SOME CLAIM 'MINOR VICTORY.' OTHERS A DODGE'
County Zoning Suspended To Appease Mine Opponents
BY ERIC CARLSON
Despite hearing a legal opinion that the county zon
ing ordinance will have no effect on Martin Marietta
Aggregates' plan to open a limestone quarTy near
Southport. Brunswick Commissioners on Monday vot
ed to appease opponents of the mine by postponing en
forcement of the law.
Although some called the vote "a minor victory," a
leader of the anti-mining forces on Tuesday accused
the hoard of "putting a pacifier in the mouths" of min
ing opponents and "undercutting their efforts."
For the third time in two weeks, supporters of the
Brunswick County Anti-Mining Alliance packed the
public assembly hall in Bolivia and demanded that the
commissioners take action to halt the proposed mine.
Before the board's meeting, in a performance or
chestrated for visiting television crews, mining oppo
nents carried protest signs, walked in circles and chant
ed slogans to provide a backdrop for live 6 p.m. news
broadcasts. The demonstrations stopped when the TV
lights were switched off.
In their biggest show of force to date, mining foes
again voiced their concerns that the proposed blasting,
crushing and hauling of limestone at the mine will de
stroy water quality, dry up wells, create traffic and road
maintenance problems and will pose safety hazards at
the neighboring Brunswick Nuclear Plant and Sunny
Point military ammunition terminal.
After listening to a series of speakers opposed to the
mine, the commissioners returned to their regular meet
ing room, where interim County Attorney Michael
Ramos related his findings from a two-hour meeting
Monday afternoon attended by commissioners Don
Warren and Tom Rabon and attorneys and officials rep
resenting Martin-Marietta.
"It is my opinion that they have complied with all lo
cal regulations and the only hurdle they have left is the
permitting process," Ramos said. "They already have a
mining permit for neighboring property and statute al
lows them to expand to bordering properties."
Ramos said Martin Marietta last year purchased a
piece of property near the proposed quarry site for
which a mining permit already had been issued. That
license was transferred to Martin Marietta as part of the
sale. Under state regulations, the company is allowed
to expand the parameters of that permit to the adjoining
property it bought for the limestone mine.
(See QUARRY OPPONENTS. Page 6-A)
Th ,WICK#BEACON
Thirty-Second Year, Number 1 emiiHtwuNswacwAcoN Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, November 4, 1993 50<t Per Copy 44 Pages, 3 Sections, 2 Inserts
Election
At A Glance
Calabash
MAYOR
Douglas Simmons (I) 244
S George Anderson 515
COMMISSIONER (Dist.l)
?^ Forrest King 386
COMMISSIONER (Dist. 2)
?^Theodora Altreuter 519
y Alvin L. Leisey Jr. 579
?'Edward Schaack 425
Stuart B. Thorn 364
Holden Beach
MAYOR
?Wally Ausley (I) 277
COMMISSIONER
?'Gay Atkins (I) 210
?'Dwight Carroll 151
y Jim Fournier (I) 143
Crawford Hart Jr. 87
Jeff Lee 1 40
Donald Pollard 95
?/David Sandifer (I) 162
James Shafor 135
?'Sid Swarts (I) 155
Larry Vogt 47
Roger Williams 80
Ocean Isle Beach
MAYOR
S Betty Williamson (I)
COMMISSIONER
Terry Barbee (I)
"'William Benton (I)
^ Ken Proctor
155
80
128
150
Shallotte
MAYOR
'Sarah L.Tripp (I) 242
ALDERMEN
William E. Allen 147
' Carson "Pete" Durham 160
'Sam Inman 107
Odell "Odie" Johnson 67
Elaine C. Wright 92
MAYOR
' Mason Barber Jr. (I) 250
Minnie K. Hunt 125
COUNCILMAN
'Edward M. Gore (I) 212
Paul "Ed" Hughes 162
'Herb Klinker 164
Therese K. Regan 117
Bud Scrantom (I) 1 62
' Julia Thomas (I) 1 67
MAYOR
'Judy Galloway (I) 126
ALDERMAN
Chris Lancaster 65
' Ada McDonald (I) 81
Charles McDonald 58
' George Ennis Swain (I) 79
MAYOR
' Steven Mark Stewart (1)344
Herbert C. Bunten 1 34
COMMISSIONER
Charles A. Bunten 72
John D. Ganey Jr. 31
Raymond W. Hicks 157
'Lacy W. Prince 228
Charles A. Schneiders 1 62
'Tom Simmons (I) 227
MAYOR
'Ina Mae Mintz (I) 38
ALDERMAN
Lloyd Wayne Cox (tie) 23
'Sara E. Knox (I) 31
'Alice Lesh (I) 32
' Guy H. Wescott (I) 33
Ella Jane Wescott (I) (tie) 23
(See Election, Page 2- A)
Incumbents' Fates Vary
Greatly In Elections;
Some Races Are Tight
The fate of incumbents varied greatly across
Brunswick County as voters in towns and three
special districts went to the polls Tuesday.
