PAGE 6 A? THE BRUNSWICK BEACON. THURSDAY. OCTOBER 12. 1989
BCC Accepts $500,000 Endowment;
Names Auditorium For Williamson
BY SUSAN USHER
Announcement of plans to name
the Brunswick Community College
auditorium for Ocean Isle Beach
developer Odell Williamson domi
nated a combined dedication Sun
day of the college's new ALS build
ing and groundbreaking for the
1,500-scat facility.
College trustees voted 5-3 Sun
day afternoon to accept a 5500 000
endowment from Williamson to
support operation of the auditorium,
in turning naming the facility after
him. The decision was announced
later in the afternoon in ceremonies
held in the student center area of the
ALS building.
BCC President Michael Reaves
said, in announcing the gift, "Wil
liamson has played a critical role in
the growth of the college and foun
dation. He has challenged us, set
the stage and now sets the pace with
his vision for our future."
"He has provided a spiritual kind
of leadership, showing us where we
need to go and how we need to get
there."
Williamson, a former state legis
lator, was among the original foun
ders of the college and has served
on the beard cf directors of the
BCC Foundation since its inception.
He was accompanied by his wife,
Virginia, at the groundbreaking.
They received a standing ovation
upon announcement of the gift.
With the threat of wet weather,
ground was initially "broken" for
the auditorium in a tub of dirt
hauled into the student renter for
the occasion. Later, trustees walked
out to the high site of the auditori
um west of the ALS building and
performed the ceremony again.
The endowment will be establi
shed by gifts from Williamson over
a period of up to five years, with an
initial gift of 5100,000. The endow
ment itself will be untouched. How
ever, the income it generates has
been designated by Williamson to
be used for administration and oper
ation of the auditorium.
'These funds will help make the
auditorium more accessible to the
community at an affordable cost by
taking pressure off operating funds
(for the college)," Reaves pointed
out.
BCC Trustees Chairman David
Kelly said he understands the mon
ey will be used by the foundation to
hire a manager for the auditorium.
Glen Peterson, atic.'^y :o BCC's
Board of Trustees, d e endowment
is actually a contractual arrange
ment between the BCC Foundation,
the non profit agency that will ad
minister the endowment, the college
STAFF PHOTO BY SUSAN USHK
BCC PRESIDENT MICHAEL REAVES (left) announces gift of a $500,000 endowment from Odell Wil
liamson, who stands at right with his wife, Virginia.
tTuSiCCo uTid WuhuitiSCu. i nc in
come will continue for the life of
the college, so long as the facility
continues to be used as an auditori
um. Should that use cease, or the
college cease to exist, the endow
ment will then benefit the Cape
Fear Council, Boy Scouts of Amer
ica. While the endowment must be
invested in accounts or instruments
backed or insured by the federal
government, the BCC Foundation
will have some control over how it
is invested.
Presentation of the gift was con
tingent upon trustees agreeing to
name the facility the Odell William
son Auditorium, "a normal provi
sion when a major contribution is
made," according to Peterson.
Voting to do so Sunday, in a 20
minutc continuation of the board's
last regular meeting, were Trustees
James Rabon, Lewis Stanley, Dur
wood Clark Sr., Cora Green and
Charles Lanier.
Trustees voting against the mo
tion were Shirley Babson, Eugene
Hewett and Kelly Holdcn. Absent
from the meeting were Trustees
Benny LudJum, Jerry Munn and
Tommy Bradshcr.
In discussion before the vote,
Mrs. Babson told fellow trustees, "I
appreciate this very much. But since
the taxpayers are paying S3 million
for this building, not 545,000 a year
five years from now, I uiink this au
ditorium should be named after the
community."
Holden said he didn't like the
proposal either: "This is Brunswick
Community College and I think it
should be the "Brunswick Com
munity College Auditorium."
Hcwctt asked for clarification of
several points by Peterson before
the vote.
