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rhone 910-457-4568/Fax 910-457-9427/e-mail pilot@southport.net : _ Volume 68, Number 28 Published evei_,_SI_day in Southport, NC
CASTING OFF
Hie last line is cast off and the Coast Guard 110-footer Staten Island is
underway after an overnight stop at the Southport city pier. Cutters
Photo by Jim Harper
and buoy tenders are periodic visitors here, giving residents and visitors
alike an opportunity to see an oceangoing craft up dose..
St. James entrance
Rezoning may
allow facilities
By Terry Pope
County Editor
Developers at St. James Plantation
say they want to build a village-type
commercial area just west of the
entrance on N. C. 211, protected by a
berm where residents can bike or walk
to the stores and shops without travel
ing far.
County officials feared rezoning the
large tract would allow commercial
strip development along a highway that
is already congested and will become
even more so in the future.
Brunswick County commissioners
Monday sided with St James and
opened the door to commercial zoning
on property that borders N. C. 211 for
about six-tenths of a mile and extends
400 feet deep. Tri-City Inc., based in
Rockingham, manages the 22-acre
tract along with St. James developers.
Mark Brambell, project manager for
St. James Plantation, said if the tract
were to remain residential it would
allow for more driveway connections
than one planned, village-type com
mercial project which the golf course
community has in mind.
“I feel it would be more desirable to
have limited access,” said Brambell.
The tract was rezoned by unanimous
‘The weakness is
in our ordinances.
To sit here and
deny someone use
of their property
because we don’t
agree with what
our ordinance says
isn’t right.’
Leslie Collier
District 3 commissioner
vote of commissioners from low-densi
ty residential (R-7500) to commercial
manufacturing (CM), the same zoning
as the tract directly across the highway
from St. James. Brambell said CM
would allow more flexibility for devel
See Rezoning, page 13
County rekindles
fire, rescue tax talk
By Terry Pope
County Editor '• ^ . .
It’s time to talk about countywide fire and rescue funding options again.
The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners has scheduled a special meet
ing Wednesday, March 10, at 3 p.m. to.debate how to better fund the county’s vol
unteer units,
District 2 commissioner David Sandifer of Holden Beach asked the board
Monday for the special meeting and indicated the county is facing a March 24
4*aHline to submit special bills before the state legislature, the way special fire and
rescue districts arc established by the N. C. General Assembly.
“This is something that’s been left hanging for two years,” said Sandifer. ‘It’s ,
See Fire tax, page 16
Il I I. I - —— ■ . Ml I — I I
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Sanitary 'district
Board changes
are ‘probable’
By Richard Nuhel
Municipal Editor
Southeast Brunswick Sanitary District commissioner Charles Welling
refused a citizen’s call for his resignation Monday, but said there might
be some new faces on the district board of commissioners shortly.
“You’ll probably see a lot of changes in the next month,” Welling said.
“There’ll be some new people if yew’ll just hold your horses.”
Welling’s comment came after district resident Jenny Austin noted
Welling last week had refused to accept the district chairmanship or its
finance officer position. She said he had indicated he might not remain
on the board through November.
“If you have that attitude, you ought to step down,” Austin told
Welling. ,
Last week, commissioners struggled to fill leadership positions after
commissioner Lucille Laster resigned her duties as secretary and finance
officer for the district She told fellow commissioners she intended to
move to a new home out of the district and asked board members to give
her a three-year contract as district manager. She has not resigned her
post as commissioner, though residency is a requirement of that job.
Welling and former district chairman James W. (Bubba) Smith want
ed to hire Laster as manager, but commissioners Ginger Harper and
See District, page 15
Town of Oak Island
Legislators
consider bill
to consolidate
By Diana D’Abruzzo
Staff Writer
Residents of Long Beach and Yaupon
Beach gave their town leaders a hearty
thumbs up at Tuesday’s final public
forum on consolidation, paving the way
for legislation to be introduced to the
Genera] Assembly this week that will
make the Town of Oak Island official.
