TH
Volume 23, Number 10
Sunset B
BY SUSAN USHER
Passage by car across Uie intracoastal
Waterway to Sunset
Beach was expected to resume as
early as Friday, less than a week
after a barge rammed and destroyed
a 50-foot section of the community's
poontoon swing bridge, state
transportation officials announced
Tuesday afternoon.
"If the weather holds and we don't
run into any unforeseen difficulties
we will finish up significantly ahead
of schedule," said Jim Sughrue, chief
spokesman for the N.C. Department
of Traasportation. "Traffic could be
restored by the end of the week."
Jack Edgerton, area bridge
manager for the N.C. Department of
Transportation, said Tuesday it appeared
vehicle traffic would resume
Friday.
Until transportation is restored,
Sughrue said, officials are asking
that only residents and those with
legitimate business on the island use
the temporary ferry service
operating while repairs aic completed.
Information on Island access
car. be obtained by calling 57SW020 or
5?<M021 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The phones are staffed at a joint command
post established at the Sunset
Beach Volunteer Fire Department.
Calls in reference to emergency
situations should be routed through
the Brunswick County Sheriff's
Department at 253-4321.
The Marine Safety section of the
U.S. Coast Guard's Wilmington
District office is investigating the incident.
It was uncertain Tuesday
what charges, if any, would be filed
Sr. connection with the incident, but
Suglirue said tl* state plans to
recover all that is possible within the
limits of maritime law.
Meanwhile, a combination of
f
Cardim
BY SUSAN USHER
A staff analysis by Cardinal Health
Agency Inc. of Lumberton recommends
thai agency's board of directors
approve an apDlication from
Autuuui Corporation's to build a nursing
home in Brunswick County.
Members of the Ixiard's evaluation
committee were to consider that
recommendation along with proCalabash
To Update
KY TERRY POPE
Calabash town council members
voted unanimously Monday afternoon
to seek the engineering services
of Jerry I*'wis and Associates of
Shallotte to prepare an updated
feasibility study on the costs of installing
a town water system.
However, before Lewis can be officially
hired as the town's engineer,
a long-standing contract between
Calabash and Peirson and Whitman
Inc. of Raleigh must be legally
broken. According to Mayor Soma
Stevens, s feasibility study prepared
b> the Raleigh engineering firm in
November 1975 is still binding
against the town until November
1985.
On a motion by Marie Brown, the
board voted to nave town attorney
Mike Isenberg negotiate with the
company over breaking the contract,
provided it dees not cost the town
snore thsr. JSCS to do so.
' We may not have to pay." Stevens
s?m But ss need to ss ? how
Frink To le
Calabash Councilman Michael
Krtnk told fellow board members
Monday afternoon be must resign
from the council within the next two
to three weeis.
"I'll have to be leaving the
council." Frtrk said Frink. IS. will
be moving into a new home be has
recently put chased thai lies cytsde
the tcewn limits (iounrtl members
must be residents d the town
Board members agreed Monday to
begin cunssderuig an appointment for
the partition that will be up for ri
I
IE DDI
IL imt
)
19*5 THE BRUNSWICK BEACON
ridge T r<
private motorboats, state-provided
Boston wiuicia sr.d ar. LCU, nr
military-type landing craft boat,
shuttled both non-resident property
owners, construction workers and
residents to and from the island. Officials
said the island was experiencing
a "mini construction boom" with
31 houses in various stages of completion
and numerous service
vehicles going to and from the island.
Emergency and other official
vehicles had top priority on the ferry
service, with others served on a firstarrival
basis.
"We don't really have a disaster,"
commented one transportation official
during a planning session Sunday
evening. "We iust have a
transportation interruption
problem."
Among the non-residents trappec!
on the beach were a group from
Winston-Salem that included Annette
Daniels, who had flown to the coas)
and rented a car. She at lived or. th;
island about one-ha If hour before the
bridge got knocked out.
South-Round Tug
The 65-foot tugboat Angela M out ol
Virginia Beach, Va., was pushing t
barge laden with bridge pipe k
Jacksonville, Fta., when it veered of)
course and rammed the bridge aboul
11:40 a.m. Saturday, ripping oui
three 17-foot sections of the bridge
approach on the island side as well a:
the fender, and causing slighl
damage to a fourth section. The swinging
barge section cf the bridgi
was not damaged and water traffic
was allowed to resume passage Sun
day.
