BY'kRIC CARLSON^
Inadequate education, an unskilled labor force and
low worker productivity arc among "serious concerns"
limiting Brunswick County's ability to attract new in
dustry, according to a study recently completed for the
Economic Development Commission.
On the other hand, the county's location, climate,
lifestyle and wage scale make Brunswick an attractive
place for companies looking to expand.
The study identifies eight types of manufacturing in
dustries as the most likely to locate in Brunswick
EDUCATION. SKILLS CRITICIZED
est Industries For Brunswick
An " operations manager " was quoted as saying Brunswick
County has "too many people on unemployment and social
services" and that employers " cannot get them to work."
County, including mctalworking equipment, machin
ery, electrical equipment, automotive equipment, fabri
cated metal, rubber and plasties, furniture and fixtures,
and chemicals.
Tom Monks, director of the Brunswick EDC, told
commission members Monday night that the results of
the study will be used to select manufacturers in the
Northeast for a direct mail and telemarketing campaign
w
aimed at encouraging them to locate here.
"This will make us more effective in our marketing
efforts," Monks said Tuesday. "It will allow us to do
more of a rifle than a shotgun approach."
Next month, consultants Walter Harper and Asso
ciates of Greensboro will explain the findings of their
S12,(XX) study to the KIX' board. Although it will not
be formally released until after the presentation, the
Beacon was able to examine a copy of the 115-pagc
study briefly Monday night.
(See INDUSTRIALISTS, Page 2-A)
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Thirty- First Year, Number 38
Cl??3 THf MUNSW1CK BACON
Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, August 12,
1993 50? Per Copy 34 Pages, 3 Sections, 2 Inserts
Health Board
To Consider
County-Wide
Smoking Regs
BY KRIC CARLSON
Smoking would have lo be phased
oul in all restaurants and prohibited
in other enclosed public places
throughout the county under a strict
smoking control ordinance being
considered by a committee of the
Brunswick County Board of Health.
The seven-member committee
hopes to have regulations ready for
the full board to adopt before a new
state law prohibits counties from al
lowing smoke-free businesses and
workplaces.
Legislation recently passed at the
urging of the tobacco industry spec
ifically requires that smoking be al
lowed in at least 20 percent of the
enclosed areas in all state controlled
buildings.
The state law further states that
after Oct. 15, local governments
cannot enact any ordinances of their
own that "contain restrictions regu
lating smoking regulations that ex
ceed those established in this arti
cle," except for buildings owned or
controlled by those governments.
Sincc the law's passage, counties
and municipalities across North
Carolina have been scrambling to
get smoking regulations on the
books before the state law prevents
them from doing so. New Hanover
County and several towns in Bruns
wick County already have passed
laws in an effort to beat the dead
line.
"The only thing good about the
bill is that it sets a statewide stan
dard," said Dr. Harry Johnson at the
Brunswick County Health Board's
regular meeting Monday night. "The
only trouble is, it sets the wrong
standard."
(See PROPOSED, Page 2-A)
I
STAFF PHOTO BY ERIC CARLSON
New Tournament Record
Anglers from the Honey I are dwarfed by the 937-pound tiger
shark they landed Thursday afternoon to win the 12th annual
Poor Boy Shark Tournament. The 23-foot boat was dragged nearly
three miles out to sea during the two-and-a-half hour fight to bring
her in. Shown with the shark are (from left) Lonnie Stone of
Narrows, Va., and boat owners Robert and Ronald McKenzie of
FayettevUle. Story, Page 9-B.
School Board, Commissioners
Agree To Budget Compromise
After 1 4.5 Hours' Mediation
BY SUSAN USIIKR
Agreements reached late Tuesday night after 141/2
hours of negotiation between the Brunswick County
Commissioners and Board of Education provides for the
school system's immediate financial needs and for con
tinued communication between the two boards.
"It was a long and fniitful day for both boards," was
school board attorney Glen Peterson's assessment of the
session.
As a result of the understandings reached Tuesday, he
added, "I think I speak for both boards in saying that we
hope we never have to go through this process again."
