On The Shelves
Jeff Conaway of Holden Beach Is among 57
Brunswick County business owners
stocking shelves with a new product
following the state's Issuance Friday of
temporary ABC permits for beer and wine
sales. The story's on Page 12-A.
On The Team
Seven Brunswick County high
school football players. Including
four West Brunswick High School
Trojans, earn slots on the All
Waccamaw Conference team. Get
the details on Page 9-B.
THE
S'f 'R I n f-.por. t ,v : ~ i: "*
Twenty-eighth Year, Number 5
i
CI M9 THE BRUNSWICK BEAWUfi
New Reef Goes Down
Months of planning ended with a Just few
minutes' work last Friday as fishing
boats gathered off Shallotte Inlet to
watch the sinking of the county's newest
artificial fishing reef. For the story and
other fishing news, see Page 9-C.
3day, December 7, 1989
25C Per Copy
36 Pages, 3 Sections
STA?F p^-fQ JY ADAMS
A PACKED BOARD ROOM greeted Brunswick County Commissioners Monday night, as county employ
ees protested recent personnel reclassifications. Social Services employee Shirley Weston (right) was one of
several speakers.
26 Drug Suspects Charged In
County Undercover Operation
BY RAHN ADAMS
Twenty-six suspcctcd slrcci-lcvcl
drug dealers were charged Friday,
culminating a nine-month under
cover operation by local and state
authorities.
Brunswick County Narcotics
Squ;td Lt. David Crockcr indicated
that the drug charges stemmed from
marijuana, cocaine and crack buys
tliat were made in the Shallouc,
Southport and Lcland areas by un
dercover agents. The Ocean Isle
Beach Police Department and SB1
assisted in the investigation.
'The main purpose is to tell street
dealers that wc haven't forgotten
about them," Crockcr said, referring
to local law enforcement's emphasis
over the past couple of years on ma
jor drug traffickers.
He noted that local drug dealers
have begun handling smaller quan
tities of controlled substances, in or
der to avoid investigative grand jury
probes, which by law can investi
gate only trafficking-lcvcl offenses.
Crockcr said 20 officers were in
volved in a roundup that began Fri
day around 5 a.m. Eleven of the 26
suspects were arrested at their
homes. Four others already were in
custody from a June drug bust near
Lcland. The remaining 11 suspccts
were at large late Friday.
Three vehicles were seized Fri
day by the sheriff's department, in
cluding a 1977 Mercedes Bcnz,
1979 El Camino and 1987 Dodge
truck. Crocker explained that drugs
were sold out of the vehicles during
the investigation.
The lieutenant said lawmen made
the arrests Friday in order to appre
hend the suspects before their cases
went to a Brunswick County grand
jury Monday in Bolivia. Authorities
feared some of the defendants might
flee when the indictments were pub
licized.
Information on the indictments
was unavailable Monday from the
Brunswick County Clerk of Court's
office, due to the number of drug
cases presented to the grand jury.
The 26 drug defendants face at least
124 charges, according to sheriff's
department data.
According to the sheriff's depart
ment, suspccts arrested Friday were:
? Randy Lane Babson, Route 1,
Ash, manufacturing marijuana, re
leased on $2,000 bond.
? Marshall Ballard, Phoenix, sale
of cocaine, possession wiiii inicnl iu
sell and deliver, jailed under $2,000
bond.
? Wanda Ballard, Phoenix, sale
of cocaine, possession with intent to
sell and deliver, jailed under
$10,000 bond.
? Toby Bass, sale of marijuana,
possession with intent to sell and
deliver, jailed under $10,000 bond.
? Dayton Hayes, Stanbury Road,
Holden Beach, two counts of sale of
marijuana, two counts of possession
with intent to sell, two counts of
maintaining a residence to sell mari
juana, released on $5,000 bond.
? Gregory Duard Hewctt, Shal
lottc, sale of marijuana, possession
with intent to sell and deliver, main
taining a vehicle to sell marijuana,
jailed under $5,000 bond.
? Glen James, Leland, two
counts of conspiracy to traffic in co
cainc, six counts of trafficking in
cocaine, jailed under $100,000
bond.
? William Patrick Jolly, South
port, sale of cocainc, possession
with intent to sell and deliver, jailed
under $5,000 bond.
? Lois Faye Smith, Stanley Mo
bile Home Park, Brick Landing
area, sale and delivery of marijuana,
possession with intent to sell and
deliver, conspiracy to sell and deliv
er, maintaining a vehicle to sell
marijuana, released on $5,000 bond.
? Curt "Fruity" Williams, Mul
beiTy Street, Shal lottc, sale of co
caine, possession with intent to sell
and deliver, released on $5,000
bond.
? Gary Dewayne White, Route
1, Ash, two counts of sale and de
livery of marijuana, two counts of
possession with intent to sell and
deliver, released on $5,000 bond.