Not knowing the extent o
submerged debris or other hazards
Brunswick County Emergencj
Management Coordinator Ceci
I-ogan had closed the bridge to al
3/ Staff Recor
posals from applicants and publit
comment at a hearing Wednesday
Jan. 16, at 1 p.m. at Southport Cit;
Hall, llieir recommendation wiii gi
to the board of directors, whicl
meets Jan. 23 in I.uinberton to con
sider the Brunswick County nursini
home project applications.
Autumn Corp. is one of six firm
seeking approval to build all or par
Council Wc
i Town's" W<
much in case we do."
The $500 would be for the plans tha
Pcirson and Whitman Inc preparer
in 1975, but that were never accepter
by the town. Town Clerk Jane
Thomas said. Several counci
members labeled the 1975 plans a:
"outdated" and questioned hov
valuable the study would be to tlx
town now.
"It wouldn't be useful because tlx
town's changed a lot since then,'
Councilman Michael Frink said.
In seeking the services of l>ewi
and Associates, the board aisr
downplayed an offer recently dtodos
ed by Ocean Isle Beach developei
OdeU Williamson. At a rneetmi
orgamred in November by towi
residents to discuss obtaining vratei
UI1U sewei srnrnrs, n .luoiiuwn m
fered to build a system for the town
as o private venture
Although council members did no
diaruss Williamson's offer Monday
(."lark CaUanan. one or ihe organise*
1 * m COflauilin- "lllini w ?idy 'hi
tave Councii
election in the fall. Fnnk said he ma;
be moved into his home before th
council's next meeting on Jan. 28
Keep us informed. Send us a let
ter or something so well know." sail
Mayor Soma Stevens
Fnnk was elected to the board t
November ISO. along with four othe
candidates who ran unepptsed to
five seats on the board It was ttt
first attempt at public office.
Krtrik. a native of Calabash, i
iSBjiarl inanager of the farmi
rr^^nrd, J ? *'?
jimS Willi
Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, Janu<
attic Couid Rei
i *.
i s ; ,sa
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^iarj.?t^v".:^.;
- "? * y . \ ' - v>. ,
t :?5$iL -a*
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r I - ^ '* vO?- . . .T' .
| STUDENTS BOARDED the ferry at Bonaparte's landing
Monday afternoon that also transported a school
. bus to the Island. Of 27 students on the island, 21 were
t transported by boat to a waiting bus on the mainland
Monday morning, said School Supervisor Bill Turner,
waterway traffic Saturday night un- he said.
- til an underwater survey and any The operator of tl
necessary clearing work could be lifted as Jim Kel
' completed. When he could not con- Beach, Va., by Bi
, tact Chris Ciiappaii, chairman w ? * Danny" Hewt-U, s
t county board of conunissioners, he radio contact with
1 made the decision to close based on after Uie incident. 1
1 his own judgement of the situation, by Seatow inc., whi
amends Autumn Cor
; of 100 long term care beds identified White and Mu!b*
, by the state as needed in Brunswick Shallottc at an es
I County. J1,7S3,000. 'Use proj
i The staff recommendation can be port of the Shai
t upheld or rejected; in either case, a Aldermen. Autumn
- minority irpoit is allowed. operates ,n nursing
j The Rocky Mount-based firm pro- Carolina and Virgi
poses to build a 110-bed facility, with beds,
s the project name Autumn Care- Spokesman Sa
i Brunswick, at the intersection of Autumn's home c
Mount said the
delighted with the n
iVA + C I *-S\A/Io place ranking.
II I 1 O L^Wib That ranking wi
consideration by the
* Ox factors related to c
OTUQV cost containment ai
/ resources such as fi
sonnet. These inclui
town s water and sewer needs, spoke ^ ^ djem charf
t in lasur o. u?r town .U o?,. raUo ^ adml
1 system. Callahan spoke to the council revenuc to)I LS<
i in positive tones, asking that they rfoniiar
t move ahead in their plans for jected a financi
! building a water system. geographic accessit
5 "We ve been waiting for the coun- offcnnRS an
r cil here to approve hiring a feasibili- Geographic acce
? ty study engineer," Callahan said. was t.ofnpared ^ t
"Then we're going to put the lines in. ltnn care Un u
. We suggest that the town own It. tjon ^ ^
Ms. Brown told other members of
the council Monday that several town
s and county officials she has talked ?
