Appeal Cc
BY RAHN ADAMS
Officials in Brunswick County are
awaiting word from the N.C. Properfit
T?? r*m. I AM A? fKnt
VJ AOA OUUU1UOJIUII U1I Oil appvai Mtut
could lower property taxes paid by
forest products companies and cut into
the county's tax base.
According to N.C. Property Tax
Division Director Frank Goodrum, a
consolidated appeal by four paper
and forest products companies for
lower property taxes was heard by
the commission in September.
Goodrum said commission
members "have deliberated and they
have reached a decision." However,
a
in
Twenty-sixth Year, Number 1
Souther/
Gause Landing Road near Ocean ]
transformed into a Southern-style wli
rnaay afternoon as ine sun peeked in
ed boughs of beautiful live oaks laden
Undergrount
'Probable' C
BY DOUG BUTTER
State environmental officials last
week discovered gasoline leaking
from underground storage tanks
suspected of being a source of well
contamination in Ash.
Following an on-site investigation
hy representatives of the N.C. Division
of Environmental Management
(D.E.M.) in Wilmington, the company
which owns the tanks was
issued a notice of violation.
According to Bob Jamieson, Wilmington
regional manager for the N.C.
Department of Natural Resources
and Community Development, "It's
definitely been determined that the
tanks have leaked product into the
ground. We can't say for certain, but
it's highly probable that the leak has
a connection to that well."
The two tanks in question were
removed from the grounds of
Brunswick Farm Supply last Tuesday.
Although they were located on
that property, Jamieson said Collier
Gas Company of Shallotte owns the
tanks and is responsible for any
material which may have seeped into
till; ^luiuiumuii .
The tanks arc thought to have caused
the contamination of a private
ou!d Have '?
the decision will not be made public
until a written order is prepared and
signed.
"Wp hnpp to notify the counties and
the appellants in the .iext 30 days,"
Goodrum said last week.
Brunswick County Attorney David
Clegg said the case probably will go
to the N.C. Court of Appeals,
whatever the decision.
"We're ju?t waiting to see what's
going to happen," Clegg said.
According to Brunswick County
Tax Administrator Boyd Williamson,
a ruling in the paper companies'
favor "would have a significant im11
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i-Style Winter Wonde
Isle Beach was nions?Spanish mo
ater wonderland prise snowfall that I
rough ihe guari- aiuc.
with odd compad
Gas Tanks
ontamination
well on the property of Ideath Marie
Rowe, whose land borders that of
Brunswick Farm Supply. Her contaminated
well is about 150 yards
from where the tanks were located.
Jamieson said that when the tanks
were removed, investigators "found
evidence of gasoline in the soil
beneath the tanks."
He explained that while only one of
the two tanks was in use prior to its
removal, environmental officials
discovered several holes In the unused
tank, which contained both
gasoline and water.
According to Jamieson, it appeared
that the 500-gallon tank which
was in use, connected through piping
to the tank not in use, may have spilled
over into the unused tank e?rh
time it was filled.
Following further investigation
last week, Collier Gas Company
Manager Donald Simmons said the
unused tank had definitely leaked
gasoline. He added, however, that no
leaks were discovered in the other
tank.
Brunswick Farm Supply Owner
nAnnlrl V onft no?Ar? ?UA ?AAI*A
L/UliUlli LAIItfj HU1VU ilKlt Ult< MIIIIU1
were at least 13 years old, already in
place when he bought the business in
I
Significant !r
pact," because five of the 10 largest
landholders in Brunswick County are
major paper and forest products
companies.
A recent study by the Institute for
Southern Studies in Durham shows
that Federal Paper Board, International
Paper, Boise-Cascade,
Weyerhaeuser and Georgia-Pacific
together own about 36 percent of the
land in Brunswick County.
Those five companies control about
197,770 of the county's 550.714 total
acres of land.
Across the state, the consolidated
property tax appeal was made by
-.oiina, Tl
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SIAFF PHOTO BY RAMN ADAMS ^
rlond 1
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3s and snow. Coverage of the sur- f
)lankeled the Brunswick coast is in
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2
Considered 1
i Source <
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1975. j
According to Jamieson, the violation
does not carry an automatic fine, s
"At this ooint in time, we're not into j
the legal phase." s
As far as responsibility for the e
possible contamination, Jamieson {
said that such cases arc often contested
between the gas companies f
and the businesses they serve. t
"That may be something they have c
to work out between themselves," he \
said. "As far as we're concerned, the c
gas company had control over the f
product going into those tanks." e
He explained that Collier Gas Com- t
pany must next remove soil where
the tanks were located, thereby e
lowering the chance of additional
groundwater contamination. r
The gas company must also drill f
monitoring wells to determine the ex- 2
tent of the gasoline leak and submit i
an outline reviewing how it plans to
remediate the problem. This plan re- c
quires prior approval of the DEM f
groundwater section. a
Jamieson said the company is re- t
quired to have a written response to
the DEM by Jan 7C% "They've been j
very cooperative during this in- c
(See UNDERGROUND, Page 2-A)
npact' On
four paper and timber products companies
and involves almost 148,000
acres of timberland in 16 counties
across the state.
