LESSONS LEARNED FROM HUGO
Hoiden Beach Hoping
hor Smoother Sailing When Next Hurricane Hits
BY DOUG RUTTKR
Holden Beach Mayor John Tandy admits the town
made some mistakes in handling the rvturn to the island
following Hurricane Hugo last fall.
A group of Ured and anxious property owners was
detained on the mainland while
building contractors and others were -
allowed to cross the bndgc and sur
vey damage.
"1 really wasn't satisfied with
the way things went the last time at
all," Tandy said last week. "I think
we learned a lot from that expen
cnce."
The mayor says things will be
different if and w hen the next hurri
cane hits, now mat town officials TANDY
are armed with a new hurricane evacuation plan which
applies some of the lessons learned during Hugo.
"We've tried to plug all the holes we could think
of," Tandy said. "I'm confident we're going to do a bet
m confident we're going
to do a better job than we've
ever done before
?Mayor John Tandy
Holden Beach
tcr job lhan we've ever done before."
The new plan, which was distributed to town com
missioners at their Sept. 10 meeting, is designed to min
imize danger to the public and ensure an orderly evacu
ation and recovery.
"The number one thing is not to lose any lite,"
Tandy said. "The next thing after that is protection of
property."
The 32-page plan outlines duties for town officials
and employees in five phases of a hurricanc emergency,
which begins whenever a hurricane watch is issued.
The document also includes lists of evacuation and
damage assessment team members, people willing to
help answer telephones and equipment contractors who
could be called on to help the town recover.
Also in the plan arc information sheets for ocean
front property owners that outline procedures to follow
should they want to rebuild decks, homes or dunes.
There also are forms for people who refuse to leave the
island to fill out so the town knows who to notify in
case of death.
One of the biggest changes from previous plans fol
lowed by the town is that two commissioners would be
in charge of keeping property owners and the news me
dia informed following a hurricanc evacuation.
Commissioners Gay Atkins and Judy Bryan would
run the information post, which would be set up near
the foot of the bridge on the mainland.
Mayor Tandy said there was no formal contact be
tween town officials and landowners following Hugo,
and there were all sorts of rumors about what had hap
pened on the island.
"We didn't have anything in the way of good com
munication last time," Tandy said. "That was very
poor."
If another hurricane hits Holdcn Beach, Com
missioner Bryan said lot owners and residents would be
able to get hourly updates at the information center.
"A lot of people were really upset last year," Mrs.
Bryan said. "That's what we're trying to avoid the next
time."
If there is electricity, she said the town plans to take
a video camera on the beach and show the pictures to
people waiting on the mainland.
Besides its public relations effort, the town also has
changed its system of identifying people allowed on the
island following an evacuation.
Property owners and residents still would be re
quired to have vehicle stickers. Special one-day passes
have been printed for contractors and other people who
would go on the island to work.
Home Along N.C. 87 Burns
Monday In Unrelated Fire
BY SUSAN USHER
3rnc that was ihrcatcnc
day by a woods fire that blackcncd
more than 100 aercs in the Winna
bow-Leland area bumcd Monday
night in an apparently unrelated
blaze.
Flames were shooting through
the roof of the Jimmy and Mary
Baggett home on north N.C. 87
when a Town Creek Volunteer EMS
first rcspondcr and Winnabow VFD
Chief David Short arrived shortly
after getting the 9:07 p.m. call.
"The front of the house was fully
involved when 1 arrived," said
Short.
The front of the house, which in
cluded a living room and bedroom,
was heavily damage, while the rear
of the home was "in pretty good
shape," Short said Tuesday. Still, he
added, "It's not livable at this time."
The fire appeared to have started
in the attic of the house. "As best
we could determine it was caused
from an electrical problem," said
Short, referring to the assessment
made after the fire by Brunswick
County Fire Marsha! Cecil Logan.
"There were several indicators that
it was electrical in nature."
However, firefighters checked to
sec if there was any connection be
tween the house fire and Sunday's
woods fire. The fire had burned into
the auto salvage yard that stands in
front of the Baggcu house, causing
at least three of the vehicles to ex
plode.
"Since the fire started high in the
house we were suspecting it was
from sparks from the junkyard,"
said Short, "but wc combed the area
and couldn't find anything that
could have sent sparks to the
house."
Winnabow responded with three
tankers and a pumper, with mutual
aid respondcr Bolivia VFD re
sponding with a tanker and pumper.
Short said the Baggeus were not
at home Monday night when the
fire was reported. "We still haven't
had any luck locating them," he said
tscsday.
early Tucc"~
Pleasant Weather In Offina
Sunny days and coolcr nights arc
in the forccasi as ihc end of summer
approaches.
