► Pageant
Continued from page 1
running it,” Simmons declared. “I
don’t like the way it's being han
dled. None of the former queens
I’ve talked to has had a pleasing
reign, and e\en the parents are dis
appointed in the way the pageant is
being run. The other thing I'm con
cerned about is what they're doing
with county money, and when bud
get time comes up that’s going to be
a big question.”
Specifically, Simmons said she is
concerned about apparent discrep
ancies between financial statements
filed with the county by the Miss
Brunswick County Pageant
Association, and reports from two
former queens about money spent
on them during their reigns.
Kaufman said she had a very diffb
cult time dealing with personality
conflicts that evolved with former
queen Dawn Baldwin and that nega
tive statements surrounding the
pageant stem from that ordeal. She
said past queens have been more
cooperative, making appearances
when asked to do so, and have rep
resented the county well.
“We have nothing to hide." said
Kaufman. “We do the very best we
can with the $5,000 that the county
provides us. You have to spend it on
the girl to make the girl.”
Kaufman said most of the county
funds involved are used to pay for
wardrobes and college scholarships
for the winners. Scholarship money
is specifically set aside in a separate
account. She said state pageant offi
cials are aware of the accusations
being made but have indicated there
is nothing wrong with the way the
Brunswick County pageant is oper
ated.
“They (state officials) would he on
me sooner than the commissioners if
there were something wrong,” said
Kaufman. “We do everything we
can for the girl. We take the girl
anywhere she is asked to go. We
don't ask the parents to pay for it.
We spend it on the girls. How far
can you stretch that money out over
the course of a year?”
The Miss North Carolina Pageant
Association is investigating com
plaints about Miss Brunswick
County Pageant operations, said
Allen Clouse, executive director of
the state association.
Clouse said the Miss North
Carolina Pageant Association has
the power to revoke franchises for
Miss North Carolina preliminary
pageants like the Miss Brunswick
County Pageant, if the pageants are
not in compliance with state rules
and regulations for preliminary
pageants. Each franchise must be
reviewed and renewed annually, he
explained, and can.be revoked if a
franchisee has been found to have
violated state regulations.
“It's our role to make sure things
are done correctly and in compli
ance with the rules,” Clouse said.
“We are aware of the complaints
about the Miss Brunswick County
Pageant and we’ll certainly be look
ing into them, there’s no doubt about
that, and not with one eye.”
The accusations center around
how funds were spent on former
queens — Miss- Brunswick County
1996-97 Dawn Baldwin and 1994
95 Miss Brunswick County Renee
Ward and how much they paid
from their own pockets while serv
ing as Miss Brunswick County.
For example, while the pageant's
1996-97 financial report lists $2,576
in wardrobe expenditures, Baldwin
said her records indicate about
$1,000 was spent on her wardrobe
by the association, and that her out
of-pocket expenses for clothing
totaled $1,156.
The report also states $1,840 was
spent during the year for room,
board, traveling expenses and vocal
and dance lessons, but Baldwin
asserts that she paid many of her
own travel expenses and her family
spent about $1,225 for her voice
lessons. To date. Baldwin said she’s
received $454 of her $ 1,000 scholar
ship award. v
“You are working with young girls
who really think they've won a pot
‘The other thing
I’m concerned
about is what
they’re doing with
county money, and
when budget time
comes up that’s
going to be a big
question.’
Jo Ann Bellamy Simmons
Commissioners’ chairman
of gold at the end of the rainbow,”
said Kaufman. “They swear they
read the contract, but suddenly the
day after the pageant the contract is
nonexistent. There has never been a
single queen that I have given just
one outfit to. We usually give them
an enure wardrobe.”
Miss Brunswick County 1994-95
Renee Ward said her parents kept a
record of how much money they
spent on her during her reign, and
totaled about $9,000 in out-of-pock
et expenses for clothing, travel
expenses and photography. Ward
said she did not receive the $1,000
scholarship because she opted not to
enroll in college.
The total budget for the Miss
Brunswick County Pageant in the
1996-97 fiscal year was $10,219.50;
the total budget for fiscal year 1994
95 was $8,593.07. County finance
officer Lithia Hahn said her office
does not have a financial report for
the pageant for fiscal year 1995-96.
Expenses include costs associated
with participating in the Miss North
Carolina Pageant, wardrobe, travel
expenses for appearance, scholar
ships, photography and rental of the
Odell Williamson Auditorium.
Brunswick County has for several
years allocated $5,000 each year to
the Miss Brunswick County
Pageant.
County commissioner Leslie
Collier said she has heard “com
plaints from the community” about
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the pageant and specifically about
the amount of money spfint on
queens during their reigns.
