South Brunswick could face remainder of the schedule minus head coach I January 11,1995 ,J | VOLUME 64/NUMBER 20 SOUTHPORT, N.C. 50 CENTS | L, Observance of Dr. King’s birthday planned Friday at college, Sunday in our city . Our Town ■xmmma. r. Police dog, officers are credited with saving life of Southport man — Page 2 Dosher will purchase lot on Howe St. Dosher Memorial Hospital will purchase wooded property across the street from the hospital for $125,000. Hospital administrator Edgar Haywood said the property will be used for outpatient service expansion, and noted that demand for outpatient services at the hospital is growing rapidly — about seven to eight percent a year. He said he expects an expansion project to be initiated within a year. An investor has a contract pending with realtor Margaret Rudd to pur chase the property, which spans 312 feet along Howe Street. Rudd said the property was listed for sale at $182,000. The hospital board of trustees met with the investor in closed session last Wednesday night. At the conclusion of the meeting, the board offered the investor $ 125,000 for 213 feet of Howe Street frontage. Haywood said all contracts should be finalized within two weeks. The property will provide much needed space for such services as physical therapy, x-rays and outpa tient emergency care, he said. "Our spacial needs are growing," Haywood said. "We're about at the street every way you look, and unless we start building a high-rise here the only thing we can do is buy more property." Forecast We can expect mostly cloudy skies for Thursday and Friday with low temperatures in 40's and highs 55-60. There's a chance of showers on Saturday with a high in the mid 60's. Brunswick County <extension agent Bruce Williams, volunteers and Long Beach town employees this week constructed sand fences with discarded Christmas trees near the western point of the Long Beach strand. Three Photo by Jim Harper 50-foot sections of fence were erected; Williams will return to the same location in March to plant beach grass. The point of the experiment is to show beachfront property owners that they can help minimize erosion. City considers equal pay plan By Richard Nubel Municipal Editor A plan to allow Southport's electric customers to pay a fixed billing amount each month will come before-aldehnen when they meet in regular session Thursday. Those who opt to participate in the plan may average their annual billing over 12 months and pay a level amount for 11 of those 12 months. An adjustment payment will be charged in a designated month, likely a spring or fall month when billing is generally low. A letter, which may be sent to electric customers announcing See Pay plan, page $ Sunny Point routing fund request detoured By Terry Pope County Editor Highway officials say they have hit a roadblock in their plans to redesign a dan gerous intersection north of Southport. There is a lack of funds. That hasn't halted resident Beverly Brown in her effort to have the crossroads upgraded. She carried her message last week to the Brunswick County Board of Commission ers, which agreed to ask the N. C. Depart ment of Transportation to make the high way project a major priority for funding in 1995. The N. C. 87/133 junction at the en trance to Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point is where Ms. Brown's son, Vincent, died in a car wreck two years ago. In order to be safe, she said, the intersec tion needs to be revamped. Highway 87 should be the primary route for traffic and the streets realigned. "This has not been funded in the past See Request, page 6 County boards requested study Auditors open school books By Holly Edwards Feature Editor The stress level among Brunswick County school system employees likely will increase this week as three representatives of the state auditor's office begin on-site interviews to determine just how efficient and well-organized the school system is. A summary of the auditors' findings is expected in March. A school system performance audit was initiated in December when questionnaires were sent to all 1,389 school employees. So far, 517 questionnaires have been returned and about 100 employees have asked to speak with the auditorspersonally, deputy state auditor Jimmy Benson told the school board last week. The state performance audit was requested jointly by the Brunswick County boards of education and county commissioners during a funding dispute last year. ‘All school systems must function with limited resources. I believe that we can identify methods for the schools to use those resources more effectively.* Janet Hayes Audit supervisor At the time, each board agreed to contribute $5,000 to fund the audit. The state, however, will absorb most of the cost, which is expected to total $46,720. . Vi?W. The performance audit will evaluate the schoc system's organization and structure, not the effective ness of its educational programs, said Janet Haye: audit supervisor. "All school systems must function with limite resources," she said. "I believe that we can identif methods for the schools to, use those resources mot effectively." . Hayes noted the auditors can only make recommer dations and cannot enforce changes in school open tions. A certain amount of anxiety is associated with an evaluation, conceded superintendent of schools D Ralph Johnston. But, he added, most school employees feel they ca discuss their concerns with auditors without fear ( retribution. "I don't sense that anybody is really concerned aboi that," Johnston said. "I think they feel very comfor See Auditors, page 19 SBSD facing problem with permit, funds By Jim Harper Staff Writer In the most crucial week of its five-year existence the Southeast Brunswick Sanitary District must make a $ 1.3 million adjustment in its financing plan, and also learn how state permitting can be obtained quickly to get the sewer project underway. Last week bids for the nine-month project to bring sewer service to around 800 homes in the Long Beach Road area came in about $700,000 above what planners had thought the cost would.be. Awarding of contracts had already been set back 90 days by the district board because a funding shortfall was antici pated, but in light of the great financing disparity - present funding from Rural Economic Community Development (formerly Farmers Home Administration) totals $3.3 mil lion, and the project cost will likely be $4.6 million - the district Monday had to start forwarding plans that would greatly alter the proposed service area in order to cut costs. Meanwhile the district has arranged to meet with state See Problem, page 12 County funds outside study of refuse plan By Terry Pope County Editor An outside consultant will study long-range trash disposal options before county commis sioners sign what may be a 25-year contract. Would it cost more to truck garbage to an in cinerator near Fayetteville or to oper ate the county's landfill near Supply? David M. Griffith and Associates of Raleigh has Vedco also opera tes a materials recovery plant, which would enable Brunswick County to meet recycling goals been placed on a retainer to come up with answers. County officials narrowed their choices by eliminating a proposal from American Refuse Systems Inc. of Pinehurst, which plans to open a regional landfill in neighbor ing Columbus County. That project is now tied up in a legal dispute. A 25-year agreement'with Vedco Energy Corp. of Texas, which is building an incinera See Refuse, page 19 1 i I e y r. n if it t Customers stuck with higher rate; mail goes through By Holly Edwards Feature Editor There seems to be an inverse relationship be* tween the cost of a stamp and customer satisfaction with the U. S. Postal Service. Each time rates go up, customer satisfaction plum mets. When the postal service raised the cost of a stamp from 29 to 32 cents effective January 1, many people recalled every frustration they've ever expe rienced with mail delivery. "Every time they raise the price of stamps the service gets worse," declared one disgruntled J Southport man waiting in line at the post office Monday morning. V "Like every other government agency, the em ployees are underquaiified and overpaid. I told my kids not to expect a letter for a while.* "Thirty-two cents is a lot of money to send one See Mail, paged A ■ ■ - - - - ■■■ - "« » ‘ r - -I - i' t.'" _ I —-iX/’T

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