THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 20, 1994 TAG: 9412200331
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines
The Dare County Board of Commissioners handed out a couple of early Christmas presents to area residents on Monday. The gifts will impact projects on Hatteras Island and in Kill Devil Hills.
The board unanimously voted to authorize a request for bids on the Fessenden Center, a multiuse recreational facility to be located in Buxton. Projected cost of the building is almost $1.2 million. Completion is expected next year.
The board also approved spending $351,000 to complete baseball and softball fields at the Dare County Family Recreation Park in Kill Devil Hills.
Commissioner Doug Langford said the county will save money on the project through in-kind volunteer services.
However, Commissioner Shirley Hassell said that while she supports the project, she is concerned that other areas of the community are not receiving funds.
``It's a wonderful idea,'' Hassell said of the Kill Devil Hills facility. ``I'm not against it. But there are other areas of the county that have needs. I think we need to spread the money around.''
Langford said projects such as the Fessenden Center and Wescott Park in Manteo are examples of county funding being dispensed to other areas.
``We've been giving funding to other areas,'' Langford said. ``This is a good facility that's sorely needed.''
Commission Chairman Robert V. ``Bobby'' Owens Jr. said the project will benefit not only the beach communities, but all of Dare County.
``I'm getting fed up with this rivalry between Roanoke Island and the beaches,'' Owens said during Monday's meeting. ``This is going to benefit all of Dare County.''
In other action, the commission approved a resolution supporting efforts to bring the Babe Ruth Boys Baseball 16-to-18-year-old World Series to Dare County. A delegation from Babe Ruth Baseball will be in Dare County next month to review county facilities. The county is competing with Concord, N.H., for the event, which may be televised by ESPN.
``I don't believe you can measure the impact the amount of positive exposure this is going to bring to our area,'' said Commissioner Geneva Perry. ``You may have some negative people out there. But I believe this has the overall support of the community.''
Hassell said she strongly supports the Babe Ruth project. But some members of the community, she said, are concerned about the process used in the recruitment effort. The cost of a trip to Louisiana to meet with national Babe Ruth officials especially worried some taxpayers, she said.
``I strongly support this,'' Hassell said. ``But my point is that the people should have been informed of this up front.''
The commission on Monday also approved low bids for an engine generator, hardware and software, and other contracts for the almost $6.6 million Rodanthe-Waves-Salvo water project.
The panel also approved a preliminary tax-assessment roll and a Feb. 6 public hearing in conjunction with the project. The hearing is set for 7:30 p.m. in the commissioners' Manteo meeting room.
The planned closure of the Cape Hatteras Weather Station by the National Weather Service also prompted a storm of criticism from the board. A resolution the board passed Monday called the action, ``a tragic mistake.''
``There are a lot of fishermen, residents, and other folks who are concerned that they're not going to get the service they've received in the past,'' said Owens.
The National Weather Service recently announced plans to extend the public comment period on the proposed closure. The agency plans to close the Buxton facility.
If that plan wins approval, the Outer Banks will be served by Morehead City and Wakefield, Va. - instead of the old Cape Hatteras radar.
Commissioners also made a number of appointments to the Dare County Tourism Board. Warren Judge, Myra Ladd, Mollie Fearing, Tim Midgett, Kill Devil Hills Mayor Terry Gray and Southern Shores Mayor Kern Pitts were named to the panel.
The commission tabled action on the appointment from Manteo because two names were not submitted in nomination, as the board requested.
Alvin Hibbs of Nags Head was appointed to the Board of Equalization and Review.
In a nonagenda item, the board approved by a 6-0 vote $34,480 for resurfacing the track at Manteo High School. Hassell did not vote on that issue. Nor did she comment on why she was abstaining from taking part.
``This has become a possible liability problem,'' Commissioner Clarence Skinner said of the track. ``We need to get this done as quickly as possible.''
The board also voted to set a public hearing on Hatteras Island, as well as send out a questionnaire, to determine the public mood on a possible one-cent tax on residents served by the Hatteras Island Rescue Squad.
Members of the organization say that without financial help, the unit will have to shut down. by CNB