Shingletree Acres Parents Say No School Until Buses Can Get Through
(Continued From Page 1-A)
Cook, who works out of DOT's
Wilmington officc, said he was to
meet with Gore soon regarding the
new information Gore has acquired.
Longtime community resident
Jerry D. Faulk, 45, has provided a
notarized statement that the existing
roads a a- the same ones his family
has always used, said Gore. Also,
Gore has also uncovered a deed he
said shows Lucien Marlow owned
land in the community prior to it be
coming a subdivision, and a record
showing he paid W72 property taxes
on a home somewhere on that land.
Marlow and a brother sold adja
cent tracts of lard to Canal Wood
Corp. and Cape Fear Wood Corp. in
the early 1970s, said Gore. Some
years later the property changed
hands and was developed as a subdi
vision. The roads were maintained
by the developer until all the proper
ty was sold and then they bccamc
the responsibility of the subdivision
property owners.
Problem Isn't Unique
This isn't the first time a bus has
been pulled off roads in Shinglctrcc
Acres, and it isn't the only neighbor
hood with roads in such serious dis
repair.
"It's not a new problem," said
Zelphia Grissett, principal of Union
Primary Sclux>l, which serves about
25 of the 45 to 50 children who live
in Shinglctree Acres. "Shinglctrcc
Acres and (the unpaved section of)
Old Georgetown Road arc our
worst. We have to pull the buses off
both of them at least once during the
year."
Under state law, school systems
have the authority to take buses off
roads in poor condition to prevent
extensive damage to the buses and
possible harm to students.
The decision to pull Buses 155,
69 and 181 off the roads in the sub
division camc after Transportation
Director Georec Brown and Union
Primary School Assistant Principal
Harry Martin attempted to drive the
road in a truck, but had to turn back
before the halfway point.
The noticc was intended to give
residents ample time to repair the
road so that bus service could be re
stored, said Assistant Superintendent
William Turner. "There's no telling
w hat kind of damage would be done
if we allow buses to continue going
in there. NVe felt it was unsafe."
A preschool program iia.s alicudy
pulled its bus from the subdivision
and emergency vehicles cannot
reach some sections, also because of
the condition of the roads.
Last Wednesday night, in a
singsong voice reminiscent of an
evangelist. Gore told the board, "Wc
want you to help us help you do
what you know is right."
He vowed to the board that chil
dren in the subdivision would be
kept home from school until the
roads were better, rather than have
them walk out to the nearest paved
Split Would Create Two Towns
(Continued From Page 1-A)
to be some who waiii to stir up
something."
Simmons noted that there is "a lot
more involved" in splitting the town
than many residents realize. There is
almost sure to he a fight over the
borderline dividing the two. he said.
Both the town hali and the ABC
store are located in what is now
District 1. Partitioning is almost sure
to scuttle current plans for a central
sewer system that the downtown
area desperately needs.
District 1 Commissioner Ed Rice
said Soles' bill was "premature" and
called the idea of a split "foolish."
He said the outcry for separation
came from "a small minority mak
ing a lot of noise" and said the move
would hurt both downtown
Calabash and Carolina Shores.
"Calabash would end up being a
little town with no place to go and
Carolina Shores would be a residen
tial community with nothing com
mercial to bring in money," Rice
said.
Commissioner Stuart Thorn of
Carolina Shores also said he is op
posed to the break-up, saying the
town had invested significant
amounts of money in plans that will
benefit both areas, including studies
for the sewage system, waterfront
improvements and the widening of
N.C. 179.
"The state and federal govern
ment arc not going to allow the
downtown area to keep polluting
like it is," Thorn said. "Eventually
they're going to say, 'You WILL
have sewer and we don't care how
you get it.' If there is a break-up and
these plans don't go forward, Cala
bash will be a dead town."
Carolina Shores Commissioner
Robert Noc said it was a mistake to
combine the two towns in the first
place. He said the error was com
pounded when the town was divided
into two districts with proportional
representation on the town board.
'That created a lot of animosi
ties," said Noc, a veteran of 25 years
in municipal government. "By di
viding the town into districts, the
board members feel they are repre
senting only one area instead of the
whole tow n. If everyone was elected
at large, 1 think the commissioners
would have a different attitude."
Noc would not say if he is for or
against a split, but doubted that
Soles' bill would get off the ground.
He said that in many ways, Carolina
Shores enjoyed belter services when
residents paid for road maintenance
and other services taken over by the
town after the merger.
