PUBLIC
BEACH
ACCESS!
OC? AN ISLE
BCACH
CAMA
More Access?
Permanent and seasonal Ocean Isle
Beach residents differ on the need for
more beach access there. Indicates a
recent survey. For the story, see Page
6-A.
?
Owners To Meet
Several property owner and taxpayer
groups plan Saturday meetings this
holiday weekend. Check the details In
a round-up on Page 12-A.
THE
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SPR I NvSPORT hi 4'3;">;-:4
TVventy-elghth Year, Number 22
CI MO THE BRUNSWICK BEACON
Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, April 12, 1990
25c Per Copy
116 Pages, 4 Sections
SWF PHOTO ?Y SUSAN USHEI
The Easter What ?
While they look the part, neither of these rabbits claims to be the
Easter bunny. The New Zealands are just enjoying a picture-per
fect spring morning out of their cage at Mr. and Mrs. Elbert
Canady's Rabbit Country Club near Grissettown.
LIVES OUTSIDE DISTRICT 5
Benton Withdraws; Leaves
Shaw Without Primary Race
Republican Donald Shaw of Le
land no longer faces a May 8 prima
ry in his bid for the District 5 seat
on the Brunswick County Board of
Commissioners following the with
drawal Tuesday morning of his only
GOP opposition, Rudy Benton.
Benton withdrew two days be
fore the Brunswick County Board
of Elections was scheduled to con
duct a hearing as to whether he ac
tually lives within the District 5
boundaries.
In his leuer of "resignation" de
livered to the elections board, Ben
ton said he was withdrawing "be
cause controversy has arisen" over
his candidacy.
After questions were raised re
garding Benton's residency, Si?aw
had formally asked the elections
board to investigate. In checking
district maps. Board of Elections
Supervisor Lynda Britt said Tues
day, she found that Benton's resi
dence is, in fact, "a few hundred
yards" outside District 5.
His filing from that district ap
parently was "an honest mistake,"
she added.
While candidates for board of
commissioner and board of educa
tion are elected at-large, they File
for the seal representing the district
in which they reside.
(See BENTON, Page 2-A)
School Board Fires Kaufhold;
Says Contract Ends June 30
BY SUSAN USHER
Less than 15 months after voting
unanimously to extend his contract
until June 30,
1992, the
Brunswick
County Board
of Education
Monday fired
Superintendent
John A. Kauf
hold on a 3-2
vote to not re
new his con
tract. KAUFHOLD
The vote was based on a prevail
ing board viewpoint that the con
tract in question is not valid and that
Kaufhold's contract actually ends
less than two months from now. It
came the evening before arrival
Tuesday of a Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools accredita
tion team of educators from across
the state. Their two-day visit in the
schools is the culmination of two
years of preparation to apply for 10
year reaccreditation of the county's
eight elementary schools and ad
ministrative offices.
In Uim, Kaufhold announced near
the close of the called meeting that
he intended Tuesday to institute a
lawsuit against the board for hiring
him "under false pretenses," and to
also file personal lawsuits against
Chairman Dorothy Worth, Robert
Slockctt and Donna Baxter seeking
personal damages and court costs.
He later said he intended to seek
salary compensation for the addi
tional two year period thought to
have been covered by his contract.
Slockett made the motion not to
renew the superintendent's contract
in a scripted scenario played out in
the opening minutes of a special
meeting Monday evening at the
board's offices in Southport. Ap
proximately 30 onlookers were pre
sent, including two on-duty
Brunswick County sheriff's
deputies. Worth broke a 2-2 tie, vot
ing with Slockett and Baxter. Doug
Baxley and board Vice Chairman
James Clemmons opposed the
move.
The vote was held without dis
cussion of the motion and over rec
ommendation by Clemmons and
Baxley, and by board attorney Glen
Peterson, to firel go into executive
session to seek Peterson's advice on
the matter.
Peterson had not had an opportu
nity to review with the board the le
gal opinions he had obtained at
members' request regarding the
contract.
"We've already discussed it in
exccutivc session," said Slockctt
just before the vote, which Clem
mons criticized as "prearranged"
and "offering no advantage" to the
county's students.
Again following a script dis
tributed later to reporters. Worth an
nounced that Ralph Ward, personnel
director, was to "assume the duties
of acting superintendent immediate
ly," without action of the board and
despite Kaufhold's holding office
through June 30. Baxley challenged
her authority to appoint Ward, since
hiring an acting superintendent is
the statutory right of the board. To
his objection. Worth first replied.
