PAGE 2 - WEST CRAVEN HIGHLIGHTS - APRIL 13, 1989
GAIL
WINDS
Our Opinion
by; Gall L. Roberaon i
On April 12,1 was 40 years old. I have now reached the old age
of youth and the youth of old age. Some days I feel 40, and
some days I don’t. While people around me Ret over every new
year, I accept each gray hair and wrinkle. Thank the Lord I’ve
lived long enough to have a few. Some of my friends weren’t so
lucky. One died in Viet Nam, one in an automobile accident
while traveling to be fitted for her wedding gown, and one
simply went to sleep and never woke up again.
To me, no one grows old by living... but by losing interest
in living. ’The sad thing about being over the hill is not realizing
there are other hills to climb. An example was the famous
architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, who, at age 89, designed the
Guggenheim Museum. Experts say it was the best work of his
entire career.
There’s a lot more to being alive than not dying. Youth is a
gift of nature, but age is a work of art. When you’ve grown old,
you’ve accumulated wisdom and knowledge of the years, and
it’s only then that you can truly begin to use it to enrich the
remainder of your days.
Growing old is the most unexpected of things that can hap
pen to us. One old man stated: "Yesterday was my 70th birth
day, and as I was thinking about the birthday celebration that
was planned for me, I began to review the events of my life. As
my mind quickly scanned the year and the blur of280 seasons,
I became increasingly aware that I had' not lived life to its
fullest. My life is almost over, and despite a few cherished
memories, it all seemed like, when I was 25 years old, I went
down to thecorner store to pick upaloafofbread.. .and when
I arrived back home, I was 70 years old.”
Thefe can be many benefits to growing old. When you
choose a hobby, you can choose one where you can sit down,
and nobody bothers you about that fact. You can nap with no
apologies and guilt, and fall asleep in the middle of some
body’s conversation without making them mad. Instead of
being insulted, they’ll just smile and say, “Bless her heart.
Poor thing. She’s getting along in years, isn’t she?” Other
advantages are saying "no” more often to most everything you
never liked to do anyhow. You can also conveniently forget
what you don’t want to remember. Everyone will blame it on
your senility, so you won’t need to feel so bad about forgetting
birthdays, anniversaries or baby showers. It won’t concern
you one way or the other whether mini-skirts make a com
eback, and you can initiate a conversation with strangers or
handsome men, and nobody will question your motives. More
importantly, your friend won’t ask how you feel, but where
you hurt. And they’ll listen as you complain, out of respect for
their elders.
Those special old folks who shine from inside always look
twenty years younger. ’They are the ones everybody loves.
They might wear out, but you can bet your britches they won’t
rust out. They are, I expect, also the ones who keep this prayer
“Father, Thou knowest I am growing old. Keep me from
becoming talkative and possessed 'with the idea that I must
express myself on every subject. Release me from the craving
to straighten out everyone’s affairs. Keep my mind free from
the recital of endless detail. Seal my lips when I am inclined to
tell of my aches and pains. Teach me the glorious lesson that
occasionally I may be wrong. Make me thoughtful, but not
moody, helpful, but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom
and experience, it seems a pity not to use it all, but Thou
knowest. Lord, that I want to keep my friends until the end.
Amen.”
Age means nothing. It’s just a handy way of determining
who gets social security. So, at age 40, in the infancy of my old
age, come grow old along with me. For the best is yet to be.
Professor Plant
Debate On Choosing Judges
Has Become Divisive Issue
’The question pits lawyer against lawyer and judge against
judge, but to date no one seems to care as to how the people of
North Carolina feel. All who have expressed opinions or who
have testified before the legislative study commission, we
understand, have been lawyers and judges.
We speak of the proposition to take away from the people
the right to elect judges and hand that authority over to a
special commission.
What we need to be discussing is how best to improve jus
tice, and we see no way to improve it with a special commis
sion meeting in some smoke-filled room to name our judges.
We see many possible evils connected with such a scheme,
and instead of improving justice, the proposition, in our opin
ion, would hurt justice.
Now James Exum, North Carolina chief justice of the Sup
reme Court, went before the legislature and called for selec
tion by a commission rather than election by the people.