Several trustees also expressed
discomfort at their not having ad
vance knowledge of the negotia
tions with Williamson; however.
Trustee Lewis Stanley said the gift
was a project of the BCC Found
ation, requiring the full board's in
volvement only when it came to
agreeing on the name of the facility.
According to Vicki Spencer, the
college's resource development of
ficer and staff to the foundation, the
endowment is one of the largest
gifts ever made to any member in
stitution of the state's community
college system.
Trustees opened uie .way for such
a gift at their meeting, adopting a
motion presented by Lewis Stanley,
chairman of building and grounds,
providing that in the event of a sub
stantial gift to the college, the uus
tees could, at their discretion, con
sider naming all or a portion of the
facility in honor of the donor.
Construction of the auditorium,
at a cost of S2.5 million to S3 mil
lion, is being funded by the balance
of an 58 million bond approved by
county voters. County funds will be
used to maintain the building.
Trustee Lewis Stanley accepted
the symbolic brass key for the new
Administration/Library/Student
Center building from architect Joe
Johnson of J.G. Architects of Wil
mington, and presided at the rib
K^n-rnHinrt K%? Tamola ririccolt
?,VJ ? ? vututlg KS J 4 VJ ? I .>.>V It,
Miss Brunswick County, and Melis
sa White, Little Miss Brunswick
County.
"We hold our future in our own
hand," Stanley said as he related a
story. "Are we going to squeeze it
to death or let it fly as it has these
past 10 years?"
Also speaking were Royce An
gel, vice chairman of the State
Board of Community Colleges,
Mark van Sciver, special assistant
to Bob Scott, president of the com
munity college system; Steve Skill
man, who chaired an advisory com
mittee that assisted in planning the
auditorium; Gene Pinkerton, Bruns
wick County commissioner; Bruce
Caldwell, president of the BCC
Foundation; and Doug Baxlcy,
chairman of the Brunswick County
Board of Education.
"The people of Brunswick Coun
ty in developing this institution
have made a strong commitment to
education. BCC has given educa
tion a new dignity that will benefit
all levels of education in Brunswick
County," said Baxley.
? . - T
BREAKING GROUND FOR BCC'S new auditorium ? for a second time Sunday ? are from left: Cora Green, Virginia Williamson, Odell
Williamson, Bruce Caldwell, David Kelly, Kelly Holden, James Rabon, Gene Pinkerton, Michael Reaves, Lewis Stanley, Charles Lanier, Shirley
Babson, Durwood Clark Sr. (behind Babson) and Eugene Hewett. Earlier the group broke ground using a tub of dirt brought into the ALS
building for the occasion.
AT LONG BEACH
Vereen, Somers Face Rematch For Top Post
Former Long Beach mayor
James Somers will gel a another try
at unseating incumbent Mayor John
W. Vereen III as a result of Tues
day's primary election, while Ver
een will pursue election to a third
term.
Approximately 45 percent, or
954, of the town's registered voters
turned out at the polls to narrow the
field for Nov. 7. They eliminated
Commissioner Bob Miller as a con
tender for the mayor's post, and
dropped incumbent William H.
Millard from the slate of sever.
commissioners, insuring elcciion of
at least two new commissioners.
A third incumbent commissioner,
James Sloop, was the top vote-get
ter Tuesday, with 691 ballots. Still
in the running with Sloop for three
commissioners' seats are Danny C.
Ixonard, 666; Jeffrie D. Ensminger,
637; Joan Altman, 552; William D.
Easley III, 540; Joe Edwards, 517.
Millard collectcd only 255 votes.
Miller, who had run unsuccess
fully for commissioner in 1987, was
appointed earlier this year to fill the
vacancy created by the death of
Lester Lee Presnell, but had filed
for the mayor's post. Sloop and
Millard were elected to the board
for the first time in 1987. Sloop is a
former Long Beach police chief.
