Comr
BY SUSAN USHER
A previously-rejected request to
set up a revolving loan fund to help
subdivisions improve their roads fell
upon new ears at a Brunswick County
Board of Comnvssioners meeting
Monday.
On Commissioner Jim Poole's moticn,
the beerd instructed County At
torney David Clegg to draft a
preliminary' resolution for consideration
on Feb. 4. the first step of a process
that coniri take several months.
That action was part of a lengthy
meeting which saw only the fifth
agenda item considered after two
hours. They also met behind closed
doors for about two hours, until approximately
Ii p.m., to discuss lop
candidates for the county finance officer
position.
They did not encumber any county
funds as yet and will not for at least
several months.
In November 1984 the previous
board rejected the loan fund idea on a
split vote, but residents of Brooks
Road in the Seaside area took thenCommissioner,
now Chairman, Chi is
Chappell at his word when he sug
r-l
riu, Lull
BY TERRY POPE
Monday morning's bitter cold
temperatures weren't exactly what
Brunswick County school officials
were hoping to see following a week
of high absences due iu colds and influenza.
Several county schools last Friday
reported absentee rates of 25 percent
to 30 percent of the student enrollment
due to flu Absenteeism rates
soared to around 50 percent at
several schools Monday morning as a
result of both the weather and the recent
flu outbreak.
At Shallotte Middle School, 412
studenis oui of i ,077 enrolled did not
show up after schools opened one
hour later than normal Monday morning.
Secretary Elaine Wright said
an average of 100 to 150 students were,
absent each day last week with the
flu.
Coici-Weati
I
I
BY SUSAN USHER
As temperatures piummeieu
across the area, demand for electrical
power from Brunswick Electric
Membership Corp. reached a
record peak Monday morning.
General Manager David Batten said.
Even wltn loaa management Controls
in operation, demand surpassed
the reeord 102,000 KW summer peak
established !" iiw hv several thousand
KW, Batten said, for a record
peak demand equivalent to about 106
or 107 megawatts.
Demand for electrical power is
highest normally between 5:30 a.m.
and 8 a.m., peaking about 7:30 a.m.
Batten said Monday's high occurred
closer to 8:15 a.m.. probably in relation
to later openings ot schools and
BEMC has connected 1,482 services
with load management switches,
with plans to install 10,000 over
Sunset Br
Struck Ac
1 Continued F r
He said several factors made it
possible for crews to restore traffic
so quickly Last week, including good
working weather and cooperation
from both other departments and
from local volunteei fire and rescue
units.
"They took a load off us and we
were able to concentrate our efforts
on one thing," he said.
The Brunswick County road
maintenance crew took over 11*
small boat ferry service from
volunteers late Sunday and operated
Monday and maybe Tuesday," said
Rill Ren ton countv road engineer
TV> also built and maintained the
rsmns for tkp Landing craft Imtv o?r
vice that operated between
Bcnapsrte Landing and the island
causeway. That service was
8BB2822SSS
f fj "u 1 i
4
missioners V
Rested they conic hock und try c^oin
with the new board.
could ,4opcn ? c:*n nf worms." causing
more problems that it solved.
l \m aU It
3 ??f=?U!!!fc?! r
'Ii .as u5u last week,' Ms. Wright
said. "Parents have just been keeping
their children home if they think
they may be coming down with the
flu."
The entire fiftH-orade muut at
Shallotte Middle was without heat
Monday morning as county
maintenance employees worked to
repair the problem, Ms. Wright said
At West Brunswick High, the cold
spell struck amid first-semester exams.
An hour delay in opening school
Monday morning sent teachers and
students scurrying to class as Principal
Roland English announced the
exam schedule would remain as
planned through Wednesday.
Attendance Secretary Ruth
Johnson said that of West's 969
enrolled students, 138 students were
absent last Thursday while 112 were
absent on Friday. She spent Monday
ier Power De
a three-year period. The rural
cooperative went on load management
automatically about 5:30 a.m.
and came off It about 9 a.m. Monday,
Ratten said, saving about 2,500 KW cf
ueiimnu. At a demand charge cf
$10.29 per KW. Batten estimated sav
lugs of $20,725 for the co-op Monday
morning.
