Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / Aug. 15, 1985, edition 1 / Page 23
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Holden E BY TERRY POPE In its old age, the Holden Beach | drawbridge has suffered from a i variety of problems, but the worst i may soon be over for the gray lady. Workers were scheduled this week to replace the bridge's reduction gear box, which was removed last " (Monday for repairs after a crack was , discovered. Since last month, it has taken two men to operate the bridge?one to turn the wedges from inside the bridgetender's office, and another man down below to operate the wench that actually turns the bridge sideways to allow boats to Ipass. "It's a job," said Richard G. g Baker, bridge maintenance worker ? with the N.C. Department of | Transportation. Baker is one of nine { men who now work regular shifts and j must run out on the bridge pilings I I every hour 10 operate the wench. "If I don't do it, the people won't , get through," Baker added. "And if the people don't get through, all hell * will break loose." ? A temporary wench was installed : on the bridge pilings last month after j the bridge kept jamming while in the I process of opening and closing. I Bridgetender Marvin Watts believes J the problem was "the dual gears I were worn out, that's what it was." Opening and closing the bridge with the wench rather than using the gears "don't slow it down any," Watts said. "It'll open that way quicker than it will without the B bridge." I r* nln IN^UIVI BY SUSAN USHER Calabash town council members tabled most items on their agenda .Monday morning until their next meeting. Much of the meeting was spent in continued discussion of problems relating to garbage collection. The delayed items included a proposed water system feasibility study, | traffic and maintenance easements for a street, and a proposal from the state for Calabash to begin issuing its own minor CAMA permits. , The permits are currently handled by the Wilmington office of the N.C. , Department of Natural Resources and Community Development. S, Patricia E. Covert, minor permits , coordinator for the Division of j Coastal Management, wrote the town, "As you might well imagine, it is difficult, time consuming and costly to process permits at such a ' distance." ' The state would pay the Town of ' Calabash $95 per permit issued and ' $25 per exemption granted, plus reimburse the town up to $150 for sen- 1 ding its permit officer for training. ' They suggested the building inspec- 1 tor or some other employee could take on the task. Bfi qfT, i A a a You can c It's just or* we have ir to offer no The same services" t you with di home and A major p telephone then the at improver your telept ever quit w ATI MEMBE <1 bridge Re< After Watts stops all traffic and and )ulls the wedges free. Baker must "1 "un out onto the "boardwalk" that worl las been constructed on the pilings box * " " ..^-2' " "I A _ _ mm A - S"^ WORKERS installed a temporary wench bridge's gear box is replaced. I I * I I Dasn labies But town officials were hesitant to SI commit to training someone for the Jan job, noting the town might well find pre: itself changing building inspectors 1-es every two years. That's the only way Eng the town could avoid having to help to ? its inspector obtain certification. lea5 Mayor Stevens said that as soon as d'nf the town would pay to have someone ' trained, the person would move on to aire another job. Cou "I'd just as soon let the state do it," Tl said Mayor Pro Tern Kobert Sim- Son inons. "It's their department." will Consideration of proposals to eon- was duct a preliminary study for a town not, water distribution system were laid -j aside until additional information cor could be obtained to make the two |)ut proposals in hand cover the same (en services. pre On Jan. 2, the board voted to hire C the Shallotte firm of Jerry lewis & tior \ssociatcs to do the study on the con- tow iition that the town's existing con- mei tract with Peirson & Whitman of the fialeigh could be broken. lewis plan- of tl led to charge $2,000 for a clai preliminary engineering report and the )o more than $3,000 for a field study, doc ncluding preparation of a pru opological map. ed inly buy It from a telephone comj e of many exciting new innovations Produced in recent years We have w and a lot in store for the future initiative that introduced the spec o your telephone is involved in prov spendable telephone systems for y< business art of that "dependability" is the you hold in your hand if it's one of jality of the system is complete All ?nts we introduced won t do much c lone doesn t work Ours work and i te know how to fix them ANTIC TELEPHO RSHIP CORPOR Highway 130 W??t, Shoilotte CALL 754-4311 :overs / crank the wench. v f that don't work, nothing will k," Baker said. When the gear r is replaced this week, the wench \ ?:{ :'...A L , 3* to help open and close the Holden B Business, nee January, said Town Clerk et Thomas, another firm has exssed interest in the project. W. lie Hall Jr. of McKim k Creed ;ineers of Wilmington lias offered lo a water distribution system ability study for $950. But accor> to tiis letter, much of the infor:ion he proposes to provide is ady available from Brunswick nty be board an reed with Mayor ia Stevens' suggested to check i Hall and see if a topological map i included in his proposal, and if , what the charge would be. 