Thirtieth Year, Number 43
Jhallotte, North Carolina Thursday. August 27, 1992
36 Pages, 3 Sections, 3 Inserts
Believe it or not...
Leo Smith found this two
headed baby snake on his Ash
farm. Creepy story, Page 12- A
Grid Action Galore
See Pages 8B-11-B for the
latest in area high school
football news.
Welcome!
The South Brunswick islands
Chamber of Commerce has a
new executive. Page 12-C.
12731/99 wo
HOAG & SONS BOOK BINDERY
P.O. BOX 162
SF'R I NGPORT MI 49284
STAFF PHOTO BY EHIC CARLSON
Emergency Services Center Dedicated
Crystal Williams, Miss Brunswick County 1992, snips a ribbon to officially open the county's Emergency Services (911) Center. State
Assistant Director of Emergency Management Buddy Jackson said the "state of the art " center is one of the top two such facilities in the
U.S. Shown (from left) are County Manager David Clegg, Sparky The Fire Dog, Emergency Management Director Cecil Ijogan, County
Commissioners Chairman Kelly Holden, Williams, Commissioners Gene Pinkerton, Jerry Jones and Donald Shaw, and Emergency
Medical Services Director Doug LedgetL About 500 people attended an open house at the center Sunday.
ZONING WORKSHOPS CONTINUF
Boards Again Relax Rural Lot Size
Regs
BY ERIC CARLSON
The minimum lot size requirement for building
a home in rural areas of Brunswick County was
reduced for the second time Monday as the coun
ty commissioners and planning board continued
to modify a draft zoning ordinance.
The boards also raised to 40 feet the maximum
height allowed for a home, clarified the law's def
inition of a kennel, considered a regulation to pro
hibit the parking of large vehicles in residential
neighborhoods and eliminated the "residential
s>u tp aCuC along rural highways.
The two boards have scheduled a scries of joint
meetings every Monday at 4 p.m. in the public as
sembly room at the county complex in Bolivia.
The proposed zoning ordinance is available for
public inspection at the county planning depart
ment.
After a single citizen complained that a propos
al to require 200 feet of road frontage per
dwelling was too strict in rural areas, the boards
agreed to reduce the minimum to 75 feet.
Last week the board members reduced the min
imum lot size from five acres to one. Monday
they further cut the requirement by more than half
to allow rural home construction on a 20,000
square foot lot.
Billy Gailher of Shallotte Monday told the
boards that while he agreed with the idea of zon
ing, "it can be carried too far." He said that some
of the county's nicest subdivisions have lots with
less than 100 feel of road frontage. He said the
200-foot minimum in rural areas was too restric
tive.
Thui means u mi if 1 nau jtO feet on a rOuu, 1
could only build one house on it," he said.
"Young people can afford a 100-foot lot ruid put a
mobile home on it and start their lives. They can't
do that if they have to buy 200 feet."
County Planner John Harvey noted that the
200-foot frontage requirement was proposed only
for "out in the country." He said other zones al
lowed lot sizes as small as 6,000 square feet with
only 60 feet along the road.
"That means that a man who owns land toward
the coast can have small lots but not someone out
in the country," said Planning Board Member
Thomas Gray. "It's not fair. Everybody should be
treated alike."
"But that is the point of zoning," said Harvey,
"to provide for different housing densities in dif
ferent areas."
Harvey noted that New Hanover County re
quires a minimum lot of 30,000 square feet in its
rural zone. Pender and Catawba Counties require
20,000 square feet, Chatham county requires
40,000, Carteret 50,000 and Orange County re
quires U tnv-uCiv id.
One acre equals 43,560 square feet.
With the reduction of all rural lot size require
ments, the distinction between a proposed "agri
culture" zone and the "residential strip" zone was
effectively eliminated. The board agreed to com
bine these areas intc a general rural designa
tion.
Resuming last week's discussion of how best
to keep a major hog processing operation out of
rural zones without also prohibiting small farm
(See ZONING, Page 2-A)
Caudill Transplant OK'ed; Money's Still Short
BY DOUG RUTTER
Duke University Medical Center has agreed to
proceed with a bone marrow transplant for a local
cancer victim despite a lack of funds and ongoing
legal battle over insurance coverage.
Doctors were expected to harvest bone marrow
Tuesday from Chris Caudill of Supply, a 36-year
old mother of two who suffers from an advanced
form of breast cancer, according to one of her
friends.
The hospital normally requires proof of insur
ance coverage or a deposit of $1 12,000 before it
performs bone marrow transplant operations.
Caudill doesn't have proof of insurance coverage
or the money.
However, the hospital revised its policy for
Caudill's case, said Marlene Vamam of Var
namtown, who has helped raise aboul 540,000 for
a bone marrow transplant fund.
