Calabash Festival To Highlight
River's Heritage, Environment
BY LYNN CARLSON
Organizers of the first Calabash Town Festival say
they're planning an event whose process and purpose
will differ from the typical street fair.
Visitors to this festival, set for August 14-16 on the
town's waterfront, won't have rows of out-of-town ven
dors and craftspeople vying for their dollars. Any busi
ness to be done will be kept "in the family" of Calabash
merchants.
The event is not being designed around its commer
cial potential, but to draw attention to the village's rich
river heritage and to heighten awareness of the Calabash
River's environmental future, according to Warren
"Bud" Knapp, chairman of the Calabash Town Festival
Committee.
"If people want to spend money, they're going to
spend it with Calabash merchants," Knapp said. Toward
that end, businesses arc being encouraged to decorate
their storefronts for the occasion and to plan special fes
tival activities and offerings.
The festival idea was conceived when the U.S. Power
Squadron District 27, encompassing most of North
Carolina and a little of South Carolina, expressed inter
est in the Calabash area as the site of its 1992
"Rendezvous." Plans started taking shape for an event
which, although it will welcome visitors, is targeted at
involving local residents and Power Squadron boaters in
a celebration of the uniqueness and charm of the famous
seafood restaurant mccca.
"This is our town, and we're proud of it," Knapp told
reporters at a Monday media briefing for the festival.
"We want to emphasize the impact the river has hail on
the town, and the importance of being concerned about
the quality of the river."
A committee representing both commercial and vol
unteer interests is guiding the festival, whic'. Knapp
says will begin on Friday morning with a flag-raising
and end w ith a "semi-military" closing on Sunday aftcr
n<x>n.
"I can't tell you how enthusiastic everyone is about
being involved," Knapp said, adding that groups as di
verse as die Coast Guard. Elks Club, Carolina Shores
Garden Club, volunteer rescue workers and firefighters
and the local electric membership co-op will be in
volved.
The fire department and rcscue squad volunteers will
demonstrate their skills, and local amateur artists will
compete for honors. The works of professional artists al
so will be exhibited. A group of local quiltcrs will show
their handiwork on Saturday. A diverse offering of mu
sic is planned, and boat rides will he available from the
river to the Little River jetty.
Knapp said the quiliers have designed a poster depict
ing the late comedian/singer Jimmy Durante in bed w ith
a quilt pulled up to his chin and saying "Good night,
Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are." the closing line to
Durantc's radio and television broadcasts.
Clete Waldmillcr, past commander of the Shallotte
River unit of the U.S. Power Squadron, said he expects
some 200 squadron members to attend the festival on 50
to 60 boats. Waldmillcr says the squadron, a group
which promotes and teaches boating safety and courtcsy,
is a natural complement to the riverfront festival.
Schools Get
New Assistant
Principals
(Continued From Page 1-A)
who have worked toward adminis
trative positions," she said of the
tcachers and coordinator who were
moved into these roles. "We believe
they deserved this opportunity.
"Also, in some cases there was a
person who was strong in a particu
lar area that we felt would help a
particular school. Then, too, we
thought about the strengths of cer
tain principal-assistant teams work
ing together." She said no princi
pals would be moving.
In other action Thursday, the
board approved the transfer of
Deborah Lemon, an AG/math
teacher at Supply Elementary, back
to Shallotte Middle. She had been
moved to Supply, but the final re
drawing of lines decreased enroll
ment at Supply, while boosting it at
Shallotte Middle, thereby affccting
the teacher requirements.
When the meeting adjourned, the
board set its next regular session on
July 13, a week later than the usual
date because of the July 4 holiday.
Norris Is
New Town
Clerk
Lucllcn Noms, a former Var
namtown alderman, has been select
ed to succeed
Paul Vcaley as
town clerk and
finance officer.
Mrs. Norris,
who served on
the town board
from 1989 to
1991, will be
swom in at the
July 20 meeting.
