Election
At A Glance
MAYOR
Beamon Hewett 1 35
?Sarah L. Tripp (I) 200
ALDERMAN (4-year)
?Roney W. Cheers 143
Gene Frink 81
?David L. Gause (I) 188
?Morris J. Hall 165
Joe Monroe Hewett Jr. (I) 87
Sam Inman 101
Jay G. (Jody) Simmons (I). ..110
ALDERMAN (2-year)
?Wilton Harrelson (I) 197
Odell (Odie) Johnson 124
MAYOR
?Wally Ausley 220
Bob Buck 72
COMMISSIONER
?Gay Atkins (I) 152
?Gil Bass 160
Donald Campbell 86
Diane Clark 79
?Jim Fournier, (Tie) 136
Crawford Hart
Larry McDowell 43
?David Sandifer 137
James Shafor 131
?Sid Swarts 142
Larry Vogt 56
?Roger Williams, (Tie) 136
MAYOR
?Betty Williamson (I) 153
COMMISSIONER
William Bullington 46
Raymond Ericksen 45
? Debbie Fox (I) 70
E. Paul Justice 56
?Janet Sanders 107
?Kendall Suh 119
John Sutton 23
COMMISSIONER (District 1)
?Keith Hardee (I) 312
COMMISSIONER (District 2)
Warren (Bud) Knapp 312
?Robert L. Noe 328
?Jon B. Sanborn (I) 396
MAYOR
?Judy L. Galloway (I) 103
ALDERMAN
?John D. Dawson (I) 69
?Faye Galloway 77
Roscoe Griffin 33
?Tonya Bobbins iiS
Jeff Whitfield C 2
MAYOR
?Mason Barber (I) 115
COUNCIL
?Cherri Cheek 105
?Mary K. Griffith (I) 117
Cletus A. Waldmiller 70
Bolivia
MAYOR
?Ina Mae Mintz (I) 31
ALDERMAN
?Thurston Clemmons Jr. (Tie) ..19
?Sarah E. Knox (I) 23
?Alice Lesh 26
?Ella Jane Wescott (I) 20
?Sherry Willetts (Tie) 19
MAYOR
?S.L. Doty 245
Russell G. Baldwin (I) 146
COUNCIL
Lynnette Carlisle (I) 133
?Jane O. Gilbert (I) 282
?Thomas D. Hyatt 283
MAYOR
?Kenneth D. Messer Sr. (I) 5
COMMISSIONER
?Markland S. Carper 5
?Cindy Messer 5
MAYOR
?Louis (Bobby) Brown (I) 61
COUNCIL
?Thomas V. Merrick (I) 56
?Walter Williams (I) 56
?Eulls A. Willis (I) 58
MAYOR
Herbert C. Bunten 95
Charles A. Schneiders 174
?Mark Stewart 269
COMMISSIONER
?Bert H. Buckbee 321
Martha H. Bullard 102
Gregory P. Holley 126
George H. Lanier Jr. 106
?Warren Plowden 279
L.K. (Randy) Randolph 76
Phyllis O. Vaughan 51
MAYOR
C.B. (Cash) Caroon (I) 314
?Norman R. Holden 490
ALDERMAN (Ward I)
?Mary H. (Meezle) Childs (I) 493
J Walton Willis 274
ALDERMAN (Ward II)
?Nelson E. Adams (I) 408
?William W. Delaney II 443
Paul W. Sweeney (I) 372
(Sm ELECTION, Page 2-A)
THF m"|*SWICK?RACON
Thirtieth Y? Vl , rhursday, November 7, 1991 50? Per Copy 38^oges, 3 Sections, 3 Inserts
" -tf i H " ?? ? - ?
STAFf PHOTO BY SUSAN USHH
THE REMAINS of a Conette driven by Steve Smith of Ash came to rest in the median of the U.S. 17
Shallotte bypass. The logging truck overturned, blocking the southbound lanes.
Fatal Bypass Accident
Revives Debate Over
Need For Overpass
BY DOUG RUTTKR
A fiery auto wrcck thai killed a local businessman
and high school junior last week has breathed new life
into talk of the need for an overpass where the U.S. 17
Shallouc bypass intersects N.C. 1 30.
Steve Allen Smith, 39. of Ash, died at the scene of
the accident last Friday morning. Misty Dawn
Carmichael, 16, of Shallotte, died Saturday in New
Hanover Regional Medical Center from injuries sus
tained in tnc wrcck.