'This is a statement not to be debat
ed," then added that the board could
discuss the matter later.
Should Kaufhold want to leave
office sooner than June 30, Worth's
script stated, he would receive full
salary and benefits to that date. Af
ter the meeting she referred newspa
per reporters to the contract itself,
without further comment.
In her opening statement, Worth
had announced that the board had
obtained from three sources legal
opinions that indicate only an initial
contract negotiated in February
1988 by a previous board and
Kaufhold was valid. That contract
entitled Kaufhold to serve for the
remainder of the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1988, and then a two-year
period ending June 30, 1990.
To Seek 'Do-It' Person
Slocketl would not discuss
Kaufhold's evaluation by the board,
but did describe the type of superin
tendent he thought the board would
be seeking as Kaufhold's successor.
"We're going to look for a superin
tendent who would advance the
progress of Brunswick County stu
dents at a faster pace."
He suggested the new administra
tor should be more like New
Hanover County Superintendent
Tom McNeel. whom he compared
tc Kaufhold: "He improves the edu
cation of kids in an efficient man
ner. He spends a lot more time in
the schools. He has more personal
contact with programs. He's not
delegating as much; he's a do-it
kind of person."
Opinions Cited
In opinions requested by the
board approximately a month ago
and dated as late as April 6, attor
neys with the N.C. Attorney Gener
al's Office and the firm representing
the N.C. School Board Association
indicate that addendums that pro
vided for extension and automatic
renewal of Kaufhold's contract
(See SCHOOL, Page 2-A)
47 Applicants Seek Top Administrative Position
BY RAHN ADAMS
Forty-seven applicants from sev
en states have applied to become
Brunswick County's top administra
tive official.
Kelly Winfree, secretary to Inter
im County Manager David Clcgg,
said Tuesday that five Brunswick
County residents are among 31
North Carolinians who applied for
the permanent county manager po
sition by Monday's deadline.
Other applicants include eight
South Carolinians, three Virginians,
two New Yorkers and one resident
each from Connecticut, Georgia and
Florida. Ms. Winfree added that ap
plicants are both men and women.
To her knowledge, none of the ap
plicants has been previously em
ployed by Brunswick County.
Brunswick County Commission
ers Chairman Gene Pinkerton told
the Beacon Tuesday that he
"wouldn't be surprised" if the coun
ty board began reviewing the appli
cations at a recessed meeting
Wednesday (April 11) at 9 a.m. in
Bolivia. Ideally, the selection pro
cess would take only two to three
weeks, he saiu.
However, Pinkerton noted that
the main purpose of Wednesday's
meeting was for the commissioners
to discuss proposed capital im
provement projects. Also, the chair
man added that he would ask com
missioners how they wished to re
view the applications, since contro
versy surrounded the board's abort
ed hiring of William Kopp in Febru
ary.
Kopp, controller for the N.C. De
partment of Crime Control and Pub
lic Safety and a Brunswick County
native, was unexpectedly hired Feb.
5 on a 3-2 vote, with Commission
ers Pinkerton, Frankie Rabon and
Grace Beasley supporting Kopp's
selection.
Commissioners Kelly Holden and
Benny Ludlum, and county Repub
lican Party Chairman Malcolm
Gnssett opposed the surprise man
ner in which the board filled the
then unadverlised county manager's
post. In response to mounting pub
lic and political pressure, commis
sioners rescinded Kopp's hiring
Feb. 16 and advertised the position.
The job notice appeared during
the six-week application period in
metropolitan newspapers across the
state, local weekly newspapers and
statewide local government publica
tions. The advertisement stated, in
part, that "the successful applicant
shall have demonstrated organiza
tional and budgetary experience as
well as experience in dealing with
issues of growth and develop
ment. .Salary and benefits are nego
tiable."
Pinkerton commented that late
last week he "scanned" 22 applica
tions that had been received as of
then. Based on seeing those first re
sumes, he noted that there are at
least "six or eight gclod applicants."
Clegg has served as interim coun
ty manager since the Dec. 4 firing
of John Smith, who was employed
as county manager here for approxi
mately 2 1/2 years.
PHOTO BY CHARLES PAI
A SEAPLANE TANKER from New Bern scoops waterfront the Intracoastal Waterway at Holder
Beach to help douse a wildfire that burned 253 acres of woodlands off N.C. 211 Sunday. This photi
was taken from High Point Street as the N.C. Forest Service tanker made one of several runs.
