Sports
North Brunswick looks for
second-round playoff win
against Mt. Airy team — 1C
Ehoto by Jim Harper
This is prime time for southward migrating yachters, and also prime time for south-bound yacht watch
ers, as sunny days and brisk northerly breezes seem to call forth at least a little sail for proceeding down the
Intracoastal Waterway.
State response mixed
Caswell Beach Road
is threatened by sea
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
State Road 1100, better known to
locals as Caswell Beach Road, is
threatened once again by the steady
Forecast
The extended forecast calls for
mostly sunny skies and near record
low temperatures for the period of
Thursday through Saturday. Highs
will only be in the mid 50's.
INSIDE
District Court .. 9
Church.
Obituaries .. . . .8B
Schools .4C
TV schedule ,... 5C
Business ....... 7C
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creep of the ocean.
Town commissioner Bill Boyd
Thursday told fellow commissioners
the erosion rate beside Caswell Beach
Road from the Oak Island Beach Vil
las to Caswell Dunes may have
reached 4.5 feet per year. A mere 18
feet of sand separates the road from
the Atlantic Ocean at the closest point.
Boyd and commissioner Bob Spake
recently met with N. C. Department
of Transportation engineer Doug
Bowers, Bob Stroud of the state Di
vision of Coastal Management and
others to lay plans to move Caswell
Beach Road landward. A stretch far
ther to the east was moved some years
ago.
Reaction of the state officials was
mixed.
“Bowers said if we had ten feet
(separating the ocean and road) they
would take some drastic measures to
shore-up the dunes,” Spake said
“We’ll keep measuring.”
As things stand now, it appears
DOT may be convinced to push sand
See Caswell, page 6
Bald Head 'point'
effort progressing
By Jim Harper
Staff Writer
Bald Head Islanders have raised $410,000of $1 million needed by Decem
ber 31 to forestall major development and help preserve Cape Fear in it present
state.
Smith Island Land Trust board president Nancy Maguire reported Monday
that a pledge party on the island over the weekend raised the total of cash and
pledges to $410,000.
Another pledge party will be held on the island November 30, after a No
vember 29 public information session brings the preservation project into
See Bald Head, page 6
TOP STORIES ON THE INTERNET www.soutliport.net
County rates at issue
v{ .■■■ — — —
Long Beach to test
water on well plan
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
It was a close call for Long Beach
Town Council Tuesday night.
But. by a narrow 4-3 margin,
council members and mayor Joan
Altman decided a water supply
study performed by consulting engi
neers suggested a plan to construct a
well held and water treatment plant
is feasible enough to proceed with
groundwater testing.
If l ong Beach proceeds to devcl
op its own groundwater source and
water treatment plant, it will cease
to he the largest municipal water
customer of Brunswick County.
Also Tuesday night, councilor
Doris Hertel appeared to catch fel
low council members by surprise,
tendering her resignation from
council effective February 1. Hertel
said she intends to leave council for
personal reasons and her decision to
do so was a difficult one. She did
not elaborate.
“I'm sorry we won't be able to
continue to benefit from what you
have to offer," mayor Altman said as
council accepted Hcrtel's resigna
tion. The mayor said a new coun
cilor will be seated at council's
February meeting.
Altman broke a 3-3 tie of coun
cilors to enter the next phase by
which council will determine if
Long Beach will develop a well
field and treatment plant for its
drinking water. Consulting engi
neers said initial costs of drinking
See Long Beach, page 6
Larger than original plan
County will pay more
to start school offices
By lerry Pop*
Countv Editor
Redesign work on the new schools
central office building has forced it
over budget.
But Brunswick County commis
sioners voted unanimously Monday
to dip into the county’s fund balance
to pay the difference and to award
contracts to the low bidders so the
project can proceed on time.
“The project has been so success
ful up to this point," said architect
John Thompson of Southport. "It’s a
disappointment that we didn't arrive
at the $2.4-million figure.”
Instead, the school administration
office, cooperative extension build
ing and combination staff develop
ment center will cost $2,708,809. It
will be constructed along the south
ern edge of the planning department
parking area at the county govern
ment center near Bolivia.
Low bidder for the general con
struction phase was Smith Construc
tion Co. of Whiteville at $2,037,800.
‘It’s a loose fit. It’s
not two sizes too big
for both folks, but
maybe a half-size
too large to allow
room for growth.’
John Thompson
Project architect
Other contracts will be awarded to the
following: Kelly Plumbing,
$106,700; Pridgen Brothers for me
chanical work, $ 122,809; Harris Elec
tric, $334,650.
Under earlier plans, school officials
had asked for 15,000 square feet of
space and cooperative extension
3,000 square feet on a $1.8 million
budget. Thompson studied the request
and determined it would be inad
eauate for future erowth and needs.
What has been designed is 20,000
square feet for school administration,
4,000 square feet for cooperative ex
tension and a 2,700-square-foot staff
development center adjoining the two
buildings which can be shared by the
agencies.
“Each had asked for a staff devel
opment and training area, so it made
sense to build a shared facility,” said
assistant county manager Robert
Hyatt. “Generally, we were quite
pleased with the bid results.”
Hyatt said the current trend in pub
lic projects is having to readvertise
because of insufficient bidders. It is
becoming more rare to be able to often
bids on time because the amount of
work available exceeds the limited
number of qualified bidders in the
area.
The original estimates were not
based on the actual project that is be
ing built, said Hyatt, nor did it include
a joint staff training center. Commis
See County, page 6