The unusual demand and severe
cold weather put strains on the
system, with outages experienced in
varying locations. Isolated problems
began occurring about 11 p.m. Sunday,
but most interruptions in power
occurred dunng the peak hours between
5:20 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Monday
The longest outage, affecting the
heaviiv-ioaded west end of i>oiig
Reach laden annrnvimatelv three
hours, Batten said. When transmission
was lost, he said, BEMC had
trouble picking it back up because it
irlrsf^
?
jain
am Page 1-A)
operated by tlic state's ferry division,
while the traffic services division
made directional signs and helped
with traffic control, he added
Sunset Beach residents generally
praised the speed with which state
agencies responded to the emergency.
At a meeting after the bridge was
struck, Sunset Beach Town Manager
U/olloss* ?? ? u r*
kill iomj J'eirpu ireali,
Slate Secretary of Crime Control and
Public Safetv. "It f#?lt of*A h<.inti
able to get bold of state officials on a
Saturday It sure reduces your level
of frustration."
And one 'oca! realtor, Greg Gore,
confessed, "You always think of the
state as being slow, but they responded
fast The fart we got surh a fast
response eased a lot of the tension."
A
The residents, with Mrs. Marshall
Brooks as their spokesperson, want
commissioners to advance them the
money to bring their road up to the
standards required for acceptance in
the state secondary road system,
then allow them a year after tile work
is completed in winch to repay the
loan.
Under the plan the county would
add the bill to their county tax notice,
along with each property owners'
pro-rated cost of the proceedings.
Several residents have refused to
help pay for the work in advance, but
nlnr<Or/1 to not- OT1PO it i?I OOITV.
- r - - "o? - w
pleted. Mi's. Brooks said the community
wants the county loan
because the county "can collect it"
and, she added in response to a question
from Commissioner Frankie
Kabori, because similar loans aren't
available through banks.
Several members of the past board
suggested such a revolving fund
Vill Conside
But Mrs. Brooks said the revolving
fund?for which the previous board
had set aside $50,000?is a good way
for the county to help its citizens and
to improve the community.
With only $50,000 set aside. Commissioner
Grace Beasley noted, the
county could commit to only one project
at a time of the scale of the
Brooks Road project. Mrs. Brooks
suggested the loans be made on a
first-come, first-served basis.
Clegg said several persons iiau approached
him in the past about the
funds, in addition to the two pending
projects.
Construction costs alone for the
Brooks Road project were estimated
by the state last year at $26,000, and
commissioners will request an updated
figure.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Beasley asked for
background information on the project.
The county has advanced money
for roadwork before, but in the case
of Water Wonderland subdivision,
the money was collected from
residents before the work was begun.
aU^
revising attendance figures as late
buses kept arriving until after 10
a.m.
Several classes at Union Primary
School huddled in the school library
to keen warm after heaters failed to
keep classrooms warm in the older
sections of the building, said
Secretary Kay Varnum.
Of the school's 737 students, about
40 to 50 percent were absent Monday,
Ms. Varnutn said.
"It's been very poor attendance,"
she said. "About 20 percent of the student
body was out with the flu last
week. It's not been raging that bad
yet."
Parents of kindergarten and firstgrade
students were keeping their
children home because of the threat
of catching flu, she said.
"We have one or two classrooms
without heat," she said. "There are
manci Tops F
was during the curly morning pcuk.
in Afhnr otijers, customers msy
have experienced outages of several
minutes only.
Demand was greater tlian the Prospec!
transmission stotion, now
undergoing a 13.5 million enlargement
that will double its capacity,
was set to handle. BEMC shifted
some of the load to transmission stations
at Whiteville and Wilmington.
But Batten said that while 5-degrec
weather was a strain on the system.
Tuesday's forecasted low of 15
degrees was expected to cause no
problems.
a. Atk
Feb
Valentir
by "B
BRACH ASS7
WftlontinQ I
V VI I wi I I II I I
*16* f?
Men's Shirts & 3w?
Men's Winter Coa
Men's Suit Sportcc
Levi ^ LPP Fnncv J
$
Boy's Coats
Winter Dresses ...
