Highway Honors
A section of U.S. 17 is named
for outgoing DOT Secretary
Tommy Harrelson. Page 3-A
welcome!
James Kenneth Johnson jr. is
the first Brunswick baby of
*93. Page 3-B
Gridiron Gusto
Aaron Butler is West Brunswick
High School's football player of
the year. Page 11-B
Thirty-First Year, Number 8 ?Iff 3 THf MUNSVflOC MACON Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, Janjiuary 14, 1993 50<t Per Copy 30 Pages, 3 Sections, 1 Insert
Lose Jobs When Sewina Plant Closes March 7 2
?L Jf
BY SUSAN USHKR
Perry Manufacturing Co. will lay off 118 workers
when it shuts down its Pelican Manufacturing sewing
nlant in Shallottc March 12.
The Smith Avenue plant layoff is the largest by a sin
gle employer in Brunswick County since Archer
Daniels-Midland purchased the Pfizer Inc. citric acid
production plant in Southport, according to Mazic Frink,
supervisor of *he N.C. Employment Security
Commission officc in Shallottc.
Most of the workers affected are women with 10 or
more years of commercial cut-and-scw cxpcricnce.
Those who lose their jobs when the plant closes will
qualify as dislocated workers. "That means we can sup
port retraining for them and they will be eligible for un
employment," she said.
The company did not have a pension or retirement
plan and will provide no severance pay. However, offi
cials have told plant workers that if they want to transfer Alar. Connolly, Perry Manufacturing executive vice
to other Perry plants they will be given preferential treat- president, said in a telephone interview last I nursciay
ment in hiring. that the company "will maintain as full production as we
"It really disturbs me," Shallottc Mayor Sarah Tripp can" and will continue in full operation until March 12.
said Thursday. "I think the The business is located in
biggest loss will be the pay- ?* .. ?. . ? ..r a 24,(XX) square foot, air
roll. It's going to put the It fCdlly CllStUfOS 171C....WC conditioned brick-ovcr
county's unemployment ? j . /??? ? block building built and
higher than ever. We can't CClfl t QjJOFCl tO lOS? ?VCH OflC owned by Eskridgje and
afford to lose even one job, ? r *L?c, " Long of Marion, S.C. Since
not the way things arc." TlOt trlC VV Q.y thltlgS ClfC. jt was built in 1%7 the
The town was notified of ci c u building has been leased to
the plant's closing last ?ShallOtte Mayor Sarah I npp different cut-and-sew
Wednesday, the same day as businesses. The current
Plant Manager Jim Saunders and other employees. A lease will end in May.
hand-delivered letter to the town asked that it not an- Perry Manufacturing has leased the former
nouncc the c! <ing, since it had not been made public Highlander, Ltd. plant since 1983. Based in Mount Airy,
yet. Perry is a subsidiary of Marcadc Group Inc. of Jersey
City, NJ. In addition to a plant, officcs and warehouse
facility in Mi. Airy, the iauics sportswear and piece
goods manufacturer also owns Pcllany Manufacturing
Co. in Richlar.ds, La Belle Manufacturing Corp. in
Monroe and a plant in Elk Creek, Va. While production
is down at some of those plants, none are scheduled to
close, Connolly said.
Perry Manufacturing also has unspecified offshore
holdings, which Connolly said "has no bearing on this
operation or the decision to close this plant."
Pelican was the only Perry plant that sewed "bot
toms," the industry term for slacks, skirts and shorts, ac
cording to Connolly. "Our plants mainly do lops. This
plant makes a very seasonally-oriented garment."
"Basically the company has been unable to sell the
product that plant is best suited to manufacture and it's
become increasingly difficult to fill the plant's produc
(See PLANT, Pape ?-A)
Brunswick Schools
Rated In Bottom
Ranks For 3rd Year
BY SUSAN USHER
For the third year in a row, perfor
mance by the Brunswick County
Schools raiwi below the state aver
age and worse than most similar sys
tems statewide, according to its
1992 Report Card issued by the
N.C. Department of Public Instruc
tion.
lis overall performance rating was
the lowest received by any school
system in southeastern North Caro
lina. However, that rating die :iot re
sult in a performance warning by the
state because the system met state
accreditation standards and achieved
a dropout rate lower than the state
average.
Brunswick County Board of
Education Chairman Donna Baxter
said last week that school officials
are not pleased with the report and
are seeking improvement.
The 1991-92 report card reflects
the system during the administration
of former Superintendent P.R.
Hankins.
The first report card reflecting
achievement under the tenure of
Superintendent Ralph J. Johnston
will be issued next January. He is
expected to release his short-term
goals for improving performance
later this month, with longer-term
goals due before the end of the cur
rent school year.
The 1992 report card provides a
three-year snapshot at student test
scores and other data related to stu
ar*? a i T1riairrv^pfi In
UUIl (K/lilV VVIIIVIIi. lv) tw
assess each local school system's ef
forts to improve student perfor
mance, as required by the School
Improvement and Accountability
Act adopted in by the N.C. General
Assembly. The reports are also in
tended to help school systems iden
tify their strengths and weaknesses,
cspccially in curriculum areas.
