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Southport, N.C.
June 16,1993/ 50 cents
Budget^ approved Tuesday
Long Beach: 41-cent
rate, higher water fee
By Holly Edwards
Municipal Editor
While conceding the proposed
budget for fiscal year 1993-94 was a
"compromise" and a "consensus
document," Long Beach Town
Council members voted unanimous
ly Tuesday night to adopt the
proposal following a public hearing.
"None of the council members got
everything he wanted, but we all got
something we can live with," coun
cil member Horace Collier said after
the meeting.
The budget is based upon expected
revenues and expenditures of S4.2
million and a tax rate of 41 cents per
SI00 of assessed property valuation,
the same as the current rate.
Trash collection fees were in
‘None of the coun
cil members got
everything he
wanted, but we all
got something we
can live with
Horace Collier
Council member
creased an additional 25 cents per
month Tuesday night, on top of the
35-ccnt increase originally recom
mended, to cover the cost of provid
ing twice-weekly pickup services
during the summer months to all
town residents. Council members
had considered allocating about
$14,000 from the accommodations
tax fund to cover the cost of the ad
ditional pickups, but opted instead
to allocate those funds for beach
renourishment projects.
The basic charge for water service
was also increased $1 per month,
which stirred several complaints
during the public hearing.
Town resident Rupert Riley said
he believed the trash collection and
water service fee increases
amounted to a 2.2-ccnt "tax in
crease” and provided the town with
a surplus revenue of $77,000. And,
See Long Beach, page 19
Schools studying hard
to make budget match
By Marvbeth Rianchi
Feature Editor
The Brunswick County Board of
Education Monday night received a
new version of the 1993-94 budget,
cutting many of the expansion items
included in the school improvement
plan.
Board members listened as finance
director Rudi Fallon and assistant su
perintendent Bill Turner explained
where the cuts were made to fit the
$7.85-million allocation from the
county.
"We have taken out all of the ex
pansion budget items with the excep
tion of the technology piece," Fallon
told the board.
County commissioners last week
agreed to give the school system SI
million to purchase computer equip
ment and related items. That is a "sepa
rate appropriation," Fallon pointed
out.
The revised budget represents a
5.33-percent increase of $397,084
from the previous year, Fallon told
board members. The board had origi
nally requested more than $9.4 mil
lion for current expense, an increase
of 26.5-percent from the 1992-93
budget.
"All the expansion is gone," super
intendent Ralph Johnston said.
If the General Assembly approves
a two-percent salary increase for em
See Schools, page 6
Writing skills
Some grades near average
By Marybeth Bianchi
Feature Editor
The percentage of Brunswick County's sixth graders passing the 1993
writing test was lower than the state average, but grades eight and four fared
better, coming close to or matching the state norm.
The North Carolina Writing Assessment was administered in February. This
was the first year fourth graders were tested, and they were required to write
a personal narrative essay. Sixth graders were tested on descriptive writing and
eighth graders on point-of-view writing.
Each composition was assessed by two trained readers who. using a four
point scale, scored it on development of a main idea, use of supporting details,
organization and coherence. The resulting score is referred to as the "focused
holistic score." Forexample.a score of 2 means the writer has a weak command
of writing and tends to drift from the focus of the composition, while a 4 means
the writer has a strong command of the written word. Generally, a 2.5 or better
score is considered good.
In addition, compositions were scored on sentence formation, word usage.
See Writing, page 6
Legislators
host Friday
town meeting
State legislators E. David
Redwine, R. C. Soles and Dewey
Hill will host a town meeting for
area residents on Friday, June 18,
at Southport City Hall.
The meeting will begin at 7
p.m.
"We made a pledge we'd have
periodic meetings," Redwine said
last week. "This is a fulfillmentof
that pledge."
There is no agendafor the meet
ing, Redwine explained. "This is
the constituents' time to talk."
Another town meeting will be
held at 7 p.m. Friday, June 25, at
LelandTown Hall.
.
