davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27
DELAY WILL GET US NOTHING

The fate 3of Buxton Inlet, pulling baby of the Ash
Wednesday storm hangs in the balance while rival
factions fight in the courts.
The issue is drawn clearly 1t is whether the Army
Engineers shall be permitted to get along with their
project to close the inlet, whether they shall be
stopped 1t is as simple as that
Not so simple other factors that cannot be
ignored
Paramount is the factor of public safety. Will lives
and property in the village of Avon be endangered II
the inlet is closed? Nobody really knows the answer
although majority of north end Hatteras Islanders
say the danger exists.
EouEafaftbs of the population of the island is
south of Buxton Inlet These people mostly favor the
closing of the inlet. Many of them say the economic
The inlet be closed easily and cheaply The
contractor is ready to go to work court action de-
lays the project the cost rise steepy Hatteras
can and will go that much longer without dependable
north-south highway artery.
What is the alternative?
the inlet is left open, it must be bridged per-
manehtly. TH& means an outlay high in the millions,
with all the delays incident to authorizing construc
It means also, that the inlet must be stabilized
and dredged at an initial cost of perhaps million
collars Costs of maintaining it would continue over
the years. They would certainly be heavy.
Mother Nature is unpredictable. She is also hard
to control She could cut another inlet tomorrow some
wherk else along the Outer Banks. Or she could fill
I'D Btxton Inlet just quickly she opened it. That
is a brine enigma of the coast country. Perhaps a
dozen inets have opened or closed IN the last Zoo
years.
That being true the simplest ard cheapest solu-
ton to the Buxton inlet problem to be the best
one Let's close it while the job is still simple and
cheap.
rampage let's deal with the new situation as crcum-
stances dictate
The Ceastland Times believes that nothing is to be
gained BY delay in the of Buxton Inlet Let's close
it, and hope for the best.
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27
Must First Take 1t Away From Others
10 Give One Group Anything, Government

similar letter, Harry Brown
director of North Carolina De
partment of Water Resources
advised that his department also
lacked authority for such a hear.
ing.
The Buxton Inlet is now
spanned by a temporary wooden
bridge completed on April 20
The temporary structure, closed
to traffic for a few hours last
Monday, because of high tides
has been a source of concern fol
Outer Bankers living south OF
Buxton since its completion
Many fear that a severe north
easter will destroy the structure
and leave them isolated and cut
off from the mainland, as dur
ing the Ash Wednesday Storm.
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27
.BILLFISH SHARES
REACH 33b-MAYBE
"A WORLD RECORD!
1876 White and Il6 Blue Marlin
Have Taken Hook Off
Dare Coast

A total of eighteen white mar
lin and one sailfish were taken
off Oregon Inlet on Wednesday
to push the current seasons bill
fish score along the Outer Banks
to 1886.
The large catch of billfish may
be a new worlds record, for a
similar length of time. Nowhere
in the world, certainly, are so
many blue marlin taken as off
Hatteras, popularity called "The
Blue Marlin Capital of the
World"
The total billfish catch for the
season includes 1856 white mar
lin, of which about nine out of
10 were taken off Oregon Inlet;
80 sailfish, of which approxi-
mately equal numbers were TAX
en- off Oregon Inlet and Hat
teras; and 116 blue marlin, of
which 96 were taken off Hat
teras, the remainder by anglers
fishing from Oregon Inlet-based
cruisers.
Inshore Catches
The surf and sounds have
been alive with variety of fish
during the past week. From Kit
ty Hawk to Ocracoke, reports
have come in of the best surf,
sound and pier fishing so far
this year.
Mack Etheridge, who oper-
ates Mack's Fishing Center in
Wanchese, reported Thursday
that of 35 half day trips since
Monday, the catches have rang
ed from Is to $50 fish. The
catches included blues, trout,
croakers, whiting, hogfish and
founder.
Best single catch by party
was made by the l.. l.. DaVen-
ports of Tarboro, who were ac-
companied by their two children
on Tuesday when they caught
a total of IT'S fish in a half day
effort.
Pier fishing on the Dare
beaches and at Hatteras has
been exceptionally good for
spots and other surf feeding va
rieties. At Oregon and Hatteras
inlets, blues have taken the hook
with ON f forting regularity.
Spanish mackerel and kings
were reported to be among the
most frequent catches at both
locations.
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27
BIDS
Continued from Page One)

