Shallotte Recycling Center Opens Friday
BY DOUG RUTTKR The trailer will open to the public Friday at 12:30
Coordinators of a voluntary recycling program in p.m., following a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Potts said
Shallottc dealt a temporary setback three weeks ago the trailer will be open Monday through Saturday from
plan to open their collection center for business Friday. 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., and volunteers will be on hand to
The trailer for rccyclablcs will be located in an hc'P people.
empty paved parking lot at the comer of Powell and Shallottc is the seventh community in Brunswick
Blake streets. The lot is north of the Hill's shopping County to oflcr a voluntary recycling program. Its recy
ccnter and cast of United Carolina Bank's south branch cling trailer will be similar to ones at Holdcn Beach,
_ ? . _ ... , ? Calabash and Sunset Beach.
Jbc South Brunswick Interchurch Council. a ..on- Thc ,railcr wi? ^ ft?cd wllh , conlaincrs in
profit group organizing the recycling effort, had which ,c can |acc djffcrcm , ^s ol rccyc,ablc
planned to park a collection trailer m the Hill s lo<xl jlcms ?(|? ^ -,/umuuims cans ^papers/plastic
store parking lot and open it before Thanksgiving. ^ g)ass wj)1 ^ acccp(cd a( thc sha||^ rc/ycllng
However, coordinators said they were informed center.
Nov. 12 that thc site that was promised to them in Aug Potts said he expccts thc trailer to arrive this week,
ust was no longer available. They immediately began A group of volunteers from Camp United Methodist
looking for a new site and found thc lot near the Church planned to build stairs and a platform prior to
Shallottc Volunteer Rescue Squad Building. the grand opening.
Bill Potts, a member of council's recycling commit The trailer will be provided by Bush Recycling of
tee, said he thinks the site will work out. "Hopefully, Florence, S.C. Shallottc Aldermen had earlier agreed to
it's convenient enough for people coming to town to pay $200 per month for the trailer on a three-month trial
shop," he said. basis.
However, Brunswick County Commissioners voted
unanimously Monday night to fund the projcct in
Shallotlc and pay for another recycling trailer soon to
be set up in Lcland.
The county already is paying for six other recycling
trailers. "It's only fair to do the same thing with Lcland
and Shallottc," said Kelly Holdcn, newly-elected chair
man of the county commissioners.
Jane Gilbert, who is helping to organize the recy
cling effort in Lcland, told county commissioners the
trailer would be manned by volunteers and would be
coordinated by the North Brunswick Civic Association.
"Leland has spacc for a trailer, but we're still a cou
ple of months away from being ready," said Mrs.
Gilbert, who is a member of the Lcland Town Council
and lexal Keep America Beautiful Board.
Potts said the Shallotlc recycling committee has
signed up nine volunteers who are willing to staff the
trailer, but needs 40 or 50 to run the ccntcr properly.
"We need volunteers desperately," he said.
People interested in helping out can call Potts at
754-5079 or Lena Mintz at 754 6725.
Recycling Trailer Is Moved
Onto Island At Holden Beach
ITic Holden Beach recycling trailer lhat had been
operating since June 30 has been temporarily closed
and moved from the mainland to the island.
Holden Beach Town Manager Blake Proctor said
the lot where the trailer was parked has been sold.
The Holden Beach Ladies' Club moved the trailer
last Friday from its site along N.C. 130 East.
It is parked near the Holden Beach Town Hall for
the time being, but as of Tuesday had not been re
opened to the public.
Proctor said he planned to meet with the town re
cycling committee and the president of the ladies'
club before taking the next step. "I wouldn't mind
seeing it open here because most of the contribu
tions come from here anyway," he said.
Alan Holden, a real estate developer at Holden
Beach, said at Monday's town meeting that he is
willing to provide land for the trailer on the island
or the mainland.
Meanwhile, Holden Beach officials are working
on a curbsidc recycling program that would be used
by island residents and visitors.
THE BRf .^BEACON
Twenty-ninth Year, Number 5 ei??o ?E brunswick beacon Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, December 6,1990 25c Per Copy 34 Pages, 3 Sections, 1 Insert
v.
