Newspapers / The Pamlico News (Bayboro, … / Feb. 14, 1980, edition 1 / Page 1
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Learning Resource Center Pamlico Technical College P. 0. Box 185 Highway 306 South Grantsboro, N. C. 28529 PTI Library P. 0. Box 185 Grantsboro, N. C. *.8529 The Pamlico News 15c Per Copy (USPS 782-460} Vol. 13, No. 7 Serving Pamlico County And Richlands Township Thursday, February 14,1980 The Arapahoe Volunteer Fire Department held an Oyster Roast on Monday, February llth to honor its present members and supporters and to kick off the membership drive for the Ladies Auxiliary which will hold an organizational meeting Thursday, February 14th. The Arapahoe VFD serves an area of approximately 65 square miles which includes Minnesott Beach, Dawson’s Creek and Kennels Beach. Ladies from the entire area are encouraged to attend the Ladies Auxiliary meeting Thursday night at the Fire Station. Special thanks was given to Elbert Vendricks who made the oyster roast possible. Steve Bennett is President of the Arapahoe VFD and is assisted by Charles Lewis, Chief; Pat Parvin, Assistant Chief. The Fire Department was organised in June of 1963. Arapahoe Doesn’t Want The Countywide Landfill Arapahoe townspeople think that the county is giving them the bad end of the stick by proposing to locate the county landfill near the town. Several months ago, the county received word from the state that the landfills not meeting state specifications must be closed down. Presently the county operates five trench landfills. The county proposed to close down all,of the landfills and reopen one mound-type landfill which will meet state requirements. But thus far, the county has run into some trouble finding a site which is suitable for such an operation. The best site they have come up with so far is adjacent to the present Arapahoe landfill. In November of last year, the county received a letter from O. W. Strickland, Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Branch of the Department of Human Resources, which stated that the county must comply with landfill regulations by July 1, 1980. Should the county not comply with the date, they could be subject to a sub stantial fine for each day that they do not comply. OPPOSITION Around 15 Arapahoe citizens were present at the Thursday, February 7 meeting of the town board to vocally oppose the proposed site location. County Com missioner Don Lee, Jr., was supposed to be present at the meeting to explain the county’s opsition, but due toa prior engagement, was unable to attend. Arapahoe Mayor Gary Langston told the assembly, “We as a board, and I as a Mayor decided to oppose having a countywide landfill near the present landfill (in Arapahoe).” The Arapahoe board took this stance at their January 3 meeting. Langston added that the county commissioners recently asked Ben Hale, Health department, to look for another i Langston said that he had written a letter to the com missioners in which he stated the Arapahoe board’s “concern and opposition” to the placement of a coun tywide landfill. The reasons for opposition included the fact that the landfill would be “too close to homes and PTC to handle the amount of refuse” generated by the entire county. The letters also said that a countywide land fill would “effectively stunt any growth potential” of the town. There is also a concern for pollution. The letter also voiced a concern for an in crease of roadside litter due to many county citizens having to travel long distances tp dispose of gar bage. The letter said, “The county is moving too hastily on this decision, trying to meet deadlines.” The board also contends that the town is not a central location. LITTLE TO DO “If Arapahoe is selected,” Langston told the group, “there seems to be little we can dp to stop it because the county' has comdemnation rights.” Arapahoe citizens voiced a number of reasons that they do not want the landfill located near the town. One citizen said, “We’re fed up with it.” “If they’re not close (to the landfill),” the citizen continued, “they don’t know what’s going on. It’s close to us, but by jiminey, I’d rather drive an extra mile.” DOGS Another reason for op position was the threat of increased wild dogs. Another citizen said that the dog problem at the Arapahoe landfill is bad enough without the whole county bringing stray or unwanted dogs there The dog situation concerned the citizen who said that he saw a dog at the landfill recently, that someone had tried to kill. The dog was not disposed of-lts Jaw was shot off. Another concern of the citizens was the already bad fly problem in the town due in part to the present landfill. As one citizen said, “You can’t have a decent cookout if the wind is right." Mayor Langston told the group that it was his un derstanding that the landfill will have full time super vision and be covered daily with soil. PTC Evidently, as understood by the Arapahoe citizens, Pamlico Technical College, has voiced no opinion con cerning the placement of the landfill. The proposed landfill would be located relatively close to the school. Arapahoe commissioner Harvey Hardison said, “I think they (PTC) are just as much in the dark as the citizens are.” Said town commissioner Jack