PRIVATE UTILITY MAKES OFFER
Calabash To Seek State Advice On Downtown Sewer Service
BY DOUG RUTTER
Calabash officials intend to waste no time taking
advantage of the N.C. Coastal Initiative program and
will ask the stale for advice on getting sewer service to
the downtown commercial district.
The town planning and zoning board decided this
week that it should look to state officials for guidance
before it makes any recommendations to town commis
sioners about sewer servicc.
As one of five communities recently selected for the
Coastal Initiative program. Calabash has free access to
assistance through six departments of slate government,
including environmental and community development
divisions that deal with sewer systems.
In the meantime, town planners are considering an
offer from the private utility that already provides water
and sewer service in the Carolina Shores scction of
Calabash.
Carolina Blythe Utilities has offered to design and
build a plant that would serve Sea Trail Corp. property
and the old town of Calabash, according to planning
board member Hank Mallutat.
Mattutat said at Monday night's planning board
meeting that the town and Sea Trail Corp. would have to
put up S100.000 for engineering fees and S1.6 million to
build the plant. Carolina Blythe would own the plant.
" It is going to be painful. It is
going to be expensive. This is
bullet-biting time."
? Hank Mattutat, member
Calabash Planning Board
The proposal would cost Calabash aboul 5500,000
for the plant and engineering, plus another 5500,000 to
install the collection system.
Mattutat said the cost figures arc only estimates. "It
is going to be painful. It is going to be expensive," he
said. "This is bullet-biting time."
Town officials last fall requested 66,000 gallons per
day of available treatment capacity from Carolina
Blythe, but later was informed that a local developer
had been promised the capacity instead of the town.
Mattutat warned the planning board Monday that it
may have to act quickly to get sewer service from Caro
lina Blythe.
"We've got to move fast or we're going to be left
standing in the dust again," he said. "If Calabash wants
to stick its head in the sand, so be it."
While they didn't reject the proposal, several plan
ning board members said Monday that they didn't like
the idea of the town putting up money for the system
but not owning it.
Gordon Ragsdale likened Carolina Blythc's offer to
the town giving him $1 million to build a restaurant.
The town wouldn't own the restaurant or make any
money from it, he said, but it would be welcome to eat
there any time if it paid the going rate.
While town officials arc considering sewer service
options. Planning Board Chairman Warren "Bud"
Knapp said they shouldn't rule out the possibility of
constructing and owning their own system. That's
where the assistance of state officials could help.
Knapp said getting the state involved in sewer ser
vice options would be a boost for the Coastal Initiative
program, which some people have criticized for its lack
of visible accomplishments in the past.
Planner Ed Schaack, who also is the town building
inspector, suggested the town consider approaching the
county about establishing a regional sewer authority
that could serve Calabash and the surrounding areas.
Future Land Purchase?
In oihcr business Monday, board members talked
about the possibility of buying land in the future that
could be used for a solid waste and recycling area.
Planning Board Vice Chairman Patricia Lewellyn
said a committee has been talking with people who own
property around Calabash to see if thev might sell land
to the town.
She said people have been reluctant to commit to
anything without knowing exactly how the town plans
to use the property. Property owners are afraid of rats,
among other things.
Knapp said the Carolina Shores Property Owners As
sociation, which is leasing the dump site on Persimmon
Road to Calabash through the end of the year, won't sell
the land to the town without of vote of the property own
ers.
Planning board member Warren Picnack talked
about his rccent trip to Hampstcad, which is located
north of Wilmington, to observe the town's solid waste
and recycling operation.
A private sanitation company operates the center
and uses a trash compactor. Pienack said the whole op
eration sits on one-half acre of land and serves people
who live within five miles of it.
Supply VFD Meets
Supply Volunteer Fire Depart
ment will elect directors and con
duct other business at its annual
meeting set Friday, Feb. 8, at 7:30
p.m. at the fire station on N.C. 211.
Spokesman Dean Chestnut said
members will elect nine directors,
with nominations taken from the
floor.
The meeting is open to the pub
lic, though only members arc eligi
ble to participate and vote.
Terminal To
Sell Lumber
Sunny Point Military Ocean
Terminal will sell used lumber at
the terminal on Wednesdays and
Fridays through Feb. 8. This is a
limited resumption of used lumber
sales at the installation, announced
Myrtle D. Meade, public affairs of
ficer.
Used lumber in various sizes and
lengths up to 14 feet is available for
sale as is for S60 a cord.
Sales will be from 8 a.m. to 11
a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays,
Jan. 30, Feb. 1, 6, and 8. Customers
will be escorted into and out of the
installation, with no entry after 8
a.m. All vehicles will be subject to
a search and inspection and a photo
identification is required for anyone
participating in the sale.
