Parer
IIV MAIt.lOttlK MKCI\ KltN
It's time sonu'thinc was tlom'
aJhuit Mr. h'lvis," I?oiik Shaw told
the Mnmswuk County Hoard of
I Juration Monday initlit
Shaw and his wife appeared at the
hoard meetinj; to call attention to the
recent discovery that South
Itruuswiek Hieh School I'rtncipnl
Mose lewis had a mm in his briefcase
at school one day in June.
I.ewts admitted the briefcase.
students broke into the ImuIiIihh one
J ??
Volume 2 J Number <11
\
r .
! "l)l)N"T SHOOT Ml-:. I'M JI. ST THK!
I said Jeff Mnrlin, left. :is 100 angry p
i Onmlcd :il him. Ill front row eenler. w
I
Com me
Over A
HY MAltJOltlK MROIVI
The presence of firefighting ctjt
Icouraging as tempers blazed Thursda;
Sunset beach fire station. Over 100 re
beach, Ocean Isle beach and ( a'.abii
Inmbast postal authorities about the d
letters went mil recently to tlio;
Stuiliotti* post office, saying they wou
use Shallolte on the last line of their ai
I the names of their communities.
So lunch concern and anger was j
Thursday's meeting was arranged will
of the regional Fayettcviile postal cei
sion center in (Columbia, S.C.
From the iiioinout Jeff Martir
postmaster of the Fayettevillc center
explain problems the postal service ha
County growth, he was repeatedly sli
bottom line, as put by Mary Frances
Isle Bench, was this. '"Wo don't live ii
don't want dial as our address."
Martin said the extreme growth
county is happening all over the count
service must find a way to continue dt
efficiently and inexpensively. "I.oLso
you've had four different addresses
years, and that's what we want to avo
he said.
When he said ''Wi-'w mudn nn.ai
few years," his voice was overpoweri
raucous "No's." Rut he strii>:t;lcd t<i <
now Hoinj* into automation, and the s<
address formats allows us to deliver
dieapcr."
lie said automation in the Charlnt
meant an optical character reader (i
the last line of an address. "if it rca
dress, with the town name matcliiiut
listed in our directory of post offices,
and you get it the next day."
If. however, a town name on the
Supply Woman <
Itcha Atkins, 2ft, of Supply was in(lifted
last week by a id jury in
(trims wiek <'unity Superior Court on
a charge of taking SlOO.tMMi from
liallengcr Corp. of Supply, where she
was employed as office manager.
She was arrested Monday and released
on $!),<i(XI (mud.
De-.c-.divc Sonny Padgett of the
liriinswick County Sheriff's Departmeiitaaiil
Ms. Atkins Is charged with
taking the money a vat ion:; forms
its Ask Fi
night in the closing weeks of the
school your, was his. Ho said ho no- |
cideiitully brought Iho wrong brief
oaso to school the day before, and
without ever opening it. locked it in I
the school at the end of the day.
The next morning he found the <
break-in. with several items none, i:: i
chiding Ins briefcase. Checking his i
second tiriefease at home, he realized I
the stolen one contained the nun
Superintendent I '.one Yarbrounh
was not informed el the nun theft,
"because it was personal property," i
?- Eisrillllb'
ShaHotte. Nortl
~\
HKSSF.NC.KH," shirt. M:i>or Dour
estal easterners petition ho
rnriiii; the white
inities Fir
ddress CI
\ltN appear in tli<* post o
lipinent was en- per /.ip code, the OC
V afternoon in the to a mechanized pro
sidents of Sunset a matched name am
ish were thcie to athird, manual lian
liangc m their ad- Martin stressed
thirds of the cost
>e patrons of the another day of dels
Id he required to said.
hires*. instead ol The crowd didn'
issue was couuniinil
generated by Uiis Columbia center tolc
li representatives deliver mail to you.'
