Trojans Crush Fairmont
west Brunswick's Trojans blasted the visiting
Golden Tornadoes 41-6 in football action last Friday,
improving their season record to 3-2 before hitting
the road Friday to South Robeson High. For details,
turn to Page 8-B
THE BL
Dead Myrtle Blues i upen btarts Friday
Holden Beach officials are singing the blues as they I ^ (f77&+Iri Anglers are converging this week on
consider ways to dispose of wax myrtles killed by salt I * K >* Southport. where the 12th annual
water overwash from Hurricane Hugo. An overabun- I * , 5 U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament
dance of the dry shrubs could pose fire and health I ? begins Frtday. For a previous and
hazards. The story's on Page 7-A. I _ t other Ashing news, see Page 11-C.
"L
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Twenty-eighth Year, Number 46 cwotwebrunswckbeacon Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, October 4,1990 25c Per Copy 38 Pages, 3 Sections, 1 Insert
Award Of Bridge Contract On Hold
Pending Result Of
Federal Hearing
The N.C. Department of Transportation will delay
awarding the contract for construction of a high-rise
bridge at Sunset Beach until a federal judge rules in a
lawsuit over whether the state should build the span.
In Faycttcvillc Monday Judge W. Earl Brut heard
six hours of evidence in the ease, a suit filed by the
530-member Sunset Beach Taxpayers Association. The
suit stems from an 11-year dispute over state plans to
replace a one-lane swinging pontoon bridge with a
lixed concrete span at an estimated total project cost of
SH) million.
According to DOT spokesman Bill Jones, the DOT
had expected to award the contract immediately after its
approval by the state Transportation Board, which
meets Friday in Cherokee. Eleven bids for the actual
construction of the bridge range from a low of S8.4 mil
lion to a high of SI2.2 million. Work was to have begun
sometime alter Oct 29, with completion scheduled by
June 1, 1993.
The SBTA is concerned that the bridge will encour
age denser development, harming the environment and
destroying the beach community's family atmosphere.
It contends the state should have completed a more
thorough environmental assessment of the bridge's
overall impact on the community before proceeding
with the project.
However, in presenting the state's case Monday,
Deputy Attorney General Jim Richmond argued that the
group's specific environmental concerns had not been
brought during the 10 or 11 years leading up to the bid
ding stage of the project, though concerns about effects
of anticipated growUi and development on the commu
nity's lifestyle had been aired. The SBTA has expressed
concern for effects on the wood stork and loggerhead
turtle, among other endangered or threatened species of
animals and plants. It is also concerned about the appro
priateness of suspending a sewer line from the a bridge
that crosses wetlands.
Richmond acknowledged that opposition to the new
bridge has been intense, in part because people view
high-rise bridges as being associated with coastal devel
opment. At Ocean Isle Beach, construction of a high
rise condominium followed completion of a similar
span. At Holdcn Beach, the town had legislation adopt
ed limiting the height of buildings. The law can be
changed only by a vote of town residents.
The state also contends that the pontoon bridge is in
adequate, unsafe and costly to maintain. In the event of
high winds or water, the bridge must be tied off. It must
also be opened to allow most boat traffic to pass through.
The state Transportation Board had been expected
to vote approval Friday of a S9.63 million budget to
construct the bridge.
The board is still expected to act favorably on sev
eral other local items on its agenda, including initial ap
proval of funding for a visitors center along the U.S. 17
bypass of Shallotic. The final vote will be at the board's
November meeting. Other items include a request for
an additional S25,000 toward preliminary engineering
work related to the four-laning of U.S. 17 from N.C.
211 north of Supply to N.C. 87 at Bell Swamp and re
lease of S51,00() for paving of S.R. 1324 and spot stabi
lization of S.R.s 1850, 1851, 1848, 1413 and other
roads as needed.
STAfF moro BY IDDIt SWEATT
THE LEON A cruises along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway near Holden Beach. Congress has authorized a one-time dredging of
Eastern Channel at l^ckwood Folly Inlet, which local fishermen say should help improve water quality and provide better access to
the ocean.
House Authorizes Eastern Channel Dredging
BY DOUG RUTTER
A proposal aimed ai improving waler quality
in Lockwood Folly River got a major boost last
week when federal legislators authorized a one
time dredging project in Eastern Channel.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted last
Wednesday to include the demonstration dredg
ing of the channel in the Water Resources
Development Act, said Keith Pitts, spokesman
for Congressman Charlie Rose (D-N.C.).
Now that the project is authorized, Pitts said
funds would be requested in fiscal year 1992,
which starts next October. The estimated cost of
the dredging project is $1.3 million, and the fed
eral government proposes to pay 75 percent of
the cost.
Meanwhile, Pitts said money for a related im
pact study in Eastern Channel would most like
ly be included in this fiscal year's budget, which
was still not approved as of Tuesday.
Pitts said public works projects such as the
impact study have not been threatened because
of the federal budget crisis. The House earlier
approved $465,000 for the study, which carries
an estimated cost of S265,(XX).
