On The Wish List'
This spot under the high rise bridge to
Ocean Isle Beach would become a boating
access area if county residents who spoke I
up last week had their druthers. The last
of three public hearings will be held
Tuesday. Details are on Page 9-C.
_
In Prep Spotlight
spotlight's focused on West Brunswick : s
High School athletes this week with the start of
the 1989-90 basketball season and an awards
night to wrap up volleyball, football and tennis
action. For complete coverage of local high !
school sports, turn to Pages 8B-10B. i
Pier On Way Back
MA
1UV<
nails a shingle to the top of a piling at the
Ocean Isle Beach Fishing Pier, which
workers began restoring to its pre- Hugo
form last week. Work awaits the crew at
other piers as well. The story's on Page 8- A.
Year, Number 5
? WICK
?1MB THE BRUNMMCX BEACON
Shaliotte, North Carolina, Thursday, December 14, 1989
LUDLUM BOWS OUT
Dameron Announces Run
For County Commission
BY RAHN ADAMS
Holdcn Bcach Democrat Allan Dameron this week became the first J
candidate to formally announce a run for the District 2 scat on the :
Brunswick County Board of Commissioners ? one of two commission
scats that will be up for grabs in next year's election.
The District 2 seal is currently held by Holdcn Bcach area resident |
Benny Ludlum, who Monday con
firmed that he docs not intend to
seek re-election. "My mind is
made up definitely," Ludlum told
the Beacon. "I'm not going to
run."
Ludlum, a Democrat, has
served two non-consccutivc terms
on the county board. He indicated
Monday that his decision not to w ^ |
run for a third term resulted from
division on the board of commis- dameron ludlum
sioncrs during the past year. "I am just happy to get out of it now," he I
said.
For the first time since the mid-1970s, the five-member board this
year has had a Republican majority. However, the board has not been !
divided along party lines. The controlling coalition since budget time in j
the spring has consisted of Republicans Frankie Rabon and Gene
Pinkerton and Democrat Grace Bcasley, whose District 5 seat also is up j
for election in 1990.
The filing period for candidates seeking nomination in the May 8 I
primary elections opens at noon Jan. 1 and closes at noon Feb. 5. Since
the Brunswick County Board of Elections office will be closed New
Year's Day, the first opportunity for local candidates to file will be when
the office reopens at 8:30 a.m. Jan. 2.
Other strictly local offices up for election next year in Brunswick
County are the District 2 and 5 Board of Education scats now held by j
Democrats Dorothy Worth of Shallottc and James Clcmmons of Lcland, |
respeclivly; sheriff; and clerk of court. Both Sheriff John C. Davis and
Clerk of Court Diana Morgan have indicated ihcy will file for re-elec
tion.
Dameron, 41, is employed in customer relations at Alan Holdcn
Realty, Holdcn Beach. A 1976 graduate of Guilford College and former
N.C. Department of Corrections employee, he is vice chairman of the
Holdcn Beach Board of Adjustment and leader of the town's emergency
team.
In rcccnt years, he also has served as president and director of the
South Brunswick Islands Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the 1987
N.C. Oyster Festival, director of the South Brunswick Board of
Realtors, vice president of the Holden Bcach Merchants Association
and member of the Brunswick County Travel Package board.
Earlier this year, Dameron was recognized by the Brunswick Coun
ty Volunteer and Information Center as the organization's administrator/
coordinator volunteer award winner for his work with the chambcr.
In a letter mailed this week to local Democratic Party precinct lead
ers, Dameron stated, "The most noble profession is that of serving the
people of one's community and nation. I can and will do this using my
knowledge and skills while applying these skills fairly and honestly."
He is married to the former Elizabeth Ridgcway of the Seaside com
munity. Mrs. Dameron currently serves as co-chairperson of the Bruns
wick County Democratic Women's publicity committee.
Supreme Court Will Review
Holden Beach West Lawsuit
The N.C. Supreme Court has
agreed to review a Brunswick
County lawsuit involving public ac
cess to the western end of Holdcn
Bcach through Holdcn Beach West
subdivision.
