Dune Doodler?
7]he answer can be found "under the sun"
on Me 1-B of this Issue, which spotlights
Homer Johnston of ocean isle Beach.
THE
Spots Are Bitingl
Area piers and marinas say fish are plentiful,
although small. The fishing report Is on page
7-B of this Issue.
-V:, BOOf.
NfifORr 'I
ICKSKACON
Twenty-fifth Year, Number 23
cmr THt MUNSWKK tf ACON
Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, April 16, 1987
25c Per Copy 94 Pages Including Supplement, Plus Inserts
STAfF PHOTO SY ETTA SMITH
Easter Bunny Arrives
About 20 chUdren who showed up last Tuesday for story
hour at the West Brunswick Branch Library in Shallotte
got to see the Easter Bunny in person. Shown are a few
of the children waiting in line to hug the rabbit, which
was sent to the library from the Brunswick County
Parks and Recreation Department.
$2,500 Reward Offered For Leads In Murder
BY ETTA SMHH
Governor Jim Martin’s office is of
fering a $2,500 reward to anyone hav
ing information that leads to the ar
rest and conviction of the person or
persons responsible for the murder of
Thomas Gilbart Summer of Yaupon
Beach.
Summer, 32, the son-in-law of
Brunswick County Sheriff John Carr
Davis, was found stabbed inside his
van on Dec. 29,1988.
According to Davis, tlve governor
offered the reward on April 8 in
response to a request from the
department.
Law enforcement officers of the
state or its subdivisions are not eligi-
AREA CHURCHES OBSERVE EASTER
New Cross Marks Beach Services Site
BY SUSAN USHER
A sturdy new cross went up Mmday afternoon
along the dunes at Ocean Isle Beach, a visible reminder
of the approach of Blaster and the celebration of Christ's
death ^ resurrection.
Constructed of six-inch by six-inch timbers donated
by Hairy Carter, the new cross isn’t likely to bend in the
winds that gust along the coast as did its thinner
predecessor. That cross had to be reset each spring.
"This Is the size cross Christ was said to have car
ried," said Gary Dean Ward, one of the volunteers who
helped mount the new cross. "It took three of us to
carry it"
For 20 years, a white cross has marked the site of
interdenominational worship services held on the
strand at Ocean Isle Beach under the auspices of
Shallotte Presbyterian Church. Last year, a crowd of
nearly 3,000 attended Blaster services beneath the
cross, according to Rev. Dan Norman, pastor of the
church.
The cross erected Monday is the third to stand in its
place, each larger than the one before, according to
Homer Johnston, who was mayor at the time the ser
vices were Initiated and has taken responsibility for the
cross.
The 1907 season begins with the 8:30 a.m. service
Blaster Sunday, then continues each Sunday from
Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
Visitors are asked to bring their own seating. Dress
is casual.
Special Easter services elsewhere in the area in
clude the following.
Jennies Branch
Rev. Bill Greer, pastor of Lebanon Baptist Church,
will lead the sunrise worship service at Jcnnl&s Branch
Baptist Church at 7 a.m. Sunday.
Afterwards, breakfast will bo served in the
fellowship hall. Rev. Jesse Bentley, pastor, invites the
public.
nie music ministry of the church will present the
Blaster pageant, "Calvary Love,” April 17,18 and 19 at
7:30 p.m.
This dramatizatlcHi of Christ’s earthly ministry will
be directed by Isaiah Mejia. No admission Is charged.
The church is located on N.C. 179 near Bricklan
ding.
Little River
At Little River United Methodist Church, Holy
Week observances continue with the Maundy Thursday
service at 7 p.m. today (Thursday) conducted by Rev.
Frank Hartsell.
At noon Api il 17, he will also lead a noon Good Fri
day service of prayer and meditation.
Harvest Fellowship Gospel Park
A suhrise service is planned at 8 a.m. Sunday at the
Harvest Fellowship Gos"el Psilt beside Jane’s ftenfood
on the Holden Beach Road.
The Harvest Outreach Singers wlD provide music
(See NEW CROSS, Page ^A)
\ A#^X^-.
VVUI«I
Dl,r
I II I lOl
Draws Calabash Protest
BY ETTA .SMITH
About 25 Calabash residents asked
their town council last Monday to let
Uiem vote on whether they want a
new water system.
Council members, in turn, told
residents attending their regular
meeting that if the majority of the
townspeople don't want water, then
not paying their assc.ssmenLs would
be a vote against iL
The town recently asked Rep. E.
David “Butch" Redwine to sponsor
iou{q|nHmi which will give the town
the authority to assess residents for
tlie service before the system is built.
In the bill tlie town proposed to
assess a maximum of $400 for
residences, $1,000 for light commer
cial u.sers and $3,000 for heavy com
mercial users.
Several residents at tlie meeting
said they could not afford the
assessments and some said they arc
already on the county water system.
Council woman Patti Ixiwellyn ex
plained to them that the assessments
are based on the estimated cost of the
water system. She said that the town
will refund money to residents if the
construction costs are lower than
estimated.