Lt. Col. Thomas Sucrmann, district engineer
with the Army Corps of Engineers in
Wilmington, generated the dredging and impact
study proposals in May, following a meeting
wiili Rose, state Rep. David Redwine and other
local officials.
Brunswick County fishermen say Eastern
Channel, which is situated between the west end
of Long Beach and Sheep Island at the mouth of
the Lockwood Folly River, has filled in with
sand in recent years.
They contend that the channel has restricted
water flow and prevented bacterial polluuon
from escaping the river, which frequently has
been closed to shellfishing over the past two
years.
Dredging Eastern Channel to improve water
quality in Lockwood Folly River was first pro
posed in March 1988. Since then, it has gained
the support of several groups, including the
N.C. Environmental Management Commission.
Eastern Channel served as the inlet between
Lockwood Folly River and the Atlantic Ocean
before the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway was
dredged.
The proposed impact study would use a "nu
merical flow model" to determine whether
Corps navigation projects near Lockwood Folly
River have had adverse impacts on circulation
in the river. The study is expected to last about
nine months.
Tom Jarreu, head of the Corps' coastal engi
neenng branch in Wilmington, said recent aCiial
photos and others dating back to the 1800s be
fore the waterway was constructed would be
compared to see how the Eastern Channel has
changed.
If the impact study determines that construc
tion of the waterway has had negative impacts
on water flow through Eastern Channel, Jarreu
said the Corps would develop mitigation alter
natives to compensate for the effects.
The demonstration dredging project, if fund
ed, would show what effect the channel has on
the rate of water How between Lockwood Folly
River and adjacent waters, according to a May 3
letter from Suermann to Rose.
Jarreu said the channel would be dredged 100
feet wide and six feet deep, and approximately
200,000 cubic yards of sand would be pumped
from the channel to the west end of Long Beach.
Water circulation would be monitored before
and after dredging through tide stations set up at
both ends of Eastern Channel and two in
Lockwood Folly River. Red dye also would be
used to monitor water circulation.
The dredging project, including a report of
the findings, would take about two years to
complete.
Bank Heist Calabash's Fifth In 15 Months
BY l)Ol!<; RUTTER
Federal law enforcement agents
were pursuing several leads Tues
day following lasi week's robbery
of the NCNB branch in Calabash?
the fifth bank robbery in that town
in the last 15 months.
A man armed with a handgun
walked into the bank last Friday at
5:16 p.m., demanded money and
fled with an undisclosed amount of
cash, said FBI Agent Craig Ackley.
He said there were no customers
inside the bank at the Ume of the
robbery, and nobody was injured.
The robber was described as a
white man, about 45 to 50 years old,
with a stocky build. He was approx
imaicly 5 feet, 6 inchcs tall and
weighed aboul 16() pounds. The
suspect had siraignt Drown hair with
some gray. He was wearing dark
work pants, a short-sleeved shirt
and black-framed eye glasses.
Ackley said it is believed the rob
ber lied the scene of the crime in a
blue vehicle and took N.C. 179 cast
toward downtown Calabash when
he left the bank. Authorities aren't
sure of the make or model of the ve
hicle.
The FBI agent declined to say if
there were any suspects in the case
or whether a security camera in the
bank videotaped the robbery.
"We're pursuing several leads but
we're not ready to give out any
more information at this time,"
Ackley said Tuesday.
The bank robbery was the first
this year in Brunswick County, but
the fifth to occur in Calabash since
June 1989. The Security Savings &
Loan branch in Calabash was rob
bed three times last year, and the
United Carolina Bank branch was
robbed once.
Calabash receives its only law
enforcement protection from the
Brunswick County Sheriff's Depart
ment. There are no immediate plans
to beef up police protection in the
town.
Most Calabash residents who re
sponded to a recent survey indicated
they don't think the town should
have full-time police protection. But
70 percent of the respondents from
the extraterritorial area, the one
mile area surrounding the Calabash
town limits, said they would sup
port a police force.
Calabash Planning and Zoning
Board Vice Chairman Patricia Lew
ellyn said the board's only plans re
garding more law enforcement are
long-range plans There has been
some discussion about hiring off
duty sheriff's deputies to patrol the
town.
"We're not talking about doing
anything with police protection
right now," Mrs. Lcwellyn said.
"This is all four or five years down
the road."
Holder) Beach Officer Suspended From Force
HY DOUG Kirn KR
Holden Beach Policc Officer
(iary Dancy was suspended without
pay from liic polu.c dcpartuicni af
ter being convieted of assault and
trespassing last week in Brunswick
County District Court.
Judge William C. Gore Jr. found
the officcr guilty of simple assault
and second-dcgrcc trespassing Sept.
25 in district court. The case was
appealed to Biuuswick County Su
perior Court.
Holden Beach Town Manager
Blake Proctor said Monday he has
suspended Dancy until the ease is
selllcd, which he said could lake
several months or more than a year.
If Dancy is found innocent in su
perior court. Proctor said the officcr
would be reinstated with full senior
ity, benefits and hack pay. Proctor
said Dancy would he fired if he is
found guilty in superior court.
