'State P
BY SUSAN USHER
After a 33-month delay, town commissioners
quietly rezoned the old
"State Park" property at Holden
Beach from single family (R-l) to
multifamily (R-2) last Thursday
morning with a unanimous vote.
The item, tabled since fall 1982,
was added to the agenda of the called
meeting of the board through a standard
procedure that requires the
ujjciiiiiiiuu.1 tuiiacm oi an memuers
present. The board had met to consider
two other rezoning matters and
* IW I Ml IIUKSWKK UACON
I
HOOG &
SPR iNtjpl
Volume 23, Number yv
s
Rope
Suspect
Moved
A Shallotte man charged with the
Saturday morning rape of a Shallotte
convenience store clerk has been
moved from the Brunswick County
Jail for his personal protection.
"I've sent him away for safekeeping,"
Brunswick County Sheriff John
Carr Davis said Tuesday morning,
noting that threats liad been received
from "several" groups, including
one telephone caller Monday night
who identified himself as a member
of the White Patriots Party. The
white supremacy organization,
previously called the Confederate
Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, held a I
march in WhiteviUe Saturday.
Churtial with first degree rape and
hold under $50,000 bond Is Elwood
Pigott, 22, of Mulberry Street,
Shallotte. His first appearance in
court was tentatively slated Tuesday.
Shallotte Police Sgt Kodney Clause
said he arrested Pigott about 6:30
p.m. Saturday at his place of work,
Hill's Food City in Shallotte, alter obtaining
medical and other evidence.
Pigott allegedly entered the Oasis
Food Mart on N.C. 130 in Shallotte
between 6 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Satur
(lav and raped the clerk on duty, a
white female in her mid-20s.
"He grabbed her and held a knife
to her throat and dragged her to the
storage room near the cooler and
raped her," said Gause.
The man had been loitering in the
store, he added, and was seen by
three people as they were leaving the
store. One person who knew Pigott
jokingly warned the clerk to "watch
him," Gause said. The clerk didn't
know her assailant, tie added.
When the loiterer was out of sight.
Gause said, the clerk had secretly
called the sheriff's department.
Following the incident, she was
taken to Brunswick Hospital in Supply.
where she was treated and
release.
Man indicted For
Role In Hurricane
David' Case
A man facing drug conspiracy
charges in Brunswick County
Superior Oburt last week was indicted
by the Brunswick County
Grand Jury for his involvement in
the September 1979 "Hurricane
David" casePeter
White appeared on the court
docket for unrelated charges of conspiracy
to possess marijuana,
felonious attempted possession of
marijuana and felonious possession
of marijuana from a 1981 arrestWhen
the Grand Jury returned Last
week. White was indicted on four
counts of conspiracy and trafficking
of manjuana stemming from the 1979
"Hurricane David" incident
In that drug conspiracy , a shrimp
trawler ran aground in the Locfcwood
Kotly Inlet with atxait 4.009 pounds of
marijuana aboard. The drug operation
was given the name ' Hurricane
David" because the vessel ran
aground while Humcanr Dond was
centered Mi the North Carolina
coast
?
ark' Proper
a funding request.
The park Issue was brought up at
the request of Commissioner Jim
Griffin, who was excused from the
rezoning vote since he has an interest
in the tract owned by Holden Beach
Realty.
Holden Beach Realty proposes to
develop a multifamily project on the
property which would have no
greater density. Griffin said, than
created by duplexes in the same
general area.
The tract, owned by the realty firm
1RT ^-s
COUNTY CONSTRUCTION SUPKRV
backhoe operator William Karl Todd u
that broke Thursday when an eml
Carolina Bank's main office in Shallot
Beach switched to their own wells for
Friday evening.
State Seek
Views On
Beach Brie
BY SUSAN USHER
If you've got an opinion on the proposed
replacement of the pontoon swing
bring to Sunset Beach, the N.C.
Department of Transportation wants
to hear it
A pubiic hearing on the bridge has
been scheduled Tuesday, June 25, at
7:30 p.m. at the Sunset Beach Kire
Station. It will follow the same format
as a similar hearing held two
years ago, at which the majority of
the 80 to 100 individuals present
spoke out against a proposed high
rise bridge
Hearing Officer William A. Garrett
Jr. will explain the location and
design of five alternatives, right of
way requirements and procedures,
relocation advisory assistance and
the roles of state and federal government
m the project- The alternatives
consist of two high level fixed span
bridges and three drawbridges varying
from 14 feet to 40 feet clearance in
the closed position. Two, Nos 2 and 4,
are on the east side, while Nos. 1, J
and 5 are on the west side of the existing
bridge.
