Holden BY DOUG RUTTKR Commission Gives $1 0,000 To O utfit New Fire Truck m-Bcach Volunteer Fire Depart ment will reccivc 510,000 from the town of Holden Beach to purchase equipment for a new fire (ruck. Town commissioners approved the special contribution at their meeting Monday night, responding to an earlier request from the de partment Holden Beach budgeted 520,000 this fiscal year for its annual con tract with the fire department. The additional donation probably will come from the town's unappropriat ed fund balancc. "We did S350.000 this way to put sand on the beach. Certainly we can give 510,000 for a Fire truck," said Commissioner Bob Buck, who made the motion to approve the do nation. Buck said there arc no firefight ing experts on the town board who would know if the equipment is needed or not. He said the town has to trust the fire department's leaders to ask for what is really needed. 'This town is very, very depen dent on that fire d apartment," Buck said, adding that the town has the firemen to thank for its low fire in surance rating. Mayor Pro tem Gloria Barrett ran the meeting Monday in the absence of Mayor John Tandy, who was in Chapel Hill being honored for a scholarship that has been establish ed in his name through the Univer sity of North Carolina. Mrs. Barrett said the scholarship is funded by five of Tandy's former students in Winston-Salem. Commissioner Kcnncr Amos also was absent Monday for health rea sons. No More Tank? Holdcn Bcach officials arc think ing about digging up and getting rid of the town's underground gasoline storage lank and contracting with a local Tilling station. The town uses the gas tank to fill up its police cars and other vehicles, but changes in state regulations re garding underground gas storage tanks might make it cheaper for the town to buy fuel at a gas station. Building Inspector Dwighl Carroll said the town will have to dig up its underground tank by October or pur chase SI million in insurance to cov er the town in case the tank leaks. As part of the planned renovation and addition to the town hall com plex, commissioners have been con sidering buying a new above ground gas tank. Carroll said the new tank would cost about SI 5,000, and that the state will eventually require owners of above-ground tanks to purchase insurance. Commissioners discussed their options Monday night but made no decision. They pointed out that con tracting with a filling station may be chcapcr than buying a new tank, but local gas stations aren't open 24 hours a day. Hugo Leftovers Town commissioners took care of two "housekeeping" matters left over from Hurricanc Hugo Monday night. The board refused one land owner's request to drop a debris cleanup charge, but agreed to drop the charge in another case. "We did $350,000 this way to jj put sand on the beach. Certainly we can give \ * -v j f $10,000 for afire truck." ? Bob Buck Ml ? Holden Beach Commissioner X Town officials turned down C.H. Skinner's request to forgive a bill for $100 that he owes the town for cleanup of debris on his property at 226 Hillside Drive. Building Inspector Carroll said the lot was cleaned up following the 1989 hurricane, and the town paid a contractor for cleaning Skinner's lot. If the bill isn't paid, it can be come a lien on the property. In the second case, commissioners voted to write a letter to Holden Beach Enterprises apologizing for a notice which said the company owed the town S100 for cleaning up debris on company land following Hugo. Interim Town Manager Diane Clark said the firm allowed the town and state to pile debris on its land following the storm, and the town shouldn't nave biiicd Holden Beach Enterprises for the cleanup. Other Business In other business Monday, com missioners: ? Met in executive session for just over one hour, but took no action. Town Attorney Kenneth Campbell said the board discussed personnel policies as they relate to specific personnel. ? Adopted an ordinance requiring owners of occanfront homes to put house numbers on their beach walk ways. The numbers must be at least three inches high and be clearly vis ible from the strand. ? Voted to send a letter to Bruns wick County voicing concerns about a hog slaughtering plant pro posed on the Cape Fear River in Bladen County. Resident Crawford Hart suggested the town get in volved because the plant's proposed discharge into the Cape Fear River may affect the local drinking water supply. "You've already got enough pollution around here without somebody adding to it," he said. ? Approved the purchase of S5.735 worth of police department uni forms and equipment. The board did not decide whether police offi cers should be required to receive training in ambulance attendant, radar certification, drug awareness and use of excessive force. Com missioners also discussed whether the town should pay officers while they are taking the courses. ? Agreed lo give property owners Ronic and Diane Robinson one year to pay ihe town $179 for clearing dead myrtle bushes from their land at 1038 Ocean Blvd. West. The in terim town manager said Mrs. Rob inson had asked for extra time to pay because her husband was sent with the military to the Middle East. ?Tabled a proposal lo limit the number of consecutive terms some one can serve on the planning board or board of adjustment. Mrs. Barrett suggested the matter be tabled due lo the two absences and ihc contro versial nature of the issue. ? Voted to give one free copy of the town water bill listing to each real estate company that collects occu pancy tax revenue for the town and requests the listing. Commissioner Gay Atkins said the lists would al low real estate firms to assist visi tors who don't know street address es of their friends. It costs the town about S5 to generate each listing. ? Postponed the next regular meet ing because of the Easter holiday The meeting was rescheduled for Monday, April 8, at 7 p.m. in the town hall. ? Heard about an experimental street lighting project on Brunswick Avenue West. Mrs. Clark said Brunswick Electric Membership Corp. installed six lights for a 30 day period lo give residents a chancc to see the lights in action. ? Heard that the Holdcn Beach Planning and Zoning Board will discuss a proposed septic tank mon itoring and inspection program at its