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The Pender-Topsail
Singing in Surf City
Surf City has springtime fun planned in Soundside Park each Sunday afternoon with Pops in the Park. It’s music with local groups every Sunday. Read more on page 1B.
Volume 45, No. 29
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National High Five Day is April 21st!
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Thursday, April 21, 2016
Pirates pick up wins The Topsail Pirate nine picked up conference wins over Laney and Ashley last week. The Lady Titans remain unbeaten in conference play. More on page 8A.
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The Media of Record for the People of Pender County Project not getting attention at the state level
Hampstead Bypass suffers setback, Williams says By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Information released April 13 by the North Carolina Department of Transportation figures failed to list either segment of the Hampstead bypass as a statewide significant project to receive funding within the State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP). The Strategic Transportation Investments law categorizes funding in three separate categories – statewide, regional, and division. With the estimated cost of each segment of the bypass averaging out to be approximately $140 million, the division tier of funding would
not cover this amount. Pender County Commissioner David Williams, who represents Hampstead on the Board of Commissioners and has been an advocate for the bypass project, saw the news as a bad turn of events for the bypass. “I think this is a big step backwards for the bypass project. We were making progress on the bypass. We had a corridor chosen and the beginning of acquisition of property for the right of way. We have completed environmental work – even an incredibly tough environmental document is finished and now sitting on a shelf. Now the momentum we had is gone,” Williams said. “This new highway formula
Roper resigns from Pender School Board
has killed our project momentum. All I keep hearing out of Raleigh is we are tweaking the formula system. I think that is just putting lipstick on a pig.” In a letter released April 13, Rep. Chris Millis voiced a more optimistic tone on the STIP announcement. “I am pleased to report that after legislative efforts to include seasonal/peak traffic impacts (tourism) and broader inputs concerning military/freight impacts that the Hampstead Bypass has scored much higher, and is in a better position than before to see funding in the final
Continued on page 2A
Commissioner David Williams
Walking for a cure
By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Long-time School Board member Tom Roper has resigned his position on the board, citing personal reasons. Roper, who is in his eighteenth year of serving on the Board, resigned his seat in a recent closed session of the Board. His resignation will become effective June 30. “I have taken on a calling at my church and it has taken a lot of my time. Plus, I continue to travel with my regular job and I just can’t do what I need to do,” Roper said. “I’m still making the School Board meetings, but I’m not being the best board member I need to be and I’m as effective as I need to be. I will stay through the end of June to give the Board a chance to make an appointment to fill my position.” Since the School Board is non-partisan, members
By Barbara Hazle Contributing Writer The Pender County Board of Commissioners once again considered the request by Pender County Planning Director Kyle Breuer to spend $100,000 to update the county’s comprehensive plan. The request has gone before the board twice, once it was voted down and the second attempt was not seconded by any commissioner. “I know this expenditure was approved and it was part of the budget,” said George Brown, Chair man of the Board of Commissioners.
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of the School Board will appoint someone from Roper’s district to fill the remainder of his term, which is about two years. Ro p e r h a s s e e n m u c h change in Pender County schools during his tenure on the School Board. The number of students in the system has more than doubled during that time. “We are not perfect, but I think I’m leaving our schools in really good shape,” Roper said.
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“But we have just started the budget process and we already have issues, even though we are just getting into it. We have to include courthouse security, Kiwanis Park needs lighting, and the school board needs $3.3 million, and we do not want to go to mediation again. We are not going to entertain a tax increase either, so we have a lot of money to find. We are not going down the tax increase road again this year.” The Board unanimously agreed to postpone and table consideration of the request
Continued on page 2A
Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
The annual Pender Relay For Life brought walkers out Saturday to the Courthouse Square in Burgaw to walk for a cancer cure. See more photos on Facebook.
Local church to honor law enforcement officers Topsail Beach approves code RV RKAIB 0>SB > RKAIB of conduct By Lori Kirkpatrick Post & Voice Staff Writer
Hampstead Baptist Church will recognize local law enforcement agencies April 23 at 3 p.m. during a special service at the church. Program chairman Bobby Todd said the reason for recognizing these officers is to bring awareness to the ongoing dangerous situations encountered by these public servants on a daily basis. Participants to be honored
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From Staff Reports The huge tax increase that hit Pender County residents in 2015 is swelling county coffers. How much? According to the latest tax figures, collections are up nearly $14 million this year over last for the same period. The 2015 collections at the end of March, which is prior to the tax increase, totaled $39.62 million. The 2016 figure, which includes the 37 percent tax increase, is $53.39 million through the end of March this year. The tax levy, which is the amount of money the tax rate is expected to generate, increased from $43.24 million in 2015 to $55.86 million in 2016. Some of the increase in the 2016 levy can be attributed to growth of the tax base. But much of the increase comes from the higher tax rate. “We had in one year about $200 million of growth in the tax base, which attributes to some of the increase in the levy. We are fortunate to have that growth,” said Pender County Manager Randall Woodruff.
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Tom Roper
BOC to revisit expenditure to update plan in June
Tax hike means more money for Pender County
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are: the Pender County Sheriff ’s Department, Surf City Police Department, Topsail Beach Police Department, N.C. Fisheries, NC Wildlife Commission and the N.C. Highway Patrol. The public is invited to attend, and the program is free of charge. Hampstead Baptist Church Pastor Joey Canady said that Todd has worked hard to organize the upcoming program. “Bobby is the one who approached us with it at church, and he’s done it before in
New Hanover County,” said Canady. “There’s been a lot of footwork, especially on his part, to contact all of these agencies to see if they were interested, when they could do it, and that kind of thing. The whole purpose is simply to honor them. There are churches that do this a lot, and I used to do it myself when I was at Kure Beach, for our local policemen there. We as a church really think it’s a good idea
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By Barbara Hazle Contributing Writer
Topsail Beach commissioners approved a formal code of conduct for board members at the board’s April 13 meeting. The code of conduct applies to dealings among board members, the general public, town employees and media outlets The Board of Commission-
Continued on page 3A
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