"She's taking NORRIS
over a big job, but I'm sure she can
do it," Mayor Judy Galloway said at
Monday night's meeting.
Vealey, who has served as town
clerk since shortly after the commu
nity incorporated in September
1988, had planned to retire three
months ago.
The board voted in February to
hire Edward McLelland as the new
clerk, but he decided later he
couldn't serve due to the responsi
bilities of the job.
The budget for the coming year
provides approximately S250 per
month for the clerk's post.
THE BRUNSWICK&EACON
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 SI 0.36
Six Months S5.55
ELSEWHERE IN
NORTH CAROLINA
One Year S 14.80
Six Months S7.90
ELSEWHERE IN U.S.A.
One Year SI 5.95
Six Months S8.35
Sccond class postage paid at
Shallotte, N.C. 28459. USPS 777
780. Postmaster, send address
changes to:
P.O. Bo* 2558,
Shallotte, N.C. 28459-2558
STAfF PHOTO BY SUSAN USH??
THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR for RCC's Odell Williamson Auditorium is asking for a 2 1/2-month
extension, but college officials say they need a better reason than they've heard so far to grant more
time. The current schedule calls for completion of the auditorium by late October. There was little ac
tivity on the job site Monday afternoon.
Varnamtown Bumps Tax Rate To 5 Cents
BY DOUG R UTTER
Vamamtown officials approved a
budgcl Monday featuring the first
tax rate increase in the town's short
history and decided to do more to
collect overdue taxes.
The 1992-93 budget was balanced
using a tax rate of 5 cents per SI 00
of property, which means the owner
of a S50,000 house will pay S25.
The tax rate had been 4 1/2 cents
sincc the town incorporated in 1988
and is still one of the lowest munici
pal rates in Brunswick County.
The new budget, which takes ef
fect July 1 and features S84.000 in
revenues and expenses. The town
expects to collect S4,347 in taxes.
Other major sources of income
expected in the upcoming fiscal year
are S38.000 in sales tax from the
state and 535,273 from the town re
serve fund.
Some of the larger expenses
planned next year include $10,810
to help pay for the Bobby Caison
property on Sabbath Home Road.
Aldermen voted Monday to take
SI 1,073 from the current-year re
serve fund to make a SI 0,000 down
payment and cover closing and sur
vey costs.
Varnamtown plans to close on the
2.83 acres before the end of the
month and will pay S40.000 in all.
The board wants the land for a fu
ture park.
Other expenses in the 1992-93
budgcl include S7.600 for street
lights and S7.500 for town hall
building and grounds improvements.
The town plans to give S2,5(X) to
Tri-Beach Volunteer Fire Depart
mcni and SI, 600 to Coastline
Volunteer Rescue Squad. The
clerk's salary is S3,(XX).
Vamamtown also plans to keep
S34,640 in its unappropriated re
serve fund for use in the future.
Nobody spoke during a public
hearing on the budget Monday. The
only change aldermen made from
their proposal was taking S600 des
ignated for membership the Cape
Fear Council of Governments and
putting it in the debt service fund in
stead.
In other budget-related matters
Monday night, aldermen approved
the transfer of S4.800 from reserve
to building and grounds.
The money will be used to pay for
a bulkhead that was recently built
across the back of the town hall
property to control erosion.
Time To Pay Up
Keeping a promise they made a
month ago, board members also vot
ed Monday to advertise the names
of people who owe taxes from 1989,
1990 or 1991.
There are 35 property owners
who owe the town taxes and interest
totaling S795. The collection rate
this year was only 88 percent.
This is the first lime Vamamtown
has advertised its overdue taxes. In
the past, board members have per
sonally contacted residents in an at
tempt to collect the money.
Alderman Will Mumford said the
Brunswick County Tax Department,
which collects taxes for the town,
has sent out three notices for 1991
taxes that were due in January.
Zoning Needed?
Varnamtown's planning commit
tcc expects to discuss zoning when it
meets today (Thursday) at 1 p.m. at
the town hall.
