Next
BY DOUG RUTTER
Final word on the issue of unfortified
wine sales in Shallotte will
come next Tuesday when voters go to
the polls for the second time in less
than three months.
"I think it's going to pass again,"
Mayor Jerry Jones said last week.
"But I haven't heard very inany
comments about it from others."
Next week's election will mark the
second time in recent months that
town voters have cast ballots on the
f SOUTHERN BELL ENGINI
shows how Brunswick County
divided between his companj
Membership Corporation, in r
r "at.-j emergency ieiepiiuue system
llpl (from left) County Managt
Emergency Management Coc
njBi
^IbbIB
| Wtfc
w *2r k
IR flSfc|
gl < . JB HP|lPl,^^HBrol %rjQB^nuCt*~ | ^^31
^TW^ll I HI
1 1 1
txs H i ll
.'iSMuaiHi ^.>umjr-Vivi.ub^w amii m'wm'jm i-mitym '.linoawa
New Utili
At Odds'
BY RAHN ADAMS
Four days after he was appointed
to the Brunswick County Utility
Operations Board, John T. Boney's
name was read Monday on the arraignment
calendar in Brunswick
County Superior Court.
Boney, 33, of Route 3, Leland, has
appealed his month-old convictions
in Brunswick County District
Criminal Court on misdemeanor
charges including assault on a law
enforcement officer, and being drunk
and disruptive in public.
Represented by Southport attorney
Mary Easley, Boney's arraignment
was waived Monday morning. The
case also was listed on this week's
Superior Court trial calendar but was
not heard Monday, according to the
clerk of court's office.
Last Thursday afternoon during a
1 Vfe-hour county commissioners'
work session in Bolivia, Boney was
appointed to fill the unexpired term
of the UOB's District 5 representative,
Jimmy Oldham, who recently
resigned due to a conflicting work
situation, according to District 5
Commissioner Grace Beasley.
Oldham was reappointed to a twoyear
term on the utility board last
September.
Ms. Beasley, who nominated
Boney for the UOB seat, told the
Beacon Monday she was unaware
that he was involved in the criminal
cases. Prior to last Thursday's
taa?ITTlirmTT:i?.varjgywrT.?^ fn-n
Charges Filed A
Cashiers in six of the 13 stores in
Shallotte which offer beer for sale
were charged over the weekend with
selling the alcoholic beverage to someone
less than 21 years of age.
The charges stemmed from what
Police Chief Rodney Gause said was
the police department's first operation
aimed at discouraging store
employees from selling to underage
individuals.
The charges were filed by the town
department Friday and Saturday
after illegal alcohol sales were made
at Wilson's Food Store, Party Mart,
GoGas, Revco Drug Store, Rite Aid
and Food Lion, according to Gause.
k >'
S
Week's Vc
issue of off-premises consumption of
unfortified wines. Voters overwhelmingly
supported the measure during
the November general election, pass
ing it by a margin of 293 to 145.
However, the vote was later invalidated
because it violated state
law prohibiting alcoholic beverage
elections on the Tuesday after the
first Monday in November of evennumbered
years.
Mayor Jones said as far as he
knows, there is nothing to cause next
jl^ HOAG & SONS BOOt
| SF'R INGPGRI" MI
I
CER Bob Fuller (right)
's telephone services are
' and Atlantic Telephone
elation to installing a 911
here. Aiso pictured are
:r John T. Smith and
irdlnator Cecil Logan.
I ^ ?
ity Board A/1
With Authc
meeting, Boney had contacted her
and expressed an interest in serving
on the utility board, she said, adding
that she discussed the appointment
with "two or three people" who said
they thought Boney would make an
excellent 1JOR mpmher
Ms. Beasley said other "criteria"
she used in selecting Boney was his
"genuine interest" in serving on the
utility board. When asked if the
charges against Boney would have
made any difference in her decision,
the commissioner responded that she
might have waited until his court
case was resolved before considering
the appointment.
