Botched Census Effort
Still Perturbing Town
BY DOUG kuttkr
Nearly u year alter preliminary census
figures for 1990 were released, Shallotte
officials arc still trying to convince the fed
eral government that their official popula
tion for the town is several hundred people
short.
"1 thought at one time we were getting
somewhere," Mayor Sarah Tripp said at the
town board meeting last Wednesday.
Shallollc officials protested both the
preliminary census figure of 828 that was
released last September and a revised pop
ulation of 965 released in January. They
say the population is closcr to 1,400.
The W.S. Census Bureau is sticking
with 965 as the official population for now,
but it has promised to issue a "revised cer
tified census count" later this year.
tar her this summer, the bureau admit
ted it made an error in figuring the
Shallollc census bccausc it thought that
some people who live inside the town lim
its resided outside of the town.
Shallotte officials want the official cen
sus figure corrected because some suite
revenues, such as sales tax, arc distributed
to towns based on their population.
Public Works Director Albert Hughes
and Alderman Jody Simmons said last
week they plan to attend an Aug. 21 meet
ing in Lumberton relating to problems with
census figures.
Alderman Wilton Harrclson suggested
the town contact the N.C. League of
Municipalities to find out how other com
munities are dealing will) similar problems.
In the meantime. Congressman Charlie
Rose has taken Shallotte's case to the
Census Bureau's count resolution unit, ac
cording to a July 19 letter to Mayor Tripp.
Rose said the resolution process re
quires the collection of records such as tax
returns and sewer hills that prove the num
ber of households in an area. The town has
already furnished Rose with the records he
needs.
The congressman says in the letter that
he is "extremely concerned" about the ef
fects low counts in Shallottc and other
communities will have on federal lunds
and services provided to towns.
"Rest assured that 1 am doing every
thing possible to minimize die clfccts of
the undcrcounts as they w ill serve as a ma
jor disadvantage to all of us," he wrote.
Besides the count resolution process,
Kose vnd other options include filing a
lawsuit or joining an existing suit. Several
cities and states have decided to take legal
action to get their official counts adjusted.
In his letter. Rose also said Congress is
considering legislation that would mandate
an adjustment in the 19W population fig
ures and establish an independent panel to
improve the next census.
"This is a workable solution and a com
mendable idea, but docs nothing to solve
the immediate problem," Kose wrote.
Shallotte Board Wants Boom Boxes Turned Down
by doik; ruttkr
ShiiMoac officials warn io control
things thai rumble in ihc night
rhcy rc not worried about ghosts
and goblins. They simply want the
owners of vehicles with extremal J
powerful stereos to lower the vol
umc. 1
Alderman Joe Hcwett said the
fWF- Wh,.t h are com?'<)n
blwSf " h, ,i?W ?dcrs" or
C'dcrly P^P'c and
can dc a nuisance.
"Tonight, for instance, I thought
U was thunder and I went out only
front porch and it was boom boxes "
Hcwett said at last week's town
KM:-" was coming
tance and have been known to
shake houses. Televised demonstra
tions have shown how the blaring
sounds break glasses.
Hcwett said the town could take
care of the situation by enforcing its
noise ordinance, which prohibits
unreasonably loud, disturbing and
unnecessary noise in the town."
He said the town shouldn't harass
h V?TS ol "boom boxes," but
snould let them know the town
wont tolerate excessively loud
noises. Other board members
agreed although no action was tak
en on the issue last Wednesday
Hewett said it may be hard for
police to enforce the ordinance.
You call them and by the time thev
get there, they're gone and booming
somewhere else."
Mayor Sarah Tripp said Shallottc
sn t the only town that has prob
lems with loud ear stereos
The -boom boxes" have become
jxjpular with young drivers in the
last few years. Owners in some ar
eas have formed "low rider" clubs.
Hearings Set
In other matters, aldermen agreed
to hold public hearings next week
Physician Injured
In Office Mishap
A Shallottc area physician was in
serious condition Tuesday at New
Hanover Regional Medical Center
following a weekend accident at his
olficc.
Dr. Michael Wilkerson injured
his lungs and face Saturday when
he was squirted with a jet of cold
liquid while working with an instru
ment used to freeze lesions, accord
ing to a partner, Dr. Marcus Wil
liams.
