County Wants Main Line
Water Customers To
Pay
BY TKRRY POPK
Brunswick County Commissioners served notice
Monday that the cheap rides are over for customers who
live along the county's main water lines.
In the past, residents on transmission lines ? U.S. 17,
N.C. 211 and N.C. 179 have not paid assessments,
even when tapping onto the system. Bonds, rc|xiid with
lax dollars, were used u> finance the capital improve
ments project.
Residents of Special Assessment Districts (SADs).
who face mandatory assessment Ices for extending wa
ter lines into their neighbortuxxls, have often com
plained at public hearings, saying they arc paying for
both assessments and the bonds while the other group
was not.
A policy to assess residents along the main trunk
lines has been discussed by the Utility Operations Board
for years, but an upcoming main trunk line project has
added more urgency to its consideration.
Next month, commissioners will award bids lor
construction of Phases III and III- A, which will route
main transmission lines to Seaside and Shallottc Point.
County Manager David Clcgg told commissioners
Monday it was time to settle on a policy.
The board has asked the Brunswick County Utility
Operations Board for two recommendations: 1) to set
Ihc boundaries Tor making ihc Shalloltc Point communi
ty one large SAD, excluding the cost of an elevated wa
ter tower on Village Road; ami 2) to set a point of deliv
ery charge, in addiUon u> tap-on fees, lor customers not
in SADs who want to tap onto the system.
Commissioners have asked that the Shalloltc Point
SAD boundaries be presented to the board Dec. 2, the
same day the UOB is scheduled to meet an hour earlier.
Commissioners also want a policy by Dec IX for charg
ing non-SAD customers, possibly effective Jan 1 .
The board has asked that no grandfathering be in
cluded in the policy, thus charging all new hookups to
existing transmission lines an assessment fee. Those al
ready connccicd to the main lines cannot legally he as
scsscd now, said Clegg.
"There are a great many ways to do it," said County
Engineer Robert Tucker said of lite proposed point-ol
dclivery charge or user assessment. "I'd prefer not to
comment on it at this time."
The goal is to "create equity" between main line cus
tomers and SAD customers, said Tucker.
"There will be many miles of corridors m Shallotte
Point," he added. "There will be a tremendous number
of situations where one man and his next door neighbor
would be treated differently."
(See M AIN, Page 2 -A I
TH~ ~ WICKfBEACON
Thirtieth Year, Number 3 ?i??iTMenuNswiot?t*coN Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, November 21, 1991 50c Per Copy 34 Pages, 3 Sections, 3 Inserts
i -J* . >* ? .J*
S'AfF
77/ A. A'.C. DEPAR T MENT OF TRANSPORTATION installed this oversized "signal ahead" sign with a -45 mph "advisory
and flashing yellow beacon on the U.S. 17 Shallotte Bypass Monday north of the N.C. 130 West intersection.
PMC <*r . fty SUS*N tjSwpp
speed plate"
DOT Improving Bypass Intersection
KY DOUG RUTTKR
State iranspo nation officials have
started making improvements to the
intersection of the U.S. 17 Shallottc
bypass and N.C. 130 West ? the site
of a recent double-fatality accident.
Flashing lights, textured pave
ment and other changes at the inter
section should be finished this week
or next, said Doug Bowers, division
engineer with the N.C. Department
of Transportation.
On Monday, workers installed
oversized "signal ahead" signs near
the bypass intersection. Yellow
flashing beacons were placed on top
of the signs, and 45 mph "advisory
speed plates" were attached below.
The beacons had not been activated
as of Tuesday.
Shallottc businessman Steve
Smith and West Brunswick High
School student Misty Dawn Car
michael died from injuries sustained
in a three-vehicle accident that oc
curred Nov. 1 when a logging truck
ran a stoplight at the intersection.
Since then, local officials and
Shallottc area residents have pleaded
with state transportation officials to
build an overpass at the intersection.
They say it's especially dangerous
because of traffic to and from the
high school.
An overpass was discussed before
the bypass was built, but it was never
included in plans bccause it would
have been costly and would have de
layed construction of the bypass.
"Signal ahead" signs along the
bypass on the north and south sides
of the intersection that were 36-by
36 inches prior to the accident have
been replaced with signs measuring
48-by-4K inches.
The 45 mph advisory signs do not
officially lower the speed limit, but
serve more as a warning for mo
torists, said Terry Harris, area traffic
safety engineer with the DOT.
Harris said the state also plans to
install six "strobe lights" at the inter
section ? while lights that flash
when the traffic signal is red.
Two strobes facing each direction
on the bypass will be installed,
along with one strobe facing each
direction on N.C. 131).
Rumble strips, or several patchcs
of textured pavement, will be added
on both sides of the intersection on
N.C. 130.
Harris said the strips are designed
to alert motorists that they arc ap
proaching an intersection.
