im
STAFF PHOTO BV SUSAN USHfcR
FIREFIGHTERS SEARCH for the cause of the fire that gutted Rig Nell's Pit Stop last Thursday
night.
Fire Guts Popular Beach Area Diner
BY SUSAN USHER
Workers began clearing the debris
this week to make way for the re
building of Big Nell's Pit Stop be
tween Ocean Isle Beach and Sunset
Beach.
The local eatery was gutted by
fire last Thursday night, along with
the extensive collection of stock car
racing memorabilia that had been
displayed there by owner Nell
Rcdwinc Harrelson and her hus
band, Al.
"It's like a national landmark has
burned," lamented Tom Pope, a lo
cal building contractor who was an
almost-daily customer.
Sunset Beach Fire Chief Greg
Cain said it appeared the fire was
caused by a short in the wiring in the
State's Road
BY TERRY POPE
A liny road between Thomasboro
and Longwood is the center of a con
troversy among county and state offi
cials.
Brunswick County Commissioner
Frankic Rabon, who represents Dis
trict 4, said Monday he was upset by
the state's recommendation that
Gwynn Road (S.R. 1306) be aban
doned for maintenance purposes.
"It's making us look like a laugh
ing stock," said Rabon.
When the state's request went to
the hoard last month, commissioners
couldn't rccall past action regarding
the 2.4 mile road. But Rabon said he
was suspicious.
1 Ic asked Clerk to the Board Kelly
Barefoot to investigate previous ac
tion regarding Gwynn Road.
Research of minutes revealed that
in May 1990 commissioners held a
public hearing and voted unanimous
ly to recommend that the road not be
abandoned by the state. Rabon said
he thought the state routinely fol
lowed die county's request.
"It really disturbs me that Uiis is
not the case," he added. "NVe take our
lime to hold these public hearings. I
just don't like it."
At the public hearing, one person
spoke in favor of abandoning the road
and three spoke against the proposal.
The board asked County Manager
David Clcgg to write Secretary of
Transportation Tommy Harrelson
and Gov. Jim Martin to find out why
the county's request was ignored.
"The board deserves an explana
tion as to why it happened," said
Rabon.
Board Chairman Kelly Holden
said he talked with local N.C. Board
of Transportation member Marilyn
Williams of Wilmington Monday
about the problem.
"I'm in total agreement with you,"
Holden told Rabon. "Obviously,
there's a total lack of communication
will) DOT."
The road is used as a thoroughfare
by residents in the Thomasboro and
Longwood communities south of
Shallotie, said Holden.
Other Business
In other business Monday, com
missioners:
?Appointed Shirley Babson chair
person of the Brunswick County
Board of Equalization and Review,
which hears appeals of property lax
assessments.
?Designated May 10-16 as Emer
gency Medical Services Week in
central heating aiul air system.
Firefighters said the building was
already engulfed with I lames when
they arrived.
"Apparently nobody saw it until it
<?* I Ir\ K??rr^ " W nilh I on'tn
IV VI iu LIUiM, .HtlU ? kVIUl
assistant chief of Sunset Bcach
VFD.
Volunteer firefighters from Sunset
Bcach, Ocean Isle Beach, Calabash
and Shalloue Point departments re
sponded to the blaze, which was re
ported at approximately 7:20 p.m.
The plenum that connected the
system to the ductwork was made of
plywood, not metal, said Brunswick
County Fire Marshal Cecil Logan.
Wind created by the heat when that
box caught on fire blew the fire
through the ductwork, spreading it
through the building.
Kciih Logan said the Sunset
Beach department's biggest problem
in responding to the blaze was a lack
of cooperation from motorists.
"People wouldn't rnovc out ?f our
way," he said, even though it's the
law in North Carolina. "We even
had to stop at the intersection (of N.
C. 904 and N.C. 179)."
No one was seriously injured in
the fire; however, one Sunset Beach
volunteer was treated at The Bruns
wick Hospital for heat exhaustion
and was released.
The exterior of Big Nell's re
mained intact, but was almost com
pletely gutted by fire except in the
kitchen area, which sustained cxten
sive heat and smoke damage.
Request Angers Rabon, Board
Brunswick County.
? Agreed lo budget S28.714, or 15
percent of a S 1 57.SCX) DOT grant, the
county is seeking for the 1992-93 fis
cal year for road improvements.
?Approved the pre -application pro
cess for a state water access grant to
build a boat ramp at Bonaparte Land
ing near Calabash.
? Set a public hearing, June 8, at 7
p.m., for Sherrow Estates subdivision
north of Shallotte. Residents have pe
titioned lo become a Spccial Asses
sment District for county water ser
vice.
?Transferred to the Brunswick
County Board of Education the title
for land where its administration
building in Soulhport is located for
insurance purposes.
?Entered into a user agreement with
die SB1 and N.C. Division of Crimi
nal Information to connect the 911
system to a statewide crime control
network.
?Appointed Thomas Gray of the
Holdcn Beach community to the
Brunswick County Planning Board.
He will replace Alfonza Roach, who
resigned.
?Set aside a used sheriff s deputy ve
hicle for a Northwest Volunteer Fire
Department now organizing.
?Funded a S20.000 water line exten
sion for the South port Committee of
100, a group that rccruits industry to
the county. Clegg said a company ex
pected to employ 32 persons is ex
pected to locate its plant in the
group's industrial park on N.C. 211.
Committee Chairman Don Hughes
said final details have not been
worked out with the firm. Therefore,
the committee won't release further
information at this time. Clegg la
beled it "a clean industry."
"Striving for
an open ,
accountable
government
for the
citizens of
Brunswick
County
?COUNTY GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS:
Review county's strengths and weaknesses and to take
appropriate actions.
?HEALTH: Health insurance, septic tanks, county
water system, county wide sewer system.
?CRIME: How to control it, improvement in law
enforcement.
?COUNTYWIDE LIBRARY -WASTE DISPOSAL
?ENVIRONMENT 'FIRE DEPARTMENTS:
Volunteer vs. County System, safety inspections
?ADVISORY BOARDS: Review & terminate
un needed lx>ards.
BRUNSWICK COUNTY COMMISSIONER
Rt. 1 Box 209, Bolivia, N.C. 28 122
(919)842-9545
Paid for by the candidate
Elect
Tom Simmons
Brunswick County
Commissioner
? LEADERSHIP FOR TODAY
?VISION FOR TOMORROW
1 ? HHi /v i< K flf A Cf ?N
-fc~ ?- frtig
PHOTO BY BARNEY MORGAN
FOUR DEPARTMENTS responded to the fire, but the restaurant w as already engulfed with flames.
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attcC
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