Health Board
Postpones Sewer Endorsement
To Study Opposition's Case
BY LYNN CARLSON
The county health board Monday night postponed
endorsement of a proposed central sewer system for
southwest Brunswick County until its members can re
view materials they received from opponents to the
plan.
The Sunset Beach Taxpayers* Association, in a letter
accompanied by 70 pages of attachments, calls plans
for a central sewer system to serve Sunset Beach and
Calabash "a very costly and inadequate solution to a
still poorly defined problem" and concurs with an envi
ronmental group advocating a moratorium on public
funding of new sewer projects.
"This represents the other side of the coin," said
Skip Davis, health board chairman. 'This is a very im
portant issue from a health point of view," adding that
the health board must vote on the issue soon.
Clctc Waldmillcr, president of the 1,500-mcmber
SBTA, in a letter to members of the Brunswick County
Board of Health, charges that consulting engineers
have not proved that septic tanks on the island of
Sunset Beach arc polluting area waters.
Although Waldmillcr said he agrees with Powell and
Associates engineers that waste-bomc bacteria levels
arc increasing in the waters around Sunset Beach, "his
toric daia indicate that pollution is entering area waters
from the Waccamaw River, Calabash Creek, and the
Little River, carried by the Intracoastal Waterway."
Powell engineers Joe Tombro and Jim Billups arc
seeking the health board's endorsement of a central
sewer system as a means of curbing water pollution in
southern Brunswick County, where some oncc-bounii
ful shellfish beds have been closed to fishermen for
most of 20 years because tests indicate high levels of
fccal conform bacteria.
The Sunscl Beach and Calabash lown boards, over
the vocal objection of the SBTA and the Carolina
Shores Property Owners Association, in late 1992 cre
ated the South Brunswick Water and Sewer Authority
to serve as a "management entity" to seek grants and
loans for the proposed $25 to S30 million central sewer
system.
Some town officials have promised the opponents
that if the sewer system plan cannot pass a referendum,
the authority will be dissolved.
Waldmillcr's letter charges that construction of a
sewer system would accelerate resort development,
"thus exacerbating area water pollution problems rather
than solving them, primarily by greatly increasing the
volume of pollutants in stormwater runoff."
His attachments included a research paper which
concludes thai New Hanover County's sewer system,
while costing much more than was originally planned,
opened the door to dense commercial and residential
development while failing to deal with the water pollu
tion caused by the resulting stormwater runoff.
However, Billups says examination of the New
Hanover report can help make a case for the South
Brunswick system. "The objective data and informa
tion provided in the main body of the report would on
ly tend to support the proposed Environmental
Management Program, and demonstrates why all of the
elements of the proposed program arc required as a
whole."
In an eight-page response to the SBTA letter dated
March 9, Billups says the engineers understand SB
TA's concerns about the central sewer system plan.
(See HEALTH, Page 2-A)
12/31/99 **P0
HOAG 2< SONS BOOK BINDERY
P.O. BOX 162
SPR INGP0KT MI 49284.
JSWiCK'
Thirty-First Year, Number 17 hu??wi?macoh Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, March 11, 1993 50? Per Copy 48 Pages, 4 Sections, 1 insert
v &
STAFF FHOTOS BY LYNN CAXLSON
THE REV. COY PRIVETTE, executive director of the N.C. Christian Action league and unsuccessful
8th District Congressional candidate, speaks to about 100 Brunswick County Republicans at the party
convention on Saturday. Privette is flanked by outgoing GOP treasurer Phil Norris and new party
chairman Shirley Babson.
GOP Agrees On Life, Values Issues;
Splits On Local Resolutions, Offices
BY LYNN CARLSON
Shirley Babson was elected chairman of the
Brunswick County Republican Party at a Saturday con
vention in which nominations for the two top party of
fices were contested, and delegates voted to soften reso
lutions criticizing local legislators and educators.
Babson's bid for the chairmanship easily survived a
challenge by unsuccessful county commission candidate
Pete Bamette, who said he had not expected or asked to
be nominated as the party's head.
Former and prospective sheriff's candidate James
Brown defeated another surprise challenger, former stale
House of Representatives candidate Randy Sullivan, for
the position of vice chairman.
