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Year, Number 1
C1M9 THE BRUNSWICK B?ACON
Shallotte, North Caroitna, Thursday, November 9, 1989
25c Per Copy
38 Pages, 3 Sections
County Voters Say 'Yes' To All Four ABC Issues
BY RAHN ADAMS
In a referendum lhat drew little attention until two
weeks before voters went to the polls, Brunswick
Countians Tuesday put their stamp of approval on
countywide alcohol sales.
Thirty-seven percent or 9,615 of the county's approx
imately 25,500 registered voters turned out Tuesday to
solidly endorse all four issues on the referendum ballot:
on- and off-premises sale of beer; on- and off-premises
sale of unfortified wine; operation of ABC stores; and
sale of mixed beverages in hotels, restaurants, private
clubs, community theaters and convention centers in
unincorporated areas of the county.
Elections Supervisor Lynda Britt said the 37-percent
turnout was "good for a referendum." In October 1981,
when countywide beer and wine sales were overwhelm
ingly defeated here, voter turnout was only 29 percent
According to the Board of Elections, unofficial vote
totals were: on- and off-premises beer ? 4,727 yes,
4,231 no; on- and off-premises wine ? 4,678 yes, 4,223
no; ABC stores ? 5,158 yes, 3,704 no; mixed bever
ages ? 5,117 yes, 3,856 no.
Comparisons between Tuesday's vote and the 1981
referendum underscore the growth and change that
Brunswick County has seen over the past decade. In
1981, only six of the county's then 20 precincts ap
proved any of the four beer and wine issues on that bal
lot.
Tuesday, 13 of the county's present 22 precincts ap
proved at least one of the four alcohol issues. All four
issues were approved in 10 precincts: Secession II,
Hood Creek, Southport I and II, Oak Island I and II,
Frying Pan, Grisscttown, Shingletree and Boiling
Spring Lakes.
At the same time, all four issues were defeated in
nine precincts including Bolivia, Supply, Longwood,
Ash, Freeland, Leland, Town Creek, Secession I and
Shallotte. Voters were split on the issues in Mosquito,
Woodbum and Belville.
The Rev. Vic Potter, spokesman for Citizens Against
Alcohol, attributed Tuesday's outcome to the large
number of newcomers who have moved here from sec
tions of the country where alcohol is more acceptable
and to his figures that "58 percent of the adults in
Brunswick County are not associated with any church."
"I'm just extremely disappointed that we've got that
many people in Brunswick County who are willing to
be a part of something that is so destructive to the com
munity, the family and society as a whole," Potter told
the Beacon Tuesday night
Citizens Against Alcohol, co-chaired by local Baptist
ministers Bryan Dosher and M.C. Herring, formed
about two months ago but waited until two weeks be
fore the election to begin an anti-alcohol advertising
campaign.
A pro-alcohol group called Concerned Citizens of
Brunswick County surfaced last week with local news
paper ads supporting passage of the referendum.
According to spokesman David Winch, the group con
sisted mainly of members of the Oak Island Moose
Lodge.
