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12/31/99
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HO AG & SONS BOOK BINDERY
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Thirty-First Year, Number 5
WICKSBtACON
?1f*2 TMf StUNSWtC* BCACOH
Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, December 3, 1992
32 Pages, 3 Sections, 7 Inserts
BLAMES FIRING ON RACE. POLITICS
Former Clerk Plans To File
Suit Against Commissioners
BY ERIC CARLSON
J st one week before a new board of commis
sioners takes office, a former clerk to the board
has drafted a racial and political discrimination
suit against the three sitting commissioners who
voted to eliminate her position.
Brunswick Commissioners Chairman Kelly
Holdcn said Tuesday he has received a draft com
plaint accusing him and fellow Republican board
members Donald Shaw and Jerry Jones of firing
10-year veteran clerk Regina Alexander, who is
black and a Democrat, "because of her political
affiliation and her race."
The draft suit alleges that a political supporter
of Holden, shortly after his election in 1990,
"suggested that (Alexander) change her party af
filiation to Republican" and said she should "dis
tance herself" from other commissioners.
"Defendants Holdcn, Shaw and Jones refused
to communicate or work with (Alexander)" al
though she "never received any complaints about
her performance," the suit states.
Subsequently the three voted June 17,1991, to
eliminate the salary of the clerk to the board and
to appoint County Manager David Clegg's secre
tary, Kelly Barefoot, to a joint position of secre
tary to both the manager and the board.
'This secretary was white and, upon informa
tion and belief, a political supporter of defendant
Holdcn," the draft suit slates.
Holden said Tuesday the suit was "not worthy
of a response" and that he plans "to do nothing"
in reaction to it He said the timing of the suit
suggests it might be one of several "personal po
litical vendettas" being launched to undermine the
accomplishments of the current board.
"1 categorically deny the racial and political
charges and the claim that we violated anyone's
civil rights," Holden said. "I hate that and despise
that"
7 categorically deny the
racial and political
charges....! hate and despise
that. ' ? Kelly Holden
Holdcn said Alexander was one of more than
20 county employees whose positions were elimi
nated during a reduction in force implemented "to
help balance the budget." He said that by state
law, the clerk serves at the pleasure of the com
missioners and can be replaced without cause.
Most counties the size of Brunswick do not
have a full-time position of clerk to the board, he
said. Alexander's post was eliminated and
Barefoot was given the additional duties as a cost
cutting measure, Holden said.
He said Barefoot is a Democrat and was not a
political supporter at the time of her hiring. He
noted that other prominent posts in the current ad
ministration are held by Democrats including
Clcgg, Deputy Clerk Joyce Johnson, Finance
Officer Lithia Hahn and Personnel Officer Starric
Grissett, who is also black.
Holdcn callcd it "ironic" that he received the
suit just days after a letter to the editor appeared
in The Brunswick Beacon alleging that Com
missioner-elect Wayland Vcrccn had made cam
paign promises to reinstate Alexander, Pearlie
Vereen and Zelma Babson to their former county
positions. The letter, written by Long Beach resi
dent M.L. LaMar, also claims that Vereen told
her Clegg would be replaced by the new board.
Holdcn callcd Clegg "one of the most impres
sive people I've ever met" and said that if the
county manager were replaced, the commission
ers "would not only be shooting themselves in the
foot, but the county as well."
He said he "could only speculate" when asked
what conncction the Alexander suit might have
with the incoming board.
"I hate to see people try to get commissioners
to carry out their personal political vendettas,"
Holdcn said. "It will be a real test of character for
the new commissioners to see if they can resist
the pressure."
Clegg, Barefoot, Jones and the three commis
sioners-elect are attending an Institute ot Gov
ernment seminar in Kill Devil Hills this week and
could not be reached for comment.
Raleigh attorney Martha A. Geer said Tuesday
that the suit will be formally filed within three
weeks. It will also name as defendants the incom
ing board members Vereen, Tom Rabon and Don
Warren, she said. While the action seeks personal
damages in excess of $10,000 from Holden, Shaw
and Jores, the new board could settle the county's
liability in the case out of court.