?lcr and the divi- Mayor UiDane
focused on the impc
1. manager and resolution from her
. began trying to Isle Beach be allowc
s with Brunswick own zip code. "Till
looted down. The economic issue for;
DeBoy of Ocean Tom Tucker ol
ii Shnllotlc, so we South Brunswick !
echoed her point, sa
going on in the we've got. I wish thi
ry, and the postal find a way we can k
slivering tlie mail Martin replied :
f you can tell me times around the ci
i in utc last ten tried many things. "
id in the future," - f realize this is
just the messenger,
strides in the last from a little town c
Hi by a elwrus of heard of. 'Hint's bee
continue. "We're
laadardizatioii of State Hep. K. I:
mail faster and cillatory' tones. "I'll
was a rural mail car
lie division office ,cresl'? Kctting the
IK'H > that scans supports tourism. If
ds a proper' ad- ,mikt's 'l hard foi
! the zip code as alternatives? When
it's sent right on sio? strictly up to y<
"We're not youi
last line does not iSccCOV
Charged In Embe
over the last ycar-aad-a-iialf.
She is charged with one count ?>f
einhcz/leinent and six counts of false
pretenses mid eliealing.
i 'adgett said some of the money
was taken through cliecks she wrote
on the company, made out to herself
or to cash.
The false pretense and (heating
charges come from allegations that
Ms. Atkins rented post office Imixcs in
the names of fictitious companies
.ind sent authentically stamped hills
or Actio/
U-wis said. I reported ii to tin*
police."
State law prohibits weapons on
school grounds with liir exception of
Inw officers.
I'ho Shaw's said they had reason tn
confront school officials nhoul the inindent.
"It was oil! son who was
thrown tin niip.h a plate ulass window
tiy Most* I a*w is." Shaw said. He
i Lewis) was onvicted ?>f assault last
year."
Slww noted that news reports
ipinted Yarlnotip.h as saying he
sm m s
lil*J flf
b Carolina, Thursday. Au
\ |v "*
-if
/
Simmons of t'alahasli. studies the
d to Martin.
cd Up !
hangesI
fficc directory, regardless of a proIt
can't liandle it and it's tossed out
cess. If that process can't "key in"
il zip rde, then the mail must luive
dling.
that each extra handling costs twoof
the original handling. "Also,
iv is added by each handling." he
t want to hear about efficiency The
y identity, and Hill Austin from the
I them point-blank. "The post office
>ou community identity. We try to
Itullingtoii if Ocean Isle Heach
irtance of that identity. She read a
town board asking ttiat the Ocean
d to use its town name and have its
s is not only a pride issue hut an
ill these communities." she said.
Sunset Beach, representing the
Islands ('lumber of Commerce,
yuig. i ourisin is me only industry
r postal service would take time to
cep our identity."
Hint die issue had surfaced many
ountry and Uie postal service hail
Then quit trying," someone yelled,
an emotional issue, hut listen, I'm
" he said. "I'm one of you. I come
idled Cedar Creek that you never
nusc it doesn't liave a post office."
avid liedwinc spoke in more coni
a postal brat, because my father
ricr," he said. "The slate has an ins
issue resolved, because tile state
you takeaway pride in community,
r us to do lietter Do we luive any
do we go from here*' Is the deeiiii?"
r enemy," Martin liegan. hut was
IMDNITIKS, I'age 2-A)
jzzlement Case
lo ltullciii'.< r from those companies.
Itallengcr officials were not
suspicious. Padgett said, Ik-cuiisc
tlioy wore making money and
business was going well. Ilovvever,
when Ms. Atkins purchased a second
computer for the company and took it
home for her payroll work, there
were questions asked that led to extensive
probing into her act inns as office
manager.
Iler trial is scheduled for Sept. lit in
lirimswick County Supciioi (Join t.
i On
would decide the seriousness >( the
mutter before bimr.inr, it Ijefore Hi?*
hoard "I think this is a very serious
matter." Slunv decuimt. "and I've
eont;icteil the nttvrricy-Kcucral .- bout
it. If any crimes were committed
with tti.it nun. the schools eoulil be
liable, ami lawsuits against the
school involve taxpayers' money "
Hoard members emerged from a
two-oiul-a-holf-hiiur executive session
following the meeting with nrun
faces. All liud been advised by the
schoid attorney to say nnthiun about
n m a - ,*m \ [
It iif|
gust 21,1986 21
Optionc
Draws
BY SUSAN USIIKR
An optional half-percent sales tax
increase drew mixed reactions from
ten people at a hearing held Tuesday
night l?v Brunswick County Coinniissioners.
Board meinhers said they weie
surprised at the low turnout.
COiliiTiiTitS fi'oin hooui of !\dutution
personnel and retirees were
about equally divided for and against
the new lax during the brief session.
