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Autumn with Topsail The annual Autumn with Topsail Arts and Crafts Festival is scheduled for this weekend in Topsail Beach. It’s music, fun, and much more. Read more about the festival on page 1B.
Volume 45, No.2
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POST Voice The Pender-Topsail
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Thursday, October 15, 2015
Pirates win A late-game touchdown lifted Topsail over West Brunswick by a single point to give Pirate football a win. Read about the game and more in sports on page 8A.
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The Media of Record for the People of Pender County
Surf City board stands by decision on police chief
Fall Festival Fun
Residents show up in support of former Chief Mike Halstead
By Barbara Hazle Contributing Writer Emotions ran high at the Oct. 6 Surf City Town Council meeting. In a standing room only meeting, the agenda included general business but supporters of former Police Chief Mike Halstead anticipated having their say during the public forum. Chief Halstead was retired Sept. 15 during a closed emergency session with the town council after a he posted an “Open letter from a Police Chief ” on his personal Facebook page Sept 3. His comments about the organization Black Lives Matter and the use of the term “thug” as well as comments on how he instructed his department in Surf City to act, went viral globally and evoked comment and attention from multiple media outlets as well as the North Carolina Chapter of the NAACP.
Pender Relay for Life kickoff rescheduled for Saturday The Pender County Relay for Life Kickoff Celebration has been rescheduled for Oct. 17. It will be held at the Surf City Community Center from 2 - 4 p.m. The event was originally planned for Oct. 3, but was forced to cancel due to the stormy weather. Individuals and teams will be able to pick up information on becoming a part of the Pender County’s 2016 Relay for Life. Participants can expect free
food, fellowship and door prizes. A 50/50 cash drawing, guest speakers and a photo booth will all be highlighted
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Candidate forums planned in Burgaw, Surf City Oct. 28-29
Staff photos by Andy Pettigrew
The Hampstead United Methodist Church held its annual Fall Festival Saturday. The rain held off as the church grounds filled with visitors buying pumpkins, enjoying barbequed chicken, and having fun. See more photos on Facebook.
By Lori Kirkpatrick Post & Voice Staff Writer
Halstead retired with 60 days of severance pay effective after exhausting his vacation time. With a police presence both outside and inside the Surf City Town Hall, the Council did not mingle prior to the meeting and once seated, quickly moved through the agenda items. Halstead was the first person to speak during the public forum. “I have no ill will toward any of you. I would like to thank everyone who is here in support of me tonight, and the more than two million supporters across the world. I was not ever given disciplinary action in my 17 years of service to this town, yet I was thrown out like a sack of trash,” Halstead said. “You say my post was unbecoming conduct as a police chief. No sir it was not. My post was exactly what was
at the kickoff. Anyone who is interested is invited to join in the event and “Rock thru’ the Decades,” 70’s fashion. The community voted on the relay theme, and each scheduled event will depict a different decade. For the kickoff, participants are encouraged to wear their favorite 70’s attire. Communities everywhere come together each year at Relay for Life events to honor cancer survivors and remember loved ones who lost their lives to the disease. The Relay
website states that the funds collected make a considerable difference in the fight against cancer, with an estimated 14 million cancer survivors celebrating another birthday this year. Pender County’s goal for the upcoming year is to bring in $40,000. Guest speakers will include Mayor Zander Guy from Surf City and Mayor Howard Braxton from Topsail Beach will be guest speakers at the kickoff. Door prizes will in-
From Staff Reports Candidates forums have been scheduled for the municipal elections in three Pender County towns. Candidates in the municipal elections in Surf City and Topsail Beach can participate in a forum scheduled for Oct. 28 at the Surf City Welcome Center.
Candidates in the Burgaw municipal election can participate in a forum scheduled for Oct. 29 at the Burgaw Depot. Both forums will begin at 7 p.m. each evening. The candidate forums are sponsored by the Pender-Top-
Continued on page 2A
Maple Hill Parade Saturday
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Surf City board hears report on storm damage By Barbara Hazle Contributing Writer The Surf City Town Council expressed their appreciation for all the hard work of Dean Wise and the public works department during the recent heavy rains and storms in our area at the board’s Oct. 6 meeting. “I know the utility department has worked day and night the last five days,” Councilman Doug Medlin said to loud applause. “Seems like every time I went by
I saw all of them. I don’t know when they slept, maybe on a cot leaned up next to the plant. I thank the town employees for that, if not we would have had our town water cut off and gone without sewer. Mayor Zander Guy said the town was seeking funds to repair some of the damage. “It’s going to be quite expensive. I do want to mention council has been diligent contacting various agencies on behalf of the town. Our beaches are in bad shape, we’ve closed many of the beach accesses,
and it’s not that we don’t want you on the beach, it’s for everyone’s safety,” said Guy. Town manager Larry Bergman said about 20 beach access locations are closed, many due to stairs and ramps that have been destroyed by high tides. The others are closed as a precaution due to the debris and significant erosion File photo on the beach. “The debris makes some beach ac- The annual Maple Hill Festival and Parade is Saturday in
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Maple Hill at the Community Center. The parade will begin at 10 a. m. with festival activities all day.
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