Vereen received the most votes of
any hopeful in the mayor's race,
653, followed by Somers with 388
and Miller with 161. Vereen is serv
ing his second term as mayor. If
elected for a third term, it would be
a novel occurrence for the town of
approximately 2,000 voters.
Somers was clcctcd mayor in
1983, bul lost a bid for rc-election
in 1985. In 1987 he also made an
unsuccessful attempt for the town
board.
Tuesday's count was unofficial
pending a routine canvass of the re
sults today (Thursday) by the
Brunswick County Board of Elec
tions.
Elections Supervisor Lynda Britt
said she had received word of no
problems during the election or of
any anticipated challenges. "In fact,
none of our workers even called in
Uxiay. ii was a very quiet election."
Board Moves Ahead
Though Brunswick County Com
missioners have yet to address the
issue in open session, the county
school board went forward one
small step last week with its latest
plan lo fund a new elementary
school at Supply.
Brunswick County Board of Edu
cation members voted 4-2 on Oct 2
to proceed with a three-year plan to
build a new elementary school. Dot
Worth of Shallottc voted against the
motion.
Under the proposal, the board
and the county government would
split the $5.5 million cost for the
school.
School officials presented the
plan to commissioners in late Aug
ust, with little response. Since then,
the item has not been discussed by
commissioners or formally acted
on. As of Tuesday afternoon, it was
noi on the agenda Tor llie commis
sioners' Oct. 17 meeting.
However, school board member
Robert Slockctt told fellow mem
bers that he had met with Board of
Commissioners Chairman Frankic
Rabon and was assured that a ma
jority of the commissioners would
support the plan. And he said
Tuesday the board is trying to get
the item on the county board's
agenda for action.
On that basis, the school board
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Boncy Jr. of Boney & Associates,
to go ahead with preliminary work,
i ne tasks are some tiiat "nave to be
done anyway, said SlocketL In the
near future, the board may give the
go-ahead for design work ? with or
without further assurances by the
commissioners, since money is on
hand for the early stages of the pro
ject.
Meanwhile, Slockctt said the
school board has authorized its at
torney, Glen Peterson, to contact
Rabon. "We want to feel as confi
dent as possible next year when the
time comes for them to put in their
first share of the money. We want
them to adopt a motion or resolu
tion saying they intcpd to put mon
ey for it in next year's budget," he
said. Beyond that, Slockctt ac
knowledged, the commissioners
cannot readily make a formal obli
gation that would bind future
boards.
The plan calls for costs by this
schedule: $286,000 for planning
and design to completed by May
1990, $19,500 for the bidding
phase, to be completed by June
1990, and $5.2 million for construc
tion and inspection work completed
by January 1992.
As proposed the schools would
kick in $800,000 this year from
half-cent sales lax revenues. In
1990-91 and the first six months of
1991-92, the county would make
monthly payments of $152,750.
The schools would allocate
$950,000 in sales tax revenues in
1990-91 and $1 million in 1991-92.
Ai current budget formula, the
plan would require commissioners
to increase the county property tax
rate by 5.2 ccnts in fiscal year
1990-91, and by another 2.6-cents
in fiscal year 1991-92.
The school is intended to serve
approximately 650 students in the
Sunset Harbor and Supply areas,
helping to relieve overcrowding at
Southport Elementary, Shallotte
Middle and Union Primary.
In another money matter, the
board learned that the state did not
increase its funding for regular
leacnere based on first of the year
student enrollment. Brunswick
County Schools added only 12 stu
dents, not enough to warrant addi
tional funding. The county had allo
cated the schools an additional
$646,984 to fund 19 positions, on
condition that any portion covered
by the state be reimbursed.
The state has funded six new
"enhancement" positions for sub
jects such as art and music, but with
funds that cannot be used to hire
regular classroom teachers.