and other prominent North
Carolinians to use their influ-
ence to keep the inlet open. The
petition, which bore the names
of more than 300 residents of
Buxton, Salvo, Rodanthe Waves
and Avon, contended that the
inlet, if left open, would provide
"harbor of refuge" and serve
to revitalize commercial and
sportfishing in the area.
Other petitions. such as the
one subitted by TIT petitioners
from Ocracoke to Avon, on May
8, have urged the commissioners
and others to ensure that the
inlet is closed as rapidly as pos
sible.
On June Is, the Dare Board of
Commissioners requested the
u. S. Army Corps Of Engineers
and the North Carolina Water
Resources Commissioner to hold
an "open hearing" on the inlet's
future.
The request was turned down
by the state and federal agencies
on the basis that authority was
lacking for such a discussion
Col. j. S. Grygiel, district en-
gineer, informed the board that
the U. S. Army Corps of En-
gineers has no authority to take
any action "other than that
specifically authorized" In a
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27
THE BEACH COMES INTO ITS OWN

AS if to counterbalance cool June and tenn
pestridden Fourth of July recent weather has been
ideal for beach soourners Up and down the length of
Dare Countys Outer Banks, cottages are showing the
usual signs cf occupancy and motels and hotels are
catering to- liberal flow of patrons.
After night comes the dawn. After the storm
comes the calm And after discouraging opening the
summer season at Nags Head Kill Devil Hills, Kitty
Hawk and Southern Shores has come into its own.
Traffic along the beach highway while not yet quite
of Times Square proportions is heavy enough to keep
drivers on the alert.
The fishing piers are busy these days. and the
charter boats out of Oregon Inlet and elsewhere
drawing patrons in increasing numbers Business on
the beach is booming. The merchants, almost without
exception are happy
1t used to be that most of the dollars spent on the
beaches were Ncrth Carolina dollars Increasingly in
recent years, that has ceased to be true. Tourist
dollars come from Minnesota and Maine Indiana
and Ohio and host of other states, even including
trickle from California. From largely sectional the
beach has become cosmopolitan, and the trend is
growing
This is all to the good The world is taking note of
Mays Head and its sister communities, and the world
is finding out what North Carolinians have always
known-that there's finer place anywhere for
summer vacation
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27
MISS NANCY BASNIGHT
NAMED TO HONOR CLUB

Miss Nancy Coles Basnight of
Manteo has been tapped for
membership in the All Honor
Club-the highest honor in All
Club work. Her selection was an
nounced this week in Raleigh
by officials of the Honor Club
who met with hundreds of dele
gates there for All Club Week,
July 1928.
Miss Basnight, valedictorian
of the 1862 Senior Class at
Manteo High School, was nam
ed to another All Club honor
last week when she was selected
as North Cardinals representa-
tive to the Danforth Leadership
Camp in Michigan.
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27
of Elizabeth City and Wallace
R. Gray of Manteo.
New Petition