Sunday Blaze Chars 253 Acres
Wildfire blackcncd 253 acres of woodlands south
of Supply Sunday in Brunswick County's worst blaze
yet of the still-young 1990 fire season.
Brunswick County Ranger Miller Caison said
Monday that the cause of the woods fire remains un
der investigation.
The N.C. Forest Service was on the scene for ap
proximately seven hours, working from air and
ground to knock down the fire. Two small "spotter"
planes helped guide in two air tankers ? a large cargo
plane based for the season at Bear Pen in the Green
Swamp north of Supply, and a smaller seaplane based
in New Bern? as well as three smaller Kinston-based
planes called "snows" that have a 200-gallon capacity
each. On the ground the service had 18 people and
several tractors.
Also on the scMie to help protect homes and busi
nesses were volunteers from seven local fire depart
ments: Tri-Beach, Supply, Southport, Bolivia, lx>ng
Beach, Civielown and Sunset Harbor-Zion Hill.
Caison said no structures ever were in "real immedi
ate danger" from the fire.
The blaze started at approximately 11:30 a.m. and
spread quickly, he said, burning through mostly "bay
type" area off N.C. 211 approximately four miles
south of Supply toward Southport. "It was burning
pretty hot when it went through, but I don't know how
much of the (vegetation) was killed," said Caison.
Caison said the blaze was the largest so far of the
county's 1990 fire season, and the first in which the
tanker has been called out.
The fire mainly spread across privately-owned
property, with some burning of paper company owned
land.
At the time of Sunday's fire, the local Forest
Service office was at the midway point, 4, on its
readiness scale, which is based on a tormula that takes
into account not only weather conditions, but also the
availability of equipment and personnel. On Monday,
the olhcc upped the marker to five.
"Things arc right to burn," said Caison. "We'll just
have to see what happens with the weather."
Services Mark Area's
Celebration Of Easter
Special services are planned
throughout the South Brunswick
Islands area this Easter week, in
cluding a number of waterfront Eas
ter morning services planned specif
ically with vacationers in mind.
For these services, dress is casu
al, with worshippers asked to pro
vide their own lawn chair or blanket
for seating.
Sunset Beach
At Sunset Beach, the Continental
Motel will hold its annual Easter
service on the lawn at 8 a.m., said
Randi Moon. Guest speaker will be
the Rev. Bobby Causey, pastor of
East Side Fellowship in Shallotte.
Ocean Isle Beach
Two 8:30 a.m. services are plan
ned at Ocean Isle Beach. Shallotte
Presbyterian Church will conduct
its annual Easter service at a site on
the strand approximately one-half
mile west of the Ocean Isle Beach
Fishing Pier, with public access
from Driftwood Drive, Isle Plaza
and Duncsidc Drive. The Rev. Dan
Norman, pastor, will be the speaker.
The Rev. George Blanchard, pas
tor of Camp United Methodist
Church in Shallotte, will present the
message at the Easter service spon
sored by the Ocean Isle Beach
Chapel at a site just west of the
Ocean Isle Beach Fishing Pier. GiGi
Lewis will be the guest soloist.
Calvary Baptist
The cantata Then Came Sunday
will be presented by the Calvary
Baptist Church adult choir and
soloists Sunday during the 11 a.m.
worship service, said Kit Jackson,
music director.
The public is invited. The church
is located on N.C. 1 79 in Shallottc.
Holden Beach
The Rev. Douglas Ponder of
Shallottc will lead the annual Easter
sunrise service at the Holden Beach
Fishing Pier. The non-denomina
tional service begins at 6:30 a.m.
adjacent to the pier and should last
approximately one hour, said
spokesman Gil Bass.
Dress is casual; participants are
invited to bring a lawn chair or
blanket for seating.
Camp UMC
Camp United Methodist Church
in Shallottc continues its Lenten
season observance with a Maundy
Thursday service today at 7:30
p.m., with celebration of Holy
Communion.
The Altar Guild has erected a
cross on the front lawn of the
church, which will be draped in
black for Good Friday. Guild mem
bers arc encouraging members of
the church and the community at
(See SERVICES, Page 2-A)
mcrro coMnituno
ALTAR GUILD MEMBERS
Hilda Hall and Margaret
Hardin are shown with a cross
erected on the lawn of Camp
United Methodist Church in
Shallotte. The cross will be
draped in black on Good
Friday, then adorned with
flowers brought by worshipers
Easter morning.