[
Where To Turn Next?
Commercial fishermen look to local
legislators to solve the problems of their
ailing industry. Page 8-A.
Multi-Cultural Experience
Appalachian storytelling and Cherokee song
and dance combine in 'All Together Now,'
coming to Williamson Auditorium, 5-B.
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12/31/99 WO
St SONS BOOK BINOERV
P? BOX Ib2
SPRINGPORT MI 4^284
ISWICK*
?E2EH3EL
The Three Amigos
Former Brunswick high school stars now
lead the Southeaster Community College
Rams baseball team. Page 1-D.
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'W4 THi tftUNtWtC* BEACON Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, April 21, 1994 50c Per Copy 42 Pages, 4 Sections, Plus Inserts
Just A Drill...This Time
STAFF PHOTO BY ERIC CARLSON
West Brunswick High School Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) attempt to get their peers' attention with a mock car crash and ex
trication depicting what can happen when people drink and drive, or don t wear safety belts. Shallotte firefighters and emergency medical
technicians and Sunset Beach firefighters participated in the realistic demonstration, along with SADD members who posed as crash vic
tims. The mock crash is one of numerous SADD-sponsorcd events leading up to the April 29 West Brunsw ick High School Prom. Today
(Thursday) the club sponsors an appearance by Miss North Carolina, Mary Susan Runion.
PROCESS CONTRARY TO '93 POLICY
Harvey Gets New Job At Old Salary
BY ERIC CARLSON
One year ago (his week. Interim
County Manager John Harvey an
nounced that he had created a new
county job and hired a recently dis
missed department director to fill it.
After questions were raised about
whether the move was allowable un
der the personnel policy, the Bruns
wick County Commissioners voted
unanimously to require board ap
proval before any new county posi
tion can be created.
On Monday night, acting county
manager and County Commis
sioners Chairman Don Warren an
nounced that he had created a new
county job and hired former county
planning Director John Harvey to
fill it.
There was no vote of the county
commissioners to authorize the new
position.
Harvey, who was replaced as
planning director April 4, will work
as a "special projects coordinator
and consultant to county depart
ments," Warren said after Monday's
commissioners meeting. Funds to
pay Harvey's $49,028 salary will be
taken from the current county ad
ministration budget until a new
spending plan is adopted.
Warren said Harvey "will have
plenty to do" assisting county de
partments in "capital planning," en
gineering, long-range solid waste
management and helping oversee
the county's compliance with the
federal Americans with Disabilities
Act.
After more than 13 years as plan
ning director, Harvey was removed
from his position and put on part
time status March 29. County Man
ager Wyman Yelton said he made
the change to allow Harvey time off
to care for his wife Betsy, who had
been diagnosed with terminal can
cer. An advertisement was sent to
local newspapers seeking a new
planning director at a starting salary
of $35,564.
The following morning, Yelton
announced that former county zon
ing administrator Wade Home had
been hired as planning director at a
reported salary of $42,000 a year.
Three days later, Betsy Harvey
died, leaving her husband free to re
turn to work full-time.
The following afternoon, Yelton
and his wife were involved in a vio
lent head-on collision on Interstate
40 in Durham. Kathryn Yelton was
killed. The county manager was se
riously injured and remains hospital
ized at Duke University Medical
Center. Warren was named acting
county manager until a temporary
replacement can be found.
In an April 15 letter to the Beacon
(see page 5-A), Wairen called
Harvey a "dedicated, loyal county
employee." He said the two met re
cently and agreed on a "mutually
satisfactory employment arrange
ment that took into account his and
the county's needs. This arrange
ment was negotiated following Mr.
Harvey's wife's death, when Mr.
Harvey no longer needed a leave of
absence."
Harvey returned to work Tuesday
morning with a new office in the
county engineering building.
County Engineer Robert Tuckcr
on Tuesday said he was "very glad
to have the help." He said Harvey
has been put in charge of drafting a
long-range solid waste management
plan required by the state.