Those attending the hearing can
comment or submit materials for inclusion
in the hearing record, be said
Since the May 27. 1982. two of the
fire bridge alternates have been
revised Garrett said maps, including
re visions for Alternates 1 and
X. and copies of the emriroranental
assessment were to be available for
review at the Sunset Beach Town
Hall as of Wednesday
J
AT HOLDE1
ty Rezoned i
since the mid 1960s, was at one time
offered to the state for a park. It lies
west of the pavilion. It is 423 feet wide
at the oceanfront and extends back to i
the Intracoastal Waterway. It is i
bounded hv rnmmprrial nrwvirtu
(f.vps.1^ ah |
two points. .
Following an August 2,1982, public
hearing, commissioners had been ;
poised to act on Ordinance 82, the I
rezoning, but postponed it at Griffin's <
request until the Sept. 2 meeting. The I
planning board had recommended in i
favor of the rezoning by a 4-1 vote. j
1MC11/I
ll^??l
rth Carolina, Thursday,
wT.
V*.. rnCiC i~ SUVSH
ISOR Dairy Summerset watches as
mcovers a 12-lnch counts' water main
Mnknu-nt collapsed behind United 1
te. The towns of Shailotte and Sunset
water until service was restored late
s More
Sunset
Ige
Alternate 1, DOT'S recommended
choice, is a high level fixed span
bridge with 65-foot vertical clearance
that would pass to the west of the existing
bridge. From the beach side,
the bridge would cross over the
waterway then N.C 179 near the fire
station, curving back into it on the
straight approach leading toward the
town
As revised, Garrett said. Alternate
1 is shorter and at an estimated $5.25
million, would cost about $1 million 1
less than the span first proposed.
The new bridge span would be 10
feet shorter, at 2,+40 feet, and the ap- ]
proach woukl also be shorter.
The approach "turns into 179 a lit- (
tie faster." but is still well within acceptable
design, Garrett said. A
shortened route was necessary to
avo?d the Sea Trails Links golf course
now under construction.
Garrett said the golf course was
not deliberately built in the path ai
the bridge i
"We never did have an approved
location," he said "We didn't finish <
the environmental work or anything j
after the first hearing It was basical- I
ly put on the shelf." j
Bet the state wants to get an ap- j
proved plan on file, he added, so that
right-of-way acquisition can begin
and future development m the area
can be worked around the bridge
route.
When initially proposed. Alternate
1 required no relocating of homes or
I See BUDGE, Page I-A)
N BEACH
For Multifan
At the 2 meeting, the item was tabl
eel "until the next regular meeting." a
Then, on Oct. 4, it was deleted from r<
the agenda. The realty firm was l>
undergoing a reorganization at the
time for tax purposes, Griffin later tl
said. ir
Town Attorney Doug I>edgett of ti
Southport had advised, in a memo to n<
the board made available last Thurslay,
that it would be within the n
uoard's legal rights to act on the ol
ssue after a delay of nearly three n
t'ears. ' T,
!CK#1
May 30, 1985* "" "" 25t
Towns S1
\ A /I \ A /
VVI1WI1 vv
BY SUSAN USHER
Two southwest Brunswick County N
towns temporarily resumed pumping si
their own water last Thursday after a N
break in the county's main disrupted 5(
service from Shallotte to Calabash bi
for more than 24 hours. ~
After locating the break behind p]
United Carolina Bank's main office pi
in Shallotte about 3:30 p.m. Thurs- si
day. a crew began work immediate- H
ly. Sendee was restored about 7 p.m. u
Friday, but not before Sunset Beach
Town Clerk had heard from water pj
customers from Sea Trail to it
Bonaparte's Retreat subdivisions. pj
Most other water users between w
Shallotte and Calabash noticed little
change in their water pressure. w
It was the first break of the line at it
that location, Brunswick County ri
Water System Director Kenneth p
Hewett said. About four months ago,
a break was repaired at Sassapan b
Creek near Brick landing. n
TU 1 - * *- ?
muisuays ureas temporarily
stopped the flow of county water to a
all points west of the bank, including
the towns of ShaUette and Sunset w
Beach, Hewett said. Ocean Isle n
Beach is pumping its own water. w
Based on his experience during ei
Hurricane Diana last September, u
when the water system was down fi
about 12 hours, Hewett had an- pticipated
no problems in maintaining e
service to customers. If any occur- ci
red, he predicted, it would be "at g;
Sunset Beach."
*??.?
