? 1 J
Bridging The Cap
DOT will unveil new alternatives for
replacing the bridge at Sunset Beach at a
citizens' forum February 1. Page 15-A.
What Does The Red Sea Part?
Students from Shallotte Middle and the
Crary School advance in the National
Geography Bee. Page 1-B
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P.O. MI 4928A
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WBHS AiurrmuS Shines...
Hoops standout Ricky Daniels scores a
season-high 20 points to lead the Wolfpack
to victory over FSU. Page 10-B
Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, January 20, 1994 50c Per Copy 36 Pages, 3 Sections, Plus Inserts
STAFF PHCTO BY DOUG RUTTFR
Superstur Signature
David Thompson, one of the greatest basketball players ever to
come out of North Carolina, signs the jersey of Braeden Baldwin
following a Jr. Hornets clinic last week at South Brunswick High
School. Thompson, a former star with the N.C. State Wolfpack and
Denver Nuggets, was in the county urging kids to stay in school
and avoid drugs and alcohol. Story on Page 9-B.
Brunswick Commissioners Considering
County Role In Regional Sewer Effort
BY SI 'SAN USIIER
Brunswick County Commissioners took the
first step Tuesday toward a possible county role
in efforts to develop a regional sewer and
stormwater project in the southwestern area of the
county.
At the hoard's direction County Attorney
Michael Ramos and County Engineer Robert
Tucker are to investigate the "legal and engineer
ing ramifications" of the county becoming a par
ticipant with Sunset Beach and Calabash in a
southwestern area "stormwater and sewer authori
ty"
Chairman Don Warren, who made the motion,
said later that he would personally like to see the
county become a partner, "not lead agent." in ef
forts to develop sewer and stormwater projects on
a regional basis. That size system is needed to re
alize management and financial economies of
scale and establish a sufficiently large customer
base.
"I'd like to see it happen," said warren.
"Otherwise 1 don't think it's going to work there
or in Iceland and Belville on a mass scale."
In previous years, the county has hesitated to
become involved in sewer projects, focusing in
stead on expansion of the county water system.
"What we would like to work toward is a re
gional authority that would He selling revenue
bonds," Warren said. "Not general obligation
bonds."
Revenue bonds are repaid with user fees or
system profits, while general obligation bonds are
guaranteed by a government's ability to levy and
collect property taxes.
Warren said that with the area's long-term
growth, stormwater projects will have to be in
cluded as part of sewer projects.
"If you want to preserve your environment,
you'll have to." said Warren.
Sunset Beach and Calabash are already work
ing together 10 develop a regional sewer system to
serve the two towns and some unincorporated ar
eas of the county. ITie system would be operated
by a South Brunswick Regional Water and Sewer
Authority, which could readily include Brunswick
County as well as the two towns. An authority is
quasi-governmental and has the power to levy
user fecr, and charges, make special assessments,
issue revenue bonds and condemn land for public
use.
An authority cannot hold a referendum for a
general obligation bond issue, though any town or
county that is a participant in an authority can do
so within its own boundaries.
Current plans and designs tor the regional sew
er project don't include provisions for stormwater
runoff management, which the towns believe
could a hurt public support lor the sewer project.
Stormwater management was not addressed
mainly because limited tunds for that purpose
were available from state and federal
lending/grant agencies.
That is expected to change. With recent reau
thorization of the federal Clean Water Act. con
sulting engineer Joe Tombro told Sunset Beach
Council members earlier this month, stormwater
management plans will be required of communi
ties and more monies will be available at the fed
eral and state levels.
Tombro also indicated then he anticipated an
announcement that Brunswick County would
serve as "lead agent" toward a regional stormwa
ter management system that he anticipated would
be endorsed by eight local governments from
Calabash north.
As evidence of its seriousness about stormwa
ter management. Sunset Beach Council ul.su re
cently agreed to initiate a study of how to manage
stormwater runoff on the island of Sunset Beach.
Tombro attended the commissioners' meeting
Tuesday, along with Sunset Beach Mayor Mason
Barber and Mayor pro tem Ed Gore.
Shallofte Chanqes Aimed
At Encouraging Growth
BY DOUG RUTTER
Shallotte officials made several
key changes to their acreage fees
and annexation policy Tuesday in an
effort to encourage development
within the town limits.
The liigyest revisions will allow
people who ask for town annexation
to pay the same acreage fees as
landowners who are already inside
the corporate limits.
Existing policy requires landown
ers outside the city limits to pay
twice as much in acreage lees as
property owners inside the town,
even it' they ask for annexation.
"We're trying to encourage
growth, not discourage it," Alder
man Carson Durham said. "Shallotte
needs to grow. We're small We
need to grow and expand our tax
base."
