N C. DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION MAP
THIS MAP shows the two alternative routes being considered for a Wilmington bypass that will link U.S. 17 in Brunswick County with
1-40. Selection of a preferred route is approximately a year off.
DOT Trims Northern Bypass Routes To Two
BY TERRY POPE
Both routes choscn as possible corridors for a
Wilmington bypass will travel north of Lcland
and Navassa, it was announced by the N.C.
Department of Transportation Tuesday.
Officials of those two towns had been con
cerned bccausc of the 26 possible routes for the
Northern Outer Loop project, several would
have divided the communities virtually in half.
Rick Morse of Grciner Inc. of Raleigh, the
consulting firm hired by DOT to study the pro
ject, said some DOT board members unveiled
the two routes at a Wilmington Chamber of
Commerce meeting Tuesday.
The estimated Sill million four-lane high
way will exit Interstate 40 near Castle Hayne
and take one of the two proposed routes into
Brunswick County. It is designed to route 1-40
traffic heading south around Wilmington.
The decision to choose two routes was de
layed by about 30 days because an additional
public hearing was held in Wilmington after
residents of the Wrightsboro community com
plained that the road would disrupt their neigh
borhood.
A route that would use the existing U.S. 421
and U.S. 17-74-76 highways through northern
Brunswick County was one of the routes elimi
nated.
The two routes choscn for further study ap
parently would have the greatest impact on resi
dents of the Phoenix community in northern
Brunswick County and on the county's Leland
Industrial Park.
One alternative would travel south of the
Phoenix community while the other route would
travel north of Phoenix.
Southern Alternative
One of the routes chosen does travel through
the Wrightsboro community before heading into
Brunswick County.
Termed the "Southern Alternative," the route
follows the original path proposed by the
Brunswick County Major Thoroughfare Plan
adopted by DOT in February 1988. That plan
was also endorsed by Wilmington and New
Hanover County at that time.
The route would exit 1-40 at Castle Haync,
cross the Northeast Cape Fear River north of the
New Hanover County Refuse Fired Steam Plant
on U.S. 421 and then cross the Cape Fear River
and its associated wetlands in northern
Brunswick County.
"At this point, the corridor angles north to
avoid the town of Navassa and the CSX Davis
Rail Yard," said Morse.
The southern route would then turn south and
cross U.S. 74-76 west of the Leland Industrial
Park at Malmo and connect with U.S. 17 just
north of Bishop.
It is a route the Brunswick County Resources
Development Commission endorsed in a resolu
tion adopted Jan. 14 of this year, staling that the
bypass would be valuable to operations of the
industrial park.
However, when other alternatives were made
available in March, county officials endorsed a
more northern route to keep the bypass right of
way from eating away at valuable park property.
Northern Alternative
The "Northern Alternative" would exit 1-40
at the same spot at Castle Hayne and take a
more northern turn through New Hanover
County, thus avoiding the Wrightsboro commu
nity.
It would then travel northeast of the General
Electric plant and southwest of the Castle
Hayne Industrial Park and cross U.S. 421 north
of the New Hanover County landfill.
However, the route would then cross the
Cape Fear River north of Sutton Lake before
passing through Du Pont company property
south of the existing plant. It would then cross
U.S. 74-76 west of the Leland Industrial Park
and take the same route from there to the
Bishop community on U.S. 17. The park prop
erty would be avoided.
Grciner's two routes will now undergo a
more detailed study to be included in an Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) sched
uled for completion in March 1992, said Morse.
The two routes were chosen after the firm
studied public comments, business and residen
tial relocations, wetland and protected species
impacts, compatibility with local land use and
transportation plans and impacts to churches,
schools and cemeteries.
The detail analysis of the two routes will in
clude surveys of wetlands, estimation of right of
way costs, identification of interchange locations,
examination of existing and future traffic vol
umes and air and noise impacts of the highway.
After the DEIS goes to a public hearing in
April 1992, DOT will choose one route for the
bypass.
