i Owners To Meet Property owner and taxpayer organizations at several local beaches plan Saturday meetings. Check out the details in the round-up on Page 7-A. * Twenty-seventh Year, Number 20 ~ po .-.o gp * -',r look What Amidst a handful of sunbathers and hopeful pier fishermen, Ohio residents Angela and Colter Dustin wctc uie^iu^ lur crau sneiis m me sana at sunset Beach Saturday afternoon. Although local beaches Health Board S Sri Environment BY RAHN ADAMS The difference I In an effort to increase services budgets is coverei without draining additional county revenue, which tax dollars, local health officials estimated $88,808 tl have proposed raising fees for en- rise to an estirru vironmental health site evaluations. year. Brunswick County Board of Health Rhodes said the Chairman Ricky Parker told county proposed raising commissioners Monday that the local evaluation fees frt health department has asked for no commercial site ev increase in county funding of the en- a flat $50 to a $50 i vironmental health division for the maximum, depenc 1980-90 fiscal year. However, the divi- the sewage dispose sion's proposed budget shows an in- health board has s crease which would be made up $10 to inspect st through higher user fees, he added. mobile homes are i "We, the board, realize money has ing water sample f to come from one of two Dlaces: "It's something taxes or user fees," Parker told com- about for a long tii missioners. "We're trying to act He noted that stal responsibly and create some revenue evaluations alone to help with the budget." department about Commissioners did not comment sidering the relat Monday on the budget proposal, sanitarians, sect which was approved by the health ministrators. Mor board last Thursday and submitted were done last y to county budget officials this week. County than any o According to Health Director state. Michael Rhodes, the environmental Rhodes indicate health division's proposed 1989-90 board feels the pr budget is $523,849, which represents a crease in enviror $135,767 or 35 percent increase over needed to add its 1988-89 budget. sanitarian positioi The 1989-90 proposal shows no in- nine-member s crease in local funding at $296,274. sanitarians pay Report Reje< BY DOUG RUTTER Leaders of the shellfishing community and county officials were shocked and disappointed by a state report released last week which recommends against special protection for lower Lockwood Folly River. The preliminary report, compiled by state Division of Environmental Manacement iDEMt staff rprnm. mends that the lower section of the river not be classified as Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW), which are entitled to special protection from pollution. "I'm really disappointed," said Varnamtown oyster dealer Carson Varnam. "I was somewhat surprised because it seemed like they were listening to everything we were saying." Brunswick County Commissioner Benny Ludlum, whose district includes the river, also said he was confused by the recommendation. "I was surprisod to hear that they had not recommended it," he said. "I really don't understand it." Varnam, vice president of the local conservation group Save Our Shellfish and a member of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission, called Ixjckwood Folly River "the most productive river on the East Coast" and said it deserves the ORW classification. Si 1 Supplement Included In Thi< tRIIMCHfl far WW T 1 f.Ov'- '- \~Li * ,G ? ?. -A-! '' . v 1.62 3 P.O>?T ' &92'> ' a. ...c,vf;'T V>1 ? p.I>3' v" % ' '' 'T' ' 1.".* %, V^' .. I *? . STAFF PHOTO BY DOUG RUT TER We Found!' were a bit foggy Saturday morning, the weekend turned out to be a spectacular one for vistors and homeowners getting an early start on the tourist season. D - eeks Increase a! Health Fees jetween the two petitive levels; and to purchase four J by a rise in fee vehicles for the sanitarians to use. amounts to an The health director said the curhis year and would rent environmental health staff is ited $224,575 next now able to "keep up with" demands in the county's on-site sewage health board has disposal program; however, the food residential site and lodging inspection program has >m $20 to $35; and suffered, as was noted in a recent aluation fees from state study. A 1988 state manpower ninimum and $150 survey aiso pointed out that the enling on the size of vironmental health division needs a il system. Also, the staff of at least 16 sanitarians to hanuggested charging die the