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Poplar Grove
POST Voice
Unemployment rate in Pender sees slight rise
A good start
The Pender-Topsail
After some financial difficulties, Poplar Grove Plantation is bouncing back with new programs and attractions. Read more about Poplar Grove Plantation on page IB.
Volume 45, No. 49
513 Roland Avenue Surf City, NC (910) 328-2105 www.shopthebee.com
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Thursday, September 10, 2015
The Topsail High School football team is off to the best season start since 2008. The Pirates are 3-0 going into this week’s game. Read more in sport beginning on page 8A.
Summer season ends
By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Editor The unemployment rate in July inched slightly higher according to figures released by the State Department of Workforce Solutions last week. The June 2015 rate moved to 6.5 percent, up from 6.3 in June. The June 2015 rate is considerably lower than the 2014 rate of 7.4 percent in Pender County. “The contract workers in the schools could have made that much difference, if they stopped working in June and filed for unemployment insurance in July. Or it could be blueberry farm workers as well,” said Rosemary Pittman, director of the local state employment office. But I can tell a big difference over last year, especially in the traffic in the office.” Pittman says more people are working than last year at this time, and more people are using the online services offered by her office. “They don’t actually have to come into the office as much as they used to,” Pittman said. “For people who have computer skills, that saves them money and time.” Pittman went on to say computer skills was one of the biggest factors in finding a job. “The lack of computer skills is one of the most prominent barriers to finding a job – that, and a criminal record are deal-breakers with many employers,” said Pittman. “More employers are requiring job seekers apply online and many employers communicate with prospective employees by email. I’m surprised how many people don’t have those basic skills to get to a website, fill out the employment application, and receive emails.” Pittman says the employment office has partnered with Cape Fear Community College to offer courses to help people get the skills they need. “One course is the back to work boot camp, which is a one week, nine-hour class to help people look for work in the current job market. I had a woman in this week that had been on her last job 15 years. It’s completely different how you look for work now than how you used to,” said Pittman. “CFCC also has a course, computers and the job search, which is a four to fiveweek class that teaches basic computer skills and what they will need to find a job using the computer. We are hoping that will help overcome the barrier of computers.”
50 Cents
The Media of Record for the People of Pender County
Surf City gives nod to annex property New Surf City school property By Barbara Hazle Contributing Writer
Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
Labor Day is the traditional end to the summer tourist season along the Pender County beaches. Town officials and businesses report a busy 2015 summer season.
6 p.m. at the Pender County Government Annex auditorium
2015 N.C. Spot Festival Pageant Saturday in Hampstead By Ashley Jacobs Post & Voice Staff Writer Year after year, the North Carolina Spot Festival Scholarship Pageant crowns some of the area’s brightest and most talented young ladies. But this year, it will be a pageant unlike any you’ve seen before. “Little by little we are making the Spot Pageant into an organization that we feel fits out community,” said Pageant Director Shannon Rinko. She and co-director Kelly Jelley knew they have to make some changes. “We have added another age group; this will give us seven queens this year and we have changed all of the titles: We will now have a Baby Miss Spot Festival Queen, Mini Miss Spot Festival Queen, Tiny Miss Spot Festival Queen, Little Miss Spot Festival Queen, Young Miss Spot Festival Queen, Teen Miss Spot Festival Queen and our Miss Spot Festival Queen.” Though the pair hopes to continue making changes of the years to come, they’re honing in on this year’s pageant to make sure it is a success. The pageant will be Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. in the Pender County Government Annex in Hampstead. Built in 1925, the original Topsail School location houses a lot of history and organizers are thrilled to set the stage and show off the talent pool. “We give young ladies positive experiences to grow up through. Pageants such as ours spend the year giving back, helping others and developing a sisterhood not only with our group of Spot girls but with the many wonderful queens throughout Pender, Onslow and New Hanover Counties. We hope that Spot and other pageant experiences throughout their lives leave a huge impression on the adults they become.”
The success of the pageant over the years has been rewarding, but what keeps Rinko coming back year after year is something a little more personal. “I’d have to say my two favorite [things] are seeing their smiling faces when they know they have done something so good for someone else and watching them perform whether on a stage or a spot in the grass it brings tears to my eyes,” she said. “I am always so proud of our girls so I guess my overall most favorite part is watching them reach heart feeling accomplishments.” But feelings of such joy and pride don’t come without true tests and heartbreak. “The biggest challenge this past year was dealing with one of our queens passing away. That is something we, as
Continued on page 3A
The 2014 N.C. Spot Festival queens
The Surf City town council agreed to annex the property where the new Surf City school will be built. The board instructed town manager Larry Bergman to contact Rudolph Moore Properties LLC and convey the town’s informal intent to annex the property after the sale to the Pender County Board of Education. “There’s a lot of discussion if the town would accept voluntary annexation when that day comes,” said Bergman. “I tried to let them know that this is something we are excited about and looking forward to. With the town attorney’s guidance, we can delay the annexation date, we can give them some options.” Mayor Zander Guy said the new school will be an asset to the community. The large parcel off Shepard’s Road and Highway 17 is close to and existing water line that the county and Surf City
Continued on page 3A
New county flood map meetings From Staff Reports Residents and business leaders in Pender County and its communities will have the opportunity to review and discuss the latest flood hazard and flood risk data during meetings scheduled for Sept. 23-24. Now available digitally, preliminary flood hazard information can be layered on top of the county’s parcel data so property owners can better determine potential risks to their land. The digital flood maps will be shown Sept. 23 from 4-6 p.m. in the Pender County Hampstead Annex Auditorium U.S. Hwy. 17 in Hampstead. The Sept. 24 meeting will be held in the Pender County Administrative Building Public Meeting Room at 805
Continued on page 3A
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