March 31, 1999 THE STATE PORT Phone 910-457-4568/Fax 910-457-9427/e-mail pilot@southport.net Volume 68, Number 32 50 cents Easter activity Last weekend it was egg this week the Chili South Brunswick sprinter the Published every Wednesday in Southport, NC Photo’iv Jim Marper Scores of youngsters celebrated the Easter season Saturday in the annual egg hunt held by Southport Parks and Reciealiou i H partment in Franklin Square. More information on Easter observances is in the Neighbors section. Southport still facing tough DECISIONS By Richard Nubel Staff Writer Aldermen may have solidified their policy stand on the “Wal-Mart” annexation, but a full plate of deci sions waiting-to-be-made still'lies before Southport’s governing board. Among the board of aldermen’s unmade decisions are possible sale of the city electric system to Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation and a merger request from Southeast Brunswick Sanitary Distr ict, plus several key infrastructure matters. For the past month, aldermen have appeared to do little more than address the outcry associated with annexation of 31.7 acres of land between the Carolina Power and Light Co. canal and Sandfiddler Restaurant — the proposed Wal-Mart development site. A committee is now being formed to address per ceived deficiencies in land use and development pol icy. With that issue in abeyance for the time being, it is likely the board will return to infrastructural matters from which its attention has been diverted. BEMC offer City and coop officials will meet today (Wednesday) to further consider a BEMC offer of February to buy the city-owned electric distribution system. * Since receiving that February 19 offer from BEMC general manager David Batten, the city has provided BEMC officials with a good deal of financial infor mation relative to city electric operations. The coop has also been provided with a copy of the contract that exists between the City of Southport and N. C. Eastern Municipal Power Agency. Southport became a member of NCEMPA in 1982 and, in return for a power allotment, assumed a share of debt the agency acquired while purchasing owner ship interests in Carolina Power and Light Co. gener ating facilities, including three of the most costly nuclear units the company operates. City manager Rob Gandy said Monday the con See Decisions, page 14 The issues ■ Should Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation’s offer to purchase the city elec tric system be pursued? ■ Should the City of Southport accept Southeast Brunswick Sanitary District’s offer to somehow merge? ■ Should the city devel- ■» op additional overhead water storage capacity and build an additional well? ■ Should the city pro ceed to repair areas of its wastewater collection system that allow groundwater to infil trate? ■ Should the city attempt to finance and construct a new waste water treatment plant? ‘Partnership’renewed CRC steps back, takes second look at coastal rules By Richard Nubel iiarr writer A controversial set of rules aimed at improv ing the state's coastal water quality was tabled by the N. C. Coastal Resources Commission Friday and a facilitator will be directed to impanel “stakeholders” to draft sweeping water quality regulations. The move apparendy has ended a stand-off between the CRC and local government offi cials and has breathed life again into their part nership for coastal management. “This is the coastal partnership of the Hunt administration,” CRC chairman Eugene B. Tomlinson of Southport said Tuesday. “By going this route, we are going to get every body involved and probably come up with a better course of action than we had to begin with.” By unanimous vote Friday in Morehead City, the CRC tabled other provisions of its proposed coastal shoreline water quality initia See Coastal, page 15 ‘By getting the General Assembly and the Environmental Management Commission involved, we have a better chance of realizing the water quality improvements we all desire.’ Eugene Tomlinson CRC chairman Commissioners' retreat Schools funding may go to public By Terry Pope Staff Writer The largest funding issue the county has ever faced could be decided by voters in the fall — whether to approve close to $90 million in bonds for new construction and renovation of county schools and at Brunswick Com munity College. The Brunswick County Board of Commis sioners voted Friday to support holding a bond referendum to pay for nearly $77 million in building needs for schools and another $ 12.8 million bond issue for the college, which plans to construct a new continuing education cen ter on its Supply campus. Consultants estimate the schools need $77 million for new buildings and to renovate out dated facilities to meet projected enrollment figures over the next ten years and to bring classrooms up to standards. Lithia Home, county fiscal operations director, has recom mended that the sale be broken into at least three phases over the next ten years so it won’t be too much of a burden on taxpayers all at once. “If we do this, it will fundamentally change the way we’ve been financing our school cap ital projects,” said Ms. Home. In the past, new elementary schools at Winding River. Belville and Supply have been funded through installment financing deals with private banks and repaid through half cent sales tax revenues renamed to the county and earmarked for school construction. That would change under the sale of bonds, but a plan which spreads that volume over ten years could be just as affordable yet not raise the county tax rate, Ms. Home indicated. Commissioners say they want to meet with the school board to work out agreements on how to frame the bond referendum which may go before voters this November. Preliminary work has the sale broken down into three phases: $44.1 million, $ 16.2 million and $ 16.4 million over ten years. The first $44.1-million phase would include See Funding, page 10 Redwine honored by NCAE Rep. E. David Redwine was honored Thursday by the North Carolina Asso ciation of Educators with its Friend of Education award. The award was presented by NCAE president Joyce Elliott at the awards ban quet of the association's annual conven tion in Raleigh. Redwine, a seven-term veteran of the N. C. House of Representatives, was hailed as a "champion of parents and teachers who want to make North Carolina the best place to raise and edu cate young people." "Rep. Redwine has proven time and time again, when the tide was with him See Redwine, page 10 Among three in state Southport Elementary bus driver earns grant By Diana D’Abruzzo Staff Writer Children already know Margaret Hughes is special_ that’s why they bring her gifts of pink azalea branches, leaves coated with frost, unique rocks picked up at the bus stop. She’s “Miss Margaret" to them: A familiar face who’s been driving bus 237 to Southport Elementary School every day for 14 years; the lady who faithfully makes sure they get to school and back home again unharmed. Now the State of North Carolina knows Hughes is spe cial. Last week, she was recognized as one of three bus drivers across the state to receive a $3,000 renewable scholarship from Thomas Built Buses. The money will go a long way to fulfill Hughes' dream of becoming an elementary school teacher, something she has been working toward for more than three years. “I've enjoyed working with the kids," said Hughes, 37, who was a teacher assistant at Southport Elementary for a number ot years. “Watching when they grasp a concept and helping them experience different ideas in science and writing and reading has been wonderful.” ’ When Hughes took the job as a bus driver in the mid 1980s, she also started working in Southport's cafeteria because there were no other school jobs available. Soon, she slipped into a teacher assistant job, working over the years in kindergarten through third grades. In the classroom, Hughes couldn’t dismiss the joy she See Bus driver, page 11 NEWS on the NET: www.southport.net i

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