DATE: Wednesday, March 19, 1997             TAG: 9703190565

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B7   EDITION: FINAL 

                                            LENGTH:   50 lines

ALBEMARLE

COROLLA

Developer Thornton is leaving for job at furniture company

George ``Buck'' Thornton III, a developer who in a decade helped change the face of the northern Outer Banks, is leaving to rejoin the furniture business that his father helped found.

Thornton, 56, has accepted a position, effective May 1, as executive vice-president of Heilig-Meyers' Rhodes division in Atlanta.

A native of Virginia, Thornton has been involved with Heilig-Meyers since 1970, when that company merged with his father's Thornton Stores of Suffolk.

Known as an innovator with cheery telephone greetings and messages, Thornton arrived on the Outer Banks in 1984.

During his 13 years on the Outer Banks, Thornton has been instrumental in restoration of Corolla's Whalehead Club and has been active in the local and state Democratic Party.

CURRITUCK

Property owners relieved of yearly listing duty

From now on, Currituck County property owners won't have to list their real estate each year with the local tax assessor.

The county's Board of Commissioners have unanimously agreed to adopt a permanent listing system, which will shift the burden from the taxpayer to the tax office.

The move makes Currituck the last county in the Albemarle region to adopt a permanent system.

``I just think it's time for Currituck to come to the modern era and adopt this system,'' Commissioner Paul O'Neal said.

Commissioners reluctantly support bear-hunting bill

Currituck County commissioners are going along reluctantly with a proposed bill to change the bear-hunting season in northeastern North Carolina.

``We've been kind of backed into a corner,'' said Commissioner Owen Etheridge before a 3-1 vote Monday night to support a bill that would extend the season from nine days to 12 over a long period of time.

Seven counties now have officially signed on to the bear season measure, including Gates, Chowan, Currituck, Camden, Pasquotank, Washington and Tyrrell.

Currituck officials said they feared hunters would deluge the county and deplete its resources if it is the only locality to stick with the traditional season, which now includes six consecutive days in November and another three in December.

The new proposal would allow hunting only on Tuesdays from mid-October to January.

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