What's The Source?
State and county officials plan to study ditches that
drain Into Lockwood Folly River as a follow-up to an
earlier study that failed to DlnDoInt sources of poNUtlon
In the river once known for Its abundant harvest of
shellfish. The story's on Page 6-A.
m
'IIW-SIOKS
Dining and entertainment supplement
Included In this Issue.
Back to Raleigh
Miss Brunswick County Wendy Williams
heads to Raleigh Friday to compete a second
time for the Miss North Carolina title, while a
former Miss Brunswick County, Susan Holth,
makes her third try. Details are on Page 10-B. |
THE It
H0A6 * SONS BOOK BINDERY
12/31/93
BOX 162
SPRIN6P0RT MI 43284
%fll WW
Twenty-eighth Year, Number 31
Shaliotte, North Carolina, Thursday, June 21, 1990
25? Per Copy
46 Pages, 4 Sections
Holden Beach Commission
Approves 4 -Cent
Tax Rate Hike
BY DOUG RUTTER
Holden Beach Commissioners Tuesday adopted a
SI. 24 million budget for next fiscal year featuring a 4
cent increase in the tax rate.
The tax rate will jump from 14 cents to 18 cents per
S100 of valuation under the budget for fiscal year 1990
91, which starts July 1. The owner of a 5100,000 piece
of property will pay an extra $40 in town taxes next
year.
Landowners can placc most of the blame for the 29
percent tax rate hike on Hurricane Hugo. Recovery
from last September's storm depleted the town's fund
balance, which has dipped from about 5462,000 to
$208,000 this fiscal year.
Holden Beach officials have said they need to re
build the reserve fund in case of another storm. For that
reason, they plan to collect an extra 3 cents per $100 of
valuation for the next two years.
Taxes generated by 3 cents of the tax rate increase
will be used to build up the fund balance. In two years,
town officials expect to collect about SI 30,000 in taxes
that will go directly into emergency reserves.
Town Manager Gus Ulrich said the budget ordi
nance says the extra 3 cents on the tax rate will be
dropped after two years. But he said there's nothing
legally binding about the ordinance. Town commission
ers can decide to slick with the additional tax as long as
they want
"It's a political decision," said Ulrich. "It's a matter
of the board giving their word."
The other one penny increase in the tax rate is need
ed to balance next fiscal year's budget, which features a
general fund of S932.627 and a water fund of S3 10,880.
Major revenue sources in the general fund include
S39 1,322 in taxes, SI 51, 500 in appropriated money not
(See HOLDEN, Page 2-A)
SW* moro ?Y SUSAN USHf ft
NEIGHBORHOOD VOLUNTEER Terry Stewart (left) pauses with his shovel as H.l~ Rich of
the N.C. Forest Set-vice plows afire break around the back of the small, but fast-moving woods
fire.
Fire Stopped
Short Of
Residences
BY SUSAN USHER
Quick action by a former volun
teer firefighter helped protect sev
eral Bayfield Estates residences
near Grissettown from a woods
fire that covered five acres before
it was contained June 13.
Firefighters from four volunteer
departments and the N.C. Division
of Forest Resources worked to
gether to contain the fire that at
one point threatened several mo
bile homes in the subdivision off
Russtown Road (.S. R. 1315).
They stopped the fire on the west
side of the road.
The cause of the fire was still
under investigation by the law en
forcement unit of the N.C. Divi
sion of Forest Resources Monday.
(See VOLUNTEERS, Page 2-A)
staff mora by doug iumi
SUNSET BEACH FIREFIGHTERS Jason Hayes (left) and
Joe Chie hose down trees and underbrush last Wednesday to
prevent a Grissettown woods fire from spreading.
Sunset Closes New Public Parking Lot
Because It Violated Town Ordinance
BY SUSAN USHER
A new public parking area at
Sunset Bcach was short-lived, clos
ing Tuesday only about a month af
ter it opened to island visitors.
Town employees pulled a log
across the entrance to the lot early
Tuesday morning, following a unan
imous vote Monday night by town
council to close the lot adjaccnt to
the Sunset Bcach Pier immediately
after learning that the lot violates
the town's zoning ordinance.