Shallotte Police Chief Rodney Cause said the two
were driving separate cars and crossing the bypass on
N.C. 130 when a logging truck headed south on the by
pass failed to slop at a red light and collided with both
vehicles.
Smith, owner of Photographic Concepts in Shallotte,
was traveling east toward town in a Chevrolet Corvette.
Miss Carmichael, a junior at West Brunswick High
School, was driving west toward the school in a Pontiac
Firebird when the wrcck occurred at 8:05 a.m.
The southbound truck, which was owned by T&J
Trucking Co. of Maysvillc, struck the Firebird first and
then hit the Corvette, dragging it 320 feet south on the
bypass.
Gause said the loaded truck traveled 384 feet after
impact before it overturned and logs spilled onto the
right shoulder of the highway.
The collision knocked Miss Carmichael through the
sunroof of the Firebird, and she was thrown about 50
feet from the vehicle. Police were unable to determine
if she was wearing a seal belt.
The driver of the truck, Charles Maurice Lassiter, 36,
of Maysvillc, was treated for minor injuries at The
Brunswick Hospital in Supply last Friday and released
the same day.
Gause said the truck driver was charged with two
counts of death by motor vehicle and one count each of
improper equipment and a stop light violation.
The improper equipment violation was tor faulty
brakes on the truck. "The capability of the brakes
wasn't up to par," Gause said.
Based on evidence gathered at the scenc and an N.C.
Division of Motor Vehicles inspection of the truck.
Cause said it appears Lassitcr never applied the brakes.
"We found no hot spots on the tires of the truck he
was driving," Gause said. "The tires were never
dragged."
The deaths were the 12th and 13th to occur on
Brunswick County roads this year. The county had 14
highway fatalities through the end of November last
year, said N.C. Highway Patrol spokesperson Ruby
Oakley.
They were the first fatalities to result from an acci
dent on the bypass, which opened May 22 after nearly
30 years on the drawing board.
"It's the worst accident we've had in years," Gause
said. The truck and Corvette both burst into flames fol
lowing the accident, according to eyewitnesses.
The wreck left debris such as pieces of metal, fiber
(See FATAL, Page 2-A)
Man Killed In
Single Car Crash
A man was killed early Saturday morning, Nov.
2, when the 1976 Toyota pick-up truck he was driv
ing went off the right side of the road.
Allen Ray Lowcry, 20, of Ash was driving
straight on Big Neck Road (S R. 1335) about 11.9
miles west of Shallotte at 1:30 a.m. when he ran off
the right side of the road and hit a culvert (pipe) in
the ground.
Ruby Oakley, spokesperson for the N.C. Highway
Patrol office in Wilmington, said that Trooper J.V.
Dove estimated Lowcry was driving 60 mph when
he struck the pipe.
She also said that alcohol may have been a factor.
Trooper Dove estimated the cost ol damage to the
pick-up truck at about SI ,200, said Mrs. Oakley.
(See POLICE, Page 2-A)
REDISTR1CT1NG APPROVED
I Voters Elect 2-Year
* Terms , Support
? Exit Poll Issues
BY TERRY POPE
By almost a 4-1 margin, voters
who went to the polls Tuesday said
they want to elect county commis
sioners and school board members
to two-year terms.
By an estimated 3-1 margin,
county voters also approved a plan
to redraw the county's five residen
cy district lines.
The term vote surprised
Brunswick County Board of
Commissioners Chairman Kelly
Holdcn.
"My biggest fear is that county
government will regress to the way
business was conductcd 20 years
ago," said Holdcn "It comes at a
time, loo, when 1 felt that we were
turning things around."
The controversial issue was
placed on the ballot in the spring by
State Rep. E. David Rcdwinc, who
first asked the conventions of both
political parties to take a stand on
the issue. The Brunswick County
Republican Party, in control of all
five seats on the board of commis
sioners, voted against two-year
terms while county Democrats fa
vored it. Rcdwinc then decided to
put the issue before voters in the
off-year election.
The mandate means that begin
ning with the 1994 elections all five
scats on the Brunswick County
Board of Education and Brunsw ick
County Board of Commissioners
will be up for election at the same
time. Presently members of both
boards are elected to staggered,
four-year terms, which means that
ai hiost three scats are open at any
given time.