Now William Griffin, resident judge of the Second Judicial
District which embraces Beaufort and Hyde counties, went
before a state Senate committee recently to differ with Justice
Exum. Judge Griffin is quoted as saying, “The judiciary ought
to be ftee of the political influence that comes from being
elected by an elite group of people.” And certainly a small
commission would very aptly be labelled an “elite” group.
If the only people of North Carolina who are to be consulted
or allowed to speak up are judges and lawyers, then we are
getting away completely from the very concept of the reason
for the existence of courts — justice. If justice is to be cast
aside under the guise of removing politics from the picture,
then the lawyers and judges might argue such, but the people
will not be fooled.
What a small commission would face is extreme political
pressure all the time. ’Those wanting to be Superior Court
judges or District Court judges would have friends bombard
the commission members. In a real practical sense what
would happen is that we would have a concentrated political
effort rather than a democratic vote of the people. But people
will not be fooled when the fUll explanation is given. The
judges and lawyers as individuals have no more voting power
than any other North Carolinians. Each has one vote, and only
the people with their ballots can bring about such a change.
Such a change is a constitutional one, and the state Constitu
tion can only be changed by a vote of the people. And we
believe the people will not want to give up a right and a power
they have had for a century.
We agree that lawyers as officers of the court have more at
stake than non-lawyers. And of course judges are officers of
the court and very important ones. But the people own the
courts in the sense that only the people can change the system.
We just cannot see how giving authority to a small elite
group to name our judges in North Carolina will improve
justice.
The plants growing around
your home add to the livability
and attractiveness, provide
shade, privacy and windbreaks,
define areas such as the barbecue
area, attract birds, butterflies and
animals and often provide cut
flowers for indoor use. Above all,
properly maintained, they add to
the value of your home.
However, there is a thorn in the
symbolical rose, a fly in the oint
ment. Some popular plants can
be toxic to humans if eaten and
among those are the common iris
and boxwood, to name two.
Families with children need to
see that the youngsters do not eat
the fhiit or chew on the leaves of
the ornamentals in the landscape
scene. The^ should be alerted to
the spines on roses and pyracan-
tha and the pointed leaves of the
holly. A practieal way of doing
this is to walk around the proper
ty with the kids, pointing out the
potential problem plants.
Youngsters learn quickly which
plants are “stickery” and give
them plenty of room.
If a child does eat a part of a
toxic plant, the nearest hospital
emergency room is the place to
go. Some first aid can be admi
nistered, beginning with the re
moval of any plant material in the
child’s mouth. If the mouth is in
flamed or sensitive, a small drink
of water or milk can show if there
is any problem in swallowing.
’Then take a sample of the plant,
and the child, to the emergency
room. ’The plant specimen may
be helpflil in deciding what plant
substance has been the cause of
the problem.
For a full treatment of plant
toxicity, we recommend Walter
Muenscher’s classic Poisonous
Plants of the United Slates.
Rote Handbook Avadable
The 1989 edition of the Amer
ican Rose Society’s Handbook
for Selecting Roses has recently
appeared, and for rose enthu
siasts it is well worth the $1 it
costs. The pocket-sized hand
book includes a listing of over
1,000 commercially-avaiiable
roses. The alphabetical listing in
cludes classifications, such as
climber, miniature, hybrid tea
and so forth. It also provides in
formation on how well each rose
grows, based on reports from
thousands of members of the
ARS.
To receive a copy, send $1 and a
self-addressed stamped en
velope to American Rose Socie
ty, Box 30,000, Shreveport, La.
71130-0030
Obituary
Odie T. Morris
Mrs. Odie Toler Morris, 86, died
last Wednesday at Guardian Care
of New Bern.
The graveside service was held
at 3 p.m. Saturday at Pine Tree
Cemetery near Vanceboro and
was officiated by the Rev. Gra
ham Lane.
Surviving are one nephew,
James Toler, of the Cayton com
munity; two nieces, Mrs. Lilly
Whitfield and Mrs. Marie Pat-
tersn, both of Ernul; and one sis
ter-in-law, Mrs. Nora Toler of
Ernul.
She was a native and lifelong
resident of the Cayton commun
ity of Craven County. She was a
member of New Haven Free Will
Baptist Church.
Arrangements were by Wilker-
son Funeral Home, Vanceboro.
