Volume 69, Number 5
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Published every Wednesday in Southport, N.
Phone 910-457-4568/Fax 910-457-9427/e-mail pilot@southport.net
HURRICANE FLOYD: The aftermath
Oak Island strand
Much progress
but more work
before opening
INSIDE
■ Flooding remains a
problem at Boiling
Spring Lakes and Bald
Head Island; Southport
looks to solve its long
term drainage predica
ment; Caswell Beach is
nearly back to normal.
■ Brunswick County
Health Department sets
priority of assisting
victims of hurricane.
• ■ ' .: . ; • . ■ •
By Richard Nubel
Staff Writer
In quicker fashion than some had thought
possible, the Town of Oak Island scraped and
dug and picked and cleared its way through
wreckage of its beachfront this week.
While tons of Sand have been scraped from
Beach Drive and the process of extracting
debris, sifting sand and returning it to the
beachfront has begun, access to the danger
ous and exposed beachfront remains restrict
ed.
“Slowly, but surely, we are going to be
opening up sections of the secured access
area,” Oak Island co-mayor Joan AJtman said
Tuesday. “The primary need now is to let
Brunswick Electric restore service. We are
going to work deliberately to allow folks to
See Beachfront, page 12
Photo by Jim Harper
Once the protection of the duneline was lost, front row homes on Beach Drive
were at Hurricane Floyd’s mercy.
Western Brunswick
Floods continue
to plague county
By Terry Pope
Start' Writer
Brunswick County extended its state of
emergency status for another week
Tuesday while residents in the
Waccamaw community deal with a ris
ing river that still has not crested.
County commissioners learned state
officials will conduct aerial spraying to
combat a mosquito infestation exacerbat
ed by heavy rains from hurricanes
Dennis and Floyd. As of Tuesday after
noon, no date had been set for spraying,
but county public information officer
Huey Marshall said residents will be
informed ahead of time to avoid coming
in contact with the insecticide and to pro
tect local beehives and pets.
“We’ve asked for as much notice as
possible to alert our people,” said
Marshall.
The swollen Waccamaw River was
expected to crest at 18 feet above flood
stage today (Wednesday), but another
flash flood warning issued early Tuesday
for western and northern parts of the
county only added to the severe prob
lems residents face with the rising waters
brought on by Hurricane Floyd.
At least 21 families remain forced from
See Waccamaw, page 6
rnotos by Jim Harper
Fellow National Guardsmen mourned Leon Reece Penland Jr. as Oak Thursday to honor him, and give thanks for deliverance and relief.'
Islanders joined them at Ocean View United Methodist Church on
The ultimate sacrifice
By Laura Kimball
Staff Writer
le Oak Island community watched with concern and sym
pathy as about 70 National Guard members filed into
JL reserved seats at Ocean View United Methodist Church
Thursday.
“We have become a community of friends through our com
mon grief." the Rev. Fred Roberts said, less than 24 hours after
SPC Leon Recce Penland Jr.. 21, died while serving on Oak
Island. While on patrol near the 800 block of Caswell Beach on
the night of Wednesday. September 22, Penland's Humvee vehi
cle hit a washout on the beach strand and overturned. Three oth
ers, local emergency personnel Mike Gregory. Christy Snapp and
Jill Ward, were badly injured.
"We are here to celebrate a life's beginning." Roberts continued.
A National Guardsman, staling straight ahead, wiped tears
from
See Guardsmen, page 3
. • .... . .; .. .. t,-- •• v •- • ;* •.;
Celebration of Oak Island to be welcome change
By Richard Nubel
Staff Writer
Let's face it: Oak Islanders need a break. They need a day
to reflect on community and to forget for the moment the
unique challenges posed to the community in recent weeks.
Oak Islanders need a celebration of Oak Island.
And, that’s just what they’ll get next Saturday, October 9 —
Celebration of Oak Island, the acknowledgement of commu
nity life observed in Long Beach for several years as Family
Fest.
Celebration of Oak Island will offer island residents a
chance to come together, to meet friends, experience good
food and entertainment and to reflect on all things good this
community has to offer. -
The name change, ffOm Family Fest to Celebration of Oak
Island, is more than window dressing. Organizers say it is
reflective of the strength achieved in the uniting this year of
Yaupon Beach and Long Beach as the new Town of Oak
Island.
“Since our consolidation as the Town of Oak Island, we felt
Family Fest had served its purpose well for the Town Of Long
Beach,” said coordinator Kellie Beeson of the Oak Island
Recreation Department. "It is basically the same, a family
unity event, but it now includes the former Yaupon Beach as
part of our community.”
Celebration of Oak Island events will begin at 10 a.m. at
Middleton Park next Saturday with a concert by the
Brunswick Concert Band. Throughout the day of family fun,
celebrants will be treated to continuous entertainment by
local talent and to games and competitions. Many civic and
government organizations will present information booths on
topics ranging from sea turtles to CPR to beach preservation.
Organizers of this first Celebration of Oak Island admit
they’ve borrowed heavily from the Family Fest format, but
some new twists have been added.
'To start with, we’ve tried to ineorporate some of the ‘Taste
of Oak Island' into the celebration,” Ms. Beeson said. All
restaurants operating in and around Oak Island have been
invited to prepare some of their most special recipes to offer
as a food tasting for Celebration of Oak Island.
"The idea is not to have a meal, but to get a taste of some
See Celebration, page 19