Miss Teen C
Two Vital Brtuawltfc Canty IMS. Kitat
brr crowning Sa tarda) night la hair
Bramwict County patera. Natatyn Shipi
Shipp tcrvtd at muimt at nrttMoin
aad mart ptctaria art aa Cfct ianide at U
nily Devebf
State law, he said, does not require C
local governing board to act on a w
^commendation from the planning w
oard within a set period of time. hi
It also does not specifically require P'
le scheduling of a new public hear- in
ig when a considerable amount of w
me as elapsed as in this instance, he d<
3 ted. in
At the 1982 hearing, several a'
sidents had questioned the density
' the proposed development and its
'lationship to a "family" beach. k
he following day, resident John M. B
KflCC
: Per Copy 42 Pages I
arted Pu
^4^i
c j11?? i ! -
w m -*u*r m Ml "^1
The 12-inch main, which runs along a
,C. i30 from Hulueii Beach to s
lallotte and on to Calabash along p
.C. 179, normally traasports about v
10 galloas of water per minute. The 1
reak was found after employees t
lonitoring flow at the county water
lant noticed a sharp plunge in v
ressure at the elevated tank in 1,
tiallotte and lesser drops at the o
olden Beach and Suaset Beach
inks. s
An entire embankment of heavy lj
ipe clay had collapsed, taking with K
a section of the asbestos concrete v
ipeline that runs almost parallel
ith N.C. 130 East behind UCB. p
Fifty-two feet of asbestos piping c
as replaced with 50 feet of ductile
on piping and a "pad adapter" that <
t the two kinds of pipe together. To
revent a similar collapse in the i
iture, Hewett said he proposed to
uild a bulkhead along the embank- ;
lent. t
He estimated the cost of repairs at i
bout $2,000. [
Shallotte switched over to its own
ells and pumps as soon as the lass of S
ow was reported?before the break f
as located and before all water was 1
inptied from the elevated water p
ink. Both pumps were working at r
ill capacity Thursday evening to br- d
ig water pressure back to normal,
rnployees said. The town's c
iistomers use approximately 125,000 1
alions of water daily. t
Town Clerk Cynthia l>ong and her f
'% ? '
0*I v:
* ii
51'
1 Wry/ r
' w7 ?
xowned p
I Vlsl.jocr left UMk tlmr Mkrstag ?
her picture takes *t?fc mttrr *
p. Mai NX- Oytltr Festival IMSfor
tV TV* CI
$
.
I
oment
larke presented the town a petition
ith 52 signatures of property owners
ho opposed the rezoning. At the
Baring, he had proposed allowing
lanned unit developments (PUDsl
i areas zoned R-l, so that the town
ould exercise greater control over
jnsity of development while allowig
more flexible use of the land
mailable.
The proposed rezoning also was
iken up for discussion by the Holden
each Property Owners Association.
)N
Including Supplement
imping
k D>*aS/A
r ui ur\c
ssistant, Mary Etta Hewelt, called
chools. laundromats, beauty
larlors, restaurants and other
olume water users of town water
'hursdav afternoon to warn them of
he loss of pressure.
Residents visiting the town hall
i'ere asked to cut back on watering of
awns, washing cars and doing ioacis
f laundry.
The "only people that noticed."
aid Mrs. Hewett. were thase who
Ive along N.C. 130 west or east of
hallotte and urc on county, not city
rater.
Not so at Sunset Beach, where apiroximately
1,100 households are on
:ity water.
"I'll bet I heard from just about
very one of them this morning,"
wild Town Clerk Undo PhwftM Krtlay
afternoon.
Anticipating only a brief outage,
unset Beach had cut on only a Dor
ion of lis five wells Thursday evenng,
restarting the remaining pumps
'riday morning.
At that point the water level in the
lunset Beach tank had dropped to six
eet, about 10 pounds of pressure,
"hat gradually built to about 50
ounds by mid-day, in time for
estaurants to use equipment such as
lishwashing machines.
Shallotte lias restarted its pumps
in a weekly basis, Mayor Beamon
icwett said recently, so that it would
lave no problem providing water
rom its own wells in an emergency.
Sunset Beach had not restarted its
veils in the year since it began buyng
county water, Ms. Fluegel said
And while Ms. Fluegel asked a
ocal radio station to announce that a
vater emergency existed, she said
iroperty owners continued to run
.prinklers and use water for other
lon-essentiaLs
Town Manager Wallace Martin
:ould not be reached for comment.
Good Turnout
Reported For
Roads Hearing
f>ocal officials came away from a
egional transportation hearing last
hursday impressed with the
ounty's good showing.
"A majority of the people there
rere trotn Brunswick County,"
eported Jim Poole, vice chairman of
tie Brunswick County Board of Commissioners.
A number of individuals
i the delegation spoke, he added, all
i support of the county's 26-item list
f road priorities he presented at the
hstrict 3 hearing in Jacksonville.
The hearing is an early step in the
rmual revision of the N'.C. Board of
ransportation's long-range irrvrovement
pian
'We were unified." he said At the
yp ? uve county s list Art the
hallotte by-past and the four-laning
f LIS 17 from Bell Swamp to the
euth Carolina line, followed by irrv
rovemenU to an tnterchanfe area
t Inland and to S.C 133 from N.C.
11 to the Oak Island Bndge
Karen Moshoures, director at
perations for the South Brunswick
I See TURNOUT, P?*e 2-A*
4
1
*-? /