Harvey's new position was not
discussed by the commissioners dur
ing their regular meeting Monday
night. Nor was there a formal budget
transfer to fund the new salary.
After the meeting, Warren was
asked if he felt the hiring violated
the board's year-old policy prohibit
ing the creation of new positions not
authorized in the budget, lie said it
was something that needed to be
done.
In a similar move last April, Har
vey created a new post of solid
waste control officer and hired for
mer Solid Waste Director Leo Hew
ett to fill the position. Hewett had
been fired a month earlier and had
requested a hearing to protest the
dismissal.
Hewett's appeal was withdrawn
shortly before his new position was
announced.
On May 3, 1993, the commission
ers unanimously adopted a policy
prohibiting the county manager
from creating new positions without
formal authorization from the board.
Hiring Practices
Racially Biased,
Black Leaders
Tell School Board
BY SUSAN USHER
Two black community leaders
Monday night accused the Bruns
wick County Board of Education's
of discriminatory hiring practices,
claiming blacks are shut out of jobs
and that salaries for the county's two
black principals are "not up to par."
One warned newcomers to the
staff to watch where they tread; the
other called on the board to show its
commitment to greater equity in hir
ing before election time.
Robert Gore of Shingletree Acres,
a former JROTC instructor at West
Brunswick High School, and Frank
lin Randolph of Piney Grove, a for
mer school board member, echoed
some of the same criticisms ex
pressed by school board member
Thurman Gause in an interview pub
lished in a regional newspaper this
past weekend. Gause later disavow
ed any connection with their appear
ance before the board.
"If you want to be re-elected, 1
think you owe voters an explanation
(of how two black principals' sal
aries were determined) and to ex
plain what you're going to do about
it in Oie future, said Randolph.
The two accused the system of
using the concept of "qualified" to
discourage and circumvent hiring of
blacks, especially for entry-level
teaching positions and administra
tive slots.
The school system, like many
across the state and nation, has seen
a decline in recent years in the ratio
of blacks holding jobs that require
teacher certification. Gore and
Randolph believes qualified candi
dates are available, but are being
overlooked.
"Either you're under or you're
over (qualified), it's always an ex
cuse," said Randolph, charging the
problem rests with not only the
school board by central office ad
ministrators and principals involved
in selecting candidates.
In turn, school administrators
lamented the small available pool of
minority candidates with teaching
certification, saying that the most
qualified arc being lured into other
fields.
Gore, Randolph and other black
leaders have been urging the school
board to give local black candidates
who are recent college graduates
with certification greater considera
tion for teaching positions.
According to Gore, through its
teacher certification process the state
determines who is "qualified" to go
into a classroom, hut that doesn't
mean the person can do the job.
Thatjhe suggested, can be decided
only 9fter the person is in the posi
tion.
Current board policy is to hire for
any position the candidate recom
mended as "best qualified." Top ap
plicants are interviewed by a team of
school system employees that in
cludes minority representation. If
there are minority candidates who
meet the minimum requirements for
a position, including certification,
they are typically part of the pool
considered in interviews, according
to Personnel Director Ralph Ward.
In another interview, Russ said
the school system has been encour
aging local entry level candidates
who aren't first choice for vacancies
to substitute teach and to seek inter
im positions. Developing a track
record and becoming familiar to
school system personnel should in
crease their chances of being hired
when reapplying for a permanent
post, she said.
Supplement State Pay?
Randolph also questioned the
salary paid Principals Zclphia (iris
sett at Union Elementary and Sandra
Robinson at Shallotte Middle
School, saying the two black women
earn less than other principals hired
at the same time.
Superintendent Ralph Johnston
(See SCHOOL, Page 2-A)
Inside...