The town manager said he has
given the [x>licc officer a chance to
resign from the department in g(xxi
standing. However, once the superi
or court trial starts he said that op
tion will be withdrawn.
Dancy was charged with assault
(S?r POLICE, Page 2-A)
Low Bid Changes
v/
Plans To Negotiate
Recycling Contract
BY TERRY POPE
An uncxpcctcd low bid from the
company now providing a recycling
scrvice to the county has altered
commissioners' plans slightly.
The Brunswick County Board of
Commissioners agreed Monday to
begin negotiating contracts with
two companies rather than just one
for a permanent recycling program
it hopes lu have in place within four
to six weeks.
George Bush of Bush's Recycling
of Florence, S.C., has six, trailer
sites in the county now operated
mostly by volunteers. The sites col
lect plastic, aluminum and paper at
Southport, Long Beach, Carolina
Shores, Sunset Beach, Holden
Beach and Boiling Spring Lakes.
Bush had originally proposed that
the county pay him $350 per trailer
to ncip defray the cost of hauling
materials to Florence. Of that
amount, SI50 would be recovered
from the sale of materials with the
county issuing S200 per trailer as a
supplement each lime a trailer is
hauled.
County Engineer Robert Tucker
told the board Monday that Bush
has since changed his bid to S200
per trailer per month, regardless of
how often the trailers need to be
emptied. The bid is competitive
with one submitted by Waste In
dustries of Wilmington.
However, Tucker recommended
to the board Monday that it keep the
six sites Bush now operates and al
so open four recycling stations with
Waste Industries for $426 per
month per site. Under the Waste In
dustries proposal, unmanned bins
would be placed at the county's
three solid waste transfer stations in
Southport, Lcland and Ocean Isle
and one at the county landfill in
Supply.
Three containers would be placed
at cach site, for thrcc-colorcd glass,
for aluminum and plastic and for
newspapers. The bins have iids
where people drop in their recy
clable materials. Waste Industries
would be responsible for separating
the items that get misplaced.
The county had originally planned
to end its agreement with Bush and
establish nine or 10 sites with Waste
Industries. The company had asked
for a three-year contract. The cost for
both Bush and Waste Industries pro
posals for the remainder of the fiscal
year is $26,136, Tucker said.
Eddie Dick, of Waste Industries,
said Monday that sincc only four
sites would be needed his company
would be willing to sign a one-year
contract with the county. The spe
cially containers cost his company
$14,000 each, he said
Waste Industries had originally
asked for a three-year contract when
it was thought nine or 10 sites were
needed.
"My hope is that I don't lose too
much," said Dick.
The closest center accepting glass
is in Wilson while newspapers must
be hauled to Goldsboro, he said.
Commissioner Grace Beasley in
sisted Monday that the board agree
only to the concept of negotiating
with both companies until they pre
sent their proposals in writing.
Tucker was instructed by the board
to negotiate contracts with both
firms and to bring those contracts
back to the board in writing at their
Oct. 15 meeting.
"It's just good business that we
negotiate," she added.
Bush faxed a copy of his propos
al to Tucker Monday. The county
now operates with Bush under a
"handshake agreement on a month
to month basis," Tucker said.
(See LOW BID, Page 2-A)
Voters Must Register
By Monday's Deadline
Voters have until 5 p.m. Monday, Oct 8, to register to vote as the fa!!
elections appear just around the comer.
The Brunswick County Board of Elections office at the government
complex in Bolivia will register new voters, make party affiliation
changes, precinct transfers and other transactions until Monday.
"It has picked up some this week," said Supervisor of Elections
Linda Brill.
The elections office is open from 8:30 a.m. lo 5 p m. weekdays.
Voters will go to the polls Nov. 6 lo decide on state races for U.S.
Senate and Congress while locally voters will choose winners for judi
cial, district and county offices.
Absentee ballot applications will be accepted until Oct. 30 for per
sons voting by mail. Absentee voters will be able to vote in the office
until Nov. 2, Ms. Britt said.
Polls will open Nov. 6 at 6:30 a.m. and remain open until 7:30 p.m.
All local precinct officials also have the authority to accept voter
registration applications. The precincts and registrars are: Hood Creek,
Patricia Wells; Lcland, Mickey Bullard; Woodburn, MiUon Moser;
Belville, Rocky Cox; Towncreek, Walter J. Babson; Bolivia, Margie
Willetts; Boiling Spring Lakes, Florence Fenstermacher; Souihport I,
Glenda Caylor; Souihport II, Ellen S. Dorselt;
Also Oak Island I, Clare Recs; Oak Island II, Louise J. White;
Mosquito, Junious Royals; Supply, Annie V. Sellers; Secession I, Bertie
Callcn; Secession II, Sheila Ward; Shalloue, Delma Clemmons; Frying
Pan, Esther Mae Gore; Grisseuown, Faye Todd; Shingleiree, Elizabeth
Christie; Longwood, Brcnda Russ; Ash, Thomas Gore; and free land,
Juanita Pruitt.
Reside.us can also register to vote at branches of the Brunswick
County Public Library and the N.C. Driver's License Examiners Office.