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INSIDE
Volume 63/ Number 4
Southport, N.C.
September 15,1993/ 50 cents
TB tests
are given
at South
By Marybeth Bianchi
Feature Editor
A majority of South Brunswick
High School students and staff mem
bers are being tested for tuberculosis
and the results of the tests will be
known on Friday.
Supt. Ralph Johnston told school
board members Monday night a South
Brunswick High student had been di
agnosed as a suspected tuberculosis
case and as a preventive health mea
sure students in grades ten, 11 and 12
would receive a skin test.
"To test that number of people is a
monumental task," principal Sue Sell
ers admitted.
Letters explaining the situation were
mailed to parents last week and should
have been received by Monday, Sell
ers said.
Parents and students shouldn't be
overly concerned about the possible
exposure. Victoria Smith, public
health nursing supervisor, said. "It's
not that the person was really sick. It's
just a preventive measure. Nobody's
going to get sick."
Ninth graders are not being tested
because they would not have been
exposed to the individual who was
diagnosed over the summer.
Anyone who has a positive skin test
would be required to have a chest x
ray and would be put on INH, a pre
ventive medicine, for a year. Smith
explained.
Tuberculosis is caused by a germ
that most often attacks the lungs. Ac
cording to the American Lung Asso
ciation, anyone can breathe" in TB
§erms from the air, which are spread
y the coughing or sneezing of a per
son who is carrying live TB germs.
Some of the symptoms are night
sweats, fever, frequent coughing, feel
ing tired or weak, unexplained Toss of
appetite and weight loss.
Smith said some people can carry
the TB germ for years and never have
any health problems.
South Brunswick High School stu
dents or staff members who missed
the initial testing should go to the
Brunswick County Health Depart
ment for a skin test.
Kinsey Contracting Company employee Jacky
Dixon last week put the finishing touches on the
wastewater treatment plant that will serve Yaupon
Beach and possibly several large out-of-town devel
opments. The plant is expected to be completed
Photo by Jim Harper
Tuesday and activated the following day. However,
actual sewage treatment will not begin until mid*
October to allow time for extensive testing of the
plant.
Old yacht basin
City docks boat-slip
rental fee increase
By Holly Edwards
Municipal Editor
Fee changes recommended in
Southport's proposed boat-slip lease
agreement would drive boaters to other
docks and would alter the unique char
acter of the old yacht basin, residents
told the board of aldermen Thursday
night.
"The old basin has a certain charac
ter and a certain clientele,” said resi
dent Rick Johnstone, who moors his
boat at the facility. "I'm afraid if the
rate goes up it would drive some of
those boats out of there."
Other residents complained that
boat-slip fees are not used to maintain
or improve the dock, but are put into
the city's general fund.
"That dock was not put there as a
source of revenue for the city." resi
dent Robert Creech told the board. "I
think the fees would make it unneces
sarily harsh on those of us that use it."
In response to the complaints, the
See Docks, page 7
Football Contest
Football forecasters can win
S50 in a weekly contest spon
sored by The State Port Pilot and
area businesses.
This week's contest appears on
pages 4B and 5B.
Winners are chosen by the most
correct answers among the 20
games that appear in merchants'
ads on page 5B.
Vote
allows
change
A check of clerk records
shows a vote taken by the
Brunswick County Board of
Commissioners last week will
allow county manager Wyman
Yelton to merge two depart
ments.
Emergency management will
now move under the leadership
of Doug Ledgett, head of emer
See Vote, page 6
Board opposes hiring
of manager consultant
By Terry Pope■..
County Editor
Both parties claim it is simply politics.
Recent outcry that focuses on former county
manager Billy Carter’s rote in local government
has some questioning who is actually running
the show.
An internal memo leaked to news reporters
last wrckshowscountymanagerWymanYeltpn
asked the Brunswick County Board of Com
missioners for permission to hire Carter as an
two Republican members were steamed.
”1 called Mr. Yelton myselfsaid Donald
Straw, of District 5. ”1 was really unhappy. I
said if he had to have someone, then to get
someone with no political background.”
Carter responds to rite criticism in a related
article in this issue.
Yeltoris memo stated that Carter could help
the county file for state and federal grams, that
he had helped in that area years ago. The two sue
acquaintances from when Yelton served as
^ manager in Wayne County.
i When they got tjbe note.
Set Board, page 4
Deadline draws near
Smoking ban
proposal drags
on, hearing set
By Terry Pope
County Editor
Health officials want to hear from
the public before no-smoking rules
are considered for restaurants and
public places.
A public forum is set for Tuesday.
September 21,7 p.m.. in the public
assembly building at the Brunswick
County Government Center near Bo
livia.
At issue is whether the health de
partment should force restaurants to
provide no-smoking areas with sepa
rate heat and ventilation systems, a
move that could be costly for some
business owners.
Debate on Monday indicates that
even the Brunswick County Board of
Health is divided over whether to
enact a county wide ordinance.
” We just keep on making rules, and
I disagree." said Bruce Quaintance,
board member. 'That's strictly my
personal opinion."
The board voted unanimously to
hold the forum but chose not to en
dorse a draft ordinance a committee
modeled from one in Wake County.
Veterinarian Brad Kerr, health board
member, chairs the committee that
wrote the rules.
He races against an October 15
deadline when a state law prohibits
‘It’s not intended
for the department
to give out a lot of
fines. The intent is
to protect the health
of Brunswick
County residents
from second-hand
smoke.'
Brad Kerr
Board member
passage of local rules that are more
restrictive.
Health organizations have lobbied
Utcal boards to adopt some form of
smoking control. Members have been
bombarded with phone calls and let
ters from both smokers and non-smok
ers as the debate heats up.
"I’ve gotten some 50 or 60 calls,”
said Quaintance. "They come both
See Smoking, page 6
home costs higher
Yaupon sewer
nears start-up
By Holly Edwards
Municipal Editor
An array of details involved in starting operation of the Yaupon Beach sewer
system were solidified Monday night by the board of commissioners, as the
anticipated start-up date fast approaches.
Engineering consultant Finley Boney told the board that construction of the
treatment plant and collection system will be completed Tuesday. September
21, and the treatment plant will then be activated on Wednesday. However, the
plant will have to undergo about a month of testing before the collection system
can be activated.
Once the system begins operation in mid-October, residents will have 90
days to have their sewer access lines installed and connected to the main sewer
line.
Commissioners appeared dismayed to learn Monday that the projected costs
See Sewer, page 6
Forecast
The extended forecast
Thursday through Sat
urday calls for variably
cloudy skies with a
chance of showers.
Highs are expected in
the mid-80s with
nighttime lows forecast
in the mid-70s.
Tide table
HIGH LOW
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
8:40 a.m. 2:25 a.m.
8:59 p.m. 2:51 p.m.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
9:32 a.m. 3:12 a.m.
9:48 p.m. 3:43 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
10:24 a.m. 4:00 a.m.
10:40 p.m. 4:35 p.m.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
11:18 a.m. 4:49 a.m.
11:33 p.m. 5:29 p.m.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
-a.m. 5:39 a.m.
12:14 p.m. 6:24 p.m.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
12:29 a.m. 6:33 a.m.
1:12 p.m. 7:22 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
1:28 a.m. 7:33 a.m.
2:15 p.m. 8:22 p.m.
The following adjustments 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.