About 24 percent, or 6,899 out of
the county's 28,405 registered vot
ers, cast ballots in Tuesday's elec
tion.
"That's about four percent better
than I predicted," said Lynda Brill,
supervisor of elections.
Most also chose to participate in
an optional exit poll on three issues
targeted by the county commission
ers.
A breakdown on the turnout in
rural areas, where the county issues
were the only items on the ballot, in
comparison with municipalities
was not available.
While studying the election re
turns at the county government
complex Tuesday, Holdcn said he
didn't think the county followed
party lines in its vote, noting that he
could detect no trends from precinct
totals.
With all but Oak Island I and
Hood Creek precincts reporting, the
vote was 4,569 for two-year terms
and 1,330 for four-year terms.
Members ol botli tiie board ot com
missioners and board of education
ate presently elected to staggered
four-year terms.
Holdcn predicted thai two-year
terms would result in fewer people
seeking office.
"I'm not saying if I'll run or not,"
said Holdcn, "but I do think we're
going to lose a lot of good people."
Voters who favored two-year
terms argue that representatives are
more responsive to the people i!
they must run for election every two
years. In North Carolina. '>4 of UK)
counties elect commissioners to
four-year terms.
Holden predicted that long-range
issues, such as county zoning and
water expansion, would suffer un
der a hoard elected every two years.
"The possibility is that you set up
a lot of uncertainty," said Holdcn.
"I've always tried to base my deci
sions on what 1 felt was the consen
sus of the majority of the people."
Redisricting Passts
Commissioners placed before
voters a plan to divide the county
based on the 1990 U.S. Census pop
ulation counts so that each district
would contain approximately
10,197 residents.
Although it was a generally non
controversial issue, it had County
Manager David Clegg busy
Monday. People were calling the
manager's office for advice on how
to vote in the redistricting issue.
"The phone has been ringing off
the hook," said Clegg. "I've been
telling them to vote, yes, yes, yes."
Residents were concerned that
the new district lines would disrupt
county precinct lines, which isn't
the case, said Clegg. Had this plnn
failed, voters wo* Id luvc N-cn
asked to return to thi pv>?, 'mil one
passed.
With all but two Hood Creek and
Oak Island I precincts reporting,
voters supported the plan by a vote
of 3.853 to 1,769.
Kxit Poll
Voters countywide could choose
to participate in a non-binding exit
poll that asked for residents' opin
ions on county zoning, non-partisan
school board elections and estab
lishment of fire and rescue service
districts.
Those ballots had to be counted
by hand, with returns slower com
ing in.
With all precincts reporting, vot
ers favored all three proposals by
substantial margins: non-partisan
school board elections 4,328 to
1,136; county zoning, 3,449 to
1,955; and fire and rescue service
districts. 3,856 to 1,625.
Commissioners Holden and Jerry
Jones kept an eye on the results of
the zoning poll. Both have endorsed
a comprehensive zoning plan for the
entire county.
Holdcn said he thought the al
most 2-1 margin "reinforces the po
sition of advocates of zoning."
Incumbents Fare Well Across South Brunswick Islands Area
BY DOUG R UTTER
Residents of most Brunswick County mu
nicipalities indicated in Tuesday's elections
that they arc generally satisfied with the way
their town's business is being conducted.
Voters in 16 towns returned 29 incumbents
to office, and booted out only 10.
In the South Brunswick Islands, most in
cumbents who chose to seek re-election were
returned to office. That was true in Calabash,
Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle Beach, Holden
Beach and Varnamtown.
Shallotte voters replaced two of the five in
cumbents who ran for election.
Voters elected people to 56 scats on 16 mu
nicipal boards Tuesday, and filled five other
scats on local hospital and sanitary district
boards. Outcomes of two races ? one in
Bolivia and one in Holden Beach ? arc still
uncertain as a result of apparent tie votes.
The election results will not be official un
til votes arc canvassed at 11 a.m. today
(Thursday), according to Brunswick County
Elections Supervisor Lynda Britt. All chal
lenges must be made by next Tuesday.
Among the incumbents who lost Tuesday
were Southport Mayor C.B. "Cash" Caroon
and Lcland Mayor Russell Baldwin.
Long Beach voters also cleaned house, get
ting rid of long-time Mayor Johnny Vereen in
the Oct. 8 primary and two incumbent com
missioners Tuesday.
