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volume or. Number 16
Published every Wednesday in Southport. NC
Sewer
District’s
long wait
near end
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
After more than nine years in the
planning and construction stages,
Southeast Brunswick Sanitary
District's 500,000-gallon-per-day
< wastewater treatment plant will be
operational within weeks, a con
sulting engineer told district com
missioners Monday morning.
“The plant will, be able to accept
flow before Christmas,” engineer
John McLaughlin said.
Nearing start-up, commissioners
announced plans to contract with a
Greensboro firm to manage the
district's sewer operation. After
SBSD's attorney Jim Prevatte
reviews final provisions, Water
Technology and Controls Inc. will
become the contract-manager of
the SBSD wastewater treatment
plant.
Engineers planned to conduct
their final construction progress
meeting with sewer system con
tractors Monday afternoon.
McLaughlin said- the general con
struction and electrical contractors
for the plant and pump stations
have only “punch list” items left to
complete. The third contractor, the
firm which has been charged with
construction ot me system s cui
lection system, has substantially
completed its work. McLaughlin
said Brunswick Electric Member
ship Corporation has only to con
nect power to two pump stations to
complete work on the collection
system. That work is to be done
this week, he said.
"Then we can send out notices
that sewer will be available,"
McLaughlin said. When those
notices are sent to district residents
and commercial interests, they can
begin tapping to the new waste
water management system. Upon
receiving notice, customers of
SBSD will have 90 days to tap to
the sewer system, under terms of
the district's ordinance.
"I assume there are those who are
ready to go now," McLaughlin
said.
In fait, there are more than
enough residents, potential resi
dents and business operators stand
ing in line to tap to the SBSD
wastewater treatment plant. Twice
Monday, commissioners had to tell
developers to place plans on hold
until the district could assure them
sewer flow.
Although nearing completion,
contractors still have some clean
up work to be done. Grassing and
landscaping have to be done at the
site of the wastewater treatment
plant. Both the general construc
tion contractor and electrical con
tractor have asked for extensions
on their contracts. McLaughlin
See District, page 11
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
1
9
Photo by Jim Harper
Marchers had a lot to smile about Saturday as they opened holiday celebrations with the Christmas
by-the-Sea parade on Oak Island. Many get to do it all over again this Saturday morning with the
parade in Leland and in the December 19 Bolivia procession.
Few hear schools report
Officials outline
$77-million plan
for improvement
By Laura Kimball
Feature Editor
Empty ehairs filled the South
Brunswick High School cafeteria
Thursday during a commutin'
meeting to discuss proposed im
provements to Brunswick Count'
schools.
The meeting was the third in the
county to discuss almost S77 mil
lion worth of modifications that
may make up the county 's ten s cat
plan. Fewer than ten persons,
excluding district staff and board
members, attended the meeting.
Leonard Pellieer, educational
consultant, explained the school
conditions and the recommended
changes. Overcrowding and outdat
ed facilities were the two most
pressing problems cited in the study.
The district is expected to grow
about ten percent, or 950 students,
over the next ten years, he said, with
the greatest growth being at the mid
See Schools, page 12
Oak Island bridge
EPA to insist
western route
be considered
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
Whether glancing or crushing,
proponents of a second bridge to
Oak Island and roadway corridor
between North Middleton Street
and N. C. 211 at Midway Road were
dealt a blow Thursday when that sit
ing was again panned by the first of
17 environmental agencies afforded
project review.
The U. S. Environmental
Protection Agency in a December 3
letter affirmed its opposition to a
bridge and road between North
Middleton Street and N. C. 211 at
Midway Road. EPA reasserted its
position of last summer that a road
way corridor following Sunset
Harbor Road should be explored by
N. C. Department of Transportation. *
"EPA continues to be concerned
about the potential impacts to
approximately 3.500 acres of rela
tively undeveloped area north of the
‘Earlier EPA com
ments were inaccu
rate, and some of
these assertions
remain inaccurate. I
have no assurance
these decisions are
made on any basis
of fact.’
Joan Altman
Long Beach mayor
Intracoastal Waterway to C. 211
that (three other roadway altycna
See Bridge, page 12
State TTP list
County, towns
work together
on road needs
By Terry Pope
County Editor
Municipal and county officials
will get together next week to map
their priorities for the state's
Transportation Improvement Pro
gram for 2000-2006.
Local leaders are angry that the
draft proposed by the N. C.
Department of Transportation in
cludes a five-year delay ot the sec
ond bridge to Oak Island and set
backs for the Wilmington Outer
Loop connector in northern Bruns
wick County.
The Brunswick County Planning
Department has organized a meet
ing of all towns and county com
missioners for Wednesday. Decem
ber 16. at 1:30 p.m. at Brunswick
Electric Membership Corporation's
district office near Supply.
"This is a starting point." said
Brunswick County
commissioners have
blasted DOT offi
cials for delays and
have invited
secretaryTolson here
to witness traffic
conditions in the
county
county planner Don Kggert. who
said the TIP has generated a lot ol
discussion among towns since it
See Roads, page 12
It’s Christmas time in the city
Activities move to Southport this weekend
The Christmas-by-the-Sea Festival continues
this weekend with home tours, band concerts,
caroling, a flotilla and a sit-stilla.
On Saturday. December 12. from 5 to 9 p.m. the
Southport Home Tour will feature eight
Southport homes, including the historic
Brunswick Inn and the Garrison House at Fort
Johnston.
The downtown area tour begins at Southport
Visitor Center. 113 West Moore Street, and con
cludes at Franklin Square Art Gallery.
Participants on the tour will be treated to enter
tainment from*5 to 9 p.m. in each of the homes on
the tour caroling with the Sea Notes Choral
Society at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church from
6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m., and Civil War activities
throughout the day and evening.
Cost is $8 per ticket before the tour, $ 10 the day
ot the tour. Proceeds benefit community projects
of Southport 2000 Inc., a downtown revitaliza
tion organization.
Also on Saturday the Cape Fear Yacht Club and
The Landing community will sponsor a Parade of
Lights flotilla at 7:30 p.m. on the waterfront.
Judges tor the flotilla will be students from
Southport Elementary School.
Boat owners are encouraged to decorate their
vessels and join in the festivities, which begin
with ;i captain’s meeting at 10 a.m. at Southport
Marina, and conclude with awards, entertainment
and lood at Fish Tales' Tiki Hut at 9 pan.
The Cape Fear Yacht Club also has encouraged
boat and dock owners to decorate for the holidays
in the Southport Waterfront Sit-Stilla December
12-25.
On Sunday, December 13, Brunswick Concert
Band will help residents and visitors catch the
Christmas spirit in a 3 p.m. concert in Hatch
Auditorium at the N. C. Baptist Assembly.
Other upcoming events include Santa Calling,
Santa's I’J Party, various youth crafts and sports
challenges and Breakfast with Santa.
Boaters took advantage of last weekend’s fine weather to decorate
their craft for the Christmas-by-the-Sea flotilla this Saturday.
NEWS on the NET: www.southport.net