Twenty-ninth Year, Number 35
Most Government Offices To Close For July Fourth
With one exception, government
offices and financial institutions in
the South Brunswick Islands area
will be closed for the Independence
Day holiday on July 4, as will some
area businesses.
The Town of Ocean Isle Beach
is the exception. Its town hall wili
be open July 4 from X a.m. to 5
p.m. for the convenience of visitors
and non-resident property owners.
Town halls at Calabash, Sunset
Beach, Holden Beach, Shallotte
and Bolivia will be closed
Thursday, its will the Brunswick
County Government Center in
Bolivia and other county and state
offices.
The Brunswick Beacon office
will be among local businesses
closed Thursday.
For the July 1 1 issue, advertising
and news deadlines will be at their
regular times.
cmuH.iwiww.ww Shallotte, No
? ? ? ?
$1.2 MILLION GOES TO SOLID WASTE
Commissioners Split Over Final Budget
^ STAFF PHOTO BY TERRV POP
f ()MMISS!()\'F.Rs VOTE 3-2 to adopt the 1991-92 county budget. Hoard members are, from left, Frankie Rabon, Donald Shaw, Kelly
H olden, Jerry Jones and Gene Pinkerton.
BY TKRRY POPE
A divided Brunswick Cou> y
Board of Commissioners listened to
a divided audicncc Friday before
adopting a 1991-92 county budget,
3-2.
The final version slices more than
SI. 2 trillion away from a number of
dcpi jnents to pay for solid waste
disposal.
As of Friday, House Bill 86,
which would allow the county to
charge an improved parcel fee for
cach lot that contains a dwelling or
establishment had not cleared the
final h'.irrtle in ihr siato r,%-> ?(: "n?(*
fees would financc the county's sul
id waste deparunent.
The S35 million budget is contin
gent upon HB 86 failing, said Vice
Chairman Jerry Jones. However, if
the bill should pass, a number of
budget amendments would be adopt
ed to return the SI. 2 million to de
partments that faced the ax Friday
morning.
Jones' motion transfers to the sol
id waste department an anticipated
S400.000 in state reimbursements
along with the following amounts:
5225,000 from capital reserves;
SI 53, (XX) in builgci reductions from
the June 17 meeting; S250,(X)0 in
fire and rescue district allocations;
$54,696 to cut six months in fund
ing for six new Emergency Medical
Services positions; $14,(XX) from"
the general lund; S16,(XK) for an en
gineering department vchicic;
S2.300 from governing body and
$103,720 from health department
fee increases also adopted by the
board Friday.
The motion transfers SI, 2 18,7 16
to solid waste.
Commissioners Jones, Kelly Hol
rjrn ;<nd Donald Shaw voted for the
motion while Frankie Rabon and
Gene Pinkerton, both saying they
needed more time to work on the
budget, voled against it.
The budget will keep its 68.5
cents per S100 of property valua
tion, the same as last year. It's based
on real property value of S4.05 bil
lion and a collection rate of 95.3
percent for projected tax revenues
of $26.4 million.
A Board Divided
For Pinkerton, it was his first
vole against a county budget since
he was elected to the board in 1988.
When Shaw and Jones were elected
in November, it gave the county an
all-Republican board of commis
sioners, but recent votes on key is
sues indicate a lack of unity.
"Unfortunately, 1 think the
board's divided," said Pinkcrton fo -
lowing Friday's meeting. "We'rt
not having any dialogue. I simply
don't think the budget was worked
on enough in proportion to the job
to be done. There was less than
three hours spent on it."
Chairman Holden called objec
tions to the proposed budget a
"sltow and dance" for those in the
ludience. The board agreed to hold
a public forum, allowing each
speaker three minutes to comment,
after an estimated 75 people showed
up at the government complex Fri
day morning.
"All of the commissioners had
the same information," Holden said.
"They knew exactly what was being
proposed."
Holden said County Manager Da
vid Clcgg, who was in Raleigh Fri
day, had determined the board could
adopt a budget contingent on parcel
fees. County Tax Administrator
Boyd Williamson has estimated the
parcci fee at about S35 per im
proved lot instead of die previous
S40 estimate.
"I have always voted for the bud
get," Holdcn pointed out following
the meeting. "All three years."
Cuts Criticized
Cut arc plans to build a storage
warehouse and drivers' license of
fice building at the complex in
Bolivia and district allocations to
the county's fire and rescue units.
Holdcn said no county fire or res
cue department currently has less
than S30.000 in its contingency
fund. Both Rabon and Pinkerton
criticized the board's move to cut
those allocations.
"It overwhelms me to think that
we're considering cutting out 100
percent of that budget," said Pinkcr
ton. "1 ca.Vt vote to adopt this bud
get. That would mean 1 would be
indorsing this budget."
