I
i Opinion Page
I THE BRUNSWICK&BEACON
Edward M. Sweat! and Carolyn H. Sweatt. Publishers
Edward M. Kwontt Editor
Susan lisher AW# Editor
Terry Pope , $t?ff Writer
- - ' ? njf.
Johnny liraig -yponx c.auor
Mary Polls Office Manager
Cecelia Gore Advertising Representative
Tonnnie Galloway Typesetter
Sieve Anderson i-reasman
Bill McGowan Photo Technician
Clyde and Maltie Stout. Jim HalloU Circulation
Page 4-A Wednesday, July 3,1385
Beach Lifeguards:
Mixed Blessing
Hiring lifeguards at local beaches, as has been suggested
by several parties following the recent double drowning at
Ocean Isle Beach, isn't such a good idea.
As Mayor I^aDane Bullington said recently, it would probably
create as many problems as it solves.
Presently the safety of the children who play along our
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judgement?of the adults supervising their care, typically
parents on the alert for any possible danger.
Hiring a lifeguard would shift respoasibility for the swimmers'
safety away from the people properly charged with
it?adults who know the capabilities of their children and who
can direct their attention to only those children in the
water?to a hired person who inu.?t watch a broad expanse of
beach.
That would be a disservice to these children and would
place an unrealistic liability on the? local beach towns and their
hired personnel.
Just as boaters enter the water at their own educated risk,
so do swimmers.
For the parents of young swimmers, proper supervision at
the beach includes at least these basics: knowing the ability of
those entering the water; setting and enforcing appropriate
limits as to depth and distance from shore; swimming in an
area where there are other swimmers and away from inlets;
and most important, keeping a constant vigil on those in the
water until they are safely ashoreA
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a good idea to plant, beforehand, a basic respect for the
chameleon-like nature of the ocean, its changing tides and
forceful currents, the dips and pei'ks along its bottom.
With their gradual slopes and sandy bottoms, Brunswick
County's excellent beaches are ideal spots for family
fun-provided you follow the same basic precautions as
around the family swimming poo) or swimming hole.
Wanted: Literacy Volunteers
More than one out of every three Brunswick County adults
lack the basic reading and writing skills they need to lead productive
and satisfying lives.
As illustrated so well in the movie, "The Story of Jesse
Hallum" aired on Channel 11 Mortday night, these individuals
have trouble filling out job applications, understanding the
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the responsibilities of citizenship/
Many expend energies "getting by" that could be directed
elsewhere with fantastic results.
North Carolina has one of the highest illiteracy rates in the
nation; Brunswick County ranks below the state average.
Two local agencies, Brunswick Technical College and the
Brunswick County Literacy Council, are partners in an effort
to solve the local illiteracy problem, but they need your help.
Needed arc volunteers willing to help recruit students,
people who are about the people who can't read this editorial.
Also needed are volunteers willing to be trained to teach
students, either in small classes or one-on-one, and places in
which to hold classes.
As Brunswick Technical College President Joe Carter
said in a recent message, "A little learning is a dangerous
thing." It costs money, pride, and sometimes lives. It hurts
families and communities as well as individuals.
If you're interested in helping this worthwhile educational
effort, call the college at 754-6900 or 457-6324.
IET1ER TO THE EDITOR
He's Not Alone ?To
the editor: "S
Thank you for publishing Virgil E
Verheyden's letter in your June JO V
issue.
It ts reassuring to tne to learn I am ^
not alone in genuinely caring for -x Jo
growth and maintenance of the quali- [ v ty
of life as a decent "family beach" ^ -H. J?
at H olden Beach 'x-'- J" -vj
I support Mr Verheyden's position yf , V [
on letting property owners at Holden j _/ ||J
Beach vote on some issues The Vl~ \ S,
develooers and real estate ooeralors \ \
have too long dominated the decision- I B
making erf the town commission to ' u~
satisfy their own selfish and/or
business interests, with minimum -s tr? - *?- K*,
regard for the interests erf the non- -? r M
resident property owners who are the . Vy<fa
vast majority on Hoiden Beach as / j
well as at the other beaches in /, JJ&>B5L
Brunswick County. / ' J
Your help in changing this matter ^
is solicited.
