THE BRUNSWICK'
Twenty-eighth Year, Number 39 ciwothe brumswck beacon Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, August 16,1990 25c Per Copy 34 Pages, 3 Sections, 2 Inserts
VOLUNTEER FIREMAN INJURED
Oiiiiiiip ifcivvicri uuiiio
In I he bhallotte River
PHOTO BY BILL GHANCSAY
THE WINDJAMMER, a 61-Foot shrimp trawler, is destroyed by Fire in the Shallotte River
Saturday. Pictured in the foreground is a patrol hoat from Flotilla i()-0K of the U.S. Coast (>uard
Auxiliary.
Coastal Residents Are
Advised Not To Panic
About Dec. 2 High Tide
HY HOB IIORNK
"I don': think much about it."
That was the reaction of Tom
Jarrett, chief of the Coastal
Engineering Branch of the United
Slates Corps of Engineers, when
asked what he thought of some sci
entists' claim that an abnormally
nigh ude on Dec. 2 couid cause
widespread flooding.
Jarrett offers two reasons coastal
residents should not panic about a
National Geographic News Service
article dial says tides will be astro
nomically high and earthquakes are
possible thai day.
First, JarTcu says, Dec. 2 will be
the day of the second highest tide of
the year, noi the highest. He notes
that the Dec. 2 high lide is predicted
to be 6.5 feet higher than the aver
age low tide at Brunswick County
beaches. However, he says, the Nov.
4 high tide is forecast to be 6.6 feel
higher than the average low tide.
Second, Jarrett says, last year, the
Oct. 16 high ude was forecast to be
higher than either of those this year,
6 8 fee! higher than the average low
tide, and county residents did not
derive any serious ill effects from it.
And, he pointed out, some of liic
county's beaches at that lime were
bare because of Hurricane Hugo
less than a month before.
However, Jarrett does not advise
throwing caution to the wind on ei
ther of those days or on Nov. 3, an
other day that an abnormally high
ink' is predicted. Ii all depends on
the weaiher, he said.
"I guess the bottom line is that
the tides are going to be fairly high
all three of those days," he said,
"higher than any predicted tide for
1987 or 19X8. Just keep an eye on
the weather."
If a storm snouid nit trie area dur
ing either of those high tides, and
the tide is wind-driven, there could
be a storm surge and coastal areas
could experience serious flooding,
he says. But if there is no storm, he
sees no problem.
The National Geographic article
quoted scientists who predicted the
astronomically high tide of Dec 2
because of an unusual lineup of
heavenly bodies around that date.
Five tide-producing forces?three
involving the moon and two involv
ing the sun?will be peaking about
the same time.
"It's true that there will be a full
moon on Dec. 2, the moon will be
the closest to the Earth that it will
be for the month on Dec. 2 and it
will be ihe farthest north on Dec.
3," Jarreu said. "And those are all
factors."
in November, he said, a full
moon comes Nov. 2; the perigee,
when the moon is closest to Earth,
comes Nov. 3 and the moon will be
closest to the equator, "another fac
tor," Nov. 5.
"But if we get a 15- to 20-knot
(Set RESIDENTS, Page 2-A)
BY DOUG ruttkr
Fuel tanks and rigging were removed from the Shal
lotle River Monday and more salvage work was plan
ned this week following a fire Saturday that destroyed a
large shrimp boat and left a volunteer firelighter in
jured.
The fire that burned ihc 61-foot Windjammer Satur
day morning apparently was related to welding work
thai had just been completed below deck, said Senior
Chief J.D. Arndt with the U.S. Coast Guard at Oak
Island.
The shrimp trawler was dockcd at Holden's Seafood
at Shallotte Point when the fire started at 11:30 a.m.
Saturday. Coast Guard personnel and Shallotte Point
Volunteer Fire Department members were among those
to respond to the blaze.
Shallotte Point VFD Assistant Chief Johnny Wilson
was injured when he fell into the river and got pinned
between a johnboat being used to fight the fire and the
burning trawler.