'he firms expressed interest In nbined water and sewer studies, the mayor said the town was in sted in only water service at the sent, because of the cost involved, ouncil members also tabled aci on Somersett Drive until the n's attorney can check an easeit offered by the current owner of Calabash Motel. A former owner lie land on which the road sits had ined the road was dedicated to town, but there were no uments to support that claim. The ir owners of the motel had claimthe land under the street, at one Hi MM 52| fi I 11 ?) ir^M >any. that more aal ding >ur ours, the icod if f they MC lib ATION Vfter Get pill not be needed. f "When we get that back, she'll be i pinning smoothly again, hopefully," \ Vatts said. They were expecting the i - J .? each bridge last month, but it should Talks Garb point blockading access of several property owners to their property along the street. So that the motel could be sold, the new owner agreed to guarantee public access to the street if the town would provide speed bumps at either end of the paved road, two 6,000-lb weight limit signs and speed limit signs posted at 10 mph "We agreed to it to keep down conflict," recalled the mayor. On Monday, council members ?fUV^VIUIIVU T-I ? IV VI IV I HIV IIVH umici had the legal right to offer the easement, since there is a mortgage against the property. Garbage Collertfon Council members didn't argue Monday when Mayor Stevens declared, "It's going to cost us. You can look for breakdowns every summer like we've been getting. Most towas don't run their trucks seven days a week like we do in the summer." The town's used garbage truck had broke down again?several times. At the mechanic's suggestion the town is getting prices on a drop axle. "He said that truck is dangerous. He said it is overloaded even without C olor pi i.ii re 1*111 colors to^ct I tlie easy way, wit ha lit t le help ii I)cvoc'I*aiiil. UIHFM wwmwmmww E553 IT'S WO 1111 DOING ( ^ V^VwC'ON# ? C/^? / THE BRUNSWICK BEACON, ar Box R 'ear box back from a Wilmington nachine sliop sometime late this veek. A portion of the pavement was emovea from the bridge in order to si All 1*11010 B* Bill M< OOWAN be removed this week when the ageCollec the Karbnge on it." Town Clerk Janet Thomas Is to col lect maintenance records for tht truck to determine the exact cost ol garbage collection for the town. If the town could find a dependahh firm with reasonable fees, round! meniDcrs agreed, it might be worthwhile to investigate contracting the service to a private firm. "I know it could save as money il we could get someone dependable,' said the mayor. Clerk Thontus said thai in pas years at least, the town had provide! the Rervlcc more elwnpty than I could have through contracting. During months in which no repair are required, it costs the town aboil $800 in salary and the like to operati I J.M. Parke Your Complete Bl 73 A I HWYS. 211 & 17 lobia G d. r#l mm -n w DEVOE WC Interior Late Kf Highly washable W> One coal when Water clean-up ^ a mam ;)AVt NOW ON11 Suggested retail SIS Ready mi* & cusl included in thi* i ~ ii UGHT! Hwy. 1 < Thursday, August 15. 1985?Page 11-B emoved examine the problem. When the crack was discovered, the gear box was lifted from the structure. "That's how they have to take that reduction gear box out. up through the road," Baker said. "They have to cut steel and then use a crane to lift it up." When the gear box is installed this week, it will not affect traffic because only one lane at a time will be closed on the bridge. Until then. Baker said he must be careful when operating the wench, because "it's a lot of steel out there moving around." "It's just an old bridge, you know, and it needs a lot of maintenance," Baker said. Age is its main problem, he said. Age has also taken its toll on the Ocean Isle Beach bridge, but in the nast its Bear box has not caused problems, Baker said. "I don't think they've ever had to move a wench down there," Watts added. "Thev haven't lieen hnvinu t , many problems that we have to go down and stay overnight with," Baker said. "That bridge has not been as bad. You still have to keep the maintenance up." , Watts said the Sunset Beach bridge has always operated on a wench system in order to pull the pontoonstyle harge around while opening and closing. "If it wasn't for wenches, that bridge wouldn't operate at all," he added. tion the service. The cost soars, however, with major repair bills. ! "That garluige truck lias dollared I us to dentil," the mayor declared. Other Business In other business, Die txiard apI pointed I'ati I .ewellyn to the planning board. They delayed consideration of 1 appointments from the extraterritorial area, still waiting to hear ii inose uireaiiy serving arc interested In reappointment. Voted to rcione one Oak Street lot t in Kiverview from lt-15 to It-t) at the I request ot the property owner, it Uttnwil Vluvt HpeutltcuUonn tor ? 30 foot by bO foot town luill would las prepared by Hooks before the t board's next meeting. They were to e luive la-en ready Monday. r & Sons, Inc. lildinq Headquarters! 1-4331 Supply )NDER-TONES ix Flat Wall Paint ? applied as directed $29? r *12" GALLON >.89 Gallon torn colors ale lAiinrrc 'Rl(f SUPPLY 17, Shaliotte, 754-6000
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 15, 1985, edition 1
23
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