"I think it's great," Winch said Tuesday of the refer
endum's outcome. He added that he feels countywide
(See ABC ISSUES, Page 2-A)
Election Results At A Glance
Shallotte
MAYOR
V Jerry Jones 265
ALDERMEN
VPaul Wayne Reeves 238
V Sarah Tripp 206
Chris Lane 157
Joseph "Gene" Ebright 45
Calabash
MAYOR
%'Doug Simmons 426
Robert Cook 295
COMMISSIONER
DISTRICT 1 (Calabash)
V Keith Hardee 414
V Edward Rice 430
DISTRICT 2 (Carolina Shores)
V George Anderson 381
Thomas Brendgord 153
James Deehan 245
William Durr 71
Robert Johnson 59
yJ Phyllis Manning 268
John Myeri ' 60
James Nay 54
Darrell Peters 1 26
Wesley Reynolds 148
J I C 1 OTT
1 # V( ? WMtlMVi li m
V Edward Schaak 340
Alfred Smith 234
Paul Swanson 81
V George Taubel 347
Stuart Thorn 1 92
Sunset Beach
MAYOR
V Mason Barber 98
TOWN COUNCIL
A Edward M. Gore Sr 78
Katharine Love Peed 44
Fran S. Salone-Pellotier 37
VD. G. "Bud" Scrantom 84
V Julia Thomas 79
Clete Woldmiller 40
Ocean Isle Beach
MAYOR
V Betty Williamson 99
COMMISSIONER
V Terry D. Barbee 90
VWilliam "Bill" Benton 101
Holden Beach
MAYOR
Vjohn Tandy 192
COMMISSIONER
V Gay Atkins 123
Guilford "Gil" Bass 118
V Robert "Bob" Buck 172
William Williomson 95
Aleck Alexiou 20
V Kenner Amos 165
V Gloria Barrett 189
George Bradshaw 73
^Jjudy Bryan 147
Don Pollard 77
Carole Rogers 79
Varnamtown
MAYOR
VJudy Galloway 113
Barbara "Bobbie" Varnom ....30
ALDERMEN
VJohn David Dawson 108
VAda McDonald 109
V Ennis Swain 120
V Roger Robinson 106
Pam Galloway 49
Vjoseph Herring 86
Luellen Norris 79
Samuel Terry Varnam 74
Bolivia
MAYOR
-i Ina Mae Mintz 40
ALDERMEN
Deborah "Debbie" Stanley....l 7
VEIIa Jane Wescott 29
V Robert S. Willetts III 35
V Sarah E. Knox 39
V Cecil D. Robbins Jr. 43
(See ELECTION RESULTS, Page 2-A)
Gore Becomes Early Entry In
1 3th District Attorney Race
BY RAHN ADAMS
Although news of his candidacy
leaked out sooner than he intended,
local attorney Rex Gore last week
announced his intentions to seek the
Democratic nomination for the 13th
District Attorney's office next year.
In a Nov. 2 letter mailed to Demo
cratic precinct chairmen in Colum
trict attorney who announced last
month that he plans enter next
year's Democratic race for the U.S.
Senate seat now held by Republican
Sen. Jesse Helms.
"I want to build upon the pro
grams in place in the district attor
ney's office," Gore said in the letter,
"but I also want to make the office
more accessible and responsible to
the public. My experience in private
practice will help me run an office
that is responsive to its clients ?
you, the people of the district."
Gore ? a partner in the Shallotte
law firm, Powell and Gore ? told
the Beacon Tuesday that he had not
intended the letter to be a formal
political announcement but that he
inadvertently mailed a copy to pre
cinct leader James High, who is bct
GORE
bus County, the
4 1 -year-old
Gore stated that
he will enter the
1990 District
Attorney's race.
The DA's office
will be vacated
by Southport
resident Mich
ael Easlcy ? a
two-term dis
ter known in Columbus County as
editor and general manager of The
News Reporter. Gore's candidacy
was reported in Monday's edition of
the Whiteville newspaper.
Gore said he also intended to per
sonally notify precinct leaders in
Brunswick and Bladen counties of
his intentions before making a more
formal, public announcement. No
public announcements have been
made by any other possible candi
dates.
A Columbus County native. Gore
has practiccd law in Brunswick
County for the past eight years. He
served as assistant district attorney
in Columbus County from 1980 to
1982, and lost the 1982 Democratic
DA's nomination to Easley. Both
Gore and Easley were assistants to
former District Attorney Lee J. Gre
er Sr.
Gore is president of the 13th Jud
icial District Bar Association and
Legal Services of the Lower Cape
Fear, and is chairman of the South
eastern Center Board of Directors.
He is former chairman of the Bruns
wick County Democratic Party, and
former president of the West Bruns
wick High School Booster Club and
Shallottc Middle School PTO.