j with recommended hiring lewis to Coun
. conduit the town's feasibility study.
r She spoke against keeping Peirson BV jjuSAN
? and Whitman on as the town's ResidenU of floo.
j engineers. Brunswick County c
r it's a known fact that we don't (of much ^g^,. j
" U< Rrnwn added. "Sol i_iranr? ^
, don't see why wc can t take a vote to home3 and
get rtd of them."
t Both she and Councilman Virgil County cotnmist
, "Tink" Coleman were appointed by ficials ot the six nn
* Sl^tss t? f"? iiwi's cwiSiii. fMrtlcipatc in the pr
- to ?tndv water and sewer needs act on tlie results 01
Callahan said the committee is open study completed 1
to anyone who would like to join the Federal K merger*
group to discuss obtaining water and Agency, which a
sewer services federal insurance pi
Annexation Axed A public meetin*
y By unanimous vote Monday, the results of the i
c council denied a request for satellite preliminary flood
uuxuiimii ?am norm ? uie town maps based oc it
;- limits on N.C 179, the ate of an Oasis FEMA Tuesday, Ja
i Food Mart the public assembh
Following a public hearing that Brunswick Count
i> lasted for about IS minutes, the board Center in Bolivia C
r ended a six-month-long wait for a specialist in the At
r owners of the convenience store, fice ot FEMA, will
s They bad requested annexation tow- sioo RepresenLauv
tain a ucrrae to seii beer and km as and the muntctpai.
s well as to receive specified town ser- Hollen Ocean Isie
y vices Mayor Stevens said a main and Long beaches
it-..-ii -enu p???i.ii Shallotte will attend
fHOftG 8 SONS BOOK BINDERY
SPR INGPORT MI 49c:64
Dry 1 /, iVb5 25c Per Cc
>ume Early A
i
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as 'kt-.
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v. v.; ;.-'
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1* ? -?: * >
SJAM fMOIO ?Y IIMV fOfl
who Is in charge ol pupil transportation. Students wore
liicjackcts for the 30 minute ride to the island, assisted
by Turner and Emergency Management Coordinator
Cecil Logan. Turner said the student transport proginm
was "working nut quite well."
operated by Jim Wiiiiams, also of
tie tug was idea- Virginia Beach, Va. The tug and
ley of Virginia barge were boarded by the U.S.
idgctender J.D. Coast Guard below little River, S.C.,
?ho said he had south of Sunset Beach, but then
Kelley shortly allowed to continue its trip.
The tug is owned Shagruc said the replacement
eh is owned and work, including nil costs but salaries
p. To Build Nursinc
f v rry
Streets in within the county should reflect proxtimated
cost of Unity... to the source of prospective
ect has the sup- patients."
lotte Board of Since there was "no one best site"
Corp. owns and for geographic accessibility, four of
homes in North six applicants?all of those from Supinia
totaling 717 ply to Shailotte?received a "2," the
best possibly score,
liy Brown of Autumn Care compiled a total
iffice in Rocky score of 18 followed by Ocean Trail
company was and then Beverly Care. Autumn
ews of their first- received ratings of cither 1 or 2 on
seven of nine factors. Beverly Care,
is derived from with 28 points, earned 1 or 2 on three
Cardinal staff of factors.
:ornm unity need, Cardinal's findings say Autumn
id availability of will build its 32,816 square foot faciiinancing
and per- ty on a paved municipal road with
ded development water and sewer available, on a site
je. bed to staffing one-half mile from the fire departnistratlve
cost to meru wiiii a hydrant less titan 300 feet
in of their past away. Ambulance service is
ice with that pro- available about one rnile away. Basal
comparison, ed on these site factors, Cardinal
glity, alternative ranked Autumn second best, just
d site factors. ahead of Beverly Enterprises, which
ss for instance proposes to build on a site adjoining
he agency's long the Brunswick Hospital in Supply,
cy recommcnda- Autumn proposes to also offer
i, "the location adult day care. It has more staff per
ty To Review Flood Insu
L'SHER members of the general public,
d-prone areas of developers, realtors, surveyors, the
ould soon qualify media and the Brunswick County
evels of federal league of Women Voters.
itectior. for their While the result* will effect how
es. buildings are bum in ?i Uui win of
nontrs and of- I
u/wopsliUss that
[ *? B a ?r\2?*3BEB-'--i
m J*u .or ur . f-viGG Tc Up?n
fLlSdTS I . Ajectl^rfttelx^w^Fot- j
rocram
7 . Had" caa to open to thettfiafc
% to review the .
