Opinion Page
THE BRUNSWI
Kdward M. SwcbII and Carol vr
M. S?es!! -.
Susan Usher
Terry Pop*
Johnny Craig
Mary Polls
Ccceiia Core
Tammlo
????? * -/
Steve Anderson
BUI McGowan
Clyde and Mnttie Stout, Jim Bi
Page 4-A
How Goo
Your Men
Just how good is your memorv?
In my case, it depends on who you
ask.
I knew I'd been having a few rough
days lately. Typically it's Just my
glasses, raincoat, camera bag
ano/or purse leu oeninu. nui lasi
week, remembering to take my
glasses off before going to bed seemed
a major accomplishment. I
couldn't remember anything. I left
notebooks lying behind me, who
Knows where, ami wuuiu suui lo liic
back of the office to do something and
forget- sometimes more than once in
succession?what I was about to do.
The situation was deteriorating; I
decided help was in order before
things got worse and I couldn't find
the house or worse yet, left a chicken
thigh in the toaster-broiler oven. The
perfect book was right there in the
catalog; the author promised not only
to teackhow memory works, but to
show me how to make It work better.
Hack at the office I tucked the
secret helper. "Your Memory: A
User's Guide" in a stack of papers on
my desk; several hours later I
couldn't find It anywhere.
From across the news room a very
ueipiui terry quippeu, wiui oniy a
trace of sarcasm, "You're forgetting
to use your memory." as he looked
directly at the spine of the book and
grinned.
It's not that my memory Is so bad,
according to author Alan Baddcley,
It's that I'm not organized well.
Someone who leads a highly
organized life- stnicturln" sctivitisu
and relying heavily on calendars and
watches so that few denuinds are
placed on his er her memory ?tends
to report fewer lapses of memory.
The rest of us must admit to forgetfulness
more often.
How often apparently depends on
tin* particular type of lapse. We're
fur more likely to lose something
uround the house, for instance, than
to forget our own birttKluy
Researchers Harris and
Sunderland have developed a selfscoring
exam of 27 questions; you
can take the test and compare the
results with those of a larger test
sample. The test, admittedly subjective
in some respects, indicates
whether your memory is "generally
good," "average" or "below
average."
According to that scale I'm
average- on the low range with me
grading und on the high end with
Terry grading. I don't believe it If
I'm average, the folks who are be-low
average are in real trouble. They
shouldn't live alone, among other
things. They're dangerous to
uK-i'tk->rlvra if IKK 10 Others.
On the average, for instance, a person
forgets where they've put
something more than once a month
What Can Th
We'll surely have some more cold
weather before we can affirm that
Spring U here to stay' With at least t,
week before Spring hrgins officially,
the warm days of the past week ami
the budding aialeas, forsythia,
quince, and flowering trees have got
us tn the mood
Most o( as like to "think Spring'
anyway. We weary of the long winter
and long for the bright days ami
halmy air we know i* on the way W<
expect Spring because we know oi
Swings from years iws; Sometime?
the expectation is better than the ao
tunl. but usually we aren't dtsap
pointed
Joan Walsh Anglurxl wrote.
What can this Spring *a>
that other Springs have
nut ?litw!i told u?*
And yet. each year, how
happily we listen'
Sprtngs from other years have tolc
us of daffodils and hyacinths arx
crocus breaking through the earth i.
blossom o< Ospreys and Sandpiper
and Warblers coming back to our ex
penence after a winter farthei
south. c? 1>. Ulwehirdas ass
ICK&BEACON
i H, Swtiatl Publisher*
. ........... . ........ KAitnr
IS exes Editor
Staff Writer
Sports Editor
Office Manager
.. .Advertising nvprr?*;nlaili>
Typesetter
Pressman
Photo Technician
illou Circulation
Thursday, March 14,1985
rl I c
'_4
lory?
