SS
Smoke-Free schools?
That's the goal of a proposed school
board policy that would send
employees outside for smoke breaks.
The story's on Page 7-A.
HO AG & SONS BOOK BINDERY
12/3
1/Ss
F'O
SPRINtiPOHT Ml
Twenty-ninth Year, Number 27
THE BRUNSWICK BEACON
Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, Moy 9, 1991
25< Per Copy
36 Pages, 3 Sections
Road To 911
Maintaining county road
signs will be a full-time Job
for two. The story's on
Page 9- A.
New Mayor 'Bought*
Gilbert Milllgan accepts the 'may
orship* after an election in which
money did the talking. The story's
on Pagel-B.
County Likes Southport's Idea On Fire, Rescue Tax Districts
BY TERRY POPE
Volunteer fire and rescue workers often spend more
time selling barbecuc or chickcn dinners than helping to
fight fires or saving lives.
Creating special tax districts for county fire and res
cue units could ease the burden, Southport Town
Manager Rob Hites told county commissioners
Monday.
The Southport Board of Aidermen wants a special
tax district established within the Smithville Township
boundary to fund fire and rescue units there.
"We feel it's the most efficient way of providing fire
and rescue service," Hites said.
The towns would assess rates for residents within
incorporated areas. The county would determine rates
for those living outside of towns. Together, they would
fund service for an entire district.
"So no resident could say that it's unfair," added
Hites.
The number of emergency calls municipal fire and
rescue units receive to leave their jurisdiction area is on
the rise, he said. Many departments spend a majority of
their funds answering calls outside of their jurisdictions.
Hites asked the board to consider establishing such
a district in Smithville Township on an experimental
basis. That township includes Southport, Bald Head
Island, Yaupon Beach, Caswell Beach and Long Beach.
He said such service districts are common in North
Carolina, a point that Doug Ledgett, Brunswick County
Emergency Services coordinator, agrees with.
"I've done some research on service districts al
ready," Ledgett said. "It works."
Commissioners instructed Ledgett to continue his
research and to develop a possible plan for Brunswick
County. He is to report back to the board at a later date.
"I definitely think we should pursue the idea," said
District 3 Commissioner Gene Pinkerton, who repre
sents the Smithville Township. "For our fire and rescue
squads, there's just not enough money to go around. It
sounds like it's got a lot of good possibilities to me."
St. James Plantation, on N.C. 211 near Southport, is
considering incorporating, Hites said. Over 200 homes
were presold within the development
It has the potential to become the largest town in the
Smithville Township without fire or rescue service,
added Hites.
He said the county's current township lines could
serve as district lines.
'This is, in my mind, an equitable way of determin
ing districts," said Hites. "It doesn't burden other town
ships in the county that may not be as densely populat
ed or ready to go with a district of their own."
In other business Monday, the board appointed
Donald Hughes of Shalloue to the Brunswick County
Industrial Facilities Board, to replace Robert Radcliffe,
and to the Brunswick County Resources Development
Commission Advisory Board, to replace Bruce
Caldwell. The RDC board meets monthly, but the in
dustrial board does not, said Commissioner Jerry Jones,
who nominated Hughes. Hughes manages Brunswick
Electric Membership Corp.'s Southport office and is in
volved with Southport's Committee of 100.
The board also accepted an invitation by Brunswick
County Veterans Services Director Jess Parker to send a
board member to Lexington on May 27 for the dedica
tion of the N.C. Vietnam Veterans Memorial. A tree has
been planted at the site to honor Brunswick County's
contribution to the memorial.
STAFF PHOTO BY DOUG HUTTtR
Short Blamed In Fire
Fire destroyed this 1984 tractor-trailer last Friday that was parked on the side of Boone's Neck Road near H olden Beach. Firemen from
Civietown and Tri-Beach VFDs responded. Truck owner James Long said the fire apparently started when a computerized electrical box
shorted out Long said he was inside a nearby residence and the engine was running when the fire started. Although the truck was de
stroyed, Long said firemen did a good job. "They got here real fast and did all they could. I give them a lot of credit."
Shallotte Enters Debate Over Tipping Fees
BY TERRY POPE
Some towns are calling Bruns
wick County's plan to charge tip
ping fees for dumping garbage at the
Supply landfill unfair.
Shallotte aldermen say the people
who live in towns shouldn't have to
pay if residents of unincorporated
areas are not required to do so.
