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Spring Fest in Burgaw
The Pender-Topsail
It’s handmade, homemade, and home-grown in Burgaw Saturday with the 39th annual Spring Fest on the Courthouse Square. Read more on page 1A.
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Eyeing the playoffs Regular seasons are winding down for Pender County high school sports teams. That means the playoffs are just ahead. Read more in sports on page 8A.
Thursday, May 4, 2017
Volume 47, No. 30
50 Cents
The Media of Record for the People of Pender County
Proposed budget presented at Monday’s BOC meeting By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Pender County Commissioners got their first official look at the proposed budget for fiscal year 2017-18 during Monday’s board meeting. The new budget contains an increase of $1.6 million
over last year’s budget, an increase of 2.9 percent. The proposed budget is $58,637,000,048, which is the general fund operating budget. The total budget for the county, which includes all grants, utilities funds, ect., is more than $90 million. “We have a county and regional economy that is healthy
No tax increase in budget and growing that allows us to have additional resources and revenue without having to do large tax increases,” said County Manager Randall Woodruff. “The tax rate remains the same and there
are no reductions in services for the public.” Commissioners will continue to revise the proposed budget, with several work sessions scheduled over the next month. The final budget will
be approved in June to take effect July 1. Woodruff said he received $7.1 million in requests from county departments for increased spending, which includes $2.8 million from Pender County schools. Woodruff said a small portion of those requests were included in
Mural to be dedicated at Spring Fest
Staff photos by Katie Pettigrew
The community mural in Burgaw will be dedicated during Spring Fest Saturday. Canadian artist Danae Brissonnet (above) has lead the project, which is featured on the wall of the ArtBeat building. Alison Boyce and Casey O’Heffernan (left) work on the details of the mural.
Handmade, homemade, home-grown in Pender
the proposed budget. Pender County schools received a The new budget includes $250,000 for new computer software for the county tax office. “With the county growing as we are, it’s important we
Continued on page 3A
Pender girl scouts top 41 counties in cookie sales From Staff Reports Two Pender County Girl Scouts topped cookie sales in 41 eastern North Carolina counties. Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines announced Patricia Polinski of Burgaw is the area top seller for the 2017 Girl Scout Cookie Program. Polinski sold 1,150 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies in the annual cookie program that ended in March. Madison Walton of Rocky Point placed second with 1,103 boxes sold. Allee Reimers of Holly Ridge placed third with 1,078 boxes sold. The 2017 Cookie Program was held Jan. 14 through Mar. 5. The North Carolina Coastal Pines council sold more than 3.3 million boxes of cookies with approximately 12,750 Girl Scouts participating in the 2017 Girl Scout Cookie Program. Approximately 2,400 girls sold more than 400 boxes of cookies each. Additionally, 320 girls sold more than 1,000 boxes each. Council-wide the average number of boxes sold per girl was 261. Coastal Pines serves nearly 26,000 girl scout members in 41 central and eastern North Carolina counties Participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program is a longheld and cherished tradition for girls, with recognition as a top cookie seller a coveted honor. Mowers Being named a top seller goes beyond what’s in the box as it highlights a girl’s determination to set and achieve goals, develop business and financial literacy skills, and enhance their entrepreneurial spirit. This recognition also demonstrates a girl’s mastery of the five skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics as she runs her very own cookie business.
Spring Fest Saturday in Burgaw SALES • SERVICE • PARTS • DELIVERY Push Mowers • Lawn Tractors • Zero Turn Trimmers & Chainsaws
By Lori Kirkpatrick Post & Voice Staff Writer
The 39th Annual Pender County Spring Fest will be held in Burgaw May 6 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The festival will take place at the Courthouse Square in celebration of Pender County’s cultural heritage. Attendees can enjoy a wide range of music, arts, crafts and activities
for children highlighted by Pender County vendors. Local churches and civic organizations will offer an array of foods and baked goods, as well. All featured items will be handmade, homemade and homegrown. The festival began as Pender native Rochelle Whiteside’s vision to raise the consciousness of the local people to begin recognizing
their own value and worth 39 years ago. A recent college graduate when she moved back to her hometown, Whiteside began to develop the concept of what would become Spring Fest. She had come to realize that the people of her beloved county had always been dependent on Wilmington for all of their needs. If
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Continued on page 3A
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