Breaking Ground
Exlde Electronics VP A1 Schnaldt
turns the first spadeful of earth Friday
for Exlde 's new Leland plant. Joining
lilm for the ceremony are Exlde
President James Rlsher, Commerce
Secretary James BroyhUl and County
Board of Commissioners Chairman
Gene Pinkerton. The story's on the
Business Page, 9-C.
Right Place, Right Job
Counselor Joe Morefleld, the
newest addition to the Student
Services staff at Brunswick
Community College, Is smiling
these days. He's living at the coast
again, and working with adult
students. Meet Morefleld on Page
12-B.
Start Your Engines!
The miniature race cars In Cub
Scout Pack 227's annual
Plnewood Derby Friday night
didn't have engines, but the pull
of gravity kept them rolling.
Approximately 40 scouts turned
out for the sloped-track
competition in Shallotte. Find
out who won on Page 1 1-B.
HOAG & SONS BOOK BINDERY
12/31/99
PO BOX 162
SPR I NGPORT MI 49284
TWenty-elghth Year, Number 12
CI MO THf BRUNSWICK BEACON
Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, February 1, 1990
25c Per Copy 32 Pages, 3 Sections
STAFF PHOTO IY RAHN ADAMS
SOUTHERN BEU. REPRESENTATIVE Robert Fuller (left) demonstrates "Enhanced 911" emer
gency telephone equipment Monday for (from left) Brunswick County Emergency Management Co
ordinator Cecil Logan, Yaupon Beach Volunteer Fire Department Chief Al Essey and lu>ng Beach
VFD Chief Rodney Brooks.
MAKVtbi RESi RiCTED
Oyster Season To Close Early
BY DOUG RUTTER
Local shellfishcrrncn have mixed
feelings about a state plan to impose
stricter limits on oyster harvests and
close the season several weeks ear
lier than normal this year.
While they are worried about
smaller harvests and less money this
year, many see the need to take
steps to preserve the resource before
it's too late.
Oyster season will close Feb. 17
at sunset. State regulations allow
the fisheries director to keep the
season open as late as March 31,
but it usually ends in early or mid
March.
Through Friday, fishermen will
be allowed to harvest up to IS bush
els of oysters per person per day
and 50 bushels per boat.
Starting Friday at sunrise, howev
er, daily harvest limits will be cut
back to five bushels per person and
IS bushels for each fishing opera
tion, regardless of the number of
boats or people involved. The har
vest limits on Sundays will remain
the same as they are now ? one
bushel per person and two bushels
per boat
The shortened oyster season and
limits on harvesls arc part of an ef
fort to ensure oyster harvests in the
Lockwood Folly
Shut Down Again
Oyster and clam beds in the
lower Lockwood Folly River
were closed to harvesting Tues
day morning, one week after
they had been temporarily open
ed to shcllfishermen.
The section of river was clos
ed to harvesting due to Mon
day's rainfall and runoff, accord
ing to a proclamation issued by
the director of the state Division
of Marine Fisheries.
Heavy rains generate storm
water runoff which often carries
bacteria into the river and push
es pollution levels beyond the
point where shellfish harvesting
can be allowed.
Since oyster season started in
October, the lower section of the
Lockwood Folly has been open
to harvesting only 12 days. The
season will close Feb. 17.
future, said William Hogarth, direc
tor of the stale Division of Marine
Fisheries, who announced the limits
in a proclamation last Wednesday.
Hogarth said the early closure
may causc problems for shellfisher
mcn this season, but should help
them and the oyster population in
the years to come. He said Uicrc is a
good population of young oysters,
or spats, that will be protected with
the early closure and provide for a
better harvest next season.
"We're having one of the worst
seasons on record," said Hogarth.
"We felt that the gain in keeping it
open this year would not be as great
as the gain in future years."
Mike Street, development section
chief with Marine Fisheries, said
preliminary figures for November
1989 indicate that oyster harvests
for the month are down more than
80 percent compared to recent
years. Shortening the season will
give the oysters a better chance to
recover, he said.
