November 9,1994
VOLUME 64/ NUMBER 11
SOUTHPORT, N.C.
50 CENTS
South Brunswick rallied
but the Trojans prevailed to
win the league title — 12B
Bids for sewer construction
along Beach Road can now
be advertised - Page 2
Gayle Renee Ward of Long
Beach is crowned Miss
Brunswick County - IB
INTERVIEWS, PAGE 3; ELECTION CHART, PAGE 7
Sheriff-elect Ronald Hewett emceed his own victory party Tuesday night
Photo by Jim Harper
The Winners
SHERIFF
■Hewett(D) 11,331
□Brown (R) 6,201
COMMISSIONER
i! District 1
' ■Simmons (RT ~-’8,655
□ Warren (D) 7,929
? District 2
' ■ Jones (R) 8,712
□ Roach (D) 7,792
District 3
■Collier (R) 9,160
□Vereen(D) 7,359
District 4
■ Rabon(D) 9,412
□ Leonard (R) 7,243
District 5
■ Sue (D) 8,602
□ Shaw (R) 7,825
SCHOOL BOARD
District 1
■Thorsen (D) 9,163
□ Hewett(R) s 7,279
, District 2
■Carter (D) 9,160
□Hewett (R) 7,195
District3
■Carter (D) 8,233
□Osiek(R) 7,953
District 4
■Brown (R) 8,307
□Perguson (D) 7,595
District 5
■Browning (D) 8,569
□Bright (R) 7,509
New leadership
emerges from
big county vote
By Terry Pope
County Editor
A higher than expected voter turnout Tues
day propelled a new sheriff into office and
ended re-election bids for three incumbents
on the Brunswick County Board of Commis
sioners.
District 1 commissioner Don Warren, the
board chairman, lost to Republican challenger
Doug Simmons, former Calabash mayor, 8,655
to 7,929, as the GOP regained a majority
control of the county board.
"When they interview the ballplayers after
winning a big game they usually ask, Now
that you've won, what are you going to do?'"
said Simmons. "Well, I'm going deer hunting.
I'm not going to Disney World. I've been
‘This is the kind of
ballot that I haven’t
seen in 16 years.
We don’t have any
thing to compare
this to.’
Lynda Britt
Elections supervisor
campaigning, working hard and just getting out. I've only been hunting twice."
Democrats swept three into office two years ago, but Republicans apparently voted
in force Tuesday.
"1 think they had a good voter turnout," said Warren, who had served as chairman
in what was his first two-year term. "1 think the Republicans got the voters to turn out,
and it was the voice of the people speaking."
In District 3, Leslie Collier of Long Beach upset Democratic incumbent Wayland
Vereen, 9,160 to 7,359. She becomes the first female on the commission in eight years,
following in the footsteps of Grace Beasley of Leland, who lost to Republican Donald
Shaw.
Leland Democrat W. M. (Bill) Sue defeated Shaw, 8,602 to 7,825, for the District
See Vote, page 7
Drain on fund balance
Water and sewer
fee adjustments
seen for Yaupon
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
Water and sewer rate hikes at Yaupon Beach
appear to be all but a done deal as the town
faces the prospect of dwindling unappropri
ated fund balances brought on by a state
imposed sewer moratorium.
Administrative fees for both water and sewer
will likely be raised in November. The amount
of water the town sells for its fixed billing rate
will likely drop, commissioners conceded
Monday night.
The combined effect of the rate hikes will
mean consumers can expect to pay at least $1
more per month for water and at least $ 1 more
per month for sewer. High-volume consumers
-- those using more than 2,000 gallons of water
per month — can expect to pay more.
Commissioners will vote on the proposed
water and sewer rate hikes when they meet in
regular session Monday, November 14. The
increased rates will go into effect next month, if
approved.
Finance commissioner Joe Broyles, spurred
See Yaupon, page 8
Officials believe
state moratorium
becomes punitive
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
When will the sewer moratorium at Yaupon
Beach end?
It could be as long as three to four months
from now. Or, it could be Thursday.
Mayor May Moore said she has scheduled a
meeting in Raleigh on Thursday with repre
sentatives of all regulatory agencies involved
in sustaining the moratorium. She will lay out
the case for ending the moratorium and de
mand it be lifted on the spot.