The road to Tuesday's marathon session formally be
gan when the Brunswick County Board of Education ap
pealed its S9.4 million budget allocation from the county
for the 1993-94 school year, asking for another S4.8 mil
lion to meet operating expenses and to build a new
school in the Leland area. When commissioners denied
that request at a joint meeting, the school board appealed
to Brunswick County Clerk of Court Diana Morgan,
who in turn referred the matter on to Brunswick County
Superior Court, where mediation is being attempted as a
routine means of resolving all civil suits.
If the boards had not been able to resolve their imme
diate differences through mediation, the matter would
have automatically been referred to Brunswick County
Superior Court for trial during the Aug. 16 session.
However, by unanimous voles the two boards autho
rized their chairpersons to enter into a consent judgment
order to be signed by Superior Court Judge D. Jack
Hooks Jr., which spells out terms of the resolution of the
immediate funding dispute; and adopted a joint resolu
tion declaring their mutual intent "to continue the dia
logue begun by the dispute resolution process, which
successfully resolved the immediate problem between
the boards."
The consent agreement provides that:
?The schools' current expense allocation will be in
creased by 5556,672 to cover an anticipated shortfall in
the 1993-94 budget. The additional funds will be taken
out of two categories in the schools' capital outlay bud
get ? 5446,672 from fumiiutc and equipment, leaving a
balance of S700,000; and the entire SI 10,000 budgeted
for replacing maintenance trucks and purchasing two
yellow school buses.
The commissioners' SI million special allocation for
computer technology will remain intact, said Board of
Commissioners Chairman Don Warren.
?Commissioners will allocate $500, (XX) from the
county's general fund balance for the planning and con
struction of Lcland Elementary School to cover the ac
quisition of a 40-acrc site, engineering and architectural
fees. Warren said commissioners reserve the right to ap
prove the site acquisition.
The two boards plan to explore various options from
lease- purchase to long-term bonds for financing con
struction of the Lcland Elementary School as well as ad
dressing other pending capital outlay needs of the school
system. Should the two boards agree on a method of fi
nancing the Lcland project and actual construction can
begin before the end of the fiscal year, then commission
ers will advance the school system an additional
S365,(XX) for that purpose.
The joint resolution agreed upon by the boards directs
school and county officials to "initiate staff contacts"
immediately to discuss ongoing educational needs in the
county, provides for joint board meetings to be held
"from time to time," and directs each board to appoint
its chairman, finance officer and executive officer to act
as official liaisons "to meet and communicate to each
other" between joint board meetings.
Members of both boards cited a breakdown in com
munication during the budget process this spring as a
factor leading to a budget confrontation that neither
wanted.
A liaison commiuce of representatives of the school
board and county commissioners did not meet this year.
Board of Education Chairman Donna Baxter said
Tuesday, blaming herself. That meant the schools' sub
stantially larger budget request was a surprise to com
missioners.
In turn, county commissioners, working to develop a
budget with its acting county manager, didn't schedule
the school board for the usual formal presentation of its
request. Instead the school board defended thai request
(See SCHOOLS. Page 10-A)
Candidates
File For 73 Seats;
Few Are Left Uncontested
Inside...
BY SUSAN USHER
Filing has closcd in Brunswick County with
few scats uncontested in 17 municipality and
three special district elections.
In elections Tuesday, Nov. 2, 73 municipal
and special district offices will be filled.
Voters countywide will also vote on a state
referendum to issue bonds for education con
struction, slate park improvements and the
clean water fund, and proposed amendments
to the state constitution.
The close of filing at noon Friday, found
four South Brunswick area mayors unopposed
for re-election ? Betty Williamson in Ocean
Isle Beach, Wally Ausley in Holden Beach,
Sarah Tripp in Shallotte and Judy Galloway in
Varnamtown. Two other mayors do face chal
lengers: Commissioner George Anderson is
challenging longtime Mayor Doug Simmons
of Calabash, while former commissioner
Minnie K. Hunt is challenging another long
time mayor, Sunset Beach's Mason Barber.
Forrest King, who is seeking the District 1
seat on the Calabash board, is the only candi
date for town board in the South Brunswick
Islands with no competition.
With more than two candidates filing for
every available seat in Long Beach, a primary
election will be held Tuesday, Oct. 5, to nar
row the field, said Lynda Britt, supervisor for
the Brunswick County Board of Elections.