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STAFF PHOTO BY EDDIE SWEATT
NEWS EDITOR SUSAN USHER (right) shows the Beacon's first place award for appearance and
design to typesetter:, Dorothy Brennan (left) and Tammie Galloway, who execute the newspaper's ed
itorial and advertising design.
Beacon Captures State Awards
For Design And Editorial Page
The Brunswick Beacon won first
place for appcarancc and design
and ihird place for its editorial
page in the 1990 newspaper con
tests sponsored by the North
Carolina Press Association.
The awards were presented by
Gov. Jim Martin last Thursday
night at the 66lh annual N.C.
Newspaper Institute in Chapel
Hill. Susan Usher, news editor, ac
cepted the awards on behalf of the
newspaper staff.
Over the past 10 years the Bea
con has won 42 awards in N.C.
Press Association contests. The
newspaper competes in the commu
nity newspaper division with other
newspapers published once a week.
The 1990 contests were judged
by members of the Alabama Press
Association.
Judges had this to say about the
Beacon's appearance and design:
"This newspaper uses an attrac
tive masthead to capture the read
er's eye, and then uses good copy
positioning to control the eye.
What separates this newspaper
from the rest is the ability to keep
the reader's eye upon turning from
page one. We found the paper to
be neat, easy to read, consistent
with a good photography variety."
Judges complimented as "good"
the general layout, editorial car
toons and locally-written columns
found on the Beacon's editorial
page.
Another Brunswick County
weekly newspaper. The State Port
Pilot, won three awards. It received
second place recognition for gener
al excellence and for appcarancc
and design, and third place for use
of photographs.
Clegg Angered
(Continued From Page 1-A)
Clcgg said he has had no discus
sions with black leaders about their
concerns. He added that there is
nothing unusual about commission
ers wishing to discuss departments
and ways to improve county ser
vices. Last week, the board held an
open discussion of the tax depart
ment, Clegg said, and no one felt
that the department heads there
were being unfairly treated.
"I hope that the black people and
the white people will realize that's
my job," Clegg added. "It's not
black Brunswick County govern
ment or white Brunswick County
government, it's Brunswick County
government."
Clcgg listed 1 1 blacks who are ei
ther department heads or assistant
administrators in Brunswick County
government.
Results of the unannounced in
spection of the solid waste sites was
compiled into a two-page memo to
commissioners. In the report, Clcgg
lists six sites that were visited in
cluding Town Creek and Sea Trail
green box sites and transfer stations
at Lcland, Southport, Oxpen and
Hale Swamp.
At the Town Creek site, Clegg
noted, "there was some debris locat
ed behind the green boxes that
should be picked up by hand."
Clcgg said he noted both positive
and negative points in his report to
commissioners, that the report
wasn't slanted in any way to affect
the job status of Hewctt, who also
received a copy.
"If he docs his job. he remains
employed," Clcgg said. "It's the
same thing for me or for anybody
else."
At the Lcland transfer station, he
noted, "there is a need for direction
al signage to the site. The site atten
dant was not responsive to the visit.
The attendant's office should be
better cleaned and general hand
pick up collection of strewn/blown
"It's not black
Brunswick County
government or white
Brunswick County
government, it's
Brunswick County
government."
? David Clegg
County Manager
debris should be enforced at the
site."
However, at the Southport trans
fer station, Clegg noted, the site
"looked well kept and operated."
The site attendant was "responsive
to the visit and made suggestions as
to enhanced collection activities."
The attendant's office was "accept
able as to appearance."
The Oxpcn transfer station also
needed signage to the site and that
"hand pick up of debris should con
tinue" there, Clegg reported.
The Hale Swamp transfer station
was "effectively shut down due to
construction of the attendant's of
fice" when Clegg visited. He noted
that steps should be taken so that
construction activity doesn't shut
down the site.
"The attendant was participating
in the construction of the office and
that is unacceptable since the coun
ty is paying a contractor to build the
office and for general liability pur
poses," Clegg noted. "Careful hand
pick up around the site is required."
At the Sea Trail green box site,
Clegg noted, it has "generally im
proved in appearance." There was
some "residual debris" and the site
and one 40-yard green box appeared
to be a hazard. There was a separa
tion of the berm from the box.
"It was apparent that there were
scavengers at the site awaiting my
departure," Clegg noted.
Sheriff's Detectives Under Job Stress
(Continued From Page 1-A)
county's population booms while
the number of dctcctives remains
the same, five to work criminal cas
es and one to work juvenile and sex
offenses.
"I could take 25 detectives and
V- not clear up all
\ of the cases in
Brunswick
Sl County," said
^ Perry.