Hardison, “I wouldn’t think the county commissioners, with as much money as they have in that building, would want a trash-pile ne:' ‘.o it.” PAWN IT OFF Arapahoe does not like the proposed location but the only suggestion they offer is for the county to find another site somewhere else which if a little further away from Arapahoe. Said Mayor Langston, “I don’t really like the idea of pawning it off on somebody else and making it somebody else’s problem...but there are other more suitable areas in the county.” Langston urged all Arapahoe citizens to oppose the site to their county commissioner, who is Don Lee, Jr., and to the chairman of the county commissioners, Robert Paul, and anyone else that could be of assistance. Said Langston, “I’m going to continue to oppose this with the backing of the com missioners (town). I don’t like being whooped and I don’t like to take ‘no’ for an answer.” March 11 Aurora Multi-purpose Building Completion Date Set The Aurora town board, meeting in regular session on February 5th, denied a time extension for construction of the town’s multi-purpose building, approved payments for work completed to-date on the building and learned that water and sewer completed to-date on the building and learned that water and sewer extension project should be completed in June of this year. The architect for the Aurora Multi-purpose building informed the board that the general contractor - Wimco - had requested ad ditional construction due to the recent bad weather. The board, however, felt the contract had had adequate time and reasonable weather and left the contract com pletion. date as March 11, 1980. The board was advised that Mayor Bonner had signed the change order that permits sewer extension westward on Hwy. 33 to the Aurora In dustrial Supply complex and that work will begin as soon as the state approves the change order and issues the state sewer grant funds to the town. Since the state action is primarily a formality, completion of the water system to John Street and the (Cont’d on Page 3) Beaufort Commissioners Get Road Complaints A large group of citizens were present at the February 5 meeting of the Beaufort Commissioners and voiced their disapproval about the State Department of Transportation (DOT) secondary road program and point system. Residents on or near SR 1620 wished to know about the status of the road in the 1980-81 secondary road program. The residents were told that SR 1620 was slated for spot stabilization for the upcoming year. This did not appear to be enough for the citizens. One citizen, who termed SR 1620 a “rural mud road”, said that SR 1621 is paved and SR 1619 is in the process of being paved. The citizen said that SR 1620 is just as important as SR 1619, although he admitted that there is a school and a church on SR 1619, but they are not 150 yards from pavement. According to the citizen, many individuals use the road when it is passable but many more would use the road, if it were stabilized because it would cut out 3 or 4 miles to get to Highway 32. George Harper, Beaufort County’s Board of Tran sportation member, told the group that roads are paved and stabilized by way of a priority system that was set up many years ago. Harper said that roads are re-rated every 2 years. Harper said that a road is evaluated according to the number of homes, churches, schools, businesses, and traffic on the road. The more points a road receives, the higher it is placed on the priority list. An explanation of the priority system was not enough for the citizens and more complaints about the condition of the road were expressed. Harper told the assembly, “I’m in sympathy, honest, with you.” He added that he would ask the division engineer to look at the road and maybe try to do “a little extra”. SECONDARY ROAD PLAN Other DOT representatives present at the meeting were Charlie Snell, Division Engineer; Les Hayslip, Assistant Division Engineer; and Otis Potter, District Engineer. The DOT representatives were present at the meeting mainly to go over the county secondary^ road plan and receive ap proval from the commissioners for the plan. Harper told the board, “We (DOT) are in a crisis as far as money is concerned.” He added that the DOT expects $30 million less revenue from taxes during the upcoming year. Beaufort County will receive an anticipated $357,377 in 1980-81 secondary road funds and $153,381 in secondary road bond funds for a total available anticipated funds of $510,758. Last year the county received $590,783. Harper told the board that under state statutes, DOT is required to present its recommendations to the county board of commissioners for comments but added that all final determinations rest with the Board of Transportation. The plan proposed to pave SR 1152, Hackney Siding Road 1.8 miles in length, and paving priority number 4, which will cost an estimated $77,400. The drive to Blounts Creek Fire Station at Cox’s Crossroads is slated for paving which will cost an estimated $4,700. $4,360 will be used to pave the drive to the Bunyan Fire Station near Douglas Crossroads. Indian Trail Road, SR 1936, 1.6 miles in length, will be graded, drained, and stabilized from NC 33 to SR 1003 which will cost an estimated $76,500. $59,900 