“We wanted to make sure there were no
major concerns from the public that
would delay the bill being introduced,”
said Long Beach mayor Joan Altman,
after a two-hour-long forum where no
new concerns were voiced. “Now we’ll
proceed and look forward to consolida
tion becoming official July 1.”
Rep. E. David Redwine is scheduled to
introduce the bill on consolidation today.
(Wednesday), Altman said.
Tuesday’s meeting was the final of four
public forums held over the past three
months to answer questions and clear up
misconceptions about the consolidation
of Long Beach and Yaupon Beach.
Used mainly to summarize the main
ideas expressed at prior meetings, the
final forum attracted a smaller audience
of about 80 to Ocean View United
Methodist Church in Yaupon Beach. Past
meetings brought out larger groups, the
first one peaking at about 170 residents.
Facilitator Glenn Harbeck outlined the
last five months for the group, taking
them from the day in October when the
two towns first expressed the desire to
move forward with consolidation to the
information gathering and sharing ses
See Oak Island, page 8
Boiling Spring Lakes
‘Modular’ debate
hits home Thesday
By Laura Kimball
Feature Editor
Nearly 100 homeowners, property
owners and hopeful home builders
crammed into Boiling Spring Lakes City
Hall Tuesday night to discuss the hottest
topic in town: Modular homes.
The public meeting was called to dis
cuss proposed changes to the town’s zon
ing ordinances which \yould allow mod
ular homes in all residential zoning dis
tricts. The ordinance also would include
certain construction requirements for all
homes and provide criteria for transporta
tion, placement of modular homes and
removal of the transportation device
from the area.
Modular homes have been an issue in
Boiling Spring Lakes for almost five
years, but the argument was revived last
month when it was announced that the
city planning board recommended mod
ular homes be permitted in all areas of the
city.
The current ordinance states that mod
ular homes are only allowed where
•The public has a
stigma against mod
ular homes. Right or
wrong, that’s what
they think. I’m con
cerned that modular
homes will reduce
property values.’
David Crawford
mobile homes are allowed. Some town
commissioners are concerned whether or
not Boiling Spring Lakes can legally dis
criminate against modular homes since
See Modular, page 8
Postmaster
closes box
at Bolivia
Shallotte’s
100th year
Ron Law can now be contacted via Post Office Box
One, Bolivia, NC 28422.
Bolivia Post Office visitors will be
missing a familiar face today as Ron
Law is enjoying the first day of his
retirement somewhere else.
Named postmaster of the Bolivia
office in August, 1973, Law was on
hand when the facility moved to the pre
sent site in 1976. Counting his previous
service at Spring Lake, Law takes 33
years of experience into retirement with
him.
Where does the Ohio native intend to
spend his leisure years?
“Right here,” Law said Monday
He said a major reason for his decision
to retire was to enjoy the company of
two 'granddaughters. His decision to
remain in Bolivia is based on its being
located conveniently between the two
grandchildren.
By Laura Kimball
Feature Editor
On Saturday, Shallotte will be one hundred years
old.
In observance of t ie event, a Centennial
Celebration will be helo March 5 to March 13.
Festivities will begin from 6 to 7 p.m. Friday,
March 5, at Shallotte Mi Idle, School with an open
ing ceremony. '
On Saturday, March 6, Shallotte’s Main Street •
win host a Centennial parade, which begins at 10 \
am. at Jones’ parking lot and ends at Shallotte
Middle School.
Storytelling will begin at 11:30 a.m. at the mid
dle school, and much more entertainment will fol
low at the middle school until 6 p.m.
The program includes Brunswick School of
Dance and the West Brunswick High School
Showgirls at noon: The Altarmen and Julie at
12:30; Shallotte Middle School Bell Choir at 1;
p.m.; The Dance Connection at l:30p.na*
See Shallotte, page 13 f
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