Resident Ronald Scheld asked
council, “Tell me where it helps me
to put down $3,000 for a service I
already have.”
Mayor Doug Simmons explained
that with a water sy.stem, the value of
residents' proper^ will go up, and
that fire Insurance rates will go
down.
Simmons also said that the town
had advertised several public hear
ings to receive public imput on the
proposed system and assessments,
and that the majority of those atten
ding those hearings were in favor of
the .system.
“Where did you advertise them
(hearings),” asked resident Johnnie
Mae Thomas. When Simmons replied
that the ads appeared in The
Brunswick Beacon, she said she
didn’t read the paper because it’s
just “street talk teash.”
The residents then submitted peti
tions stating the undersigned
registered voters object to the
assessments of their property. There
were 63 signatures on the petitions.
According to Simmons, of those
who signed the petitions eight are not
registered voters in the town, and 22
of them are already on the county
water system.
"The few who have water and don’t
want a town system are trying to stop
those who need it from getting it,”
said Simmons. "If this thing (bill) is
delayed we might be missing an op
portunity to get water soon. The price
will never be cheaper, so waiting
won’t help matters.”
Councllwoman Sonia Stevens told
the crowd she had talked to the town
attorney, Mike Ramos. She said he
toid her the town could put a lien on
land belonging to people who don’t
pay the asse.ssments, but that if
enough people refused to pay them,
the town can stop its efforts to con
struct the system.
“We’re not going to shove water
down anybody’s throat,’’ said
Lewellyn. “If the majority of the peo
ple don’t want it, then we'll drop it.”
Other Business
In other busbiess the council:
•Heard a report from Town Clerk
Janet Thomas that the new town hall
presently under construction was
vandalized sometime over the
weekend, and that she had no
estimate of the loss incurred.
Thomas said someone threw a rock
through a screen and window, which
also damaged a wall.
•Asked the clerk to send the N.C.
League of Municipalities a letter op
posing a bill bi the legislature that
would keep towns from banning
manufactured homes within their
boundaries.
County Commissioners Cut Back
Overnight Vehicle Use—Again
Lte for the award, according to
Davis.
Anyone having information may
contact the sheriffs department at
253-4321, or the SBI’s Wilmington of
fice at 762^13. He added that the
sheriffs department has a toll-free
number where anyone can call from
across the coiintiv. The number is
1-800^2-6379.
BY SUSAN USHER
All but six county employees last
week lost tlie privilege of keeping
county vehicles overnight.
Meeting Wednesday morning,
commissioners returned a vehicle
policy first established in 1984 and
then amended on various occasions.
They also hired the former county
manager as a budget consultant and
moved one of two meetings each
month to a daytime slot.
Vehicles remain permanently
assigned to tliese positions only:
coun^ manager, animal control on-
call officer, landfill director,
garage/operations manager,
building and grounds director and
parks and recreation director. Ex
cluded are sheriff’s department
vehicles, which are under the
sheriffs jurisdiction.
However, commissioners left a
route for other employees to be
reassigned a vehicle on a short- or
icHig-term basis.
They will consider case by case re
quests submitted to Acting County
Manager David Clegg by individual
department heads for themselves or
for employees they supervise. Writ
ten justifications must accompany
the requests.
Before Wednesday’s meeting end
ed, the first such formal requests
were already before them for later
review. Sheriff John Carr Davis ask
ed that the wrecker driver and a
mechanic be allowed to drive
vehicles home from the garage
because they are frequently called
out at night by his officers, as well as
other departments.
"We can’t leave a marked vehicle
unattended out In the county for
long,” said the sheriff, “it’s a target
for vandalism.”
If a depaitment head decides an
employee should be allowed to drive
a vehicle home in a particular situa
tion, Commissioner Frankie Rabon
told the county manager, “They
should be coming back to you for
authorizatiGn.”
By commissioners’ estimates, at
least 17 employees are known to take
county vehicles home regularly or on
occasion, several of them not
authorized either under the previous
policy or amendments to it.
Several department heads said one
or more employees in their depart
ments sometimes drives a vehicle
home if their assigned place of work
the next day Is closer to their homes
than is the county complex or if they
are likely to be called out at night to
repair 'ehicles or equipment.
“My view is we’ve got to do
something about it I could live with
six (being allowed to keep vehicles),
but I’d just as soon park them all,”
said Commissioner Benny Ludlum,
wIk) had caiied compiainis a'oout use
of the vehicles to the commissioners’
attention.
Former County Manager Billy
(See CLEGG’S, Page ^A)
LIFTING THE NEW CROSS la place overlooking the
Ocean isle Beach strand arc Gary Dean Ward, Gary
Seagle and Vince Beckum, as Rev. Dan Norman,
T9 9Y SUSAN USH**
putor of Shallotte Pietbyterlan Church, and Homer
Johniton, former mayor, look on. This season marks
the 201h year the cbnrch has held services on the beach.