Focusing On Inlet
An area rrcfessor plans a closer look at inlet conditions
attecting pollution levels and water flow in and from
Lockwood Folly River for the Save Our Shellfish
conservation group. The story's on Page 8-A.
Facing The Judge
Most drivers prosecuted in Brunswick County for DWI
with a high blood alcohol concentration (0.10) can expect
convictions, according to the latest state "Rater's Report."
To compare figures, see Page 10-C.
Tiger's The Ticket
For the third straight year, Billy Greer takes the
Poor Boy Shark Tournament with a tiger-this time
with a 565-ib. "lady," examined here by researcher
Frank Schwartz. Details and photo are on Page 9-B.
TTljr U ' Si soi
I I I lr |^|\ SPRINQPOfi
?iOfiG & SONS BOOK BINDERY
12/31/9
BOX 1&2
Ml 49284
Twenty-seventh Year, Number 38
ei Ml THE BRUNSWICK BEACON
Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, July 27, 1989
25C Per Copy
36 Pages, 3 Sections
Sunset Becch Gels Out ,
Of The Trash Business ?
BY SUSAN US1IKR
Sunset Bcach got out of the gar
bage business this week, with Town
Administrator Linda Fleugel telling
the town council Monday, "Thank
you, thank you, thank you" after its
4-0 vote.
Starting Saturday morning.
Chambers of South Carolina will
begin collecting trash on both the
island and mainland under a three
year contract with the town
approved by council members
Monday afternoon. Chambers is the
company that collected trash for the
town on the July 4th holiday.
Councilwoman Minnie Hunt did
not attend the special meeting,
which was called following a work
session last Thursday on the issues
of trash collection and annexation.
Councilwoman Kathy Hill Peed was
absent from the work session.
Council will discuss planning
board recommendations regarding
annexation at its August meeting
(Sec related story in this issue.).
Existing Cans Will Go
In contracting trash collection to
a private firm, Sunset Beach
Council followed the example of
Holdcn Beach, Ocean Isle Beach
and Shallotte, all of whom already
contract with Chambers.
Mike Bcssant of Chambers said
the firm's employees were to begin
working with the town crew imme
diately, putting out new 90-gallon
rolling carts starting Wednesday and
setting existing racks and trash cans
behind houses ? overturned and
stacked until owners indicate to
town hall whether they want to keep
the cans for other uses or have
Chambers haul them away.
"We can expcct some confusion
until the old carts arc gone," said
Councilman Ed Gore. "The sooner
they're gone the better."
It could take up to a year for a
complete transition to the new sys
tem, he noted, as tourists and per
mancnt residents mu^i aCCuS
tomed to using the carts. To case the
transition, both Chambers and the
town will be contacting property
owners about various aspects of the
service.
Through September Chambers
will pick up residential garbage
twice weekly, on Wednesdays and
Saturdays, with carts and any addi
tional secured bags to be set at curb
"For 30 percent more
money we will get
equal and perhaps
better service ? and
we're out of the
garbage business."
A1 Odom, Councilman
Sunset Beach
side by 6 a.m. Landscape material
such as leaves and limbs will be
picked up if cut and bagged, said
Bcssant, and arrangements can be
made to pick up heavy items such as
furniture or appliances from curb
sidc.
From October through April, pick
up will be once weekly, on Thurs
days. The same schedule applies to
roadside containers at five locations
throughout town.
Commercial concerns with multi
yard containers will receive twice
weekly pickup year round. Strand
pickup will be weekly.
Pickup is expected to begin early,
possibly by 6 a.m., on Wednesdays,
and not until mid-moming or later
on Saturdays, when tourists check
out.
Contract Not Ready
The contract formally takes effect
Aug. 1 and ends July 31. 199?. It
provides for a six^month notice if
the town decides not to renew wioi
Chambers.
While council members approved
the contract, a copy wasn't ready for
signing Monday. Town Attorney
Michael Ramos and Chambers'
attorney were still negotiating the
final "verbiage," said Mayor Mason
Barber, adding that Ramos was
working to include in the contract
some additional protections for the
town, such as a provision for being
released from the contract if
Chambers docs not perform to the
town's satisfaction.
A ? C J..1
rva yai t ut uiv uvat, viiauiuuto
will buy out the town's two garbage
trucks for 518,500 and provide a
general umbrella liability policy for
the town as well as a performance
bond.
