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Thursday, May 3, 2018
The Media of Record for the People of Pender County
Volume 48, No.30
50 Cents
New county budget may include school security improvements By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Editor With the 2018-19 Pender County budget promising to feature a big increase for county schools, commissioners are working to improve school security with more School Resource Officers. The opening this fall of the new Surf City Middle
and Elementary School will necessitate an increase in county school funding. New staff, and operating costs for the new school will push the county school budget upward. Costs will increase with the addition of the new Penderlea School, also opening this fall. Commissioner David Williams says Pender Schools
need SROs at every school, not just the middle and high schools. Currently, county high and middle schools have full-time SROs, but the elementary schools share officers. “The Surf City Police Department is going to provide an SRO at the new school there, and we welcome that. I think we need to step up and
add more School Resource Officers like we did a few years ago,� Williams said. “And the Sheriff can make good use of the officers when the schools are not in session.� Williams says the county should fund the SROs directly though the Sheriff ’s Department budget, and not through the school budget. “We should do this like we
did last time we added SROs by giving the money directly to the Sheriff ’s Office. We could go through the school to make it look as if we were raising the school’s budget a lot, but we don’t need to be playing games like that,� said Williams. Williams says the Board of Commissioners is receptive to the budget increase for
SROs, and there will be no tax increase to cover it. Currently Cape Fear Middle School and Elementary School share an SRO on the same campus, as does the Penderlea School, which is a K-8. Burgaw Elementary, Rocky Point Elementary, and Malpass Corner Elementa-
Continued on page 12A
CFCC schedules construction training From Staff Reports Cape Fear Community College and the WilmingtonCape Fear Home Builders Association (WCFHBA) today announced the launch of a partnership and initiative that aims to mitigate labor shortages within the construction industry in Pender and New Hanover counties. This summer CFCC will offer Construction Institutes, intensive two-week training programs aimed at helping satisfy local construction work-
force needs. With input from the construction community, builders, and subcontractors, CFCC and WCFHBA developed
Continued on page 12A
2018 Strawberry Season Has Arrived!
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Ready-Picked Berries and Our Spring Plants, Flowers & Hanging Baskets Available!
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Mon.-Fri. 8:30 A.M. - 6 P.M. Sat. 8:30 A.M. - 5 P.M. Sunday 12:30 - 4 P.M.
Early voting ends May 5 Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
four courses designed to teach basic skills in the fields of ma-
From Staff Reports
John Morris at Carol Sue Strawberries in Hampstead helps customers with beautiful Early voting will continue red berries Saturday. Strawberries are in across Pender County. in Pender County through
Poplar Grove Plantation
%
By Lori Kirkpatrick Post & Voice Staff Writer
and crafts vendors and commercial vendors. Plants and flowers, a kid’s entertainment area, food concession trucks and lots of good ole southern barbecue will be available. The event is coming just in time to find that special Mother’s Day gift. Featured vendors will be on site offering a wide variety of handmade items to include jewelry, wooden crafts and hand painted items. Among the commer-
The 5th Annual Cape Fear BBQ Festival will be held at Poplar Grove Plantation May 12 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. The festival, which has been selected as a Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event this year, will offer many attractions including a barbecue cook-off with Boston butts; as well as a variety of arts
Cape Fear BBQ Festival May 12 cial vendors, some will offer tasty spices for flavoring your favorite foods. There will also be a vendor selling grills for cooking outdoors. Similar to last year, a People’s Choice Award will be presented at the event. Participants can purchase taste tickets to sample the different contestants barbecue and vote for the one you like the best.
Continued on page 12A
Check out our Facebook page for daily updates and specials! www.facebook.com/ carolsuefarms Carol Sue Blueberry Farm 18055 Hwy. 17 • Hampstead, NC 28443 (Past Clayton Homes, on the Left)
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Saturday. Weekdays hours are 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Board of Elections Office in Burgaw at 807 S. Walker Street and the Hampstead Government Annex Hwy. 17 across from McDonalds. Both locations will be open Saturday May 5 from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. for the final day of early voting. Polls will open on Election Day May 8 at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. To find out where you should vote on Election Day, visit the Board of Elections website at www. pendercountync.gov/boe for more information. Election retur ns will be available in real time on the Board of Elections website after polls close May 8.
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