Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / Aug. 29, 1991, edition 1 / Page 2
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Fired Health Employee Appeals Board Decision BY TKRRY POPE A health department employee fired from her job m June has filed an appeal with ihe State Personnel Commission. Zelma Babson, of Ash, was fired June 25 from her job as Brunswick County Animal Control supervisor by Health Director Michael Rhixlcs. The 1 1 -year veteran of the health department says the firing was un fair and is seeking a hearing through the administrative office of the State Personnel Commission to try to get her job back. Ms. Babson appealed Rhodes' decision to the Brunswick County Board of Health last month. Board members voted to uphold the firing. Her attorney, Shelia McLamb of Shallotte, tiled the appeal with the Personnel Commission Friday. No date has been set on a hearing, she said. "That's a long time down the road." said Ms. McLamb. A law judge with the Admini strative Office of the Courts will hear Ms. Babson's arguments and make a mime, said Ms. McLamb. I he plaintiff can then agree or dis agree with the judge's findings. Fhe plaintiff would then have the option of holding a hearing in Brunswick County or in Raleigh, said Ms. McLamb. "Wc would choosc to have n here," she said. Following a four-hour closed lUx'r meeting July -2, the health board voted to uphold Rhodes' de cision to lire Ms. Rabson. Neither side h.is indicated why Ms Rabson was dismissed. Since health department employ ees fall under a competitive service employee policy adopted by the Suite Personnel Commission in June 1990. the matter does not go before Brunswick County Commit sioners. Under the policy, the health di rector is responsible for personnel action, but if an employee feels the action to be unfair, he or she can ap peal the decision to the health board. II the employee disagrees with the health board's decision, he or she may file a grievance with the Personnel Commission, Such appeals have a history of taking months to be resolved. "It'll be a long time,' said Ms. McLamb. Normal Weather In Forecast Shallotte area residents can expect near normal weather over the next few days. according to Shallotte Point meteorologist Jackson Canady. Temperatures should range from the low 70s at night to the upper 80s during the day. Canady said the area should receive a Pout uiree fourths of an inch of rain in the next week. Rainfall for the period Aug. 20 through 26 totaled 1.84 inches, Canady said. The daily average high last week was 86 degrees and the average nightly low was 71 degrees. Canady said the daily average temperature of 78 degrees was about one degree below normal. The maximum high temperature during the period was 84 degrees on Aug. 21. The minimum low of 67 degrees also occurred on the 21st. Planners Throw In Towel (Continued From Page 1-A) done in ihe past or taken any unau thorized actions. ['he mass resignation Tuesday leaves the nine-member planning board with only two members, and no members who live inside the town limits. Anthony Clemmons and Phil Marlow are the only planning board members left. Brunswick County Commissioners appointed them in March to represent the town's ex traterritorial area. Calabash Commissioners will hold a special meeting Tuesday, Sept. 3. at 7 p.m. to discuss the planning board. In the meantime. Commissioner Jon Sanborn urged fellow board members to come up with some THE BRUNSWICKfrSEACON Established Nov. 1, 1962 Telephone 754-6890 Published Every Thursday At 4709 Main Street Shallotte. N.C. 28459 SUBSCRIPTION RATES IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY One Year $10.36 Six Months $5.55 ELSEWHERE IN NORTH CAROLINA One Year $14.80 Six Months $7.90 ELSEWHERE IN U.S.A. One Year $15.95 Six Months $8.35 Second class postage paid at the Post O'fica in Shallotte, N.C. 28459 USPS 777-780. people who arc willing to till the vacaneics. "1 think it's imperative that we get on this quickly and decide wlrit we're going to do," Sanborn said. Other Business In other business Tuesday, com missioners: ? Approved a contract with Powell Associates of Myrtle Beach, S.C., to do a wastewater treatment needs study lor the town. The study will cost S14.5(X). which would eventu ally be paid by users of any new or expanded sewer system. ?Agreed to several changes in street names suggested by the Brunswick County Planning Deparuncni, which is preparing lor the 911 emergency telephone system. Town officials haven't decided whether they will change the name of one street which is known as River Road but legally named Ivey High Road. ?Authorized Mayor Pro Tcm George Anderson, who was out of town Tuesday, to assume the pow ers and duties of mayor while Mayor Doug Simmons recovers from recent surgery. ? Asked Town Clerk Janet Thomas to find out what the town can do to provide Social Security or other re tirement benefits for employees. Mrs. Thomas, clerk since 1975, said a proposal to give Social Security benefits to employees was rejected in 1976 and hasn't been discussed since then. ?Agreed to send a resolution to the Brunswick County Board of Elections so Calabash residents can vole by absentee ballot in municipal elections. 