Wilson was taken to The Brunswick Hospital in
Supply and transferred to New Hanover Memorial Hos
pital in Wilmington, where he was treated and released.
In a telephone interview Monday, Wilson said he bruis
ed his spleen and kidney and seriously injured his
shoulder.
Arndt said a crew aboard a 41-foot Coast Guard pa
trol boat responded to the fire, along with the Shallotte
Point VFD, after receiving a call from the Brunswick
County Sheriff's Department.
The boat, which is owned by Holden's Seafood, had
been pushed away from the docks and into the Shallotte
River to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby
buildings and other boats.
Firefighters used water and foam to contain the
bla/e, which was led by a supply of dicsel fuel aboard
the trawler. Arndt said the boat's fuel tanks were full
when die fire started, and the hundreds of gallons of fu
el kept the fire going.
Amdt said the Coast Guard was on the scene for
about three hours trying to control the fire. "Every time
we had the fire out. it reflaShcd from the heat," he said.
Bill Grancsay, public affairs officer for Flotilla 10
08 of the Coast Guard Auxiliary, said an auxiliary boat
on routine patrol Saturday also responded to the scene
of the fire.
The vessel, which was manned by Jack Ziefel. Tom
McConaghic and owner Stu South, assisted firefighters
by transporting equipment and personnel from the near
by docks to the Coast Guard boat and keeping specta
tors and pleasure boats out of the way.
"I saw the (lames from Hughes* Marina which is a
haii mile away and it was 20 to 30 feet in the asr,"
Grancsay said. "It looked like the Fourth of July."
In addition to the other emergency personnel,
Grancsay said two wildlife enforcement master officers,
Fred Taylor and Ferry Smith, responded to the fire.
Larry Holden of Holden's Seatood said salvage
work began Monday and would be finished by Friday.
Holden said the one-year-old shrimp boat was partially
insured. It will cost about S250,0(X) to replace it, he
said.
Amdt said a representative from the Coast Guard's
marine safety office in Wilmington was called to the
scene Saturday to see if any fuel spilled. However, all
of the dicsel fuel burned in the fire, he said.
r:
STAFF PHOTO BY SUSAN USHEH
CHIEF AL NORD and Secretary Clay Gregory of Civietown Volunteer Fire Department display equipment donated to the depart
ment by volunteer fire departments in Frederick County, Md.
Civietown VFD Celebrates Christmas In August
BY SUSAN USI1KR with armfuls of equipment that is still service- in a week or two."
Civietown volunteer firefighters are cele- able but has been upgraded. Several months ago, Masser was visiting his
braung Christmas in August. "They're better than Sanut Ciaus," Civie- parents in the Hoi lie n Bcatii area, lie stopped
Earlier this month a volunteer firefighter town Chief Al Nord said, gesturing toward the by Civietown VFD, which is located off Holden
from Frederick, Md., Rodney Masser, came pile of equipment and turn-out gear he and Sec- Beach Road, to check out the trucks and equip
south, saw a need, and sci about mecung it. retary Clay Gregory picked up earlier this ment.
Members of his department, the 98-ycar-old month in Maryland. "This stuff they're discard- "He was surprised at how little we were op
Independent Hose Co. No. 1, and several others, ing is belter than the stuff we've got now. And crating with," Nord said. "He said he was going
rummaged through storage areas and came up they're going to bring us another pick-up load (See CIVIETOWN Page 2-A)
Clam Waters
Remain Ciear Of Mechanical
r hor Now
BY doik; ruitkr
Brunswick County waters will remain clcar of me
chanical clam harvesting gear for the time bcin^, much
to the delight of local fishermen.
The N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission delayed a
decision last week on a proposal that could have opened
the doors for the use of mechanical clamming gear
known as patent tongs in local waters.