The hospital agreed to perform the operation
for the $40,000 that's been raised so far along
with a commitment that more money will be
mailed to the hospital on regular basis.
"That's what they're asking us to do is keep
sending money every month," Varnam said
Tuesday. "As many people as Duke's helped out,
I didn't think they would let us down."
The hospital's decision to proceed with the op
eration is good news to area residents who have
been raising funds to help pay for the operation,
which will cost about $125,000.
Meanwhile, Caudill's legal battle continues
against her health insurance carrier. She sued
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina be
cause the company is refusing to cover the bone
marrow transplant.
Company lawyers have said the federal em
ployee group policy that Caudill has through her
employer, Sunny Point Military Ocean Terminal,
specifically excludes coverage for bone marrow
transplants.
In a ruling handed down two weeks ago, U.S.
District Judge James C. Fox refused to make Blue
Cross and Blue Shield pay for the operation.
Attorney Roy Trest, who is representing
Caudill, plans to appeal the ruling and said this
week that he has filed "summary judgment" mo
tions in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in
Richmond, Va.
Trest filed the motions hoping a judge will rule
(See COMMUNITY, Page 2-A)
New Supply
Schooi Opens
f With Confusion
i For Parents
BY MARJORIE MEGIVERN
While some 650-675 youngsters
eagerly walked through the doors of
the new Supply Elementary School
on opening day, a number of parents
were confused and irritated up to the
last minute, unsure where their chil
dren belonged.
With students being pulled from
Union Primary, Bolivia Elementary
and Shallotte Middle schools to
make up the Supply enrollment, not
everyone got advance notice of a
change.
"I had two children at Shallotte
Middle and got no word as to where
they would go," said a mother who
did not want to be identified. "Based
on where 1 live, 1 assumed they
might be going to Supply, but I fi
nally had to call the central office
and was referred to Supply, then to
Mr. Owens (Shallotte Middle princi
pal). One of my children's records
is at Supply and the other's records
&TC al Shallotte Middle.This is outra
geous."
Dorothy Brcnnan , whose Union
Primary' child received no notifica
tion, sa:d, "My friend got a Ssacr
from a Supply teacher, welcoming
her child, but I didn't. However, I
plan to take my son there, because
we live in the Supply district."
Nancy McGrail, secretary to
Assistant Superintendent William
Turner, said the three schools send
ing students to Supply were to notify
those youngsters of their move;
however, at the three schools in
volved, there was a different under
standing of procedure.
"My understanding is that the
new principal was supposed to let
them know," said Zelphia Grisseu.
Union principal. "My job was to
identify the kids who would be
moved, according to their addresses.
We had 430 to 450 kids moving
from here."
At Bolivia, secretary Beverly
Schwefel was certain that no notifi
cation was expected from her
school. "We only lost 18 students,"
she said, "and we assumed the
Supply principal would notify
them."
William Detrie, assistant principal
at Shallotte Middle School, said,
"We informed students at the end of
school in June where they would go.
There were maps in the newspaper,
and teachers found out where they
lived and talked to those who would
te moving."
Carolyn Williams, Supply princi
pal, said, "We counted on newspa
per articles to let people, know."
"We were sent lists of the kids who
would be coming, but we made no
effort to notify them."
A map of the new boundaries
identifying the districts for each
school involved in the change was
published June 11 in The Brunswick
Beacon. Most parents studying the
map could determine whether they
were within the new school bound
aries, though these were outlined
three times, creating additional con
fusion.
Meanwhile, as some parents made
phone calls and scratched their
heads, the county's newest and most
elaborate school prepared to open its
doors to its first students.
Workmen were putting finishing
touches here and there Monday, but
phones were working, all furniture
was in place and teachers had spent
the last week preparing rooms and
bulletin boards.
"My office is a .vrcck," Wiliisans
said, "but we're opening tomorrow,
serving breakfast and lunch, sending
out 11 buses, and expecting about
650 kids."
Harried with last-minute details,
she was upbeat about welcoming her
students. "There has been a flurry of
kindergartners enrolling this last
week," she said. "We now have four
classes with 25 in each class."
Teachers like Cathy Milligan and
Annie Hewett were putting away
colorful new supplies, readying their
rooms on Friday. "I'm so excited,"
Hewett said. Milligan had a bin of
"dress-up" clothing for her kinder
gartners and some visiting children
were trying it out.
Visitors could be seen every day
last week, touring the school,
awestruck by the mammoth gymna
sium and entranced by the colors.
Little boys spotted the basketball
goals, others eyed kid-sized cabinets
and chairs in classrooms, everything
new and pretty.
Williams said one of the first or
ders of business this week will be
the selection of a mascot and school
colors, in which students will partic
ipate. "With our location by the
ocean, I think we should have some
kind of sea theme," she said.
