RECOMMENDS MAINTAINING SITE IN NATURAL STATE
Study Says State Acquisition Of Bird Island 'Appropriate'
BY SUSAN USHER along the North Carolina coast. Bird Island M> ... ?..discouragc any liucring and trampling of Pricc's proposal to build a 1.15-milc sys
It would be "appropriate" for the State of sits in Mad Inlet, straddling the North die island. tern of causeways and bridges and a pier
North Carolina lo acquire Bird Island," ac- Carolina/South Carolina line, and is known L "Generally when information on the is- have been put on hold by the N.C. Division
cording to a study released last week by the for its natural beauty and ecological value. land gets out in the news, more people are of Coastal Management, pending more de
Department of Environment, Health and Keeping the island in its natural state ftinfiina I 8?'n8 over 10 see what's there," he said of tailed information about her plans for de
Natural Resources. would help protect its sensitive natural study's suggestion that increased visita- velopmcnt. While she First indicated an in
Thc study also recommends keeping the habitats and keep management and opera- |||1||k kji&W tfld VCtlU?t tion was having an effect on the island, tcrcst in having up to 15 single-family
island in its natural state. tions cost low. "But most people who go over there like homes, a recent proposal to the Sunset
Completed in May at the direction of the "Approximately S 10,000 per year would ^die solitude and wouldn't be doing that." Beach Planning and Zoning Board included
General Assembly on Rep. David Red- be needed for patrol and posting of bound- Owned by Janic Pace Price of Greens- up to 300 bedrooms contained in a variety
wine's request, the study also recommends ary signs and warning signs to protect bird I t ??Rep. David RedwinC boro. Bird Island is the southernmost barri- of single- and multi-family structures,
the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and turtle nesting areas," it states. Access Cr island of the suite, a 1,200-acre complex The property has a tax value of
as the most appropriate agency to manage would continue to be by foot or boat as it is proposed management plan, and said he of marshes and land. The island contains S539.000, though its actual value may be
the site, the last undeveloped barrier island at present. thought state acquisition would make it cas- approximately 35 acres of uplands and an- substantially different.
off Brunswick County and one of the last Rcdwinc expressed satisfaction with the ier to protect the island's resources and to other 100 acres or so of high marsh. (See KEEPING, Page 2-A)
XI HOAG*&^SONS BOOK BINDERY >| ? f
I I sprinIwrI62 JVvIviV^
Thirty-First Year, Number 30 . * <1993.TM? MUHSWlC* BEACON Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, June 1 7, 1993 50c Per Copy 38 Pages, 3 Sections, 3 Inserts
*1 *
Sheriff: Hewett 'Acted
Properly' In Car Chase
STAFF PHOTO BY ERIC CAXLSON
RESCUE WORKERS prepare to transport one of two Wilmington teen-agers who were thrown from a
stolen car that wrecked on U.S. 17 at Supply Monday afternoon after passing two tractor trailer trucks
on the grass shoulder of the highway.
County-Wide Smoking Law Being Considered
BY ERIC CARLSON That's ihe deadline specified in a bill recently passed
An ordinance that would ban tobacco smoking in by the N.C. House of Representatives for local govern
public areas of every retail store in the county and 25 ments to enact their own no-smoking regulations. If the
percent of all restaurant dining rooms is being reviewed Senate approves the bill, towns and counties that do not
for possible adoption by the Brunswick County Board of have their own law on the books will"be prohibited from
Health. adopting new smoking rules that are more prohibitive
The board voted unanimously Monday night to form that the state's.
a committee that will be asked to draft county-wide "Their intention is to restrict local government's abili
smoking regulations for adoption by Aug. 1. (See SMOKING, Page 2-A)
BY KRIC CARLSON
A 19-year-old Wilmington man
remained in critical condition Tues
day night after he and a unidentified
juvenile were thrown from a stolen
station wagon that overturned on
U.S. 17 in Supply Monday after
noon.
Police say the two were attempt
ing to escape from a sheriff's deputy
who fired four shots at the vehicle
after it was pulled over and then
sped off.
The driver, Darrell Leon Wash
ington of 804 Noah 30ih Street, sus
tained massive head injuries in the
wreck. The passenger, a 15-year-old
Wilmington boy not identified be
cause he is a minor, was listed in
satisfactory condition Tuesday, ac
cording to Brunswick County Sher
iff John Carr Davis.
Davis said a preliminary investi
gation by the N.C. State Bureau of
Investigation indicates that Ll
Ronald Hewett "acted properly and
violated no policy of this depart
ment" when he shot at the fleeing
1983 GMC Suburban as it drove
away after Hewett stopped it about
two miles south of Supply.
Minutes later, after travelling
north at speeds of up to 70 miles per
hour, Washington apparendy lost
control of the Suburban when he
brought it back onto the pavement
after passing two 18-wheel tanker
trucks on the grassy shoulder of U.S.
17 about 300 yards from the Supply
intersection.
Davis disputed a television news
report claiming that Washington had
been shot in the head, saying none
of the bullets struck the vehicle's oc
cupants. He said "at least three" of
the bullets fired from Hewett's ser
vice revolver hit the left rear tire.