Other defendants named in the
undercover operation were:
? Timothy Andrews, Route 1,
Leland, sale of cocainc, possession
with intent to sell and deliver, main
taining a residence to sell cocainc,
at large.
? Tim "Tony" Ballard, Phoenix,
sale of cocainc, possession with in
tent to sell and deliver, at large.
(See SUSPECTS, Page 2-A)
Commission Fires Manager;
Names Pinkerton Chairman
BY RAHN ADAMS
Monday's meeting of the Bruns
wick County Commissioners was
marked by change from start to fin
ish, as the board opened the regular
session by picking a new chairman
and ended the night by forcing the
county manager to step down.
On a motion by Chairman Gene
Pinkcrton, commissioners voted un
animously to ask for County Man
ager John T. Smith's resignation, ef
fective that day. Smith will get six
months' severance pay, or more
than 522,000.
County Attorney David Clcgg
was named interim county manager
until Smith's permanent replace
ment is found. Clcgg was interim
manager for 5 1/2 months in 1987,
after long-time County Manager
Billy Carter resigned for health rea
sons. Smith was hired in September
1987.
Pinkcrton said no decisions about
the search for a new county manag
er will be made until the board's
Dec. 18 regular meeting.
The commissioners' action Mon
day followed a one-hour, 45-minute
executive session which Smith re
quested to discuss a "personnel pro
blem" apparently unrelated to his
own employment. Immediately al
ter the sccrct meeting, Pinkcrton an
nounced thai action had been taken
behind closed doors, but that it
would not be announced due to
"personnel confidentiality."
Smith left the executive session
through a back door to the commis
sioners' conference room and was
not present when the board called
for his resignation in open session.
There was no discussion of Pinker
ton's motion in public session.
Clcgg said Smith submitted his res
ignation verbally during the closcd
door session.
'Political Pressure'
In separate interviews after the
meeting, four of the five commis
sioners ? riiikcitun, new Vice
Chairman Frankic Rabon, Grace
Bcaslcy and Kelly Holdcn ? all
commented that their action was
taken "in the best interests of
Brunswick County." Pinkcrton, Ra
bon and Beaslcy had little else to
say on the matter.
However, Holdcn and Commis
sioner Benny Ludlum, who was
contacted Tuesday morning, indi
cated that the board's internal unrest
over the past year was a factor in
the decision to replace Smith. "It's
something that perhaps has been in
the back of our minds," Holdcn
said. "I think we knew it was com
PINKERTON SMITH
ing; we just didn't know when."
Saying he sees the change as a
"turning point in the board," Holden
added that he hopes the commis
sioners can "get beyond all these di
visive issues" and begin working to
gether as a unit. "I just felt it was
time for a change," he said.
Ludlum commented, "So many
conflicts were up there (among
county administrators) on all things
...it was not totally unexpected to
me. I knew sooner or later it was
going to happen." He added.
though, thai he did not know the ac
tion definitely would be taken until
it was brought up in Monday's ex
ecutive session.
Tuesday morning Smith told the
Beacon , "I think the commissioners
have been under a lot of pressure ? I
call it political pressure ? from the
people who support them." He
added that working with a divided
board "is an odd situation to get
caught up in."
The former county manager said
he had "some conversation" about
his job status prior to Monday's
meeting with two commissioners
whom he did not name. But, like
Holdcn and Ludlum, he said he
didn't necessarily expect the move
to be made Monday.
Ironically, Rabon, Bcaslcy and
Ludlum were the three commission
ers who supported Smith's hiring
two years ago. Former Commis
sioners Chris Chappcll and Jim
(See COMMISSION, Page 2-A)
CRC Takes No Position
On Local Dredging Plan
BY DOUCi RVJTTER
Despite a recommendation from
its advisory council and generous
local suppon, the N.C. Coastal
Resources Commission (CRC) last
week took no formal position on a
proposal to dredge Eastern Channel
near the mouth of Lock wood Folly
River.
For most of the year, area fisher
men have been rallying behind a
plan to dredge the sand-clogged
Eastern Channel behind Long
Beach, which served as the inlet be
tween the river and ocean before the
AUantic Intracoastal Waterway was
dredged years ago.
Many area residents believe re
opening the channel would improve
water flow and help flush bacteria
from the polluted Lockwood Folly
River, -which has been c\oscd lo
shellfish harvesting for most of the
year.
The N.C. Coastal Resources Ad
visory Council (CRAC), which is
designed to act as a liaison between
the public and the CRC, voted last
Wednisday to recommend that the
commission call for a study of the
dredging plan to find out what ef
fect it would have on the area.
Long-time CRAC member Roset
ta Short of Long Beach raised the
issue and suggested the commission
adopt a resolution supporting the
dredging of Eastern Channel. Mrs.