Winter Coats & Sk
todies
Catalina Sportswc
45" wide
Quality & Craft Cc
Lorge Group Ol
Levi, Lee & Chic Jc
>r Providing
rather than when it whs coniplstcd.
Rather than a gift or simple loan,
the advance is technically a
"statutory special assessment,"
Ciegg noted. Conuiiissioners must
ciivci a t-u cuiiuiuii > lesuiuuon, noia a
hearing, advertise and then vote to
adopt an assessment resolution.
Thei'i the cycle ucgiiis again as tliey
develop, certify and approve an
assessment roll. The appeals procedure
available to property owners
who disagree with the assessment extends
into district court.
"There is no way to get around it,"
said Clegg. "This is what we have to
do."
About 40 to 45 peopie live on Brooks
Drive, which has about 80 lots. All
lots have been sold and the developer
is no longer obligated to maintained
the streets and the residents are not
providing maintenance themselves.
The road has fallen into disrepair. At
one point mail delivery was halted
temporarily because of road conditions.
Their petition was the first of three
requesting an advance of funds. The
i i I^I i
other parts where there is little heat.
The maintenance men have hail their
hands full."
After learning of the heating situation
at Union Primary Monday, Ms.
Varnum said, many parents began
picking their children up from
school.
The last school bus had arrived at
Bolivia Elementary School by 11:15
a.m Monday morning, said Secretary
Kay Lemlcy.
Of the school's 495 students, 168?or
about 35 percent?were absent Monday,
she said. The school was not experiencing
difficulties with heating.
"Since Christmas, the flu has been
keeping our attendance down," Ms.
l/tmley said.
last week, 30 students were out on
Monday, 28 on Tuesday, 45 or
Wednesday, 48 on Thursday, and 29
on Friday, she saiu.
rior Record
Mo rlusnUuid most ol Uw collirelated
problems in three categories
1) lightning-scarred lines or conduc
tors tiiat drew up and snapped in tin
cold and required resleeving; 2
blown transformers as a result ol
overload in ? particular area; ami 3;
blown fuses in even inure localized
situations.
BEMC buys its electricity from
Carolina Power & Light Co. CP&I.
reduced its voltage by i>% ui ubuui j
a.m. Monday, but the difference
should not have been noticeable.
Customers are also being asked to
coascrvc energy.
Ac.
.. .A&wumki
ie Cards
uzza"
CHOCOLATE
Heart Boxes
5 $!6"
eaters 25% OFF
ts Up to 14 OFF
>ats Up to 60% OFF
earib 5 i4!! Up
Vi Price
Vi Price
- 1 / M.f
ins vi rrico
Up To
?ar. Vi Price
>tton H4* yd.
Volue* to $35
jans *14"
THE BRUNSWICK BEACON, 1
Revolving I
second group has since privately obtained
the money needed. The third is
uan. urove uoau, where residents
want a loan for paving.
*r? 1 nAtM<
a' uvai a viut
Gwen Ellis, representing Social
Worker Supervisor Evelyn Johnson
of the Brunswick County Department
of Social Services, askeu for
clarification of the board's recent
vote establishing itself as the
county's focal point on aging, a status
previously assigned their department.
Chairman Chris Chappell said the
department 110 longer has that
responsibility and that a decision will
be made soon regarding a related
half-time position in the department.
He said commissioners took the
responsibility themselves to allow
time to establish the kind of program
for the elderly they want the county
to have.
Things To Come
In response to a question from
Brunswick County Department of
Social Services employee Debbie
AUlridge of Southoort. Countv
Manager Billy Carter reaffirmed
that county personnel who worked
overtime during Hurricane Uiana
last September would receive either
overtime or compensatory time cff.
The county is appealing a decision
by the Federal Emergency Management
Agency not to award grant
relief for that purpose. Depending in
part on the results of the appeal, the
enmity will decide later on whether to
pay overtime. Whether compensatory
time off is the only compensation
available, or il Ls i'nu uiuiiiuu
chosen by the employee, the
employee will not lose those credits,
he said.
Earlier in ttie meeting Ms.
Aldridgc told conuuissioncrs that. In
her opinion, a policy that requires all
county employees to live in the county
could backfire.
