Sports
South Brunswick came up
three short in a 11-1A loss to
Tar Heel on Saturday — 1C
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Cooperation is key to successful 1998
Southport examines
utility infrastructure
By Richard Nubel
News Editor
A commitment to infrastructure improvements dominates the
“wish list” of things to accomplish in 1998, city manager Rob
Gandy said. But, for a year of accomplishment, 1997 in Southport
will be a tough year to follow.
“I feel like we had a lot of solid accomplishments in 1997,”
Gandy said, noting a new electric rate structure to reward load man
agement efforts, a new city visitors center and a new floor in the
city gymnasium.
While that record of achievement will be difficult to surpass,
Gandy has an eye to some fairly large and complex infrastructure
See Southport, page 8
‘The (wastewater management) needs of the
region are certainly going to have an impact on
what the city proposes to do.’
Rob Gandy, Southport city manager
‘The town has taken steps to build self-sufficiency.
This is born out of continuing faith in our work
force.’
Jerry Walters, Long Beach manager
Long Beach looks
at long-term plans
By Richard Nubel
News Editor
A 50-50 mix of planning and execution is likely in store for resi
dents of the Town of Long Beach in 1998, town manager Jerry
Walters said this week.
Of course, Walters and staff have yet to discover all that a coun
cil with three new members has in store for it this year. But with the
town’s budget as a guide and with projects in the planning stages or
nearing completion, a course of work for 1998 can clearly be seen.
“I think we’ll be able to summarize 1998 as a year of both plan
ning and action,” Walters said.
Noting the town will continue its path to development of yet
See Long Beach, page 8
Pregnancies
Program
addresses
male role
By Molly Edwards
Feature Editor
Approximately 200 teenage girls
in Brunswick County become preg
nant each year and most of them
shoulder the burdens and responsi
bilities of parenthood without a
father figure, said Linda Shaddix,
coordinator of the Teen Family
Development Project based at
Brunswick Learning Center.
“The guys have the notion that
it’s the girl’s problem and if she’s
not on birth control that’s her prob
lem,” Shaddix said.
To help change this mindset
among teenage boys, the project
was awarded a $30,000 Z. Smith
Reynolds Foundation grant to hire
a “male involvement coordinator”
to help teen fathers acquire parent
ing skills and accept the duties of
fatherhood. The coordinator also
will conduct workshops in county
high schools about pregnancy pre
vention and the consequences of
teen parenthood for teens who are
not fathers.
“Historically, throughout the
country, females are the center of
every teen pregnancy prevention
program developed,” said Lori
Bates, executive director of the
Brunswick County Partnership for
Children. “It’s about time we start
talking to young men about the
role they play in this problem.”
Local statistics show that the
younger the teen mother, the older
the father, and that most fathers of
babies borne by teen mothers are
not teens but are in their 20s or
30s, Shaddix said.
“We need to educate both boys
and girls about the dynamics of a
relationship between older men and
younger girls,” she said. “Often
men aren’t thinking about having a
baby when they’re involved with a
See Pregnant, page 12
What’s inside
Opinion
Police report
Business
Obituaries
Calendar
Schools
Church
TV schedule
Classifieds
Photo by Jim Harper
‘Twas the day after Christmas, and all ’long the strand all the creatures were splashing, and thinking it
grand.... But nothing like Friday’s 63-degree, sunny weather is forecast for this week, so a more traditional
New Year’s celebration is expected on Oak Island.
1-40 bypass
route is key
to economy
By Richard Nubel
News Editor
While the attention of most who
travel to and around Brunswick
County has been focused lately on
prospects for a second Oak Island
bridge, it is another state transportar
tion improvement project that is
likely to bring more visitors and
many more dollars to this county
than any ever before.
A route for the Interstate 40
bypass of the City of Wilmington
into Brunswick County should be
chosen soon, state Board of
Transportation member Michael
Mills said. Mills, of Wilmington,
was appointed by Gov. James B.
Hunt as an at-large member of the
N. C. Board of Transportation. He
has long family ties to Brunswick
County and has championed the
See Bypass, page 6
MILLS
Dosher, CP&L open
joint fitness center
By Holly Edwards
Feature Editor
A fitness center to serve Dosher Memorial Hospital and Carolina Power
and Light Co. employees has been opened.
CP&L provided space for the facility adjacent to its media center, and
Dosher Memorial allocated $25,000 for fitness equipment.
Some have questioned the hospital’s use of public money for a fitness
center that is not open to the public, but hospital administrator Edgar
Haywood said the center is part of the wellness program required by the
hospital's new health insurance plan. Eventually, he said, the hospital
plans to market the wellness program along with fitness center member
See Fitness, page 6
Flotilla charts course to national award
U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 10-05
has received national honors for its courtesy
marine examination and marine dealers visita
tion programs.
The flotilla, which operates out of Coast
Guard Station Oak Island, was honored by the
Marine Dealers Association of America at the »
auxiliary’s national convention in Dallas, TX.
Floyd Henry of Leland, flotilla commander,
and Stan Ash of Long Beach, who has led the
vessel examination effort the past three years,
accepted the trophy v\ltich goes to the flotilla
with the most outstanding program.
The flotilla has ten vessel examiners who
conducted 492 examinations in 1996 and more
than 500 in 1997.
Ash received a letter of appreciation from
Lt. Cmdr. C. A. Haines, commanding officer
of G'ust (iuard Group Fort Macon, commend
ing him for his leadership.
The flotilla offers free courtesy marine
examinations to boaters on weekends at the ,
North Carolina Wildlife boat ramp in
Southport and other locations during the boat
ing session.
James Flowers of Boiling Spring Lakes is
the flotilla’s staff officer for marine dealer vis
itations.
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