State transportation officials will
also change the timing of the traffic
signals to hold traffic an extra half
second.
Instead of the all-red interval of 1
1/2 seconds, traffic will be held for
two lull seconds before one of the
signals turns green.
Although the fatal accident
prompted the changes, Harris said
the wreck can't be blamed on the in
tcrscciion.
He said the traffic signal facing
the bypass was red for al least 7 1/2
scconds before impact, and the driv
er of the log truck should have had
time to stop.
The tialfic engineer said it took at
least 6 scconds for Miss Carmichacl
to travel through the intersection to
the point where the accident oc
curred.
And the signal facing the bypass
was red for I 1/2 scconds before the
signal facing N.C. 130 turned green.
"It was just a very unfortunate ac
cident," Harris said, "but the acci
dent was not created by the intersec
tion."
In addition to the improvements,
Shall otic Policc L'hicl Rodney
Gause said town officers and the
N.C. Highway Patrol have been
closely monitoring traffic on the by
pass, particularly at the N.C. 130 in
tersection.
Sincc the Nov. 1 accident, Shall
ottc Policc have issued 24 tickets for
stoplight violations and speeding on
the bypass.
Gause said news of the tragic ac
cident and strict enforcement of traf
fic laws seems to be helping. People
arc driving more cautiously on the
bypass, especially near the intersec
tion.
"I think the word has gotten out,"
Gause said. "We've noticed the
trucks and stuff arc coming to a
complete slop now."
Despite the traffic safety changes
at the intersection. Cause and other
local officials still think the area
warrants an overpass.
Harris said an overpass at the in
tersection, which could only be ap
proved by the N.C. Board of
Transportation, would cost an esti
mated S4 million.
The traffic engineer said the state
DOT has built interchanges at cer
tain intersections in response to "a
continuing pattern of severe acci
dents," but not alter one accident.
To make room for an overpass, he
said propeny owners would have to
give up land presently being used
for the Southeastern Welcome
Center, Han dec Hugo s convenience
store and Shallotte Manor Apart
ments.
Harris noted that there are about
12 other grade-level intersections
along U.S. 17 between Winnabow
and the South Carolina line.
Bowers said improvements simi
lar to those made at the Shallotte by
pass and N.C. 130 West intersection
will likely be made elsewhere in
Brunswick County.
As the Ibur-laning of U.S. 17 con
tinues over the next three years,
Bowers said large signs. Hashing
lights and rumble strips will be used
at other locations, such the intersec
tion of U.S. 17 and N.C. 211 at
Supply.
Health Board Freezes Seafood Ordinance
BY TKRRY POPE
Saying it doesn't have the personnel on hand
to enforce a new scafixxi vending ordinance, the
Brunswick County Board of Health Monday
tabled the proposal unul June.
"We have it ready to adopt," said Bill Rabon,
board chairman. "We've done the lcgworic on
it."
But when told that existing workers did not
have time to enforce the new rules, board mem
ber HJ. "Skip" Davis' motion to put the ordi
nance on ice until the 1992-93 budget is prepared
passed unanimously.
"Then we'll see if a new position can be
funded," said Rabon.
Adopting an ordinance without a way to en
force it would "encourage people not to com
ply" with the law, he said.
The ordinance was proposed at the request of
District 3 County Commissioner Gene
Pinkcrton, who raised concerns about ihc sani
lary conditions of roadside seafood sites that do
not have toilets or hand-washing facilities.
Pinkcrton said he was also concerned that
spoiled seafood might be sold from trucks and
that vendors were leaving trash at the sites.
The new ordinance would require roadside
vendors to keep their seafood stored separately
and on ice or refrigeration. Also, those selling
from the rear of trucks or roadside stands would
need a resiroom within 10() yards of their vehi
cle. The vendor would also need a signed con
tract with the owner of the bathroom, giving
permission to use the facility.
District 4 Commissioner Frankie Rabon, who
serves on the health board, said he's glad to see
the ordinance flounder.
"We're just going to shut everybody down
except for the major markets," he added. "I was
opposed to it from the very beginning. If people
don't want to buy from a peddler, they're going
to go to a market anyway."
Both roadside and seafood markets would
face an inspection three times a year under the
plan, said Gary McDonald, environmental
health specialist who helped draft the ordi
nance.
Existing market*, and seafood dealers would
be exempt from having to submit plans to the
health department for building a sanitary mark
et, but would not be exempt from the require
ments to pass inspection, said McDonald.
The proposed ordinance hail included a
grandfather clause to exempt existing markets
from having to upgr.uk' their facilities, but that
part was changed on the recommendation of
County Attorney David Clcgg.
McDonald said most markets are already up
to standards.