1 HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE BRUNSWICK&BEACON POST OFFICE BOX 2558 SHALLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 28459 I NOTICE: Reliable or consistent delivery cannot be guaranteed since this newspaper must rely on the U.S. Postal Service for delivery. We can only guarantee that your newspaper will be submitted to the post ofllce In Shallotte on Wednesday of the week of publication, In time for dispatch to out-of-town addresses that day. j ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES BY MAIL: Sr. Citizen In Brunswick County J6 30 _i5.30 N C. Sales Tax 38 32 Postage Charge 3 68 3 68 TOTAL 10.36 _?-30 Elsewhere In North Carolina J6 30 j5 30 N C Sales Tax .38 .32 Postage Charge 8 18 8 18 TOTAL 14.86 13.80 Outside North Carolina J6 30 _i5 30 Postage Charge 9 65 9 65 TOTAL 15.95 14.95 Complete And Return To Above Address I Name I Address City, State I Z'P I RENDERING Rv BONE V ARCHITECTS CONSTRUCTION SIIOUIJ) BEGIN in approximately a month on this 1^00 seat community auditorium at HCC. It should he ready for lite in late IW2. Auditorium Project Moves Closer To Reality II Y SI SAN USHKR Nearly two years alter ground was first broken for the project, an auditorium at Brunswick Community College is about to become a reality. BCC trustees last Wednesday evening awarded construction contracts totaling S2.93 million. With the architect's fee and contingency fund the total construction cost for the Odell Williamson Auditorium will be S3. 2 million. 'Hun's significantly below the S5.58 nillion cost estimate trustees received iu mid-1989 for the building as originally designed. "I feel like the board has really gotten a fine building for the money," said Leslie N. Boney Jr. of Boney Architects ol Wilmington, the last of three architectural firms to work on the project. "I know the building is very important to the community and that's it is the product of a lot of people's sup|x>rt," he continued. BCC first broke ground for the Williamson Auditorium in September 1979 as part of its 10th anniversary celebration, delayed by Hurricane Hugo. Participating with trustees were Odell Williamson and his wife, Virginia. The Ocean Isle Beach developer has established a trust with the BCC Foundation to provide a steady How of funds to help cover management expenses, such as the cost ol hiring a general manager to handle Ixiokiiigs and operations. The project has so far stumbled through a sc ries of obstacles. Partners in the original architectural linn split. The architect who retained the project later died before plans were completed. Boney Architects of Wilmington agreed to take the incomplete schematics and work from there. But when the numbers on the first project were reviewed, the square footage caine out greater than the first architect's had figured, pushing the price well over BCC's budget for the project ? the balance of a bond issue approved by county voters in 19 Once construction begins ? some papers have to shuffled and contracts signed first ? the project should take 13 to 14 months to complete, with occupancy anticipated in late 1992. Also Wednesday, Kelly announced that a committee will be named to recommend usage policy and related fees. "Apparently there are those who think it will be free, but it won't be," he said. "We have got to consider the cost of op erating the building." Boney Architects, with Southport native Ken Phelps taking the lead, revamped the project Though Phelps has worked out of Wilmington for approximately IS years, five with Boney, this is his first Brunswick County project. "I'm really pleased about being able to pro ceed with it," he said after the contracts were ap proved. BCC Board Chairman Dave Kelly spoke for the board last week when he loid Boney, "We started and stopped on this project and we were in a kind of a mess and you helped us and I ap preciate it." The new plans are roughly modeled alter Kenan Auditorium at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, another Boney Archi tects project, but with more sealing. While cutting the overall size ol the building from 43,165 square feet to 32,773 square feet, the final plans kept intact two of the key items sought by a community advisory committee: 1.5(X) seats and a lly loft lor scenery storage and handling. One of two planned balconies was kept, while the overall height of the front of the building was chopped and some dressing rooms and storage space eliminated that can be added later as funds txxoine available In lieu ol a small aica lor more intimate pro grams such as readers theater, the new plans in