A graduate of N.C. State Univer
sity and Campbell University Law
School, he is married to Janice
Suggs Gore of Guideway. They
have a daughter, Felicia, who is a
sophomore at USC-Coastal Caro
lina, Conway, S.C. Gore is a teacher
and deacon at Calvary Baptist
Church, Shallottc.
?
CALABASH RE-ELECTS MAYOR SIMMONS
Holden Beach Votes Against Annexation
BY DOUG RUTTER AND
SUSAN USHER
Annexation proved to be the ma
jor election issue at Holden Beach,
helping draw 297, or approximately
74 percent, of the town's 403 voters
to the polls in what was one of the
best turnouts of the 15 municipal
and two special district elections
conducted countywide Tuesday.
Once at the polls, the islanders
elected all four candidates for com
missioner who said they would vote
to overturn an ordinance to annex
67 acres bordering the mainland
causeway.
And, in one of the biggest elec
tion-day surprises, residents of the
Carolina Shores golf course com
munity helped return Mayor Doug
Simmons to office in the newly
consolidated town of Calabash.
Holden Beach
Incumbents Bob Buck and Gay
Atkins each were re-elected for an
other two years. Clhcr winners were
former commissioner Gloria
Barrett, former mayor Kenncr
Amos and political newcomer Judy
Bryan.
Along with incumbent Buck,
Barrett, Amos and Bryan all cam
paigned as annexation opponents.
Commissioner Atkins, who has
served on the board since 1985, has
previously voted in favor of main
land annexation.
Mrs. Barrett, who received the
most votes among the 1 1 candidates
for commissioner, said her stance
on annexation was the key to her
victory. "I think annexation was on
everybody's mind today," she said
Tuesday. "It was an exciting night"
In ciaiming her first elccted of
fice, Mrs. Bryan agreed that annex
ation was the biggest single issue.
"It wasn't my victory. It was the
people's victory," she said. "The
people finally got to vote on annex
ation like they should have all
along."
Mayor John Tandy, who was the
only person lo file for mayor at
Holden Beach, was elected to his
third consecutive two-year term
with 192 votes.
Commissioner Georgia Langley,
who did not seek re-election to a
second term and will go off the
board next month, received 65
write-in votes for mayor. She said
Tuesday she had nothing to do with
the write-in campaign and said she
had refused several requests to run
as a write-in candidate.
Tandy said he wasn't upset about
the write-in campaign. "It's simply
a pleasure to have the opportunity
to serve for another two years," he
said.
Though the new town board will
feature three new faces, Tandy said
the newly-elected officials have a
lot of experience: "We should be
able to move around pretty well and
get things done."
Annexation and related growth
issues were also voter concerns in
towns as far-flung as Calabash,
Sunset Beach and Southport, with
sometimes surprising twists in vot
ing.
Calabash
In one of the biggest surprises of
Tuesday's elections, voters in the
recently-enlarged Town of Calabash
elected incumbent Mayor Doug
Simmons over Carolina Shores
Property Owners Association Presi
dent Robert Cook.
Simmons, who defeated Cook by
131 votes, said Tuesday he felt good
going into the election but was still
surprised at the wide margin of vic
tory. The Calabash native has serv
ed as mayor for seven years and
was elected Tuesday for another
four years.
"I knew I had a lot of friends
over there, but it really made me
feel good that 1 had that much sup
port," he said. "1 appreciate the sup
port everyone gave, and 1 look for
ward to working with the new coun
cil. We've got a lot of work ahead
of us."
Following an Aug- 22 referen
dum, the Town of Calabash was ex
panded to include all of the
Carolina Shores golf course com
munity. The town's current five
member council will be replaced
next month with a seven-member
board of commissioners with repre
sentatives from both districts.
Incumbent Councilmen Ed Rice
and Keith Hardee, the only two can
didates from District 1 (Calabash)
where two commission seats were
available, were elected with 430
and 414 votes respectively.