Greiner will then draft, by November 1992, a
final environmental impact statement on the
recommended route.
Sinking Of Boat Remains
A Mystery
(Continued From Page 1-A)
the two sailors saw something bob
bing in the ocean and heard a strange
sound around 5 p.m. As they got
closer, they saw Richardson waving
his arms and yelling for help.
"Right before we got to him,
Mike looked over at me and said,
'He's got a dead man with him',"
Carter said.
Richardson had one of his com
panions in a choke hold. When he
grabbed the sailboat, he let go of the
other man, who quickly drifted out
of reach in the strong current.
The sailors had a decision to
make. They had a choice of going
after the dead man, or bringing
Richardson to shore immediately
for medical attention.
Efremov, a resident of Reston,
Va? who frequently visits Holden
Beach, said they decided to do what
they could for the survivor, who
was shivering and blue when he
climbcd aboard the sailboat.
"When he got on the boat he
didn't look good," Carter said. "It
was evident he was in shock and ex
hausted."
Carter guided the sailboat onto
the bcach in front of their rental
house at 917 Ocean Blvd. West
about 10 minutes after picking up
the survivor.
Anita Efrcmov, an emergency
room nurse, looked after Richardson
while her husband called the rescue
squad and sheriff's department
Coastline Volunteer Rescue
Squad transported Richardson to
The Brunswick Hospital in Supply,
where he was treated and released
the same night
Local rescue volunteers had re
covered the bodies of the three
drowning victims by 6:30 p.m. They
were pulled from tl>e ocean just west
of the Holden Beach Fishing Pier.
Brunswick County Emergency
Management Coordinator Cecil Lo
gan said this week that the ocean
was rough at the time of the acci
dent, but nobody really knows why
the boat sank so quickly.
Logan said the survivor told au
thorities that all four men rushed to
the back of the boat to bail it out
when it started taking on water.
Three of the men weighed around
200 pounds each.
"The boat probably stood straight
up on its end and went straight
down," Logan said. "You put that
much poundage in the back of a boat,
and something's got to happen."
Logan said he went out Shallotte
Inlet Saturday to the area where the
boating accident occurred and saw
no signs of the sunken boat.
The U.S. Coast Guard had not re
covered the boat as of Tuesday, ac
cording to a spokesman at the Oak
Island station who refused to give
his name.
Correction
The Brunswick Beacon erred last
week when it reported that Bruns
wick County Public Utilities Direc
tor Jerry Webb had been accused in
a study of the county water system
of delivering criticism to his em
ployees in a public forum.
Those comments were instead
leveled against Water System Direc
tor Kenneth Hewett in the opera
tions review issued by David M.
Griffith and Associates.
The Beacon regrets the error.
1
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N.C. Sales Tax .32 .27
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TOTAL 10.30 9.25
Elsewhere In North Carolina 06.30 U5.30
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Budget Causes Little Talk
(Continued From Page 1-A)
ing Tuesday were Brunswick
County Board of Education mem
bers Bob Slockett and Donna
Baxter, along with Schools
Superintendent P.R. Hankins and
Assistant Superintendent Bill
Turner. However, they did not ad
dress the board.
District 3 Commissioner Gene
Pinkerton said Monday he wants the
board to give more money to the
N.C. Marine Crescent and
Biunswick Community College.
Pinkerton wants to move $5,400
from the Resources Development
Commission budget to the Marine
Crescent to boost its allocation. The
county has it budgeted at $3,000.
Pinkerton also wants to move
$25,300 to the BCC budget to give
it a 5 percent increase, the same as
the Brunswick County Schools.
However, school system flnancc
officer Rudi Fallon told Brunswick
County Board of Education mem
bers Monday night that the schools
would receive only a 1.3 percent, or
$98,057, over the $7.4 million re
ceivcd last year. The county is also
willing to obligate itselT to a cash
advance, if needed, on projected
sales tax revenues of SI. 4 million.
The money would be applied to
construction of the new Supply
Elementary School.