clude classroom space At die same lime several features not included in the original plans were added, Boney said, in cluding a better lighting system, a sound system, a sprinkler system, additional toilets and a sewer system required by the slate. "There's going to be a whole lot more building on the hill than we thought wc were going to be able to deliver to you," Boney told the trustees. "1 real happy... You've conic a long way, baby." Jury Awards Child Abuse Victim $275,000 (Continued From Page 1-Ai tired about Ins head, body and limbs and had suffered shock and injury to his nervous system. Ilie lawsuit claimed that Ms. Hewett and Hewett Sr. were present when the abuse occurred and had even "counseled, encouraged, ad vised and directed" their son to commit the acts. In one instance. Gross and his younger brother and sister were told they would be burned if they wet the bed again, the lawsuit claimed. It accused Hewetl's parents of cov ering up the abuse by lying to au thorities that the children had caused their own injuries. Ilieir refusal to seek timely medi cal treatment for the children further aggravated the injuries. Gross' lawyers contend. The scalding inci dent is reported to have happened in May 1976 and wasn't discovered by the Brunswick County Department of Social Services until December 1976, when school teachers report ed it In a verdict returned last Thursday, the jury found Hewett li able for S225,(KK) in damages lor causing Gross personal injuries and severe emotional distress. Ms. Hew ett was found liable for S5(),(XK) for causing emotional distress. The jury found that Hewett Sr. did not commit assault and battery against Gross and should not be held liable for any damages. In his answer to the lawsuit, Hewett Sr. said he had been working out of town at the time. Testimony in court indicated that being burned by hot water wasn't the only form of abuse Gross re ceived during the two-year period. Hewett was accused of using his fist, belts and sticks to beat Gross. Foy said Gross was tied up and left inside a dulfel bag overnight, was tied to his bed, repeatedly burned with cigarettes, had sham poo and shaving cream poured into his mouth while he was tied up, was tied up and locked inside a closet overnight and was made to sit on the toilet all night. EVERY MONDAY-THURSDAY ~ This Week's Menu 6 oz. Rib Eye ? Hawaiian Chicken Fried Fresh Flounder All above served with vegetable. baked potato or french fries, tossed salad and fresh baked bread. How Our Special Works... Come in for dinner any evening Monday thru Thursday. If you are seated by 6-7 PM. dinner is $7. if seated from 7-8 PM dinner is 88. So, beat the clock and enjoy dinner at Tavern on the Tee! at sr., 1 .ail RESTAURANT & LOUNGE Sunsel HCcU h ? 57v> 506 7 ? ? ClWr "L ?- bt-ACON la hrn OfMo cJee "He was dumped into the scald ing hot water arid held down 111 it," said Foy. "He has got severe disfig urement. The toes on one loot won't touch the floor. That's not to men tion the emotional scars that will be there forever." Hewetl appealed his March 1977 conviction to the N.C. Court of Appeals, which ruled that he should receive a new trial. The state aj> pealcd that ruling to the N.C. Supreme Court, which in November 1978 upheld the decision and or dered that Hewetl receive a new tri al in Brunswick County Superior Court. In his defense, Hewetl had testi fied that he had seen the children gel in the bathtub from time to time, turn on the water and wash them selves, according to the Supreme Court ruling filed Oct. 17, 1978. The tub had glass doors that could only be opened from the out side without falling off of the rollers, Heweu had stated. He said that when the scalding incident hap pened, he rushed into the bathroom, broke the glass out of the doors and grabbed the children from the tub. He denied that he had ever held the children in the tub of hot water, the document states. In the second trial in December 1978, a jury found Heweu guilty on two counts of maiming. Gross, 20, now lives and works in Carolina Beach. He could not be icachcd tor comment on the ease. Foy said he must now use the court system to try to collect from the defendants the award for his client. "I think the jury system is a good system," said Foy. "As a lawyer, I'd always want more for my client." We Appreciate Your Business CALABASH Great taste with half the calories! Fresh dairy products Clean, refreshing taste with no after taste uK? IWY. 179 ? CALABASH ?Our customers proclaim that Igloo has the best yogurt In the country ? Frozen yogurt a7% fat free and dieter's delight frozen yogurt 0% fat free ? Sundae specials at all times STARTING THIS WEEKEND ?WE HAVE SUGAR-FREE YOGURT* And many other delicious frozen desserts
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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Aug. 29, 1991, edition 1
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