Going To War -
Calabash vfd gives a send-off to Marine
Sgt. chuck Fogle. a former Calabash
firefighter bound for operation Desert
storm. His stores on page 6-A.
Tribute To The "Troops
Businesses and individuals are banding
together to show support for local men
and women involved in operation Desert
DIUI III. Ilien uiuuiCDUiirciyc i*-d.
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HOAG & SONS BOOK BINDERY
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SPRING'PORT
12/31/99
M BOX ifi2
MI 49284
Twenty-ninth Year, Number 15
61 THE BRUNSWICK BEACON
ohailotte, North laronna, Thursday, February 14, 1991
Computer Casualties
This 'dinosaur hardware is bound for extinc
tion as Brunswick County begins a $200,000
computer system overhaul employees say
is long overdue, see Page 3-A.
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Water Project Design Work
Begins For Shallotte Point
STAFF PHOTO ?Y TE?KY POPf
They're Not Dummies
Hubert Reaves and Dorian Dixon, environmental health employees with the Brunswick County Health
Department, were behind the masks as Vince and Larry Monday morning at the government complex
in Bolivia as part of National Child Passenger Safety Seat Awareness Week, Feb. 10-16. Their goal
was to encourage parents and others to buckle up and to increase support for laws on safety belt use.
the hydraulics of the project and
have been doing field work in the
community.
Those surveyors have been spot
ted by residents there and have kept
the county manager's telephone ring
ing, Clegg said. Residents there want
to know what's going on, he said.
"I'm just as excited about it as
they are," added Clegg. "I know
they have waited a long time for it."
Clegg said he expects county
commissioners to approve the engi
neering contract within the next sev
eral weeks. County Engineer Robert
Tucker is negotiating with the firm.
At a board meeting in January,
commissioners voted 3-2 to hire
Houston and Associates, which
chose not to let contract negotiations
delay the project. Actual construc
tion is set to begin this calendar year.
Shallotte Point residents have
been asking the county for water for
years. A set of petitions presented
on Monday to the Brunswick Coun
ty Utility Operations Board, which
recommends policies and water ex
pansion projects to county commis
sioners, asks that water lines be ex
tended down Village Point Road to
the Point, to Shalloue Inlet Park, to
BY TERRY POPE
Engineers have already started
design work on a water line exten
sion project to Shallotte Point, but
residents there are still petitioning
the county for water.
County Manager David Clegg
said the petitions show that some
Shallotte Point residents still can't
believe that it's actually happening,
that county water will be made avail
able to their community next year.
"It's going to happen," said Clegg.
"It's a done deal. It's a matter now of
simply doing it, and that's what
we're doing."
Houston and Associates, a Shal
lotte engineering firm, has been
hired by the county to design Phases
III and III-A of the 1991 Brunswick
County water expansion project.
The water projects will route a new
mink line down the U.S. 17 bypass
of Shallotte to the Seaside area and
lines along state highways in the
Shallotte Point community.
Alan Lewis, an engineer with
Houston and Associates, said design
work on the III-A project has begun
even though the county is still nego
tiating a contract with his firm. He
said engineers have been studying
the Cotton Patch settlement, along
Shallolte Point Loop Road and
down Bay Road.
The county's water lines now ex
tend about 2,000 feet down Village
Road to the Village Pointe Estates
subdivision. Lines have been ap
proved for installation to the Goose
Creek Golf Course, about 2,500 feet
down Bay Road to the south of the
Point community.
Phase IH-A would route lines
from those two areas to the Shallot
te Point community, an area plagued
by either hard well water or a lack
of water. It will be viewed as a sep
arate project from Phase III, which
will cost an estimated S3.8 million,
not including land acquisition or le
gal costs.
'The availability issue will not be
an issue anymore," Clcgg said. "We
will next be getting our financing in
order and then it all just begins."
The Shallotte Point project would
become the county's first under a
plan to assess water customers part
of the cost for extending main trunk
lines that are not part of Special
Assessment Districts (SADs). SADs
are subdivisions or other specified
(See WATER, Page 2-A)
COMMISSION SETS WORKSHOP
Ocean Isle Developer
Urges Town To Ponder
Regional Sewer
Facility
BY DOUG RUTTER
Ocean Isle Beach's most promi
nent land developer wants town of
ficials to think big and consider
taking a lead role in establishment
of a regional sewer facility.
Developer Odell Williamson told
town commissioners Tuesday that
they should look to the future of
southwestern Brunswick County
while expanding the town's sewer
system.
