1954-02-15 Regular Meeting,
485
Neeting of Febrna.ry 81 1954, continued. Upon motion of 14r. Love, seconded by Ns. Davis, the Board approved the sale of taac foreclosure lot #15
in block #11 Wi]mington Beach to Harry L. Bankhead an3 wife Winifred E. Bankhead for $207.62? and the
Chairman and the Clerk of the Soard were authorized and directed to er.ecute a deed for the same in the
name of the County.
\` A report of the Wilmington Colored Library for December, Veterans' Service Officer, Farm and Home
?emonstration Agents, Wilmington Public Library and Bookmobile for January, were received an3 filea.
Notice of final decision on appeal be£oTe the State Soard of Allotment an3 Appeal, uphol3ing the New
Hanover County Welfare Boar3 in its decision to terminate APTD assistance to Robert Carr Kel],y, and
??OAA assistance to Florence I{elly Hargrove, both residing at 2109 Gibson Avenue, were received and filed.
??j - A statement was received from the State Board oF Public WelfAre advising that $55,269.55 was sent'
to this County in December for OAA, ADC, APTD grants and Administra'tion.
A report was received from the Back Tax Office showing that $4,651.87 was collected for the City
(?Xi and $4,268.03: for the County, making a total of $8,919.88 back taxes collected for the mor.th of
Jaraiary.
?? A census report of John C. Wessell Tzberculosis Sanatorium for Fabruary /?1 1954, was
G] receiveu showing the following:
White patients 10
Negro " 16
26
Non-residents 1
Vacant beds 6 ? 33
A bulletin on the 47th Annual Christmas Seal sale of New Hanover Tuberculosis and Health Association
was receivei advising that a nurse was offered the Health Department on a one year 3emon'stration
basis to follow-up contacts o£ T.B.Patients, made possible by a gift of money from the Trustees of the
Red Cross Sanatorium. The Health Department accepted the offer and will make investigations and
. follow-up through the,proper channels.
Notice was received irom the United States District Engineerts Office advising a schedule of fees that will be
charged for the purpose of recovering the cost of services rendered fos• various types of permits issued
for work in navigable waters, was received and filed.
11? A petition of 32 property owners requesting drainage, grading and hard surfacing Peif£er Avenue in Harnett
??- township approximately 1800 feet in length on which 8 houses are located, and whicli runs £rom US 74/76
at Seagate to a Dead-end, was upon motion of N.r. Love, secon3ed by Ns. Davis, approved and referred to
the State Highway and ntblic Worlcs Commission for consideration.
Upon motion of P7r. Davis, secon3e3 by Mr. Trask, William Croom, colore3 83 year old pY?yscially disabled
\,,,,,,citizen, was on recormnendation of the Supt., of Public Welfare, admitte3 to the Courrty Home as a pay patient
? at $40.00 per'month.
Mr. Horton, as Tax Supervisor, reported total tax abstracts liste3 for the period ending Saturday, February
61 1954, at 24,20$ which represents approximately 98% listed,
T)40?? Upon motion o£ hir. Love, seconded by N,r. O'Shiel3s, county bills No. 2272''to 2452 were approve3 for payment.
The meeting then adjourned.
4,Clerk.
? _ Wilmington, N. C., February 15, 1954.
The regular weekly meeting o£ the Boar3 xas held this day at 10:00 otclock A.M.
Present: R. T. Horton, Chairman and Coruni.ssioners Claud OtShields, Thurston C. Dacis, Hal J. Love, Raiford Trask,
and County Attorney Cicero P. Yow and County Auditor T. D. Love.
The meeting was opened with prayer by the Reverend B,D.Critcher, Pastor of 5th Avenue i•4ethodist Church.
Copies of the minutes of February 8. 1954, were prsviously mailed to oach member of the Board and upon motion of
N.r. OtShields, seeonded by I,1r. Love, approved.
5 Upon motion of Mr. Love, seconded by A1r. Davis, the Board agreed to pay hal£ of the cost of $100.00 for upper and
lower dentures for Howard' Craviford Watts, a formor patient at John C. Wessell 1liberculosis Sanatorium, recoi:unended
by Dr. R.II.Rodman, Nedical Director ana 14r. A. AI, Chiemiego, Senior 5tate Counselor of Vocationttl Rehabilitation.