Soscn
Usher \f- m.
d
but less than once a week?a 5 on a
I rated myself a 9 on that
category?more than once a day.
Terry, tender-heart that he Is, first
gave me a 9 and changed It to an
8?about once a day. We're talking
averages over the past six months
here, folks.
When It comes to forgetting when
something happened; for example,
forgetting whether something happened
yesterday or last week, I
thought I usually do pretty good. I
gave myself a 4?about once a
month. Nope, said Terry, as he came
quietly behind with liis ruthless blue
ballpoint: an 8, he said. Yech.
Terry also gave me a 7?more than
once a week but less than once a
day?on "completely forgetting to
lake things with you, or leaving
things behind uiui iiaving to go back
and fetch them." Me was probably
being kind.
ftllt (Vln cftnirov* alvn plnitviv I'm
equally bad about "failing to
recognize places that you ore told
you have often been to before." 1 had
given myself a 1. "not at all in the
last six months," on that one. And he
said I'm pretty bad when it come? to
remembering to on important
messages (about once a week) and
about doing routine things twice
without thinking
Maybe, msybe not. Everybody has
a bad day once In a while, don't they?
Well, you can sec how our percep
uuua uuicscu on uus qucauun ui
Susan's memory. Just w?H until 1 Ret
to rate his.
Meanwhile, on Terry's rating scale
1 picked up 114 points, just two away
from having a "below averaRe"
memory. On mine, with 82 points, I
was comfortably close to tlx- midpoint
on the 58-116 "averaRe" scale.
Following the advice of the author
(who I'm quickly learning to admire)
1 refuse to be alarmed at the results.
A Ixdow average score, this lovely
man assures, "may simply mean
that you lead a very busy life which
puts considerable demands on your
memory. Statistically the greater the
number of situatioas tn which lapses
are possible, the greater the number
of lapses you will report overall."
lie umiri.iuuiiu, hv offers help
Tiuil may be small comfort, but
/vii rviui u?nr ii mine )ou mil IlllU
It. l)r did I say that earlier-'
lis Spring Say?
iL>.
Bi"
Faver
i
Mockingbirds busying themselves
with nest building and cheerful sing1
ing; ot son rains providing nourishment
to new seedlings beginmi*{
their Journey into life, of ghost crabs
tunneling through beach sand and
sidestepping thrir way between entrances.
and of people returning to
the beaches to enjoy the sand and sea
ana suniigm Aii of these images are
in our minds about Springs past -we
know Hwv mil kinrwm >ni*
! What can Ihw Spring say" like
1 Spring of other years, the Spring
5 can tell us about new life. beginnings,
* growing, breaking out, and renewal
W e listen happily for Spring to tell us
t again of the )oys of the seaswi And
i wx Wekvtur the uaeaiAgv
K
AAanagemc
There are no problems with
discussing the issues with Brunswick
County's fire and rescue volunteers
until the subject of money pops up.
Then it becomes an emotional boil,
an ugly sight just waiting to erupt.
At a county commissioners'
meeting on fire and rescue funding
last week. County Manager Biily
Carter probably summed up the
situation best when he praised the
county volunteers for Uieir services,
uui expresseu cuiuusiun in meir altitudes
whenever funding is discussed.
"We have some of the best
volunteers anywhere," Carter said.
"They work together better than any
I've seen."
At one end of the oblong table at the
special "round-table" discussion,
Brunswick County Emergency
Management Coordinator Cecil
Ixigan nodded his head in agreement.
"But throw ten dollars in and it's
like throwing in a pile of hornets,"
Carter continued. "Everything is
okay until you start talking dollars
MARINE BIOLO
N.C.A
In Prof'
BY BILLMcGOWAN
Marine geologist Dr. Orrin Pilkey
told Brunswick County residents Sunday
he is delighted with a recent ban
on the construction of permanent
seawalls along the North Carolina
coast, but added that the new regulations
must be supported by the public
if they are to survive in court.