Holden Beach voters returned four incum
bents to office, while their Calabash counter
parts elected a new mayor and four new com
missioners.
Races for some seats across the county were
close, based on Tuesday's unofficial tally by the
Brunswick County Board of Elections.
While there are no provisions for run-offs or
recounts in any of the municipal elections.
Supervisor of Elections Lynda Britt said, "that
doesn't mean the board of elections wouldn't
consider a recount if there is a valid reason for
one. We're checking now (Tuesday night) to see
if there are any ties or whatever."
Candidates have a right to be present for the
official canvass of votes scheduled today
(Thursday) at 11 a.m. at the elections office.
"They can advise the board then of any situa
tions that we might not be aware of that might
wanant a recount," said Britt.
Calabash
In Calabash, former commissioner George
Anderson of District 2 soundly defeated four
term incumbent Mayor Douglas Simmons of
District 1 by a more than two-to-one margin of
515 to 244 votes.
The only other incumbent, Commissioner
Stuart Thorn, was the low vote getter of four
candidates in the race for three District 2 seats,
losing his re-election bid with 364 votes.
Alvin Leisey Jr. topped the tally with 579
votes, followed by Theodora "Teddy" Altreuter
with 519 and former Calabash Building
Inspector Edward Schaack with 425.
Another new face on the board will be Forrest
King, who was unopposed for District 1 com
missioner.
Anderson said he was surprised by his margin
of victory and attributed the results as "a vote
for change."
"A lot of things are coming to a head right
now," Anderson said. "There are a lot of things
that have got to be done that need to be pushed
in the right direction. Doug was in there for 13
years ? since Calabash was a small town.
Things have gotten a lot more complicated than
they were."
Although he feels the town's upcoming deci
sion on building a sewage system was a factor in
the vote, Anderson said he did not run on that is
sue.
"I told anybody who asked my opinion that I
can't make an intelligent decision on that until
all the facts are in. And all the facts are not in,"
he said.
Ocean Isle Beach
Ocean isle Beach voters apparently were in
the mood for a new face on the town board. Ken
Proctor, a first-time office-seeker and the only
non-incumbent on the ballot, was top vote-getter
in the commissioners' race with 150.
Incumbent Mayor Pro Tem Bill Benton re
ceived 128 votes to keep his seat, but incumbent
Commissioner Terry Barbee apparently will not
be returned to office, having received 80 votes.
Mayor Betty Williamson, who ran unop
posed, received 155 votes. There were three
write-in votes, but the identity of their recipient
(See VOTES, Page 2-A)
SWF PHOTO BY LYNN CARLSON
Before The Rain Came
" Little Skunk" Erik McLeod of Varr.amtown was among hundreds of partici
pants in the Festival by the Sea Halloween Carnival Friday . Heavy rains and
high winds washed out Saturday 's planned parade and street dance, but ven
dors, performers and contestants rallied on Sunday, despite brisk conditions.
More festival coverage, Page 1-B and throughout this issue.
MONEY WILL GO TO NEW LELAND SCHOOL
County Nixes Schools Spending 'Leftovers' On Equipment
BY SUSAN USHER
Brunswick County school officials were
reeling in surprise, shock and even anger
Tuesday from an unexpected blow dealt by
Brunswick County Commissioners Monday
night.
By unanimous vote, commissioners unani
mously rejected a school board request to use
state funds left over from several projects to
buy equipment for the schools, instead voting
to apply the money to construction of a new
Leland elementary school. Calling a break,
they then walked out of their chambers.
The commissioners' vote leaves unan
swered questions about funding for classroom
equipment as well as spring athletics at the
high schools and middle schools.
One school board member said the commis
sioners' vote had little to do with education,
but was simply an attempt to teach the school
board a lesson.
"Basically wc got lectured on how we
should not have sued the commissioners," said
school board member Bill Fairley of South
port, the most vocal on the issue of the school
officials interviewed.