Commissioner Ray Card said he
felt it would be "a good idea" to di
vide the town, but said the question
should be put to a referendum. He
estimated his fellow Carolina Shores
residents would likely support the
split by a three-to-one margin.
"It's two distinctly different cul
tures trying to be one town," Card
said. "There's nothing wrong with
either one. But we've been trying to
make it work for three years and
we're just banging heads. People
just aren't giving enough to try and
make it work."
District 2 Commissioner George
Anderson said he was "absolutely
shocked" when he heard Soles an
nounce his intended legislation. He
isn't sure whether or not he would
support the split, but said the deci
sion "should not be based on a few
phone calls."
"I wonder if the restaurant people
who arc complaining arc residents
of the town or people who just take
the money and run," Anderson said.
He feels a referendum might be
"a more equitable way" to measure
support for the idea. He said it
"would be difficult to say" whether
Carolina Shores residents?about 80
percent of Calabash's population?
would vote to split the two into sep
arate towns.
That question may be answered
later this month. Carolina Shores
POA President Jack Brady said
Tuesday that the group's board of
directors had agreed Monday night
to include a ballot in the newsletter
it regularly mails to the develop
ment's 625 homeowners.
Brady said that if there is support
in Carolina Shores for the idea of
splitting the two towns, the POA
n isn't heard it.
"We have not been approached by
any resident of Carolina Shores ask
ing for separation," Brady said.
While he acknowledged that the
iwn districts represent different cul
tures, Brady said he felt the merged
town had not been given enough
chancc to work. He also noted that a
split was almost sure to cost Caro
lina Shores residents more money
for road repairs and other mainte
nance within the development.
"When we were operating as an
individual entity, we were paying
more in POA dues than we are now
for combined dues and property tax
es," Brady said. "I think a lot of peo
ple arc approaching this emotionally
and not thinking about the consc
quences."
Senior Superior Court Judge Clark To Retire
Giles R. Clark, senior resident su
perior court judge for the 13th
Judicial District, has announced that
hr will rtMire Feh 1
Clark has served this district,
which includes Brunswick, Colum
bus and Bladen counties, since Feb
ruary 1975.
"I hate to lose him," District
Attorney Rex Gore said after
("lark's announcement last week.
"He's regarded as one of the best tri
al judges in iiic suae. But 1 respcct
his decision to retire and spend lime
with his wife, doing things he hasn't
had time for before."
Gore said several area district
court judges arc expected to apply
for the appointment to fill the two
years remaining in Clark's term.
"Anybody trying to fill his robes
will have to be about 7 feet tall and
300 pounds," Gore said.
In announcing his rciircmcni,
Clark said, "It has been a very high
privilege and honor to have been al
lowed to serve the people of my
county, district and state for more
than 25 years. I wish to thank every
one who has made this possible and
who has supported me during my
tenure.
"I can think of no higher honor
which could be bestowed than to be
allowed to serve as a judicial officer
to administer justice to all citizens
coming before the courts."
Clark bejjan his judicial career in
1966, when he was appointed and
subsequently elected judge of the
Bladen County Recorders Court.
Two years later he was elected as
the first judge for the newly estab
lished district court and served in
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to the superior court bench.
Currently serving as chairman of
the Committee on ihe News Media
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served for more than 15 years as a
member of the conference's com
mittee on pattern jury instructions,
which prepares jury instructions for
use by judges throughout the state.
Clark was selected as the state's
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N.C. Acadcmy of Trial Lawyers for
1982-83.
A veteran of the U.S. Army,
Clark graduated from East Carolina
University and earned a law degree
from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1958. He
worked as a staff attorney for the
N.C. Attorney General's Office for
three years before returning to
Bladen County to practice law in
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He is the father of Giles R. Clark
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McPherson Clark, formerly of Dclco
and Wilmington.
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road.
Gore led parents in chanting, "No
buses, no children; no buses, no
children," before the group left the
room.
The board agreed to send a reso
lution to the N.C. Board of
Transportation asking it to assume
maintenance of ihc road.
Meanwhile, the status of the nvds
that serve the subdivision remains in
question.
Takeover Easier For 'Old Subdivision' Roads
What is required before the N.C. Department of
Transportation (DOT) will consider taking over mainte
nance of a road?
Approximately a year ago the N.C. Board of
Transportation set aside a mishmash of rules and exeep
lions and adopted a set of streamlined guidelines that
rural roads**ii?d subdivision roads must meet. "These arc
basically the only two (type* of road) we deal with,"
said Jim Cook, Division 3 engineer with DOT.