Ausley New Holden Mayor
In one of the more interesting local races,
Holden Beach voters elected Wally Ausley to
the mayor's post and Gil Bass, Gay Atkins,
Sid Swarts and David Sandifcr to the board of
commissioners. Ms. Atkins was ihc only in
cumbent seeking re-election.
The holder of the fifth seat on the town
board was still unknown Tuesday night, as
Jim Fournier and Roger Williams both re
ceived 136 votes.
If the two candidates arc still tied following
a Thursday recount, they will either flip a
coin or draw straws to sec who gets the final
scat, said Holdcn Beach Board of Elections
Chairperson Elizabeth Dameron.
Auslcy received 220 votes in the mayoral
race to defeat two-term commissioner Bob
Buck, who received 72 votes.
A political newcomer, Ausley said he was
"pleased and humbled" by the outcome. "I
just want the people to be involved in our
community," said Auslcy, who will succeed
John Tandy as mayor.
Shallotte Mayor Re-Elected
In Shallotte, Mayor Sarah Tripp easily de
feated chill lenger Bcamon Hcwctl, but two of
the four aldermen seeking re-election were
defeated.
Alderman David Gause was re-elected to a
third four-year term, while Wilton Harrclson
was elected to a two-year term.
"I'm completely tickled," Gause said
Tuesday night. "I'm glad everything went the
way it did."
Town board members J.G. "Jody"
Simmons and Joe M. Hcwett Jr. were defeat
ed, and will be replaced by former mayor
Roney Cheers and political newcomer Morris
Hall.
In the mayor's race, Mrs. Tripp beat anoth
er former mayor, Bcamon Hewett, 200 to 135.
HcweU won by 12 votes in the Sha'.loiie
prccinct, but Mrs. Tripp captured 76 more
votes than her opponent in Frying Pan
prccinct.
"I think it's wonderful. I'm having a ball,"
Mrs. Tripp said. "You always have a doubt in
your mind, but 1 really appreciate everybody's
support."
Two And Two
Elsewhere in the South Brunswick Islands,
Ocean Isle Beach voters re-elected both in
cumbents who were running ? Mayor Betty
Williamson and Commissioner Debbie
Fox ? anil elected two new faces to the town
board.
Janet Sanders and Kendall Suh were elect
ed to four-year term on the board of commis
sioners. Neither have held political offices
previously. They succeed Virginia Gibson and
Pearl Steele, who did not seek re-election.
"I'm very excited, and I am certainly look
ing forward to working with the Town of
Ocean Isle Beach in the next four years," Mrs.
Sanders said.
Ms. Fox, who received 70 votes and fin
ished third in the town board race, said she
was glad to be re-clccted.
"I'm pleased with the people I'll be work
ing with, and I think we'll have a real good
four years, a real productive four years," she
said.
Sunset Fleets Cheek
At Sunset Beach, voters elected Mayor
Mason Barber to a third two-year term and
Councilwoman Mary K. Griffith to a third
four- year term.
Cherri Cheek received 105 votes to win the
only other available scat on the tosvn council,
replacing A1 Odom, who did not seek rc-clec
tion.
Cletus WaldmHler garnered 70 votes.
"I'm just real happy," said Mrs. Check
from her home Tuesday night. "I'm looking
forward to working with the other council
members.
"Hopefully we will all have the same ideas
in mind for the growth and development of
the area. I am personally lor controlled
growth for the entire area."
Not' Joins Sanborn
Voters in Calaba>h re-elected Jon Sanborn
and elected former Carolina Shores Property
Owners Association Manager Robert Noc to
the two town board scats from District 2.
Former Planning Board Chairman Warren
"Bud" Knapp came up 16 votes short in the
District 2 race, while District 1 Commissioner
Keith Hardee was re-elected without opposi
tion.
Klsewhere In Brunswick
In Varnamtown, voters re-elected John
David Dawson to the town board along with
political newcomers Fayc Galloway and
Tonya Robbins. Mayor Judy Galloway, who
ran unopposed, will serve her second two
year term.
Bolivia voters elected Mayor Ina Mac
Mint/ to a sixth consccuUvc term, and Alice
Lcsh, Sarah Knox and Ella Jane Wcscott were
elected to the town board of aldermen.
Thurston "Tut" Clcmmons and Sherry
Willctts tied for fourth with 19 votes each. If
they are still tied alter the final tally Thursday,
(Set- INCUMBENTS. Pa^t- 2-A)