'I"hc vote came one day after clammcrs from Bruns
wick and New Hanover counties spoke out against me
chanical clam harvesting at a public hearing in Bolivia.
Patent tongs presently arc permitted four months a
year in Carteret and Onsiow counties, where other me
chanical harvesting gear is allowed.
The mechanical longs, which are more efficient
than the hand longs used locally, are raised and lowered
out of the water on a rope that's attached to a winch.
The commission, meeting last Thursday in South
port, delayed until February further consideration of a
proposal to give the slate fisheries director power to
designate new areas where patent longs can be used.
Under a motion from Commissioner Michael Or
bach, board members will receive a report on the status
of the clam resource in North Carolina and a plan to
manage that resource in February.
The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries also was
asked last week to begin experimental use of patent
tongs in deep waters of Pamlico Sound. The slate will
monitor catch rates with the longs and impacts on cstu
arine resources, as well as gather data that will show
whether palent tongs are an economical method of har- more pressure on a valuable resource that's already in
vesting clams. trouble.
Prior to last week's vole, N'.C. Fisheries Diicttor The state has been criticized extensively for p<x:r
William Hogarth had recommended against the patent management of clams, Hogarth said, and will be criti
tong proposal. He said use of the tongs would put even cizcd more if it allows patent tongs, which he said dam
Carson Varnam Resigns From State Board
Varnamtown shellfish dealer Carson Varnam re- Slate statute requires that the four commission
signed from the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission members appointed to represent commercial fisher
last week, citing health reasons. men on the panel must derive at least 50 percent of
"It's a good panel and they're their income from commercial fishing at the time of
doing a good job with our fish- J* their appointment.
erics," said Varnam, who an- Prather said some individuals and groups have
nounced his resignation at last rV ^ "W raised questions about the eligibility of commission
Thursday's commission meeting * ,V members Jule Wheatlcy, Tillman Gray and Varnam.
in Southport. * He refused to disclose who has raised the questions,
Vamain, who has served on f). saying the information is confidential.
the commission since October J The governor's office received financial disclosure
19X8. said, " They're facing a lot 't statements from the three members last Friday, Prather
of issues right now thai are impor- PV /, said. Gov. Jim Martin will review the statements when
tant to fishermen, and I think varnam he returns from vacation Aug. 20.
they've done a good |ob since I've Wheatley operates a menhaden processing compa
been on the commission." ny in Beaufort, and Gray is a commercial fisherman
The resignation comes amid questions concerning from Avon.
the eligibility of three commission members, includ- Prather said there have been no questions raised
ing Varnam, to serve on the 15-mtmbcr slate board, about the eligibility of the fourth commission member
said David leather, a spokesman in the governor's of- who represents commercial fishermen, Gordon Meck
ficc. ins of Englehard.
age shellfish areas.
"My bottom line is thai I sec no reason, wiih the
clam resource in the shape it is, to add pressure to it,"
Hogarth said.
The prii|>osal to open new areas to patent tongs was
initiated by fishermen from Carteret County interested
in using the tools in Pamlico Sound, where they say
deep water clams are going unharvested.
Last week's decision to postpone a decision on the
proposal followed a 25-minute executive session in
which commissioners met with their attorney, Allen
Jernigan, to get his legal advice.
Jernigan said in open session that the patent tong is
sue may involve a consent order the Division of Marine
Fisheries entered into several years ago with mechani
cal clam harvesters.
The division had agreed not to discriminate between
diflercnt types ol mechanical harvesting equipment.
The proposal before the commission last week would
have placed patent tongs in a different category than
other mechanical gear.
Hearing Turnout l.ight
Despite a small turnout, area clammcrs left no doubt
during a public hearing last Wednesday at the Public
Assembly Building 111 Bolivia that they opposed the use
of patent tongs.
Fewer than 1(X) people attended the one-hour hear
ing, which was a sharp contrast to oilier recent hearings
on mechanical clam harvesting in Brunswick County
(Set- CI.AM, Page 2-Al