STAFF PHOTO BY TERRY POPC
Sharing Secrets With Santa
Heather Adkins was just one of the youngsters who got to share their Christmas wish lists with
Santa Claus Saturday following the Shallotte Christmas Parade. Heather, just a little bit nervous,
said she wants a "big doll," but couldn't remember its name. More parade coverage is on Page 6-A.
Sunset Tables Request For Annexation
BY SUSAN USHER member Minnie Hunt and Sunset viccs.
Faced with more questions than it Beach Taxpayers Association "I don't see how the devil you
had answers for, Sunset Bcach President Clctus Waldmillcr qucs- can vote for this thing," said
Town Council Monday tabled a re- tioncd the cost-benefit ratio for the Waldmiller.
quest to annex a strip of property town in annexing the proposed area The area proposed for annexation
that would extend the town's juris- and whether an annexation study consists primarily of Sea Trail
diction to the Seaside business dis- fully addressed demand for services Corporation property, including a
trict. such as police protection. They also strip bordering Seaside Station
In one of a series of five public raised questions about why the along one side of N.C. 179 and nine
hearings, only two speakers ad- property owners want to become holes of Sea Trail Links on the other
dressed council regarding the pro- part of the town, since they would side, excluding the Sugar Sands I
posed annexation. Former council gain little else in additional scr- (See ANNEXATION, Page 7-A)
EXTENT OF PROBLEM NOT YET KNOWN
Probe Shows Past Employees
Carried On Schools' Insurance
BY SUSAN USHKR
Brunswick County Board of Education officials arc
investigating the improper carrying of former employ
ees on the school system's health and dental insurance
programs, trying to find out the extent of the problem as
well as the school system's potential financial liability.
Those whose premiums continued to be paid
through the school system after their employment end
ed includc, among others, former Superintendent John
Kaufhold and a former central purchasing officer,
Randall Worth, husband of former school board chair
man Dorothy Worth, Finance Director Rudi Fallon con
firmed Tuesday.
Exactly how many former employees might be in
volved and whether the payment of the premiums on
their behalf was in error or by intent remains to be de
termined through the investigation.
V.:. 'vllnn affirmed Tuesday that one indtvklur.1 has
had responsibility for handling employee insurance
claims and premiums, but would not identify that per
son.
However, Payroll Supervisor Jewel McCumbce of
Ash was suspended Nov. 2 while the board's investiga
tion continues. She has since filed a grievance.
After a special meeting of the school board Friday,
Superintendent P. R. Hankins said that the system was
having "processing" problems relating to employee in
surance claims and payments of premiums. He said the
board's next action would be determined by the find
ings of its investigation and review of the records.
"It's really a nightmare," he said of the problems.
"It's not new. It's a cumulative thing. It's been snow
balling."
North Carolina Blue Cross/Blue Shield administers
the slate's self-insurance program, in which the school
system participates.
Under a regulation adopted Sept. 1, 1986, and in
cluded in employees' insurance handbooks, former em
ployees of the school district arc allowed to continue
their group policies for 18 months if they pay both their
share and the school district's share of the premiums,
plus 2 percent. Once taken off the school system books,
the former employees arc billed directly if they choose
continuation coverage for the transition period.
After the 18 months, members must make their oth
er insurance arrangements.
However, so long as the former employees' premi
ums arc paid through the school system, Ms. Fallon in
dicated, the insurance company docs not become aware
that they were no longer employees of the system.
"In a lot of eases ihcy (former employees) paid us
for what we had been paying, but additional money is
still needed," she said.
What is owed in those cases is the 2 percent in addi
tional premiums the employee would have had to pay if
continuing the coverage on his or her own.
For the past year, the school system computer has
been programmed to automatically pay the premiums,
indicating which portion is paid by the school system
and which part by employee payroll deduction.
However, employees who arc on leave of absence
can send in checks to cover their share of the premiums
while they arc not on the payroll. Those payments are
handled manually from a separate set of books.
Ms. Fallon is concerned about what the county's ad
ditional liability may be for employees who were im
properly continued on the insurance program.
"T'lat's where I ihink we may get a letter fpvrt th"
insurance company saying, 'You owe...."'
The insurance company may seek payment of the
additional 2 percent in premiums the former employees
would have had to pay for continuation coverage and
the difference in premiums collected and claims paid,
she said.
