Ash Residents Soy No To ABC Boord s Liquor Store Plons BY ERIC CARLSON They don't need a liquor store. They don't want a liquor store. They will do whatever they can to see that a liquor store does not get built in their rural communi ty That was the message a crowd of nearly 100 Ash residents had for the Brunswick County Alcoholic Beverages Control Board last week as it heard com ments about plans to open the county's third ABC store on N.C. 130 about two miles south of the Columbus County line. Chairman John Ramsey said the ABC Board "docs not have an option on property in the Ash area" and told the group that planning for the store is only in the preliminary stapes. The matter is scheduled for further discussion at the next ABC Board meeting Aug 24. Ramsey's assurances were made at the board's July 27 regular meeting in Bolivia, where petitions were submitted bearing the signatures of more than 900 peo ple from the Ash area who are opposed to the idea. All but two of the 23 people who addressed the board spoke against the proposal. Most were active church members who rejected the idea for religious reasons. Others feared that easy access to alcohol would have a damaging influence on local young peo ple. "I have a son who is 10 years old. In the future he will be facing a lot of temptations," said Gene Simmons. "I don't feel that an ABC store down the road is what he's going to be looking for. Anything I can do to make it more difficult for him to get alcohol. I will do." William Chappcll, pastor of the Faithful Gospel Church in Ash. said his congregation had "talked about it and prayed about it" and decidcd to form a "coalition of concerned citizens" to oppose the liquor store pro posal. "We know (alcohol) destroys lives and homes and businesses. We know that the economic benefits do not outweigh the damage caused by alcohol." Chappell said. "Why do you want to subject our neighborhoods to something we don't need?" Betty Warren pointed out that in past county-wide ABC referendums. the Ash and Waccamaw areas voted "overwhelmingly against" alcohol sales. "We ask you to go with the majority and be fair t the meeting was against the idea. John Webber sau. ne lives "right next door" to the former site of the Junction Lounge, a site which is reportedly being considered for the new ABC store. The tavern, now closcd. was the scene of a January, 1993, shooting that claimed the life of a Columbus County man. "I lived next to that place when it was a den of iniq uity, when there was loud music and yelling going on all hours of the nighr This would a pleasant thing to have there." Webbei said. "If you don't want your chil dren to drink, teach them not to." James L. Smith said he owns s business next to the (See ASH ABC, Page 2-A) s-OA'a : pi. r;' ' ' i1"-. iFRiM'jf ,"1 ? , C Ki t r - u ? :Nl-F - ?-1 _ Year, Number 40 JSWICK# ACON Shallotto, North Carolina, Thursday, August 4, 1994 50< Per Copy 42 Pages, 4 Plus inserts JURY AWARDS SCHOOLS $ 14 MILLION Tax Hike Likely Outcome School Fundi HQ AWQfd Ride The Wild Surf Jake Holloway, 12, finds the Brunswick Islands surf ideal for body boarding. He and his brother Luke, IS, took turns riding the waves while vacationing with their parents from Akron, Ohio, last weekend. BY ERIC CARLSON Brunswick property owners are likely to reccive a second tax bill to cover the cost of a $4.8 million civil court settlement awarded to the board of education last week, even if the board of commissioners decides to ap peal the jury decision. The commissioners on Monday authorized County Attorney Michael Ramos to file a motion to set aside the jury verdict. Judge Jack Thompson will consider the question Aug. 29, but county officials admit privately that the decision is not likely to be overturned at the Superior Court level. After three days of testimony and arguments last week, a jury of six women and six men took just over 90 minutes Thursday afternoon (July 28) to decide that the school board needs $14 million from the county to run the school system during the 1994-94 fiscal year. The county commissioners had insisted that the $9.2 million they budgeted for schools was enough. If the verdict is allowed to stand, the commissioners will have to decide whether to pursue a costly, time-con suming appeal to the N.C. Court of Appeals. A decision there could take a year or more. The school system would be funded at lasi year's level during the appeal process. Whether they resolve to pursue the case in higher courts or not, the commissioners must be prepared to pay the school board settlement if the appeal is denied. boarc' Chairman Dc,i Warren saic1 Monday night. Thai