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

Page Text

This is the computer-generated OCR text representation of this newspaper page. It may be empty, if no text could be automatically recognized. This data is also available in Plain Text and XML formats.

Return to page view