In tum the town will pay a base
rate of $38,597 for the first year of
service, based on monthly rates of
$1,781 per month October through
April and $5,226 May through
September. The cost will increase as
new customers arc added. Also, the
annual contract figure can be adjus'
cd upward or downward based on
percentage change in the Consumer
Price Index for the Southeast
Region.
At last Thursday's work session,
Councilwoman Hunt said she was
conccrncd that council didn't have a
clear grasp of how garbage collec
tion is now being managed or of its
actual cost to the town. Without that
information, she said it was hard to
compare the services.
However, fellow members point
ed to hidden costs to the town and
headaches associated with providing
regular service. "For 30 perccnt
more money we will get equal and
perhaps better service ? and we're
out of the garbage business. I have
no objection to that," said Council
man A1 Odom.
Councilwoman Mary Kathcrine
Griffin will also be relieved.
She. tnld council. "I've almost
stopped going into my yard. When I
go and am working in my yard I am
accosted by people about ihc
garbage situation."
Residents have told her they have
no objections to a private service so
long as the town, not individual
property owners, pays the bill, and
the garbage gets pickcd up on
schedule.
Regular pickup has been a chal
lenge for the town at times.
Councilman Ed Gore noted that try
ing to keep the trash collected "has
put a strain on the other jobs these
people arc supposed to be doing."
Councilwoman Hunt had asked if
the town could afford to continue
the two S21.000 positions filled by
the garbage truck crew, and wanted
a detailed explanation from the
administrator as to how they would
be used.
For the present, the town has no
intentions of eliminating any emp
loyees or positions, as Administrator
Flucgel assured the council that the
two employees now assigned to the
garbage detail can be better utilized
elsewhere, particularly in operating
and repairing other town-owned
equipment. As for salaries, she
noted, "You're not going to be able
to gel good people to do good work
if you don't pay them a decent
salary."
STAFF WOTO IT RAHN ADAMS
Brunswick County Flag Flies
County Veterans Services Officer Jess Parker displays the new Brunswick County flag, which was run up
its flagpole at the county government complex in Bolivia for the first time last Wednesday. Designed by
Parker, the flag features the blue-and-gold county seal on a field of green; it also shows the date ? March
9, 1764 ? that Brunswick was established as a county. The idea for the county flag was conceived earlier
this year by Parker, Commissioner Gene Pinkerton and County Manager John T. Smith.
Dozen More Hopefuls File For Office
BY DOUG RUTTER
A dozen more candidates have
filed for municipal office over the
past week, including three at Holden
Beach and incumbents at four other
towns in the western end of Bruns
wick County.
The deadline for filing for office
is Friday, Aug. 4, at noon. Th^rr* n
S5 fee. The last day for voter regis
tration for the Nov. 7 election is
Monday, Oct. 9, according to Bruns
wick County Board of Elections
Supervisor Lynda Britt.
As of Tuesday afternoon, she said
there were still no candidates for
office in the towns of Bolivia,
Boiling Spring Lakes, Yaupon
Beach and Navassa. Also, no candi
dates had filed for the three slots
opening up this fall on the Dosher
Hospital Board of Trustees and five
scats on the Leland Sanitary District
Board.
"It's still a little early," said Ms.
Britt. "I expect to see a few more by
next week."
Mfjinwhil^ three more
datcs have filed for commissioner at
Holden Beach since last Tuesday,
according to town board of elections
member Mabel Dutton.
George Bradshaw, Carole Rogers
and Don Pollard have all filed with
in the past week, bringing the total
number of commission candidates to
four. Odis Aleck Alcxiou filed for a
seat on the board of commissioners
shortly after the filing period opened
on July 7.
All five seats on the Holden
Beach Board of Commissioners and
the mayor's post are up for election
this year. None of the current board
members had filed for re-election as
of Tuesday afternoon, said Mrs.
Duttcn
Incumbents have filed for office
over the past week at Sunset Beach,
Ocean Isle Beach, Shallotte and
Varnamtown.
At Sunset Beach, long-time board
member Edward M. Gore Sr. has
filed for re-election to the town
council, and D.G. "Bud" Scrantom
has also filed for councilman.