The new policy, which is sched
uled to take effect Feb. 1. gives a
break to people who agree to be
come part of the town. They will
Arctic Blast Expected To End Thursday
UN DOUG Rli ITER Friday, allowing the temperature to slowly return
Brunswick County residents should he enjoy- to a normal level.
ing more seasonable weather by Thursday after- "By next week it looks like we'll be getting
enduring two blasts of Arctic air in the WMtgUIliatMiMIXaMUMajlUamUIUMM hack to seasonable weather," Canady said. "It
past week. looks like next week will be much nicer weather
The second wave of a biiicily cold a;r mass (han we've had. It looks like we're about to get a
that drove temperatures into the teens on Sunday reprieve."
was expected to move into the area late Tuesday. BfiSBBBBWBKH8H3a|B Over the weekend, the hard Ireeze and subse
hack into the deep freeze tor 36 quent resulted in lines breaks
48 Shallottc Point meteorologist across Brunswick Countv.
Jackson Canady said Tuesday morning. "It's go- In Southport. the main valve that connects the
ing to come close to being as cold as it was this city water tower to its distribution lines ruptured
weekend. Starting Tuesday night, Canady said area resi- on Saturday. Workers repaired the valve Monday.
While Canady didn't expect the mercury to fall dents probably wouldn't see the temperature and the city never lost water service.
as low as the 12-degree mark it hit Sunday, he did above 32 degrees until Thursday afternoon. "It's Elsewhere, plumbers were busy early this week
call for the temperature to stay below freezing for going to be a very intense cold." repairing ruptured water lines at Brunswick
a longer period than it did over the weekend The arctic air should b** out of the picture by County beach houses.
Local Health Professionals Tell Rose
They're Wary Of Clinton Reform Plan
BY DOIIC; RUTTER
Some Brunswick County health
professionals are wary of President
Clinton's proposed heaitii care re
form. they indicated during a meet
ing with Congressman Charlie Rose
last week in Shallotte.
They said they're concerned
about what it will cost taxpayers,
how it will affect the quality of
health care and the impact it wili
have on hospitals and doctors in rur
al areas like Brunswick County.
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Classified ....1-7C
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Television * 10-11C
Rose, a Democrat seeking ic-clcC
tion to trie 7tn District seat nc iius
held since l')72. met with about 20
health care providers and small busi
ness owners F riday at the office of
Dr. Charles Locke.
The II-term incumbent said he
wants input from his constituents so
he can be a "guided missile" when
the health plan comes up for a vote
as expected later this year.
Rose indicated he wants to hold
more meetings nn ith health profes
sionals as more details about the
plan are finalized
"We are poking at an animal in
the dark and we're not sure what it's
going to look like." he said last
week.
Rose said the president has pro
posed "a very ambitious program"
that would ensure Americans the
type of universal coverage that
many Fortune 5<M( companies pro
vide their employees
"It sounds great." Rose said. "The
problem is can we afford it and has
it been thought through well enough
to keep from totally disrupting the
system in place. Most in Congress
are not sure it's been thought
through."
Rose said he thinks Congress will
approve some sort of health care re
year because !! memlwrs
if Representatives and
one-third of the Senators are up for
re-election.
He said the president has gotten
America excited about health re
form, and congressmen will not
want to face re-election in No
vember without passing a plan.
"You all arc looking at the most
politically explosive mine field that
most Congressmen have ever
faced." Rose said. "You don't make
radical change overnight and have it
work well. I think we have to phase
this in over time."
' l think the American people like
the basic outline. It's mighty appeal
ing," he continued. "I predict what
comes out will not l>e as ambitious
as what the president aas proposed."
Clinton has indicated he will in
crease the tax on tobacco to help pay
for a national health care program,
but Rose said he's not sure that will
provide enough money.
"I don't think you can tax tobacco
enough to get all the money that
may be needed for this program," he
said. "I think when the numbers art
all run his program may be too am
bitious."
Mark (iregson, chief executive
officer at The Brunswick Hospital.
said he doesn't think the country has
'h>- economic base to pay for the
program.
"None of us are willing to sacri
fice the care we provide." Gregson
said. "It's extremely disturbing to
think of the magnitude of what is
being proposed."
Dr. Keith Reschly. a general prac
titioner in Southport. said he's un
easy about one program for the en
tire nation. "Who's to say what
works in Wyoming is going to work
in North Carolina?"
Rose pointed out that each stale
will have "tremendous leeway" in
deciding how the program works.
'l agree with you totally." he told
Reschly. "One system is not going
to fit the whole country."
Reschly also said the government
can't allow unlimited access to
health care because it will be
abused. "People don't really value
things that they don't have to pay
for," he said.