S hallo Ue Point meteorologist
Jackson Canady said area residents
can expcct temperatures to average
near normal, with rainfall a little be
low average. Thai translates into
temperatures ranging from the mid
60s at night into the mid-80s during
the daytime, with probably less than
a half-inch of rainfall.
"It's about as nice as you can ask
for this lime of year," he said.
For the period Sept. 11-17,
Canady recorded a maximum high
of 93 degrees on ihc Uih and a
minimum low of 60 degrees on the
17th.
An average daily high of 89 de
grees combined with an average
nightly low of 69 degrees for a daily
average temperature of 79 degrees,
which Canady said was about two
degrees above average.
He recorded .56 inch of rainfall.
Septic Tank Rules Amended
(Continued From Page 1-A)
Until 1977 counties in North
Carolina set their own rules for is
suing site permits for septic tanks,
though general state "guidelines"
existed. In 1977 the state made its
first attempt to standardize regula
tions statewide.
The first major amendments to
the septic tank rules came five years
later. The more stringent rules
adopted at that time addressed spe
cific soil types, water table separa
tion, drainage and "restrictive hori
zons" such as hardpan.
Rhodes said the local health staff
fell some questionable soils could
be utilized in ways not allowed un
der the new rules.
A study completed here showed
that some sites with restrictive hori
zons could be used, he continued,
which would allow septic tanks to
be used in places they otherwise
could not have been used" under
existing rules.
The department surveyed 100
lots with septic tank systems placed
in fill dirt and in operation since
1982. "We didn't find any that were
failing," said Rhodes. "That made
us believe that the methods in use
before 1982 were not that bad. They
were working."
Results of that study were sub
mitted to a legislative study com
mittee, co-chaired by Rep. David
Redwine, that began meeting in
1987.
The panel recommended changes
affecting site evaluations, including
upgrading of qualifications and
training for those conducting the
evaluations and state funding for re
search, as well as changes in the
regulations.
Most of those changes went into
effect this year either in the form of
legislation or changes in regula
tions.
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO
THE BRUNSWICK ^BEACON
POST OFFICE BOX ?558
SHALLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 28459
AND GET ISLAND LIVING, TOO!
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: Sr. Citizen
In Brunswick County J6 30 J5.30
N.C Sales Tax .32 .27
Postage Charge 3 68 3 68
TOTAL 10.30 9.25
Elsewhere in North Carolina U6 30 J5 30
N.C. Sales Tax .32 .27
Postage Charge 8 18 8 18
TOTAL 14.80 13.75
Outside North Carolina J6 30 J5.30
Postage Charge 9 65 9 65
TOTAL 15.95 14.95
Complete And Return To Above Address
Name
Address
City, State
Z'P
STAFF PHOTO BY TtHKY forf
FIRE HAD ENGULFED the front of the Jimmy and Mary Baggett residence on N.C. 87 Monday
night when firefighters arrived. No one was at home when the fire was reported.
Suit Aims To Block Construction
(Continued From Page 1-A)
The suit contends also that the
stale ignored concerns expressed by
agcncics that commented on the
project dunng the permitting pro
cess.
It claims the state did not explore,
as required, alternatives to the pro
posed project, and did not fully con
sider both the direct (immediate)
and indirect (reasonably foresee
able) impacts of the project on all
aspects of the human and natural
environment.
TV M rv' 11 m onto alls?r*n/11?' mt/ln
A IIV uuvuxivxui tuiv^vwi^ inuuv
no reference to a land use plan com
pleted in 1980 by the town of
Sunset Beach, to a boat landing thai
would be destroyed by the project,
or 10 fragile plant and animal
species that might be adversely af
fected by the project.
Defendants argue short- and
long-term adverse effects of the
project would include, but not be
limited to, the following:
?Threats to public recreational ar
eas including the ocean beach;
?Threats to a number of endan
gered and threatened animal and
plant species, including the logger
head sea turtle, the wood stork, the
piping plover and sea beach ama
ranth;
?Loss of the boat landing on the
Sunset Beach causeway, which pro
vides water access at high and low
tides for recreational and commer
cial boaters and fishermen;
?Increased pollution of shellfish
waters resulting indirectly from in
creased development (run-off from
paved areas)
?Change in the visual impact of
the bridge on the current "low-key
appcarance" of the island:
?Other changes in the human en
ir*?y\nvyr\nnl nomalti ?? fooiA#
? tiviuiiviii, uuiiivt j u iu.)ivi "|?accu
lifestyle; and
?Pressure for zoning changes re
sulting from construction of the pro
posed bridge on water quality, shell
fish, property values, community
services and the "distinct family
oriented nature" of the existing
community.
