July 28, 1999 Phone 910-457-4568/Fax 910-457-9427/e-mail pilot@southport.net Volume 68. Number 49 Sgs1" - * U) 1 * CO-4^^ & H U'i o 50 cents sweets ’es grown right ;'lV>ck County *T) t ' ‘X some Ur nmer days, but J. Haw Hill - 1C Published every Wednesday in Southport, NC v. •• ■' ,V •• Photo by Jim Harper Turn me Up, Buttercup One of the summer’s coolest maneuvers came on the summer’s hottest day— Yaupon Exxon wrecker (and a little body-english from bystanders) at the at 10:30 a.m. Friday when an overturned ice cream truck was righted by a Sacred Heart Catholic Church comer. HARGROVE Hargrove new Union principal By Diana D'Abruzzo Staff'Writer There will be no familiar faces in the principal’s office at South Brunswick High School this year. The last of its time-honored administrators, assistant principal William Hargrove, has taken a job in the other end of the county. Hargrove will lead Union Elementary School as its princi pal this year, taking over for Zelphia Grissett, who left to take a job in the central office as human resources supervisor. He follows the exits of princi pal Sue Sellers, who was trans See Principal, page 7 BRUNSWICK SCHOOLS iid Year-end scores mixed By Diana D’Abruzzo Staff Writer There are ups and downs — that we know. We know that more students in Brunswick County are excelling in subjects like chemistry, physics and civics, but I ewer arc passing state tests in biology and freshman English. We know that despite major decreases at South Brunswick High this year and major increases at North Brunswick High. South still exceeds Noith in the num ber of students passing overall. But what does that metin'? That we don't know — at least not yet. Preliminary test results released from Brunswick County schools this week show no pattern of ups or downs at county high schools on state end-of-course tests, though as a whole the county saw growth on eight of ten tests. "We're seeing positive growth in the majority of our Subjects, but we still have See Scores, page 6 ‘You will have spikes and fluctua tions in the high schools because you are not dealing with the same group of kids every year.’ Supt Marion Wise How safe are schools? By Diana D’Abruzzo Staff Writer Teachers know what steps to take if a tornado warning goes off in school. They know how to shuffle their kids out of the classroom when the lire alarm rings. But there's no step-by step practiced plan in place if gunfire should erupt in a Brunswick County school. And that's what teachers and ptirents want, according to the prevailing opinion at a Safe Schools Workshop for school officials and community members last Wednesday. "I know what to do with my kids if there is a tornado or a lire, but what do 1 do if a situation like in Columbine occurs — 1 want step one, step two. step three," said La Verne Hargrove, a teacher at South Brunswick Middle School. The workshop was a chance for folks — teachers, princi pals, city officials, sheriff’s deputies, parents and high school students —- to brainstorm ways to make schools safer. “Our primary focus is on academics," said Marion Wise, superintendent of Brunswick County schools. "They came to school to leant, and they have a right to learn, but we can't teach them until they feel good about where they are. “If students feel good about their school, good things will happen. If they don’t feel good about it, bad things will hap pen." Elaine Wright, a teacher at Shallotte Middle School, told the group about her recent trip to Colorado, where she visited Columbine High School where two students opened fire on their classmates, killing many before taking their own lives. "It was so quiet and so sobering to look at it and say. "There it is,'" Wright said. “To see it on the news, it looked so tar See Safe schools, page 7 County thoroughfares Billboards sign of things to come By Terry Pope Stall Writer Mary Hawes owns 6