In Sandy Creek, voters will get to elect the
mayor directly this year, following approval of
a petition submitted to the N.C. Secretary of
State's to change the town's charter. Pre
viously the five-member town board elected
the mayor from its membership every two
years following the election. Effective this
year, the mayor will be elected directly by the
voters every two years. Four commissioners
will be elected to staggered four-year terms.
Nine candidates have filed for the two com
missioners' seats available this year.
In Northwest, Brunswick County's newest
town, Jerry Munn is seeking election as mayor
and seven candidates have filed for the five
member board of commissioners. The three
candidates with the most votes will receive
four-year terms, the next two will receive two
year terms, to create staggered four-year terms
in the future.
Below is a run-down of all the scats avail
able and the candidates seeking election:
Calabash (mayor, three District 2 commis
sioncrs, one District 1 commissioner): George
Anderson and incumbent Douglas Simmons,
mayor; incumbent Stuart B. Thorn, town
building inspector Edward Schaack and Alvin
L. Leisey and Theodora 'Teddy" Altrueter,
District 2 commissioner; Forrest King, District
1. Incumbents Ray Card (District 1) and Ed
Rice (District 2) did not seek re-election.
Sunset Beach (mayor, three commission
ers): Minnie K. Hunt and incumbent Mason
Barber, mayor; Paul E. (Ed) Hughes, Herb
Klinker, Therese Regan and incumbents
Edward M. Gore Sr., D.G. "Bud" Scrantom
and Julia Thomas, council.
Ocean Isle Beach (mayor, two commis
sioners): incumbent Betty Williamson, mayor;
Ken Proctor and incumbents Bill Benton and
(See MOST INCUMBENTS, Page 2-A)
Birthdays 2B
Business News 12C
Calendar ? .. ? 8B
Church News ............ ? 7B
Classified 1-8C
Court Docket ? 9C
Crime Report .3A
Fishing....'. 9B
Golf 10B
Obituaries 7B
Opinion ...4-5 A
People In The News 6B
Plant Doctor 5B
Sports 9-12B
Television 10-UC
Bond Is Reduced On Man
Charged In Taxi Shoot- Out
BY ERIC CARLSON
Despite a prosecutor's objections. District Court
Judge David Wall has reduced the 5155,000 bond on
the Shell Point man charged with hijacking a taxi, at
tempting to rob a Winnabow couple at gunpoint and
firing more than 80 pistol shots during a three-hour
standoff with police last May.
Speaking through his court-appointed lawyer, de
fendant Stephen Lewis Willoughby, 18, of River Hills
subdivision agreed Tuesday to forego a preliminary
hearing and proceed to a jury trial on the 11 felony
charges against him. A district court trial on nine mis
demeanor charges was scheduled for Sept. 7.
Judge Wall agreed to reset bond at 587,000 after at
torney Sheila McLamb argued that Willoughby would
not pose a threat to himself or to the community if re
leased. McLamb said Willoughby's mother had
agreed to take him into her home and asked the judge
to free him on a 525,000 bond.
Assistant District Attorney Rick Green disagreed,
noting that Willoughby could be imprisoned for 267
years if the maximum sentence was imposed in all
cases.
"We have a number of officers who were shot at,
and a number of civilians here today who were shot
at," Green said. "To say that Mr. Willoughby would
not be a threat to the community flics in the face of
what he probably did. 1 was going to ask that his bond
be doubled."
Willoughby is charged with armed robbery, at
tempts armed robbery, discharging a weapon into oc
cupied overly, breaking and entering, injury to per
sonal prop^y, two counts of second-degree kidnap
ping, four counts each of assault with a deadly
weapon and assa-'Jt by pointing a gun and five counts
of assault with a deadly weapon on a government offi
cial.
Police say that on May 27, Willoughby held a gun
to the head of a taxi driver and demanded that he be
taken to Vermont to see his father. After agreeing to
free the driver and another hostage, Willoughby al
legedly drove to Winnabow, where the car overheated
and stopped.
( See JUDGE, Page 2-A)
STAFF PHOTO BY SUSAN USHER
Still Smoldering
Smoke spiraling from either side of N.C. 211 (viewed looking south) Thursday signaled hot spots with
potential for flaring up. Suite and local firefighters worked throughout the weekend to create safety
zones along the perimeter of the conutined, but still smoldering 1,750-acre fire. More fire photos and
story. Page 7 A.