"For we folks on fixed incomes
these taxes keep on adding up and
our incomes don't." said Pearl
Kriok. speaking in opposition of the
tax on lielialf of the nearly tot)
members of the Calabash Chapter of
American Association of Hctircd
Persons. She was also concerned that
the state legislature had not cxemp1
t-?| foods from tlie tax
School hoard meinber James
Clemmons. a retired principal from
I.eland who said his mother was illiterate.
was equally adamant in his
support fur the tax because of its
school (undine.
"I'm retired loo, but no where else
will you get as much for your tax
dollar than in Hrun.su n k County." he
said. "We owe it to the children who
come after us to provide Uio Iwst type
:;f jcKsibhs. We knew
(theiri only future in Brunswick
County is education."
lie said the remaining funds could
he used by the county to finance expansion
of the water system.
Commissioners, whom Chairman
Chris Chapped said appear to he
leaning toward adoption of the tax.
took no action on the proposal Tuesday.
He expects the tax to he on their
Sept. 2 agenda. More than half the
[ counties statewide have already
I adopted it.
; Commissioners met privately
before and after the hearing to continue
a Monday night discussion of a
I personnel matter.?
! Speaking as a private citizen at the
hearing. Chapped said if the lax is
adopted it should he used to reduce
the property tax '.w He said this
could he done by i.si*:^ the schools' AO
percent to pay off school construction
bond indebtedness, and the county's
share to meet general fund needs. He
CM.i.l i... 1.1 ? *
.........v ........i nimii^ij i.<1111>.111:11 miWater
De
Action By
MY SUSAN USIIF.K
A now utilities operation hoard
cToatod by the llruiwwick County
Hoard of Commissioners Monday
nitilit will soon bep.in overseeing the
county's expanding water system.
Creation of the board was just one
of many water system-related items
that nearly iiumdatod commissioners
Monday night. in other major
business, they also anlhorized planning
of a new $150,000 pumping station
south of Shallottc, adopted a new interim
water budget good for six months
and adopteil a revised water user
agreement.
While named "utilities" board to
reflect future directions, said
District 3 Commissioner dim I'nolo
Monday, "for the foreseeable future
its one anil only priority will he
cipol '
tin- matter Ynrbroiiuh admitted the
I a? wis affair itad liven discussed
l-cwis joked Tuesday moraine that
fie was "rlo.inifiK not my desk,' but
liad no word of any disciplinary action
from law eiifnrccue'iit or the
school system
The Klinw's Ift-year-okl son. Hill,
had a confrontation with Lewis outside
the school office a year aj'o. Mrs.
Sluiw said it was over his readmission
to school, and that the
youth had "spoke rouithly ' to Lewi:;,
at which point the principal flmu: him
BO TBS HI fi? a V li
HI-us i
DtnM
>c Per Copy 28
al Sales 1
\Aixed R(
a new ImiiuI referendum to finance
.school construction.
Another retiree in the audience,
William Ilium of Boiling Spring
I-ikes, said that in light of Chappcll's
comments, lie supported the additional
ha If-cent sales tax.
II adopted, the soonest it could be
put into effect would be October. Tile
state requires a month to prepare for
the distribution.
The folios would be allocated to
each county?and to the
niiinieipalilies within it on the basis
of their permanent population count.
In the first year. Brunswick County
stands to reive approximately $1.1
in revenu if the tax is adopted. Of
that. liO percent, or about JflOO.COO
would go to the schools for construction.
construction bond indebtedness
am! other capital projects, while 40
percent, or $300,000, would go into the
county's general coffers.
After the first two years the
percentage automatically apportioned
to the schools would gradually
decrease until the entire amount is
spent at the discretion of the board
commissioners.
Towns also stand to share if the tax
is adopted, with 40 percent of their
share to be set aside for water and
sewer projects. However, no local
Tuesday's hearing.
At times the public resembled a
debate between pro utul eon
speakers, with each rebutting the
other's comments.
Also speaking against the tax were
Pegge .Invites of the llolden Heach
area and Ilal Mason of Tarheeland
Acres, both of whom advocated
establishing a state lottery to finance
school construction.
Jaynes admonished commissioners
to "He brave: don't adopt the
half-cent sales tax. You should think
about it twice."