She suggested that because
employees live in the county doesn't
mean they will necessarily do a better
job. She said the policy could
result in the county losing the opportunity
to hire qualified employees,
i that the county could suffer in terms
of employee performance
She added, "There are a lot of peo;?!;i
hjriul frnm u/ifhtn thn emmtu nrwl
believe me, some of them ore slack."
t (J};;.- Iljj-U....
In other business, the board:
Heard Crom Tax Collector Nancy
Mwirt thai un ot Jun. 1, fVtt.0% ot Dw
1984 $12.4 niillion U*x levy lu** !.H?cr
collected, along with $270,000 in back
' taxes through foreclosures.
1 Approved plans for encouraging
nubile nartielruitinn jn rfyixlntl of Hie
county's CAMA land use plan. These
i Include, at three stages in the planning
process, Joint public workshops
by the commissioners and planning
board members most directly
related to each township, meetings
with special interest groups for input
and coordinating efforts with those of
nearby counties and municipalities
Approved advertising to fill the
lib'i
Boxed Sc
Vale
With Er
Brachs Bag
Conversatit
Cinnamon Irr
Most
Winter
i Merchandise
Reduced
I ens
'// !.
OEPARTMil
2H3J3CHZE
Downtown Shallotte
['hui sday, January 24, 1985?Page 3-A
.oans
water management and mosquito
control equipment operator position
previously lield by Wayne Edwards,
salary' $12,532.
-Approved a change order, with a
$2,637.84 cost increase, for 232 addi
tional feet of pipe installed by
Somersett Landscaping Inc. in
1 4U _ M.-ina liaa
ICllA-OUllg VI1C VUUIIVJ nuvvi 1U1C
away from the north approach of the
new Holden Beach Bridge. Even with
the increase, the contract is still
cheaper than the second bidder's.
County Engineer Dan Shields said.
Agreed with County Manager Billy
Carter and staff's recommendation
to reject an $874 grant offer from
the Federal Emergency Management
Agency to repair stream
blockage irom Hurricane Diana.
Carter said it would cost the county
more to spend the money than it
would receive, but that the documentation
of the blockage?even though
much of it did not qualify under the
disaster program?would give the
county data it needs to seek "finer
and better tilings" in the area of
water management through other
state and federal programs.
Appointed Marie Brown, nurse,
District I; anu reappointed Fred
Lesh, pharmacist, District 3; to the
Brunswick County Board of Health;
reappointed Pauline Morgan and
Kenneth Bellamy, District 3, to the
Brunswick County Hospital Authority;
ami appointed Commissioner
Grace Bcusley to the COG Regional
Emergency Medical Services Advisory
Committee; and at Ms.
Benslcy's recommendation, appointed
County AttOiTiey DnVid Cicgg
to the l.ower Cape I'"ear Water and
Sewer Autliorlty.
Announced the official resignation
of Chris Chappcll and former Commissioner
Carl "Mackic" Kormy
Duval from the Brunswick County
Social Services Board.
Accepted for referral to the state
Slt-2 petitions to add Basin Street and
Westover Drive and the roads in Oak
Haven subdivision to the statemaintained
secondary road system.
Because not all property owners
along the right-of-way had signed,
took no action on a request to submit
a petition to the state to abandon proposed
Stella Bond near Inland. County
Attorney David Clegg advised
commissioners they had no authority
in the family road dispute, which he
said was more properly a matter for
the state transportation department
i t?r Uw court*. 'Ww \?rnY*>Mw\ vr*k*\
i would provide the only access to a
t subdivision that lias received
preliminary plut approval from the
I county planning board.
Accepted (he dedication of the
Hock Crab subdivision water
distribution system to the county.
At Chairman Chris Chappeli's
direction, asked Engineer Dan
Shields to report 011 voluntary growth
Ul tile Wldcf ? I'n'iii niong its
southwestern seumcnt. includlnu
footage of water lines dedicated by
developers to the county, their value,
number of lots served, and tire like.
llpr*
:hool Kids
ntines
welopes
ged Candies
n Hearts &
iDerial Hearts
Ladies'
Winter
n x_
DUUI3
Reduced
.*4 ?* ft*!***** WACOM
.J .V
rpiio
*T STORE J
754 4846