January 20, 1999
Strong!
North Bruns
look to brea!
county wres
Phone 910-457-4568/Fax 910-457-9427/e-mail pilot@southport.net ' Volume 68, Number 22 Publisl
07 rsi
O* O
: c > dt ■ ,
'1C”U i
o « o
►3 >- 3 f •
to
It-'.
JM!
CO
■ • '
P3
::e
. CO h -
U'i
cn
) cents
lesday in Southport, NC
REMEMBRANCE
. 'W,,
i-ii-Hs
7Mam :
m
Marchers commemorated the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. in a parade down Howe Street on Sunday, then returned to the
ILA hail for further celebration of his life. On Monday, the obser
Photos by Jim Harper
vance continued in a breakfast at the N. C. Baptist Assembly, where
Dr. Felicia Wilkins-Turner (below), regional director of the N. C.
Human Relations Commission, was guest speaker.
Youth, unity themes
for King celebration
March, community breakfast
honor slain civil rights leader
By Laura Kimball
Feature Editor
T'outh and constant effort toward unity
were the main topics of concern at the
fourth annual Martin Luther King Jr.
Day breakfast.
Held Monday at the N. C. Baptist Assembly
at Fort Caswell, over 150 persons gathered for
fellowship, a guest speaker and discussions
about what Brunswick County individuals can
do to bring communities together.
Discussion was prompted by speaker Dr.
Felicia Wilkins-Tumer, regional director of the
N. C. Human Relations Commission, which
provides services and programs designed to
improve relationships among citizens and
seeks to ensitre equal opportunity. Wilkins
Tumer encouraged participants to become
involved in their towns and to be role models
in their families and communities.
“As members of the community, make a
commitment to do something this last year of
the century and share it with us next year,” she
said.
For example, simply complimenting five
people a day can have an impact on the com
munity, she said.
Group discussions followed Wilkins
Tumer s speech and many of the participants.
like Shirley Coatney, who works in the county
tax collector’s office, agreed that tW) could
make a difference in simple ways like compli
menting someone or just smiling while at
work.
Coatney also was concerned about how the
Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is used.
"Martin Luther King Jr. was always for edu
cation,” she said. “We should take this day to
educate children and let young kids know that
this isn’t a day off just to play basketball.”
Veronica Edge and Jackie White, students at
North Erunswick High School, were part of
Coatney’s discussion group. They would like
See Dr. King, page 5
Defensive move?
SBSD seeks
merger, city
keeps quiet
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
Making public what had been dis
cussed in secret for months.
Southeast Brunswick Sanitary
District commissioners Thursday
night asked the Southport Board of
Aldermen to annex the district.
SBSD commissioners, after turn
ing down Brunswick Electric
Membership Corporation's offer to
purchase the district wastewater
management system Thursday
morning, appeared before the city
board of aldermen that night, asking
city officials to consolidate the sani
tary district and the city. The consol
idation, or annexation, would be of a
very large area that is not contiguous
to the city. The consolidation could
only be effected by act of the N. C.
General Assembly. Existing annexa
tion law neither permits the city to
forcibly annex the district nor per
mits the district to petition for
annexation.
“We, the members of the South
east Brunswick Sanitary District
Board of Commissioners, request
annexation of Southeast Brunswick
‘It’s apparent from
all concerns, there
are people out there
that want us.’
Gene Formy-Duval
SBSD commissioner
Sanitary District % the City of
Southport, and I have the paperwork
here," SBSD chairman James W.
(Bubba) Smith announced to afder
men.
City mayor Bill Crowe allowed no
public nor board comment on the
SBSD request. He said a workshop
on the district proposal would be
held, but no date was set at
Thursday's meeting.
' Crowe and others confirmed last
' week a proposal to consolidate the
City of Southport and SBSD had
See Merger, page 6
Council resignation
Bell says work
will take its toll
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
A 12-y.ear veteran of first the
board of commissioners of the
Town of Long Beach and later Long
Beach Town‘-Council. Kevin Bell
Tuesday night said he will not stay
around to serve the Town of Oak
Island governing body.
After a closed town council ses
sion Tuesday night. Bell offered his
resignation from council, asking
fellow councilors to relieve him of
his responsibilities to the town gov
erning body as soon as possible and
no later than 60 days.
In other business before town
council, plans for a sidewalk along
West Beach Drive were discussed
and a petition from neighboring res
idents opposed to a planned boat
launch camp upgrade at 20th Street
SW was received.
“After 12rplus years I hate to get
out. but the timing is right, consid
ering my age. my opportunities and
interests." Bell said.
Bell said he plans a major expan
sion of his company, Bell Supply, to
one or more locations outside
Brunswick County. Sites in Wil
mington. Fayetteville and Myrtle
Beach, SC, are under consideration
and Bell believes the travel required
See Council, page 14
NAACP
criticizes
dismissal
By Laura Kimball
Feature Editor
Though a full house greeted
Brunswick County school board
members Tuesday night, not every
one was there to observe board
appreciation month.
Many were there to show support
for a former county coach who lost
his job.
After T-shirts, artwork and other
gifts from county schools were
handed members, Leslie Myrie,
during a public address, expressed
See Dismissal, page 9
Coastal advisory council
Horne out, Riley is appointed
By Terry Pope
County Editor
The chairman of the Coastal Resources
Commission Advisory Council was voted
off that board in a surprise move by
Brunswick County commissioners Tuesday
and replaced with Long Beach resident
Rupert Riley.
Wade Home, village manager at Bald
Head Island and former Brunswick County
planning director, had served three years as
one of the county’s two representatives on
the council and was most recently elected
its chairman.
District 5 commissioner Bill Sue of
Leland says he wasn’t happy with Home’s
performance and made the motion to
replace him, which incensed District 3
commissioner Leslie Collier of Long
Beach. Sue’s motion passed 4-1, with Ms.
Collier opposed. '
“This was a complete and total shock to
me, said Ms. Collier following the vote. “I
cannot believe this happened tonight.”
Ms. Collier said Home was supportive of
county coastal issues and had most recent
ly walked the county’s land use plan update
through for N. C. Coastal Resources
Commission approval. The advisory coun
cil studies coastal issues and makes recom
mendations to the CRC on policies that reg
ulate development along the North
See Coastal, page 8
The man you are nominating
has fought valiantly against
beach renourishment, and some
projects that you have spoken
very elegantly for, including a
second bridge to Oak Island.’
Leslie Collier
District 3 commissioner
Wal-Mart
receives
city invite
By Richard Nubel
Municipal Editor
Southport aldermen could not
say “no” to Wal-Mart.
Paving the way for a develop
er rumored to be courting Wal
Mart as anchor for a $ 12.5-mil
lion retail development just out
side present city limits, aider
men Thursday night voted to
exempt commercial develop
ments from a year-long morato
rium on large subdivisidns,
voted to rezone for commercial
See Wal-Mart, page 7
— NEWS on the NET: www.southport.net ■