12/31/99 **P0
HOAG & SONS BOOK BINDERY
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BOX 1 62
SPR I NGPORT
MI 49284
$TAf f phqjq gy E|uc CARLSON
They Look Like Ping-Pong Balls!
The discovery of a loggerhead turtle nest on Holden Beach Saturday morning attracted a crowd of ea
ger young spectators. Eddie Wagoner, a volunteer with the Brunswick Coitnty Turtle Watch program,
carefully removed ihe eggs so the nest could be relucaieu io a safer spot. Enjoying the process are
(from left) Jillian Cosentino, 4, of Avon iMke, Ohio; Kirstin Smith, 5, of West Ixike, Ohio; and Ashley
Folan, 4, of Strongsville, Ohio. More about Turtle Watch on Page 3-A.
REDWINE SEEKS FEASIBILITY STUDY
Towns, Health Board
Work Together Against
Septic Tank Pollution
u
BY LYNN CARLSON
Representatives of four local beach towns and the
county health board seem to agree that action is needed
to prohibit overcrowding of rental cottages and perma
nent homes which rely on septic tanks for waste dispos
al.
But they also agree that care must be taken to develop
enforceable regulations which do not violate the privacy
or unici fights of property owners and vacationers.
Holder. Beach, Sunset Beach, Calahash and Long
Beach representatives spoke to the amw
Brunswick County Board of Health
Monday night, each outlining differ
ent needs and concerns regarding sep
tic tank pollution in their communi
ties. They also pledged to work to
gether to develop guidelines and reg
ulations to address each town's needs.
They were asked to do so without
interfering with property owners'
wishes to use rooms in their homes as
dens, offices or libraries and without
prohibiting such traditional beach ac
tivities as family reunions.
"1 have an ugly vision of somebody out with a flash
light doing bed-checks, and that's not what we want,"
said David Sandifer, a Holden Beach commissioner ap
pearing before the health board. Sandifer said that while
20 people may be visiting a house at a given time, they,
might not all be staying there or sleeping there.
Holden Beach Commissioner Gay Atkins said, "I'm
not concerned about (regulating) misrepresenting adver
tising, but it is a major concern if people lose the right to
have a room be what they want it to be." Atkins was re
ferring to the statutory definitions of bedrooms. In dif
ferent rulings, the state has defined a bedroom as any
room that can be reasonably expected to function as a
sleeping quarters, and as any room which contains a
closet and is connected to a bathroom, even by a hall
way.
A recent state ruling required a Holden Beach couple
to make a number of changes to a home they built be
fore a certificate of completion could be issued. Health
officials had suspended the couple's septic tank permit
for a four-bedroom house in May after a final inspection
of the sewage disposal system. Inspectors said the two
story house had six bedrooms, two more than the septic
/ have an ugly
vision of somebody
out with a flashlight
doing bed-checks,
and that's not what
we want."
? David Sandifer
system was designed to handle. The couple had said the
home, built as a rental cottage, would use two of those
rooms as an office and den.
Marlene Ihomas, a member of Holden Beach's
wastewater management committee, said that group has
developed a draft ordinance to prohibit property owners
and real estate firms from advertising that a home will
sleep more people than its septic tank can accommodate.
' I ~h ? mmmiltAa'c nltn n iauI r\ onll f/%r ??? ?? mtrn
? iiv wimiiiiUw O piuii r? v/uiu wuii ? \si iny miuvn nutti
ing notifications before a warrant is obtained authorizing
the town building inspector to inspect
the property. Violations would be
turned over to the health department.
Thomas said the committee's ap
proach relies on education and volun
tary compliance. The group has been
working with County Health Director
Michael Rhodes to develop an ordi
nance that is compatible with state
regulations, and that the health de
partment will be able to enforce.
Engineering consultants employed
by Sunset Beach and Calabash said
wbwbwhwtoibiwh regulations will work only if property
owners are required to declare an occupancy capacity,
based on the septic system's capacity, at the time of per
mitting. Joseph Tombro, civil engineer for Powell
Associates, said his firm is testing to determine the fre
quency of septic tank failures and the contamination of
groundwater and adjacent waters. He said the two towns
probably will form a sanitary district to deal with the
problem, whether or not a central sewer system is built.
Long Beach Mayor Joan Altman, whose town defeat
ed a central sewer referendum, said she is "interested in
all the assistance the health department can provide,"
since the town "will be relying on septic tanks for the
foreseeable future." Altman said a glance through Long
Beach cottage rental brochures revealed "very few, but a
few, gross violations" of exceeding septic tank capacity.