Durham attorney James Maxwell,
who represents the plaintiffs in the
suit, told the Beacon that the high
court entered an order last Thursday
in Raleigh to grant a discretionary
review of the case. He speculated
that the court will hear oral argu
ments sometime this spring.
Maxwell's clicnts ? members of a
group called Concerned Citizens of
Brunswick County Taxpayers Asso
ciation?and the N.C. Department
of Environment, Health and Natural
Resources petitioned for the review
in September, after the N.C. Court
of Appeals affirmed a Brunswick
County Superior Court ruling in fa
vor of the defendant, Holdcn Beach
Enterprises.
The lawsuit, initially filed in
1985, has hinged on the question of
(See COURT, Page 2-A)
Ocean Isle Man
Charged
With Bank Robbery
BY DOUG RUTTKR
A local man facing federal charges remained
behind bars Tuesday afternoon following his
arrest last Friday in connection with the robbery
of the Ocean Isle Beach branch of Southern
I National Bank.
The Ocean Isle Beach Police Department and
Brunswick County Sheriff's Department arrested
Joseph Lee Penland, 55, of Ocean Aire Estates,
Ocean Isle Beach, Friday about two hours after
the Southern National Bank branch was robbed.
Penland spent the weekend in Brunswick
County Jail on S50.000 bond. FBI Special Agent
Paul Cox said the suspect was formally charged
with federal bank robbery Monday morning and
transferred to New Hanover County Jail. Due to
the strong evidence against him, Cox said
Penland is considered a "flight risk" and is being
held without bond. A probable cause hearing had
been set for Thursday morning.
Ocean Isle Beach Police Chief Curt Pritchard
said a man wearing gloves and a ski-type mask
entered the Southern National Bank branch
around 12:15 p.m. last Friday. The man handed a
brown paper bag to one of the tellers and
demanded money.
The robber did not show a gun or other
weapon, but Pritchard said the man "made a ges
ture like he had a weapon." The chief said three
female employees were the only people in the
bank at the time of the robbery.
After receiving the bag of money from the
teller, the robber apparently looked into the sack
and said there wasn't enough.
Pritchard said bank employees watched the
man drive away alone in a white Ford Escort and
I immediately called the Ocean Isle Beach Police
; Department.
"We were there in about a minute," said
Pritchard. After arriving at the bank, the chief
! said he and town policeman Jimmy Todd
i secured the crime scene and reported the robbery
to the FBI and the sheriff's department.
At about 2 p.m., Pritchard said officer Jimmy
Todd and SgL Doug Todd of the Brunswick
County Sheriff's Department spotted the vehicle
described by the bank tellers on Four Mile Road
near Ocean Isle Beach.
In separate cars, the two local lawmen fol
lowed the Ford Escort to the United Carolina
Bank branch on the Ocean Isle causeway.
In the meantime, policeman Jimmy Todd had
been informed by a dispatcher that the license
plate on the vehicle was stolen. Pritchard said
the two law officers blocked the Escort in the
UCB parking until he arrived.
Once at the scene, Pritchard said he
approached the suspect and informed him that
uie license piaic on nis vehicle was stolen. Also,
he informed him of the bank robbery investiga
tion.
The chief said Pcnland refused to go voluntar
ily to the Southern National Bank for possible
identification by tellers. He was arrested in the
UCB parking lot for possession of stolen proper
ty in connection with the auto tags.
After frisking the man and finding approxi
mately $3,000 in a coal pocket and a pocket
knife, Pritchard said the man was handcuffed
and taken down the road to the Southern
National Bank branch.
The chief said FBI agents were on the scene at
that time and the suspect was handed over to
them since bank robbery is a federal offense.
Based on talks with bank employees,
Pritchard said the robber was courteous while
committing the crime, telling the three women to
remain calm during the holdup and apologizing
for his actions before he left the bank. Nobody
was injured during the incident.
The branch bank, located on the mainland
causeway at Ocean Isle, has been open for about
one year and had not been robbed before last
week. The bank closed for the remainder of the
day following the robbery.
Southern National Bank Vice President and
City Executive Don Warren declined to com
men! on the incident last Friday.