Davis said it is his policy to ask
for an independent SB1 investigation
whenever a deputy fires a weapon or
.4
STAFF PHOTO BY EMC CARLSON
LT. RONALD HEWETT of the Brunswick County Sheriff's
Department talks with SBI Agent Ken Snead after a stolen vehicle
Hewett had been chasing rolled over on U.S. 17 near Supply inter
section Monday afternoon.
is involved in a chase that results in Supply, a warrant was issued for
an injury or serious damage. Washington's arTest on a charge of
Special Agent A1 Stephens, super- felonious larceny for allegedly steal
visor of the SBI's Jacksonville of- ing a 1984 Chevrolet Celebrity in
ficc, said Tuesday that a team of 10 the Spring Hill area of Leland.
agents worked until midnight Mon- A spokesman for the Wilmington
day interviewing officers and wit- Police Department confirmed Tucs
nesses. He said the investigation is day that Washington also has pend
"70 to 80 percent complete" and re- ing warrants there charging him
fused to release any further details with forgery and misdemeanor lar
about its findings. ceny.
Meanwhile, sheriff's detectives Washington and his 15-year-old
said Monday that Washington and companion are believed to have
his passenger in the Suburban were stolen the Suburban from a Carolina
among five suspects being sought in Beach real estate agent who parked
connection with a series of auto it outside a Wilmington law office at
thefts in the Wilmington and Leland around 10 a.m. Monday and left the
areas. keys in the ignition. She discovered
One week before the incident at (See CHASE, Page 2-A)
County Schools Graduate 590 In First
Concurrent Commencement Exercises
Related Photos, Pages 6-7A
BY THE NEWS STAKE
"Cherish your memories. Re
member your teachers. Honor your
parents. Respcct others. Maintain a
strong faith."
"And, remember the words of
John F. Kennedy when he said, 'Ask
not what your country can do for
you, but what you can do for your
country."'
If Brunswick County Schools
Superintendent Ralph J. Johnston's
comments to West Brunswick High
School graduates sounded like fa
therly advice, there was good rea
son. His son, Ralph J. Johnston III,
was seated among the 227 graduates
at commencement last Wcdpesday.
The traditional "Pomp and Cir
cumstance" sounded across Bruns
wick County that night as, for the
first time, all three high schools held
concurrent graduation exercises on
campuses at Shallotte, Leland and
Boiling Spring Lakes. Nearly 590
seniors received either diplomas or
certificates of completion.
Johnston wasn't the only parent
helping to present a diploma at West
Brunswick. School board member
Polly Russ gave daughter Mary
Miller Russ her diploma, and School
Advisory Committee member Darry
Somersett did the honors for his
daughter, Tara.
Senior Class Treasurer Darrilyn
Morgan dared each classmate to
succeed in life.
"1 dare you to take control of your
life, to be different, to have your
own opinioas. I dare you to use your
hidden talents...to find the peace and
happiness within that only the gift of
giving can bring," she said.
Presenting three "working" clocks
to the school as a gift from the grad
uating class. Valedictorian Sean
Hughes of Shallotte told listeners, "I
hope to be able to come back in 10
years and find that the clocks arc
still ticking and, most important,
that the hearts are still ticking here."
Amy Caison of Supply was
named salutatorian. Both she and
Hughes plan to attend N.C. State
University in the fall.
Other class officers speaking
briefly were Secretary Laurinda
Hill, who gave the welcome; Vice
President Willie F. Gore, who of
fered reflections; and President
Yates Gupton, who closed his
farewell echoing the class motto:
"Depart with open eyes, open cars
and open minds; but, most impor
tantly, open hearts."
At South Brunswick, all eyes and
several television cameras were on
Jason Lanier, the senior who had
planned to defy the school princi
pal's order prohibiting a formal
prayer during graduation cere
monies. The administration feared a
lawsuit could result if it failed to
comply with a 1992 U.S. Supreme
Court ruling that indicated this type
of observance could violate the
Constitutional principle of separa
tion of church and state.
Lanier had gathered names on a
petition indicating support for a
graduation prayer from nearly all of
the 190-somc members of the senior
class and was planning to circulate
copies of the Lord's Prayer for stu
dents to read aloud during a sched
uled moment of silence.
Then last Monday, the Supreme
Court ruled in a similar case that a
graduation prayer was permissible
as long as it was led by students and
supported by a majority of the class.
As a result, school administrators
told Lanier he would be allowed to
lead a prayer.
Copies of the prayer were circu
lated to all seniors before the cere
mony began.
A loud cheer arose from his fel
low students as Lanier took the
stage. Then silence fell as he bowed
his head- and began, "Our Father,
who art in heaven..." By the second
line, a chorus cf his classmates'
voices had swelled to drown out the
clicking cameras and whirring video
recorders.
Brunswick County School Board
Chairman Donna Baxter told the
class that they must take responsibil
ity for continuing their education,
reminding them that "If it is to be,
it's up to me."
Assistant Superintendent Mose
Lewis sparked another cheer from
the students as he offered his advice
in verse.
"Life is a dance. You learn as you
go. Sometimes it's fast. Sometimes
(See CLASS, Page 7-A)
STAf F PHOTO BY SUSAN USHH
A FAST-PACED program gives Superintendent Ralph Johnston
only time for a handshake and murmur of congratulations as his
son, Ralph J. Johnston III, graduates from West Brunswick.