School Board's Baxley Steps Aside To 'Promote Harmony7 BY SUSAN USHER Faced with mounting tension and dissension among members, Brunswick County Board of Education Chairman Douglas Baxley stepped aside Monday night so as not to block a sought-after change of leadership. Named to replace him was District 2 member Dot Worth, a candidate for re-election. James Clemmons of L .eland, also seeking re-election, will continue as vice chairman. Worth was nominated by District 3 member Donna Baxter. In tum. Worth attempted to nominate Baxter for vice-chairman, only to learn the seat had not been vacated by Clemmons. Worth said she felt tiiat every board member should have the opportunity to serve as chairman sometime during their multi-year term on the board. In the past she has also expressed concern publicly that fellow board members were not open to proposals she's made and have attempted to "shut her out" of board deci sion-making. That split is just one of several among board mem bers that prompted Baxter to suggest the need for a board retreat in order to air those differences and learn to work belter together. When held last month, howev er, the retreat ended up as an educational session on existing programs and staff goals for the coming year. Worth will serve as chairman until the first meeting in December, filling Baxley's unexpired term as chair man. Baxley will continue on the board as the District 1 representative. Regular board elections will be held at the board's December meeting. A change in the method of electing board officers was first proposed by District 3 member Robert Slockctt in lale 1989. At the board's January meeting, when a proposal amendment to the board policy was presented for first reading, Slockett pushed for the board to allow its adoption at that meeting instead of waiting until after a second reading as required by board policy. That effort failed on a split vote. The measure did pass on second reading Monday. As amended, the board's policy now provides for elec tion of officers each December, rather than only in December of the years during which new members are (See DOT WORTH, Page 2-A) THEB HO AG ir- 1 ; L ' ' r\ ! f\l or, 7 49284 IVUIWVV IV TWenty-elghth Year, Number 13 eiMO TMC MUM8WICK BCACOM Shal 'otteVNorth 9arollna' T?1 u r 8 d a yT February 8, 1990 25* Per Copy " 38 Pages, 3 Sections STAFF PHOTO BY ftAHN ADAMS Too Cold For Copperfone A bundled-up Holly Kay Baxley keeps an eye on her frisky little dog, Cricket , during a chilly after noon stroll recently at Ocean Isle Beach. Four-year-old Holly is the daughter of Elbert and Sue Baxley of Shallotte. Holden Board Rejects Annexation BY DOUG RUTTER Four Holdcn Beach Commission ers lived up to a campaign promise Monday when they voted to rescind an ordinance annexing approxi mately 67 acres on the mainland side of the bridge. Commissioners voted 4-1 at their regular monthly meeting to overturn the controversial annexation ordi nance, which was adopted lasi sum mer and set to take effect June 30. Bob Buck, Gloria Barrett, Kcnncr Amos and Judy Bryan voted to re peal the ordinance Monday, while Gay Atkins opposed the motion. The vote brought applause from some of the 45 people attending the town meeting and no reaction from others. This week's vote ends ? at least temporarily ? talk of annexing the causeway and surrounding prop erty, which has been discussed for more than three years. Upset by Monday's turn of events, Commissioner Atkins said the four board members who voted to stop tne annexation were throw ing away years of work done by two previous town boards and a spccial annexation committee consisting of island and mainland residents. Also, Ms. Atkins said she was upset that the three new commis sioners who took office in Decem ber never spoke to her about annex ation before this week's vole or sat in on any of the early meetings when annexation was discussed. "Where arc you going to have commercial growth on this beach?" she asked. The commissioner added later lhal mainland property owners will never allow the town to build a sewer system in the area without annexation. Ms. Atkins repeatedly asked board members to put off the vote for one month, saying the commis sioners should study the matter fur ther. Most of her comments were quickly dismissed by other board members. In voting to overturn the annexa tion ordinance, the four commis sioncrs kept promises they made last November when all five scats on the town board were up for elec tion. All four said ihey would vote to slop annexation before it took ef fect, and all four were elected. Buck, who was in the minority when he voted against annexation last June, made the motion Monday night to rescind the ordinance. Based on an annexation feasibility study completed last year, he said annexation is not in the best interest (See ANNEXATION, Page 2-A) River Closed To Shellfishing The status of shellfishing