Chairman Frankie Rabon and Kelly
Holden?the only other commissioners
present last Thursday when
the vote was taken?supported
Boney's nomination without discussion.
Commission members generally
do not oppose an appointment that
is made by a commissioner for his or
her own respective district.
According to County Attorney
David Clegg, convictions on misde
meanor ottenses "in and of
themselves" would not preclude
Boney from serving on the UOB, an
eight-member board which advises
commissioners on the growth and
operation of the Brunswick County
Water System. State law does not
allow individuals to hold public office
who have lost their citizenship rights
due to a felony conviction, Clegg
m-ravt. w-f
iter 6 Stores Se
Gause said an 18-year-old female
was sent into each of the stores to
purchase beer while police officers
waited outside in unmarked vehicles.
The purchaser was wired to provide
a tape recording of the conversation
with each cashier, he added.
Stores which did not sell beer to the
underage female were Scotchman,
Handy Hugo's, Minuteman, Piggly
r>?.^ ? "mi.- ^
"'SB'Ji run SUJUUI1, run s 1" ooa
Store and Market Express. The
Shallotte ABC store also refused to
sell liquor to the teen, said Cause.
Assisting town police in the operation
were David Crocker of the
Brunswick County Sheriff's Depart
>te To Sett/
week's election from being the om
that decides the issue once and fo
all. "I certainly don't know o
anything, and I hope there's not an;
problem this time."
On Tuesday, polls at the Shallott
Volunteer Fire Department buildinj
will be open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:3i
p.m.
According to the Brunswick Count;
Board of Elections office, there ari
840 voters registered for the referen
dum. That total is up sharply fron
1
amwHtr<;fM;'.a>Majivcg: awrrrr wmrrro.-irc ixawa&a
lember
>rities
said.
Boney, a Belville merchant, coul
not be reached for comment Tuesda
afternoon.
According to court records on fil
in the Brunswick County Clerk c
Court's office, Boney was charged b
the Brunswick County Sheriff'
Department with assault on a law er
forcement officer and with bein
drunk and disruptive on Aug. 27,1981
following an incident the same day L
the parking lot of his business, Hoi:
day Beverages.
In the defendant's arrest warrants
Deputy R.N. Spencer alleged ths
Boney appeared intoxicated, an
that he "cussed and shouted in a lou
voice" and challenged the officer to;
fight. The warrant for assault als
states that Boney struck and kickei
Spencer while the officer was check
ing a vehicle that displayed n
license plate.
Boney pleaded not guilty to botl
misdemeanor charges when his cas
was heard Dec. 21, 1988, ii
Brunswick County District Crimina
Court. He was found guilty of botl
charges and was sentenced to a $10
fine and a 29-day jail term that wa
suspended for two years. He appeal
ed the convictions.
The maximum penalty for assaul
on a law enforcement officer is up ti
two years in prison and a fine; for be
ing drunk and disruptive, up to 3
days in jail or a fine of up to $50.
II IIIII i i 11 imu mini iii II iii i. in. _.u_i
It Beer To Teen
ment and Billy Nichols of the stat
Division of Alcoholic I .aw Enforce
ment.
Gause said he thought the opera
tion was very successful and said h
was surprised at the number o
stores in town which sold beer t
underage individuals.
He warned that the police depart
ment will conduct similar operation:
in the future. "We may turn arouni
and do it next week," he said.
Chief Gause said the operation wa
conducted in response to nurnerou:
complaints from parents who hav
said their underage children havi
been purchasing beer in town.
e Shallotte V
c last fall when only G53 town residents
r were registered to vote,
f The mayor said he thinks the addiy
tional 187 registered voters indicates
more interest in the issue. He
e speculated that most of the new
I registered voters are newcomers to
0 the area who are accustomed to purchasing
finer wines in local stores
and will help pass the referendum.
1 Jones also noted, however, that a
low voter turnout could cause the
1 measure to be defeated. "I think the
County 1
1 \A/M-k Ol '
WW lis 1 J B
BY RAHN ADAMS
Brunswick County Commissioners
will have the chance to put their
mouths where their money is Monday
concerning a proposed 911
emergency telephone system.