SHOPLIFTING
FKinTH ISA A
HANDFUL OF
TROUBLE
don’t'
risk i
Issue Of School Spankings
Best Left To Local Boards
We have a lot of pressing problems in North Carolina. Many
of them demand immediate attention, and the urgency label
has been applied to several of them.
As we evaluate our problems, we do not see the issue of
school spankings as one which is either urgent or practicai.
Now we realize that a lot of people seem concerned over this
question of ailowing corporai punishment in our schools. And
by the same token, if we take away the right of school officials
to discipline students properly and reasonably, we have then
and there contributed to a breakdown of discipline.
We criticize schoois and school officials for what we see as a
lack of discipline in our schools, but that criticism surely will
grow ever louder if we take away from these teachers and
principals the right to discipline according to the needs.
In every session of the North Carolina Legislature there are
elected representatives who feel that they are not doing tjjgir
duty unless they introduce some biii regularly. As a resultwe*
get a lot of unnecessary bills introduced.
And the bill or talk of a bill to ban spanking in the public
schools of North Carolina is one of those bills which some
legislator feels he or she must drop in the hopper or else duty is
lost.
In truth, this matter of punishment, spanking or its bigger
name, corporal punishment, should be left to local school
offlcials over the state. We do not need any statewide bill
banning the right of a teacher or principal from administering
a spanking to some boy who broke the rules to a degree de
manding such punishment.
We read that there are right now 16 school units in North
Carolina which may engage in a two-year experiment of ban
ning such spankings. We are unable to learn why 16 such units
have been tabbed as having such a right. In our opinion every
school board in North Carolina already has such a right, ^f a
school board adopts a policy of banning spankings within the
school unit, that is it—there will be no spankings. And all any
school board member has to do is to make such a motion, have
it seconded, and then passed by a majority vote.
’The state has no business involving itself in the responsibili
ties of local school boards. The crowd in Raleigh is of the
political variety. While school boards also are seen as political
electees, they are expected to know more about how to run
schools than are the politicians in the legislature.
So let the politicians in Raleigh tend to the mqjor and press
ing needs of North Carolina and leave the matter of school
spankings to local school officials.
’This is not a case of us favoring spankings in school. It is
totally a case of us believing local school boards over the state
can handle the matter more capably than can legislators in
Raleigh.
Viral Hepatitis Is Acute Disease Of Liver
By FREDERICK D. AliSTIN. Ill, M.D.
Viral hepatitis is an acute in
flammatory disease of the liver.
It is commonly caused by the
virus of hepatitis A, hepatitis B,
or the non-A, non-B viruses.
Hepatitis caused by Type D
virus, Epstein-Barr virus or
cytomegalovirus is less common.
Most cases of viral hepatitis are
mild, but occasionally the dis
ease may lead to hepatic failure
and death. The onset may be gra
dual or sudden.
The most common early symp
toms of Viral hepatitis are fatigue,
drowsiness, loss of appetite,
nausea and dark urine. A low
grade fever is also common.
Further, patients may experi
ence a vague generalized abdo
minal discomfort especially in
the right upper quarter of the
abdomen. About half the pa
tients suffering from viral hepati
tis will also have arthralgias
(aching joints); such joint symp
toms are usually associated with
a ’Type D viral infection.
Most of the early symptoms of
viral hepatitis subside when
jaundice (yellow skin) develops.
In the unusual case of severe
hepatitis, the patient may be
come confused or even lapse into
a coma. ’The patient’s eyes and
skin may become icteric (yel
low). The liver is often enlarged
and tender and the spleen is felt
in about ten percent of patients.
Hepatitis A is primarily trans-
mitW via the fecal to oral route
and large scale outbreaks due to
contamination of food and drink
ing water can occur. In type A
hepatitis, the virus is shed appro
ximately 14 to 2rdays belbre the
onset of jaundice. AUhodgh pa
tients may continue to shed the
virus for several weeks, they are
usually no longer infectious 21
days after the illness has begun.
Hepatitis A is quite contagious
and transmission within families
is common. Outbreaks have been
reported in day care centers in
which children as young as one
to two years of age have become
infected.