Hogarth said the new daily limits
were imposed in response to con
cern that oysters are being overhar
vested. Due to the scarcity of oys
ters this year, he said the new limit
should not put a hardship on local
shcllfishermcn because very few of
them have been able to gather more
thon f!ve bushels in 2l d2y.
With higher limits, Hogarth said
the tendency is for oystermen to try
(See Oyster, Page 2-A)
Telephone Owners Could Begin
Paying 911 Charges In August
BY RAIIN ADAMS
If county commissioners sign on
the dotted line as cxpcctcd next
week, monthly telephone bills in
Brunswick County will increase 50
cents apiece beginning in August to
pay for a countywide "Enhanced
911" emergency telephone system
that will be operational within two
years.
The full board of county commis
sioners and officials from at least 1 1
of the county's 17 municipalities
held a joint public hearing ? actual
ly a neighborly question-and-ans
wer session ? on the proposed sub
scriber surcharge Monday in Boli
via. Besides the town representa
tives, only a handful of local resi
dents attended the one-hour, 15
minutc hearing.
Seated in individual rows of
chairs marked with large cardboard
placards, town delegations repre
senting Shallotte, Ocean Isle Beach,
Holdcn Bcach, Sunset Beach, Cala
bash, Vamamtown, Boiling Spring
Lakes. Caswell Bcach. Leland, Yau
pon Bcach and Navassa were on
hand for the meeting, which con
sisted mainly of a presentation from
Southern Bell otticial Robert buller.
w ? ...
?? iiijv tv mi uvoiu mv-ituvi a- ? wo
pccially from Calabash and Lcland
? kept Fuller busy with questions
for about an hour, no one spoke
against the 911 surcharge. "How
can we even go into all this when a
life is on the line?" commented
Shalloitr. Alderman Sarah Tripp, re
ferring to the monthly surcharge
that amounts to 56 per year.
"I think they were all legitimate
questions," Brunswick County Em
ergency Management Coordinator
Cecil Logan said after the hearing,
"and I don't think there was a soul
here against 911. I just think they
wanted to get a better understanding
of it."
County Commissioners Chair
man Gene Pinkerton also told the
gathering that his board stiil has "a
lot of unanswered questions" about
911, and that commissioners proba
bly will hold workshops this month
to address 911 -related matters. A
main consideration will be where to
locate a county 911 communica
tions facility.
Logan indicated that the county is
no longer considering pulling the
communications center in the old
Agricultural Extension Service/
Brunswick Community College
building at Supply; the building
now houses the county's Aging/
Older Adults and Clean County of
fices. and the Brunswick County
Volunteer and Information Center,
as well as the Brunswick County
Literacy Council.
Tvui) options still being consid
ered are construction of a new
building near the county govern
ment complex in Boiivia or turning
911 communications over to the
Brunswick County Sheriff's Depart
ment, Logan said. The 911 system's
other two public safety answering
points (PSAPs) will be located at
the Southport and Long Beach po
lice departments.
In response to questions from
town officials. Fuller said the coun
ty has "several months" to decide
on a location for the county's PSAP.
Southern Bell and Atlantic Tele
phone Membership Corporation
have begun engineering work to
prepare for the system, which
should be in full operation by
January 1992. Commissioners gave
the phone companies the go-ahead
to start work less than two months
ago.
According to the county ordi
nance that commissioners arc cx
(See 9ii, Page 2- A)
Belville Businessman To Seek Commission Seat
Belvillc businessman V.A. Cre
ech Jr. has become the third Demo
crat to file for the District 5 seat on
the Brunswick County Board of
Commissioners.
According to county Elections
Supervisor Lynda Britt, Creech was
the only new candidate to file for
county office during the period of
Jan. 24 through 30. The filing peri
od for the May 8 primary elections
ends Monday, Feb. 5, at noon.
