VOLUME 63/ NUMBER 26
SOUTHPORT, N.C.
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FEBRUARY 23. 1994/ 50 CENTS
Sports, page 12
Classifieds, p. 1C
Photo by Jim Harper
It was too wet for Danny Foster to work as a tree
surgeon Monday so he took the day off to visit Cas
well Beach. While he enjoyed the pleasant weather
as the day cleared he was unable to locate any red
drum with his gill net.
Owner wants to subdivide
River's Edge borders
oh city zone violations
By Holly Kdwards
Municipal Editor
A controversial River Drive subdi
vision proposal would v iolate the city's
present zoning ordinance and there
fore will have to gain board o! adjust
ments approval before any further
action can be taken, the Southport
planning board said Thursday night.
The proposal calls for the property
at 122 River Drive to be divided into
five lots, w ith a street running down
the west side of the property. How
ever. the street would be located eight
feet from the house now existing on
the property, which would violate the
12.5-foot setback required by the zon
ing ordinance.
The location of the street also would
create a zoning violation at the house
next door, which would be only eight
feet from the roadside as well.
It is up to developeis of the pro
posed River’s Edge subdivision to re
quest that the board of adjustments
review their plan. If that board ap
proves the zoning variance, then the
proposal could come back to the plan
ning board for approval or denial. If
the board of adjustments denies the
See River, page 6
If the board of ad
justments grants
the zoning vari
ance, then the
proposal could
come back to the
planning board for
approval or denial
How well we perform
County may seek
audit for schools
By Terry Pope
County Editor
One county commissioner says a
closer look at the school system bud
get won t hurt.
District 3 commissioner Wayland
Vereen of Yaupon Beach plans to ask
his fellow board members to order a
state performance audit of Brunswick
County schools.
That announcement came at the
close of a lengthy commissioners
meeting Monday. It was viewed as an
insult by some school board members
who have battled the county over bud
get requests since June.
"1 think it’s something that's long
overdue." said Vereen, "and we need
it."
Vereen was given a copy of an audit
performed in October. 1993. on the
Wake County Board of Education
system. That work cost Wake County
around $20,000.
"I wanted to give the board time to
look at it and to think about it." said
Vereen. "I’m going toask that we pass
. a resolut ion to order one forour school
system."
The motion may come at the March
21 meeting of the board, which w ill
not meet March 7 since three mem
bers plan to attend the National Asso
ciation of Counties winter conference
in Washington, D. C.
"I think it’s something that could be
useful if it’s used as a management
tool," said Don Warren, chairman of
the Brunswick County Board of Com
missioners. ”1 intend to sit down and
talk with some of the school board
members about it before I make a
decision."
State auditors search for problems
such as overlapping programs, ineffi
ciency and whether employees are
performing the jobs for which they
arc being paid. It also studies whether
school supplies and equipment are
being properly tracked.
"Some of the things they were able
to determine in this audit were ways
to save money." said Vereen. It s in
detail."
But to have an audit performed
takes time. One can t he done hetore
commissioners have to prepare the
schools lW-<>5 allocation. It may
be the first time a state audit has been
ordered for the county schools.
No one is predicting an audit will
uncover problems at the central ot
tice.
"If every thing we are told is true,
then every thing is above board." said
Yereen. "It's everybody’s money, not
See Audit, page 6
'Frustrated', Fairley
withdraws from race
By Marybeth Bianchi
Feature Editor
Frustrated by the school board's unwillingness to take an
unpopular stand aimed at improving student achievement. Bill
Fairley announced this week he will not seek re-election.
Fairley won a seat on the Brunswick County Board of
Education in 1992 ana had hied to ran
... in the 1994 race. School board mem
bers must run for office every two
years since Brunswick County voters
approved a 1991 referendum to limit
terms.
