Volume 62/ Number 47 _ Southport, N.C. July 14,1993/50 cents
Overused
systems
reviewed
Septic tank rule
is unprecedented
By Terry Pope
County Editor
State officials will study the county's
plan to crack down on overused septic
tanks at area beaches.
There is no precedent for citing
property owners, based on real estate
advertisements, who allow their beach
cottages to exceed occupancy limits.
Overuse of septic tanks where there
is no public sewer system is blamed
for groundwater contamination and
pollution of estaurine waters and shell
fish nursery areas.
Beach cottages are sometimes al
lowed to be packed by vacationers,
who in effect overwork the septic
system.
In May, county health inspectors
announced plans to bring the owners
into compliance with permits on file.
"Whatever is decided must be ap
proved by the state and the attorney
general’s office," said Michael
Rhodes, director of the Brunswick
County Health Department.
Representatives from the attorney
.. ^general's office and the N. C. Depart
ment of Environment, Health and
Natuial Resources will meet with
county health officials Thursday, July
15,7 p.m., at the health department to
review the proposal.
Health inspectors used printed rental
brochures and vacation guides that
list homes along Brunswick County’s
beaches and compared them with ac
tual septic tank permits on file. An
See Septic, page 6
One of downtown Southport’s more outstanding
citizens was back in place above the door at The
Curiosity Shop on Howe Street last week. The
Photo by Jim Harper
wooden fgurehead, decorated in the garb of a
French marine, had been taken down for refurbish
ing several months ago.
Martin Marietta proposal
Opposition rests on water table
By Terry Pope
County Editor
Some residents fear the negative
will outweigh the good if a proposed
limestone mine is allowed on prop
erty just north of Southport.
Martin Marietta Inc. plans to oper
ate a mine along N. C. 133 near the
entrance to Military Ocean Terminal
Sunny Point.
State officials are familiar with
Martin Marietta, which operates more
than 40 mines in North Carolina. They
say the company has one of the best
track records in the business.
But it's not what lies on the surface
that worries neighbors. They are con
cerned over potential damage to their
local water supply.
"That’s our life
blood,” said
Second in a series
waiter Keinneimer ot uaic tsiana.
"That's my primary concern. The other
stuff is all secondary."
Southport area residents who use
well water tap onto an abundant un
derground source known as the Castle
Hayne aquifer, a supply that is often
taken for granted. It is a geological
formation of permeable rock, gravel
or sand that contains or conducts
groundwater.
This quiet underground river sup
plies potable water to coastal resi
dents, but it also flows along a bed of
valuable limestone that stretches from
north of Wilmington through
I Brunswick
County.
Two mines
ivianhi marietta upeiates ueai
Wilmington are located along this
same rock formation. The company
has recently applied for permits to
open a site in Onslow County.
Area residents say the price of get
ting the rock out of the ground could
be devastating.
"I know we need jobs and we need
industries," said the Rev. Murray Page,
"but if you're going to mine limestone
you should do so in an area that's not
going to destroy the aquifer."
Page lives in the Moore's Creek
subdivision about a mile from the
proposed site. He gets water from a
50-foot well and is afraid the nine
families in his development will suf
fer from a loss of water and environ
mental damage.
The limestone lies about 90 feet
beneath the surface. Miners must cut
through the aquifer to reach the rock.
"Any kind of industry that drains
off water, they have to pump it away,”
said Page. "The only place to pump it
is into the ocean."
The mining operation also uses
water to control the amount of dust
released into the air when stone is
crushed. Carolina Power and Light
Co. officials have refused to let Mar
tin Marietta discharge water into the
utility's eight-mile canal system that
See Martin, page 7
Hewett is top DARE officer
By Terry Pope
County Editor
A deputy who teaches drug education awareness programs
received national honors last week,
Lt Ronald Hewett of the Brunswick County Sheriffs Depart
ment was named top officer at the National DARE Officers
Association conference held in Las Vegas, July 1.
DARE is the acronym for Chug Abuse Resistance Education, a
program that teaches fifth graders in B runswick County schools to
avoid drugs and alcohol, ft also aims to increase students' self
confidence and ability to deal effectively with peer pressure.