Short is a member of an unofficial
group of area residents and state of
ficials that has been working
throughout the year on solving pol
(See CRC, Page 2-A)
K ?
State Proposes Protection For Local Creeks
BY DOUG RUTTER
Portions of nearly three do/en
creeks and waterways in Brunswick
County would receive more protec
tion from pollution under a state
plan to impose stricter controls on
wastewater discharges along high
quality waters.
New and expanded wastewater
discharge systems along those des
ignated waterways would also be
required to meet stricter standards.
Federal anu -degradation regula
tions require the stale to maintain
waters deemed important to fish
eries and those with exceptional wa
ter quality through the development
and implementation of protective
measures.
In North Carolina, that protection
is ensured in part through the classi
fication of certain creeks and
streams as High Quality Waters, ac
cording to Greg Thorpe of the state
Division of Environmental Manage
ment.
Thorpe said rules governing de
velopment along High Quality Wa
ters were revised this summer and
took effect Oct. 1. The N.C. Envir
onmental Management Commission
could vote on reclassifying more
than 1,100 acres of freshwater
streams and 16,000 acres of coastal
waters as high quality as soon as
March 8.
The High Quality Waters label is
reserved for native and special na
tive trout waters, primary nursery
areas and streams with excellent
water quality as determined by the
stale Division of Environmental
Management.
Since they are already protected
from pollution, some waters desig
nated as water supplies and all
shellfishing waters and Outstanding
Resource Waters cannot be classi
fied as High Quality Waters.
Based on their importance to vari
ous fisheries, the state has proposed
naming sections of 34 creeks,
branches and swamps in Brunswick
County as High Quality Waters.
They are located in the Cape Fear
River and Lumber River basins.
Local waterways proposed for re
classification as High Quality
Waters in the Cape Fear River Basin
include portions of the following:
Beaver Dam Creek, Brunswick
River, Calf Gully Creek, Cape Fear
River, Dutchman Creek, Fishing
Creek, Governors Creek, Gum Log
Branch, Nancy's Creek, Nigis
Creek, Polly Gully Creek, Smoke
house Creek, Walden Creek and
White Spring Creek.
In the Lumber River Basin, coun
ty waters nominated for the desig
nation include sections of the fol
lowing: Bell Branch, Doe Creek,
Jinnys Branch, Little Doe Creek,
Little Saucepan Creek, Lock wood
Folly River, Middle Dam Creek,
Mill Creek, Old Mill Creek, Oxpcn
Creek, Pamlico Creek, Sams
Branch, Sandy Branch, Shallotte
River, Shallotte Creek, Sharron
Creek, Stanbury Creek, The Mill
Pond, Williams Branch and Wood
ward Branch.
All of the local creeks and
streams are being considered for the
High Quality Waters class because
they have been designated as prima
ry nursery areas by the N.C. Marine
Fisheries Commission.
If they are reclassified, Thorpe
said new and expanded wastewater
discharges along those waters
would have to meet stricter treat
ment requirements than they do
now.
Thorpe, who supervises the state's
water quality standards and assess
ment unit, said the proposal gath
ered mostly favorable responses at
three public hearings last month.
However, he said some people
voiced concerns over the fact that
stricter controls on stormwater run
off along High Quality Waters will
not apply in the state's 20 coastal
counties.
During periods of heavy rainfall,
stormwater runoff carries pollutants
such as pesticides, sediment and an
imal waste into nearby streams. To
reduce the amount of runoff pollu
tion, the state restricts development
near bodies of water.
Within one mile of coastal wa
ters, the state limits the amount of
acreage that can be covered by
rooftops, driveways and other im
pervious surfaces to 25 percent un
less the developer uses storage
ponds to trap excessive amounts of
rain.
Away from the coast, however,
the state plans to limit the buill
upon area to 12 percent. Under thai
plan, the stormwatcr runoff rules
used in the mountain and Piedmont
areas would be twice as restrictive
as the regulations used on the coast.
While persons concerned about
coastal ecology disagree with that
part of the plan, state officials be
lieve the stormwatcr regulations in
effect on the coast are adequate.
Due to the steeper slopes and types
of soils found in the mountain and
Piedmont regions, Thorpe said the
state thinks those areas need stricter
controls on runoff.
Public comments on the proposed
reclassifications will be accepted
through Dec. 29. They can be mail
ed to Greg Thorpe, Division of En
vironmental Management, P.O. Box
27687, Raleigh, N.C., 27611.
STAFF PHOTO ?Y DOUG Rl/TTfft
Sharing His Wish List
Wade White or Ash was one of several youngsters who had a heart-to
heart talk with Santa Claus following the Shallotte Christmas Parade
Saturday. Each child received a bag of candy and a warm hug.
Parade pictures are on Page 6-A of this section.