Parking lots arc not allowed in
areas zoned residential.
"Thank the good Lord we got our
other parking area completed," said
Mayor Mason Barber as he shared
the bad news. A new lot on the cast
side of Sunset Boulevard was just
completed. It has parking spaccs for
47 vehicles, with a sidewalk that
leads to Main Street.
Bud Scrantom suggested that
town staff should have investigated
the status of the lot before it was
improved for parking; Mayor
Barber rtplied, "It's an oversight on
everybody's part"
After the meeting. Town
Administrator Linda Flucgcl said
she had made a note to herself to
check on the lot, but had not fol
lowed through. "It's just one of
those things I never did. It's my
fault; it's my job to protcct the
town."
Barber did not eliminate the pos
sibility that the small Main Street
lot could reopen later, if not during
the summer season. Based on dis
(See SUNSET, Page 2-A)
Jail Break Thwarted;
Stun Guns Ordered
BY BOB IIORNE
Brunswick County Sheriff John Can Davis says he
ordered stun guns for Brunswick County jailers Mon
day, after two jailers thwarted an attempted jail break in
a hectic Tight Saturday.
The two inmates, Christopher S. Freeman of Lcland
and Marco Bamcu Cheek of Ashcboro, charged jailers
Charles Crocker and Scott Vamum, swinging towels
wrapped arotind brass shower stall drain grates and
were finally subdued after a six- to eight-minute fight,
according to Crocker and Vamum.
Although they never saw freedom, the two inmates
were charged with escape from jail bccausc they actual
ly got out of the jail area into the booking room, which
is secured by two electronic doors, one to the Sheriffs
Department and the other to the parking lot. Both doors
arc opened by buzzers.
Freeman was charged by Brunswick County Sher
iff's Det. Kevin Holden with escape from jail, two
counts of assault on a custodial officer and one count of
injury to personal property, for a jailer's pager that was
broken in the scuffle.
Cheek was charged with escape from jaii and one
count of assault on a custodial officer. Both men were
pre-trial detainees; Freeman was awaiting trial on
(See JAIL BREAK, Page 2-A)
Hankins Named To Interim Post
BY SUSAN USHER
Longtime Brunswick County Schools administrator
P.R. Hankins will assume the role
of interim superintendent of schools
July 1 with the departure of ousted
superintendent John Kaufhold.
Brunswick County Board of
Education members made the ap
pointment Monday night on a unan
imous vote that came near the close
of a spccial meeting thai began last
Wednesday and was continued
twice before it was adjourned
Monday. HANKINS
Board members met for two hours Monday, spend
ing most of the time in executive session. They had met
approximately one hour each last Wednesday and
Thursday to discuss attorney-client and personnel mat
ters, also behind closed doors. The board has scheduled
another spccial meeting Wednesday, June 27, at 6:30
p.m., for the same purposes.
"It was a surprise," said Hankins, who has helped
run the system between superintendents but has never
held the titlf^ of interim superintendent during his 33
years with the county. "They asked if I would consider
taking it and I told them yes."
He said the job should mostly involve maintaining
programs that arc in place. "It could be possible for a
new program to be introduced, that would depend on
how long the interim position continues," he said.
Based on discussion Monday, Hankins expects to
have the title for at least 60 to 90 days. During that time
his pay will be increased according to the state salary
schedule for superintendents, he said.
Hankins said he has "all the degrees necessary to
hold the position I have and that I expect to hold."
These include master's degrees in educational adminis
tration and science, as well as both principal's and su
perintendent's certification. He completed studies for
(See HANKINS, Page 2-A)
1 3-Cent Tax Reduction
Proposed For Calabash
BY DOUG RUTTER
A major cut in the Calabash tax rate has been pro
posed for next fiscal year, thanks in part to last year's
merger of Calabash and Carolina Shores.
The proposed 1990-91 budget features a lax rate of
1 1 cents per $100 of valuation, which is 55 percent iow
cr than the current rate of 24 cents.