Chief Pritchard said lawmen recovered the
majority of the money that was stolen, but he
would not disclosc the amount taken or recov
ered.
Pritchard commended town police officer
Jimmy Todd ? who responded despite being off
duty the day of the robbery ? and Sgt. Doug
Todd for their involvement in the arrest
'The cooperation that the Ocean Isle Beach
Police Department received from the sheriff's
department was extremely good," the chief said.
"The sheriff himself even responded."
In response to an earlier newspaper account ol
the robbery. Ocean Isle Beach Mayor Betty
Williamson contacted The Brunswick Beacon
Monday to clarify the facts of the case.
"The Ocean Isle Beach Police Department
deserves some credit for making the arrest," she
said, referring to an article in the Wilmington
Star-News that said sheriff's deputies arrested
the man. "I want the local people to know our
officers did exactly what they should have
done."
Last week's bank robbery is the fourth to
occur in the South Brunswick Islands area since
June.
The Security Savings & Loan branch in
Calabash was robbed twice in a four-week peri
od earlier this year. The branch was robbed June
20 and again on July 18.
STAFF PHOTO BY DOUG HUTTTK
ATTORNEY HARRY HFILIG (left) covers
the face of robbery suspect Joseph Lee
Penlanti of Ocean Isle Beach as the man is
taken away in handcufTs from the Southern
National Bank branch last Friday.
About seven weeks later, an armed man
robbed the United Carolina Bank branch in
Calabash, which gets its only law enforcement
protection from the county sheriff's department.
In July, a federal grand jury in Wilmington
indicted a man in connection with the June
armed robbery. As of Tuesday, the FBI has not
made any arrests in connection with the other
two robberies in Calabash. Based on descrip
tions, however, authorities believe the same man
committed both crimes.
Robinson Found
Innocent
Of Sex Charges
BY RAHN ADAMS
A Supply area man who was ac
cused of molesting an 11 -year-old
friend of his step-daughter was
found innocent of the charges last
week in Brunswick County Super
ior Court.
Following a two-day trial in Bol
ivia, a Superior Court jury last
Thursday acquiued James W. Rob
inson Jr., 38, of Oak Road, Supply,
of charges of first-degree sexual of
fense and taking indecent liberties
with a child. He had faced a manda
tory life prison sentence on the sex
ual offense charge alone.
The nine-woman, three-man jury
deliberated for one hour before re
turning unanimous not-guilty ver
dicts.
Robinson, brother of Brunswick
County Register of Deeds Robert
Robinson, was represented by re
tired Southport attorney Ray Wal
ton. Assistant District Attorney
Thomas Hicks prosecuted the case.
Resident Superior Court Judge
Giles R. Clark presided.
James Robinson was indicted in
July 1988 on the sex charges which
stemmed from an incident that al
legedly occurred April 30, 1988, at
the defendant's residence. He was
accused of fondling a Shallotte girl
who was spending the night with
the defendant's step-daughter and
two other girls.
The state presented its case last
Wednesday, which coincidcntally
was the alleged victim's 13th birth
day. The prosecution's evidence
consisted only of testimony from
the girl and Brunswick County
Sheriff's Det. Nancy Simpson, who
had investigated the case. An SBI
agent also appeared last Thursday to
rebut part of Robinson's testimony.
Defense witnesses included Rob
inson and his wife, Beatrice Rob
inson, as well as the three girls who
were in bed with the alleged victim
at the time of the incident in ques
tion.
According to testimony, Robin
son entered the girls' upstairs bed
room to quieten them around 2 a.m.
When one of the children com
plained that the water bed on which
they were lying was cold, Robinson
knelt beside the bed next to the al
leged victim and adjusted the water
heater thermostat under the bed.
The Shallotte girl testified that
Robinson then put his hand under
the covers and fondled her. In court,
Robinson admitted touching the wa
ter bed mattress, but denied putting
his hand under the covers and
touching the girl. Robinson said he
had burned his finger with a blow
torch prior to the incident and that
the cool mattress "felt good on my
finger."