Also claiming seats on the new
board of commissioners were five
persons from District 2 (Carolina
Shores). Chosen from 16 candi
dates, winners were George Ander
son, George Taubel, Edward
Schaack, Jon Sanborn and Phyllis
Manning.
To set up a system of staggered
four-year terms on the town board,
the top vote-getter from District 1
and the top three from District 2
will serve four years and the three
other winning candidates will each
serve two years.
Rice, Anderson, Taubel and
Schaack will each serve four years.
Those elected to two-year terms
were Hardee, Sanborn and Man
ning. In \99\ , the three seals up tor
clcctior will be for four-year terms.
Shallotte
In Shallotte, incumbent Alder
men Paul Wayne Reeves and Sarah
Trip p were both rc e!cc:cd for an
other four years and Jerry Jones, un
opposed, was voted to his second
four-year term as mayor.
Reeves and Mrs. Tripp held off
challenges from two other town
board candidates. Reeves received
238 votes and was elected to his
fourth consecutive term on the
(See MUNICIPAL, Page 2-A)
STAff PHOTO *AHN ADAMS
All Dressed Up...
This stern-faced crane appears to have just missed his boat, as he
stands on the dock of a canal home at Ocean Isle Beach.
Local Governments
Hoping For $690,000
In Public Assistance
BY DOLIG RUTTER
Local government officials hope
to receive about $690,000 in federal
funds to offset costs associated with
Hurricane Hugo.
If all goes well, Brunswick Coun
ty and seven local municipalities
should have the money in hand be
fore the end of November, accord
ing to state public assistance officer
Jeff Amdt.
The local governments have ap
plied for the federal public assis
tance program which reimburses
counties, towns and other groups
for some of the money spent as a re
sult of the hurricane. Expenses such
as clearing debris and repairing
roads and water lines are eligible
for reimbursement
Public assistance becomes avail
able to local governments and pri
vate non-profit groups whenever a
site is declared a federal disaster
area. Brunswick County was de
clared a disaster area on Sept. 28,
one week after Hugo's storm surge
caused an estimated $89 million in
damage along the coast
In addition to the county, the
towns of Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle
Beach, Holden Beach, Long Beach,
Yaupon Beach, Bald Head Island
and Southport are seeking public as
sistance.
Federal and state inspectors came
to the area about two weeks ago to
fill out damage survey reports list
ing costs already incurred by the lo
cal governments as well as antici
pated costs.
The reports must be approved at
the state level by the governor's au
thorized representative before any
checks arc written, said Amdt
Brunswick County Emergency
Management Coordinator Cecil
Logan said the county is expecting
about 569,000 in public assistance.
That total would cover emergency
response and overtime hours in sev
eral county agencies, including the
health, social services and sheriff's
departments, as well as the hours
county equipment was used.
But the $69,000 county toial is
small compared to expenses in
curred by several of the local beach
towns. Any public assistance to the
bcach towns would be given in ad
dition to the $300,000 in slate and
federal funds already allocated for
emergency dune construction in
Brunswick County.
Officials at the South Brunswick
Islands beaches ? Sunset, Ocean
Isle and Holden ? said they hope to
receive about $220,000 in federal
public assistance.
The Town of Ocean Isle Bcach
alone may be entitled to more than
$125,000 in public assistance, ac
cording to damage survey reports
on file at town hall.
A good chunk of that total ? $
56,000 ? would pay for repairs to
21 beach acccssways along the
length of the island. Other major ex
penses resulting from the hurricane
include $25,000 for sand fencing
and beach grass and $20,000 for de
bris removal.
Ocean Isle officials also hope to
be reimbursed $12,287 for repairing
the eastern section of East First
Street, about $9,000 for personnel
costs relating to the storm and
$3,545 for replacing 450 of water
line at the east end.
Holden Bcach Town Manager
(See GOVERNMENT, Page 2-A)