Grooves in the Grove Poplar Grove Plantation will begin its fall concert series Grooves in the Grove Sept. 7. Read about the bands on page 10A.
POST Voice The Pender-Topsail
&
Football season opens Are you ready for some football? The Pender County high school football season opens Friday night. Read about it in sports on page 1B.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Volume 43, No. 47
The Media of Record for the People of Pender County Bond will appear on Nov. 4 ballot
50 Cents
Ready to roll
Commissioners give nod to school bond By Tammy Proctor Post & Voice Staff Writer The Pender County commissioners passed the final step to permit a $75 million school bond on the November ballot. The resolution passed 4-to-1 with Commissioner Fred McCoy voting no. “I support Pender County schools,” said McCoy. “I feel right now is the wrong time. I cannot vote for the bond issue in November.” McCoy said many of his constituents live on fixed incomes. He said the school board has not provided numbers to “ We don’t micromanage your infor m residents board. All I am asking is for our fair h ow m u ch t h e i r share of this bond.” Commissioner Jimmy Tate taxes will increase. Commissioner George Brown voted to place the school bond on the November ballot, but he too said questions have gone unanswered. “I’ve wrestled with this,” said Brown. He called the school board’s proposal and timeline a “rush job.” However, he said he will have to trust the school board to deal honestly with the issues facing the schools. Commissioner Jimmy Tate wanted assurance that in spite of a decreasing school population in Penderlea, the area would be a continued priority of the board. “Trust has been an issue,” Tate said, “and it remains an issue.” Bond counsel said the commissioners can only take a vote on what has been presented. He reminded the commissioners that construction bids will indicate the school board’s priority list. “We don’t micromanage your board,” Tate said to Superintendent Dr. Terri Cobb. “All I am asking for is our fair share of this bond.” Brown urged the school board to honor the plan submitted to the commissioners. Chair David Williams, who has two children in the school district, said he preferred to have another year to define the school projects. “The alternative of waiting until 2016 frightens me,” Williams said. “We’re dealing with growth and it’s better to deal with growth than losing people.” The bond issue will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot. The last day to register to vote is Oct. 10.
Topsail Beach delays Carolina Blvd. decision By Tammy Proctor Post & Voice Staff Writer The Topsail Beach Town Board of Commissioners delayed a decision to abandon approximately 75 yards of Carolina Boulevard. The request to abandon a portion of Carolina Boulevard from Channel Avenue was
made by the Emma Anderson Chapel congregation. The church wants to close a portion of the road for several reasons, including safety and long-term growth, according to church leaders. Last month the Topsail Beach commissioners con
Continued on page 2A
Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew
Pender County school buses sit quietly at the bus garage in Burgaw this week. The vehicles will hit the road Monday morning as another school year begins.
Buses will hit the road Monday morning Pender buses logged more than 1.3 million miles last year By Andy Pettigrew Post & Voice Publisher This is the busy time for Pender County transportation director William Rivenbark. Monday morning, the county’s fleet of school buses will roll – all 95 of them. “Last year the yellow buses ran 1.397 million miles, which averages out to 7,552 miles per day,” Rivenbark said. “That is with 94 buses from last year. This year, I’m adding another E.C. (exceptional children) bus, so that will add another 200 miles or so per day.” Rivenbark says more than half of the students in the Pender County school system rode a bus to school last year. And there is no reason to think that figure will be less this year.
Maintaining the bus fleet and paying for fuel to keep the buses running is a huge expense for Pender County schools. “I think folks don’t realize how much it costs. We have a bus we are pulling the engine out of this morning with water in the oil. That is a major expense,” Rivenbark said. “Last year we spent $580,231 just for fuel in the yellow buses. That doesn’t count activity buses. You are looking at another 93 to 94 thousand dollars a year just to run activity buses. And that comes out of local funds.” As the buses take to the roads of Pender County Aug. 25, Rivenbark says it takes time to work out all the details of the many bus routes and pickup points for the
students. “It’s amazing how many miles we run. This county is huge, from Canetuck to Topsail Beach. The first two
weeks are rough until it settles down. It’s a process we have to go through. The parents just need to be patient,” Rivenbark said.
Lightning strike causes house fire in Rocky Point Monday From Staff Reports A lightning strike to a home in Rocky Point caused a house fire Monday night. County fire officials report the fire started in the attic of a home at 321 Double Eagle Road off Hwy. 117 South resulting from a lightning strike. The National Weather Service had the area under a severe thunderstorm warning as storms moved through the area. The county 911 center received the call about 9:15 p.m. and firefighters reported flames and smoke showing from the single family home upon arrival. The family was home at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported. Fire crews from Rocky Point, Burgaw, and Pender County EMS and Fire responded to the call.
Post & Voice moves office, publish day
From Staff Reports The Pender-Topsail Post & Voice is moving from Wednesday to Thursday, according to newspaper publisher Andy Pettigrew. The newspaper will be available in racks across Pender County on Thursday and subscribers will receive their papers in the mail on Thursday as well. The change will begin with the first issue of Staff photo by Andy Pettigrew The new office of the Post & Voice is located at 108 W. Wilmington St. in September. “We have been publishing on Wednesday since Burgaw. The office formerly housed the Rice Law office. The move will be the beginning of the newspaper,” said editor and effective Aug. 28.
publisher Andy Pettigrew. “We are moving our publication day to Thursday to allow more time to put the paper together and produce a better product. Publishing on Thursday rather than Wednesday will give us an additional production day and will help us make the Post & Voice a better community newspaper.” Pettigrew says a third feature section will be added to the newspaper. The newspaper offices will also move, from the current location at 201 A W. Fremont Street to 108 W. Wilmington St., across from the Pender County Judicial Annex. The move will be effective Aug. 28. “The new offices are larger than what we have now. We have outgrown our current location over the years,” Pettigrew said. The Post & Voice, which began as The Pender Post in the early 1970s, purchased The Topsail Voice in April, 2012 and The Pender Chronicle in September 2012 to become Pender County’s only community newspaper. The Post & Voice was purchased by Pettigrew in September 2013. Pettigrew has been editor of the paper since May, 2008.
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