Rabon suggested the county adopt
an interim budget until the fate of
parcci fees is settled. He questioned
if the county could "take action on a
budget basal on what the state is go
(See FINAL, Page 2-A)
Health Board Looks At County Personnel Cuts
TU? T? :?i. n ... n 1 ?- ? ? ? ? ?? - - -
The Brunswick County Board of Health was
to hold a special meeting Tuesday, Inly at
7:30 p.m., to discuss changes in the environ
mental health department, said Health Director
Michael Rhodes.
As part of the 1991-92 county budget cuts,
Gary McDonald's position as environmental
health supervisor I was eliminated.
"Today is the first day that we've been with
out that position," said Rhodes on Monday.
"The board needs to do some restructuring."
Rhodes said that is the only item on the agen
da.
McDonald served as a supervisor for site in
spections for persons needing septic lank per
mits. He also worked the field, doing site evalu
ations during peak periods, said Commissioner
Frankie Rabon, who serves on the health board.
The board voted June 17 to eliminate the po
sition along with a number of other personnel
cuts. At a meeting Friday, Rabon's motion to re
instate McDonald to his job failed, 2-3.
Commissioners Kelly Holdcn, Donald Shaw
and Jerry Jones voted against the motion.
Commissioner Gene Pinkerton voted with
Rabon.
The health board notified the press of the
special meeting Friday afternoon, before reports
were published Saturday asserting that its vice
chairman, Jerry D. Lewis, had approached
county commissioners to help rush a special im
provement permit to speed a project Lewis is
working on at St. James Plantation. Lewis is al
so a member of the state Environmental
Management Commission.
The report stated that Lewis works as project
director for Longvicw Golf Corp., which is
building a clubhouse and golf course at St.
James on N.C. 211 near Southport.
An improvement permit can be obtained be
fore the state has had time to review plans for a
sewer system.
Rhodes said Monday that matter was not on
the agenda.
Fire, Rescue
Districts To Get
Money After All
ny TERRY POPE
What Brunswick County
Commissioners took from the coun
ty's fire and rescue departments
Friday, they gave back Monday
nigiu wiiiiuui iicsiiaiiuu ? 3250,000.
The board has stressed in recent
weeks how tight the 1991-92 budget
is stretched.
However, an amendment adopted
Monday allows the county to dip in
to the its fund balance, returning to
the fire and rescue districts money
the board took Friday to help fund
wav .IWIIU HU.HW VIVpiU UIIVIIl>
District 3 Commissioner Gene
Pinkcrton's motion to return the
S25(),(HK) passed 4-0. Commissioner
Donald Shaw was out sick, said
County Manager David Clcgg.
The vote came just minutes after
Brunswick
County Fire and
Rescue Associa
tion President Al
Nori of Civic
town told the
board that de
partments could
not afford to
lose the money
thisAP,SCf,ysCa5 NORD
About 25 lire
and rescue personnel from various
county departments crowded into
the commissioners' chambers for
Monday's meeting.
The money will come from the
county's operating budget, noted
Clcgg, who said the vote was a sur
prise to him.
Counties o|>eraic for six months
of the year on a fund balance, a fig
ure that fluctuates, said Clcgg, until
taxes are collected.
Each of the five county fire and
rescue districts annually receive
S50,00() to be placed in a contingen
cy lund to be shared by departments
in that district.
"c: ? _i.. ?Ua..
uvvuu^v/ uiv jr up|nv/['i iui
cd the money doesn't mean it will
be spent," said Clcgg. "It's not like
the fire and rcscuc departments can
spend it at leisure."
Purchases must be recommended
to a commissioner in the disu icl for
approval.
Pinkcrton said some fire and rcs
cuc departments arc operating on
tight budgets.
The S250.000 taken Friday was
part of SI. 2 million transferred to
the solid waste department. The
move was made in case House Bill
86, which would allow the county
to cliargc an improved parcel fee to
help fund solid waste disposal, is
not approved.
Clcgg expected the state Senate
to vote on HB 86 Tuesday aftcr
(See FIRE, Page 2-A)
DA's Office Not Probing
Board's Personnel Cuts
BY TERRY POPE
District Attorney Rex Gore says
he will not investigate accusations
of discrimination by the Brunswick
County Board of Commissioners
based on the information he has re
ceived.
"Unless something major turns
up in alfadavits, there's nothing for
the DA's office to probe," said Gore
on Friday.
Brunswick County Democratic
Party Chairman Crawford M. Hart
of Boiling Spring Lakes accused
commissioners last week of making
cuts in county personnel for racial
and political reasons.
Hart held a press conference to
call for a criminal investigation of
the board members that voted to cut
several county workers from the
payroll while trimming the 1991-92
county budget.
The controversy stems from cuts
made June 17 when the board voted
3-2 to eliminate the position of
clerk to the board, held by Regina
Alexander for 17 years, and to reas
sign those duties to the county man
ager's administrative assistant, Kel
ly Barefoot.
Ms. Alexander is black and Ms.
Barefoot is white. Two other contro
versial cuts involve white Demo
naLv Fcdily Vereen, former chair
man of the board of commissioners
and assistant director of operation
services; and Gary McDonald, envi
ronmental health supervisor I with
the Brunswick County Health De
partment.