Williamson said the town's op
tions include the possibility of
building a sewer system that could
serve more than just Ocean Isle
Beach. He said the town could be
the "moving force" in building a
sewer facility that also could serve
Sunset Beach, Sea Trail Plantation
and perhaps Calabash.
The Ocean Isle Beach wastewa
ter treatment system now serves
most of the island community. The
town board purchased land last
year so it can add spray Fields at the
plant, and officials plan to run sew
er lines to the east end of the island
so the entire town will be served.
Ocean Isle Beach Commis
sioners plan to meet with represen
tatives from several engineering
firms next week to talk about ex
panding the sewer system.
Engineers will be asked to pre
sent proposals for extending sewer
service to the part of town present
ly not served at a workshop meet
"Somebody has to lead the
way. You cant sit back and
wait for somebody who
doesn't have a dream."
? Odell Williamson
Ocean Isle Beach developer
ing Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday to explore all of their op
in the town hall. lions before making a decision.
While the town board is looking The Ocean Isle developer and
for a company to design the expan- former mayor said he's been hop
sion, Williamson urged commis- ing Brunswick County officials
sioners at their monthly meeting would take the lead and provide
sewer service given the amount of
land in the county that is unsuitable
for septic tank use.
But since the county hasn't act
ed, Williamson said Ocean Isle
Beach might have to lead the way
toward sewer service for the south
western part of the county.
"I don't think you have any bet
ter leadership in the county than
you have right here in this town,"
he said Tuesday. "Somebody has to
lead the way. You can't sit back
and wait for somebody who doesn't
have a dream."
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Benton ap
proved of Williamson's proposal.
"I like the way you're talking," he
said. "1 think it sounds good."
Williamson said there are several
options for treating the additional
wastewater that would be generat
ed. By using wetlands to purify the
water, he said the town wouldn't
have to treat the wastewater to the
point it docs with ordinary spray
Fields.
He also said there are certain
soils that can handle more effluent
than ethers. If the town could find
land with those soils, it wouldn't
have to buy as much land for spray
fields.
Williamson said a sewer system
serving the southwestern section of
the county would create a better
way of life for many people. "We
(See OCEAN ISLE, Page 2-A)
Board Sets Attendance
District For New
Supply Elementary School
BY SUSAN USHER
Some former Union Primary School students will
return to that school for the 1992 school year, when
Shallotte Middle School turns into a "middle" school
for the first time.
The change-over to serving only grades six through
eight at Shallotte will occur with the opening of Supply
Elementary School. The new school will serve approxi
mately 700 students in grades kindergarten through five
who now attend three schools ? Union Primary,
Shallotte Middle and Southport Elementary.
School board members formally approved the boun
dary lines for the new school's service area Monday
night by unanimous vote as part of a two and one-half
hour meeting at Lincoln Primary School in Leland.
Member Robert Slockett was absent.
"I want to be able to start notifying parents as early
as possible of new school assignments for (heir child
ren," said William Turner, assistant superintendent, in
requesting the action.
The lines are virtually the same as those presented
informally more than a year ago.
Union Primary School, which now accommodates
approximately 900 students from kindergarten through
third grades, would switch to an elementary school for
mat, serving students in kindergarten through fifth
grades. That means some students who attended the
school in grades K-3 will return for another year or two
years.
The dividing line will be the Shallotte River, with
students from the west side to the South Carolina state
line attending Union Elementary and those from the
east side to Midway Road (S.R 1500) attending the new
elementary school.
The northern district boundaries remain essentially
uncnanged. The Supply Elementary School district will
extend north to Juniper Creek on N.C. 211 down to
Supply following a line east of N.C. 211, then cast
along Gilbert Road (S.R. 1501) to Midway Road at
Antioch Baptist Church.
From there the line continues south to the Intra
coastal Waterway following the projected path of a new
access road to Oak Island. Students on the southern side
of Gilbert Road and western side of Midway Road will
attend Supply Elementary and those on the opposite
sides, South port Elementary. Previously the Lockwood
Folly River was the dividing line.
The new elementary school district includes the
communities of Shell Point, Sunset Harbor, Holden
Beach, Varnamtown and Supply. For some students the
red i striding will result in shorter commutes to and from
school.
Turner said he expccts the Brunswick County Board
of Education would make exceptions in school assign
ments for students in what would have been their final
year at a particular school.
The office of the state treasurer has released
5693,000 in capital funds toward construction of the
new school and Turner said bids are to be advertised
Feb. 27 and opened March 27, with award of contracts
soon after.