Failing that, she will ask the state for money
— grant money to replace the estimated $ 1,000
to $2,000 per week the town is losing because
the moratorium is in place. Loss of system
revenues the moratorium has wrought may, in
part, spur a hike in water and sewer fees
charged Yaupon Beach residents as early as
next month. (See related story.)
"I'm going to hit them to lift the morato
rium," Moore told fellow commissioners Mon
day night. "And I'm going to hit them for a
grant. We've been told there is no money for a
grant, but (sources) have told me others are
getting them."
Moore said if the combined state agencies
refused Yaupon Beach grant money she would
demand account of all grants awarded for
wastewater management projects. Rep. E.
David Redwine and consulting engineers are
expected to accompany Moore in Raleigh.
"We are trying to get everyone together in
one room," Moore said. "We want to make the
case that we have done our best to see that this
plant was designed and operated as best it can
be.
"We've done the things they told us to do to
See Moratorium, page 8
Pilot installs
253 exchange
The State Port Pilot has installed a
new Brunswick County phone line to
serve residents who previously had to
call long distance.
The number is 253-7733.
"With an increasing number of sub
scribers and advertisers outside the
457 and 278 exchanges it becomes
imperative that we add this direct-call
line," said business manager Diane
McKeithan. "The additional line will
make it much easier to provide the
service these customers expect."
All departments of the newspaper
can be reached by calling the new 253
number, which provides toll-free ser
vice throughout most of Brunswick
County.
’Outer loop’ in county
hits potential roadblock
By Terry Pope
County Editor
Design work is expected to begin soon on the Erst
phase of the Northern Outer Loop around Wilmingtoni
The Interstate 40 bypass through northern Brunswick
County may tie in with U. S. 17 near Town Creek --
eventually.
But the $150,000 for preliminary designs will focus
on the first segment only -- from 1-40 to U. S. 421, a $60
million project through New Hanover County.
The last leg, which routes north of Leland and the
Malmo community, is really no closer to the drawing
board than it was before last week's N. C. Board of
Transportation meeting.
"It's in the program, but I don't see it going any further
than (U. S.) 421 anytime in the near future,” said Odell
Williamson, Division 3 highway commissioner and a
developer from Ocean Isle Beach. "I think the powers
that be will pose too many environmental questions. I
wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't go through. In other
words, Wilmington will be coming into the picture."
Action last week clears the way for the initial design
of a 5.8-mile link between 1-40 and U. S. 421. If that
phase is built, 1-40 traffic can avoid entering Wilmington
but must still skirt the city limits.
Traffic can then travel U. S. 17 to reach Brunswick
County.
"Once you get to (U. S.) 421, that will relieve them of
a lot of truck traffic,” said Williamson. "I can't see it
going any further. If it goes beyond that, it'll go beyond
my term on the board.”
The decision last week affects the location of the 5.8
mile short link.
It will exit 1-40 south of Sidbury Road, travel north of
North Chase subdivision, cross Blue Clay Road south of
Ivy Wood and Runnymeade subdivisions, past
See 'Oqfer loop', page »
Studies will pave way
for Oak Island bridge
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
A logjam in efforts to locate and construct a second
bridge to Oak Island apparently was broken Friday
when the state's transportation board committed over
$170,000 for the planning and an environmental study
of the bridge project.
With that move, the N. C. Board of Transportation
has agreed to construct a road leading to the bridge, if
developers dedicate needed right-of-way to the state.
For several years, the proposed second bridge to Oak
Island has languished as transportation officials said
they would require owners of a tract of land on the
mainland side to fully bear the estimated $2-million
cost of constructing a 3.5-mile stretch of road accessing
the bridge.
A good deal of the land leading to the mainland side
is owned by the consortium of interests developing St.
James Plantation. The state contended until Friday that
the owners would reap large benefits from the road, as
it would increase the value of the land it passed.
The total bridge project is expected to cost $8.3
million.
Tentative planning for the second bridge to Oak
Island calls for an access road to begin on N. C. 211
near the Midway Road intersection. The road would
extend through a now-undeveloped area to the Intrac
oastal Waterway, and the bridge would span the water
way to a point near the end of Middleton Street in
western Long Beach.
Long Beach mayor Joan Altman hailed the progress.
"As far as I know, this is the first time the state has
expended a large sum of money on the project, and I
hope it would proceed on course," Altman said. "We
will do all we can to see the project stays on schedule."
DSAtlantic, of Raleigh, an engineering firm, was
See Bridge, page 9