DRESS Like a Boss! Select Dresses Buy 1, Get 1 50% OFF FREE Earrings with any $75 Purchase
POST Voice
8211 W Market St #BB Wilmington, NC (910) 319-7693
513 Roland Ave Surf City, NC (910) 328-2105 www.shopthebee.com
Offer good thru August 22, 2017.
The Pender-Topsail
&
Thursday, August 17, 2017
In this edition... Cape Fear Community College in Burgaw has classes for adults wanting to learn a new skill, trade, or career. Find out what you might be interested in. Read about it on page 1B. Football season opens this week in Pender County, if we can dry out. Read more in Sports on page 8A.
The Media of Record for the People of Pender County
Volume 47, No. 45
50 Cents
Meeting in Burgaw during congressional recess
Rain, rain, go away!
Congressman Rouzer visits Pender County, talks with leaders By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher
Staff photo by Katie H. Pettigrew
A stalled front over eastern North Carolina has kept showers and thunderstorms dropping rain on Pender County for a week, causing minor flooding. Emergency officials are eyeing a developing tropical system in the western Caribbean that forecasters say will stay well off the North Carolina coast.
Built along with Hampstead median project, state to pay 60 percent
Commissioners hear DOT proposals for U.S. 17 sidewalks By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher North Carolina Department of Transportation officials discussed possible pedestrian walkways along the U.S. 17 median project through Hampstead at the Board of Commissioner’s Meeting Aug. 7 The proposed five-mile median project would extend from Washington Acres to Sloop Point Loop road and would limit left turns along the highway, which has one of the highest incidents of traffic accidents in southeastern North Carolina. The project would turn U.S. 17 through Hampstead into a “super-
street” similar to U.S. 17 in Leland. The NCDOT would build sidewalks along the Hwy 17 median project provided the county is willing to take on part of the cost of the sidewalks and be responsible for maintenance. Pender County would be eligible for a 60/40 percent split of the cost of the sidewalk project with the state, with the county paying 40 percent of the cost. Should the county want to build a combination bike/pedestrian path, which is 10 feet wide, the cost to the county would be much greater. In option one, DOT officials estimate the cost of sidewalks
on both sides along the entire U.S. 17 median project would cost the county $760,000. The second option has sidewalks only in the area of the Topsail Middle School and Topsail High School and would cost $205,000. A third option is a multiuse bike path along the median project that would cost county taxpayers $1.78 million. Pender Commission David Piepmeyer said he hasn’t been in favor of putting sidewalks along U.S. 17 in the past, but this proposal has changed his mind. “It was the cost, but also safety issues. We have so many accidents and it would
be very easy for a pedestrian to become involved in an accident,” Piepmeyer said. “But with the bypass and the median project coming into play, it’s making more sense to me
Continued on page 2A
Congressman David Rouzer hosted a meeting with elected officials of Pender County government and local municipalities at the Burgaw Depot Aug. 10. The meeting is a continuation of Rouzer’s practice of meeting with elected officials begun during the previous Congress. The goal of these meetings is to provide Congressman Rouzer and local leaders the opportunity to discuss federal issues impacting the area and to ensure an open dialogue on all matters of importance to the citizens of the 7th District. Topics discussed included coastal issues, such as dredging and coastal storm damage reduction, the opioid crisis, tax reform, and updates on other legislative items of interest. “I appreciated the congressman taking the time to come and talk with us,” said Pender County Commission Chairman George Brown. “He gave us an overview of what was happening and Washington and give us the opportunity to ask questions. He talked about the Genx issue and you could tell he was on top of that.”
David Rouzer Surf City Mayor Doug Medlin attended the meeting and spoke with Rouzer about beach renourishment. I’m hoping we can get some funding to help with that. I didn’t get a commitment,” Medlin said. “But he agreed it was an important issue for our area. We also talked about offshore drilling, which we are not in favor of.” Medlin said the group discussed solar energy and how to keep the proliferation of solar farms from taking valuable farmland. “It would be good if we could come up with a way to keep solar farms on marginal farmland,” Medlin said.
From town manager to assistant county manager
DPH Vet talks mosquito control with BOC By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Mosquito control is an important public health issue, Dr. Carl Williams, veterinarian for the N.C. Department of Public Health, told Pender County Commissioners at their Aug. 7 meeting. And it’s not the local bugs we have to worry so much about – it’s the uninvited visitors that have come to stay. Williams says mosquito control largely follows two courses, one for salt marsh and flood plain mosquitoes, which are native to this area, and control of invasive species that carry dis-
Continued on page 2A
Push Mowers • Lawn Tractors • Zero Turn Mowers Trimmers & Chainsaws
SALES • SERVICE • PARTS • DELIVERY Financing Available
Photo contributed
Outgoing Burgaw Town Manager Chad McEwen was recognized for his service to the town at last week’s Burgaw Commissioners meeting. McEwen’s last day with Burgaw Invasive mosquito species, like the Asian was Aug. 11. McEwen accepted the position of Pender County Assistant Manager. PicTiger, are carriers of EEE and Zika. tured above are McEwen (right) and town commissioner Red Robbins.
ITʼS TIME TO GET -
THE BEST FOR LESS
Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/PostVoice
READY WHEN YOU ARE
WHITE TRACTOR CO. INC.
whitetractorcompany.com
(WY "Y 0ASS 3 "URGAW s
For a limited time at participating local independent Husqvarna dealers only.