?\_c? '?.,
The Chairman presente3 a list of recommen3ed schedules received £rom N,r. W. Frank Burton, State Archivist, for
the disposition of iaiscellaneous county records stored in the of£ice of the Register of Deeds. Mr. Burton, at tke
request of the Commissioners came here last week to check the old recor3s and make rccommendations as to uhat
disposition could be made of them. He recommended preserving anything dealing with real estate. The Department
o£ Archives and History, he said, will preserve ( or microfilm ) tax aUstracts, ledgers ana ta:: lists for every
tenth year; will talce a sample-of the various receipts, ferry records etc., and destroy others back of ten years.
He sai3 he will.bring in a crew of three men to separate the records. It was the consensus of the Board to write
' him to ascertain the cost of that service, and if satisfactory to go along on his recommendations.
-`? ?A request of PFir. M. C. Brown, DSayor of Wrightsvi;le Beach, for an appropriation of $S,OOO.OOfor repairs to the
jetties on the south end o£ idrightsville Beach with rock and asph4lt to prevent further damage;:t,q the::beach by
erosion, stating the Town of Wrightsville Beach has only $1,000.00 set aside for that work which will cost
g62000.00, he said, was talcen under advisement and to ascertain from what source county funds could be made
available, if ary.
Mr; Horton told the I3oard ifir. Thomas W. P4orse, Superintendent o£ State Parks was here February 9th to look over
Hugh Y•:acRae Park with him, and that he suggested mo?dng the picnic and parking areas about a block further south,
but not to spreaa it out. He approved the ball park and will offer suggestions for parking and picnic areas later.
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F'
486
Neeting of February 15, 1954 continued.
? Mr. Horton further advised that in response to a letter received £rom Mr. John alexander McMahon, Assistant
Director Institute of Government, to provide a place for luncheon and £or holding,the Third District meeting
o£ the 5tate Association of County Commissioners here Thursday, I4arch 18th, he ha3 advised tbr. Mcbiahon the
meeting and lunsheon will be;,held at the Cape Fear Club, and had accepted the arrangement. ,
A letter was received from Mrs. Morgan Harper, Librarian, stating it was her understanding that there were to be
swivel seats installed in thc bookmobile hingeci to tip forward out of the path of the patrons, an3 was also
given the choice of nylon webbing or weighted block book ends for each section of shelving. These have
not been supplied to date, she said, and seats provided were temporary and were to be replaced within a
short time after delivery of the boolanobile. It is tue wishes of the Board that the understanding be
carried out.
A letter was receive3 from the State Highway and Fublic Works Commission that the ad3ition of the Hugh MacRae
V? Park roads to our County Higkiway system has been a pproved, .
A letter was received from the Wrightsville Beach Chamber oS Corrunerce stating they were very pleased to learn
^,?that the Board of Commissioners have vote3 to re-open negotiations with the Government regarding the use of
?^??? Bluethenthal Field by the IQavy-Mar?ine Corps. And expressed a vote of confidence in our County Commisaioners,
an3 assure their wholehearted support in all efforts to abtain this contract with the Government, fully
uelieving that it will be to the best interest of New Iianover County. A1so, a similar letter was received
from the Optimist Club, that their regular meeting held Monday, February 8, passed the following motion:
1. That the Board of County Commissioners be compli.mented for their han3ling of the Airport negotiations to date. ?
2. That they be urged to attempt to re-negotiate the Airport ;natter with the proper authorities, looking
to an agreement which would best serve the interest o£ the people o£ Netir Hanover County.
3. That the 6pitimist Club assure the Boar3 that the C1uU may be counted on to assist them in this avn,
both as an Drganization and as individuals.
arij A letter was received £ro;g the IQew York Times soliciting an advertisement £or its Spring Garden Section
?issue of March 7, 1954, to attract tourists moving north and south through here. The satne was referre3
to 1+lr. P.M.Caraack, Executive Secretary o£ the Wilmington Chamber of Cotmnerce to check into an3 for repl-Y
inasmuch as a previous action of this Board in allotting appropriations, the same inClude3 all newspaper
advertising.
??j'B A census report was received ?'rom John C. Wessell ?berculosis aanatorium for February 12th 195/., showing
// the following:
White patients 10
Negro " 16
26
Non-resi3ents 1
27
Vacant be3s 6
33
Copies o£ applications for admission to the T.B.Hospital for Willie Faison, 1707 N. lOth St.,and
/ Juanita Hampton, 610 Campbell at., were received, and was agreeable for Dr. R.B.Rodman, Medical
Supervisor to £olloxa tkrough.