At the close of a lWhour work session
last Thursday afternoon in
Bolivia, Commission Vice Chairman
Grace Beasley instructed County At
tomey David Clegg to draft a I otter of
intent that, if approved, will formalize
the county's aim to install a
911 system here. Last June, commissioners
appropriated $250,000 in the
1988-09 budget for 911 but have taken
no action to implement the system
since then.
Ms. Beasley's instruction to Clegg
was met by applause from most of
the 40 individuals who attended last
Thursday's 911 work session, which
featured a presentation from
s Southern Bell engineers Jeff Ritz and
Bob Fuller. Other commissioners
present included Kelly Holden and
Gene Pinkerton. Chairman Frankie
Rabon and Benny Ludlum were absent.
Clegg said Monday that he plans to
present the proposed letter of intent
to commissioners at their Feb. 6
' Survey Re1
p
> Violations
ig
BY DOUG RUTTER
(t Septic tanks have apparently
n played little or no role in the recent
i- pollution and natural resource
damage in Lockwood Folly River, a
i, state environmental official said last
it week.
d Following a recent examination of
j septic tanks in the Lockwood Folly
a area, state officials have concluded
o that there are no tanks known to be
d contributing to the pollution problems
experienced in the river, said
0 Bob Benton, director of the state
shellfish sanitation branch which
h conducted the survey.
"We found no septic tank violations
1 in the survey," he said, adding that
' more than 400 tanks were checked
between Jan. 9 and Jan. 17. "We really
haven't come up with anything
? definitive."
The survey area included both
sides of the Lockwood Folly River
* and its tributaries between the inlet
0 and U.S. 17, said Benton. He said
j" state employees examined the septic
tank site looking for possible
drainage problems and probed drain
? lines in some cases.
However, because shellfish sanitation
staff conducting the survey were
only able to check the septic tank if
the homeowner was home at the
e time, Benton said many areas on
f- Holden Beach were missed. He said a
closer look at the island is planned
- for the spring or summer.
e Instead of malfunctioning septic
f tanks, Benton said a more likely
0 source of river pollution is runoff.
During times of moderate or heavy
- rainfall in the river basin, he said
s stormwater picks up bacteria from
1 rooftops, roads, ditches, cleared
fields and other areas and carries it
C IntA
' II11U Hit I IVtl .
s Lockwood Folly River, which
e traditionally accounts for approx6
imately 40 percent of the county's
oyster and clam harvest, has been
Vine Soles I
greater the turnout the better the ti
chance it will pass," he said. a
The referendum on unfortified
wines was first requested last April p
by managers of four area grocery a
stores. d
Currently, stores in town are per- V
mitted to sell fortified wines for off- 1;
premises consumption, but not the b
less-potent unfortified variety, also p
known as dinner wines. Fortified s
wines have an alcohol content bet- s
ween 14 and 20 percent, while unfor- b
rrrtx .'twai wiww.iJKiRTm?an'AK*Bwuii'ai?wwwuTmg
8EAIY
Dtnu
s 'On A R
1 ^
g a 0 *
meeting. He added, however, that c
board members probably would 1;
discuss the 911 issue at a work ses- b
sion that was slated for Wednesday s
(Feb. 1) in Bolivia.
"I think we're on a roll now, and I i
think we'll have it (911) within the r
next 24 months if things keep going 3
like they did in that meeting," a
Brunswick County Emergency t]
Management Coordinator Cecil n
Logan told the Beacon Monday. a
I /10Pn nntpH that ho ie \irr?r*lHr?rT r\
?~0? * -? ?:v?mii5 UH >1
estimates of how much 911-related r
expenses?such as a facility, equip- p
ment and personnel?would cost the p
county. Ms. Beasley asked Logan to tl
formulate recommendations on the ?
location of 911 answering points and
have cost estimates ready "ASAP p
(as soon as possible)," preferably by t
the Feb. 6 meeting. a
911 Explained d
The emergency management coor- t
dinator indicated he was "well pleas- c
ed" with last Thursday's work ses- c
sion, which he said he feels corrected e
at least one misunderstanding about r
911?the misconception that its im- p
plcmcntation would automatically
outmode the county's volunteer c
rescue squads or at least their dispatveals
No Se\
B Lwwrxv
"We fee/ it's got to b
?Bob Ben
closed to shellfishermen almost continuously
since late August because p
of high levels of fecal coliform I
bacteria, a natural organism which s
indicates pollution.
