Giving back Earl and Mary Jordan have been active in education and civic work in Pender County for years. Read about the Jordans in Living on 1C.
Volume 44, No.2
POST Voice The Pender-Topsail
&
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Pirates get a win The Topsail Pirates will take a win into this week’s game at home. Trask and Pender will also play on home turf this week. Read more in sports on 1B.
50 Cents
The Media of Record for the People of Pender County
Voter registration in Pender uncertain as election nears
Fire safety and free stuff
Local official says register by Oct. 10 to be sure of vote By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
David Rooks with the N.C. Forest Service distributes free goodies to children attending the Surf City Fire Department’s annual Kids Fire Safety Day Oct. 4 at Soundside Park. See more photos of the event on Facebook.
Report to County Commissioners
Tourism brings big money to county By Tammy Proctor Post & Voice Staff Writer Tourism created more than 760 jobs, $14 million in payroll, and has an economic impact of more than $84 million in Pender County. Monique Baker, director of tourism in Pender County, presented a report to the county commissioners during their Oct. 6 meeting. Presenting 2013 figures, Baker said the Pender County tourism industry generated more than $9.77 million in state and local taxes.
Candidates forum October 16
Open invitation to all candidates to participate
The Pender-Topsail Post & Voice, along with the Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Hampstead Civic Association will sponsor a candidates forum Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. at Topsail High School. All candidates on the November ballot are invited to participate. Candidates are asked to arrive at 6:30 p.m. to sign up for the forum.
“This saves each county resident $175.76 in tax payments,” said Baker. Of North Carolina’s 100 counties, Pender ranked 45 in visitation. Nationally, North Carolina ranked sixth in visitation. Statewide tourism generates more than 200,000 jobs, a 2 percent increase. This is a record high, according to Baker. Tourism contributes more than $4.6 billion to North Carolina’s payroll. Visitors’ spending in 2013 was an estimated $20.2 billion, a 4 percent increase. Tourism in North Carolina generated $1 billion in state tax receipts, another 4
percent increase, according to state data. Baker said more than $1,691,289 was generated in Pender County by room occupancy tax (ROT) in 2013. Baker urged the commissioners to remember the tourism department when budget appropriations are made in the future. Commissioner David Williams said the commissioners did remember tourism. Mountains to Sea Trail In a related tourism matter, the Pender County commissioners passed a resolution to support the Mountains to Sea Trail (MST) route in
the county. The resolution requests Pender to be a permanent section of the MST. Kate Dixon, the executive director of the Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail, traveled from Raleigh to urge the passage of a resolution. The trail runs from the Great Smokey Mountains to the beaches of the Outer Banks. “The trail is 1,150 miles,” said Dixon. The trail is a tourist destination which will attract 1 million visitors, said Dixon. The greatest number of
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With the November election less than a month away, voter registration in Pender County and across North Carolina is still uncertain. The United States Supreme Court is considering a lower court ruling that struck down provisions of the state’s election laws passed in 2013 that eliminated same-day voter registration and out of precinct voting. Pender County Board of Elections Director Dennis Boyles says the only sure way to have your vote counted is register by Oct. 10. That is the final day for registration for the Nov. 4 election under the current state law. “That way whatever the courts decide, you will be registered to vote,” Boyles said. “Anyone who registers by Oct. 10 either by mail with an Oct. 10 postmark or in person is guaranteed to vote. Beyond that, it’s still in the air. We don’t know what the court is going to decide.” Pender County residents can register to vote through Oct. 10 at 5 p.m. at the county Board of Elections office in Burgaw on South Walker Street. Registration by mail must have an Oct. 10 postmark to be valid under current law. If the Supreme Court rules against the state and allows same-day registration, Boyles says county computers will need reprogramming to accomodate the change.
“At the moment, there is no advice coming from the state level. Our computer software will not accept same-day registration,” Boyles said. “My plans were to program the computers for election day this week. I can’t do that until I know what is going on.” Boyles says provisional ballots may play a big role in the upcoming election. “I’ll let anyone vote on a provisional ballot. That may be the way it happens this election is through provisional ballots,” said Boyles. Provisional ballots allow voters with questionable registration or other problems to cast a ballot. Election officials examine the ballots later and decide if the ballot is valid. Other voting law changes passed last year will stay in place for the Nov. 4 ballot. They include reducing early voting to 10 days and preparing voters for a photo identification requirement in 2016. One-stop voting One-stop voting in Pender County will begin Oct. 23 at five locations – the Hampstead Community Center, the Long Creek Volunteer Fire Department, the Shiloh Volunteer Fire Department, the Topsail Senior Center, and the county Board of Elections office. Onestop voting will be available Monday through Saturday Oct. 23-Nov. 1. Visit the Pender County government website for specific hours each location will be open or call the elections office at 259.1220.
Belle of Topsail captain cited for EPA violations Illegal dredging in 2012 violates Clean Water Act
From Staff Reports United States Attor ney Thomas G. Walker announced Sept. 29 in federal court, before Senior United States District Judge James C. Fox, that David Wayne Luther, 63, of Surf City entered a guilty plea to violating the Clean Water Act and the Rivers and Harbors Act. According to information in the public record, on July 29, 2012, officers with the North Carolina Marine Patrol responded to a complaint of dredging in waters near Surf City, North Carolina. North Carolina Marine Patrol officers determined that Luther Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew was “prop washing” with the Pender County Clerk of Superior Court Robert Kilroy (left) and contractor Pat Mazzarone M/V The Raven. stand in the Frances Dawson Basden Judical Annex in Burgaw after finishing the repair According to the EPA, Prop work on the facility. Kilroy plans to continue renovation of the annex. washing is the use of the pro-
pellers of a vessel to create a backwash which, in turn, dredges and displaces bottom material. The officers ordered Luther to cease and desist dredging activities. Approximately three hours later, the North Carolina Marine Patrol received another complaint of dredging activity by Luther. On July 30, 2012, a Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) representative took measurements at the violation site and confirmed unauthorized dredging activity. “The dredging of federal waterways is strictly regulated to protect water quality and wildlife,” said Maureen O’Mara, Special Agent in
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