Happiness is Sand in your Toes Select Sandals 25% Off & Receive an Additional 10% Off Your Entire Purchase!
8211 W Market St #BB Wilmington, NC (910) 319-7693
Offer good through 5.22.2018
oonbooks.com www.quarterm 69 910★328★49 Beach, NC ail ps To ., n Blvd 708 S. Anderso
Furniture OutďŹ tte h c rs, ea ONE I
The Pender-Topsail
&
Thursday, May 17, 2018
SHOPPING
B
Every Taste Books & Treats for Craft Beer & Wine, Smoothees, Coffee, Unique Gifts Galore oes & Clothing, Jewelry, Sh
Serving Topsail Island for Over 20 Years! •Mattresses
•Accessories •Artwork •Flags •Jewelry •Candles
•Lamps •Gifts •Hammocks •Outdoor Furniture •Puzzles
Furnishing Tom Clark Beach Homes Artwork Gnomes is Our Speciality 25% Off!
-Free Local Delivery and Setup204-F N. New River Dr. • Surf City, NC • 910.328 www.BeachFurnitur eOutďŹ ttersInc.com .4181
The Media of Record for the People of Pender County
Volume 48, No.32
. nc
POST Voice
513 Roland Ave Surf City, NC (910) 328-2105 www.shopthebee.com
50 Cents
Pender County property revaluation at midpoint in process By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
nology than having people visit each piece of property in the county. “We are trying to take more of a digital approach to the revaluation process this time. It’s more economical and efficient,� said Pound. All county properties that were accessible from public right of ways were imaged. The tax office also
The Pender County property revaluation has reached its midpoint in the process, according to Tax Assessor Justin Pound. Pound says the current revaluation process has relied more on tech-
Cutler tops Republican Pender Sheriff’s race Alan Cutler took slightly more than 50 percent of the Republican ballots cast in the May 8 primary election in Pender County. Cutler will face.Lawrence Fennell in the November election for Sheriff. Randy Burton was second with 14.54 percent, followed by Chester Ward with 12.18 percent. Joe Cina, Larry Brown Jason Spivey and Jimmy Stokes all garnered votes in the single digit percentages. All vote tallies are unofficial. Pender County Clerk of Superior Court Elizabeth Craver will keep her job, as she defeated Republican challenger Susan Rooks Lunsford 72.4 percent to 27.96 percent. Craver will not face a Democrat challenger in November. Democrat June M. Rob-
%
connector in Hampstead. The project is a new street to run from Factory Road, behind the Hampstead Post Office, to Dan Owen Road between the Food Lion Shopping Center and the Post Office. The connector will allow Factory Road traffic to access the traffic light at Dan Owen and U.S. 17. “It will be ready by midJune at the latest. I’ve asked for it to be done by the Memorial Day Holiday weekend. That’s what we are shooting for,� Piepmeyer said. Rain has slowed construction on the connector. “Too much water really set us back, but I’ve asked for them to work extended hours to get it done,“ said Piepmeyer. Commissioner David Williams said the connector is one of the biggest safety improvement projects in the area. “It’s an economic boost too. I doubt very seriously there would be additions at the shopping center without the improvements in safety. There is a ripple affect from this project,� said Williams.
Pender County Commissioner David Piepmeyer announced at the May 7 Board of Commissioners meeting the Hampstead Bypass had been funded. “The middle eight miles of the Hampstead Bypass, section A, is fully funded,� Piepmeyer said. “They are acquiring land, full steam ahead.� Section A of the Hampstead Bypass – connecting the Wilmington Bypass to N.C. 210 – is now funded. Section B of the project, which runs from N.C. 210 connecting to U.S. 17 north of Topsail High School, is also funded for construction. The total Hampstead Bypass project consists of a 12-milelong highway with four interchanges, four overpasses and a total of 16 bridges. Pie pmeyer, who re presents Pender County on the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), also updated the Board on the progress of the Dan Owen
& & &! "&!
www.facebook.com/PostVoice
Continued on page 2A
Staff photos by Andy Pettigrew
Barbeque is sampled at the Port City Smokers tent at the annual Cape Fear BBQ Festival at Poplar Grove Plantation last weekend. See more photos of the event on Facebook.
U.S 17 section dedicated to Ambassador Sharpless From Staff Reports Ambassador Mattie R. Sharpless was honored in a dedication ceremony May 10 at Manhollow Missionary Baptist Church as a portion of U.S. Hwy. 17 was named in her honor. The North Carolina Department of Transportation dedicated signs along U.S. Hwy. 17 from Union Bethel Road to the Pender/Onslow county line in honor of Sharpless. A native of Hampstead and a graduate of Pender County Training School in Rocky Point, Sharpless was nominated by President George W. Bush to serve as Ambassador to the Central African Republic. She was nominated Oct. 1, 2001 and just weeks later was confirmed by the U.S. Senate. She began working from the Central African Republic’s capital, Bangui, by mid-December of the same year. She served as the U.S. Ambassador
ITĘźS TIME TO GET -
! ! ! ! & ! & ! " # $
Find us on Facebook
said. “They will flag parcels that need further investigation. We are trying to only inspect properties that really need to be reviewed.� The other piece of the revaluation puzzle is the property tax values. Pound says at this point, it’s diffi-
bins will be on the November ballot for the Board of Education Distric 4 seat, defeating Reginald Terrell Moore 60.35 percent to 39.65 percent. Robbins will face Republican Ken Smith in November. Republican Pender County Commissioner George Brown survived a scare as challenger David Fallin came within 38 votes of defeating him. Brown will run unopposed in November. In the Democrat County Commissioner’s race for the District 1 nomination, Morgan A. Lashaw took the close race, defeating Dorothy Royal 51.4 percent to 48.96, with 41 votes separating the two. Lashaw will face incumbent Commissioner David Williams. Across the county, 16.09 percent of registered Pender voters cast ballots in the May 8 primary.
Hampstead DOT projects move ahead By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
the property. “Right now, the revaluation company has a team of people who have the property record, the street-level image, and the aerial image and compare and review the data. We have all this information on the parcels and the information is reviewed. That’s were we are today,� Pound
Cape Fear BBQ Festival
By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
used aerial photos from the United State Geological Survey from 2016. The information from previous tax revaluations was compared against the current photographs to locate any possible changes in structures since the last revaluation. Pound says if changes were noted, tax office representatives were sent to inspect
for two years. Sharpless was not a career diplomat. She started her government career in 1965 with the Department of Agriculture (USDA). She worked
with the United States Foreign Agriculture Service. Joining in the dedication ceremony were Landon Zimmer, a member of the N.C. Board of Transportation; N.C.
District 5 Court Judge James H. Faison III, N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein, Pender County Commissioner David
Continued on page 12A
Push Mowers • Lawn Tractors • Zero Turn Mowers Trimmers & Chainsaws
SALES • SERVICE • PARTS • DELIVERY Financing Available
Photo contributed
Pictured above left to right Dante A. Murphy, N.C. Attorney General Landon Zimmer and Ambassador Mattie R. Sharpless.
THE BEST FOR LESS
WHITE TRACTOR CO. INC.
Ask about our end-of-season clearance on select products.
whitetractorcompany.com
(WY "Y 0ASS 3 "URGAW s
WHITE TRACTOR CO. INC.
For a limited time at participating local independent Husqvarna dealers only.
whitetractorcompany.com (WY "Y 0ASS 3 "URGAW s