(See A DOZEN, Page 2-A)
Calabash Savings &
Loan Boosting Security To Deter
Robbers
BY DOUG RUTTER
Officials of Security Savings &
Loan are upgrading security equip
ment and working toward better
communications with law enforce
ment personnel following two recent
armed robberies at the institution's
branch at Calabash.
One new surveillance camera has
already been installed and there are
plans for another as well as relocat
ing additional alarm buttons and
switches to activate the cameras,
according to Allen Bellamy, a loan
officer and security officer in the
S&L's Shallotte office.
"We are doing things to beef up
the security there and throughout
our system," he said. "We're trying
to do everything we can to make
sure this doesn't happen again."
lUe branch, located on N.C. 179
just outside of Calabash, was first
robbed on June 20, then again last
Tuesday. In both instances, a man
carrying a handgun entered the
building, demanded and received
money and fled on foot into woods
behind the property.
Bellamy said officials are replac
ing outdated security equipment and
trying to send a message to would
be criminals that the Calabash
branch and others arc not going to
be easy targets. He said the
Calabash office has been vulnerable
in the past, partly bccausc of outdat
ed security equipment which hasn't
always functioned properly.
"We are making these alarms
more accessible to our employees,"
he said. "We're making them more
plentiful and easier to use." Bellamy
also said the institution plans to test
i is equipment willi iiic sliciiff's
department more often than it has in
the past.
"We intend to work a lot more
closely with the sheriff's depart
ment, and we hope to organize some
type of regular patrol with them," he
added.
Bellamy noted, however, that he
believes Calabash is large enough
ana has enough businesses to war
rant its own police force. "I certainly
see the need for some type of police
protection." Security Savings &
Loan's branch office is outside the
town limits.
Calabash Mayor Doug Simmons
said last week he hasn't heard much
talk recently of the need for a police
department in town, although he
admits that crime in the area seems
to be on the rise. "It's getting kinda
serious down here," he said.
Past efforts to get a police depart
ment failed due to the high cost, he
said. A proposal several years ago to
use off-duty officers from the sher
iff's department was rejected by
town residents, the mayor contin
ued, because it would liavc required
a sizable jump in the lax rate.
Calabash has a total budget this
year of about SI 50.000. Funding
police departments in other South
Brunswick Islands towns will cost
an average of SI 80,000 this fiscal
year. That doesn't include the cost
of a fleet of vehicles, uniforms and
other equipment needed to start a
police force.
Mayor Simmons said ilic pro
posed consolidation of Calabash and
Carolina Shores or the annexation of
other areas into Calabash may bring
in enough tax revenue for the town
to afford a police department.
United Carolina Bank Area
Executive A1 Laughinghouse
refused to comment last week on
whether he thinks Calabash should
start providing police protection or
whether the sheriff's department
needs to increase its force. He also
declined to talk about security sys
(See SAVINGS, Page 2-A)
ANNA KKDMOND of the Sunset iieach Police Department, pictured in front of the Calabash branch of
Security Savings & Loan following last week's armed robbery, has been the first law enforcement officer
on the scene for each of the last two robberies. The financial institution plans to improve security, and
some merchants in town are seeking better police protection.
Grand Jury Indicts Suspect
In Calabash Bank Robbery
A federal grand jury last week indicted a man on one count of
armed bank robbery in connection with the June 20 robbery of the
Calabash branch of Security Savings & Loan.
Jerry Lee Brooks, 39, of Surfside Beach, S.C., and Charlotte, was
indicted by a federal grand jury in Wilmington on July 18, according to
Paul Cox of the FBI office in Wilmington.
Cox said Tuesday Brooks is being held in prison in Florence, S.C.,
and that a court date is pending. He refused to release the amount of
money taken during the robbery ? the first of two armed robberies to
have occurrcd a> the branch over a four-week period.
Cox said FBI agents are still investigating the most recent robbery
of the Calabash financial institution, which occurred on July 18. Brooks
is not a suspect in that robbery, said Cox, because Brooks docs not
match the description offered by tellers and bccausc he was in custody at
the time of the crime.
The N.C. League of Savings Institutions is still offering a cash
reward of up iu $2,000 for information ieading to the arrest and indict
ment of the person who committed the July 18 robbery. Anyone with
information can contact the FBI office in Charlotte at (704)525-8497.
Telephone charges may be reversed.