?, ?UC 10 ^ nalure of the injury
Williams said he took Wilkerson to
the Wilmington facility. Williams
said a specialist was needed to han
dle the freeze injury.
He said Wilkerson could be back
to work in two or three weeks. "The
surgeons up there felt he was goinu
to heal well," Williams said.
In the meantime, Williams and
another partner in Brunswick
Islands Medical Associates, Dr
Gary Ross, will handle Wilkcrson's
patients.
"/ thought it was thunder and I went out
on my front porch and it was boom boxes.
Where it was coming from I don't know."
? Joe Hewctt
Alderman
on a pro|K)scd variance from the
sign ordinance anil annexation and
zoning requests in Brierwood
Estates.
The variance would allow a sec
ond free-standing sign at Handcc
Hugo's convenience store located at
the corner of N.C. 130 West and
U.S. 17 bypass. A hearing will be
held Wednesday, Aug. 21. at 7:30
p.m.
Mike Underwood of Handcc
Hugo's said motorists on the bypass
can't see an existing sign that faces
N.C. 130 until they've driven past
the store. He wants a second sign
that would facc the bypass.
When Underwood first brought
his problem to the town board last
month, aldermen asked the planning
board to review the sign ordinance
and consider amending it to allow
two signs on corner lots instead of
just one.
However, the planning board has
recommended the ordinance not be
changed. Public Works Director
Albert Hughes said board members
didn't want to revise the rule but
didn't say they would oppose a vari
ance.
Alderman David Gausc agreed
with Underwood's contention that
the existing sign can't be seen from
the bypass.
Hughes said he thinks the situa
tion creates an "undue hardship,"
which is one of the qualifications
for granting a variance.
Another hearing will be held next
Wednesday on the zoning of .X4
acrcs at Brierwood Golf Club where
the golf cart shed is located. The
planning board recommended the
land be zoned R- 1 5.
Charles and Ellen Allen also have
requested the annexation of a lot in
Brierwood. Planners arc in support
of the annexation.
Other Business
In other business last week, al
dermen:
? Heard a report from Fire Chief
Tim Carter on proposed changes in
the fire district lines. The lines may
be changed somewhat when the 911
emergency telephone system is
started. Carter said Shallottc's fire
district might be extended to in
clude Red Bug and Gray Bridge
roads.
? Discussal ways ihe town can
help rcducc the number of vacan
cies in shopping centers, such as
adding signs ai both ends and along
the bypass pointing the way to the
downtown business district. "The
recession has been a little hard on
everybody," said Alderman Jody
Simmons, who noted vacancies at
his Village Pines officc complex.
? Discussed imposing more reg
ulations on roadside vegetable
stands and sealood dealers. Town
officials said some people have
complained about them being "eye
sores" and receiving the same bene
fits as other business owners with
out paying town taxes.
? Talked about needed street im
provements in Brierwood Estates
and other areas of town. Mrs. Tripp
appointed Gausc and Simmons to a
committee that will recommend
where improvements should be
made.
Soldier Drowns At Long Beach
A Fort Bragg Army corporal
drowned in the ocean while fishing
near the west end of Long Beach
Saturday night.
Daniel Cru/., 31, of Spring Lake,
drowned around midnight Saturday
while he and three friends were set
ting fishing nets near Lockwood
Folly Inlet, said Maj. Johnny Free
man of the Long Beach Police De
partment.
Freeman said Cruz and another
man were in the ocean and two men
were on the beach when the acci
dent occurred at an area known as
"The Point."
Cru/. went under and the other
man in the water grabbed him bui
could not hold on. Freeman said the
two men on shore drove about four
miles to a phone booth and called
the police department and rcscuc
squad.
Long Beach Polite Officer J.C.
Allen found Cru/.'s body in the surf
about one hour later approximately
100 feet cast of where he had en
tered the water.
"1 was out swimming that day,"
Freeman said. "The current was ex
tremely strong. It was running from
west to east."
Freeman said it was the first
ocean drowning near shore at Long
Beach this year. Five people nearly
drowned last month on the water
way side of Long Beach near
Lockwood Folly Inlet, he said.
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STAFF PHOTO BY OOUG RUTTEO
Crabbing At Sunset
Charlie Carries checks a crab trap near the waterway at Sunset
Beach last week as a friend, luirry Suiter, looks on. The two men
were visiting from fine Bush, A'.)'.
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