Edwin G Thurlow T^a V ^L/L. x. /5
Holder Beach \
|. t I
Group Awaits Final
They were on the edge of their <jr
seats, ready to start, ready to release
built up tensions caused by the entire i tlfr.
ordeal. Both sides wanted a show of gt A)
hands, a final vote to decide right f T?rrV
then and there, whether or not to j
build a new high-rise bridge to Sunset Pope
SeaCii. t
iN.u. ueparuneni 01 i ranspoira- WjS^
tion officials quickly reminded the
ornun that thou HiHn't roro what tha
show of hands revealed. It should be had to travel back to Shallotte and
tough to sort this one out, to dig sort out the article, the comments,
through all the public comments for a the debates, before heading to
judge's decision. Holden Beach for bed.
About 20 minutes before the public But after the first confrontation
hearing on DOT's recommended (the attempt at revealing a vote by
bridge replacement plan was show of hands), the hearing jumped
scheduled to begin last week, the fire into pace. Moderator Bill Garrett
department building was filling fast, called on those planning to speak,
Just one minute after the hearing and who signed up at the door, to prennnnn/l
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shouting at one another. Both sides speakers was nicely staggered, one
began asking for a show of hands at for, one against, one for, one against,
the same time, and no one in the au- etc.
dience knew when or if to raise their There were some very interesting
arms. points raised. For example, I'll bet
I settled back into my front row very few DOT officials or other
seat, luckily obtained by arriving members of the audience who had
early, and thought about the long studied the plans of the five bridge
night that was ahead. It was Tues- alternates even saw the problem
day, deadline night, which meant I resident Ginny Barber pointed out.
Thoughts On The
BY BILL FAVER
The nation's birthday brings out the feelings of pride we
have for the accomplishments of the "experiment of
freedom." We celebrate Independence Day with all the
patriotic tervor wunin us ana recall tne
"museum days of the past" which we have
cA now made impossible to recapture.
' Even with the waves of nostalgia sweeping
the country, our society today can never
return to what some call the "glorious days
' oHflr Even acknowledging the effects of time
on remembering those good old days?we
seem to forget the bad?they did appear to be good. Most of us
in the South lived in a small community where almost
everyone professed the same values, thought the same
thoughts, and behaved in fairly predictable and acceptable
ways.
Most of the social life was centered around the churches
and the schools. Most of the community was white and Protestant.
Of course, there were exceptions. Some folks were
We're Having A 'F
CelebratinE the Fourth of Julv is a in*
family fur the three Usher
As teenagers and students, it pass- Susan
ed the usual way for folks who cater Sh
to tourists-waiting on tables. * f / Ichor
Then, one sununer about 13 years v~-y
uro, Uic telephone ranR at the Baptist JrK^
Assembly at Kort Caswell, with a jrl I < '.
message for Susan Usher to call her /
sister Jean.
1 ran to the pay phone outside the Every year, during their annual
main office and placed the call. It trek home to Brunswick County,
was late on tlie night of the 4th. Tony the "firecracker" Barricklow,
"We've got a little firecracker," his mom, and his aunts Susan and
the thin, excited voice in In- Carol (Hardee) and the extended
dianapolis, Indiana, exclaimed. I family celebrate his birthday in a big
didn't know what the heck she was way. It's a day-long affair in
talking about, though I knew she was Southport, beginning with a oarade.
more than nine months pregnant. (In followed by a birthday cake with
fact, Jean had already been to the candles and watermelon and then an
hospital once thinking she was ready evening of fireworks, compliments of
to deliver. That could have been-but the N.C Fourth of July Festival
wasn't?one of the first times in her Committee. Not many kids can claim
life Jean was on time for a major that kind of birthday party?or share
event. Instead, as we might have ex- a birthday with the United States of
pected, her and Dave's America.
"firecracker" arrived late.) Tony loves it and so do we. Last
But boy, oh, boy. has that boy of year, though, he showed up with a
hers provided an occasion to jam box, which he played continuouscelebrate.
ly as he bebopped through tlie
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Decision On Bridge I
According to the bridge plan DOT traffic light than as a result of the
has recommended, the high-rise present barge bridge,
bridge that would be constructed "Who instigated this whole prosouth
of the present barge bridge ject?" asked Sunset Beach Taxwould
join the present causeway on payers Association Vice-Chairman
the mainland side at a height of 6.5 Warren "Bud" Knapp. He ended with
feet above sea level. The causeway is a quote I like that sounds like it came
now o feet above sea level and floods from a presidential transcript?"We
during excessive high tides, stong must build, we must develop, but we
storms and hurricanes. must not destroy."
