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Beanie’s Bake shop Beanie’s Bake Shop is open in Rocky Point. The shop features all kinds of delights, ready to satisfy the sweet tooth cravings of customers. Read about the new shop on page 1B.
Volume 44, No. 45
POST Voice The Pender-Topsail
&
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Football is back Pender County football teams put on their helmets and hit the practice field Saturday to begin the 2015 season. Read about the upcoming season in sports on page 9A.
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School Board will not file lawsuit
No agreement between School Board, Commissioners By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Mediation over the school budget ended Saturday with no agreement between the Pender County Board of Education and County Commissioners. The School Board indicated a willingness to continue mediation – but County Commissioners were not. With no further mediation possible, the Board of Education met Monday night and voted 4-1 not to
file a lawsuit over their claim of inadequate funding for current expense and capital needs for county schools. Katherine Herring cast the lone vote in favor of persuing a lawsuit against the commissioners. Mediation between the two boards began in early July, with Aug. 1 as the deadline for an agreement. After several meetings between representatives of the two boards, no agreement was reached before the Aug. 1 deadline. Mediator Willis P. Whichard released a statment Aug.3
saying the “Pender County case has not produced a settlement between the two boards, nor have both boards agreed to a continuation of the mediation beyond Aug. 1.” Whichard declared an impasse in the mediation and notified Judge Allen Cobb and the two board chairs. With the end of mediation looming and no agreement, the Board of Education issued a statement July 31 saying the “Pender County Board of Education wants to resolve the present funding dispute with the
Board of County Commissioners without a lawsuit and in a way that promotes the best interests of all our citizens. We believe this can be done, that the needs of our schools must be better met, and that this can be accomplished without any further tax increase this year if we work together. “The Board of Education has voted to continue mediation beyond August 1, to enable us to work with the Commissioners to develop a funding formula that works for both
sides. If we can develop a workable formula in the coming weeks, the certainty it will provide for the future may enable us to shift funds to address current needs for this fiscal year. One thing is certain – we cannot continue to absorb exploding enrollment growth without addressing our funding needs.” Several hours after the School Board issued their statement, County Commissioners answered with a
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BOC, School Board hope to move ahead after dispute
History by the roadside
By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher Pender County Commission Chair man David Williams hopes the commissioners and School Board can move beyond the budget mediation dispute and work toward a new school funding formula. “I will push for our board and their board to seriously look at funding formulas. We are looking at what other counties are doing,” Williams said. “I don’t think we have to reinvent the wheel. Hopefully both boards will continue the spirit
of eliminating controversy in the budget process.” School Board member Tom Roper says he hopes the Board of Commissioners will still consider funding the two percent increase in the teacher supplement. “We have also asked them to sign the contracts for the architects for the bond projects. They have had those contracts for a couple of days,” Roper said. “We have asked to begin talking with us about a funding formula. We want to get this bond moving. We are eager to get that moving.”
DOT to begin repairs on Surf City bridge
Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
East to west across the county, Pender has old, abandoned homes along the roadside. The history of Pender County was built by the people who lived in these old homes, now long gone. People who worked the land, fished the waters, and lived their lives here. This old home is located in the Shiloh Community.
From Staff Reports The North Carolina Department of Transportation has released a timetable for repair work on the pilings and fender system recently damaged on the Surf City swing bridge. The NCDOT will coordinate repair work with the U.S. Coast Guard for closing boat traffic under the bridge. Beginning Aug. 17 from 4-8:30 a.m., Monday through
Penderlea Fair and Festival August 15th By Lori Kirkpatrick Post & Voice Staff Writer The second annual Penderlea Fair and Festival will take place on Saturday, August 15 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. A variety of activities are being planned for the day, including music, crafts, food, entertainment for kids and yard sale booths. It will take place at the Willarlea Ruritan Club on Eleanor Roosevelt Lane, located next to Penderlea School in Willard. June Robbins, President of the Willarlea Ruritan Club, said that the club began this project as a Hunting Expo and it turned into a fair and festival last year.
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The festival will offer the northern section of Pender County some needed entertainment. She said it is not a fundraising event, but a community get-together to encourage fellowship. “We are excited,” said Robbins. “It’s a chance to get the Penderlea folks together, and the Willard and Watha folks from the adjoining area. I think the really neat thing we are doing this year is at the Opening Ceremony at 10:00 am, we are going to salute our veterans.” Robbins said that about 45 invitations have been sent out to local veterans, including the VFW members in the Wallace area. A program has been planned to honor them
for this part of the event. The Penderlea School band is expected to perform, as well as Dancer’s Corner Clogging Company from Wallace. The Gospel Lites will also take the stage. Robbins spoke about numerous stories of local veterans, and the importance of honoring those who served our country at the festival. “We really wanted to concentrate on our veterans and do something in-depth to honor them. One of our Marines’ wives called after receiving the invitation in the mail. The couple has lived here in the
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Friday, the bridge will be closed to all boat traffic. At 8:30 a.m. the bridge will open to clear any vessels waiting to pass. It will then close again to boat traffic until noon, when it will again open to allow boat traffic to clear. Depending on the number of vessels waiting to pass, the opening may be longer than
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