Hart has also contacted State At
torney General Lacy Thornburg's
officc to ask for an investigation.
Commissioners Kelly Holden,
Donald Shaw and Jerry Jones voted
for the cuts, but they have denied
(See PROBE, Page 2-A)
BURIED SINCE WORLD WAR II
Visitor Uncovers Airplane Wing On Ocean Isle Beach Strand
BY doik; r utter
An old airplane wing uncovered
on the Ocean Isle Beach slrand last
week is believed to be the remains
of an American military plane that
crash landed during World War 11.
A visitor from Asheboro uncov
ered part of the wing while digging
in the sand last Tuesday, but it was
covered back up when the tide came
in. The wing is located below the
high tide line toward the cast end of
the island.
Herman Love of Shallotte, who
was stationed at Ocean Isle Beach
with the U.S.
' Coast Guard
j wp \k during World
y War II, said he
B thinks the wing
V -3 found last week
a - , * ? is from a P-47
' fighter plane
jr that landed on
the bcach in
w 1944.
LOVE ..] was rigjll
there when it went down," he said.
"There's possibly some more of it
around there closc."
Ocean Isle Mayor Belly William
son said the town wouldn't put a
backhoc on the strand and try to re
move the wing at least until after
the Fourth of July holiday, when the
island's population is expected to
lop 20, (XX).
"You really don't need to go out
digging the strand with so many
tourists on the strand," she said.
"That has been there, it appears, for
many years so there is no immedi
ate danger."
The mayor also said water de
partment employees, who would
operate ihe backhoc. will likely be
very busy during the holiday week.
Love, a former Brunswick Coun
ty commissioner and retired Bruns
wick County Scnools employee,
said a P 47 Thunderbolt was forced
to crash land on the strand in early
l')44 due to high oil pressure. No
body was injured, he said.
The pilot was involved in target
practice training at Ocean Isle
Beach and safely landed the plane
near the high tide line. When the
"His shovel hit something that he knew
wc.s different than sand. That got his
curiosity up and he kept digging."
? Donna Menius
Ocean Isle visitor
tide tame buck in, ihc plane was
partially covered with sand.
Love said the Army Air Corps re
moved some of the equipment from
the plane including bomb sights, ra
dios and the nose of the propeller.
Because the plane was damaged
by salt water, however, the Army
left it in the sand. Love said the mil
itary tried to blow up part of the
plane that wasn't buried.
Ocean Isle Beach Police Chief
Curt Pritchard, who saw the wing
after the tide started covering it
back up last Tuesday, said it was
"well-preserved."
He said he's not sure if any other
parts of the plane are buried in the
same location. The visiior who
found ii uncovered a 15-fool stretch
of thc<wing, which may or may not
he all of it.
Pritchard said the gray-green
wing appeared to be made out of a
heavy aluminum, like a military air
craft wing.
Myrtle Beach Air Force Base offi
cials told the policc department ihey
don't need to get involved in the
matter unless explosives arc found.
David Menius of Ashcboro, who
has been vacationing at Ocean Isle
Beach for 18 years, uncovered part
of the aircraft wing last Monday
while digging in the sand with a
shovel near his rental cottage.
He found il about three feet deep
in the sand, according to his wife,
Donna. "His shovel hit something
that he knew was different than
sand," she said. "That got his cu
riosity up and he kept digging."
An incoming tide prevented
Menius from identifying his find, so
he paced off the distance from the
steps at his cottage and waited for
Tuesday afternoon's low tide.
"We just knew we found buried
treasure," Mrs. Menius said. "We
joked about it all Monday night."
Menius started digging again
Tuesday, and two other vacationers
helped out with their shovels. To
gether, they dug a trench about three
feet wide, three feet deep and 15
feet long.
Mrs. Menius said they uncovered
part of a wing, which could be iden
tified by its flaps. "The kids were
just crazy all down the bcach," she
said.
Military planes used Ocean Isle
Bcach for an aerial gun range dur
ing World War II when the island
was still uninhabited. Love said the
P-47s were nose-heavy and required
a long runway to lake off and land.
"It was a pretty good size fighter,
and it was a heavy fighter," Love
said of the P-47. "It was kind of
short and stubby. It was a very of
lcctive plane during World War II."
Love served with the Coast Guard
at Ocean Isle from March 1943 to
August 1944 before going overseas.
The Coast Guard had a barracks
on the island, and men patrolled the
beach on horseback to look for sub
marines off the coast and enforce
the blackout. A' one time, Love said
there were 16 horses and 24 men on
the island.
The Army Aii Corps flew P-47s
out of Blumcnthal Field in Wilm
ington, which is now called New
Hanover International Airport.
Love said another P-47 crash
landed on the Occan Isle Beach
strand in 1944, but it later flew back
to Wilmington. At" least two other
planes crashcd in Brunswick Coun
ty during the war, according to
Ouida Hcwett.