’Matlock’ star will reign over festival
THAYER
Hie 1993 N. C. Fourth of My Festival will
have a queen. x ''
That honor has been given to B ryim Thayer,
whoplays the daughterof attorney BenMadock.
in the television series "Matlock", which stars
Andy Griffith,
Last year the committee which organizes
the annual festival and the hoard of directors
decided to eliminate the annual scholarship
pageant, Guy Auger, 1993 festival chairman,
said this year’s committee wanted to bring in
an actress to serve as festival queen since there
were no {dans to have a pageant.
* We wanted to bring in a celebrity,'’ Auger
said, commenting that they do something simi
lar fortfte Azalea Festival in Wilmington. Tt
was something we wanted to do to involve the
Several scenes of the "Matlock” series were
shot in Southport last year and filming for the
upcoming series is scheduled to get underway
again this summer.
Auger saidThayeris not being paid to serve
as queen and she will be provided accommo
dations if she decides to stay in Southport
during the festival,
Thayer will be featured in die parade, sched
uled for Monday, July 5. And as she expects to
be in Southport Saturday through Monday,
Auger said, ” We’re hopingto have her at some
other activities,"
Details ofThayer’s role at the festival will be
worked out this week. Auger said.
Thayer, who plays die role of Leanne
McIntyre opposite Griffith in the "Matlock”
series, was a teacher for three years before
0. M . £ ' v - v
Photo by Jim Harper
Various emotions greeted this attack by a hand- Monday at American Fish Company. Scores of by
held crow as filming of "Birds II" got underway standers enj'oyed the action there.
Smoke ban faces opposition
By Terry Pope
County Editor
Health officials want to take another shot at a proposed
countywide no-smoking ordinance.
The Brunswick County Board of Health voted unani
mously Monday to form a committee of ten residents and
two board members to review the draft written last month.
But the group may have to hurry before a state law
overrides local smoking ordinances, said Brad Kerr, health
board member.
House Bill 957, if approved by the Senate, would affect
ordinances passed by local counties starting August 1. The
tobacco industry is lobbying legislators for its passage.
"The intention is to restrict the ability to control smok
ing in public places," said Kerr, who is following the bill
closely.
Last month, the Brunswick County Board of Commis
sioners prohibited smoking in county-owned buildings
including the government center near Bolivia. It took no
action on a county wide ban, for one adopted by commis
sioners would only affect unincorporated areas.
The health board has authority to impose countywide
smoking restrictions in public places, such as restaurants
and stores.
A smoking ban at the government center has drawn
little negative feedback, said Don Warren, commission
chairman.
The ban prohibits smoking in public hallways, restrooms
See Smoke, page 6

Forecast
The extended forecast
calls for partly cloudy skies
Thursday and Friday with a
chance of thunderstorms.
Highs around 90, lows
about 70. Mostly sunny
skies are expected on Sat
urday and it will be hot:
The forecast high is 95,
with a low that night
around 75.
Tide table
HIGH LOW
THURSDAY, JUNE 17
6:32 am. 12:39 ».m.
7:00 p.m. 12:41 p.m.
FRIDAY, JUNE 18
7:18a.m. 1:27 a.m.
7:45 pm. 1:26 p.m.
SATURDAY, JUNE 19
8:06 am.
8:31 pm.
8:51 am.
9:15 p.m.
SUNDAY, JUNE 20
2:14 a.m.
2:12 p.m.
2:59 am.
2:56 p.m.
MONDAY, JUNE 21
9:38 a.m. 3:41am.
10:00 p.m. 3:43 p.m.
TUESDAY, JUNE 22
10:26 a.m. 4:26 am.
10:46 p.m. 4:31 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23
11:18 a.m. 5:10 am.
11:33 p.m. 5:21 pjn.
The follow!ik adjustments should be made:
Bald Head Island, high -10, low -7; Caswell
Beach, high -5, low -1; Southport, high +2,
low +15; Yaupon Beach, high -32, low -45;
Lockwood Folly, high -22, low -8.