county Land use Plan
Hearing Date set
Public input invited, story on page 7-A.
Supplement included in this issue
Spanish Mackerel
Keep Anglers Happy
The weekly fishing report is on page 9-B.
TH
?| AiOM':- BOOK BINDBRV
i ■
■5PR INGPORT NI 49 t
i I /' '4 9
Twenty-fifth Year, Number 43 hi-i..t nputjs.Mc* Bi*roN Shallotte. North Carolina, Thursday, Septembers 1987
IMCKtRACON
25c Per Copy 92 Pages Including Supplement. Plus I
nsorf
Owner Of Beached Shrimp Boat Faces Possible Pollution Fine
BY DOUG BUTTER
A Suaset Beach man may face up to $5,000 in water
pollution fines following an investigation of the l>eaching
of his shrimp boat last week off Sunset Beach, a U„S.
Coast Guard official said Monday.
However, Uie owner and the Coast Guard disagree as
to who is responsible for the deisel oil spill that occurred
as the boat broke up in the surf.
Chief Petty Officer James Williams of the operations
division of the Marine Safety Office at Wilmington said
“sufficient elements for violation” exist to fine the owner
following the leakage of the boat's diesel fuel tanks last
weekend.
The ov\ncr of the boat, however, said he intends to
take lepl action himself against the U.S. Coast Guard
after his 58-foot, $60,000 shrimp boat, tlie "I.ongshot,"
was nearly destroyed by the pounding surf early Friday
morning.
Terrj- Norris of Sunset I.akcs said if the Coast Guard
had responded when he was first beached Friday morn
ing, the boat could have been saved.
“I don’t expect any personal gain by suing the Coast
Guard,” he added, “but if it helps someone else in :i
similar situation, then it will be worth it."
According to Williams, the potential fine could range
from $500 to $5,000. It may not be charged for three mon
ths to one year depending on the length of the inve.stiga-
tion and the action taken by the district office in Port
smouth, Va.
He said officers who investigated the scene Friday
reported a discolored sheen emanating from the boat,
which automatically qualified it for further inve.stigation
and possible penalty.
The boat ran aground ju.st off the iK'ach on a .sandbar
about one-half mile west of Sunset Beach Fishing Pier
Friday morning at about 4 a.m. after strong winds had
blown it off course, Norris .said.
He said he sent out di.stress calls inrmediately, which
were answered by the Coast Guard station at Charleston,
S.C.
The “Ixingshot" was taking on more water than its
(See BOAT OWNER, Page 2-A )
’.t
BEACHGOERS LOOK ON as the “Longshot” is pounded by the surf off Sunset Beach Friday
beached shrimp boat Friday presented no danger to swimmers and sunbathers.
aflemoou. Coast Guard officials said the diesel fuel
.»MO C
which leaked fn»ai the
Bellamy Pleads Guilty,
I Resigns Clerk s Office
BY RAHN ADAMS
Brunswick County Clerk of
Superior Court Greg Bellamy this
week reversed an earlier stand and
pleaded guilty to felonious cocaine
possession.
Bellamy also resigned his clerk's
post, despite statements in July that
he intended to serve out his term.
The 38-year-old Holden Beach resi
dent’s third term
Bcllmmy
as clerk was to
expire in
December 1990.
He was earning
an annual salary
of around $34,500.
Resident
Superior Court
Judge Giles
Clark of
Elizabethtown will choose Bellamy's
successor. State law provides that
Clark can name an acting clerk for
up to 30 days before appointing so
meone to complete Bellamy’s unex
pired term.
Chief Assistant Clerk Diana
.Morgan said Clark, who is holding
court in Person County this week,
was notified of the resignation Mon
day. However, she said Clark “has
informed us that Mr. Bellamy’s
resignation is not effective until it
has been accepted.”
Clark also instructed the clerk’s of
fice to continue operating in its pre
sent manner until a new clerk is
chosen, Ms. Morgan said.
Bellamy entered his guilty plea
Monday during an arraignment hear
ing in Brunswick County Superior
Court in Bolivia.
The hearing drew heavy media at
tention; television cameras were
allowed inside the courtroom by
Judge Henry W. Hight Jr.
Ms. Morgan said Bellamy received
a two-year suspended sentence, and
was ordered to pay a $250 fine and
court costs. He also was ordered to
perform 50 hours of coimnunity .ser
vice work.
In addition, Bellamy was sentenc
ed to two years of supervised proba
tion, during which time he will not be
allowed to hold public office.
Bellamy was indicted July 20 by a
Brunswick County Grand Jur>- for
possession on Oct. 24, 1985, of bet
ween one gram and 28 grams of co
caine.