Oct. 1, 1975. is the cut-off date for roads to qualify
under the easier "old subdivision" guidelines."Anything
planned, recorded or constructed prior to that date can
be considered an old subdivision," said Cook. " It makes
it very simple. Basically the oniy requirements aie thai
the property owners dedicate a free and clear right of
way and that it meets the residency requirements.
"We try to give every opportunity to count as a subdi
vision under the old subdivision category," he said.
The state manual gives 50 feet as the standard for
right of way, but Cook said subdivisions with less have
been approved "if they have established drainage and no
fences or poles in the right of way." "Forty feet is as low
as we have taken it here."
The residency requirement varies. Within a subdivi
sion, there must be two homes per every one-tenth mile
and a minimum of four homes. "Any other words, if we
went on a short road with less, we wouldn't consider
that," he said On a rural road, DOT requires a minimum
of five homes per mile.
All private subdivisions developed between 1975 and
adoption of the ordinance last year have to meet DOT's
current regulations for mad standards as well as dedica
tion and residency requirements before a road can be
considered for takeover.
Cook said the post-1975 rules affect a large number
of subdivision roads in Brunswick County, which ac
cording to the Brunswick County Planning Department
is one of the most heavily platted in the state.
County OK's One-Time Road-Grading Plan
(Continued From Page 1-A) could be liable for any damages gcting process he intends to "look
caused by county graders. at manpower requirements depart
The board also agreed to ask the Warren said, "1 just want to see ment by department" and detcr
N.C. Department of Transportation the kids get to school." mine if the county can get by with
to take over maintenance of 1-1/8 In a motion introduced by fewer employees. He also expects
miles of road in Dccrficld Estates Commissioner Tom Rabon Sr. to consider "reassigning rcsponsi
and approximately one mile of with no discussion, the board voted bilitics" and possibly changing the
Clcarvicw Drive N.W. in 4-to-l, with Jones dissenting, to di- current structure of county govem
Pinewood Acres subdivision. rcct Clegg to "refrain from filling ment.
Residents along both roads ap- any nonessential position" in coun- "We'll be taking a good look at
pcared at the meeting with pcti- ty government and to report any every department," Warren said,
tions asking that they be added to new hiring to the board of commis- Jn olhcr busincss thc
the state-maintained secondary sioners.
road system. They also asked for After thc meeting, Rabon said he HAgrccd by a 4-to-l vote, with
some immediate relief from dctcri- asked for thc measure to initiate a Jones dissenting, to increase the
orating conditions that have led careful review of all county hiring. Resources Development Commis
school officials to discontinue bus "Government is thc only enter- sion's 1992-93 budget by S26.000,
service. prise that seems to be growing of which S20.000 will be used to
"We're going to have some dead while private industry is shrink- hire a consultant to recommend a
children if something isn't done ing," Rabon said. "1 don't think we targeted advertising campaign to
soon," said Cindy Turner of should add to that" promote Brunswick County as a
Dccrficld Estates. She said resi- Commissioner Wayland Vcrccn site for new industry. Thc remain
dents along the road had presented said he supported thc motion as a ing S6,(KX) would be added to thc
several petitions asking for state way "to slow things down so we RDC's advertising, travel and pro
maintcnancc of thc road. can have a look" at thc size and motion budget.
Another resident said current structure of county government. ? Approved RDC Executive
road conditions also might prevent Jones said he voted no because Director Thomas Monks' request
fire trucks and ambulances from he had confidcncc in Clcgg's abili- to change thc agency's name to the
reaching their homes in an cmcr- ty "to set positions and salaries at Brunswick County Economic
gency. budget lime." Development Commission. He
In discussing Warren's motion Clegg said he welcomed the ex- said the changc would alleviate
to approve a one-time grading, panded authority over county hir- confusion, since most counties in
Commissioner Jerry Jones noted ing and said he would consider North Carolina use a similar name,
that countics do not maintain pub- freezing personnel at current levels ?Appointed Vcrccn to thc state
lie roads in North Carolina. They until a new budget is drafted. Home and Community Care Block
arc cither cither privately held, "I understand and apprcciatc Mr. Grant Committee, Lillian F. Burton
owned by municipalities or main- Rabon's motivation," Clegg said, to thc Southeastern Center Area
tained the state. "He's a fiscal conservative, and as Board, Mack Aman to thc Landfill
Jones cautioncd that under state such he'll find a soul-mate in me. Siting Committee and Graham
law, the county "doesn't have thc We'll get along just fine." Justice and Donald Gilbert to thc
right to grade a private road" and Warren said that during the bud- Subdivision Ad Hoc Committee.
