i January 25, 1995
South Brunswick will host
South Columbus here Friday
in Waccamaw action — 8B
r
She joined the Air Force,
saw the world, and now is
taking on Washington ~ IB
The sanitary district, un
happy with permit progress,
tells the engineer — Page 2
'Big decision for the county'
County will study Vedco vs. landfill
By Terry Pope
County Editor
If consultants stay on schedule, county commissioners will have two weeks
to decide if a 25-year garbage contract offer from Vedco Energy Corp. is a good
deal for residents.
David M. Griffith and Associates of Raleigh will report its analysis of the
Vedco proposal at the commission's February 20 meeting. The board is
expected to vote on the incineration proposal two weeks later, March 6.
For $ 1.8 million per year, Vedco will accept the county's trash to burn at a
high-tech plant it is building near the DuPont Co. in Cumberland County.
Recyclables will be pulled from the fuel stream at an adjacent sorting facility.
Commissioners voted 3-2 last week to sign a resolution that indicates the
county will accept the contract offer if Griffith'sM'indings compare favorably
with cost projections supplied by Vedco. The contract also includes an option
to allow the county to end the deal after 12 years, if written notice is given in
the tenth year.
Commissioners Bill Sue and Tom Rabon Sr. voted against the resolution,
which had included a February 20 date for signing the deal. Sue said the multi
million-dollar contract is too big of a commitment on taxpayers for it to be
rushed. Vedco officials agreed to extend the deadline for a final decision to
March 6.
"This is a big decision for the county," said Sue. "To get the numbers and to
make a decision so soon doesn't allow our citizens a chance to look at what this
board will obligate the county to for the next 12 years."
Vedco is negotiating with other counties to reach its 300,000 tons of garbage
per year needed to operate the incinerator efficiently. The resolution doesn't
bind the county to sign any deal but provides Vedco with an intent clause it can
provide to meet the requirement of investors financing the project in the first
quarter of 1995.
"This is a large block of waste for us," said George Armistead, president of
Vedco, a Texas-based firm that is also building an incinerator in Kinston. "It
is important to us to determine if Brunswick County is coming into the project."
Vedco is betting the cost of incineration is cheaper than projected costs to
operate a new lined sanitary landfill over the same period. David M. Griffith
See Landfill, page 9
Pilot
wins
eight
The State Port Pilot will receive
eight news and editorial contest
awards - the most of any community
newspaper in the state - at the annual
Press Institute sponsored by the North
Carolina Press Association.
The awards ceremony will be held
Thursday in Chapel Hill. Gov. Jim
Hunt will make the presentations.
Awards include general excellence,
second place; news coverage, third
place; best use of photographs, sec
ond place; editorial page, third place.
The general excellence award rep
resents the sixth consecutive year The
State Port Pilot has been recognized
in this category.
Photographer Jim Harper won three
awards in this year's competition: fea
ture photo, second place; spot news
photo, third place; photo page, third
place.
Terry Pope won second place in
investigative reporting for coverage
of shipment of spent nuclear fuel rods
through Military Ocean Terminal
Sunny Point.
Pilot editor Ed Harper said the
awards reflect the hard work of the
entire newspaper staff.
"The general excellence award is
based on the whole newspaper—news,
advertising, design," Harpersaid. "To
See Wins, page 15
MIS mmmmwmm
Forecast
Colder weather is in store for the
area Thursday through Sunday. We
can expect partly cloudly skies with
temperature reading in the 40's each
day and 30's at night.
Tide Table
HIGH LOW
THURSDAY, JANUARY 26
3:32 ».m. 9:51 a.m.
3:46 p.m. 10:05 pjn.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 27
4:37 a.m. 10:54 a.m.
4:52 p.m. 11 •ffl p.m.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 28
5:38 a.m. 11:52 aan
3:53 p.m. -pm.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 29
635 a.m. 12:04 a.m.
6:50 p.m. 12:45 pjn.
MONDAY, JANUARY 30
7:27 a.m. 12:57 a.m.
7:43 pm. 1:34 pjn.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 31
8:16 a.m. 1:48 a.m.
8:32 p.m. 2:21 pjn.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1
9:02 a.m. 2:35 a.m.
9:19 p.m. 3:05 pm.
The following adjuitmenu thould be made:
Bald Head bland, high -10, low -7; Caiwell
Beach, high -5, low -1; Southport, high +7,
low -f 15; Lockwood Folly, Ugh -22, low -8.
.s-. -lists?. ittiL i
No better thing than frolic amidst a flock of gulls,
or to watch long ships gliding by, and no better
place to do it than Southport’s Waterfront Park,
which this youngster learned in a recent outing.