.ludy and the Jn- ??>?***.
[ insurance rate Mahood, director c4 the
I will be held by N .C DlvUion ?f_ Marine
r, 22. at > p m at rbheria, amoncM Tuesday.
buildm* at the Oyster* cm tn the
I) Government li*~" T""**"*
arol S. Campbell, ?P^? by haoxt. OflB, total
ianta regional Of- votatfeer* i?ha mere prid a
[conduct the **- m^xmm per-tactoeiCffre.
L of the county TW? ^ rereatactaarf ta |
lues of CtrweU, ?fl i?ffl be P?tM
[&ket Yaupon
, Southporl and Startoe Fuowlea.
| Also invited are "
w
t!|V
TM
ipy 22 Pages
vs Friday
and expenses for the emergency
mangement personnel on the scene,
is expected to cost about $270,000,
That cost estimate was based on DOT
working its crews 14 days during all
available daylight.
Strike Was Seen
Several persons were eye
witnesses to the event, including
Sunset beach Police Chief William
Hill, Bridgetender J.D. "Danny"
Hewett of Shallottc and drivers who
liad been waiting on both sides of the
waterway to cross the bridge.
Police Chief William Hill was in his
patrol car with Atlantic Telephone
Membership Corp. employee Ronnell
mariowe wnen uie incident occurred.
The car was parked at Twin l^kes
Restaurant, on a hill near the bridge
overlooking the waterway.
"I told Ronnell,' I,ook at that joker.
He can't handle it; he's going to hit
the bridge," recalled Hill.
The bridge opened when the barge
was still nbout one-half mile away,
partly because of its erratic nassnee.
As tlie barge passed through a man
was situated on the bow of the boat,
apparently to help direct the pilot,
bystanders noted.
"He was all over the waterway,"
ssid RriitortenHer Dnnnv Hewett. He
talked with the tugboat operator by
radio shortly after the incident and
was told tliat wind had buffeted the
barge's high load of pipes, reportedly
causing Kelley to lose control of the
barge.
Beach resident Ruby Mew, bundled
in a Sunset Beach Volunteer h ire
IX'partinent jacket, said she was
waiting third in line to leave the
beach when the incident occurred.
She and her husband Dennis are ren(Continued
On Page 11-A)
MOKE PICTURE COVERAGE
ON PAGES 10-A AND 11-A
I Hnmo
f ( IWI V
bed titan other applicants propose
and the lowest projected daiiy
charges, according to the Cardinal
analysis. No preadmission deposit is
required and a 3 percent had de!>t
charity allowance is indicated.
estimated cost per square ieoi ul
$53.59 "appears reasonable," Cardinal
indicated, and compures
favorably with other applicants.
Autumn has the second lowest total
ana construction cast per square
foot, as well as the third lowest total
cost per bed of <15,989.
The firms seeking to build in the
county are as follows: Brttthaven
Inc., Triad Medical Services/Ocean
Trail Convalescent Center, Autumn
Corp., Health Care and Retirement
Corp. of America, Beverly Knterprisc:
or.d Un'four Medical
Managernent/Cypress Springs. Britthaven,
HCR and Autumn Corp. plan
to build in our around Shallotte,
Beverly plats to build in Supply and
lJnifour/Cyt>ress Springs in Bolivia.
Triad would expand Ocean Trail Convalescent
Center in Southport,
presently the only nursing home in
the county.
irance Study
the county, Planning IJirector John
Harvey said tie didn't think the study
results would come as "too much of a
surprise" to local builders and
developers He has sent copies of the
study to various county officials in
arm ntL vurimi* at atfrinilhir* rrv*.
quito control and industrial development
lor comment on how the
change* will affect those areas.
Preliminary maps presented in
i#T? --*?-Nriv Kv
(arming interests in the WaccamawAsh
area, he added The more detailed
study appears to contain few major
changes, he said.
At Ocean Isle Beach, Building Inspector
T D Koberson emected
more ot a reaction from developer*
The greatest changes on that town's
maps occur in our Hood elevations
along the first and second row, which
have increased at least one foot arw
in some case* three feet, he said.
While much of the ocearfront is
already developed, any future
redevelopment would be affected
Developers of Ocean Cove con(See
COUNTY, Page t-A |
I