means a second tax bill adding about 10 cents per $100 valuation to the current tax rate of 58.S cents, is likely to be sent to all Brunswick County property owners. If the settlement is upheld, the additional $5 million levy would be used to increase the board of edu cation budget to the S 14 million !cvel ordered by the ju ry The money could be refunded if the county wins its appeal. But it would have to be collected and kept on hand to give the schools immediately following an ap peals court decision if the boaru o.' education prevails. Asked Monday if the c- -unf could dip into its unap propriated fund balance ine,** Commissioner Jerry Jones saic* in an interview Tuesday. "They say do what you can to keep tne tax rate down. If that takes an appeal, then appeal. "Of course, before we decide on that, we'll have to (See TAX HIKE, P age 2-A) Officials Say Schools In 'Holding Pattern' Awaiting Judge's Ruling BY SUSAN USHER Summer vacation ends in less than a month and Brunswick County school officials are in a holding pat tern. not knowing whether they will have more local funds or less with which to run the system next year. "We're doing as much as we can do," Superintendent Ralph Johnston said Monday, after Brunswick County jury last week awarded the schools an additional $4.8 million for the 1994-95 school year, for a total of $14 million in county funds. The award was the equivalent of a 10-cent increase in the county property tax rate if commissioners chose not to make up the difference from reserve funds. On hearing the jury's decision, Johnston said he was "excited and pleased for the children of Brunswick County." But he and Brunswick County Board of Education Chairman Donna Baxter are also highly aware that the budget fight between (he schools and county commis sioners isn't over, and that the outcome could change dramatically. Brunswick County Commissioners, who had asked for the jury trial rather than mediation, voted Monday to ask a judge to set aside the judgment. Newspaper Delivery Deiuy Still A Mystery Hie re is slill no explanation from postal officials why it took until Friday to deliver last week's issue of The Brunswick Beacon to mail sub scribers in Bolivia, Leland and Win nabow. The newspapers were loaded on schedule on a mail truck about 2 p.m. Wednesday, headed for the sec tional center at Fayetteville. What happened to the newspapers be tween that time and Friday morning is a myslcry, said Shallotte Post master Frank Bringoli. Bringoli said he has asked other Brunswick County postmasters to let him know early on Thursday morning if they do not receive the bundle of Brunswick Beacons for delivery. "That way I can try to track the n down." he explained II is often Thursday afternoon be fore subscribers begin to report that they did not receive their papers. It is then that the Beacon notifies the Shallotte Post Office of the missing newspapers The Beacon delivers the newspa pers directly to the post offices in Supply, Longwood, Ash and Cala bash. Newspapers bound for Bo livia, Winnabow, Leland, Southport and Oak Island are routed through the postal system at Fayetteville. There was no explanation as to why Southport and Oak Island pa pers arrived on time last Thursday and the others did not Baxter said she was proud of the teamwork shown by school system employees during the trial and glad the schools had chosen to "go a different way" and seek the additional funds they need. "Our people finally realize what a team effort can do," r,he said. "The need's been there for the last 10 . ifs. The jury saw the need for us to catch up. They re alized we are just out to educate our children. TWelve people said we did a good job of presenting our needs and gave us the money. I hope the commissioners will look at what was said and why the jury set the award as it did." The burden of proof was on the school syctem, she said. "We had to prove the need." The jury's response was gratifying, she said, after years of watching the school board prepare a budget re quest that reflected its needs, then pare it to match "what the commissioners were willing to give us." Depending on the outcome of that request, the com missioners may decide to appeal to a higher court. If the court upholds the commissioners' S8.7 million alloca tion for day-to-day operations, the schools have said they will not be able to continue operating at the current level and would look at cutting services, reducing class A PLACID POM) off S.C. 17 By-pass near Shallotte provides an ideal spot for \M imminn on a h?l summer day. But three violent in cidents there in the past month have raised the concerns