Pat Adams of Caswell Beach and Tom Yeagle of
Sunset Harbor were elected secretary and treasurer, re
spectively, by acclamation.
Babson, nominated by outgoing chairman James
Payne, pledged to "respect everyone's opinion," adding,
"I realize that some of you feel one way and others, an
other. I am for the Republican platform, but 1 will listen
to those of you who feel different."
The elections followed the passage of four resolu
tions, two of them amended to tame language proposed
by the Resolutions Committee comprised of Sullivan,
Robert Maultsby and narrowly defeated school board
candidate Janet Pope.
Dividing Calabash
In a resolution opposing the proposed legislation to
split Calabash and Carolina Shores into two municipali
ties, the party, on a motion by Bameue, struck language
referring to "the duly elected self-important State
Senator R.C. Soles and State Rep. David Redwine" and
accusing Soles of "open contempt for those he is sup
posed to be serving."
(See GOP, Page 2-A)
i
Business News
Calendar of Events 7B
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Classified 1*?C -
i imivw
Report fMtvt?sn^0
MrtalRmeRt 2B, SB
Obituaries ????????. ?*???*??* ?*?6B
Opinion
|3Peop!e In The News 7 A
Plant Doctor????
Sports 8-12B
Television Listings 10-liC
CONDEMNATION SUGGESTED
Blythe Won't Lower Price
Or Deal With Consultants
BY ERIC CARLSON
The $4.5 million asking price for
the Carolina-Blyihe sewerage sys
tem is "not negotiable," according to
the company's owners, who told the
Calabash Board of Commissioners
Tuesday that they will not deal with
any consultant hired by the town to
negotiate a purchase.
In a terse prepared statement read
to the board, Coleman Burnett of
Carolina-Blythe chastised town offi
cials for "creating, repeating and
spreading rumors at the meetings
which place Blythe in an unaccept
able position with regards to how
Blythe may be viewed by its cus
tomers."
Burnett criticized unnamed town
"consultants" for not properly evalu
ating and making clear the benefits
of the town "acquiring the utility as
sets" and for not considering "the
true value and advantages of the
utility to the citizens of Calabash."
Blythe can no longer "waste time
and resources" attempting to negoti
ate with Calabash's paid consul
tants, who "appear more interested
in their present ami long-term fees,"
Burnett said.
"Carolina Blythc is mystified as
to why paid consultants would waste
the town's resources to attempt to
negotiate a sales price which the
town's consuhant has known since
Octobcr 1991 was not negotiable,"
he said.
Burnett concluded by saying the
company is "no longer willing to ne
gotiate with the town's paid consul
tants." Instead Blythe will sell its as
sets if Calabash agrees "to negotiate
the terms, not the sales price" of
$4.5 million.
Jim Billups of Powell Associates,
consulting engineers for the pro
posed Calabash-Sunset Beach sewer
system, denied Burnett's charges.
He said his firm was "damned if we
do and damned if we don't" try to
negotiate a reduced purchase price
for Carolina Blythe. He said Powell
Associates had "no fee interest
whatsoever" in the negotiations.
Commissioners and Calabash res
idents alike have repeatedly ques
tioned Burnett's asking price of S4.5
million. A rate-base study by ac
countant George Dennis of Raleigh
determined that Carolina Blythe
(See PRICE, Page 2-A)
Schools Improvement Plan
Calls For 'Lead Teachers/
Restructuring Central Office
BY SUSAN USHER
Restructuring of the central office staff and lg lead
teachers to improve instruction are key elements of a
systemwide plan for improving student achievement in
the Brunswick County Schools over the next three years.
for using technology; increasing parent/community sup
port for student educational achievement; incorporating
a schoolwide plan that requires student accountability
for learning; and evaluating the effectiveness of the sys
tem wide plan and individual school and central office
Monday night, to applause from an
advisory panel, the Brunswick Coun
ty Board of Education approved a
system-wide school improvement
plan that identifies 10 goals for im
provement and strategics for attaining
them.
'This is the best opportunity this
school board has ever had to improve
the education of the children of
Brunswick County," said plan coordi
nator Gloria Talley, staff develop
ment director. "This is not a quick-fix
plan...but a very serious document."
