INSIDE
Frank Parslow clears away an oak tree in sections
preparatory to removing the crushed pickup truck
beneath it. The huge oak near the Clarendon
—in — mm' **
Photo by Jim Harper
Brown street intersection shattered and fell in three
different directions during the hurricane-force
storm on March 13.
Board considers plan
to ease pre-sale rules
By Terry Pope
County Editor
County law prohibits local developers from pre-selling
lots before streets and other improvements are in place.
The goal is to protect consumers, but developers say it's
too costly and are asking for relief.
A plan to allow companies to sell lots before roads are
built to standards would require changes in the county
subdivision ordinance.
The Brunswick County Planning Board and an ad hoc
committee appointed by Brunswick County commission
ers are studying ways to do just that.
"We’ve got to be very careful here that we don't create
something that's going to put the price of lots at $50,000
to $60,000," said Dean Walters, a developer of Sea Trail
Plantation. "The people then are not going to be able to
afford them."
The ordinance may be changed to allow developers to
either post a performance bond or a letter of credit to
ensure roads are built to standards by a certain date.
See Pre-sale, page 6
Officials await federal response
Clean-up is underway
with beach in 'limbo'
By Holly Edwards
Municipal Editor
Southport-Oak Island town officials
are in limbo in the wake of last
Saturday’s powerful storm and are
still unsure of how much, if any, fed
eral funding the area will receive for
repairs and restoration.
Debris clean-up has progressed
daily, but local towns are reluctant to
spend their money on larger repairs
until they receive an official decision
from the federal government on
whether or not this region will be
declared a disaster area.
"I'm just so frustrated with them,"
Long Beach town manager Tim
T’m just so frustrated with them. Every
day since last Tuesday we’ve been hear
ing that today would be the day. I have
no idea what’s holding them up.’
Long Biach manager Tim Johnson,
commenting on federal reponse
Johnson said of the slow response
from federal government officials.
"Everyday since last Tuesday we’ve
been hearing that today would be the
day. I have no idea what's holding
them up."
Federal Emergency Management
See Clean-up, page 6
County ’heads1 won’t roll,
members assure employees
By Terry Pope
County Editor
Commissioners Don Warren and Jerry Jones told
Brunswick County employees Friday there is no "hit list”
of persons whose jobs are in jeopardy.
That message came at the end of a rocky week which
began Monday when county manager David Clegg sud
denly resigned.
Warren, a Democrat, and Jones, a Republican, met to
try to soothe fears that commissioners are out to fire
certain employees.
For the partisan Brunswick County Board of Commis
sioners, controlled by Democrats, 3-2, and whose mem
bers have voted mostly along party lines since December,
it was a rare display of unity.
Clegg resigned amid pressure from some Democrats
and the Democratic party chairman, who had called for
his firing.
Warren and Jones said Friday they want to take a more
non-partisan view of county government and to act more
"as a team of five people."
"I have only seen one employee who has not accepted
See Employees, page 7
Manager doesn't care
to take city by storm
By Holly Edwards
Municipal Editor
At 11 p.m. Saturday — when most
Southport residents were trying to
cope with a power outage and a dev
astating storm - new city manager
Rob Gandy Jr. rolled into town with
his cat T-Bone and a U-Haul truck full
of furniture.
Equipped with candles and a hurri
cane lamp, Gandy and two friends
unloaded the truck until 2 a.m. Sun
day, then curled up fora few hours of
rest.
"It was cold in here," Gandy re
called with a shiver. "Butalotof other
people were braving it out, so we
thought we would, too."
Gandy had worked for the town of
Plymouth for ten years and had been
Non-support has day in court
By lerry Pope
County Editor
Parents behind in their child sup
port payments will have a courtroom
all to themselves next week.
A special Brunswick County Dis
trict Court civil session Friday, April
2, will only hear cases of men and
women accused of failing to make
support payments on time.
The Brunswick County Department
of Social Services hopes the special
child support enforcement court will
have an impact on collections.
DSS has filed 109 show cause or
ders against parents who individually
owe from $80 to $21,400 each.
"It is a day in court set aside for
‘Hopefully, this will send a message out,
to drive home the point that fathers and
mothers have a responsibility to their
children
Jamie Orrock
DSS director
nothing else," said DSS director Jamie
Orrock. "We hear complaints that
persons in non-support cases must
wait in court until the afternoon, after
all other cases are heard."
Of the show cause orders filed, 56
have been served by the Brunswick
County Sheriffs Department. Another
26 have not yet been served, and 23
may have the wrong addresses, or
officers are unable to locate the per
son.
After the papers were served, two
defendants went to DSS and paid off
their debt, said Orrock.
"We're really putting a lot of em
phasis on this, to see if it has an
impact," he added.
DSS attorney Elva Jess filed the
orders and will argue for the depart
ment in court. The special civil ses
sion is not a criminal courtroom set
ting and does not involve prosecutors,
said district attorney Rex Gore.
DSS hopes to hold two or three
sessions each year. Papers were served
against all men or women who owe
money, from the smallest amount to
See Court, page 7
the town manager there for five years.
Prior to that he served as planning
director. He was apparently a popular
figure in town; upon his departure
Plymouth officials declared him "Citi
zen of the Year" and presented him
with a combination key to the city and
bottle opener.
"It wasn’t easy to leave," he admit
ted. "But the people here have bent
over backwards to make me feel wel
come, and that makes a big differ
ence."
Gandy assumed his new position
Wednesday, and said he was attracted
to the area because of its small-town
charm and proximity to the river and
ocean.
"It's kind of a unique town. It's a
beach community that doesn't feel
See Manager, page 7
GANDY
OUTSIDE
Forecast
The forecast for
Thursday through Sat
urday calls for rain
throughout the period,
with highs in the 60s
and lows in the 50s.
Tide table
HIGH LOW
THURSDAY, MARCH 25
9:02 a.m. 3:00 a.m.
9:15 p.m. 3.09 p.m.
FRIDAY, MARCH 26
9:33 a.m. 3:38 a.m.
9:50 p.m. 3:44 p.m.
SATURDAY, MARCH 27
10:06 am. 4:18 a.m.
10:29 pm 4:23 p.m.
SUNDAY, MARCH28
10:46 am 4:58 a.m.
11:16pm 5:04 p.m.
MONDAY, MARCH 29
11:35 ajn. 5:47 a.m.
-p.m. 5:56 p.m.
TUESDAY, MARCH 30
12:11am 6:43 a.m.
12:37 pm. 6:58 pm
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31
1:14 a.m. 7:47 a.m.
1:47 p.m. 8:05 pm.
The following adjuitmetta should be made:
Bald Head Island, high -10, low -7; Caswell
Beach, high -5, low -1; Southport, high 4-7,
low +15, Yaupon Beach, huh -32, low -45;
Lockwood Folly, high -22, low -8.