Of that 525,300 increase
Pinkerton proposed, $9,150 would
come from the RDC, S2.300 from
the governing body budget, and
S13.700 from the county capital re
serve fund.
"This leaves the county capital
reserves with S21 1,300, which I be
lieve will build the warehouse
planned for the complex and the ad
ditions to the drivers' license de
partment," said Pinkerton.
Under the changes, RDC would
still receive a 5 percent increase in
funding, he said.
"1 believe all three of these de
partments share in the growth, in
dustrial and community develop
ment (of Brunswick County) and
this provides a fair distribution of
funds available," said Pinkerton.
The board took no action on his
request.
Brown Water Looked Ugly
But No Threat To Humans
It looked brown, but it tasted fine.
Sediment in Brunswick County
water lines had residents taking a
second look at their water glasses
over the weekend.
The brown water continued to
flow in the South Brunswick Islands
Monday as the Brunswick County
Water Department worked to flush
lines to help remove the loosened
sediment.
Residents, upset by the discol
oration, were assured that the water
was of no threat to their health ? it
just didn't look very appetizing.
Brunswick County Manager Da
vid Clcgg told county commission
ers Monday that routine flushing of
the lines and annual drainage of the
Bell Swamp storage tank at Winna
bow caused particles to loosen from
the bottom of the tank and to flow
south.
"We've had a lot of people con
cerned about the water," said Clcgg.
Public Utilities Director Jerry
Webb, in a memo to Clegg, stated
that the discolored water had been
tested and contained no particles
harmful to humans.
By Monday evening, flushing of
the lines along U.S. 17 to Shallotte
had been completed. Rushing of
lines along N.C. 179 to Sunset Beach
was to continue Tuesday, Clegg said.
People wondering why the water
was brown called town halls at
Shallotte, Holden Beach, Ocean Isle
Beach and Sunset Beach starling
late Friday.
"Right before 1 left Friday one of
the restaurants called me and said
their water was brown," said Ocean
Isle Beach Secretary Peggy Pel&sara.
Phebie McLean, secretary at
Shallotte Town Hall, said she re
ceived between 25 and 30 calls
about the water.
A number of people also called
the Holdcn Beach Town Hall when
they noticed their water had turned
brown. Joyce Shore, a secretary
there, said she was told Saturday the
water would be cleared up in two or
three hours.
"Everybody's kind of wondering
what's happening," said Ms. Shore.
She said county water system of
ficials said the water was fine to
drink. "They said there was nothing
in it that would hurt anybody," she
added.
Calabash Town Clerk Janet
Thomas said Monday nobody called
town hall to complain. One person
told her the water was discolored at
the Village at Calabash, loeated just
outside town.
Water at Sunset Beach ranged
from yellow to a muddy brown, said
Town Administrator Linda Flucgcl.
"It started Thursday and all it did
was get worse," she said. "The far
ther down the line you go the more
yellow the water. Thai's probably
why ours is more yellow than any
body else's."
Drop In Sales Tax Revenues
Puts Pinch On School Funds
BY SUSAN USHER
A decline in saJes tax revenues is
putung plans to replace the South
port Elementary School cafeteria on
hold at least until January.
The delay is part of an overall belt
tightening by state and county agen
cies resulting in pan from a sluggish
economy. Based on current revenue
projections, money isn't available
now for the project. Finance Officer
R"d. Fallon told the Brunswick
County Board of Education Monday
night in a budget update.
The school board will hold a spe
cial meeting June 24 at 6:30 p.m. at
its offices m Southport to adopt a
revised budget for the coming year
Plans for the 5746,000 Souihport
project called for renovating the ex
isting cafeteria space into class
rooms to eliminate use of several
mobile units, and construction of a '
new cafeteria.
At a meeting of school and coun
ly officials last week, Ms. Fallon
saul a plan was worked out to insure
funds are available in a timely fash
ion for the new elementary school
being built at Supply. Counting ar
chitectural design fees still out
standing and a spccial reserve con
tingency fund requested by the
county, S6.1 million is budgeted for
uic project.