"It was kind of a kneejerk reaction, trying to
put us in our place."
The prepared, typewritten motion, read by
District 5 Commissioner Donald Shaw, direct
ed that any remaining half-cent sales tax funds
for 1992-93 and 1993-94, and any money left
from the schools' central office fund instead
go toward the new Leland elementary school.
Prior to the vote, Commissioners' Chairman
Don Warren asked a series of questions of
Superintendent Ralph Johnston and other
members of a school delegation invited to ex
plain the budget request: Had the schools con
sidered freezing central office hiring to free up
funds for other needs? Was the school system
aware of those needs when they sued the com
missioners in Brunswick County Superior
Court for more money? Why weren't those
needs addressed when a consent agreement on
the budget was negotiated?
"1 was rather surprised," Johnston said
Tuesday. "It seemed like a reasonable request
to make. We didn't have a Plan B for not get
ting the funds.
"We're looking at where we are and seeing
what we can do. The $308,000 would have
gotten us through this year."
"I'm still devastated," board chairman
Donna Baxter said. "I really don't know what
we're going to do. They let us do our presenta
tion and then moved the money to go to the
new school, which is not bad, but it is just bad
right now."
"All this show-and-tell they're (commis
sioners) are doing is hurting the children. The
school board isn't trying to play games. We're
trying to get what we need for the children and
their education."
The school board budget is divided into two
broad funds, one for everyday operating ex
penses and another for capital expenses in
three categories: construction, equipment and
vehicles.
In June commissioners approved a schools'
budget that reflected an overall increase, but
still left the schools with a large shortfall in its
proposed operating budget.
The school board subsequently filed suit in
Brunswick County Superior Court, asking that
the county be made to honor its legal responsi
bilities for funding school system needs.
During a long day of court-ordered media
tion, both boards compromised on certain
points. The result was a 17.5 percent increase
in the school budget, the largest ever granted
in the county, according to Warren, agreement
for certain funding, and for establishing regu
lar communications.
At one point during the negotiations, re
called Baxter, "We realized the commissioners
weren't going to help us with the current ex
penses."
As a result, the school board agreed to
transfer the money that had been budgeted for
equipment to current expenses.
The school board made the decision with
the understanding that, after construction of
Supply Elementary School and the Southport
Elementary School Cafeteria was completed,
any money left could be used to buy equip
ment. The projects were being buili using state
half-cent sales tax revenues, which can be
spent for any school capital need, with county
commissioners' approval.
(See BOARDS CLASH, Page 2-A)
County Clerk Resigns; Cites 'Erroneous Criticism'
BY ERIC CARLSON
Brunswick County Clerk to the Board of
Commissioners Kelly Barefoot resigned after
more than 14 years as a coun
ty employee on Monday and
accused Chairman Don
Warren of knowingly putting
a groundless reprimand in her
personnel file.
In a harshly worded resig
nation letter distributed to the
commissioners at their regular
meeting Monday night, Bare
foot said that until the new
board of commissioners took BAREFOOT
office, "an accurate portrayal of my job perfor
mance is evidenced in my personnel file."
"For reasons unknown to me, over the past six
months I have become a target and my job securi
ty has been a constant and continuing question,
causing excessive stress in my life," she said. "1
can no longer endure the erroneous criticisms of
my professional performance."
Barefoot was one of several county employees
targeted for removal by officials of the county
Democratic Party during the 1992 election cam
paign. Although she was re-appointed unani
mously when a new Democrat majority took of
fice last December, it soon became evident that
some commissioners wanted her replaced.
After former County Manager/Attorney David
Clegg resigned under alleged political pressure,
Barefoot assumed she would be the next to go.
Last May, rumors of Barefoot's imminent dis
missal grew so pervasive that one Wilmington
television station reported that the commissioners
had voted to fire her.
It was thought that some board members want
ed to fulfill a campaign promise to re-hire former
Clerk Regina Alexander, who lost her job two
years earlier in a reorganization of county admin
istration by the former Republican board. At the
time. Warren denied any effort to fire Barefoot
and said he would not vote to re-hire Alexander.
Although the clerk to the board serves at the
pleasure of the commissioners and can be re
moved without cause, Barefoot's positions of
public information officer and administrative offi
cer were protected under the county personnel
policy.
But in late May, Interim County Manager John
Harvey, who was selected to replace Clegg, sub
mitted a budget proposal that paved the way for
(See BAREFOOT QUITS, Page 2-A)