(See SKAKOOI), I'age 2 -A)
Gunman Robs
Shallotte Store
BY DOUG R UTTER
Shallolte Police Tuesday were
continuing their investigation of the
Sunday night robbery of Hill's gro
cery store ? the second armed rob
bery of a town business in less than
a week.
A masked man carrying a hand
gun stole an undetermined amount
of cash from the Main Street store
Sunday around 10 p.m., said Police
Chief Rodney Gausc.
Cause said the man apparently
hid in a store restroom until closing
lime, when the store manager and a
bag boy were the only employees in
the store.
When the bag boy went into the
restroom, the man forced the em
ployee to lie down so he could be
handcuffed.
The robber told the bag boy to
call the manager to the back of the
store, where the robber then tied the
manager's hands.
After lying the bag boy to the
bathroom fixtures, the robber and
manager went to the store safe,
which w as open.
The robber then put the manager
in the restroom with die bag boy.
and stole the money from the safe.
Police were not notified of the
robbery until the two employees
came out of die restroom around 1 1
p.m.
Gausc said the suspect was de
scribed as a 25 -year-old white male,
about 5 feel 8 inches tail and weigh
ing 165 pounds.
The police chief said the robber
has a dark complexion and was car
rying a nickel-plated, ,45-caliber
handgun.
The armed robbery at Hill's was
the second of a Shalloue business in
less than a week.
On Nov. 11. a black man in his
early 20s carry ing a knife robbed the
Handee Hugo's convenience store
on U.S. 17 Business.
Police said the man lied with a
"small amount" of cash and was last
seen running across U.S. 17 between
the Scotchman store and Shallotte
Cleaners.
The suspect was approximately 5
feet 11 inches tail and weighed 175
pounds. Authorities said his hair was
slicked back, and one of his front
teeth was trimmed in gold.
Gausc said Tuesday thai police are
still looking for a suspect in that case.
Anyone with information on ei
ther robbery is asked to call the po
lice department at 754-6<X)K.
Beacon Publishes
Early Next Week
Bccause of the Thanksgi\mg I
holiday. The Brunswick Beacon 1
will publish a day earlier next i
week and all advertising and j
news deadlines will be a ua> i
earlier.
All classified advertising must
be placed by noon on Monday.
The newspaper will be avail
able in racks and at dealer loca
tions Tuesday. Mail subscribers
in Brunswick County should re
ceive their paper on Wednesday.
Other subscribers should get
their papers about the same lime
as usual since post offices will
be closed for the holiday on
Thursday. Nov. 28.
The Beacon office will be
closed Thursday, Nov. 28.
Leland Man Dies In
Single Auto Crash
A Leland man died Sunday
evening when he was thrown from
behind the wheel of the 1979 Jeep
station wagon he was driving, said
Ruby Oakley, spokesperson lor the
N.C. Highway Patrol officc in
Wilmington.
Thomas Wayne Caruthers, 29, of
Lakeside Mobile Home Park in
Leland was traveling exst on Ml.
Misery Road (S.R. 1426) approxi
mately four miles northwest of
Leland at about 6:05 p.m. when the
Jeep ran off the right side of the
road, according to a report filed by
Trixiper D.A. Lewis.
The report stated that the Jeep
struck a ditch, a utility pole and a
battery box and then overturned,
Ms. Oakley said.
The car ended up on its left side
af ter Caruthers w as thrown from be
hind the wheel and killed.
Trooper Lew is estimated thai Car
uthers was traveling about 85 mph
when the crash occurred. There were
no passengers, said Ms. Oakley.
She said that Trooper Lewis re
ported that "alcohol was definitely
involved" in the accident, but that
blood lest results were noi known
yet.
Damages were estimated at
$5,000 to the utility pole and battery
box. which were owned by CSX
Transportation of Navassa. Trooper
Lewis estimated the damage to the
Jeep at S1,5(X).
(Set- NORSK, PACK 2-A)
Area Churches To Hold
Thanksgiving Service
A community-wide Thanksgiving worship service will be held Wed
nesday, Nov. 27. starling at 7 p.m. at St. James The Fisherman Episcopal
Church in Shalloue.
The interdenominational service is open to all. It is sponsored by the
South Brunswick Interchurvh Council, a coalition of clergy and layper
sons representing churches from across the South Brunswick Islands
area.
Participants arc asked to bring a can of fcxxl or other non-perishable
food item for the Council's Food Bank, said the Rev. Dr. Richard W.
Wamcr Jr., host pastor.
The Rev. Don Safrit, pastor of St. Luke's Lutheran Church in
Shalknte, will preach. The Sl James choir will provide music under the
leadership of Susan Greene, director and organist.
Other ministers of the Council's member churches will also partici
pate.
The annual service is traditionally hosted by a different church each
year, said Warner.
St. James is located on Mam Street, U.S. 17 Business, in Shalloue.