Alderman Ada McDonald, who
chairs the committee, said the board
will talk primarily about mobile
homes.
At Monday night's meeting.
Mayor Pro tem Ennis Swain urged
the committee to develop minimum
requirements for mobile and manu
factured homes.
"There's some concern in the area
that some pretty shabby stuff will
come in," Swain said.
The town presently doesn't have
any employees who could enforce
zoning regulations. Officials don't
think county building inspectors
would cnforcc town rules.
The five-member planning com
mittee also will meet Wednesday,
July 8, at 1 p.m. in the town hall to
talk about zoning.
Project Supported
The town board of aldermen will
send a letter to the Corps of
Engineers district officc in
Wilmington supporting removal of a
large shoal in Lockwood Folly
River.
Swain said the sandy shoal is lo
cated about one-half mile upstream
from the town and cuts off access to
boaters seeking refuge from storms
and slows water flow in the river.
"1 think we should push for some
results," he said. "Whether we
achieve it or not we must be opti
mistic."
Planning
(Continued From Page 1-A)
tended as a way to increase the stan
dard of living for county residents.
"We know that everybody in
Brunswick County can't afford to
pity S75 to play golf," Barbec said.
"But if all we have arc people work
ing in T-shirt shops milking S4.50 an
hour, they won't be able to pull
themselves up by the bootstraps.
They won't even have boots."
The new land use plan encour
ages the development of industry
throughout the county, provided
such development "is compatible
with surrounding land uses and that
potential environmental impacts can
be effectively mitigated."
At the same time, it notes that
"the educational system remains
poor, causing local area workers to
have a difficult time competing for
job openings." As a result, there is
concern that new industries will
bring employees from outside the
area.
For the first time in any local
land use plan update, three policy
Board Takes Heat
Tom Pope
commended
the plan for
its emphasis
on education.
statements arc included calling for
Brunswick County to improve its
educational system, which it rccog
ni/cs as a "critical factor" in future
economic development.
Tom Pope commended the plan
for its emphasis on education, say
ing it was "a very serious problem
that we need to aggressively get be
hind"
Planning Board Chairman Mich
acl Schaub suggested lhai audience
members lake home a copy of the
complete policy draft and invited
them to return to the board's next
regular meeting July 15 to discuss it.
In other business the board ap
proved a minor plat for a four-lol
addition to the Brcczcwoods 11 sub
division on Seaside Road (S.R.
1 162) near Sunset Beach.
Bree/.cwoods developer Wilbur
McLamb requested a modification
to the subdivision ordinance require
ment for a minimum lot width of 60
feel. Three of the lots are 55 feet
wide, while the fourth is 50 feet
wide. Three of the lots already have
septic tank permits.
The board agreed to approve the
plat on the condition that it include a
statement that one of the lots may
not be suitable for human habitation.
The planning board will take
part in a special joint meeting with
the county board of commissioners
Monday, July 6, at 4 p.m. to discuss
the proposed county zoning ordi
nance.
PHOTO BY LYNN CARLSON
BUD KNAPP, chairman of the Calabash Town Festival Committee, takes visitors on a tour of the
Calabash River. In the background is Paul Walker, who is assisting Knapp with the planning.
College Hoping For Road
Compromise With DOT
It's been said, "Never look a gifl
horse in the mouth," but Brunswick
Community College is doing just
that.
College officials arc taking a sec
ond look at an offer from the State
of North Carolina to pave a road
from the U.S. 17 bypass into the
campus.
BCC had asked the N.C. Depart
ment of Transportation last year to
consider an access to the college off
the U.S. 17 bypass of Bolivia. The
college fully cxpcctcd to have to
build the access road at its own ex
pense.
Last Wednesday, consulting ar
chitect Ken Phelps of Boney
Associates of Wilmington told col
lege trustees the good news, and
more: The state has approved the ac
cess and plans to pave an access
road-but not the road the college
planned to build.