Creech, 63, owner of the Olde
Brunswick Towne Cookery, will
square off against incumbent Com
missioner Grace Beasley and politi
cal newcomer Mike Holmes in the
Democratic race. As of Tuesday,
Donald Shaw was the only Republi
can to file for the District 5 com
missioners post.
In the campaign for 13th District
Attorney, Tabor City attorney C.
Franklin Stanley Jr. was to formally
announce his candidacy Wednesday
morning (Jan. 31) at the Columbus
County Courthouse, Whiteville.
Stanley would be the first GOP
candidate so far for the district at
torney's office, currently held by
TIC hnrw?fnl
MVIIIUVIUWV V/.w. WV.U..V I - ! ?_! !
Mike Easley of Southport. Shallotte
lawyer Rex Gore and Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Tom Aldridge Jr. of
Route 2, Whiteville, will vie for the
Democratic district attorney nod.
According to the state board of
-i - nMi.:nL i
cicvuum uiuvt in naiu^si aii u &ivv~
tions boards in Brunswick, Bladen,
Columbus, New Hanover and Pen
der counties, the following candi
dates have filed for other local, dis
til- and state offices to be decided
this year:
? Sheriff ? Democratic incum
bent John C. Davis of Bolivia and
Democrat J.R. "Jim" Vaughan of
Route 6, Southport; and Republi
cans David L. Gause of Shallotte
and William "Bill" Sisk of Long
Beach.
? Clerk of Court ? Democratic
incumbent Diana Morgan of Long
Beach.
? Commissioner, District 2 ?
Democrats Allan Dameron of
Holden Beach, Joseph Stevenson of
Route 3, Supply, and Alfonza
Roach of Boones Neck; and Repub
licans Jerry W. Jones of Shallotte,
and Eugene Hewett of Route 1,
Supply.
? Board of Education, District
2 ? Democrats Polly G. Russ of
Shallotte. and Joseph Carter of
Route 2, Supply; and Republicans
W. James Payne and Richard F.
Bangs, both of Shallotte.
? Board of Education, District
5 ? Democratic incumbent James
Clemmons of Leland and Democrat
Jul:C Strickland of Oldc To^nci and
Republican Yvonne Lewis Bright of
Route 1 , Leland.
? District Court Judge ? Demo
cratic incumbent David G. Wall of
Elizabeth town.
? Superior Court Judge ? Demo
crat William C. Gore Jr. of White
ville.
? State Representative ? Demo
cratic incumbent E. David Redwine
of Ocean Isle Beach.
? State Senator ? Democratic in
cumbent R.C. Soles Jr. of Tabor
City.
? Congressman ? Democratic in
cumbent Charles G. Rose III of
Fayetteville; and Republican Fries
Shaffner of Wilmington.
? U.S. Senator ? Democrats
Mike Easley of South port, Robert
L. Hannan of Greensboro and R.R
"Bo" Thomas of Hendersonville;
Republican incumbent Jesse Helms
of Raleigh and Republican George
Wimbish of Charlotte.
Also, former Charlotte Mayor
Harvp.y Ganii was to announce
Wednesday (Jan. 31) his intentions
to seek the Democratic U.S. Senate
nomination.
1 1 989 Home-Building
Figures Reflect Steady Coastal
Growth, Drop Inland
BY RAHN ADAMS
As the Northeast's real estate market goes, so goes
home-building activity in the South Brunswick Islands,
a retirement mecca. That is the opinion of at least two
local officials who saw new home construction drop
considerably in 1989.
Brunswick County ? which for the past several
years has held the distinction of being the state's second
fastest-growing county ? experienced a 23-percent de
crease in construction of single-family homes last year,
as compared to 1988 figures, according to the Bruns
wick County Building Inspections Department.
However, annual building inspection reports that
were available last week for municipalities in the South
Brunswick Islands showed steady growth, except in
Calabash, where 1989 home-building was off by 56
percent Activity was also slightly down last year at
Holden Beach, but was on the increase at Ocean Isle
Beach and Sunset Beach. Comparative figures for 1988
and 1989 were unavailable last week for Shallotte.