A single rating in the report card
combines scores for each of the cur
ricuium areas of icauiiiu/iaiiguagc.
science, mathematics and social
studies, as well as for overall
achievement.
Systems are rated as performing
on average, above average or below
average in student achievement in
comparison with ait other sc'nooi
systems in the state. They arc also
rated as performing on par, above
par or below par in comparison with
similar systems.
Par represents average achieve
ment for a system after considering
factors which most affect student
achievement such as the education
level of parents and how much the
system spends per pupil. These fac
tors are put into an "Index of
Advantagemcnt" to help compare
local systems to others with similar
advantages, demographic features
and economic characteristics.
Systems are also rated on how
well they comply with stale stan
dards for accreditation. To maintain
eligibility fci state accreditation a
system must meet at least the mini
mum requirements for 75 percent of
the standards and show continuous
improvement.
When a system meets a standard's
minimum requirements then makes
no progress for two successive
years, the standard will be lost. One
year without progress warrants
liltg v>U4kUJ .
For the 1991-92 school year,
Brunswick County Schools fully
met 15 standards and met the mini
mum requirements for another nine
standards.
Among other pluses, Brunswick
County Schools achieved a lower
(See REPORT, Page 2-A)
Shell Point May Get Water; New
SAD To Serve Calabash, Leland
BY ERIC CARLSON
Shell Point residents were given
new hope of tapping onto the county
water system Monday night as the
Utilities Operations Board asked
county engineers to study three sce
narios for extending water lines to
the area.
The board aiso agreed to create a
wide-ranging special assessment
Inside...
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Court Docket 9C, 3A
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district (SAD) that would provide
water service to several develop
ments in the Calabash and Leland
areas.
Bob Black, a resident of Shell
Point, came to Monday's meeting to
renew his often repeated request for
county water. To demonstrate the
need, he showed the board a neigh
bor's water filter caked with what
looked like red clay.
"In September, 1990, I brought
you a petition with 252 names ask
ing for county water," Black said.
"I've been back here quite a lot.
You've sent me to the board of com
missioners and they've sent me back
to you. But we still need the water."
Utilities Operations Director Jerry
Webb said he and County Engineer
Robert Tucker had been studying
three possible ways of extending
water service to the Shell Point area.
One scenario would require a new
12-inch main watcrlinc to be in
stalled from the main trunk line on
U.S. 17, down Mt. Pisgah Road to
an existing line along N.C. 130. This
would provide enough water pres
sure to extend a looped line into the
Shell Point area and back to N.C.
(See WATER, Page 2-A)
?on
STAFF PHOTO BY ERlC CARLSON
Holden Beach Police Officer Tom Arnold radios an "all clear" as Jeff l^onard steadies the boat in which he and two other men washed
ashore Friday evening, l^eonard had been out searching for another boat that his brother was piloting when it capsized near Shallotte
Inlet earlier that day.
Brothers Wash Ashore In 2
Boating Mishaps
BY ERIC CARLSON
Friday was not a good day lo be on ihc water
for the Leonard brothers of Ash.
In two boating mishaps within six hours,
Michael and Jeff Leonard both washed ashore on
the west end of Holdcn Beach, wet and cold but
otherwise unharmed.
Mike and his friend Grant Canfield of Shallottc
Point had decided to take Jeffs 17-foot Kingcraft
net boat off Shalloue Inlet Friday morning to look
for black sea bass. Both arc experienced fisher
men who work together on the Captain Jim, a
party boat out of Calabash.
They were busy watching instruments on the
way out. But as they prepared to drop a marker
buoy about three miies offshore, they turned
around to discover that the aft end of the boat was
nearly awash in several hundred gallons of water.
Jeff said in a telephone interview Monday.
Mike quickly gunned the 40-horsepower out
board and turned the boat toward shore, Jeff said.
He radioed repeated "maydays" 10 the Coast
Guard and did his best to keep the stem above
water. Still, the two men donned life jackets and
prepared for the worst.
As they neared the sea buoy about a mile off
the inlet, the engine finally quit. With no power
and the gunwales nearly submerged, the boat
soon turned broadside to the three-foot seas and
capsized.
Mike and Grant climbed onto the bottom of the
boat and waited for help, Jeff said. They had not
received a response to their distress call, so ihey
weren't sure if rescuers had heard them. After
about 15 minutes, Mike dccidcd to brave the 55
degrce water and swim to shore.
"It was a life or death decision," Jeff said.
"There was no sense sitting there if no help was
on the way. At first, Mike wanted Grant to stay
with the boat. But they finally decided it would be
better to stick together."