Echoing her sentiments. Super
intendent Ralph Johnston reiterated
his belief that Brunswick County is at
"a critical point" in a number of ar
eas, and that parents must be involved
in the schools "if we are to reclaim
our children".
"Brunswick County can move forward if it decides to.
Much of this is people deciding deep down inside to do
something for our children. It is lime not just to say it,
but to do it," he said to applause from the audience.
Committee member Ed Lemon, principal of West
Brunswick High School, urged the board to action, say
ing, "Whatever it takes to get this done has to be done. It
will require a massive plan and a complete restructur
ing
Plan efforts for immediate improvement will focus on
science, plus the five areas in which the system did not
meet state standards on its most recent report card: alge
bra, U.S. history, sixth grade writing essay, percent of
certificates issued instead of diplomas, and attendance.
As modified by the countywidc advisory panel of ed
ucators and parents led by Talley, the plan calls for em
ploying a total of approximately 10 lead teachers in al
gebra, U.S. History, K-8 math and writing; hiring an at
tendance counselor for each district; and hiring a life
skills teacher at each high school to work with upper
classmen who haven't passed the state competency test.
It also calls for designating central office coordinators
for math, science, history and writing.
This could be achieved in part by the proposed re
structuring of the central office to support local schools
and classroom teachers,including the possible combin
ing of some jobs; setting higher expectations for schools
and students; providing intensive training of principals
to provide leadership, student learning style assessment,
technical support for teachers in using good teaching
methods and in using the computer to increase student
achievement; and reorganizing the school schedule to
provide teachers time for team planning and more in
service education.
Additional goals in the three-year Performance Based
Accountability Plan call for developing a written plan
"This is the best
opportunity this
school board has
ever had to
improve the
education of the
children of
Brunswick
County"
Y-.
?Gloria Talley
JSUUO.
"It's a prime time for our schools
and the central office to do some ma
jor restructuring so our teachers can
get the help they need," said member
Polly Russ. "If it takes restructuring
the central office completely that may
not be such a bad idea. Having some
body who hasn't been in a classroom
for 15 years showing teachers how to
do their jobs doesn't cut it with class
room teachers. They want somebody
who's been there."
Lead teachers would be experi
enced teachers who have demonstrat
ed achievement in their leaching area
and model good teaching for their
peers. They would serve onc-ycar
stints out of their own classrooms.
An overall goal in all curriculum
areas is to have all teachers teaching
tnc goals and objectives outlined in the state's standard
course of study, which are the items covered on the state
end-of-course tests.
Specifically, the plans calls for these strategies to
achieve key goals:
?Science: Incorporate a more hands-on approach to
science instruction and provide more staff development
in that instructional approach; employ two lead teachers,
one for grades K-8 and one for grades 9-12; designate a
central office coordinator for science.
?Algebra: Require students to demonstrate superior
math abilities to take algebra in eighth grade; employ
three lead teachers for a 12-month rotation to teach math
for grades K-8 and one algebra lead teacher to serve
countywide; designate a central office coordinator for
math. The goal is to improve student performance on
both the algebra 1 and algebra II end-of-course tests.
?U.S. History: Emphasize the Socratic method of
teaching; employ one lead teacher for a 12-month rota
tion; designate a central office coordinator for history.
?Writing Essay, particularly for sixth graders: Daily
process writing instruction for students; in-service edu
cation for teachers identified as needing improvement in
writing instruction; required testing in grades other than
those when testing is required. Hire three lead writing
teachers on a 12-month rotation; designate a central of
fice coordinator for writing. The goal is to increase the
percent of sixth graders scoring 2.5 or better from 37.6
percent to 38.6 percent next year and to 40.6 percent by
1995-96.
?Certificates: Hiring three teachers to teach a new
elective course, Life Skills in Math/Communication, for
students in the 11th and 12th grades who have not
passed the N.C. Competency Test Last year 3.7 percent
of all Brunswick County "graduates" received certifi
(See SCHOOLS', Page 2-A)
PHOTO BY MY AN VAKNAM
Change Of Watch
A helicopter drops off a tired crew and picks up another one at the Oak Island Coast Guard station
Friday during an ocean rescue mission. The Coast Guard helped sa ved the crew of the Aimless iMdy
after the boat started sinking near Frying Pan Shoals Ught Tower. The boat was safely towed to
Southport Marina.