The budget proposal was presented last Wednesday
at a public hearing in the Calabash fire station. Com
missioner Jon Sanborn, who serves on the town finance
committee, used a microphone and overhead projector
to present the proposed budget to 20 residents who
turned out for the hearing.
The 1990-91 fiscal year, which starts July 1, will be
the first year in which the town will pay for operation
and maintenance costs in both of the town's districts.
The town of Calabash and neighboring golf course
community of Carolina Shores, which had been consid
ering incorporation, merged to form one municipality
last August.
Since then, the old town of Calabash has operated
under its 1989-90 budget, while maintenance work in
Carolina Shores has continued to come out of its prop
erty owners association budget.
Bob Noc, manager of the Carolina Shores Property
Owners Association (CSPOA), said the POA will stop
maintaining roads and ditches in the community and
slop paying for street lights July 1. The POA will still
pay for upkeep of the Carolina Shores pool, tennis
courts and clubhouse.
Since the CSPOA will be taking a less-active role in
maintenance, Noc said his job as full-time manager will
be terminated and the six-member maintenance crew
will be dissolved at the end of June.
Taking care of roads, ditches and street lights will
become the town's job. The town expects to collect its
first tax dollars from Carolina Shores in January.
As a result of consolidation, the tax base in Cala
bash has jumped from about $16 million to $78 million.
Based on a tax rate of 1 1 cents and collection rate of 90
percent, the town projects collecting $77,103 in taxes
next year plus $3,000 in overdue taxes.
Besides the increased tax base, town officials also
project several other revenue increases as a result of the
merger.
Commissioners anticipate receiving $132,560 in
state sales tax in the next fiscal year, compared to the
$18,300 budgeted this year. State sales tax is based on
population, and the number of townspeople has jumped
from about 200 to 1 ,200 as a result of consolidation.
The town's share of Powell Bill funds, which are
paid to municipalities based on population and miles of
roads maintained by the town, also arc projected to go
up next fiscal year. Calabash budgeted $4,400 this year,
and with the addition of 15 miles of roads, has proposed
(See 13-CENT, Page 2-A)
Fish Commission
Adopts
Version Of Gill Net Ban
BY DOUG RUTTER
The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission last week
adopted a watered-down version of a controversial pro
posal to prohibit the use of gill nets near the beach.
Basically, ocean fishermen won't be allowed to use
unattended gill nets within 300 yards of the shoreline
during summer weekends, according to Suzanne Hill,
public information officer with the N.C. Division of
Marine Fisheries.
The rule, which takes effect Jan. 1, specifically pro
hibits use of the nets near the beach from sunset Friday
through sunrise Monday between Memorial Day and
Labor Day of each year. Fishermen will be allowed to
use the nets on summer weekends as long as they stay
nearby.
The fisheries commission adopted the rule at its
business meeting last Thursday and Friday in Raleigh.
It stemmed out of a plan to ban the use of gill nets with
in a half mile of the beach? one of 20 proposed rule
changes considered by the stale board last week.
The proposed gill net ban drew stiff opposition from
commercial fishermen during a public hearing las!
month in Brunswick County. Nearly 400 people packed
the Public Assembly Building in Bolivia May 15 for the
hearing.
Most people who spoke said they opposed the plan
because it would threaten the livelihood of local com
mercial fishermen who often set gill nets just off the
beaches to catch spots and other fish.
The gill net ban had been suggested by the Pleasure
Island Fishermen's Association, a sport fishing group
that had presented the state with a petition bearing the
names of more than 1,000 people who support the
move.
Ms. Hill said the rule adopted last week is "primari
ly aimed at the recreational fisherman coming down
from Raleigh to stick a net out on the weekend." She
could not provide information on how each commission
member voted on the gill net issue, but said the vote
was not unanimous.
Marine Fisheries Commission Vice Chairman C.B.
"Cash" Caroon of Southport said he thinks the adopted
rule change serves everyone and won't hurt local com
mercial fishermen.
With unattended gill nets away from the shoreline
on summer weekends, swimmers ami miu fishermen
(See FISH, Page 2-A)