The ingestion of sewage con
taminated shellfish has resulted
in several epidemics of hepatitis
A. Virus is usually present in
blood from one to four weeks
prior to the onset of symptoms
but transmission by blood pro
ducts occurs rarely. Patients
with ’Type A hepatitis develop an
immunity to the disease. Appro
ximately 50 percent of the U.S.
population has a high concentra
tion of serum antibodies to hepa
titis A, indicating a previous in
fection.
Hepatitis B infection can be
spread by either innoculation
with infected serum of blood pro
ducts (a needle stick) or unappa-
rent (through sexual contact)
transmission. Although blood is
the most effective mechanism
for transmission, the hepatitis B
virus is present in saliva and se
men. It is rarely found in feces or
urine.
The hepatitis B infection is a
common problem in male
homosexuals, drug addicts, and
sexual partners or patients with
hepatitis B infection. Healthcare
personnel are at risk for acquir
ing hepatitis B. Further, some pa
tients suffering from chronic dis
eases are at risk. Patients at high
risk include those being treated
in hemodialysis units, hematolo
gy/oncology wards, and those re
ceiving multiple transfusions.
Five to fifteen percent of the
population has serun antibodies
to hepatitis B. The presence of
the antibody confers immunity
to hepatitis B.
Non-A/non-B hepatitis is
caused by both blood borne and
water borne strains. It is a di
agnosis of exclusion since serolo
gic tests to make the diagnosis
are not yet available. Non-A/non-
B hepatitis typically occurs fol
lowing blood transfusions and is
responsible for 90 to 95 percent of
all cases of post-transfusion
hepatitis. The incubation period
ranges from five to ten weeks.
The risk of developing post
transfusion hepatitis is about ten
percent.
Hepatitis D (known as the dalta
agent) requires the presence of
hepatitis B in order for infection
to occur. Therefore, hepatitis D
infection can only occur in hepa
titis B carriers that are exposed
to hepatitis D and in patients
who are therefore simultaneoul-
sy infected with both hepatitis B
and hepatitis D.
Hepatitis D infection is com
monly seen in southern Italy and
certain areas of the Middle East
and South America. Outside this
area, most infections occur in
drug users and in individuals re
ceiving blood transfusions.
The PAMLICARE column
next week will address measures
that should be taken to prevent
the spread of hepatitis.
Next: Hepatitis: Prevention
Measurers
TTt/s column is provided as 3 community
service for readers of this newspaper by
themanagement team of Beaufort County
Hospital and members of its medicalsta/T.
Questions and comments regarding this
column may be sent to Pamlicare, West
Craven Highlights, 217 N. Mark^ iStrvet.
P.O. Box 1788. Washington. N.C. 27889.
Dr. Austin is an internist whose special
ty is infectious diseases. He is associated
with the Pamlico Medicine Associates in
Washington. N.C.
Are you a
Smoke Detector
JVeglector?
Test your smoke
detector regularly and
change the battery
once a year.
A fire prevention mcfMxe
from your local fire depJftroent.
CMVEN COUNTY BUSINESS AND SERVICES
Toler it Son fiorago
Owner k Oparaioi touts Total
Cyttom Eikwst $ Muffltn
Aailiatyr - Tcantinission
t Motor Sinrtco
Hwy 17t 3 milaa North of
Vaneoboro
24 Hour Wrookor Sorvioo
24412S3
Braxton’s
Stop A Shop
* Froth SMISfl * TlMI IfitMt
* Froth ChitMst * Lrocoriti
* Fibsilr AbMipbaro
* M Usit ol Frins Foo4
•pH Ivory fiiy
* Fihi t Filth lillt
Hwy. IT Hi VavKOhoro 244'14Bl
244-1381
H. M. B.
Morris Plaza
Vanceboro
Complete Family
Insurance Coverage
Farm Ufa Horlot
OFFICE 244-2519
After Hours Call:
Elva 244-1036
Jean 244-0847
Eve Ann 637-4437
tsa Miooct hf.
MW ••RN. N.e. SMSa
TtlBMCOM MT^MO
^oux ^lnmonJSloxe
Q
KSIMmUL lUMlnMCE
coMMncui moinniMi
04. NARROW ELECTRIC SERVICE
Rout* 2, tai S2t
Vancaboro, N.C. 2tSt6
(tit) 244-ttt4 R.C. lie No. 1412t-l
For Information About Advertising
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n This Directory
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^ Highlights
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