“It was the honor of my life," said Hewett, who was chosen by a
panel of nine board members representing different parts of the
country. “We are now a nationally recognized program “
Hewett was previously chosen top DARE officer in North
Carolina to earn the right to carry the state flag to the national
conference. There are approximately 4,000 DARE officers nation
wide.
"I had no Ideal would be chosen,* Hewed said. ”1 was sitting
there in the audience. T was amazed, shocked and honored.*
The plaque he received honors the 30-year-old officer for his
"outstanding dedication and comraitmenttotbeyouthofAmerica.*
Wbenhe was sworn in as anofficer at Holden Beach in 1983he was
also noted as the youngest in the state-at the age of 20. Next year
be (dans to tun for sheriff.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the DARE program that
started in Los Angeles aol was adopted by North Carolina hi 1987,
it began in Brunswick County hi 1990 with Hewett serving as
program coordinator and instructor. DARE is also taught in 11
countries and in schools operated by the U. S. Department of
Defense.
See DARE, page *
m
III:
Blacks protest
hiring, might
boycott school
By Marybeth Bianchi
Feature Editor
As a way of protesting the per
ceived lack of minority representa
tion in the Brunswick County school
administration, about 500 Leland area
students may start the 1993-94 school
year attending classes in local
churches.
Board member Freeman Gause said
Leland area residents, upset by the
transfer of Joe Butler from principal
of Lincoln Primary School to director
of migrant education and parent in
volvement, plan to keep theirchildren
out of school for at least the first ten
days of class, a period of time the state
uses to allot funds to local school
systems based on enrollment.
Gause said Tuesday the state pays
S1.200 per student, so if enrollment is
down by 500 the school system could
face losing a substantial amount of
funding in a year when money is
particularly tight.
"That's going to put a hurt on it. The
county commissioners need to be in
volved. It's going to hurt everybody,
but something has to be done." Gause
said. "I don't know of anything else to
do.”
"That’s going to
put a hurt on it...
It’s going to hurt
everybody, but
something has to be
done. I don’t know
of anything else to
do.’
Freeman Gause
Board member
Serving his first term on the board
of education. Gause said, "I have done
all 1 know how to do."
He said he has talked with superin
tendent Ralph Johnston, whom he said
promised him and others that more
blacks would be hired.
Qualified black candidates have
applied for advertised vacancies. in
See Protest, page 6
Schools seek
more money
from county
By Marybeth Bianchi
Feature Editor
The Brunswick County Board of Education will be asking the county for
more money at the same time the superintendent of schools will be trying to
reduce the central office staff.
After a two-hour executive session Monday night, the board approved a
resolution which states that it feels the money appropriated by the county is
"not sufficient to support a system of free public schools in Brunswick
County."
The school system had requested a 26.5-percent increase in funding, a total
of $15,344,782 for both the current expense fund and capital outlay budget.
Included in that figure was construction of a new elementary school in the
Leland area. However, according to school figures, the county board of
commissioners approved just five percent more than last year, plus a one-time
$ 1-million appropriation for computer technology.
The school system has been able to make significant cuts, reducing the
budget to within approximately $325,000 of the amount the county said it will
give the schools for 1993-94 operations.
"Even with the reductions we're short," said school board chairman Donna
See Schools, page 6
I. ^
OUTSIDi
Forecast
The extended forecast
Thursday through Sat
urday calls for partly
cloudy skies with a
chance of an afternoon
or evening thunder
storm. Highs will range
between 90 and 95 de
grees, with nighttime
lows in the 70s.
Tide table
HIGH “ LOW
THURSDAY, JULY 15
4:58 a.m. 11:16 a.m.
5:38 p.m. -pun.
FRIDAY, JULY 16
5:56 a.m. 12:07 a.m.
6:30 p.m. 12:09 p.m.
SATURDAY, JULY 1?>
6:49 a.m. }2J7 am.
7:21p.m. 1:01 p.m.
SUNDAY, JULY 18
7:39 a.m. .1:47 a.m.
8:07 p.m. 1:48 pm.
MONDAY, JULY 19
8:30 a.m. 2:33 a.m.
8:54 p.m. .'2:38 p.m.
TUESDAY, JULY 20
9:21a.m. 3:18 a.m.
9:43 p.m. 3:25 pm.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 21
10:12 a.m. 4:03 a.m.
10:29 p.m. 4:16 pm.
The following adjustment! 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 Inlet, high -22, low -8.