Man Wanted
Maryland Arrests
In Shooting
A routine traffic stop by
Maryland State Police Sunday re
sulted in the arrest of a Leland man
charged with shooting a man and
stealing a safe from his home in
Bolivia on Jan. 14.
The victim. Bernard Gailes, re
mained in critical condition at New
Hanover Regional Medical Center
Tuesday with several gunshot
wounds, including one in his chcst,
Brunswick County Sheriff's
Detective Nancy Simpson said.
William Eugene Webb, 37, was
arrested in Belair, Md., alter state
policc there learned he was wanted
in Brunswick County, according to
Del. Ken Messcr.
Three other men in the car were
also arrested after policc discovered
several guns and traces of cocainc in
the vehicle, he said. One of the guns
is believed to be the one used in the
Bolivia shooting.
Last week, detectives arrested
Ronald Elliot Robbins, 40, of
Lcland, who investigators say was
driving the car that brought Webb to
Gailcs' home on U.S. 17 business
about a quarter-mile north of the
One Injured Near Shallotte
No chargcs were Hied Saturday
following a two-vehicle accident 8.7
miles south of Shallouc in which
one person was injured.
At approximately 1:30 a.m., ac
cording to the report filed by Trooper
W.H. Thompson, Vcmon Cooper
Hill Jr., 36, of Deep Run was driving
south on U.S. 17 in a 1988 Dodge
station wagon when a northbound
1979 DaLsun crossed the center line
and struck the station wagon. The
Datsun was operated by Renaldo
Byrd, 34, of Timmonsvillc, S.C.
An injured passenger in the Byrd
vehiclc, Brenda Byrd, 36, was taken
to The Brunswick Hospital.
Damages to the Hill auto were es
timated at S5,(X)0 and to the Datsun,
S500.
A pedestrian was injured last
Thursday in an incident that oc
curred at 7:10 a.m. one mile west of
Lcland on Old Faycucvillc Road .
According to the report filed by
investigating officer Trooper J.V.
Dove, Clayton Alfonso Moore, 60,
of Lcland was traveling traveling
west on Old Fayettevillc Road in a
1979 Dodge van. A pedestrian, Julia
Sawyer, 32, of Lcland, was walking
west on the shoulder of the roadway
when she was struck by the minor
on the right side of the vehicle.
Moore told the officer it appeared
Sawyer slipped in the sand and fell
into the side of vchicle. Damage to
the van was estimated at $50
Brunswick County Government
Complex.
Warrants have been issued charg
ing both men with assault with a
deadly weapon with intent to kill in
dicting serious injury, robbery with
a deadly weapon and first degree
burglary, Simmons said.
There were at least five people
asleep in the house when Webb al
legedly kicked in the front door at
about 5 a.m., Simpson said. He ran
down a hall "screaming and de
manding money" and began shoot
ing through the door of a bedroom
where Gailcs and his wife were
sleeping.
"N
li+tle runn
nync %, y.pc
BICRjSULTS
Use the
Classifieds
whether you're
buying or selling.
THE
V 754-6890
Webb then opened the door and
shot Gailcs again, Simpson said.
Then he walked back up the hall,
grabbed Gailcs' mother and put a
gun to her head, demanding that she
show him the wherabouts of a safe
that she kept in the attic.
Simpson said Webb took the safe
and left in die car with Robbins. The
value of the safe's contents, includ
ing cash and other valuables, has not
been determined. Messcr said one of
the men arrested with Webb had
S7.411 in cash on him.
The sheriff's department is seek
ing to extradite Webb from
Maryland. An invesUgalion into the
case is continuing.
Rain, Temps Get
Back To Normal
Sluiiiwiic dicu residents can ex
pect a return to normal temperatures
and rainfall over the next few days,
according to Shallotte Point meteo
rologist Jackson Canady.
His forecast calls for temperatures
to range from the mid-30's at night
to the mid-50's during the day.
Canady expects about one-half inch
of rainfall over the next week.
For the period Jan. 12-18, Canady
recorded 1.12 inches of rainfall and
a daily average temperature of 49
degrees, which was about three de
grees above normal for this time ol
year.
The maximum high temperature
during the seven-day period was 67
degrees Jan. 13, and the minimum
low was 32 degrees on the 17th.
Canady said the daily average high
was 57 degrees and the average
nightlv low was 4) degrees