in Lockwood Folly River has run full circle during the past week, but at press time Tuesday evening the river was once again ik hatf.lnrh nf rain thp arp# rwfivert over lh? weekend was apparently enough to push pollution levels in the river beyond the critical point. Rainfall and stormwater runoff often carry bacteria into the river and make shellfishing unsafe. After being closed to harvesting for three months, the lower section of the Lockwood Folly River was opened to ciammers and oystermen Jan. 23. Since that tune, the river has been closed, opened and closed again. "That river is right on the borderline as far as water quality goes. It doesn't take much to push it over the edge," Benton said Tuesday. "That's what we're faced with." State environmental officials believe septic tanks and stormwater runoff are the two most likely causes of pollution in the river. Former Commission Chairman Hired As New County Manager BY RAHN ADAMS While no one voiccd objections about the man who was chosen, Brunswick County Commissioners were split Monday over the surprise hiring of former board chairman William Kopp as the county's new manager. Kopp, who will assume the $56,000 per year job March 1, is presently employed as controller for the N.C. Department of Crime Con trol and Public Safety in Raleigh. The 53-year-old Southport native replaces John T. Smith, who was forced to step down from the county manager's post Dec. 4. County At torney David Clegg has served as interim county manager. A Republican, Kopp served as chairman of the Brunswick County Commissioners from 1970 to 1974, while he was a partner in Kopp Brothers Inc. of Bolivia. His famil iarity with Brunswick County was a major factor in his hiring, according to Chairman Gene Pinkerton. "This is an opportunity to gel someone who is a native of the county, has county and state experi ence, and has expressed a desire to return to Brunswick County," Chairman Gene Pinkerton said after the meeting. "I just think it's an op portunity to take advantage of." The board's 3-2 vote to hire Kopp followed a 25-minute execu tive session called by Commission er Frank ic Rabon to discuss "per sonnel." Commissioners Kelly Hol den and Benny Ludlum cast the dis senting votes. Prior to the vote, Hol den stated he felt that commission ers should be allowed to interview a prospective manager before his hir ing. After the meeting, Holden told the Bcacon that the board consulted with Clegg behind closed doors over whether or not the commis sioners could hire a county manager without advertising the position. "You can do it," Holdcn said, "bui I don't think it's the ethical thing to do." He also noted that he didn't know Kopp was under considera tion until Monday's executive ses sion. Ludlum commented Tuesday, "I was told about Thursday or Friday that the three (Pinkerton, Rabon and Grace Bcasley) were going to hire Bill Kopp . . . You and it know that they didn't just pick him up off the street." Ludlum added that he thought highly of Kopp. "It's just the way they went about it," he said. "I expect things to be brought in be fore the commissioners." Pinkerton indicated to reporters Monday that he had spearheaded the move to hire Kopp after meeting him during Hurricane Hugo recov ery efforts here. "Mr. Kopp indicat ed to me that he wanted to return to Brunswick County," Pinkerton said, adding that he met with Kopp "a couple of times" in Raleigh and eventually discussed the prospective county manager with Crime Control and Public Safety Secretary Joseph Dean. However, when contacted Tues day in Washington, D.C., Kopp said he was initially contacted about the "rtnnlii manonrtfV Tsrsct oKaii! fntlf WUtiiJ Ul/WUk weeks ago by Rabon, a life-long ac quaintance, and then on at least two subsequent occasions. Kopp said he told Rabon over the weekend that he would accept the job, if it were offered. Kopp said he came to Brunswick County in an official capacity im mediately after the September hurri cane. He returned here last month with Dean, to deliver public assis tance checks to the county and local municipalities. "I look forward to coming back to Brunswick County," Kopp said, "and to the challenge of the position of county manager ... I don't antic ipate any problems at all. I've al ways exhibited fairness in public of fice." Ironically, Kopp was chairman of the commissioners when the county board was successfully sued by The Brunswick Beacon and The Slate Fort Pilot over a violation of the N.C. Open Meetings Law. "You learn from experience, and experience tcachcs you well," Kopp said Tuesday of the legal episode in the early 1970s. "I think it will help me in dealing with the media, be cause 1 believe in openness, and I will not be a party to secret meet ings that aren't within the strict con fines of the open meetings law." A 1961 graduate of East Carolina University, Kopp also has worked as assistant director