Construction is expected to be completed in 14
months, with occupancy by early August 1992 in time
for the 1992-1993 school term.
The new school is expected to relieve severe over
crowding now experienced at Union Primary School,
with approximately 900 students, and Shallotte Middle
School, with more than 1,000 students; and to a lesser
extent, Southport Primary, with approximately 700 stu
dents.
County Employees
Holding Out On Paying
1 990 Taxes
BY TERRY POPE
Among the people who haven't paid their
1990 county taxes are 43 percent of Brunswick
Cotuity's employees.
Brunswick County Manager David Clegg, sur
prised by that figure, sent a memo to department
heads last week urging them to encourage their
employees to pay their taxes.
"I am very concerned about this situation,"
Clegg's memo states, "in as much as the county
is experiencing a significant overall collection
rate decrease and due to the fact that county em
ployees should serve as role models for good cit
izenship to the community at large."
The memo also asks department heads to bring
the matter to the employees' attention so that
"further collection efforts need not be taken."
Brunswick County Tax Collector Nancy
Moore said the county, by law, can force its em
ployees to pay, one way or another.
"We can treat them like everybody else or the
law does allow us to garnish their wages," Mrs.
Moore said. "We'd rather get it some other way."
Overall, the county's collection rate for per
sonal and property taxes has slipped from last
year. By Jan. 31 of last year, the county had col
iecicd 90.4 percent of its taxes due while by Jan.
31 of this year, it had collected just 88.7 percent
of taxes due.
That represents about $469,000 in revenue that
is still owed the county, Mrs. Moore said.
Last Thursday, people who still owe personal
or property taxes were mailed delinquent notices.
Taxes were due on Jan. 7. About 20,000 delin
quent notices were mailed to county property
owners, Mrs. Moore said.
Brunswick County presently has about 485 per
sons on its payroll, said Personnel Director Starie
Grissett. That figure also includes part-time and
temporary employees, she said.
That means about 210 people who draw a
county salary haven't paid their 1990 taxes. Mrs.
Moore said the group includes some tax officc
employees.
"I feel the economic condition is the biggest
difference in our collection percentage this year,"
she said. The final collection rate for 1989 was
95.3 percent.
"I've seen better," Ms. Moore said. "Anything
over 95 pcitcni I2k JJuGu, uui WiiCii it ulupS bCaOW
95 percent it does affect the county's bond rating."
Persons who are having economic trouble can
contact the tax office, which will arrange a partial
payment schedule, she said. A delinquent tax list
ing is published in local newspapers the first
week of April. The county docs have the right to
foreclose on property or to seize personal assets
to collect due taxes.
"We're not going to do anything as long as we
see they arc making a continuous effort to pay
their taxes," Ms. Moore said.
Clegg said paying one's taxes is a "benchmark
of good citizenship."
"I believe very strongly in what I said in that
memo," said Clegg. 'To me, it's just something
that you don't even have to think about. There
are two things you must do to be good
Brunswick County citizens. One, you register to
vote and vote in Brunswick County elections,
and two, you pay your taxes."
Mrs. Moore said Friday that she must now
wait to see if mailing the delinquent tax notices
will improve the county's collection rate.
"The county is just like any business," she said.
"It has to collect taxes to operate. If not, then com
missioners have to raise taxes the next year, and
that's not going to make those who do pay very
happy."
HEALTH BOARD CONCERNED
Fewer Inspections Put
$25,000 Dent In Budget
BY TERRY POPE
A slowing economy is being blamed for what is expected to be
about a $25,000 budget deficit for the Brunswick County Health De
partment this fiscal year.
The department had predicted it would collect about $150,000 in en
vironmental health services fees for the 1990-91 fiscal year. Fees are
collected for on-site septic system inspections and perk tests.
However, only about $64,000 in fees has been collected by the de
partment for the first six months of the fiscal year. Health Director Mi
chael Rhodes said he doesn't expect things to get any better for the first
half of 1991 bccausc of a slowing real estate market locally.
That means tire department would collect only about $125,000 of its
$150,000 anticipated revenues in fees.
"We may fall a little short," Rhodes told the Brunswick County
Board of Health Monday. "With the type of business that environmental
health services is in, business has decreased considerably."
If building doesn't increase, the health board will have to request a
supplementary budget from county commissioners to help bail the de
pai iiitcni Out before JiiuC 30.
(Set FEWER, Page 2-A)