Kalher than taxing the elderly to
finance school construction, she suggested
lobbying for a state lottery,
later she said she intends to ask
commissioners to adopt a resolution
next meeting.
She alsn criticized creation of a
new $18,790 position, assistant operations
director, filled recently by
former commissioner Pearly
cisions Dor
Corn miss it
Ilis remarks were in part to
reassure several Brick lauding area
residents in the audience that water
continues as the county's top priority.
The group praised the county for
establishing the board and including
in tne midget 71.0 minion tor water
system lateral expansion.
Seven men were appointed to the
Ivutril na fnllnwc
District 1 F!d Gore of Sunset
Beach, developer and also chairman
of the county planning boatd, three
years;
District 2- W. Alfonza Koach of
llolden Beach Itoad, developer, three
years;
District '.\ Morris Crouch of Long
Beach, residential builder, three
years:
District I - Robert C. Nubel of
BodingSptiiiy* lakes, plant inaimpei
South
into the class office door
In (X'tolicr, IMS, Judge Will'ai
(ion* found liitu guilty tint gave Inn,
prayiT for judgment continued "2 !
school system (javt! him ;i repn
maud
I just hope the publicity over thi
will ;it least cause pan-nts to ?>.
Ciirefill." Mrs Show said after Mon
day's meeting. "I know kids are hat<;
to deal with sometimes, lust he 'i,?i
treat them lough."
More School i'.oanM oirrngc
Cages 12-A and io H
fs$k m g
i 11%!
Wl%
Pages Plus Supple'r-ont |
"ax
2i\/SO\A/Q
w* V i V V w
Vcreen. saying thf director shu'.ili
linve been able to do tin* work or olsi
liave been replaced Opcrnlioas nov
handles (our areas: mosquito <
trol. water inaiiai'.ement. Karate a
construction.
Adopting a phrase u?ed durim
budget hearings earlier this year
itinson told commissioners. I tin:;
you're doing a lot to kill the g?>os
that's laid the golden egg."
On the sales tax he advised eon.
niissioiicrs. "Do nothing: let it die
don't think we need it for the tiii.e (:<
ing."
He objected to funding tor parkand
recreation, saying he had not
seen more than an occasional ixn'son
at either Shallotte or Town Creel
Township Parks. He questioned tlv
value of ti?e county investing t;i.
dollars in promoting tourism, in-voting
tliat the industry benefits only .
few.
"It's no benefit to the farmer ii.
Ash who takes his life in his hands t>
come to Shallotte on a Friday night."
he added.
He advocated spending slate an
county education dollars on en
riculuin and attracting outstanding
new teachers rather than increasing
pay for existing teachers.
Schools Superintendent (?enc Tar
hrough suggested the sales tax w i!-;
relieve some of the pressure on the
dominant source of county funding,
the property t:i\. Saving he >ym
palhizrd with the plight of the elderly
on fixed incomes, he added.' I'm not
sure we need to grow at their ex pensc
or that the) are helped by retarding
the schools' grow th "
Hoard of Kducation Chan man
James l-'oit.sner termed children
"one the best investments you can
make."
"You can educate them to make a
living or you can build them jails."
he said, "(iood schools benefit
everybody in the community."
While Mrs. Jaynes had suggested
residents of adjoining counties where
the optional sales, tax has already
been adopted might shop in
Brunswick if the sales tax were
lower. Forstner said he didn't think
so Itecause of the amount of travel
and the small sums involved.
ninate
jrit?rb
at I'fizer Cliemicals, one year;
District 5?Kruest Metier of
I.eland, a Federal I'nperhoard Co
employee, one year;
Scn'ing at larjje for two years each
will he Frankv Thomas of Inland, in
the mobile office business, ami
William A. Kinjlish of Shallotte, in
real estate. Thomas, who served tun
terms as a county commissioner and
is a former clinirman of the Ixtnrd,
.iiauanvwi vii viiv i.owoi i ape i-eai
Water & Sewer Authority lie is Hiving
up an apartment in Wilmington
anil returning to full-time resident')*
in Brunswick County, lie said Tuesday.
Chairman Chris Cliappel! said
Monday Hint one reason for Knglish's
appointinent was to have representation
on the board from Shallotlc
(See WA1T.lt, I'age A>
i':