Volume 62/ Number 34' Southport, N.C. April 14,1993/50 cents
Ray’s blue ribbon chili,- tops in the Held in 1992,
was still good enough to finish second (and good
Photo by Jim Harper
enough for the cook to eat) in last weekend’s Robert
Ruark Foundation chili cookoff in Franklin Square.
Some see deeper problem
Could funding cure
mental health woes?
By Terry Pope
County Editor
Backlogs and waiting lists that seem
to grow longer each day haunt the
staff of the Brunswick County Mental
Health Center at Bolivia.
But some officials are questioning
where all of the money goes for a
program that may need healing. .
Ofa$9.3 million 1993-94 proposed
budget, some are concerned local resi
dents may not get their share of ser
vices through the regional Southeast
ern Center for Mental Health, says
Brunswick County commissioner
Wayland Vereen.
He has asked for an explanation,
suggesting the same services are not
available for all residents of the three
county area and that Brunswick
County may get the shorter end of the
stick.
"I haven't got all of the answers I've
asked for yet." said Vereen. "I'm just
interested in seeing that we get our
fair share out of this."
The county will allocate $295,847
in county funds plus a mandated
$22.0(X) in A Robotic Be verage Con
trol sales to help fund the Southeast
ern Center, which also serves New
Hanover and Pender counties. That
represents $5.47 for each of the
county's 54,097 permanent residents,
but health experts say that amount is
far from adequate and that waiting
lists will continue to grow without
increased funding.
"When it comes to mental health
services, Brunswick County isaThird
World country," said Linda Bethune,
member of the Southeastern Center
Board of Directors. The board has
See Mental health, page 7
Smoking ban a complex issue
By Terry Pope
County Editor
Smoking may be banned at the government center near Bolivia and re
stricted in other public places if county commissioners agree with two policies
recommended by the Brunswick County Board of Health.
One policy bans smoking in government-owned buildings and vehicles. A
second proposal forces restaurant owners in unincorporated areas of the county
to set aside 25 percent of their seating space for non-smokers.
Some health board members oppose the rule for restaurant owners, but the
policy aimed at making the government center smoke-free passed unani
mously Monday.
Smoke is a big problem for employees who work at the county courthouse,
said health board chairman H. J. (Skip) Davis.
"People are standing out there smoking with a cigarette in both hands," said
Davis. "People who work in an enclosed area eight hours a day should not be
subjected to second-hand smoke."
The complex ban would include all county-owned buildings and prohibit
smoking within 25 feet of a main entrance and 15 feet of an auxiliary entrance
or exit. Employees caught violating the order would face disciplinary action.
Commissioner Don Warren, who serves on the health board, said the policy
that affects public places would make it difficult for small businesses to stay
open. He voted against it, along with Davis and Harry Johnson.
"I don't want to go on record of putting anybody out of business," said
Warren, a reformed smoker.
That policy makes it a misdemeanor for failure to provide no-smoking areas
in bars and restaurants. It prohibits smoking in public retail stores, service
lines, elevators, public restrooms and polling places.
Employers would have to provide smoke-free areas for non-smoking
employees within existing facilities and post no-smoking signs. If in violation,
the owner could face misdemeanor charges, a $50 fine and up to 30 days in jail.
Davis said residents contacted him to ask that the ban extend beyond the
complex to area businesses. The health board has the option to adopt its own
See Smoking, page 6
CP&L draws closer to restart
By Jim Harper
Staff Writer
5m
Wii
m
The Brunswick nuclear plant moved a step
closer to restart Friday with a favorable assess
ment by a visiting Nuclear Regulatory Commis
sion operational readiness assessment team.
"We’ve concluded that they have the right pro
grams, the right management, and seem to have
the rigid attitude and procedures," said Peter
Koitay, who came from the NRC Washington
office to lead the two-week assessment.
And Jon Johnson, who has met monthly with
Carolina Power and Light Go. as part of the
Atlanta NRC supervision team, said, "The thing
fve noticed is thatthe employees am very familiar
with what the goals of management are. Supervi
sors are talking with staff, and that hasn't always
been the case.”
Said Roy Anderson, CP&L vice-president m
charge of the Brunswick plaid, "This is an inspec
tion we had to pass, and we passed."
Next up, CP&L. and Brunswick officials will
meet here with the NRC on Monday at another
assessment conference before the regulatory
agency gives a go-ahead for restart.
But Anderson, confident of what he’s seen
since he took over in January, said Brunswick
will restart "on the 26th, just like we said."
Thereafter in a measured power-up, the plant
will hopefully move toward productive electric
generation sometime in June.
No powerhas been generated by the two nuclear
reactors at the Brunswick plant since last April
21, when CP&L shut down both units for repairs
See CP&L page 6
mm
ANDERSON
Requested Budget (Fiscal Year 1993*1994)
POPULATION
COUNTY,FUNDS EER .CAPITA
Brunswick County
New Hanover County
54,097
123,414
30,368
207,879
'All-America'
city is the goal
By Holly Edwards
Municipal Editor
Out of 151 applications from cities
in 40 states, the City of Southport has
for the second year in a row been
selected among the 30 finalists to
compete in the National Civic
League's All-AmericaCity award pro
gram.
City representatives will face ques
tions and make a formal presentation
to the All-America City jury on May
20-22 in Tampa, Fla.
"Having been selected two years in
a row I think is outstanding,” declared
mayor Norman Holden. "Especially
for the individuals putting together
the proposal."
City finance officer Sylvia
Butterworth was one of those indi
viduals, and she made no excuses
about why the city was unsuccessful
last year.
"We just said, 'Oh, how lovely we
look and how safe and happy we all
are.' We didn't show how we got there."
Butterworth observed. "We went
down there with the idea of present
ing a wonderful, perfect community.
But what the program is about is prob
lems and how we solved them through
community-wide efforts."
This year, the city will present the
jury with former substandard houses
‘We went down
there with the idea
of presenting a
wonderful, perfect
community. But
what the program is
about is problems
and how we solved
them through
community-wide ef
forts’
Sylvia Butterworth
Committee member
and efforts to restore them, and with
community efforts to revitalize
Southport’s economy.
"The economic decline in the 70s
when the county (government offices)
pulled out was a tremendous blow to
the city," said All-America City com
mittee member Joanne Wesson. "We
See City, page 6
OUTSIDE
Forecast
The extended forecast
calls for mostly cloudy
skies on Thursday, with
showers likely on Friday.
Highs will be in the 70s
and lows in the 60s. Part
ly cloudy skies and cooler
temperatures are expected
Saturday, with highs in
the 60s and lows in the
50s.
Tide table
HIGH LOW
THURSDAY, APRIL 15
3:37 a.m. 10:06 a.m.
4:23 p.m. 10:28 p.m.
FRIDAY, APRIL 16
4:52 am. 10:57 a.m.
5:14 p.m. 11:22 p.m.
SATURDAY, APRIL 17
5:41 a.m.
6:01 p.m.
11:45 am.
-p.m.
6:25 a.m.
6:45 p.m.
7:07 a.m.
7:26 pm.
SUNDAY, APRIL 18
12:12 a.m.
12:28 p.m.
MONDAY, APRIL 19
12:57 am.
1:10p.m.
TUESDAY, APRIL 20
7:47 a.m. 1:40a.m.
8:03 p.m. 1:49 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21
8:26 a.m. 2:21a.m.
*39 pm. 2:28 p.m.
The following adjuttmenu 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. .