"I think the number one factor is that most home
builders here are very dependent on that Northeast (real
estate) market," said Larry Shreve, who was president
of the South Brunswick Islands Home Builders Associ
ation last year, "and the Northeast has had a real prob
lem in selling their homes."
Shreve noted that his own company ? Brierwood
Builders in Shallotte ? fared well last year. However, in
general, 1989 was "a pretty tough year" for builders
across the county, he said.
Permits were issued for construction of 184 single
family homes last year in the county, compared to 239
permits in 1988 and 359 permits in 1987. The estimated
value of single-family home construction fell to $12
million last year, compared to $16 million in 1988 and
$21 million in 1987.
Another indicator of the building slowdown across
the county was a decrease last number in the number of
septic tank permits that were issued by the Brunswick
County Health Department. According to health depart
ment figures, 2,716 septic tank permits were issued last
year, compared to 4,076 in 1988.
Stringent state septic tank regulations, however, ap
parently weren't to blame for the drop in permits. The
local health department's permit approval rate remained
higher than 70 percent. The difference was that initial
site evaluations for septic tank permits were down on
the whole ? 3,521 in 1989, compared to 6,1 15 the previ
ous year.
Besides the fact that retirees had difficulty selling
their old homes in the "very, very soft Northeast mar
ket," last September's Hurricane Hugo also apparently
threw a kink in many prospective Brunswick County
newcomers' plans, forcing them to postpone coming
here to look for new homes and homesites, Shreve ob
served.
He said other apparent factors affecting home-build
ing here were septic tank regulations and relatively high
interest rates, which ranged from 10 percent to 11% per
cent throughout the year. He noted that tighter federal
regulations on savings and loan institutions last year did
not effcect the local housing market, since Brunswick
County S&L's are "well-established."
Calabash Town Administrator Janet Thomas also at
tributed Calabash's drop in single-family home con
struction to difficulty that Northern retirees had last
year in selling their old homes. Building activity in
Calabash decreased from 80 homes worth $4.7 million
in 1988 to 35 homes worth $2.5 million last year.
At Holden Beach, Building Inspector Dwight
Carroll speculated that the island town's slight building
drop was due to tight septic tank regulations, which ?
until changes this year in the law?discouraged con
struction on especially canal lots. He said relatively
high land prices also discouraged development.
Forty-one single-family homes worth $3.16 million
were authorized last year at Holden Beach, compared to
46 homes worth $3.1 million in 1988. "They're not
building as many houses, but they're building better
houses because the price of the lot is higher," Carroll
said. "We've run pretty well close to normal every year.
It's mostly one- and two-family units, which I think is
healthy for the beach."
The South Brunswick Islands' other two island mu
nicipalities recorded modest increases in single-family
home construction last year. Twenty-seven homes
worth $2.37 million were built at Ocean Isle Beach,
compared to 24 homes worth S2.18 million in 1988. At
Sunset Beach, 61 homes worth $4.38 million were built
in 1989, compared to 57 homes worth $3.65 million the
previous year.
"We were up some in 1989, but it was still a slow
year compared to other years," said Ocean Isle Beach
Building Inspector Druied Roberson, attributing the
building situation to high interest rates and land costs.
In 1987, for example, 38 homes worth $3.3 million
were authorized at Ocean Isle.
However, Roberson added, "We've got some inter
est now, and I think we'll see things picking up this
year." He noted that five single-family homes currently
are under construction in Island Park subdivision on the
west end of Ocean Isle.
Sunset Beach Town Administrator Linda Fluegel
said the rise at Sunset Beach was due to increased activ
ity in Sugar Sands subdivision, which is located in the
town's extraterritorial area. "From what I've heard
through the grapevine," Ms. Fluegel said, "Sea Trail
(the subdivision's developer) can't get these homes in
Sugar Sands built fast enough."
1988 figures were unavailable last week for Shal
lotte, where 20 single-family homes worth $1.93 mil
lion were authorized in 1989.