of law en forcement authorities. sizes and/or eliminating jobs. The schools also received S497.2"75 from the county for capital needs such as equipment, furniture, site im provements and vehicles. County commissioners expressed surprise and shock at the jury's verdict. District 2 Commissioner Jerry Jones of Shallotte said he hadn't decided personally whether the verdict should be appealed or not. "Nobody was trying to slack the schools," he said. "We were just trying to live within our means. I think most people are supportive of education, but we were hoping the schools could get by with what they were al located. The county has a lot of other things to fund and we can't just grab money out of the sky. And there's the question of accountability too." If the judgment stands, he said, the commissioners will have to choose between raising taxes by about 10 cents, to 68.5 cents per $100 of valuation, or spending down the county's fund balance. The county has between $10 million and $12 million in reserve, he said. That's where (Finance Director) Lithia Hahn says we need to be for cash flow and in case of an emergency such as a hurricane ? enough money to cover a month of bills." "I hope they put the funds to f >od use and that things will improve. The next question i. what will they ask for next year? Hopefully this will catch them up some." The schools had asked for additional money to: ? open an alternative school; ? continue the extended day evening high school pro gram; ? meet state pay raises for kv ally-paid employees; ? keep a computer coordinator employed at each county school; ? hire 3.5 new erceptional children's teachers, a new physical education teacher for Waccamaw School and six new classroom teacheis; ? hire a principal to prepare for the opening of the new Lei and School; and ? hire a site facilitator fo- die N.C. Information Highway site being developed at West Brunswick High School in Shallotte. The school board also planned to give teacher raises under a new salary schedule, hire some assistant princi pals for an 11th month, give bus drivers another $50 supplement plus benefits, begin adjusting custodial salaries as required by state law, and give teachers a higher local supplement. RECREATION AREA OR NUISANCE? Brawl, Knifings, Shooting Raise Concerns Over Swimming Hole BY ERIC CARLSON Ten men were arrested last week in what police say may have been a racially motivated brawl at a Shallottc swimming hole that result ed in a man being stabbed and two others clubbed with a baseball bat. Another slashing incident at the same spot Friday evening and a third knife assault two weeks ago prompt ed a Brunswick County Sheriff's Detective to warn people Monday to stay away from the popular, unsu pervised recreation area, which he said "is becoming a public nui sance." "It gets pretty crowded out there, especially on weekends," Detective Steve Mason said, referring to a swimming hole located behind the WCCA radio station on U.S. 17 by pass near Shallottc. The property is not owned, con trolled or connected in any way with the radio station. Mason said. TWo large manmadc ponds behind it were formed when a nearby .. ream flowed into large holes excavated for fill dirt during highway construc tion. "It could be an excellent recre ation area," Mason said. "Unfor tunately it isn't supervised and the people who go there feel like they can do anything they want. Now that things have gotten bad, we're going to have to do something." Things went very bad on the evening of June 23, Mason said. A black man from Bolivia and two white women from Shallotte were swimming when a group of about 12 to 15 people, including children, came to the pond. He said several of the men had been drinking. "When they saw the black man and the white women swimming to gether, some of them started yelling racial slurs," Mason said. The swimmers left. Then about 20 minutes later the man returned with five friends in two cars. Mason said. They brought with them base ball bats, a rifle and a 9mm pistol. After a "verbal altercation that in volved racial slurs from both sides," Mason said a fight ensued in which several people were injured, some seriously. The brawl ended when ,jnc man was stabbed and fled to ward his friends with his assailant in pursui'. One of the birred man's friends fired warning shot" from the pistol, w. ich passed through the hood of hit ? car and lodged in the battery, th> Elective ssid. The stabtng victim, Jerome Smith, 23, ot Bolivia, underwent surgery at t' .'runs wick Hospital for a cut tr 'V; lower abdomen that resulted in a punctured intestine, (Sec SWIMMING, Page 2-A) Inside...