Birthdays 2B
Business News 12C
Calendar ..8B
Church News 9D
Classified 1-9C
Crime Report 101)
Court Docket. 10-I1C
Fishing .'.41)
Golf 51)
Obituaries 8D
Opinion 4-5A
People In The News .....4B
Plant Doctor 3B
Sports 1-5D
Television 6-7 B
Environmental Study Would
Jeopardize Sewer Funding,
Balloon Cost, Mayor Claims
BY SUSAN USHER
Delays associated with a full-blown sewer system environmental im
pact statement (EIS) sought by the Sunset Beach Taxpayers Association
could jeopardize funding of the regional system and create an "unneces
sary financial burden" on taxpayers. Sunset Beach Mayor Mason Barber
says in a letter to town residents.
Written with the help of council members, the letter was sent by the
town to all resident property owners. It will be sent to non-resident prop
erty owners only if council directs, he said.
Calling for residents' "continued support," Barber writes, "Public re
sponse to this action must be forthcoming if we are to assure our future
welfare and protect the best interests of ourselves and the community."
What action residents take, said Barber, "is going to be up to each indi
vidual."
The letter responds to one written earlier this month by attorney James
Maxwell of Durham on behalf of the SBTA. That letter asked Preston
Howard, director of the N.C. Division of Environmental Management,
for assurance that a full EFS would be required for the sewer project.
"Such an action can only delay but not stop the project," Barber wrote.
"A sewering program for this growing area is inevitable. If the SBTA
should be successful in their efforts, it will result in higher taxes, and
higher sewer charges, and we will see further degradation of our environ
ment and water quality."
Piedmont Olsen and Hensley consulting engineers are preparing for
the South Brunswick Water and Sewer Authority an environmental as
sessment, which will be evaluated by state officials to determine if the
more in-depth statement will be required. (See related story.) To date,
(See MAYOR, Page 2-A)
Atkins Named Holden Beach Mayor;
Appointment Talk Expected Wednesday
BY DOUG RUTTER
Holdcn Beach Commissioners
were cxpectcd to discuss appointing
someone to the vacant seat on the
town board at their legular mid
month meeting Wednesday night
(April 20).
Commissioners, still mourning
the April 6 death of Mayor Wally
Ausley, voted unanimously last
Friday to appoint Mayor Pro Tem
Gay Atkins to serve as mayor
through the I995 election.
Atkins, a real estate and property
management agent who has served
on the board of commissioners since
1981, is the first female mayor of
the Holden Beach and the fifth may
or in town history.
After appointing Atkins, officials
decided to wait until their April 20
meeting to discuss the appointment
to the open seat on the five-member
board of commissioners.
The F'riday morning meeting,
which drew about 25 residents to
town hall, lasted less than five min
utes.
After being appointed, Atkins de
cided against moving one seat over
? I
PHOTO BY GUS UIKICH
GAY ATKINS, the first female mayor of Holder Beach, takes the
oath of office last Friday from Town Clerk Joyce Shore.
to the mayor's chair, 'i guess I'll
have to get used to tilling a seat that
will be very difficult to fill," she
said.
Atkins was appointed on a motion
by Dwight Carroll that was second
ed by Sid Swarts. Carroll also made
the motion to wait until the next
meeting to consider the appointment
of a commissioner.
In both cases, Carroll's motions
passed unanimously with no discus
sion by board members.
The board's unanimous support
for a new commissioner seems un
likely based on recent actions.
Commissioners have appointed four
people to the planning board in the
last few months, and none have re
ceived unanimous support.
It also is unlikely that the appoint
ment will be made this week. The
town board's policy is to present
nominations at one meeting and
make appointments at the following
meeting.
After Wednesday, the board's
next regular meeting is May 2.
The special meeting last Friday
was opened with an invocation by
the Rev. Richard Warner, pastor at
St. James The Fisherman Episcopal
Church of Shallotte, where Ausley
was a member.
"We've all lost a friend and a
leader, but we know Wally is where
Wally wants to be," Atkins said.
A memorial service for Ausley
will be held this Sunday at llolden
Beach Chapel during the 11 a.m.
service.
Jim Hartman of Holdcn Beach
will officiate the service. Anyone
who wants to speak for a minute or
two will be given ar. opportunity, ac
cording to Gil Bass.