The Duke University professor
pointed out that while the seawall
ban will reduce erosion, it is only a
"first step" toward protecting the
state's disappearing beaches.
"North Carolina Ls leading the na*inn
|n Ihjo rpoiilajjnn " Pjllrou tnW
:iluvut 75 people at the I^ong Reach
Recreation Center. "I tliink it's time
for the state to take the next step of
retreating from the shoreline. When
a lot of buildings start fulling in (the
ocean), there will be a lot of political
pressure to start building seawalls."
Two factors have contributed to an
increase in erosion in recent history,
Piikcy said. First, a rise in sea level
which began some 50 years ago has
created problems. In addition, the socalled
Oreen House effect?the production
of excess carbon-dioxide in
the atmosphere from the burning of
fossil fuels and the absorption of that
excess by the oceans?is responsible
for rising oceans and increasing erosion,
he said.
Perhaps the most important influence
on the eroding coastline,
however, has been provided by man
through construction, Pilkey said.
The new Coastal Resources Commission
regulation became effective
March 1. After that date, no permanent
seawalls will be allowed along
the North Carolina coast, regardless
of when the structures they protect
were built. No repairs will be allowed
on those seawalls still standing. only
temporary structures such as sandbagging
will be allowed.
Pilkey said permanent seawalls
destroy beaches because they intensify
or Increase the energy waves
i cttcd m tuc cr\irr>d
* ?- I ILH IW I ML LUI I Wl\
Problem
Put In Proper
Perspective
To the editor:
Assistant Principal Maliston
Stanley put the schoob' drug prohlems
into the proper perspective
when he said. "We don't manufacture
marijuana ai Wcsi Brunswick
High School. We don't condone dru|
use at this school. We're going tc
do anything we can to see that it
stops "
?re HtviUiy put the responsibUf
tv fac- stiMVnts' hrfaviar ?Swv it
belong*?on the parents and he oughl
to be applauded for telling it Just lik<
it ?
1 have been professional!)
associated with Maliston Stanlei
since the day he became a teacher i?
the Brunswick County school systen
and he has always brought credit u
the profession
I hope the West Brunswick achoo
district recognises the high quality o
educational leadership he offers an
will give him their full support
George F Wilson
Supply
?nt Added To
Jm S
%mJ-Terry
,1k. TW Pope
and cents. It just does something to
thern."
In one corner of the room Sally
Mulholland and Virginia Parnell,
treasurer and member of the
Coastline Volunteer Rescue Squad,
nodded their heads in agreement.
They attended the meeting to express
their side to the funding problems.
Future funding of county fire and
rescue units is not just a hot topic in
Brunswick County. In neighboring
New Hanover County, the word
"volunteer" may one day leave the
sides of rescue squad vans and ambulances
if costs continue to rise.
A study may determine that New
Hanover County Commissioners can
GIST SAYS HERE
head Of
ecting
\
f
m\h*\
R J V'tll *1 i
12 jjV k * u ** k
m y a .v a. a
AUTHOR Or tin Pllkey of Durham tal
residents like Kill Dunn (facing earner
the problems associated with 'living
reflected back to sea The stronger
the wave force going out to sea. the
more sand likely to be removed from
the beach.
As of March 1, no hard stabilization
of the beaches is allowed. Pilkey
said. In effect, the new law condemns
a loi 01 buildings to tall into the
ocean. But at the same time, it marks
a step taken "to preserve the beaches
for our grandchildren." he said.
North Carolina is way ahead of its
neighbors as far as protection of the
coastline is concerned, Pilkey said.
"Georgia and South Carolina have no
control. Building gets higher priority
in those states than do the beaches.
In North Carolina, we've gotten
beyond that mentality, I hope."
While touting "a slow retreat from
the shoreline" as the only effective
means of fighting man-caused erosion.
Pilkey was unable to advise the
audience on how such a retreat might
be accomplished.