of Elizabeth City and Wallace
R. Gray of Manteo.
New Petition
A surprise element entered the
case Monday with the appear
ance of Russell E. Twiford, Eliz-
abeth City lawyer, with a petit
tion which he said bore GIG sig
satures, asking that the inlet be
closed.
Twiford sought to intervene
on the ground that the inlet
should be closed as expeditiously
as possible as the U. S. Army
Engineers have recommended.
The inlet, 600 to 700 feet wide,
is some two miles north of Cape
Hatteras at a point where the
Outer Banks narrow to some
what less than a mile. Residents
of the north end of the Hatteras
Banks contend that that is a
natural place for the waters of
Pamlico Sound to flow across to
the ocean when piled up by high
winds, and that to build a bar
rier there, closing the inlet,
would be perilous to their homes
and their lives.
Would Block Closing
The suit filed in Federal Dis
trict Court last week by some 80
residents of the area is brought
against Col. ]. S. Grygiel, Army
district engineer, in Wilmington.
1t asks that the Army Engineers
be restrained from letting a con-
tract for the work of closing
the inlet, and that they be made
to show cause why such an or
der should not be continued.
Judge Larkins made it clear
Monday morning at the opening
of the Pre- Trial Conference that
he would not let any matter
interfere with the work of the
conference, and that the hearing
of any petitions must be secon-
Diary to it. At the close of the
morning session it appeared that
the most convenient time for
consideration of the inlet mat
ter would be Wednesday at 11:3O
am. and it was set for then.
Bitter Controversy
Buxton Inlet, spawned by the
Ash Wednesday storm, has
spanked the bitterest controversy
on the Hatteras Banks in dec
ade. Sentiment south of the in
let generally favors its closing
North of the inlet, most of the
residents want it to remain open
Meanwhile, north-south high
way traffic on the HatteraS
Banks moves precariously ovel
single-lane wooden trestle op'
ened by the North Carolins
Highway Department April 20
The trestle has been closed brief
ly several times because of dam
age from storms. A temporary
structure, it is said to be made
quate for summer tourist traffic
and likely to be washed ava!
completely in the event of
really serious storm.
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27
OCRACOKE
CONTINUED from Page One)

brane. The water left behind
will be fresh and sweet. The
plant is designed to produce
1000 gallons daily.
The plant was bought from
Ionics Inc. of Cambridge, Mass
for $25, 900. 1t is being installed
by the Beaufort, N. c., Plumbing
& Supply Co. for $4,000.
Water from Sound
Water for the new installation
will be drawn from Pamlico
Sound, which along the Outer
Banks is just about as salty as
the ocean. The plant will be fed
from a 1-1/2-inch pipe driven
500 feet into the sound.
Fresh water is continuing pro-
blem for the people of Ocracoke,
They have found it impossible to
draw any substantial amount
from the ground. Some shallow
wells give a limited amount OF
fair water. Deep wells produce
a murky liquid calculated to
deter the hardest drinker.
The new Ocracoke plant is
nowhere near as large as the
one the Interior Department
thought of installing last year
at Virginia Beach on an expert
mental basis. However, Virginia
Beach was ruled out. The de-
partment still plans to install
five types of converters at other
points.
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27

away from the dressing room"
Along the walls of their cot
tage are dozens of photographs
of favorite scenes from the show.
One of their most treasured OBJ
jects is a "beat-up" water bucket
which was used by Old Tom in
1860, until the terrible hurricane
of that year crashed it against
the timbers of Fort Raleigh. An
other is ruby cross which Bar
bara Griffith wore in her por-
trayal of Eleanor.
Marjalene Thomas readily ad-
mits that The Lost Colony has
dominated her life. "But it is"
as she says, "a treasured domi-
nation which nothing could
change"
Her position is something of a
modern-day affirmation of John
Borden's plea for loyalty: 81
know what it means to make
this choice" "And 1 know you
will not fail" "You will stand
firm for the Colony -. ;" Mar
ialene Thomas is standing firm
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27
COURT
Continued from Page One)