will be used to grade, drain, and stabilize SR 1414 from SR 1410 to SR 1419. The Gray Road, SR 1136, 1.8 miles in length, will be widened from 16’ pavement to 20’ and the roadway will be regraded and resurfaced from SR 1138 to SR 1127, which will cost an estimated $100,700. The Wheat Patch Point Road, SR 1731, 2.3 miles in length, will be graded, drained and stabilized from SR 1722 to deadend, which will cost an estimated $101,000. $60,000 has been set aside to spot stabilize: 1114, 1128, 1106, 1510, 1515, 1534, 1528, 1600, 1602, 1605, 1613, 1620, 1622, 1914, and 1946. The number 1 priority in the county is SR 1302. The state has set aside $225,000 for the road work. Work has not progressed on the road because the state is having trouble procuring all of the needed right-of-ways for the work. The commissioners accepted the secondary road program as presented. OTHER BUSINESS In other business, the Beaufort County Board of Com missioners: Approved the final plat for the Beach Ridge Mdbile Home Park provided that it is stated on the plat that the state will not take the road in because it does not meet their specifications. Appointed the Fire Commission members as follows: David Copeland, W. W. Cratch, Durwood Cratch, T. L. Guthry, Sr., and Jack Swindell. Approved a request from the Town of Bath for the county to conduct plumbing and electrical inspections within the town. Approved a bid price of $45,000 for a landfill compactor for the Solid Waste Department. Oriental Board Hears Report On Sewage System The Mayor and all mem bers were present at the Oriental Town Board meeting February 5, for their regularly scheduled monthly meeting. There were several interested citizens present along with engineers, Tyndall Lewis and Charles Joyner of M. C. McDavid & Associates of Farmville, N. C. The two men were present at this meeting to give an up-date on progress for a workable sewage system for the town of Oriental. For the past year, the engineers have been working up a plan for the town, which is now in draft form. One important factor-to deter mine the size system-is the projected population for Oriental for the year 2000. These figures were obtained from the state which projected the population growth to be 850 with 1,400 summer. This is how they arrived at the size of the plant which will pump 120,000 gallons per day. Several alternatives were considered and after the evaluations of such, a Low Pressure Collecting System was ad vised. This system is con sidered “new technology”, said Lewis, and is 85% government funded, 7 1/2% state funded with Oriental’s share being 7 1/2% or ap proximately $150,000 of the 2 million dollar project. It was explained by the engineers that since new technology is being used, it is hoped that 82 1/2% funding is available. If the system-for some reason-proved a failure, it will be replaced at no expense to the town. There are somewhere in the neighborhood of twelve of these Low Pressure collec ting systems presently in operation. The sewage would be pumped from the individual homes by a pump connected to septic tank, to the site consisting of approximately 40 acres of land. 5 acres of the site would be used for a lagoon (dikes and roads), where the water is collected. This lagoon would have about 3 or 4 feet of the collected matter with another pond located on approximately 34 acres where the land is sprayed with about 3/4 inches of water per week. Ball park figures were quoted by the engineers of about $32,000 per year to operate the system which includes maintenance, loan, etc. A site location has to be designated before the plan can be presented by the engineers to the state, EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), and the Corps of Engineers to be approved for this treatment system. Danny Foreman attended the Town meeting to ask for help and assistance in finding a workable solution to get water to the marina at Whittaker Creek. It was felt that a hydrant was needed for the safety of the boats but the town needed more in formation concerning several details before the board members felt they could take any action. Billy Patton and Marty Wing, volunteer firemen, attended the town meeting to ask the board for their sup port, suggestions and assistance pertaining to the feasibility of purchasing a new fire truck for the town. This new truck would be a replacement for the No. 1 fire truck which is about 27 years old and the No. 2 truck which is a tanker truck. The No. 1 truck is so old it is not trustworthy stated Patton. The two volunteer firemen felt that the dangers of more fires are increasing since a large majority of the people now use woodburning stoves. The No. 1 truck can be filled from hydrants but cannot be pump directly from the hydrants-which means that it first has to be filled and then be pumped from the truck. Repairs for the No. 1 truck would cost approximately $10,000. The No. 3 fire truck is seven years old. Patton said, (Cont’d on Page 3) Reelaboro, GranUboro, Aurora and moat other places in the Pamlico area received a healthy new addition of snow last week.
The Pamlico News (Bayboro, N.C.)
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Feb. 14, 1980, edition 1
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