Hewett Sweeps
All Precincts To Win Sheriff's Race
BY ERIC CARLSON
It wasn't easy. But in the end, it wasn't even close.
After a hard-won primary, an impressive fundraising
effort, an effective advertising campaign, scores of
public appearances and an eleventh-hour attempt to
discredit him. Deputy Lt. Ronald
Hewett won the resounding ap
proval ot voters tuesoay to earn
the job of Brunswick County sher
iff.
Hewett received 11,331 votes,
more than any other candidate in
any race. His opponent, Southport
businessman James Brown, attract
ed 6,201 votes.
He was the top vote-getter in
every one of the county's 22
precincts, winning by margins ranging from 56 percent
in Southport II and Bolivia to 86 percent in Shallotte.
HEWETT
His overall margin of victory, 65 percent to Brown's
35 percent, was the largest of any race in the county.
Loud cheers erupted in the
packed Democratic Party headquar
ters Tuesday night as unofficial to
tals began to come in shortly after
the polls closed at 7:30. Supporters
began cuugiaiuiaUug Ilcwctt and
declaring him the winner a short
time later, as precinct workers
phoned in reports of Hewett's ap
parent victory margins.
For the next three hours, Hewett
shook hands and received hugs and BROWN
pats on the back from scores of well-wishers, who were
already addressing the young deputy lieutenant as
"Sheriff Ronald."
"I want to take the opportunity to thank the citizens
of Brunswick County for their overwhelming vote of
confidence," Hewett said in an interview after the offi
cial vote tally was complete. "I look forward to giving
the people of this county one of the finest sheriff's of
fices in the state, one that is open, positive and progres
sive."
Hewett said that upon taking office, he would imme
diately fulfill one of the promises he made during his
campaign.
"The doors of the Brunswick County Sheriff's
Department will re-open 24 hours a day on Dec. 5,
with new telephone lines added to give the citizens the
access to law enforcement they expect and deserve."
Addressing another of the major primary campaign
issues for both candidates, Hewett said he met Monday
with officials of the federal Drug Enforcement Agency,
the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the
FBI to discuss coordinated drug enforcement efforts.
"They have given me the green light in leading drug
dealers to their red light," Hewett said.
Calling himself "humbled and grateful for the
tremendous show of support" for his campaign, Hewett
promised to remain as accessible as sheriff as he was
during his years as a deputy.
"I want the people of Brunswick County to feel as
comfortable calling me tomorrow as they did yester
day," he said. "I'm the same Ronald Hewett and I will
always place their needs first and foremost."
The mood was decidedly less upbeat at Republican
headquarters, where Brown reportedly left early and
was unavailable for comment.
At age 31, Hewett may be North Carolina's youngest
sheriff, a position he has sought since he completed ba
sic law enforcement training and joined the Holden
Beach Police Department in 1983 as North Carolina's
youngest law enforcement officer.
Hewett was deputized by Sheriff John Carr Davis
later that year. While working as a full-time patrol offi
(Sc? NEW BRUNSWICK SHERIFF, Page 2-A)
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Thirty-Third Year, Number 2 mmmh*mbmcm Shallotte, North Carolina, Thursday, November 10, 1993 50* Per Copy 44 Pages, 4 Sections, Plus Inserts
Election
At A Glance
SHERIFF
?Ronald E. Hewett ..11,331
James Brown 6,201
COUNTY
COMMISSIONER
DISTRICT 1
Don Worrtn 7,929
?Douglas Simmons . .8,655
DISTRICT 2
W.A. (AHonza) Rooch 7,792
?Jerry Jones 8,712
DISTRICT 3
Wayiand Vereen . . . .7,359
?Leslie Collier 9,160
DISTRICT 4
?Tom Robon, Sr. 9,412
Theron Leonard, Jr. .7,243
DISTRICT S ?
?W. M. (Bill) Sue 8,602
Donald Shaw 7,825
BOARD
OF EDUCATION
DISTRICT 1
?Olcrf (Bud) Thorsen . .9,163
M. Rozell Hewett . . .7,279
DISTRICT 2
?Clara Carter 9,160
Eugene Hewett . . . .7,195
DISTRICT 3
?William (Billy) Carter 8,233
Eugene Hewett 7,953
DISTRICT 4
J. Bryant Pergerson . .7,595
?Pat Purvis Brown . . .8,307
DISTRICT 5
?Glenda C. Browning 8,569
Yvonne Lewis Bright 7,509
SOIL & WATER
DIST. SUPERVISOR
?James D. Bellamy, Jr. 7,596
R. C. (Roy) Gilbert ..5,145
?Harold C. Robinson .7,322
7T H CONGRESS.
DISTRICT
flnmswkk County only)
?Charles G. Rose, III .8,559
Robert C. Anderson .8,278
Election results
by precinct on
Page 2- A
BwdMMt News 10- 11C
Cnieator 10D
CM News 12-13A
ClfcMtthd 1-9C
Crime Rtport 11 A
Cowl Docket 11D
JSD
cm 7D
Obituaries
Opinion. 4-5A
People In The News
Plant Doctor 7B
.1-7D
..8-9D
Sports
IWevkion.
IANS. 2 DEMOCRATS
GOP Regains
Its Majority On
County Board
BY ERIC CARLSON
Republicans regained a majority
on the Brunswick County Board of
Commissioners Tuesday in an elec
tion that gave no clear signals about
the mood of voters toward either in
cumbents or party affiliation.
The board's current chairman.
Democrat Don WarTen, lost his bid
for re-election to former Calabash
Mayor Douglas Simmons.
Incumbent Democrat Way land
Vereen was soundly defeated by
Republican newcomer Leslie
Cottier. who will be the first woman
on the board in eight years.