One option the county is consid
ering would charge commercial
haulers an estimated S30 to $35 per
ton of trash to dump at the landfill
while individual residents wouldn't
have to pay. Most local municipali
ties contract with commercial
haulers for trash collection.
For Shalloue a S35 per ton fee
would increase collection costs an
estimated $30,000 for the 1991-92
budget year, an increase of more
than 30 percent, according to Albert
Hughes, public works director. He
said the town generates about 71
tons of trash per month.
As proposed by the the county,
the county solid waste department
would "bill" itself for the cost of
collection and disposal of garbage
from county green box sites and off
set that cost against the tipping fees.
Alderman Wilton Harrelson said
"I think every citizen in the county
should pay equally. I dont think the
town should be singled out to pay for
the landfill
? Wilton Harrelson,
Shallotte Alderman
Shallotte residents don't mind pay
ing their share for solid waste dis
posal as long as residents of unin
corporated areas also pay.
"I think every citizen in the coun
ty should pay equally," Harrelson
said. "I don't think the town should
be singled out to pay for the land
fill."
Hughes said charging only the
towns discourages them from pro
viding trash pickup.
"It doesn't encourage us to pick it
up and carry it to them," he said.
County Manager David Clegg
said Brunswick County is the only
county in North Carolina that cur
rently doesn't charge a landfill fee.
The landfill is expected to run out of
space within seven years if residents
don't start recycling.
New Hanover County currently
charges haulers $36 per ton to dump
garbage and is considering raising
that fee for the next budget year.
Brunswick County's $30 to $35
fee was reached by dividing the esti
mated $890,000 annual landfill oper
ating budget by estimated billable
tonnage.
To encourage residents to recycle,
the county plans to eliminate green
box sites throughout the county and
to replace them with fewer but larger
convenience and recycling stations.
Only 1 percent of the county's
trash is presently being recycled,
county officials estimate.
Senate Bill 1 1 1 requires the coun
ty to install scales at all of its trans
fer stations by July 1. The law also
mandates that local governments re
duce the amount of garbage entering
landfills 25 percent by 1993.
Long Beach Town Manager
David Poston says under the coun
ty's plan less than half of the
garbage entering the landfill will be
"billable."
He estimates that 31 percent of
the county's population lives within
town limits that have trash collec
tion services. A majority, 69 percent,
of the solid waste producers live in
unincorporated areas and would not
be charged tipping fees, Poston said.
"It appears that what we arc deal
ing with is a billing problem,"
Poston stated. "Or, more simply,
how can we charge everyone fairly
for what garbage they generate."
Poston says taxpayers who al
ready pay higher taxes for a pnvuic
hauler will be charged twice, once
through the tipping fee and again
through their county taxes.
Poston said he wants the county
to consider some options that would
(See TIPPING, Page 2- A)
Three Charged With Rape, Robbery Of Area Couple
BY TERRY POPE
Brunswick County sheriff's detectives have
charged three men with first-degree rape and
common law robbery following an incident early
Sunday morning on Blueberry Farm Road (Hale
Swamp Road) just south of Shallotte.
Charged are William Earl Hill, 17, of Shallotte;
James Alfonza Gause, 20, of Route 1, Shallotte;
and Covia Dzell Smith, 18, of Route 2, Shallotte.
Hill, a student at West Brunswick High
School, was charged Monday while the other two
suspects were arrested Tuesday morning, said
Detective Kevin Holden.
All three were being held Tuesday in the
Brunswick County Jail under $200,000 bond.
According to Chief of Detectives Phil Peny, a
male and female were parked in a wooded area
on Blueberry Farm Road around 2 a.m. when
they were approached by three males.
"They were drug from the car and both were
beaten," Perry said. "She was raped repeatedly.
That's all that 1 can give you at this time."
Both victims were taken to The Brunswick
Hospital in Supply where they were treated and
released.
Both victims are from the Shallotte area.
The male victim was reportedly beaten and
held down while other suspects beat and raped
the female. Both victims were badly beaten. Per
ry said.
According to warrants filed, the suspects are
accused of taking $80 from the male victim dur
ing the incident.
"They are our only suspects," said Holden.
"We're not seeking any other suspects at this
lime."
Perry said detectives investigating the case al
so came across a 1988 Oldsmobile that had been
reported stolen from Northgate Auto Sales of
Myrtle Beach, S.C. Officers don't know at this
time if there is a connection between the two, he
said.