was without standing in that
the United States had not waiv--
ed immunity from suit.
Cummings contended that
such a suit must be served on
the Secretary of the Army in
Washington, where District
Courts have no jurisdiction. He
contended that in closing the
inlet, the Government would
simply be attempting to reclaim
its own property, removed by
a sudden and disastrous storm"
Legal precedents then were
cited by Cummings in his con-
tention that the suit had no
standing. He noted that petit
tions circulated on the Hatteras
Banks favored closing of the
inlet, two to one, and added
that if the work was dragged
on" by an injunction, the bene-
fits of the recent contract would
be lost. "Well get no such fav-
orable figure if we wait until
winter" he said.
Costly Results
The long range result OF
leaving the inlet open, Cumm-
ings added, would be that the
State would have to build a five
million-dollar bridge and other
money would have to be spent
to stabilize the inlet.
"All these people want" he
charged, referring to the p"o-in-
let forces, is to hang on to a
good fishing spot"
Assistant District Attorney
Hollowell said he believed the
court was without jurisdiction
in the inlet case.
White objected instantly
"We've served the right person,
he said, referring to ColoneI
Grygiel. "We're not using the
United States. The key word is
protection in this case. Colone
Grygiel is charged with the
protection of life and property
His actions jeopardise the
plaintiffs in this case. There are
pressing reasons why the cour'
should sign the order we ask
Attorney Aydlett offered thu
contention that dollars and cents
were not paramount in the case
but the protection of lives AM
property. He quoted a Buxtoi
resident, unnamed, as predictins
that a terrible disaster woul'
follow the closing of the inlet.
Opining wryly that the Arm!
Engineers could hardly clos
the inlet before Friday, Judg'
Larkins then announced contin
uance of the hearing to Friday
when he promised to give a de
cision.
Judge Larkins set the hearing
on the inlet petition Monda!
morning during a lull in a Pre-
Trial Conference he is conduct
ing this week at the Carolinian
The conference is for review Q
civil cases long on the Fedora
4 District Court docket with tn
purpose of expediting trial b.
agreement among lawyers o.
stipulations and other matters.
Attorneys for the original pc
titioners seeking to keep Buxtol
Inlet open are State Senator y
Elton Aydlett and Gerald Whit
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27
CORRECTION

The July 13 edition of "The
Coastland Times" enormously
stated that Frank Szmajda of
Mclean Contracting Co. was
construction superintendent of
the Oregon Inlet bridge project,
in a story about Szmajda's re-
cent address before the Manteo
Lions Club. Szmajda is office
manager for the Mclean firm
Job Superintendent for the pro-
iect is w. T. Sutton.
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27

tenant, an 80-year-old woman,
could reach the beach. He said
he had built a walkway over
the dune, but that it was still
to high for the woman to nego-
tiate. The matter was referred
to Building Inspector Dowdy.
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27
BOARD
CONTINUED from Page One)

The sums allotted to the
Clerk of Courts office and Sher-
ifs Department are to be pro-
vided for from the general fund.
John Long, county accountant,
noted at the meeting that due
to the greatly inreased unen-
numbered balance of the Board
of Education that the tax rate
for the Board of Education or
Dare County Schools should be
reduced from 259o to 1871. His
recommendation was approved
by the board, which also grant
ed tax rate of .03 for the
Office of County Accountant.
1t was noted by the board
that the increase in the budget
appropriation for the Board of
Education by $4,000 for an ele-
mentary and high school teacher
would have no effect on raising
the tax rate, as the unencum-
bered balance of the Board of
Education as set out in the bud
get estimate, by actual figures,
now showed $4,000 in addition
to said amount. The appropria-
ton, it was noted, could be in
cluded as revenue rather than
listed for ad valorem taxation.
At the Thursday meeting,
George R. Fuller, commissioner
from Buxton, asked that the
following special taxes be in
cluded in the 1962-1963 tax levy
of Dare County and that a five
per cent collection fee, as pro-
vided by law, be charged against
the collection and turnover OF
Island Fire District, Dare Beach
special taxes for the Roanoke
es Garbage District, Roanoke Is
land Garbage District and Wan
chese Community Center Dis
trict: Dare Beaches Garbage Dis
trict-9c; Roanoke Island Gar
bage District-10c; Kitty Hawk
School District = &c; ManteC
School District-10c; Roanoke
Island Fire District-10c; anc
Wanchese Community Center
District-5c.
The board also discussed prob
lens in connection with thu
Cape Hatteras Health Center
approved repairs for a jeep t.
aid in beach patrol work ant
voted to notify the U. S. Arm!
Corps of Engineers of the coun
ty's intention to use an antici
: pated hydraulic fill area as
future public park.
: A detailed discussion was hell
by the commissioners on tn
problems confronting the boar,
!, in regard to the county's oper
] alton of the Cape Hattera
Health Center. A report wa
heard concerning the difficultie
5 of operation without a docto
and the emergency condition
created thereby from the Healtl
Center trustees. The commits
sioners also noted the dilapidat
ed condition of the Health Cen
ter and agreed to take actio
e after hearing further recommer
S dations from the trustees.
RI An amount, not to exceed $35
q was appropriated by the boar
S for repair of jeep vehicl
which will be stationed at tn
n Cavalier Motel and manned b
$ lifeguards without charge. Th
$ jeep and lifeguards will max
!. one daily patrol Of the beac
! during the tourist season and b
t available for emergency run
+ and available to the Sheriff
e department for the enforcemer
t of beach laws.
. Ua,,rav,oo Swain y,1ovad fhe
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27