Williamson said the companies include
Boise-Cascade, Champion International,
Georgia-Pacific and
Weyerhauser.
Other counties affected include Anson,
Bertie, Bladen, Burke,
Chatham, Currituck, Franklin, Granville,
Hertford, Martin, Onslow,
Pamlico, Polk, Rutherford and
Washington.
Georgia-Pacific initially appealed
(See APPEAL, Page 2-A)
"lursday, January 21, 1988
Commissic
T? C I, CD
I U JU
BY SUSAN USHER
An SBI investigation may be forthcoming
into Brunswick County
school system finances.
While agreeing to make up $290,000
of what had been a $553,000 shortfall
in the schools' operating budget,
Tuesday night Brunswick County
Commissioners also agreed the
school board should seek an investigation.
Commissioner Benny Ludlum
tacked the request to a rnotiori by
Commissioner Frankie Rabon to
transfer $290,000 from thp half-/>nnf
sales tax fund for school construction
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Commissioners adopted both items
unanimously following a brief discussion.
In making his motion, Ludium said
he agreed with people he had talked
with that ar. investigation will "show
we're all clear."
Afterwards, Board of Education
Chairman James Forstncr said, "I
save no problem asking Mike Easley
f something should be done."
Seeking further guidance on how
ipecifically to approach the district
WORI
Four Sentenc
BY RAHN ADAMS
Three Brunswick County residents
nd a Columbus County mail were
sentenced last week for cocaine traficking
during a special session of
irunswick Countv SuDerinr fniirt
While all four defendants received
ictive prison terms, Judge Samuel T.
"urrin recommended work release
or all but one.
Those sentenced last week included
James Elmer Haicner, 25, and
lohnny Dale Wood, 19, both of Route
, Winnabow; Kevin Layne Caison,
6, of Supply; and Ralph Louis
Vheeler, 41, of Whiteville.
Tltey were among 37 people inlicted
in Brunswick County on coeaine
trafficking charges in June and
luly 1987 as a result of work done by
he first special investigative grand
ury used in North Carolina.
Hatcher received a split
lentence?4M: years active and 12
ears suspended, with five years of
;upervised probation to begin at the
ixpiration of his active sentence. The
:ourt recommended work release.
Hatcher was indicted last June uit
our counts each of conspiracy to
raffic in more than 28 grams of co:aine
and trafficking by possession of
nore than 28 grams of cocaine; and
ine count each of conspiracy to trafic
in more than 400 grams of cocaine
ind trafficking by possession of more
han 400 grams of cocaine.
On Aug. 31, 1987, he pleaded guilty
is charged.
Wood was sentenced to six years in
irison as a committed youthful ofender.
He was given credit for the
;18 days that he has already served
n jail.
I-ast June, Wood was charged with
ine count each of conspiracy to trafic
in more than 400 grams of cocaine
ind trafficking by possession of more
han 400 grams of cocaine.
On Nov. 2,1987, he pleaded guilty to
ine count of trafficking by possession
if more than 200 grams of cocaine.
Caison received a three-year
Irunswick's'
County's Top 1(
Truer i Address
1. Federal Paper Board, Atlanta, Ge
2. International Paper, Wilmington.
3. Canal Industries, Conway, S.C....
4. Boise-Cascade, Charlotte
5. The Nature Conservancy, Atlanta
6. Weyerhaeuser, Plymouth
7. Orton Plantation, Winnabow
8. United States of America, Washin
9. Georgia-Pacific, Atlanta, Ga
10. Reeves Teleenm Billing Spring L
i
Sourest Ths Inttituls of Southern StucJ st and Bruntwifk <
25c Per Copy
mers Ask Scl
I Probe Of Fi
attorney, he later asked, "Do we i
have to say,'Please7' " !
Replied Ludlum, "Go and speak up
like you're asking for this money and
he'll listen."
If the SBI chooses to undertake the
investigation, noted County Attorney
David Clegg in response to a question
from Interim Superintendent John
Kaufhold, the cost would be absorbed
by the SBI.
Transfer Sought
The school board first requested
the fund transfer last Thursday night
in a special meeting with the coi./- 1
missioners called obstensibly to
discuss a 10-year capital needs plans, i
The transfer will leave enough
money in the construction fund to 1
match additional money anticipated
from the state.