I ve heard other queens say they
weren t getting financial support,
and that’s why I made a motion at
budget time that any money allocat
ed by the county for the pageant be
used for the queen and her needs,”
Collier said. “When we give money
we re giving county tax money, and
it’s certainly our right to see their
records, and we can request to see
their whole budget. That may be an
area the county needs to look.”
Simmons said she simply wants to
know what the money is being used
for if it is not being used for the
queen’s expenses.
“Until they can Show us vv hat they
did with it, I don’t think the county
should give them any more money,”
she said.
Kaufman said she believes the
complaints stem from disagree
ments during Baldwin’s reign. She
said Baldwin canceled appearances
at the last minute, leaving pageant
officials embarrassed, and that the
two or three appearances she did
make were to benefit her own com
munity service project.
“The only time Dawn went was
when it profited her community ser
vice,” said Kaufman. “If she could
talk about the work she was doing
for the children, she would go. If it
was to attend another pageant, she
wouldn’t attend.”
Kaufman said the figures do add
up on the reports given the county
finance director and that nothing
improper has occurred.
“There is not a day that goes by
where I’m not in my car on pageant
business one way or another,” she
said. “Why pick on a program that
tries so hard to improve the educa
tion of these girls? They didn’t
speak to Christy Small, who was the
best queen I’ve ever had.”
► Erosion
Continued from page 1
year.
Under terms of a proposal from
the committee, the town will be
asked to appropriate $26,000 from
the town’s general fund to foot the
cost of beach maintenance, research
on beachfront dynamics and experi
ments in erosion control. He said
that sum this year may be spent to
purchase a dump truck to haul sand.
The committee has requested
another $40,000 in accommodations
tax money be set aside for beach
projects. The additional two-percent
occupancy tax is expected to gener
ate about this much.
In a final recommendation, the
committee has asked that $60,000
be set aside in a “Special Beach
Reserve Fund” for future nourish
ment projects. This is about what the
original three-percent occupancy tax
generates annually. If this sum is set
aside exclusively for the beach, it
must be replaced as a source of
funding for police, fire, rescue and
sanitation services. Commissioners
to date have used the funds for these
government services, saying the
cost of service is hiked by the high
er seasonal population. TTie original
three-percent occupancy tax may be
used to pay the cost of “any tourist
related” service, under state law.
Bausch said the estimated cost of
nourishment — pumping sand back
onto eroded beaches - is $5 million
per linear mile.
“By and large, we don’t have any
where near the wherewithal to do
anything like that,” Bausch said.
In a comprehensive report to the
board, Bausch reviewed erosion
dynamics which, at Caswell Beach,
result in a steady erosion of the
westernmost sections of the beach
and a shoaling of sand east of
Caswell Beach, beyond the Cape
Fear River mouth.
Discarded options, other than
nourishment and periodic renourish
ment, include building groins or sea
walls - difficult under existing
coastal regulations — and doing
nothing at all.
“A lot of people think this is a
good idea, but I’d like to say it is not
without its costs,” Bausch said of
the option to do nothing.
If the decision were made now to
proceed with a beach nourishment
project, Bausch estimated it would
take five years before the first grains
of sand were spread on the beach
front, given the history of other
nourishment projects.
“The government will not work
quicker,” he said.
A detailed assessment of beach
concerns and erosion control tech
niques has been published in a
March edition of “Caswell Beach
News,” a newsletter Bausch edits
which was mailed by the town to
over 600 property owners last week.
The estimated cost
of nourishment —
pumping sand back
onto eroded beach
es — is $5 million
per linear mile
The newsletter contains a question
naire which aims to gauge the level
of support for municipal funding of
beach nourishment projects.
“Analysis of existing data indi
cates the beach nourishment is a fea
sible way to protect Caswell Beach
and that substantial federal, state
and county monies could be avail
able for cost-sharing purposes
sometime in the future. If this analy
sis is correct, would you support the
town saving money on a regular
basis so as to be able to participate
in a major beach nourishment pro
ject sometime during the next ten
years?” the questionnaire asks.
The questionnaire next explores
levels of support for various rev
enue-generating techniques includ
ing trust funds, use of ad valorem
taxes, use of accommodations taxes
and a reallocation of funds from
other town enterprises.
The questionnaire also asks resi
dents if they are willing to share the
cost of short-term stabilization pro
jects, such as sand pushing to save a
“few endangered homes.”
Consultant William Farris told
commissioners of the town’s partic
ipation with six other local govern
ment partners in formulation of a
Brunswick Beacjies Management
Plan. A report on this regional
approach to coordinate beach stabi
lization efforts is expected in June
and commissioners will likely be
asked to endorse it in July.
Farris said the report will address,
“How do you become advocates for
the cost-sharing (with other levels of
government) that is going to be nec
essary?”
“We’ll be coming back to you with
strategies and proposals and we’ll
be coming back to you as a council
for approval,” Farris said.
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