"Hnw ie an avtm civ innhpc pninp One resident said the "Golden
to make a difference?" Ms. Barber Rule" at Sunset Beach seems to be,
asked. It would be interesting to have "The man with the most gold makes
a brand new, $5.2 million bridge that all the rules." Another property
still floods during winter storms. owner from Raleigh said he "did not
Resident L.R. Richie called the want beer cans popping off the roof of
recommended plan "an engineering my house from their long bridge."
eyesore," and said it "buries the "Sunset Beach is the kind of place
town of Sunset Beach." Many of you read about in books," another
those who spoke last Tuesday could property owner solemnly added,
not understand why DOT could not "You'll find very, very few places
use the present right-of-way for any left like this. Why can't inert be a
replacement bridge. small island somewhere with a oneThey
didn't understand why the lane bridge where you can sit back
bridge had to curve, they wanted to and watch the world go by."
know what the speed limit on the With that, another resident opposbridge
would be and why an intersec- ed to a new high-rise bridge gave in
tion with traffic lights would have to just a little when he suggested that
be installed on N.C. 179 at the bridge DOT remove the one-lane barge and
entrance. One resident said there replace it with a two-lane barge,
would be "more deaths and more i wonder what DOT will do with all
mangled bodies" as a result of the of this valuable information?
American Dream I
Catholic and attended parochial schools but they were included.
Some were Jewish and labeled as shrewd merchants but
they were not "outsiders" to most of the people.
Black neighbors were welcomed playmates but did not attend
the same schools and few peole ever wondered why.
Their mothers and fathers were faithful employees who never
caused any "trouble."
And there was theft and murder and tax evasion and
government scandal and family squabbles and neighbor
disputes. There were poor people and rich people but most of
us grew up feeling we could be the rich if we worked hard
enough or we could be lazy and end up as the poor. It was a
simple approach which did not work for most Protestant white '
Americans in our communities.
When we compare this "American Dream" to what we
have today, there are many tremendous changes. I'll not
enumerate them, for we all know most of them well. We have a
"crucible of cultures" in every community today with differing
values and lifestyles. We can no longer cater to one group
of people, we must recognize all people. We must give each
person a chance at the "American Dream."
After all, isn't this what we celebrate on July 4th? '
:irecracker' Fourth J
crowds. This year, he may suddenly we can't sell these super-deluxe
be too old for all the fuss. I hope not, burgers. Occasionally, however, we
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Ln.vou.iv. ut a viiv apui l\ uim lUSO UUl 6'*^ u,,c artaj iu a apwiui It ICIIU.
celebration. As the evening unwinds, so do we.
In recent years, the get-together Is sipping colas, sprawling in lawn
more fun than ever, because we chairs, occasionally snoozing. But
share the day with some special when it's time for the fireworks even
friends of the family, Annette and the littlest among us?usually my
ftobert Kye of Winnabow niece, Kelly?perks up. One of my
Robert has adapted a flat-bed favorite snapshots shows little Kellytruck
for a festival-going. A on her dad's knee, her eyes wide and
neighbor, John Henry, made a a smile of delighted fascination
custom red-and-white awning for the across her face as they watch orange
"gypsy wagon," as we call it. and gold chry santhemums bloom in
We park it along Howe Street and the sky above,
watch the parade in the shade. While Quietly we pack away the remlines
of traffic pass by after the nants of dinner and fold the lawn
parade, we're sitting out on the lawn chairs,
enjoying lunch.
l.ater, when things die down, we Another celebration, another
move the gypsy wagon?and our own special day for the family to
parade of cars?closer to the water- remember in the years to come,
front, down along Bay Street. From This year we hope will be even
this new location, we continue enjoy- more special, because we're expecing
all the activity around Southport ting our cousin Frances Ann
until shortly before dark. Singletary Roney and her three boys
About this lime, the aroma of grill- from California to join us. The boys
ing hamburgers wafts across the are teenagers and may have livelier
waterfront, bringing would-be things in mind, but we're hoping,
customers to our gay awning. Unfor- Stop at the red-and-white awning
tunately. since we have no permits, and say hello, how about it.
4 FISH | ,
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