School system representatives told
commissioners last week they were
short $553,242. or one percent of their
$35 miiiion budget. But by juggiing
other items ami cutting neariy
$43,000 from the local budget, the
POSA A"" 11 '
uuaiu nuiuc up ?.mu.uuu oi inai snon
tali. It asked commissioners for <
$202,000 to cover the remainder and
K RELEASE RECOMMEN
:ed For Coca in<
prison sentence, with immediate
work release recommended. f
Currin found that Caison had pro- e
vided substantial assistance to the <
state, court records showed. t
Last June, Caison was indicted on
two counts each of conspiracy to traf- t
fic in more than 400 grams of cocaine f
and trafficking by possession of more c
than 400 grams of cocaine. I
He entered guilty pleas to those
on A lift 11 1Qft7 t
V.IUI1 gVd VII ttMQl *W| AWW( i
Of the four, Wheeler received the s
longest sentence, although he was s
one of the three recommended for s
work release.
According to the Brunswick County f
Clerk of Court's office, Wheeler t
received a split prison sentence last c
Thursday afternoon after pleading t
guilty to cocaine trafficking last \
August.
<
Judge Currin sentenced Wheeler to <
a 26-year prison term, 13 years ac- (
tivc, 13 years suspended.
The judge ordered that Wheeler be <
placed on five years of supervised j
probation upon release from prison.
The judge also recommended work
release for the defendant, after 30
days.
Special Assistant District Attorney
William Wolak said Currin found that
Wheeler had provided substantial
assistance to investigators during
their probe of major cocaine trafficking
here.
"In fact, he provided a great deal
oi assistance, woiax said Tuesday.
Court records show that an SBI
agent testified for the state during
last Thursday's sentencing hearing,
while six witnesses testified for the
defense. Wheeler was represented by
Wilmington attorney Bill Boney.
Wolak added that Wheeler's
sentence "was proportionate to the
damage he has caused in the community."
"He was facing a minimum of 130
years i in prison), so i ihink he came
out rather well," said the prosecutor.
Wheeler, who was indicted last
fax 8ncfii
I V</\ M>viav
J Landowners
. *
1 96,879.2
66,295.3',v:
14,361.1
14,091.1!.:
, Ga 13,850.0
12,413.4
11,964.8
gton, D.C 9,500.0
8,091.3
nl#A? n QiA a
$ ,?nv.u
!ounfy To? Adrmmtfroior t Olfiev
TM
26 Pages
hooi Board
I
inances
ior another $S8,000 as an operating
reserve.
The N.C. Department of Public Instruction
recommends the schools
keep in reserve two to three months'
operating funds. County Finance Officer
Lithia Hahn advised commissioners
Tuesday night that the school
board could return at the end of the
year to ask for another supplement of
this kind.
Hahn, who had gone over the
figures earlier in the day with School
Finance Officer Elaine Shappell, told
commissioners, "In review of the
local fund balance of the schools, it is
in dire straits."
Interim Superintendent John
Kaufnola said schools and stucTents
weren't feeling the pinch of the shortage,
that it is felt by the administration,
because of the lack of cushion in
41 * -?
um trveni 01 an emergency or unexpected
expenses such as higher
heating costs uue to extended COid
weather.
Educational officials had been
aware of the shortfall since summer,
jut had not discussed it publicly dur(SceSBI.
Page 2-A)
IDED
3 Trafficking
June by the special investigative
;rand jury, pleaded guilty as charged
Aug. 13, 1937, to 10 counts each of
:onspiracy to traffic in cocaine and
rafficking by possession of cocaine.
The offenses, which involved quanities
of cocaine ranging from 28
'rams to more than 400 ernms nr.
:urred between Dec. 24, 1985, and
i'eb. 24, 1987.
Last week, Currin gave Wheeler
he active sentence on the consolidated
trafficking charges and the
suspended sentence on the consolidated
conspiracy counts.
Prior to Tuesday's session of
Superior Court?which was schedul;d
after court was canceled Friday
hie to inclement weather?13 defenlants
who had earlier pleaded guilty
vere awaiting sentencing.
Three defendants?Fotios Kamtiiklis
of Greenville, Dale Varnam of
Supply and Richard Woods of
Jaiabash?are awaiting trial.
Two others?Alan Dale Brooks of
Shallotte and Francisco Navarro of
"t. Myers, Fla.?remain fugitives.
/-\iikji i /cry i u
Challenge
Reawine
While no new candidates have
filed for local public office since
last Tuesday, a county attorney
said Tuesday he plans to file
against incumbent State Rep. E.
David Redwine in the
Democratic primary.
R. Glen Peterson, 33, of Iceland,
will make his formal announcement
as a House candidate at
noon today (Thursday) at the
Brunswick County Courthouse in
Bolivia, with a press conference
afterwards. A Brunswick County i
native, he is a partner in a
Southport law firm.
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