County Endorses
Plans To Reduce
Beaver Population
dv Trnnv nnnr
ui i ivivix i m v/i
A management program aimed at
reducing the number of beavers in
Brunswick and surrounding coun
ties may begin this winter.
Brunswick County Commission
ers Monday endorsed a regional
committee's plan to seek state, fed
eral, county and private funds to
ease damage caused by a local ex
plosion of the beaver population.
"The bottom line is, we're not
dealing with a landowner problem
per sc." said Milton Coleman, chair
man the Brunswick County Cooper
ative Extension Service. "We're
dealing with a community problem."
Coleman told commissioners that
beavers have been left unmanaged
for about five years in Brunswick
County, leading to an increase in
property damage caused by their
dams that slop the flow of water.
His office has conducted a survey
of county residents affected by bea
vers. People have reported four
flooded fields, seven blocked
canals, nine cases of timber loss and
one road flooded due to beaver ac
tivity.
U.S. 17 near Grissettown is re
portedly flooded during heavy rains
because of beaver lodges that block
drainage ditches built along the
roadside there.
Area leaders from Brunswick,
Columbus and Bladen counties met
"We're dealing
with a community
problem."
? Milton Coleman,
Extension Chairman
May 1 to propose a S46.000 pro
gram to help control the beaver
population. Options are to place a
bounty on beavers, possibly S25
each, giving hunters and trappers an
incentive to snare them; contracting
with a trapper to rid of the rodents;
or to relocate them.
Contracting with a trapper could
cost around $100 to SI 25 per day,
Coleman said.
Someone from another county
has said he would like to have the
beavers if any are relocated.
"He's a popular person right
now," added Coleman.
The committee is asking for
$4,000 each from the three counties,
$1,000 each from timber compa
nies, $15,000 from the state and
$15,000 in federal funds.
Coleman says Federal Paper
Board Co. stands to lose in excess
of $100,000 on a 60-acre tract near
Bolton due to flooding caused by
beaver dams. Three timber compa
(See BEAVER, Page 2-A)
Selection Of Northern
Bypass Routes Delayed
BY TERRY POPE
Residents of northern Brunswick
County must wait at least three more
weeks to see how a bypass of
Wilmington may affect their homes
and businesses.
Choosing two possible routes for
the Northern Outer Loop will take
the state a little longer than expected.
Greiner Inc. of Raleigh, a consult
ing firm hired by the N.C. Depart
ment of Transporation, had planned
to whittle its list of 26 possible
routes for the highway project down
to just two by May 1 .
Bui a public hearing scheduled iii
Wilmington Tuesday has delayed the
project by about three weeks, said
Rick Morse of Greiner Inc.
Morse said the New Hanover
County Board of Commissioners
scheduled its own public hearing on
the bypass after residents of the
Wrightsboro community complained
last month that the road would dis
rupt their homes.
Greiner agreed to attend Tues
day's hearing and to record the pub
lic comments, thus putting the selec
tion process on hold.
"This is time we feel we can easi
ly make up in the project to keep it
on schedule," Morse said.
The Northern Loop will link
Interstate 40 traffic with U.S. 17 at
Bishop, just north of Town Creek.
The estimated $111 million four-lane
highway will exit 1-40 near Castle
Hayne and take one of four proposed
routes across Castle Hayne Road.
Three of those routes travel through
the Wrightsboro community before
crossing into Brunswick County.
With only one option that avoids
the Wrightsboro community, Mor^e
said, residents there were concerned
and requested an additional chance
to comment
"I think, overall, Brunswick
County is very happy with the vari
ous alternatives given there," Morse
said. "I think it doesn't seem as con
troversial in Brunswick County."
Greiner Inc. held two presenta
tions in Brunswick County in April,
one for the Leland Town Council
aim oiiOuiCa lui u sv iiuvuSou * 1
Council, said Morse. Written com
ments were received by Leland offi
cials, Brunswick County govern
ment, Brunswick County Resources
Development Commission office
and the South Brunswick Islands
Chamber of Commerce.
By the end of May, Greiner will
recommend two alternate routes to
DOT. Those two routes will undergo
further study by Greiner to deter
mine the environmental, social and
economic impact of each.
The results of the study will be
summarized in a draft Environmental
Impact Statement, which will be
available for public review just prior
to an April 1992 public hearing.
Brunswick County officials en
dorsed the northernmost alternative
route for the bypass in Brunswick
County, to bring traffic near but not
through the Leland Industrial Park
on U.S. 74-76. Leland officials en
dorsed a more northern course also.