Although the river has been show- t
ing recent signs of recovery in its bat- s
tie against pollution, it is still shut c
down with each rainfall. t
"I really never thought it was (sep- c
tic tanks) and this doesn't change
that opinion," said Benton, adding r
that pollution patterns indicate e
something other than septic tanks. I
"We haven't found enough sewage a
problems to cause that amount of o
pollution." r
"We feel It's got to be just runoff," t
he said. "The runoff is the vehicle by
which the bacteria gets into the a
waters." ti
Shellfish Bed
In Lockwood
After a five-day waiting period,
harvesting oysters and clams in Lo>
week.
The lower portion of the river, do'
Genoes Point on the west shore to Gor
was temporarily reopened to shellfis
after being closed last Monday due to
In addition to the reopening of the
official this week had more good news
George Gilbert, assistant directoi
branch, said waters upstream of the op
where they can be harvested as soon
meats test clear of pollution. He adde
when that may be.
"The whole river has seemed to in
ths," said Gilbert. "If we can get thew
ter at the same time, then we maybe
ssue
ified wines have less than 14 percent
lcohol.
Shallotte ABC store is the only
lace in town where unfortified wines
re sold, but those wines must be prouced
in North Carolina.
Store managers from Hill's,
Vilson's, Food Lion and Piggly Wiggy
requested the vote to boost
usiness in town and to prevent
otential customers from making
pecial trips to neighboring towns
uch as Ocean Isle Beach for their
etter wines.
toll'
^yoici 11
hers. The information presented
jst week showed that "nothing will
e taken away, just added to," Logan
aid.
Ritz explained to the gathering last
'hursday that 911 is an emergency
eporting system?available in about
5 percent of the United States?that
llows individuals to punch those
tiree digits on any telephone to sumion
police, fire or rescue help. With
n enhanced 911 system, the person
rtio answers the emergency call
eceives an almost immediate comuter
readout including the caller's
hone number, street address and
he agencies that would respond to
hat particular location.
Depending on how the county's
tolice. fire and rescue communiea
ions are handled, the individual who
inswers the 911 call could either
lispatch help himself or push a buton
and automatically reroute the
rail to the proper agency to be dispat:hed.
Ritz said another feature of
inhanced 911 is that the answerer,
lot the caller, controls when the
ihone call is disconnected.
In response to a question from
itizen Pegge Jaynes about how 911
(See COUNTY, Page 2-A)
ptic Tank
vood
e just runoff."
ton. Shellfish Sanitation
The shellfish sanitation survey is
(art of a large-scale look at the
.ockwood Folly River by various
itate agencies.
The state Division of Environmenal
Management (DEM) is currently
itudying the quality of water which
trains from the Green Swamp into
he river basin as well as its impact
in the river.
Bob Jamieson, Wilmington
egional manager with DEM, refusd
to discuss preliminary results of
he study. He said a full report will be
ivailable in early March when state
fficials plan to meet in Raleigh with
epresentatives of Brunswick Coun
y"We
want to analyze the results
nd then present them at that point in
ime," said Jamieson.
s Reopen
Folly River
m
shellfishermen are once again
wer Lockwood Folly River this
svnstream of a line running from
e's Landing on the eastern bank,
h harvesting Saturday morning
rainfall and the resulting runoff,
lower section of the river, a state
t for area shellfishermen.
of the state shellfish sanitation
>en area have cleared to the point
as samples of oyster and clam
id, however, that he had no idea
nprove some in the last two monater
and meat samples to get betcan
do something upstream."