Meanwhile. Democrat
Commissioner Tom Rabon had little
difficulty overcoming a challenge
from little-known Republican new
comer The run (Woody) Leonard.
But at the same time, incumbent
Republican Jerry Jones was returned
to office in a win over W.A.
(Alfonza) Roach, while incumbent
Republican Donald Shaw lost his
seat to former two-term school
board member W.M. (Bill) Sue.
\bting did not seem to be signifi
cantly cffcctcd by the rcccnt contro
versies over school funding and the
support some commissioners' gave
to those opposed to Martin Marietta
Aggregates plan to open a limestone
mine near Southport.
Two commissioners who voted to
appeal a jury's SS million increase in
the school budget were returned to
office.
One board member who voted
against passing the law that stopped
the mine from opening was re-elect
ed, while another lost. The board's
most outspoken supporter of antf
mining activists was defeated, while
another commissioner who voted
against the mine won re-election.
So while voters may not have sent
a consistent message about the
board's performance, they did agree
to add some new faces and alter its
leadership.
Although none of the newly elect
ed Republican commissioners would
say who they will choose to be the
next board chairman, its most expe
rienced member said he would ac
(See TWO, Page 2-A)
.v ? *
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Crowning Achievement
STAFF rHOTO BY EKtC CAJtLSON
Renee Ward of Long Beach is crowned Miss Brunswick County 1995 by outgoing queen Ashley
Summerlin in Saturday night's annual pageant. Looking on (from left) are Miss North Carolina 1994,
Dana Ann Stephenson; Angela Alley, second runner-up and Miss Congeniality; and Kristian Pulliam,
first runner-up. The pageant story and more photos are on Page 12-D.
4 DEMOCRATS ? 1 REPUBLICAN
Voters Elect All-New Slate To County School Board
BY SUSAN USHER
"It's time to start to work" was Clara
Carter's first response Tuesday night after
winning the District 2 seat on the Brunswick
County Board of Education. "We've talked the
talk and now it's time to walk the walk."
The retired Union Elementary School prin
cipal wasn't talking about just the four
Democrats and one Republican elected to the
board.
The Brown's Landing resident won by the
largest margin of the five, garnering 12 per
cent more of the vote cast in the District 2 race
than her opponent Eugene Hewett of Cedar
Grove, a longtime trustee of Brunswick
Community College.
"I challenge all of the people who voted for
change to work together now to make it hap
pen," said Carter.
She anticipates no problem in the new
board members working together just as they
have campaigned amicably. "I believe we ba
sically, no matter which party we belong to,
generally have the same goals, the same gen
eral agenda," she said.
Joining her on the board in December are
fellow newcomers Olaf "Bud" Thorsen of
District 1, a juvenile court counselor; William
TWO HIGH-RISE . ONE DRAWBRIDGE
Sunset Beach Bridge
Options Down To 3
BY SUSAN USHER
Three options for replacing the
single-lane pontoon bridge leading
to the island of Sunset Beach will be
presented to the public at an infor
mal workshop TW-sday. Dec. 6,
from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Jones/
Byrd Pavilion at Sea Trail Plan
tation.
Engineering consultants for the
project have narrowed the options to
a 65-foot fixed span on either the
western corridor (Alternative W-l),
basically the same option DOT
chose as its preferred alternative
several years ago, or the center cor
ridor (C-l) by the existing bridge, or
a center corridor mid-level 30-foot
bascule, or drawbridge (C-4).
"We looked at a number of para
meters, primarily the traffic needs
and travel demand and how the pro
ject served the traffic. Our overall
goal is to provide safe and reliable
transportation," said David Griffin,
project manager with Oreiner, Inc.
"I wouldn't say we're more or less
in favor of one of the three alterna
tives over another at this point. Each
has its pluses and minuses."
Consultants ruled out all 15-foot
bascule options for safety and relia
bility reasons because of the fre
quency of bridge openings required.
Ferry and tunnel options went be
cause of their obvious impracticably
and cost. Also eliminated were other
corridor options that created compli
cated left turns or the potential for
long lines of waiting traffic or dis
rupted residential neighborhoods,
said Griffin.
Griffin said a mid-level bascule
would not have to be opened as fre
quently as a low-level bridge, but
more often than a high-rise. It also
has aesthetic appeal. The lower
grade more easily accommodates bi
cycle and pedestrian traffic than the
other options.
A center or western high-rise
(See WORKSHOP, Page 2-A)
"Billy" Carter of District 3, a former county
manager; Republican Pat Purvis Brown of
District 4, another retired educator; and
Glenda Browning of District 5, a business
woman, parent activist and PTA volunteer.
Some of the broad goals they shared during
the campaign have been better schools that
provide a higher quality of education, the
strong need to involve parents in their chil
dren's educations, better communication with
the board's varied publics, and establishing a
better working relationship between the school
board and board of commissioners. Those two
boards have been embroiled in a two-year
controversy over the county's role in funding
and oversight of the school system.
While none of the members-elect have ever
served on a school board, all five bring specif
ic knowledge of the school system and its op
eration from the differing perspectives their
careers have provided. All five have been reg
ulars at school board meetings throughout the
campaign.
While Billy Carter's past focus has been on
finance and management and Browning's on
parent involvement, for example, career edu
cator Clara Carter said her initial emphasis
(S?e SCHOOL, Page 2-A)
STAFF mOTOS BY DOUG RUTTBt
Strike Up The Band
The West Brunswick High School Marching
Band performs during halftime of Friday
night s football game between the Trojans
and visiting South Brunswick Cougars.
Ricky Phillips plays trumpet, while Stacy
Jankowski twirls a flag.