Geer acknowledged that a board of commis
sioners has the right not to reappoint the former
clerk.
"But they can't do it for illegal reasons, such as
on the basis of sex, race, political affiliation or
any other that is a violation of constitutional
rights," Geer said. "If they don't like her they
don't have to keep her. But they can't do it be
cause she's a Democrat."
Geer said thai if the case goes to trial, she
would have the burden of proving the termination
was racially or politically motivated.
"Or the new board could vote to hire her as
clerk," Geer said. "I'm not sure she would be sat
isfied with being re-hired. I doubt that would be
enough."
The suit seeks Alexander's reinstatement along
with damages, including back pay and compensa
tion for emotional distress.
STAFF PHOTO BY DOUG HUTTE*
A Holiday Ritual
Shallotte town employee Roland Varnam was up to his old
tricks last Friday morning, hanging Christmas decorations
along Main Street in preparation for this Saturday's annual pa
rade. Varnam hangs the holiday decorations every year on the
day after Thanksgiving. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. For
more information and a complete listing of entries, turn to
Page 2-A.
STAFF PHOTO BY DOUG It UTTER
Bring On The Bulldogs!
West Brunswick's Geoff Byrd (79) hams it up on the sideline during the Trojans' 41-14 state football
playoff win Monday at Farmville Central while teammate Steve Holmes keeps an eye on the game. The
Trojans host the St. Pauls Bulldogs Friday for the Eastern North Carolina 2-A Championship. For
more high school football coverage, see Pages 6-7B.
Holden Beach POA Takes 'Moral
Stand' Against Overcrowdina
BY DOUG RUTTER
Holden Bcach Property Owners Association took a
"moral stand" Saturday, voting to cncouragc homcown
crs to lake Uic lead in stopping
overcrowding of rental homes
on the island.
Responding to the comments
of Mayor Wally Ausley, mem
bers agreed each homeowner
must take responsibility for en
suring their home isn't slutted
beyond capacity during the
summer.
Overcrowding homes can
lead to septic tank failure,
which can result in the pollu
lion of waters surrounding Holdcn Beach. HBPOA
Director Harold Bender's motion to encourage owners
to limit occupancy passed unanimously.
The association tied the vote to a batch of letters the
town recently mailed to homeowners. The letters tell
people how many bedrooms they're allowed to have in
their houses in accordance with their septic tank permits.
Holdcn Bcaqh POA President Bob Lincbcrgcr en
couraged the group to take a "moral stand" after Mayor
Ausley said homeowners must take responsibility for the
number of people that rent their property.
"We live on a very fragile, narrow band of sand
here," Ausley said. "We have a responsibility to keen it
"We live on a very fragile ,
narrow band of sand here.
We have a responsibility to
keep it healthy
? Wally Ausley
Holden Beach Mayor
healthy." "
?Ausley suggested each own
er contact their rental agent and
give the maximum number of
people they v?ant staying in
their home.
"If everybody would say
that, we would have no prob
lem," he said. "You could real
ly eliminate this very small
number of houses that are be
ing overcrowded."
Ausley estimated there are
between 10 and 20 "flagrant" cases of overcrowding on
any given week during the summer.
"In my opinion we have a few flagrant ovcrcrawdcrs
on Holden Beach," he said. "It is a small number, but it
is enough for us to be concerned."
With the small number of homes being overcrowded,
Art Zucker of Raleigh asked if the association could
take more direct measures to control overcrowding.
"Arc they going to adhere to our moral commitment?"
(See OWNERS, Page 2-A)
HEARING SET MONDAY AT TOWN HALL
Sunset Taxpayers Say They'll 'Scream
Bloody Murder ' Against Sewer Authority
BY LYNN CARLSON
The board of directors of the
Sunset Beach Taxpayers
Association has sent a 13-page
newsletter to 1,700 town water users
encouraging them to fight attempts
to establish a South Brunswick
Islands Sewer and Water Authority,
a body they say would have the
power tn proceed with a central sew
er system even if such a measure
fails to pass a referendum.