HJ. "Skip" Davis, health board chairman, said statis
tics exist only for septic tank failures "that we know of,"
since breakdowns often occur on weekends and the re
pairs done without permits. Davis also said no informa
tion exists indicating the causes of those breakdowns.
However, Andrew Robinson, county environmental
health supervisor, said septic tanks can pollute even
(See BOARDS, Page 2-A)
Could State Purchase Bird Island?
BY SUSAN USHER
As deadlines for public comment on plans to
develop Bird Island approach, a local legislator
has introduced a measure providing for study of
the feasibility of its purchase by the state.
The measure is part of a package of special
provisions recommended in a capital spending
bill the Generai Assembly was expected to con
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for the Department of Environment, Health and
Natural Resources to study "the feasibility and
appropriateness" of the state acquiring Bird Island
for the purpose of conservation.
The agency's findings and recommendations
are due to the General Assembly no later than
May 1, 1993, but Rcdwine expects the study
would be completed sooner than that
Redwine includes in a revised version of the
bill a clause intended to reassure the island's
owner, Janic Pace Price of Grecsnboro, that the
study is not intended to influence decisions re
garding development permits for which she has
applied. He has talked with Price and her attorney
regarding the bill and said they are not entirely
tui <ji against it, but unoerstanu wny he is seeicing
the study.
"We need the information that will be provided
by the study to be in a position to ask for state
money if and when that opportunity arises," said
Redwine. "We could potentially have money
available through the state parks system or per
haps through The Nature Conservancy or both.
We need to know what our choices arc."
At a Sunset Beach Town Council meeting ear
lier this year. Price indicated her willingness to
consider an offer for all or part of the property, an
island and marsh system of about 1,200 acres, of
which the Attorney General's office says about
85 acres are considered high ground. The island is
located between Mad Inlet and Little River Inlet
in Souui carouna. it is accessioie oy coat, or oy
crossing Mad Inlet on low tide on foot from the
far west end of Sunset Beach.
She has applied for a series of permits required
to develop the island for residential use.
In February Price applied to the N.C. Division
of Coastal Management for a major CAMA per
(See FEASIBILITY, Page 2- A)
Bacon Island Owners Will Seek Major CAMA Permit
BY DOUG RUTTER
Owners of Bacon Island have decided to apply
for a major permit that would allow them to de
velop the island after building a bridge over the
Holden Beach marsh.
Original plans to get a minor permit for the
bridge have been scrapped, and Holden Beach
Enterprises is moving ahead on plans to subdivide
the island and sell lots for houses in what devel
opers say will be an "exclusive," high-priced de
velopment
Virgil Roberts, a partner in Holden Beach
Enterprises, said the owners decided to go for the
major permit partly due to increasing interest
?
from potential buyers. He said newspaper articles
about the company's plans to build a bridge over
wetlands and eventually sell lots on the small is
land have helped create interest among real estate
buyers.
"We do have some interest that we didn't have
before," Roberts said in a telephone interview
Tuesday. "It's just allowed us to speed up our
plans."
Roberts, secretary-treasurer of Holden Beach
Enterprises, said it will take about eight weeks to
complete an application for a CAMA major de
velopment permit.
The application will be given to the N.C.
Division of Coastal Management, which will in
vite comments from other state and federal agen
cies before deciding whether to issue the permit
The head of the division, Roger Schecter,
vowed last week to fight the issuance of a minor
permit that would have allowed a bridge io the is
land.
In a July 6 letter to Holden Beach Building
Inspector Dwight Carroll, Schecter said he want
ed the owners to apply for a major permit, instead
of a minor permit
Due to plans for development of the island, the
coastal management chief asked Carroll to return
(See MAJOR, Page 2-A)
Holden Withdraws As GOP
Candidate For State House
BY SUSAN USHER
Republican candidate Kelly Holden withdrew from the 14th District
State House race last week, with no replacement candidate or candi
dates in sight as of Tuesday afternoon.
"Nope, not a word," said Lynda Britt, supervisor
of the Brunswick County Board of Elections, echo
ing comments from other election board offices in
the district.
ties in the district will choose a new Republican
candidate. Prior to the primary Caletta Faulk of
Columbus County had been discussed as a possible
candidate; she could not be reached for comment
last week.
Holden said he decided not to wait until later to
withdrew in order to give more lead time to anyone else who might
run. "I love politics. I wanted to run," he said. "I didn't want to pull
out" But he said he did not have the time to take way away from his
family and his business interests to hold a legislative seal, or to cam
paign for one.