for administra tive services ami business manager of youth services in the N.C. De partment of Human Resources. He was previously a managing partner for Associated Insurance Agency of Wilmington Inc., chief deputy clerk of U.S. District Court's Eastern Dis trict, and a New Hanover County school tcachcr. Kopp also served as a member of the Cape Fear Council of Govern ments from 1970 to 1974, and was a charter member of the N.C. Coastal Resources Commission from 1974 to 1976. He completed the Gover nor's Executive Management Pro gram in 1988. May 8 Primary Elections Set; Seven Seek Sheriff's Office BY RAHN ADAMS Brunswick County voters of both political parties will have a bevy of races to decide when primary elec tions roll around May 8, thanks to a flurry of last-minute Tilings Monday in Bolivia. According to county Elections Supervisor Lynda Briu, seven can didates ? including three Republi can sheriff hopefuls ? tossed their hats into the political ring Monday prior to the noon filing deadline. The filing period opened Jan. !. After a purge of local voting records last October, 25,550 Bruns wick County residents are regis tered to vote this year, including 15,903 Democrats, 8,684 Republi cans and 963 unaffiliated voters, Ms. Britt said. New voters have un til April 9 to register for the May primary; that is also the deadline to change party affiliation or precincts. Nominations that aren't decided in the May 8 primary will be settled June 5 in the state's second primary. An expected change this year is that a cand^ ite will be able to win the first primary with 40 percent of the vote, rather than 50 percent as in previous years. The change, which was approved iasi year by uic Gen eral Assembly, has yet to be en dorsed by the U.S. Justice Depart ment. Sheriff The race for Brunswick County sheriff is by far the most hotly-con tested election this primary season, with five Republicans and two Democrats seeking the post held by Democratic incumbent John C. Davis, 61, of Bolivia. The three GOP sheriff candidates who filed Monday were Charlie Long, 51, of Lcland; Carl Collins, 42, of Long Beach; and James Brown, 4 1 , of SouthporL They join David L. Gause of Shallotte and William "Bill" Sisk of Long Beach on the Republican tickcL In the Democratic primary, Davis will be opposed by J.R. "Jim" Vaughan of Boiling Spring Lakes. Clerk of Court Until the last day of filing, Democratic incumbent Diana Mor gan, 37, of Long Beach figured to be the first local clerk of court can didate in 24 years to be elected without opposition in either the pri mary or general elections. There will be no clerk of court primaries; however, Ms. Morgan will face lone Republican challeng er Donald L. "Don" Willeas, 50, of Bolivia, in the November general election. Willetts, a local business man, filed Monday. Commissioner, Dist. 2 Three Democrats and two Repub licans vie for the District 2 Bruns wick County Commissioners seat now held by Benny Ludlum, who announced in December that he would not seek re-election. Democrats include Allan Damer uii, 4i, oi rioiuen Beacn; w.A. "Al fonza" Roach, 54, of Route 3, Sup ply; and Joseph Stevenson, 41, also of Route 3, Supply. Republicans running for the Dis trict 2 nomination are Eugene Hew ett, 67, of Route 1, Supply; and Jer ry Jones, 44, of Shallotte. Commissioner, Dist. 5 In the District 5 commissioners race, incumbent Democrat Grace Bcasley, 53, of Route 3, Leland, faces three Democratic challengers. J.N. "Joe" Gaincy, 65, of Leland, filed Monday, joining fellow Demo crats Mike Holmes, 40. and V.A. Creech Jr., 63, both of Leland. Former county building inspector Rudy Benton, 49, of Leland, filed Monday to oppose Donald Shaw, 50, of Route 1, Leland, for the Re publican nomination. Benton was dismissed in Dcccmbcr after he fail ed to obtain required state inspec tions certification and then chose not to accept a job transfer and cut in pay offered by county commis sioners. School Board, Dist. 2 Democratic incumbent Dorothy A. Worth, 56, of Shallotte, filed Friday for re-election to her District 2 seat on the Brunswick County Board of Education. In May, she will face fellow Democrats Joseph B. "Joe" Carter, 58, of Route 2, Supply, and Polly G. Russ, 39, of Shalloue. Republicans Richard F Bangs, 65, and W. James Payne, 29, both of Shalloue, seek the GOP nomina tion. School Board, Dist. 5 Incumbent James "Jimbo" Clem mons, 69, of Leland, is opposed by Julie Strickland, 37, also of Leland, tor tne Democratic District :> school board nomination. Republican Yvonne Lewis Bright, 46, of Route 1, Leland, is unopposed. State Representative Like Clerk of Clerk Diana Mor gan, 14th District State Rep. E. Da vid Redwine was headed for an un opposed re-election bid unti! the fi nal day of filing. Monday, former Brunswick County Public Schools Superintendent Ralph C. King, 56, of Route 1, Ash, filed against Rcd (See ELECTIONS, Page 12-A)