The suit also asserts that the six
permits issued were based not only
on the "flawed" documents, but also
on "misleading communications"
from the defendants regarding use
and ownership of a public commer
cial and recreational boat landing
which would be destroyed by the
new bridge.
The boat landing would be dc
stroycd, with no plans for replace
ment, when the existing causcway
is removed as a means of mitigating
the net loss of wetlands resulting
from the project.
DOT has contended that the boat
landing is "unofficial" and that
users are "permissive trespassers."
The plaintiffs contend that the pub
lic has earned an casement by pre
scription to the landing?regardless
of who owns the properly?through
continued use of the site for more
than 20 years.
Tt.. -- ?? -f U. .
1 lie tuiltc^l Ul C<UCIIItlU I>J piv
scription was an argument used in
the SBTA's recent successful legal
action to have "Lot 1-A" at Sunset
Beach declared a public acccssway.
In addition to temporary steps to
block "further planning, financing,
contracting or construction" of the
bridge, plaintiffs are asking the
court for a declaratory judgement, a
decision that declares the rights of
the two parties. They seek court or
ders that would declare the Finding
of No Significant Impact unlawful,
void permits issued on the basis of
the earlier environmental studies,
and declare that the defendants vio
lated a federal law that requires
consideration of alternative actions.
r\ a / _ S-\L?: _ _ n r r\ .? _i _ _ _
UMb wnn-t: fu i\t:v.?ivt; cviutniLe
(Continued From Page 1-A) "I don't see any need to rush,"
County Engineer Robert Tucker Clegg said. "Frankly, I'm quite
has been named interim head of the pleased with Mr. Tucker's handling
building inspections department of it. I'm not ready to provide that
and, according to Clcgg, is working department with another period of
with the church to help to get them instability."
back on track with the official in- . . . ? _ ,
spections. Since the county never . e need now is to allow Tucker
received the money for the permit, ume ??/e-estabhsh a day-to-day
technically the "county nev? pro- rou"nc [OT th? bu,1?ing inspection
vided services." Clcgg added. staff and to allow him to observe
Determining if "ere arc other ^ operauons and to identity any
similar incidences may not be easy weaknesses that need to
for the department. No other ma- * Messed.
dences have been brought to "I want him to look at the depart
Clegg's attention so far. ment from a professional point of
Clegg is also rewriting the job view," Clegg said. He said he thinks
description for the head building in- Tucker's engineering background
spector's position. will be helpful in that respect.
This Week s
Events
SUNDAY-FREE PIG PICKING 8f COOKOUT1 Come watch
MASCAK races with us.
MONDAY-QenUemen's Night. 50< draft. $1.00 beer. $1.75
house drinks.
TUESDAY-Free dance lessons by Jim Stone-shaft. 2-step.
and more.
WEDNESDAY ar THURSDAY-Live music by Steve Logan- \
beach, country & classic rock. No cover charge..
THURSDAY-Ladies' Might-free roses. 251 wine, 50< draft. ?
$2.00 margaritas Plus. Steve Logan playing a musical variety. |
Open 2 PM with daily drink specials. Phone 754-7501
1 oa forest Drive, Shallulte. across from Jones ford at Joe's BBQ.
"Hl?*c-hC-Lut
WI!
Employee
Acquitted
A district court judge last week
cleared a Brunswick Electric Mem
bership Corp. employee of assault
ing a union leader after a May 9
contract negotiating session.
Robert W. "Chip" Lcavill, staff
assistant to the cooperative's gener
al manager, was charged with sim
ple assault after an encounter that
involved Doug Smith, chairman of
Local 495 of the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
The two scuffled al the end of con
tract talks hcid at the N.C. Baptist
Assembly at Oak Island. Each later
said the other started the incident.
Smith, who filed the chargc, was
fired by BEMC the following day.
On Sept. 10 in Brunswick County
District Court Judge Jerry A. Jolly
found Leavitt not guilty of assault.
Lcaviu said in a prepared state
ment released last week, "We arc
glad that this incident has come to a
conclusion and concur wholeheart
edly with the judicial outcome."
Smith could not be reached for
comment last week on several at
tempts, but had earlier told a Wilm
ington reporter he planned to ask
the state Attorney General's ofTice
to investigate the ruling.
The union has also Hied a com
plaint with the National Labor Rela
tions Board, arguing that Smith's
dismissal and other actions by BE
MC management arc part of an ef
fort to discourage union participa
tion at the electric cooperative. A
decision has not been announced by
the NLRB. Smith is seeking rein
statement and back pay.
A majority of eligible BEMC
workers voted last September in fa
VOr of ioininu thf* union Th/* h??r_
?J o *
gaining group represents more than
60 employees, including linemen,
warehouse workers, dispatchers and
drafting and mapping coordinators.
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P1990 THE BRUNSWICK BEACON