current workload. >ptic tanks when Health officials have long mainrelocated and rais- tained that local sanitarians need to ees from $3 to $10. receive higher salaries to keep them we've been talking from training here, then moving to me," Rhodes said, other counties where salaries are te studies say site higher. Currently, sanitarians start cost the health out at $17,906 per year. The proposed $100 apiece, con- pay grade change would start them ed time spent by at $19,726. etaries and ade site evaluations Rhodes said the four vehicles reear in Brunswick quested in the proposed budget are ither county in the station wagons that would be rotated Knfnrnnn cnnif orto nc onrl ntKof UnnllU uwbnvvu oaiuvaiiaiu aiiu uuiui ncaiui d that the health department staff members, oposed budget in- Sanitarians now drive personal lmental health is vehicles and are reimbursed for two new field mileage. Last year, a health departns to the current ment request for 10 pickup trucks itaff; to raise was denied by commissioners in the grades to com- 1988-89 budget. :ts Protective Sta "I was somewhat surprised because it . ^ seemed like they were listening to ^ everything we were . 1 n . ytt saying. } ?Carson Varnam / Varnamtown oyster dealer " However, according to the report, the river does not meet requirements for classification, which include no significant impacts from pollution and excellent water quality. The lower section of the river, between a line drawn from Genoes Point to Mullet Creek and the mouth, was nominated for the classification last year by the state Division of Marine Fisheries. The DEM staffs draft recommendation reads as follows: "The outstanding shellfish resource clearly meets the requirements for ORW. This is also the area, of all those nominated, that most obviously needs the p 0 Celebrate E I** aj&j&Jffa Opportunities to c &/through worship a V wWwM weekend with Eas , . $ services a favorite 5 ' f services is on Page Thursday, March 23, 1989 25c Per Shoooina Cei |- | v7 " * To Seaside BY DOUG RUTTER to tell him the news A shopping center anchored by a Barber said this \ major grocery chain will be built this numerous other to year at Seaside, even though the property owners h? store won't be selling beer and wine, and writing letters Strong community interest in the chain owner since li food store and the potential for ad- council decision not ding alcohol sales at a later date perty on which the s were the main reasons for a sudden planned, shift in the grocery chain's position Annexation was r< regarding alcohol sales, Steve the grocery store 1 Mercer, construction manager with wine. Since stores lc land developers Lat Purser & porated areas of B; Associates, Inc., of Charlotte, said are not permitted Monday. Until this week, project developers wanted t developers had said the grocery store included in the towr would not build at Seaside unless it Beach, could sell alcoholic beverages. Following last m "A lot of community support had a the request, deveh lot to do with it," he said. "I think all the possibilities of lc the credit goes right back into the elsewhere or incorp community." munity to allow I Despite an earlier rejection for an- alcohol, nexation and recent talk of building Mercer said groce the plaza elsewhere, Mercer said apparently changed developers hope to start construction the need for alee of the shopping center the first week receiving a numbe in April and open the doors this Oc- residents of the Sun tober. Given all of the Both of those projections could be Food Lion's decisi pushed back, he said, if there is a Seaside was not a lengthy delay in acquiring a building think it was just permit or if contractors have to bat- Mercer. "That local tie poor weather conditions once con- for that beach." struction begins. Mayor Barber, wl "Weather is the biggest factor," ation during a pre said Mercer. "We're really at the January, said the mercy of nature." will be convenient I The plaza and Food Lion grocery visitors, but will not store will be located on approximate- traffic problems. " ly 360,000 square feet of property will be an asset to south of Ocean Isle Fashions on N.C. he said. 904, according to local developer Bill Pelican Square , Benton. will consist of a 1 Benton was informed of the deci- Food linn and sb sion Monday after Tom Smith, presi- Overall, the strip "li dent of Food Lion, had telephoned center will cover 3 Sunset Beach Mayor Mason Barber and will cost api Sheriff Asks Fo Shoooina Centc I I