-per-residence for monthly sewer
service is expected to be $17.12, according to a
project summary reviewed by the b >ard and James
R. Pope, FmH A assistant district director. The mini
mum monthly charge will be $8.07, with hookup
mandatory.
Engineer Robert Graham of Boney and Associates
said planning will take about six months from the
time of funding approval. He said bids could be
awarded next October and construction completed
by June, 1994.
Waste treatment will be at a plant located on
Beaverdam Creek, about a mile north of Airport
Road.
The district board will next meet at 7:30 a.m.
January 4 in the chamber of commerce welcome
center on Beach Road.
Churches
will hold
; iVU) , >’• ••• -»• iV '
services
Many area churches are plan
ning special Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day services on Thurs
day and Friday.
The children of St. Philip's Epis
copal Church will present a
Christmas pageant at the 4 p.m.
service December 24. and at 11
p.m. a brass quintet will perform.
The Christmas Day service will
be at 10 a.m.
Southport Baptist Church will
host a candlelight Lord's Supper
service at 6 p.m. Christmas Eve.
while First Baptist Church of Boil
ing Spring Lakes, Ocean View
United Methodist, Trinity United
Methodist and Oak Island Pres
byterian churches will have
candlelight services at 7 p.m.
St. Peter Lutheran Church's ser
vice will be at 8:30 p.m. Christ
mas Eve and include the nativity
and a choral music program. Sa
cred Heart Church will have a
midnight mass Christmas Eve and
mass at 11 a.m. on Christmas
Day.
The Southport Baptist Church bell choir was among the groups per
forming Sunday in the Yuletide Harbor celebration on the waterfront.
Santa Claus also showed up for the finale of the two-day affair honor
ing the season and the city’s 200th Christmas.