A draft of the new BCC master
plan created by the firm shows a
gently curving road leading from the
bypass into the heart of the campus,
with future buildings tucked into the
curves in an aesthetically pleasing
arrangement.
However, DOT plans to pave a
2,250-foot former logging road as a
connector from existing U.S. 17 to
the bypass, taking less than the usual
60-foot-widc easement. The old
road, part of which now serves as
access to the auditorium construc
tion project, cuts across BCC's
property in a narrow, straight line
about 420 feet from the southern
most property line, indicated Phelps.
While the master plan can be re
designed to accommodate the route,
Phelps recommended against it.
So did Chairman David Kelly,
noting it would cut the BCC proper
ly into three parcels, making it even
more difficult to develop as a cam
pus. The bypass itself divided the
original tract into two parcels.
Phelps said any attempt to get
DOT to change its route needed to
be done right away, because the
construction crew was on site.
While taking no formal action,
trustees reached a consensus Wed
nesday that Phelps should investi
gate the college's options with DOT,
to see if a compromise is possible.
Trustee Jerry Munn urged pursuit
of the desired changes, saying, "I
think we're underestimating DOT."
Said Phelps in his conclusion,
"The worst that could happen is that
we end up with a straight road
through the campus."
While recognizing that the DOT
plan would save money, members
expressed concern about having a
main road through campus that con
nects two other public roads and is
not a campus street in the traditional
sense, that is, designed with pedes
trians in mind with speed bumps and
a lower speed limit.
Better options include persuading
DOT to agree to build and pave the
curved road, which would be more
costly, or to take the money it would
have spent on the straight road and
apply it to the cost of the preferred
road.
"Any distance they came would
be more than we thought they would
do," noted Kelly.
While the construction crew is on
site, Phelps will also ask DOT to cut
through the control for access on the
north side of the new road as well as
the south, to accommodate future
development of the rest of the cam
pus.
Turn lanes for both campuses arc
in the DOT plans, but not the cut
through.
AREA ENDURES STORM
Cool, Wet Weather Continues
It looks like another week of cool, wet weather for the Shalloltc
area, which endured one of its most severe thunderstorms of the year
Sunday.
Shallotte Point meteorologist Jackson Canady expects cooler than
normal temperatures and above average rainfall over the next several
days.
Temperatures should range from the mid-80s during the day to mid
60s at night, with at least one inch of rainfall.
"It looks like a continuation of the same pattern with no foreseeable
change in the next week to 10 days," Canady said Tuesday.
For the period June 16-22, he recorded 1 .07 inches of rain and a dai
ly average temperature of 74 degrees, which was about 3 degrees below
normal.
The maximum high for the period was 90 degrees June 21, and the
minimum low was 60 degrees on the 18th.
Canady said the daily average high was 89 degrees and the average
nightly low was 65 degrees.
Other than more damage at area farms, the county reportedly had no
major problems caused by a lightning and hail storm Sunday night.
Brunswick County Emergency Management Coordinator Cecil
Logan said he didn't know of any storm-related property damage.
"1 think we were pretty fortunate with all the lightning we had not to
have any serious problems," he said Monday.
Lightning strikes caused scattered power outages throughout the
Brunswick Electric Membership Corp. service area, said spokesman Phil
Morgan.
A circuit blew out at the Supply substation, temporarily cutting off
electricity to the Royal Oak community. Other areas that lost power dur
ing the storm included Longwood and Ash.
"We didn't have any major problems, more or less inconveniences
from the lightning," Morgan said.
However, the storm was yet another blow to area farmers who have
suffered great losses this spring due to excessive amounts of rainfall.
"Probably a good hail storm is not the best thing in the world at this
point," Brunswick County Cooperative Extension Director Milton
Coleman said facetiously.
Coleman said he knew of some damage to tobacco fields and other
crops, but he wasn't sure of the extent of the damage as of Tuesday after
noon.
"I know there was some damage sustained and some fairly substan
tial," he said. "When I say substantial I'm talking up to 90 percent dam
aged."