As it turned out, help was on the way. The
Coast Guard Oak Island Station had received the
radio call and dispatched four men in a 21-fool
rigid-hull inflatable boat at 11:17 a.m., according
Petty Officer Steve mains. Bui because the trip to
Shallotte would take 40 minutes, the Coast Guard
also called Brunswick County 911 to request as
sistance.
Holden Bcach and Shallotte water rescue boats
were dispatched to look for Leonard's boat.
Ocean Isic Water Rescue sent a man to the east
end of their island, who boarded a Tri-Beach Fire
Department boat to aid in the search, according to
Brunswick Emergency Management Coordinator
Cecil Logan.
At 11:50, one of the rescue craft found the
overturned boat near the Shaliotte Inlet sea buoy.
They also found a life jacket and debris floating
neart)y. But they found no survivors.
Logan called the Holden Bcach Police
Department and asked that a four-wheel drive vc
(See TWO, Page 2-A)
Merchants Unhappy With Town's
New Trash Policy
BY DOUG RUTTER
Some Shalloite business owners
think the town's new policy on com
mercial trash pickup slinks.
"I think all the merchants are up
set about it from what I can gather,"
said service station owner Dykes
Hcwctt. "I don't think too much of it
myself."
Starting Feb. 1, the town will pay
for weekly removal of one 90-gallon
cart from each residence and busi
ness, a major shift from the currcnt
policy of paying for removal of up
10 16 cubic yards of commercial
trash per week.
Meiuhanis who generate more
trash than they can stuff into the
small cart will have to arrange for
additional pickup with the town's
garbage hauler. Chambers of South
Carolina Inc.
"I don't think much of it. I'm not
very impressed, and I'm not very
happy," said Clint Stanley of
Shallottc Body Shop. 'There's not
much we can do about it. You can't
fight city hall."
Aldermen decided last fall the
garbage policy needed to changed
because the town was paying more
for trash pickup than it was receiv
ing in taxes from some businesses.
"It's like we're paying them for
the right to pick up their garbage,"
Alderman Morris Hall said during a
recent discussion of the commercial
trash policy.
Under the new three-year contract
with Chambers, Shallotte will pro- Although state law permits towns to
vide the same amount of trash pick- grant "franchises" liike the one given
up for merchants as it does for rcsi- Chambers, Stanley disapproves.
dents. Town officials consider the "I don't like being told who I
new policy fairer than the old one. have to use," Stanley said last week
Mayor Sarah Tripp said she in a telephone interview. "If 1 have
hadn't received any complaints from to pay for the service, I'd like to
business owners choose which
as of last Fri- unr>i y I company I
day She said I here S HOt much pay."
the town needed . , . John M.
to make a VV? CClll CIO dDOUt it. ^gcts. gen
change to save eral manager
some money fOU CCIH V fight tity of.. Chambers.
I know that J o s said last week
the way it was hnl] " ^'s ^IITn
going wc had to "Wft. just started
do something Plint Qtc?nlf*v canvassing lo
bccausc wc 1 * cal businesses
were going in to sec what
the hole on trash collection," Tripp kind of service they want. He de
said. "There was a lot of thought on clined to comment on merchants' re
it. I'm not saying our way is best, actions.
but something had to be done." "Any problems wc encounter we
Business owners were formally will bring to the attention of the
notified of the new policy last town," Rodgers said. He said
month, when town employees deliv- Shalloue's new commercial policy
cred letters to each of the approxi- is "not uncommon" among the com
matcly 100 businesses in Shallotte. munitics Chambers serves.
Merchants who don't want to pay In addition to the cost, however,
for their trash pickup have the op- some business owners are concerned
tion of hauling their own garbage to about public use of their trash recep
the landfill. However, a town ordi- laclcs.
nance prohibits business owners Stanley said his dumpstcr has to
from contracting with any firm ex- be emptied twice a week because
cept Chambers. tourists and local residents dump
Stanley is among the local mer- their garbage in his container. It
chants who objects to being told he didn't matter when the town was
must contract with a certain firm, paying, but now it will cost him
money.
"People out of town come into
Shallotte and shop anil while they're
here they find an open dumpster,"
he said. "I catch tourists back there
in the summer all the time."
Merchants who have problems
with the public using iheir dump
stcrs will be allowed to purchase
locking devices from Chambers for
S75 apiece.
Businessman Leland Massingale
said he's afraid visitors and locals
will dump their trash all over town if
business owners start locking their
garbage containers.
"1 think it's a mistake on the part
of the town to do it," he said. "If
there's no place to dump it handy,
people are going to throw it on the
side of the road or any dark place
they can find."
Town officials hope to save mon
ey with the new policy, but
Massingale said it could cost the
town in the long run because em
ployees will be picking up trash.
Hcwctt, who has been pleased
with the scrvicc provided by
Chambers, said garbage pickup has
been one of the few services mer
chants receive from the town for
their tax dollars.
"I don't like double taxation on
my pickup here. 1 think that's what
it amounts to," he said. "It seems
like they're shifting all the burden
over to the small businessman. It
just doesn't seem right."