-?C? Reports for the month of January were received from the following and ordered filed:
Colorex Home Agent and Q-H C1uUs, Housing Authority o£ the City of WiLnington, Airport receipts,
Committee Assignments for the Idew Hmiover County 13zral Develoisnent Board, and State IIoard of Public Wel£are
Institutional an3 Protective Service,
Upon motiori of N.r. Davis, seconded by Mr. Love, Johannah A?ixon, colored 80 year o13 disabled citizen, was
? on reconmmendation of the Supt., of Public 4Je1£are, admitted to the Courty Home, PROVIDED the burial insurance -
?C policy she carries with Shaw Fhneral Service is made over to the County to take care of funeral expenses
if and when it becomes necessary.
A request o£ Mr. R,I.Mintz for review of assessment on his property 1709 Market Street on his application
£iled too late last year to be consi3ered, iaas aslced to file another complaint for review i>y the Board of
Equalization and Review this year.
Upon iaotion of Mr, 0'Shields, seconded by 1,1r. Davis, County bills No. 2453 to 2595 were approved for payment.
The meeting then adjourned to meet with the Special Committee name3 to assist the Commissioners in the £ormulation
.?i? o£ plans and procedure to reopen negotiations with the navy Department £or the establistuaent of a Narine
Corps Airbase at Bluethentlial Field,
The Honorable Mayors - E,L.lJhite of the City of Wilmington, G. Taft Russ of ISure Beach, t4,C.Brown of
? Wrightsville Beach, A. L. Nlansfield of Carolina IIeach, and 11r. P,M.Camack, E?cecutive Secretary of the
G\¢? Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, named at meeting of February 8th to serve on a co?nmittee to assis t the
/ Commissioners in their ef£orts to re-open negotiations with the Navy Depastment for the establishment of a
i•:arine Corps Airbase st Bluethenthal Field, appeared and a meeting of the Coimnittee with the County Commissioners
was held to formulate plans for procedure to that end.
The Chairman read from a copy of a letter he wrote to I,r. Jack E. Cochrane, Director of the Chief of IIureau
of Yards and Docks, lJashington,D.C., confirming the action of this Ynard of February S, 1954, endorsing and
soliciting re-negotiations with the P1avy Department for the selection o£ Bluethenthal Field for its 14arine
Corps Airbase; pointing out its advantages from a standpoint of existing facilities, recreational resources etc.,
at less expense to the Government to provide an adequate airbase.
L7r. Horton told o£ a recent survey.6he made of the fields at Fi.3enton and Cherry Point, which, he said, did
/a,_"V_ not compare with filuethenthal and its advantages as toLsize, facilmties, recreational resources and other
advantages £or personnel comfort. •
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? Nayor..E;. L. White read from notes he had made and offered same as a basis for preparing a resolution to be
tg ?£orwarded to the proper suthorities at Washington, urging re-consideration o£ the use of Bluethenthal Field,
?- along similar lines.
487
Meeting of February 15, 1954, oontinued.
? Considerable discussion followed and Mr. Love suggested we adopt Mayor Ymite's suggestions as a basis
in preparing a resolution to the I4avy Department.
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Thereupon Ma.yor White moved and it was seconded by Mayor A.L.Mansfield and unanimously adopted, that a resolution
? be prepered by the committee along the lines suggested by Mr. Love, an3 that a copy oS the same be forwarded
to Lt. General W.O.Brice, Chief of Marine Aviation, Washington, D. C.,
P. M. Camack, P'aecutive Secretary of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce, was aske3 to have Civic Organizations
/?- ?/and the Chamber of Commerce to also write supporting letters.
The Cnairman of the Board and members of the co;rcaittee named, and the County Attorney then retired to
draft the proposed resolution, . , N.onday, February 22, 1954 being a legal holi3ay ( Washington's Birthday ), and falling on the dato of the
?Ci?i' next regular meeting of the.Board, a recess was taken until 10:00 o'clock A.hf., 1liesday, February 23,1954,
as provided by Section 25-5 of the General Statutes of North Carolina.
erk.
Wilmington, N. C., February 23, 1954.
PursUant to recess taken February 15, 1954, in accordance witn 5ection 25-5 of the General Statutos of
North Carolina, the weekly meeting of the Board was held this day at 10:00 o'clock A. M.