Opponents
BY DOUG RUTTER
Holden Beach's proposed rules aimed at
stopping abuse of septic systems took a
mighty licking in round one, but round two
is yet to come.
Opponents of the ordinance easily out
numbered supporters last Wednesday at the
first of two public hearings beiii? held on
the controversial issue.
While blasting the proposed regulations,
several speakers also took the opportunity
to urge town officials to start planning for a
sewer system.
About 75 people packed the stuffy town
hall meeting room, some sitting on the
floor and others leaning against the back
wall.
Most speakers said they oppose the ordi
nance intended to keep people from overus
ing septic systems and advertising homes to
sleep more people than they are intended to
accommodate.
A second hearing on the regulations is
planned Saturday, Sept. 5, at 11 a.m. in
town hall. It is being held mainly to accom
modate non-resident property owners who
couldn't attend last week.
Mayor Wally Ausley opened the one
hour hearing by reading letters from two
people who oppose the rules and two who
support them.
Auslev indicated that 24 property owners
Outnumber
wrote letters saying they arc against the
regulations, while only three wrote in favor
of the ordinance.
When the floor was opened up to speak
ers, Jimmy Hobbs of Hobbs Realty was
among the first to speak out against the
proposed rules.
He said the ordinance would hurt fami
lies who rent homes each year at the beach,
local merchants who depend on summer
crowds and the town, by cutting into occu
pancy tax revenue.
By limiting tourists to two people per
bedroom, Hobbs said the rules would pro
hibit many families from vacationing at
Holden Beach. Instead of renting more than
one house, tie said families wouiti vacauon
elsewhere.
"This ordinance as it's written would de
stroy the annual reunions for many of those
families," Hobbs said.
The town's wastewater management
committee drafted the ordinance to prohibit
occupancy of homes by more people than
they arc designed to accommodate.
The problem of overcrowding is typical
ly worst in the summer, when homes are
rented to vacationers. Officials fear overus
ing septic systems can lead to septic system
failure and pollution of fragile coastal
marshes and waters.
Fran Vogt, a permanent resident, said
Backers At S
"The real answer is
to not enact this
ordinance. The real
answer is to build a
sewer system."
? Dave Wilson
property owner
last week she supports the "spirit" of the
ordinance but is opposed to the "police
stale ami Geslapo tactics" that wouiu be
used to enforce it
As proposed, the rules would allow the
Holden Beach building inspector to inspect
homes if there is evidence or probable
cause that the rules are being violated.
Mayor Ausley pointed out prior to last
week's hearing, however, that no inspec
tions would be conducted while homes arc
occupied, and there would be no counting
of heads.
Elwood Newman, who has been renting
homes on the island for more than 10 years,
also voiced opposition to the proposal.
Newman said he's never had a problem
with a septic system and said the town has
eptic Tank Ru
no proof septic tanks are causing pollution.
"If your septic tank is not working, you're
going to know it."
Dave Wilson of Fayetteville was one of
several speakers who opposed the rules and
suggested the town plan for a sewer system
to handle its waste.
"The real answer is to not enact this ordi
nance," Wilson said. "The real answer is to
build a sewer system."
Wilson's comments drew applause from
the crowd, and several other speakers
cchocd his sentiments about a sewer system
later in the hearing.
Homeowner Richard Jones said the cost
of a sewer system will get higher every
ycai if iiie town keeps putting it off.
"This is going to affect all of us owners
if we don't stop dragging our feet," he said.
"Let's stop looking for a pacifier and look
for a cure."
Landis Chavis, another sewer system
supporter, said it will take the town five to
seven years to get a system on line.
"If you don't get started on this beach to
day you're going to be in trouble five years
down the road," said Chavis, a member of
the Cumberland County Health Board.
Several people said the ordinance dis
criminates against non-resident property
owners who rent their homes to tourists and
would create conflicts on the island.
les Hearing
"I can't sec any good coming out of it,"
said real estate developer Virgil Roberts. "1
can see this beach being divided like it's
never been divided before."
George Bradshaw said the ordinance
would divide the community like the old
yard light ordinance did in 1990.
At one point, Holden Beach sued
Bradshaw over his 20-foot-high security
light, but the town later dropped the law
suit.
"You better look at it and look at it hard,
because you'll have somebody else in
court," Bradshaw said of the septic tank or
dinance.
Art and Betty Zucker, property owners
who drove from Raleigh to attend the hear
ing, were among the few people who said
they supported the niles.
The couple rents its beach house during
the summer and has had virtually no prob
lems with overcrowding, Mr. Zucker said.
Next door, however, tnere is a problem.
Zucker said a five-bedroom rental house is
advertised to sleep 24 people and is fre
quently occupied to that level.
Virgel Verheyden also said he supports
the proposed rules, but added that they may
need to be revised.
'The ordinance may not be the besL..but
I think something needs to be done,"
Verheyden said.