Neighbors
The campaign trail passed
through our city as William
Bennett faced nation — IB
Our Town
Boiling Spring Lakes res
cuers face another important
date during March — Page 2
Tessari
cuts deal
Former resident
facing 50 years,
$1.5 million fines
By Holly Edwards
Feature Editor
Former Carolina Karate operator
Michael A. Tessari on Tuesday
entered into agreement with the U.
S. government under which he will
plead guilty to charges of wire fraud
and money laundering.
In the plea agreement Tessari, 37,
acknowledges he may he sentenced
to 50 years in prison and may be
fined up to $1.5 million. Tessari wilf
remain in Pennsylvania state cus
tody until he appears before a U. S.
District Court judge for sentencing.
U. S. attorneys for the Eastern
District of North Carolina and the
Middle District of Pennsylvania
simultaneously filed criminal infor
mation in those states Tuesday
asserting Tessari, formerly of
Boiling Spring Lakes, committed
the offenses while engaged in a
scheme in which over 100 investors
were defrauded of an estimated $6.7
million.
“The information filed today in
North Carolina and Pennsylvania
alleges that, beginning in the sum
mer of 1994. Tessari engaged in a
scheme to defraud investors in
See Tessari. page 11
Better ride
for county
bus drivers
By Holly Edwards
Feature Editor
Brunswick County school bus driv
ers will receive a 50-cent-per-hour
raise and drivers with dual positions
will receive a separate pay check for
each position, following a Monday
afternoon meeting of the county
school board.
More than 60 bus drivers met with
the board at Lincoln Primary School
to voice concerns about recent pay
cuts arising from changes in the way
dual position bus drivers are paid.
In a tie-breaking decision board
chairman Clara Carter voted for the
pay increase, and the board voted 3-1
in favor of separate checks.
Board member Billy Carter voted
against separate checks because, he
said, complete salary information is
See Drivers, page 9
Forecast
Warmer weather will prevail
throughout the period of Thurs
day-Saturday. High temperatures
are expected to reach near 70.
THE NATION
William Bennett faced the nation from Indigo
Plantation Sunday morning in anticipation of
Tuesday's New Hampshire presidential primary. The
former Republican cabinet member, author and
Photo by Jim Harper
manager of the Lamar Alexander campaign was
interviewed with other campaign managers on the
CBS-TV “Nation” program. More on the occasion in
the Neighbors section.
Long Beach councilor
New policy suggested
for council insurance
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
Newly elected town councilor
Frances Allen says insurance benefits
Long Beach provides some of her
fellow councilors are too costly.
In a February 14 letter to town clerk
Pat Brunell, Allen said she hopes to
fulfill a campaign promise by ending
council insurance benefits which cost
the town nearly $26,000 per year now
and could cost Long Beach up to
$45,000 annually.
At Allen’s request, councilors will
debate their insurance privileges at a
rescheduled monthly meeting tonight
(Wednesday).
“No other (area) municipality ...
gives the very expensive and compre
hensive coverage that Long Beach
does,” councilor Allen wrote. “This
coverage adds up to approximately
$6,000 (per councilor) annually and
OTHER AGENDA
ITEMS, PAGE 2
covers the entire family.
“When I campaigned for office, it
was my promise that elected officials
should not get this benefit.”
Town Finance officer Kathy Harvell
said Monday the mayor and six coun
cilors are offered family medical in
surance, family dental coverage and
combination life insurance with ac
cidental death and dismemberment,
which also provides dependent life
insurance.
Four councilors - Jeff Ensminger,
See Insurance, page 7
Caswell. Yaupon
Water quality
questions now
filtering down
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
If Yaupon Beach is to sell the Oak
Island Golf and Country Club treated
wastewater for spray-irrigation of its
golf course, then Yaupon Beach
should be held accountable for the
quality of effluent, commissioners of
neighboring Caswell Beach said
Tuesday.
At the continuation of a meeting
last recessed on February 9, Caswell
Beach commissioners Marcia Whit
ing and Paul O’Connor raised suspi
cions about a portion of a Yaupon
Beach contract to sell treated waste
water for reuse at the golf club. In that
provision, the golf club agrees to in
demnify Yaupon Beach against harm
that may arise from delivery of treated
wastewater plant effluent that does
not meet specified quality standards.
“We, the Town of Caswell Beach,
could end up with an environmental
site remediation program the Town of
Yaupon Beach would not have to sup
port,” commissioner O'Connor said.
the Town of
Caswell Beach
could end up with
an environmental
site remediation
program the Town
of Yaupon Beach
would not have to
support.’
Paul O’Connor
Caswell commissioner
O’Connor explained he feared if
poor quality effluent were delivered
to the golf club and it were costly to
clean, or if fines were substantial, the
golf course could escape liability for
See Water, page 8
Leland zoning
now on course
By Terry Pope
County Editor
County commissioners have
cleared the way for an 850-acre golf
course residential development at
Leland.
The large tract owned by Interna
tional Paper Co. will be rezoned from
heavy manufacturing to SR-6000
(site-built residential), a classification
which allows greater density of hous
ing but doesn’t allow mobile homes.
Leland residents made an emo
tional plea to commissioners at a pub
lic hearing Monday to open the land
for residential use as proposed by
applicant Buchannon Properties Inc.
The firm wants to purchase the tract
and turn it into a golf course commu
nity north of Lincoln Industrial Park
and along Lanvale Road.
“For so many years, we’ve been the
dumping ground in Leland,” said
Parkwood Estates resident and former
county commissioner Rubin Sloan.
“I’m here to tell you we’re tired of
being dumped on, and we're going to
stand up for what is right.”
Parkwood residents appeared in
force to support the zoning change,
which had been denied by the
Brunswick County Planning Board
‘When industry has
a problem growing
up with residential, I
believe maybe
industry has a
problem with being
policed a little bit.’
Suzanne Osborne
but appealed to the county commis
sion. The tract abuts the Parkwood
subdivision and property surrounding
Leland Middle School.
Sloan said Leland council is doing
a good job of cleaning up the town
through zoning regulations and by
making it a better place to live. He
said Leland needs quality residential
space, like that available in other ar
eas.
But county planners saw the debate
in a different light.
“We think the loss of any heavy
See Zoning, Page 5
Effort shouldn't go to waste
More trash today than ever before
By T« rry Pope
Cour..y Editor
Despite strong waste reduction efforts
by many counties and a ten-year goal to
reduce solid waste by 40 percent by the
year 2001, North Carolina is disposing of
more garbage today than ever before.
' Residents tlfrew away more than 7.6
million tons of waste, an average of 1.08
tons for every person, the same rate as in
1991-92, according to preliminary figures
from the state’s 1994-95 annual facility
report.
That record amount of garbage has
left the N: C. Department of Environ
ment, Health and Natural Resources
wondering if recycling is really working.
“We’re somewhat surprised by the
increase because it occurred at a time
when many waste reduction and
diversion programs have expanded,”
said William Meyer, director of the N.
C. Division of Solid Waste Manage
ment.
Brunswick County’s contract with
Vedco Energy Corp. to sort out
recydables and to burn the refuse at a
Fayetteville area incinerator isn’t an
easy solution to the growing garbage
pile, warns Heather Sandner, county
recycling coordinator. {
The Vedco deal which began in
January will accomplish a number of
objectives, said Ms. Sandner.
It will provide an environmentally
sound alternative to landfilling the house*
hold and commercial garbage, ensure 20
See Waste, page 8