On July 22, Bellamy announced he
was taking a “leave of ab.sence” to
await trial.
(See BELI..\.MY. Page '2-AI
RF^IDENTS OF SHELL POINT Recreational Village
near Shallotte Friday wait to meet with local attoniey
Mason Anderson, retained by United Carolina Rank to
Investigate circumstances surrounding planned
STAfF PHOTO ftr RAHN ADAMS
foreclosures on 61 lots in the subdivision. From the left
above are property owners Emmett Rich, Rachel
Robinson. Mary York, Jacksic Long, Betty l.ewis, Lin
da Faye Peelecox and Sarah Long.
Brunswick Tech Trustees
Appoint Interim President
Shell Point Residents Fear Loss Of Homes
BY RAHN ADAMS
A group of Shell Point Recreational
Village property owners are up in
arms after receiving copies of
foreclosure notices from United
Carolina Bank (UCBl earlier last
month.
On Aug. 22, the residents were
notified that foreclosure proceedings
had begun involving 61 lots in the sul)-
division, which is located off Holden
Beach Road east of snaiioue.
Two separate notices filed July 17
at the Brunswick County Courthouse
stated that hearings are to be held
Sept. 22 in Bolivia “to show caitsc as
to why this foreclosure should not be
allowed to be held."
Sale of the properties Ls scheduled
for Oct. 16, the notices indicated,
“unless the obligation Ls earlier
satisfied.”
That is what has residents wor
ried; many-like Betty l.ewis—don’t
know how the situation has occurred.
“All we’re wanting to do is .save our
land,” Ms. Ixiwis .said. “We bought
our property in good faith."
Ms. Ixjwis said her property was
almost paid off when she received the
foreclosure notice iast month. .She
and other residents said they pur
chased their lots from Allen .May,
developer of Shell Point Recreational
Village.
Attempts to contact May this week
at his North .Myrtle Beach, S.(
fice were uiLsuccessful.
of-
Meanwhilc, UCB has retained
Shallotte attorney Mason Anderson
to investigate the matter.
Anderson .said last week it “ap
pears” that two different loans and
two different deeds of trust arc in
volved.
He added that the lots in question
were mortgaged to UCB by Shell
Point Recreational Village Inc., and
Allen W. May and Peggy May.
A check Monday with the N.C. Rea!
Estate licensing Board found no cur
rent listing for Allen W. May; Peggy
May currently holds a real estate
broker’s license in North Carolina.
The copies of foreclosure notices
received by residents indicated their
(See .SHELL POINT, Page 2-A)
BY DOUG RUTTER
Members of the Brunswick
Technical College Board of Trustees
and administrative staff met briefly
with newly-appointed interim presi
dent William Michael Reaves Tues-
•day afternoon.
The trustees unanimously approv
ed Reaves’ appointment as interim
president during a special meeting
Monday night, following a recom
mendation from Ed Wilson, ex
ecutive vice president of the N.C.
Department of Community Colleges.
Board Chairman David Kelly said
Tuesday, "He has impressed us
his eagerness to get started,
seems to be pleased to be selected as
interim president.”
Reaves, 38, is currently dean of
continuing education at .Samp.son
Technical College where he
worked since 1974, but he
ith
He
has
was
available for the temporary presi
dent position effective Sept. 1.
Reaves will serve as president for
six months, or until a permanent
president has been jointly selected by
the board of tru.stees and the depart
ment of community colleges.
His appointment follows the Aug.
24 firing of Joseph Carter, who had
held the presidency throughout the
seven-year history of the college.
Kelly said Reaves did not indicate
interest in the permanent position as
college president, but said he had not
had a chance to discuss it with him.
The board gave Reaves all powers
normally granted a president under
its bylaws, with no exceptions
because of his temporary status.
An informal meeting with faculty
and staff was .scheduleti for Wednes
day morning.
In other business Monday night.
Brunswick Tech Vice President
Ixmis “Vernon” Ward announced
that he could no longer work legally
as a full-time employee of the col
lege.
He said that he had received a let
ter from the Retirement Sy.stem.s
Division of the Department of
Treasury informing him that under
the state disability retirement plan,
he was only permitted to work 60 jx-r-
cent of a normal work load, or three
days a week.
The board approved a temporary
plan which would allow Ward to con
paid 60 percent of his current sidary
Ward said the other 40 percent
would be paid by the state di.sabihty
retirement program and that he
would probably still work the .same
hours as before.
(bee BRUN.SWICK TECH, Page 2 A i