(See Robinson, Page 2-A)
Second Brunswick Man Named State
Transportation Chief
BY SUSAN USHER
When state Secretary of Transportation James
Harrington retires Friday, another Brunswick County
man will take his place.
Southport native Thomas (Tom- *?
my) Harrelson was appointed to the *
post last Wednesday by Gov. James ' *
Martin. He will be sworn in by V.
Judge Robert Orr in a 4 p.m. cere- (W*/ *
mony Friday in the old Senate rag
chamber of the Capitol building. *
Friends are invited, he said. Harrel- I
son, a Republican, has served as the mjmp
transportation department's deputy .
secretary, overseeing daily opera- harrelson
tions of the Division of Highways since April 1987.
As secretary, Harrelson said his immediate goal is
lo sec Harrington's vision made a reality ? completion
of a four-lane strategic corridor or intrastate system that
will put most stale residents within 10 miles of a four
lane highway; and then, shortly after the turn of the
century, the completed paving of the state's secondary
roads. Through bipartisan efforts of the Martin adminis
tration and tnc legislature the package anu its funding.
i
the Highway Trust Fund, are in place, ready to be car
ried out.
"Everything I've learned I've learned at his feet,"
said Harrelson in a telephone interview from Raleigh.
The 48-year-old Harrelson formerly owned ana op
erated Harrclson's Food Store and Harrelson's
Appliances in Southport. He still has a residence in
Soulhport along with commercial interests and tamily.
While he said Brunswick County has already re
ceived improved treatment under the Martin administra
tion that it received under previous administrations,
Harrelson said better things arc still to come ? but be
cause of better funding for state road needs overall, "not
because I'm here. I have to be careful to be fair, not to
favor my home county ...but it's not going to be forgot
ten either. 1 think Brunswick County has been recog
nized as the fast-growing county it is and will continue
to be."
However, he noted, "The whole state has had a
backlog of needs and the southeast has historically been
left out, but that's turning around. Because of the in
creased funds available to all counties, Brunswick and
other counties should sec much better service."
Ai iui iwu uiguway-icSdicu iajiuciii* ihjw uii
Brunswick County minds, Harrclson said he thinks both
will be resolved satisfactorily.
Like Harrington before him, he doesn't want to see
the Department of Transportation's landscaping
fund ? personal license tag saies profits ? raided" to
help finance visitors' centers or oversized rest areas like
the one to be built along the Shallotte bypass this
spring.
The department has worked it out so that before any
such visitors' centcsr are built in the future, contracts
will be signed guaranteeing that no state funds will be
used to operate them. "If we don't get takers under that
arrangement, they won't be built," he said. "They
would just be too big of a drain on state revenues if we
were to take them over. And if tourism in the area isn't
such that the local area can support a center, they don't
need it. It would be a waste of money to build it."
Harrelson said that once plans for the routing of the
proposed Northern Outer Loop ? a four-lane highway
that would link U.S. 17 to 1-40 north of
Wilmington ? go to public hearing, that he is certain a
satisfactory route will be settled on.
The latest route broached for the highway would cut
uiiOu&ii u ic iicai is of iwu Siunswiik Cuumy municipal
ities, Lcland and Navassa, unlike a previous route now
included in the Brunswick County Thoroughfare Plan.
"Now that the loop will actually be built, we'll have
to make sure the route is a good one," said Harrelson.
Harrelson has been in the transportation department
2-1/2 years, but has previous experience with slate gov
ernment.
He served in the state legislature for two terms,
from 1970-1974, and withdrew from his race for a third
term. He served as chairman of the state's
Environmental Management Commission for approxi
mately one year, stepping down in early 1986 to cam
paign for the 7th Congressional District scat held by
Rep. Charles G. Rose 111.
Earlier, Harrelson also was employed by Cardinal
Health Systems agency for five years.
Harrington, a resident of Bald Head Island, had
served as secretary since 1985.
Harrelson said the secretary's post was not a job he
had sought, but that he'd been asked by several persons
if he were interested. "It's the kind of thing where you
wail until they ask," he said. "1 had a great position and
was happy. If they had chosen someone else I would
liavc been pieased and worked with that person."