If everything
goes according
to plan, the
sheriff's depart
ment will re
ceive three new
PERRY detectives in
mid-March. The positions were ap
proved last June by county commis
sioners; however, it was specified
that the spots be held open until af
ter September.
Three jailers have since been
training to become road deputies.
They will fill the spots left vacant
by uniformed deputies who will be
promoted to the detective division.
The wait from June to September,
one detective said, set the depart
ment back tremendously.
"You can only do so much with
what you've got," Perry said. "You
can put anybody in that sheriff's of
fice and in this office here, but you
can only do so much."
Although he doesn't like losing a
veteran detective, Perry said he was
happy that Walton was "going to
have more time for himself."
"For a man that can leave and
make the same amount of money
under a less stressful situation J
can't blame him a bit," Perry added.
Said Walton, "It'll be a big
change to get used to, from a large
area to work to a smaller area, but I
think I'll like it."
In an attempt to assign an equal
number of cases to each of the de
tectives, the county has been divid
ed into three areas: the northwest
Leland area and its N.C. 133 corri
dor to Southport; from N.C. 211
cast to Long Beach; and from N.C.
21 1 west to Calabash.
'To have good coverage on the
south end, as big as it is, we really
need to break it down again," Perry
said. "We need a minimum of three
detectives in each area. You'll never
get it."
When the three new detectives
arc added in March, it will assure
each area of at least two detectives.
'Then 1 may have one floating in
areas where I'm getting hit the
hardest," PerTy added.
A group of Leland residents, con
cerned about the rise of crime in
their community, have planned an
informal meeting to discuss how to
approach either the town of Leland
or the county commissioners for
more law enforcement personnel.
The town of Leland, which incorpo
rated in 1989, does not have a po
lice department.
Perry said that starting a police
department is an expensive opera
tion but that Leland will eventually
need to form its own force.
The New Hanover County Sher
iff's Department has 16 dclcctivcs
in its division compared to Bruns
wick County's six. Two of New
Hanover County's detectives arc
members of the crime scene unit,
investigators who respond to a
crime scene to take fingerprints,
photographs and to gather other
dues. . For uniformed officers to do
the crime scenc work, it tics up their
patrols. Perry said.
"Our caseload compares to New
Hanover County," he added. "I'd
say it runs fairly close to the same
thing."
New Hanover County Sheriff's
Department serves the unincorpo
rated areas of that county wiih 1!
officers in its vice or dnig squad
and a secretary, while Brunswick
County has three vice detectives
and no secretary.
A listing of the New Hanover
County Sheriff's Department shows
the following breakdown for detec
tives' investigative assignments:
two for crimes against property; two
for breaking and entering non-resi
dence; two for juvenile cases; two
for breaking and entering resi
dence*;; two for crimes against per
sons; two for fraud and auto larce
ny; one for hit and run; and one for
crime stoppers and 911.
"Everybody looks at television
and thinks you ought to be ab'.c to
do it like they do on TV," Perry
said. "But you're not given the
manpower to work your crimes."
THE BRUNSWICKfeBEACON
Established Nov. 1 , 1 962
Telephone 754-6890
Published Every Thursday
At 4709 Main Street
Shallotte, N.C. 28459
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY
One Year $10.30
Six Months $5.50
ELSEWHERE IN NORTH CAROLINA
One Year $14.80
Six Months $7.85
ELSEWHERE IN U.S.A.
One Year $15.95
Six Months $8.35
Second class postage paid at the
Post Office in Shallotte, N.C.
28459 USPS 777-780.
Month Sloshes To Wet Finish
More rainfall is in the forecast for
the South Brunswick Islands as Jan
uary sloshes to a wel finish.
Along with more rain, Shallotte
Point meteorologist Jackson Canady
said the outlook calls for near nor
mal temperatures.
He expects at least three-quarters
of an inch of rain, which is less than
the 1.13 inches he measured for the
period Jan. 22 through 28.
"It's definitely a wet month and 1
don't think it is going to dry out any
time soon," said Canady, noting that
rain was in the immediate and
short-range forecasts.
During the next few days, tem
peratures are expected to range
from the mid-30s at night into the
mid-50s during the daytime.
For the period ending Monday,
Canady recorded a maximum high of
59 degrees on the 28th, and a mini
mum low of 21 degrees on the 23rd.
A daily average high of 51 de
grees combined with an average
nightly low of 3 1 degrees for a daily
average temperature of 41 degrees
that was about five degrees below
normal, said Canady.
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO
THE BRUNSWKK&BEACON
POST OFFICE BOX 2558
SHALLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 28459
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In Brunswick County Q6.30
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N.C. Sales Tax .32 .27
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TOTAL 14.80 13.75
Outside North Carolina 06.30 05.30
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TOTAL 15.95 14.95
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