Trying To Boost Scores
Superintendent John Kaufhold
introduced to the board a five-point
plan staff anticipates will lead to
improved SAT scores for future
Brunswick County high school se
niors.
lhe SAT, or Scholastic Aptitude
test, is the major college entrance
examination used in 22 states, in
cluding North Carolina. An assess
ment of analytical, reasoning and
verbal skills, it is designed to ncip
predict a student's chance of suc
cess during the first year of college.
SAT scores arc used to varying de
grees in screening applicants for
college admission.
This year North Carolina seniors
had the lowest average scores in the
nation. About 57 percent of the
state's seniors took the test ? a
much larger percentage than took
the test in the top-scoring 25 states.
North Carolina seniors scored an
average composite of 836, or five
points less than last year. They av
eraged 397 on the verbal portion of
the test, down four points, and 439
on the math, down one point.
Kaufhoid toid sciiuul 'uuaid
members on Oct. 2 that the school
system intends to address the low
scores through these steps:
1) "Strongly encouraging" stu
dents to take the Preliminary SAT
(PSAT) to gain experience in taking
this type of standardized test;
2) Recruiting students to take the
SAT preparation classes now of
fered in the high schools, and to of
fer the class in summers for those
whose schedules cannot accommo
datc it during the regular school
year,
3) Increasing the teaching of crit
ical thinking skills, with less em
phasis on rote learning methods;
4) Redesigning advanced studies
classes to make them more rigorous
and challenging; and
5) Assessing the middle school
math program to make sure students
are getting the kind of foundation
tiicy need in order to take advanced
math classcs, and counseling and
encouraging students to enroll in
the more challenging high school
level math classcs.
Board Responds To Parents
The board also responded to a
letter from Michael King, parent of
a Union Primary School student and
representative of a group of con
cerned parents who want to see a
greater emphasis on intensive phon
? ? .i . ? ? _ i t?
ICS III UIC Ulii^Ud^ aiu/tuiiiuiuiiiva
tions program. After approaching
the board in September, King re
ceived a letter from Kaufhold reiter
ating his previous position. The let
ter did not address the group's re
quest for a "pilot" status and offer
ing of 15 minutes of intensive
phonics training each day. Instead,
Kaufhnld advised that the board ad
vocates "a combined instructional
approach" to the teaching of read
ing. "If the phonetics approach is
advisable for some children, it may
be used in conjunction with other
methods," he wrote. "It is believed
that the school principal, Mrs.
(Clara) Carter, should determine the
type and the extent of reading in
struction through frequent supervi
sion."
King was conccmcd that Kauf
hold, not the board, had responded
to the group's query, that no distinc
tion was being made between inten
sive phonics and phonetics, and that
the letter had not addressed the
group's request. "It puts it all on
Mrs. Carter's shoulders," he told
the Beacon in an earlier interview.
"I would rather have a yes or no to
this. If this program is so integrated,
why can't they integrate 15 minutes
of intensive phonics?"
Associate Superintendent Willi
am Harrison, who works with cur
riculum, said nothing in the new
program forbids use of phonics, but
that the new curriculum emphasizes
teaching children, not a specific
program. He added, "We don't want
a Spalding-typc program. If phonics
is needed ? and it will be at
time ? they can do it We want stu
dents to nave aii the wuru attack
skills they can. I feel sure they will
be getting the phonics and a lot of
other things."
Other Business
In other business school board
members:
? Agreed to lease the Alternative
School building at Piney Grove to
Brunswick County Commissioners
for two years to temporarily house
county offices. Attorney Glen
Peterson is drawing up the agree
ment, which stipulates that the
school system will rclain use of a
classroom and an office, and that
the county will assume maintenance
and upkeep.
? Increased Superintendent
Kaufhold's local supplement by
$3,000, or $250 per month, retroac
tive to July 1, in recognition of his
having a doctoral degree. The sup
plement will continue until such
lime as the state reinstates the doc
toral supplements it previously
paid.
? Held first reading on a policy
governing excess expenditures for
lodging and registration fees.
? Heard various reports from
staff and board members.
COMPLETE INTERIOR
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Oceeut le
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