Jail escapee still at-large,
no criminal fault by jailers
By Holly Edwards
Feature Editor
Jailers inadvertently set the stage
for disaster last week when, due to
potentially harmful paint fumes, they
moved Darryl Alexis Hewett and two
other accused felons incarcerated at
the Brunswick County jail from the
high-security area in the center of the
jail to a less-secure area, located near
a rear door leading to a fenced court
yard.
Sometime after 7 p.m. Thursday
someone pushed a button that un
locked the door and Darryl Hewett
escaped.
He scaled the ten-foot, chain-link
and razor-wire fence and apparently
was picked up by someone in a ve
hicle.
Bloodhounds lost his scent a short
distance from the jail.
Between 7 p.m. Thursday and 8:20
a.m. Friday, when Darryl Hewett was
discovered missing, none of the three
jailers on duty knew whether the pris
oner was there or whether the rear
door was securely locked.
This is the series of events offered
Free flu shots
Dosher Memorial Hospital
will give free flu shots next fall
to residents who request the ser
vice now. ■ -
To receive a free vaccination,
residents must contact hospital
marketing director Margaret
s Minuth by Tuesday, January 31. j
The shots will be given through
out the month of September.
Minuthcanbereachedbycall
ing 457-9271, extension 276.
Wlutl "III .mi I II Kill III m I /
by sheriff Ron Hewett last week.
The State Bureau of Investigation
concluded Monday that the jailers did
nothing criminally wrong and did not
intentionally aid Darryl Hewetl's es
cape.
However, the sheriff declared, "Ob
viously there has been a breakdown in
the system."
The jailers failed to count the in
mates every half-hour as required and
did not check the lock on the rear
door, Ron Hewett said.
Lights on the jailers' control panel
indicate only whether the door is open
or closed, and not whether it's locked
or unlocked, he explained.
Written reprimands were issued
each jailer, but they will be taken off
administrative leave immediately and
will resume their duties as scheduled,
the sheriff said. He refused to release
See Escapee, page 9
Behind Town Hall
Offer is made
for beach tract
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
Disagreeing whether or not the
move signaled a shift in recreation
"focus," Long Beach Town Council
. Monday night voted 5-1 to offer
$460,000 for 3.5 acres of land behind
Town Hall and Middleton Park.
Council members said the land
would likely be first developed as
recreational space — for use as a larger
baseball field and a soccer field — but
ultimately could be used for other
government purposes.
Most council members felt the time
to secure the land is now, mainly
because it is available.
"I'm not saying that's going to be
the ultimate recreation site for the
next 100 years," councilman Kevin
See Tract, page 8
‘Pm not saying
thafs going to be
the ultimate recrea
tion site for the
next 100 years. I
can see a town hall
sitting there. We
need to get it, be
cause it's not going
to be available.*
Kevin Bell
Council member
'Breakdown’
keys city woe
with finances *
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
Mayor Norman Holden said Tuesday a breakdown in communications
between city staff and the board of aldermen was to blame for financial
problems revealed last week in an independent auditor's review of books and
records of the City of Southport for fiscal year 1993-94.
"Looking at what was in the audit and what I can recall when we put the
budget together, there was a breakdown in communications," Holden said.
"I'm sure we had the information, but it wasn't pointed out to us in a manner
See Finances, page 15
Welfare reform, economy top the list
By Terry Pope
County Editor
Local legislators who head back to Raleigh today
(Wednesday) to open die 1995 session of the N. C
General Assembly carry with them a mixed bag of
concerns along with their own priorities for the new
? year.
Brunswick County is represented by three Demo
crats in the State House, which became Republican
• controlled in the November election. Can the trio work
well with the new political make-up?
"The world didn't end, it was just the end of an
election," says state Rep. David Redwine (D-Ocean
Isle Beach), who along with Dewey Hill (D-Lake
Waccamaw) represents the 14th House District. It
includes most of Brunswick County.
The minority 98th House District is represented by •
Thomas Wright (D-Wilmington) and includes the com
munities of Navassa, Phoenix and Northwest.
Redwine says his top concerns for1995 are education
and welfare reform. He serves on a welfare reform
study commission, which is expected to present its
findings to legislators within two Weeks. He will also
serve in a new role — as minority house whip, to keep
Democrats abreast of pending legislation changes.
Both political parties favor welfare reform, but Re
publicans carry to Raleigh a mythical mandated "con
tract" with the people and a promise to cut spending by
at least $200 million. The contract also contains eight
points that promise less taxes and less government
interference with the public. It may help a plan to revise
welfare programs for families on public
Changes are also expected out of Washington, for
programs are experiencing a shortage in fends. -
"Welfare is out of control, and many believe it has
caused a moral decay in our society," said Redwine. "I
See Reform, pege t ■
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