"We do have to have limits,"
Rose agreed.
The congressman saul he hopes
the health care plan will reduce the
number of unreasonable malpractice
lawsuits brought against hospitals
anil doctors The suits have con
(See ROSE, Page 2-A)
save at least $1,000 per acre, de
pending on how ihe property is de
veloped.
Acreage fees, which are collected
to help pay for utility expansion, are
$1,000 per acre for conservation and
residential uses. S2.iXX) loi umuntr
cial and $2,500 for industrial.
The fees will remain double for
property outside the town limits.
Regardless of where the land is lo
cated, fees are cut in half if a
landowner needs only water or sew
er.
Durham said the revisions "give
property owners outside Ihe town
limits the opportunity to come into
the town and pay the lower rates."
Prior to any voluntary annexation,
the owner must provide Ihe planning
hoard with a survey of the property,
upgrade all streets to town standards
and meel all other town codes deal
ing with subdivisions and utilities.
Another change approved Tues
day gives the town board ihe option
of asking developers in need of wa
ter or sewer service to extend lines
to their property in phases.
Durham indicated this will protect
Ihe tow n it the developer of a large
subdivision asks for service. Instead
of allocating a large amount of sew
er capacity at one time, the town
could provide it over a long term.
Aldermen also approved a change
in the capital reserve fee ordinance
Tuesday night. !? requires payment
before water or sewer service is pro
vided in cases where the town an
nexes property with existing struc
tures.
While no other action was taken
on capital reserve fees Tuesday.
Durham asked other board members
to consider changing the fee struc
ture so developers are billed based
on their impact on the sewer system.
Presently, the town charges mini
mum fees of $600 per residence and
$1,125 per business. Larger homes
and commercial structures are
charged extra based or. square
footage.
Durham said the town board
needs to change the fees and start
charging owners based or water and
sewer usage.
A small laundromat has a greater
impact on the sewer system than a
hut;e warehouse. But under the pre
(See SHALLOTTE. Page 2-A)
Three-Way Democratic Contest
Set For District 5 Nomination
Entry of two new players has created a three-way contest for the
Democratic nomination for the District 5 seat on the Brunswick County
Board of Commissioners.
Dan Davis of Winnabow and W.M. (Bill) Sue of Leland are the latest
candidates to file, joining Leland businessman Michael Ballard.
Davis, 45, resides on Rabon Way off N.C. 133.
Sue, 59, lives on Sue Circle in Leland and is a former member of the
Brunswick County Board of Education. Neither he nor Davis could be
reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.
Also !??? week Pat Purvis Brown, 57, of Waccamaw School Road,
Ash. filed for the District 4 seat on the Brunswick County tsoaru ui
Education. She is a native ot Asn ana a retired euucaiui, Moving taught in
the California public schools.
Brown is the first candidate of either party to file for the District 4 seat,
which is held by Donna Baxter of Boiling Spring Lakes, chairman of the
school board.
In Whiteville, 13th District Resident Superior Court Chief Judge
William C. Gore ,'r. and Judge D. Jack Hooks Jr. filed for re-election.
These candidates filed earlier for nomination to county or district of
fices:
? Sheriff. N.C. Highway Patrolman Jerry Dove; Thief Deputy John
Marlow; Deputy Lt. Ronald Hewett; and Long Beach Police Sgt. Bill
Sisk, Democrats; and Southport businessman James Brown. Republican;
? Board of Commissioners: incumbent Don Warren, Democrat, and
Frances Ludlum Babson, Republican, District 1; incumbent JerTy Jones.
Republican, and W.A. "Alfonzo" Roach, Democrat, District 2; incumbent
Wayland Vereen, Democrat, District 3; incumbent Tom Rabon,
Democrat, District 4; incumbent Donald Shaw, Republican, S. L. Doty,
Republican, and Michael Ballard, Democrat, District 5;
? Board of Education: incumbent Thurman Gause and challenger Olaf
' Bud" Thorsen, Democrat, District 1; former school board member
George Wilson, Democrat, District 2; incumbent Bill Fairley, Republican,
District 3; incumbent Yvonne Bright, Republican, and Glcr.da Browning.
Democrat. District 5;
? Clerk of Superior Court: incumbent Diana Morgan, Democrat;
? District Judge, 13th Judicial District: G. Phillip David, Democrat.
Whiteville,
? N.C. House ot Representatives. E. David Redwine, Ocean Isle, and
Dewey Hill, Lake Waccamaw, Democrat, 14th District (2 seats); Thomas
E Wright Jr.. Wilmington, Democrat. 98th District; and
? State Senate: R<?n Taylor, Bladen County, 18th District.
Candidates have until noon Monday, Feb. 7, to file for office.