But the county asked that the oth
er project be put on hold, she said
to be reviewed in January as part of
a passible 'expansion" budget.
The school board had asked the
county to increase its budget by 6 7
percent or S497.457. to a to*l of
J>/.5 million.
Commissioners are proposing on
>y a 1.3 percent increase of S98 057
which will effect both the general
operating and capital outlay budgets
of the school system.
Mrs. Fallon said the increase will
not be enough to offset even an ex
pected cut of SI 50.000 in state
funding ofschool energy costs. The
budget also doesn't reflect funding
for a drug testing program proposed
for certain vehicle operators.
Schools To Wail And See
Before recommending where oth
er cuts should be made or how
Tcl?. ?f. ^ system's reserves
should be be tapped, however, Mrs
rallon said she wants to see how the
state handles salaries. The budget
includes 2 percent for salary in
creases. If the state gives no in
?r glVes lower '"creases,
diat will free money in the budget to
U,^ ,'n maintaining programs.
While the school system is in
good financial condition, cuts in
state funding could squeeze next
year s budget even tighter.
It may take a cash advance from
the county, but money will be avail
tL* nfdcd 10 build thc new
Supply Elementary School. The
project is budgeted at S6.1 million
counting S5.3 million for construc
tion, outstanding architectural fees
and an S800.000 reserve contingen
cy fund requested by thc county to
cover any unforeseen needs.
Monday's meeting momentarily
turned into a math class on addition
subtraction and probabilities as Mrs.'
allon explained the project budget.
clu^nSril?fICf0rthcPr?jcct in
clude S2.5 million in sales tax rev
phjT$693 0fS 35 ?f JU"C 30' I990
plus 5693 000 in state construction
WillHm T SS,Sliim Superintendent
Willuun Turner applied for and re
ceived prior to a freeze on those
funds. In contrast to the previous
year, the school system expects to
receive sales tax revenues of only
SI. 4 million this year.
So far they've earned 51,118,381
earned this fiscal year, with addi
tional anticipated income with inter
est conservatively projected at
S340.000.
Another S383.296 returned to the
county from fiscal year 1990 is
available, since county commission
ers agreed then to apply the money
to the new school.
Of the S5.1 million total available
now, the system expects to have
spent S400.000 by June 30. That
leaves S4.72 million.
County Offers Advance
To make up the balance needed,
the county is willing to advance to
the schools, as needed, up to SI. 4
million in the half-cent sales lax
revenues it expects the schools to
receive for the 1991 92 business
year, said Mrs. Fallon. In turn, as
the tax revenues come in, the school
system will repay the county.
'They're willing to work with us
on it," she said.
Other capital expenditures intact
in the budget are upgrades of sever
al school sewer plants, site im
provements, carpeting, matching
funds for stadium bleachers at
North Brunswick High School and
new fire hydrants at the two South
Brunswick schools.
In addition to the cafeteria, pro
jects to be delayed include new gym
floors at several schools and gym
bleachers at the high schools.
Other Business
In other action, the board:
?Approved a tentative Chapter 1
remeidial reading program proposal
for the coming year. With a pro
posed federal budget of SI. 43 mil
lion, the project would serve 850 or
more students in eight schools.
?Authorized Assistant Superinten
dent William Turner to sell some
surplus equipment or otherwise dis
pose of it as allowed under state
law. While it cannot give away pub
licly owned property, the board is
interested in letting non-profit
groups and churches know when
such items are going to be sold.
?Learned from Assistant Superin
tendent William Turner that the
school system had a net property
loss of $6,400 this year as the result
of theft or vandalism, excluding re
pairs made by system employees.
Thieves stole or damaged property
valued at $21,000, of which $2,550
was recovered and another $12,000
will be covered by insurance.
THE BRUNSWKIffcttACON
Established Nov. 1, 1962
Telephone 754-6890
Published Every Thursday
At 4709 Main Street
Shallotte, N.C. 28459
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