meeting Tuesday, March 19, at 1 p.m. in the town hall. ? Heard from resident Margaret Vasco that the Holdcn Bcach VFW plans to present the town with a fla^ for a new flag pole that has been erected near the foot of the bridge The presentation is scheduled Satur day, March 16, at 10 a.m. She said American troops will be honore I during the ceremony. Town Board Denies Setback Variance The Holden Bcach I^jard of Ad justment last week turned down a homeowner's request to build a jV>r|r that would have violated l*?c town's setback rules. L.H. and June Froehlich of Dan ville, 111., asked for a variance from the 20-foot setback so they could build a deck as part of an egress on the back of their home at 141 Starfish Dr. The homeowners requested a variance for the deck because it would have been located within the sctback area. Interim Town Manag cr Diane Clark said a stairway can st:!! fcc built without the variance. Mrs. Clark said the town board voted unanimously last Thursday to deny the request bccausc the deck is not needed for egress from the house. The board of adjustment has scheduled a meeting for Friday. March 15, at 5 p.m. in town hall to discuss rules of procedure. AUDITOR TALKS 'HIDDEN' TAXES Library Warns It Mig ht Need A/lore Funds Come Budget Time BY TERRY POPE Brunswick County Commission ers heard some good news and some bad news regarding money Monday night. The county's public library system came asking for more money while an auditor told the board how it could find extra tax revenues by auditing local business es and industries. Brunswick County's public li brary system, running short of funds, may have to cut its hours, a member of the library board of trustees told commissioners. Matilda Suggs said the state cut the library's budget by 5 percent this fiscal year and that 1991-92 doesn't look any better. "We have learned from the state library that we are also assured of additional cuts in the next budget," Ms. Suggs said. An increase in county funding may be the only way to keep from cutting employees and their hours during the next fiscal year. With a staff of eight employees, the public library operates three facilities, a main building in Southport and branches in Shallotte and Leland. It also operates a bookmobile. A new Leland Library building is expected to begin construction this year on Village Road, Ms. Suggs said. Residents have also requested a branch on Oak Island and one in Calabash. "So far, we haven't been able to do anything with those requests," she said. "Unfortunately, the Bruns wick County library is falling be hind. Demands have increased." Funding for the library comes from both the county and state. The towns of Southport and Shallotte al so contribute funds. Long Beach has also made donations in the past, Ms. Suggs said. County commissioners contribut ed S20,000 this fiscal year to build the new Leland library. Plans were approved for the building last week, said Edith Tillman, who has headed the drive to build the facility beside the Leland Town Hall. Ms. Suggs told the board that a 1980 census estimated there were 6,500 functionally illiterate adults in Brunswick County who do not have the skills to fill out job applications. That number has since grown with the population, she said. "These are problems that call for Demo Precincts Meeting Tonight Brunswick County Democrats will hold their annual precinct meet ings today (Thursday) at 8 p.m. at their regular polling places. In an announcement this week County Democratic Chairman Glen Peterson encouraged all registered Democrats to attend, "whether they're party regulars or just want to get involved with the party again." Precinct meetings are the most basic ingredient for Democratic success, Peterson suggested. 'The precinct level is where all policy making begins. The more that peo ple get involved in precinct meet delegates to the April 6 county con vention. The convention will be held at Brunswick County Demo cratic Headquarters near Supply. Precincts will also have an oppor tunity 'o pass resolutions on the par ty's public policy issues. Also, Peterson said the party building committee will meet Saturday, March 9 at 10 a.m. at the headquarters building. More information on these up coming events is available from Peterson between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at (919)371-9490. ings, the better the party can repre sent the views of all Democrats." At the March 7 meetings, Demo crats will elect precinct officers and Late Registration Continues At BCC Late registration for spring quar ter classes continues through Wed nesday, March 13, at Brunswick Community College at Supply. Ann Marie Bellamy, public infor mation information, said students arc encouraged to register before classes begin March 11. Late registration hours are 10 a m. to 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Courses arc available in a wide range of curriculum areas and the college has an open door admission policy. Students who will be registering at BCC for the first time must ar range to take the school's assess ment for success seminar. The eval uation assists in determining appro priate courses and credit loads for students. More information is available by contacting the Student Services Of fice at 4!) /-6329, 754 ^950 or 343 0203. "Unfortunately, the Brunswick County library is falling behind. Demands have increased ? Matilda Suggs Library Trustee vigorous efforts," Ms. Suggs said. "The library is the only institution that serves all of the populations, from the cradle to the grave." The county library hasn't had an increase in local funding in the last four budgets and its staff hasn't in creased since 1980, she said. Auditor Talks Taxes County commissioners, also fear ing a cut in state funds for the 1991 92 fiscal year, heard from a tax au diting firm Monday on ways coun ties can find hidden money by au diting business property tax listings. Richard Cooke of Tax Manage ment Associates, which has offices in Charlotte and Raleigh, was invit ed to address the board by Bruns wick County Tax Administrator Boyd Williamson. The county can hire, on a contin gency basis, an independent firm to audit businesses to determine if they arlz ^aundszi, Qfriru?lt1. r 11 PROGRESSIVE NO .1 LINE BIFOCAL LENSES 'I Any fyp* | ?