in recognition of the notice by
the U. S. Army Corps of Engi-
neers that hydraulic fill is
planned in the area east of the
Little Bridge and north of u. S.
Highway 1853, that the corps be
notified by the county of its
objections to the filling of pos
sible waterways next to the
park.
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27
REVIVAL IN MANTEO

Revival services in the Manteo
Assembly of God Church will
begin Sunday, July 20, and will
be held each evening at 7:45.
Mrs. Brooks Stetson will be the
evangelist. The public is invited.
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27
BUDGET
Continued from Page One)

nanc9 at the Regular meeting
August 7.
All 10 at the meeting, Commits
sioner G. A. York was informed
that This appointment as Civil
Defense director was void be-
cause, under the law, he cannot
hold two offices unless duly
electeu-by vote~of the citizen
ship. Mayor Murphy asked the
board members. to consider pos
sible. candidates for the Civil De-
fens9 post with view to nam
ing ane at the ifeeting August
Respirator Available
with reference to the Kill
Devil Hills respirator, the mayor
said lit would continue to be
carried in the towns police car,
but would be made available on
call from any point on the
beach, but would not be loaned
to the newly organized beach
patrdl service. He commented
that the police were just as
available as the life guards.
Md. Gen. S. B. Aiken, retir-
ed, appeared before the board
to ask permission to lower by
six feet the sand dune fronting
on his~premises for a distance
Of rs feet, 50 that q prospective
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27

Teach the children early self
government, and teach them
nothing that is wrong.
Mary Baker Eddy
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27
CAPITAL CLIPBOAD

TRIAL SIDELIGHTS. If
you don't mind waiting, July if
a good month to take an appeal
to the State Supreme Court. If
you want to get your court bust
ness cleared out of your head, it
is about the poorest month in
the whole year.
Here's why: The State Su-
preme Court is done with it's try
ing until this fall. In midsum-
mer and midwinter the big
justice machine grinds steadily
along-but there are no trials,
no appeals heard. These come
in the spring and fall. So, unless
the docket is extremely light
come autumn, the Burch- Brewer
appeal can't be heard until early
next spring.
There is some opinion here
that the defendants convicted of
influence-peddling in Wake
County Superior Court last week
may decide to take that medicine
rather than wait eight to ten
months to see what the appeal
might bring.
We have had some petty
graft in State offices here from
time to time, with an employee
here and there being gently
moved out to avoid embarrass-
ment of pressed charges. But
the highway signs thing is the
only major scandal we have had
in one of our official depart
ments over 25 years. Back in the
early sos the N. G. Revenue
Dept, was rocked with charges
of embezzlement of funds, mis-
appropriation, malfeasance in
office, etc. The charges. just
as in this instance. stood. The
defendants were convicted.
The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-27

Since Burch and Brewer, act
ing singly or together, could not
swing a total of 25 votes-and