"Where would we move all these
houses under a long range plan""'
Pilkey was asked.
I
1 J
TRADITIONAL F
! Brunsw
1 s
Volunteers'
afford professional rescue services
cheaper than they can provide
volunteers with the needed funds to
operate the departments.
In Brunswick County, uio lack of
daytime volunteers makes operations
a problem for the rescue
squads. Some departments are asking
the county to tund tuii-iime personnel
to man the departments dur
emergency calls would be a job for
someone who would like to help the
squads, but couldn't really afford to
give up their paying jobs to do so.
But don't mention the word "professional"
when talking about county
rescue squads, Commissioner Herman
I-ove advised. "That's a dirty
word," he added.
Between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6
a.m. seven days a week, there are
plenty of county volunteers to do the
job, I/Ogan said. Many people who
perform vohuiteer work have a family
to raise.
A plan to provide equal funds to
each of the county's five electoral
districts, up to $530,000 each year
Neighbc
e Coostl
L 1
r
Tmm
I W*
* ? awtmra
Iked with county barrier islands, tl
a) Sunday about l-ong Beach Recr
anu uuiiuiug Ou
"We have been fighting the battle
against the building of seawalls for so
long, I never thought beyond that,"
he answered. "I don't know where we
are going to put these cottages. Some
of the ones I saw today aren't worth
moving. Maybe the communityshould
make arrangements for this."
Actions which can be taken to improve
the situation include utilizing
sand bypass systems, placing
restrictions on construction, and
planting the proper types of vegetation.
Pilkev ?u?id
Sand bypass systems, which
employ pumps to move sand from
one side of a jetty to the other,
alleviate the problem slightly but do
not prevent erosion on ihe bottom
side of the jetties.
Building restrictions may come in
many forms, Pilkey said. Beach cottages.
for instance, do not cause near
the damage to beaches as do high
rise structures.
The use of the correct vegetation in
battling erosion is also important.
*? iik
UNERALS CREMATIONS
ick Funeral
hallotte, North Carolir
754-6363
ft
Vocabulary
compared to the $260,000 last year,
may be the solution county fire and
rescue departments have needed. It
gives the departments in each
district something they have net been
able to do before?plan for the future
with some funds on the side.
But planning is the key word. By
managing uic funds that this board of
commissioners appears to be willing
to provide each district, departments
could work together in projects
rather than play political favors
against one another just to receive
extra funds. It would also relieve the
commissioners from constantly being
approached for more money and
having to constantly say no.
Each department would receive
$i5,CCC. Each district would receive
$50,000. Districts with more departments
would receive more $10,000
clinoc n? thp nio Knf Hiotrirfc with
fewer departments would receive
more of the $50,000 pie.
It would probably all balance out
well, and help knock down a few
hornet nests in the process.
>rs
ine
?
VST''/
- "MBIj
Sfcfc -**
SS333S ~ mi
STAM PHOTO * ?Hl MlCOWAN
ip subject of nix afternoon talk at inc
cation Center.
Pilkey said. In North Carolina.
American beach grass is used rather
than sea oats. Sea oats are easier to
plant, but are not as adaptive to the
climate here.
Ultimately, Pilkey said, the erosion
will continue. There is no way to
stop it. But the best way to battle erosion
is to retreat from the beaches to
allow them to stabilize themselves.
"There must be a thousand ways to
retreat from the shoreline," Pilkey
wondered aloud. He named tax
credits and immediate education of
public officials as ways to begin to
Of-mmnlicK ~ ??? ?IJ-J
that public support is essential.
"The barrier islands are not Kansas
wheat fields," Pilkey said, "and
we can't develop them like a Kansas
wheat field."
Pilkey has coauthored two books
on the subject of beach erosion: "The
Beaches Are Moving?The Drow ning
of America's Shoreline" and "From
Currituck To Calabash?living With
North Carolina's Barrier Islands."
I y* ' " < " *
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