Now he says, Tm out"
"The reason forthat is Fm just utterly
frustrated with the board’s unwilling
ness to stand in the face of a threat they
may not get votes," Fairley said. He
said school board members *eould have voted iheir w.
science if they were secure'* with four-year terms.
Last May, the Southport attorney had proposed a "student
See Fairtey. page 6
Ambitious project proposed
to expand Long Beach center
By Holly Edwards
Municipal Editor
Long Beach Recreation Center
does not provide the space and ser
vices the town now requires and is a
fire hazard during overcrowded
parties on Halloween and Christmas,
interim parks and recreation director
Arch Wilson told the town council
Tuesday night.
While the fire code stipulates that
only 169 people can safely occupy
the building, Wilson said up, to 350
people cram into the building on
special occasions.
Wilson and parks and recreation
advisory board chairman Bea Haik
Tuesday night presented a proposal
to expand the recreation center by
more than 25,000 square feet at a to
tal estimated cost of S2.5 million.
The addition would include a gym
nasium, kitchen, fitness center and
indoor pool.
"You would not put 350 kids in
jeopardy again,” Wilson told the
council.
Council members gave a nod of
approval to the proposal, and
directed advisory board members to
continue with the project.
Council member Bill Easley said
after the meeting the proposal was
mom ambitious than the council ex
pected, but added that he was
pleased with the advisory board's
effort. He said he appreciated the
board's independent effort to devel
op a plan for expansion w ithout as
king the town to fund a costly
See l ong Beach, page 16
First time since April, 1992
Both CP&L units full power
Brunswick nuclear plant Unit 1 went to Ml power Friday night.
Joining the eminently successful Unit 2 in maximum electrical
output far the first time since both units were sfrut down in April,
1992.
Plant vice-president Roy Anderson said Monday dud a final
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entire plant, will be operating in a normal mode.
Of the restart. Anderson simply said Monday, "It went very well."
wails in the emergency diesel generator budding that did not meet
earthquake-prod standards, as designed.
Thereafter the plant experienced cascading maintenance and
repair problems winch required more than a year to overcome
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before Unit 2 restarted last May. Unit 2 has been in continuous
operation since then, longer than any previous run by the unit
Unit! was to te&d and restart in September after maintenance
and repairs were completed, but discovery of creeks in the reactor
siuoud led to extensive study and eventual repairs.
Anderson said Monday that Unit 2 wiUbe shutdown relate March
jb-a90^yre&ebngop<rettion,atrtatibe8atnetfii»ethe$broudwiiJ
be modified- strengthened with bolted-cn braces-to preclude any
subsequent craving problem.
Brunswick remains underdose scrutiny by the Nuclear Regula
tory Commission, which has expressed an intent tokeep Brunswick
on its “watch list" until sustained good operation of both units is
demonstrated.
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Forecast
The extended forecast
calls for wind and
showers on Thursday
with highs in the 60s and
lows in the 40s. Friday
and Saturday, expect
partly cloudy skies with
highs in the 50s and lows
in the 30s. Cold weather
arrives Sunday with a
high only reaching 45 and
lows in the 20s.
Tide table
HIGH LOW
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24
6:21 tm. 1201 tm.
6:46p.m. 12:41 p.m
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 25
7:09 am. 12:59 am
7:35 p.m. 127 pm
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 26
7:57 ».m. 1:48 am.
824 p.m. 2:12 pm.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 27
8:44 am. 2:36 am.
9:14 pm. 2:57 pm.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2S
9:32 am. 326 a.m.
10:05 pm. 335 pm.
TUESDAY, MARCH 1
10:22 am. 4:17 am.
10:59 pm. 422 pm.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2
11:16am. 5:11am.
11:57 pm. 525 pm.
The following adjustments should be mate:
Bald Head Island, high -10, low -7; Caswell
Beach, high -5, low -1; Southport, high +7,
low elsTVaiamn Beach, high -32. low -45;
Lockwood Foihr Inlet, high 22, low -8.
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