The mailing included a copy of a
five-page letter from consulting en
gineer Joseph Tombro of Powell
Associates to Sunset Beach Town
Attorney Michael Isenberg, in which
Tombro estimates the cost of the sys
tem at $25 to $30 million, acknowl
edges that a sewer referendum prob
ably would fail, and oudines how the
system might be implemented and
funded through the authority.
Tombro and engineer Jim Billups
have recommended establishment of
an authority as "management entity"
for the towns of Sunset Beach and
Calabash to secure grants and loans
for sewer system construction. They
have told both town boards that the
authority can be given as much or as
little power as the two town govern
ments wish.
Before either town can vote on a
resolution establishing an authority,
each must name its three members.
Neither has indicated whose names
it is considering or how it will deter
mine the authority's representation.
A group of about 80 SBTA mem
bers ? only a handful of whom indi
cated they are full-time residents
and voters in the town ? met
Saturday and voted unanimously to
try to have the association's attorney
present at the Dec. 7 Sunset Beach
Town Council meeting, when the
opening item on the agenda is a pub
lic hearing on the resolution to form
the authority.
Tombro's letter to Isenberg says a
sewer and water authority "has prac
tical and flexible advantages,"
adding that "if the referenda of ei
ther or both communities fail... the
communities may authorize the au
thority to proceed on different im
plementation options."
It also says, "The authority may,
without going through referendum,
provide water and sewer service to
specific arets within either commu
nity through special assessments or
simply by request."
"We have thoroughly discussed
the potential formation of a water
and sewer authority with staff and
attorneys of the Local Government
Commission of the State Treasurer's
Office, the Local Government
Institute, the Division of
Environmental Management and the
Farmers Home Administration.
Without exception, all concur that a
water and sewer authority is the way
to go, given our unique set of cir
cumstances."
Two weeks ago, a crowd of more
than 200 Carolina Shores residents
expressed vehement opposition to
Carolina Blythe Head Confirms
Coming Sewer Rate Increase
BY KRIC CARLSON
Carolina Blythc Utilities Com
pany Inc. will request "a major, sub
stantial increase" in its water and
sewer rates next month unless the
company is purchased by another
private utility or a regional water au
thority, General Manager Coleman
Burnett said Tuesday.
Burnett agreed with consultants
who insist that the proposed South
Brunswick Water and Sewer
Authority could charge lower rates
than Carolina Blythc will be able to.
He said a new private owner would
undoubtedly charge more.
In a telephone interview from the
company's Charlotte office, Burnett
was asked for his response to com
ments made at a Nov. 18 public
hearing in Calabash on a proposal
for the town to join Sunset Beach in
creating a regional sewer system.
As a first step, the two towns
must create a joint management
board that could negotiate the pur
chase of Carolina Blythe, the only
existing sewer system in ihe area.
The company serves about 1,400
customers, mostly in the Carolina
Shores development of Calabash.
At the hearing, project engineers
(See SEWER, Page 2-A)
the proposal at a hearing held by the
Calabash Board of Commissioners,
some claiming thai they experienced
special assessments and witnessed
abuses of power by similar boards in
the Northeastern towns from which
they retired.
The Calabash board postponed
its vote on the resolution until the
day after the Sunset Beach hearing.
Carolina Shores residents current
ly receive central sewer service from
the Carolina Blythc company based
in Florence, S.C. Powell Associates
engineers have recommended pur
chase of the Carolina Blythe plant
near the state line as the first stage
of the proposed system. (See related
story, this page.)
SBTA leaders charge that, despite
the work of the engineers and a local
wastewater advisory group, there is
insufficient evidence of the need for
a sewer system. "Sea Trail is who
needs it, but they want you to pay
for it," said John Watts, the SBTA
representative on a six-member
wastewater advisory committee ap
pointed by Sunset Beach Mayor
Mason Barber.
Watts characterized himself as the
wastewater committee's sole uncon
vinced member. "It's just one
against five. The rest of them have
already made up their minds," he
said, accusing Barber of having
"stacked the deck by naming devel
opers or people who work for devel
opers."
(See SUNSET, Page 2-A)
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