"I think just reality set in," he said Friday after giving his letter of
resignation to the Brunswick County Board of Elections, which for
warded it to other elections offices. "I didn't think 1 could be gone the
hours needed to go to Raleigh. I can't be away from the business for
weeks at a time."
Holden is a partner in a family-owned farm, produce stand and pick
your-own operation and a tax preparation franchise office. Peak season
coincides with spring and summer months when the General Assembly
is generally in session.
He said the time comes to reassess priorities, noting, "My family and
business come first."
He said he doesn't know what kind of people can afford to get in
volved in state-level politics, who can take the time away (from other
(See HOLDEN, Page 2-A)
Pi
n
HOLDEN
Watch Your Bus Behavior! You
May Be On Candid Camera
BY MARJORIE MEGIVERN
How would you like to watch a video of your child
en route to school on the school bus? Would it be in
structive to hear and see what goes on inside one of
those big yellow buses during its morning or afternoon
run?
This is a distinct possibility for Brunswick County
school buses during the 1992-93 school year, according
to William Turner, assistant superintendent. He de
scribed a new means of observing bus behavior to the
Brunswick County Board of Education Monday.
"It's called the black box," he explained, "because
you install a small black box at the front of every bus,
with a mirror in front of it, reflecting a camera that
might or might not be behind it."
The camera, he went on, is installed in one of the
buses each day, without students or even the bus drivers
knowing which one. It records on videotape the sights
and sounds that go on during the bus ride.
Tumei said the cost of a camera is $1300, and the
box expense is minimal. "I think I can get the money
from the stale for our black box system this school
year," he said.
"This idea has been developed because of discipline
problems on school buses," he said. "In one school sys
tem using this, the bus drivers soon forgot all about it,
and their recorded language was not what it should be
and they were reprimanded."
This tantalizing prospect might have been the high
light of a long, hot meeting, in which some 30 members
of the public endured three hours in an un-aircondi
tioncd room. Chairperson Donna Baxter told diem mid
way through the meeting, "If we turn on the air-condi
tioning, you won't hear a thing we say, so you choose."
Someone called out, "We'll suffer!"
Turner also gave a progress report on the new
Supply Elementary School, due to open this fall. "I
know some of you have seen it but, trust me, we will be
in on lime." He listed items being completed: tile work
finished by July 20, paving by the Department of
Transportation beginning August 15, and carpeting in
stalled July 13. He said the extreme heat forced post
ponement of landscaping until fall,
"There arc two shifts working now, almost around
the clock," he said.
The School Advisory Council for Supply
Elementary was approved with the following appointed:
Wayne Roach, Eugene Hewett, Cleveland Simmons,
Lynn Ellis, Teresa Fulfond and Betty Sellers.
He announced that Brunswick County will not get
25 new buses as originally planned. 'The state only ap
propriated money for 400 buses for all of North
Carolina," he said, "so we hope for six."
Patricia Ward, Chapter 1 supervisor, got board ap
proval for her program, in which she said a greater need
for reading had been discovered. "We'll continue the
program for grades two to six," she said, "with a first
grade program at Supply, Union and South Brunswick
Elementary."
A pilot pre-kindegarten program will be conducted
at Union and Lincoln, with 16 students, one teacher and
one assistant at each site. "Students will be chosen based
on need, after we have sent flyers to all parents," Ward
explained. Transportation will be provided for this all
day program.
Nelson Best, driver education coordinator, proposed
a driver's education program this year with part of the
instruction contracted to a private instructor. He said
teachers already certified for the subject would be used
for classroom work. Bids for the in-car contract will be
opened August 24 and the program will begin
September 10.
"It will be held after school, before school, during
the summer, whenever a particular school wants to
schedule it," Best said. "Driver education is not permit
ted any longer during the school day and our state dri
ver's ed funds have been cut 22 percent It costs $100
per student for in-car instruction, and we have $240 per
student allocated by the state."
An enrollment of 183 and a membership of 168 in
last year's extended day program were reported by
Freeman Gause, director of extended day and communi
ty schools. "We had a dropout rate of eight percent," he
said, "but thirty students graduated in the county be
cause of this program." The enrollment breakdown was:
North Brunswick, 75; South, 49; West, 59.
This program, also known as education for employ
ment, is a program of the Job Partnership Training Act
(JTPA). It provides economically disadvantaged youth
ages 16-21 with the chance to continue their education
while working full or part-time.
The community schools program involves volun
teers in ail schools, efforts to improve community
school relations and partnership with businesses, as well
as the community use of school facilities.