If so, any additional money owed would have to be
made up with local funds unless for the current fiscal
year. Neither the state nor federal government will pro
vide the system additional funds once books arc closed
for a fiscal year.
Who should pay? "That's what the State of North
Carolina will have to tell us," said Ms. Fallon.
Worth's name was marked off the bill in June and
he was no longer carried as an active employee. He re
ceived a letter from the insurer offering him 18 months'
continuation at the higher premium rate; the insurance
company did not know he had resigned from county
employment in September 1985.
Worth has said he did not know about the 18-month
limit on continued coverage.
In a procedure not normally followed, the county
sent a change form for Kaufhold to the insurance com
pany in August. Kaufhold's name should have been
marked off the bill as of June 30, when his employment
ended, Ms. Fallon said.
Previously he and one dependent had been carried
on the program, at a cost of SI73 per month, of which
$107 was paid by the system for Kaufhold.
Employees and the school system share the cost of
hospital insurance premiums, with the system's share
(See PROBE, Page 2-A)
Northern Loop Study To Limit
Possible Routes Before April
BY TERRY POPE
A consulting firm hired by the
N.C. Department of Transportation
plans to identify possible routes for
the proposed Northern Outer Loop
project by April of next year. Mean
while, residents of northern Bruns
wick County are anxiously waiting
to see what the impact of the high
way will be on their homes and
businesses.
The Wilmington bypass will
route traffic heading south on 1-40
around Wilmington on a four-lane
path through northern Brunswick
County where it will connect with
U.S. 17 south of Bishop near Town
Creek. DOT's 1990-97 draft Trans
portation Improvement Program has
the project scheduled to begin in
fiscal year 19%.
Greiner Inc. of Raleigh will com
pile a two-year Environmental Im
pact Statement (E1S) of the project
to determine "where to locate corri
dors which will have the least nega
tive impact" on the area, said Shar
on Phillips, project manager wilh
Greiner. The public's comments
will be included in that study.
Officials froin the towns of I x'land
and Navassa arc concerned that the
bypass will be disruptive to their
communities. Leland Mayor Russell
Baldwin said lie hopes the two towns
can convince officials that running
the highway through the incorporat
ed areas would be devastating.
By April, Greiner will have iden
tified possible routes for the pro
posed highway and will hold anoth
er public hearing at that time. There
may be as many as five to 10 possi
ble routes at first, but that number
will be narrowed to three by April
for the more detailed study, Ms.
Phillips said.
Two of those proposed routes
would exit traffic off of 1-40 between
North Chase subdivision and Castle
I layne in New Hanover County and
carry traffic through Brunswick
County to U.S. 17 south, a 14 mile
project that would have to cross both
the Northeast (.'ape Fear and Cape
Fear rivers. Ihe only pari of the pro
ject tliat is definite at this time, Ms.
Phillips said, is the location of where
the loop will exit from 1-40.
A third proposal would end the
loop on U.S. 421 north of Wilming
ton and rout - tt^ffir nlonp t! 74
76 past Bclville to the U.S. 17 inter
change in Leland. Those highways
would have to be widened. It is a
route county officials object to be
cause of anticipated traffic conges
tion.
Greiner's E1S will research the
project's anticipated effect on water
quality, historical sites, schools,
churches, businesses and residential
relocations, community cemeteries
and impact on lakes and streams. It
will be completed by October 1992.
"Every time you take a house,
you have to buy that home," Ms.
Phillips said. "It's very disruptive;
people get angry. There are a lot of
reasons you don't want to do that.
We have some real incentives not to
take large areas of development."
A Wilmington Bypass Steering
Committee has identified an alter
nate route that would carry the
highway through the middle of
Navassa and across U.S. 74-76 and
Old Faycttcvillc Road in Leland,
providing no access to those roads
and disrupting several churches and
developments along its path. Bruns
wick County has two members on
(See LOOP, Page 7-A)
4
STAFF PHOTO 8Y TIMY POPE
ANN AWTRY OF Inland reviews maps showing the area under study for the proposed Norther Outer
loop bypass of Wilmington with N.C. Department of Transportation Chief Consultant Hon Elmore.