Present: R. T. Horton, Chairman and Commissioners Claud O'Shields, Thurston CL Davis, Hal J. Love, Raiford Trask,
Cicero P. Yow, County Attorney and T.D.Love, County Auditor,
The meeting was opene3 with prayer by the Reverend E. W. Pate, Pastor of Calcary IIaptist Chiarch.
Copies of the Ninutes of the mesting o£ February 15, 1954, having been maile.: to each member of the
O Boar3, the same wore upon motion of A1r. Love, secon3ed by Mr.Davis, approved.
?PP?e The following resolution prepared by the Committee named at maeting of February 8, 1954, to assist the County
Commissiorers in their efforts to t'aapen negotiations with the Navy Department concerning the use of
$luethenthal F`ield as a 2?^.arine Corps Airbase, was presented to the Board by the Chairman, and upon motion
of Nr. Davis, secon3ed by Ns. Lovo, was unanimously adopted:
WHIItEAS, that at a regular meeting of the Board of County Gommissioners held on Nor_3ay, February 8, 1954,
a committes vtas appointed to work with the County Commissioners to an end that negotiations could be reopened
concerning the location of the Marine Air Group at our Bluethenthal Airfield here in Wilmington, North Carolina.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the undersigned committee, after considerable discussion, has gone on
record unanimously urging and soliciting the location of the Marine Corp Air Group here and to that end
shall'exert every ef£ort in following this to a mutual and successful conclusion.
We feel that the money and efforts a]re9,3y spent on this airbasec:by the Governmant makes it necessary
,r for us to re:ich an understanding with reforence to the joint use o£ the same by the ]davy and Ivow HEnover
? County. Wo £urther fsel that in keeping with the econoiqy policy oP our President and the ilefense ilepartment,
the Govornment would save millions of dollars by the use of this field, for it is an adequate airbasa with
housing facilities and that Wilmington's excellent water supplies, housing, hospitals, schools, deep water port,
excellent labor market now prevailing in Wil.mington and the recreational facilities, ircluding beaches, will
not only add to the comfort an3 convenience of the personnel, but will save the Government millions of dollars
if the Marine Corps Airbase is locate3 here. Some of this committse have seen the airUasa at Fdenton, North
Carolina, and have reportsd to us that it is in a very run 3own condition compare3 with Bluethenthal and
from a monetary standpoint, the Navy wou13 not have to spend one-third as much ma Bluethenthal as they would
on Edenton, North Carolina, or Beaufort, South Carolina.
This committee £urther fsels that the construction at either of theso other bases would oost from two
• to thrse dollars to every one dollar that would have to bo spent at Bluethenthal to receive the same benefits,
an3 that the personnel would enjoy the facilities that are quoted here.
By reason of the above, we fsel that our Government's interest would best be sorved by the location o£ the
Marine Air Group at Wilmington, North Carolina.
Done 'in Wilmington, this the 15th 3ay of February, 1954.
/s/ R.T.Horton, Chairman, Board of County Commissioners,
I9ew Hanover County.
E.L.White, Mayor, City of Wilmington.
A,L.N,ansfiel3, Mayor, Carolina+Bcaach.
J.T,Russ, Nayor, Y,ure Beach.
M.C,Brown, Dlayor, Wrightsville Beach.
P.P4.Camack, &.ecutive Secrotary, Chamber of Commerce.
(?kpPP' Upon motion of Mr. Trask, seconded cy Mr. 0'Shields, Samusl Jones Butlar' 65 year old physicslly disabled
citizen, was on recommendation of the Supt., of Yublic WelfarQ, admittes to the County Home on condition that
he work as agrsed under ldr. H. C. Rivanbark, 5uparir.tendent.
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`? Application to a3mit William Allison Rasinger, 77 year old disabled patient, to the County Homc account of having
? been discharged £rom the hospital and no place to go, was referre3 to the Chairman for investigation and with
power to act. •
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N,r. W. R. Davis o£ Kure Baach appoared to complain of business ostablishmants on the fishing pier at Kure Bcach,
he saia paid no privilego tax and vary littlQ ad valoram tax in competition with legitimate business and
contamplate3 further oxoansion of the shopping center over the water. His complaint was referre3 to the
County Attorney to handle with the Town Attorney of Rure Beach.
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