Opinion Page THE BRUNSw'iCK&BEACGN Eunuru M. Swcatt and Csro!}? H. Surest! Publisher* Edward M. Sweat! Editor Susan Usher Metes Editor l?-w? riUn lU.yd Staff Writer Johnny Crnig Sports Editor Mnry Potts Office Manager Cecelia Gore Advertising Representative Tammlc Galloway typesetter Steve Anderson Pressman Bill McGowan Photo Technician Clyde and Maltie Stout, Jim Ballon Circulation Pa?c 4-A Thursday, October 10,1985 Oyster Festival Has Good Fringe Benefits It's time again for the annual N.C. Oyster Festival in the South Brunswick Islands. It's a time when this end of the county puts out the welcome mat for folks far and wide to come eniov roasted ovsters and all the other festivities associated with the big event. Purpose of the festival originally was to attract more visitors to extend the fall tourist season. It has certainly accomplished this objective. But the festival has some mighty good fringe benefits for residents of the area. Putting on the festival requires countless hours of volunteer work on the part of members of the South Brunswick Chamber of Commerce, its sponsor, and other civic-minded volunteers. It brings a lot of people together to work on a common project. The festival instills a lot of pride in residents of the community as they entertain others who have come from all over the country to enjoy for a brief time what Brunswick County residents all too often take for granted. A cordial welcome is extended to all the visitors here for this festival weekend. And the South Brunswick Islands Chamber of Commerce is congratulated for its efforts in continuing to improve the festival each year. A Time To Return BY BILLFAVER The fall season shows signs of slowing down, of maturing, of returning. Grasses turn brown, drop their seed, and die. Trees lose green color as the cool nights slow the food-making process and the reds and yellows blaze forth v. before the leaves fall to enrich the soil. The \ VOllthful pxritpmont nf snrinil anil ,, v* ->!'> IIIQ ???M VIIV vigorous routines of summer give way to the calming fullness of autumn, lit There is little coincidence that fall is the time of harvest, of homecoming, of ingathering, of returning. A time of substance and wholeness is found in the fall. Maybe it is the squirrel-like intuitions of preparing for the winter, or maybe it is the realization of a full life and the importance of family and friends close by. Kail is thanksgiving time and the time for deep thoughts. Kali is the time to walk through the woods and fields and along the marshes to find the many evidences of the changing seasons. Watch for seed pods and dried flower heads. Examine the ways seed move about by wind or "hitchhiking" or water. Observe what is happening when leaves fall and form protection for the soil, providing a warm, safe place for seed to l>e nourished, awaiting springtime germination. Watch the birds and animals as they prepare for winter by gathering food or winging away southward. Kali is a time of recycling when basic elements contained in plants, insects and animals are released and return to the soil to be used again. Kail is a time of dying for plants and insects and some animals who have lived out their lives. Not the kid of sad death of a flower trampled underfoot in spring or summer, but a fulfilling kind of dying of a plant whose life has been lived out to the fullest in useful purpose. Kail is a time to return. To return in order that life can go on. either with the renewed vinnr frnm the uiint.?r -0?- .- -v? ? ?. I. ?>tv I I VU? VII mui the use of life-giving nourishment from the recycled elements. There should be no sadness in the fall, for it is a special time as John Donne writes, No spring, nor summer beauty hath such grace As I have seen in one autumnal face. White's Web Of Fantasy Much uwitU attention has been tixused ori It* .teaUi at actor Kock Hudson during tt* |vist week; less has tven said stxxit another well aMBCgHH OoWD known person who also died. wntet A E B Whitr Ellen It White's nan* doesn't nnK a heli for )cxi. perhaps the name o( his nxwt Boyd famous txxsk ought He was the \ author o< the children's classic \i\% * V\ "Charlotte's Web" k?ui?? Children aren't ihe emhr arm .v? ?** ? uirin uir in a single sentence he njoy While's techs, however couki imparl more about s character "Stuart Uttk is *ul! one cf ni) and setting than most writers roukl mother's favorite tanks In a unlvrr- in a entire pace He didn't Just write sttjr class on the animal table we words on a pace, he usml them to studied 'Charlotte's Web" K H paint a scene in the reader's lmWhite has a prominent place on the afuvsbcev txxWshehes of man) adults who base iVie ccai . 1 lie thickly-stuffed manila envelope from NCLA, c/o the Scotland County Literacy Council smelled, looked, even felt like hope. The memo at the top of the sheaf of papers was addressed to all NClJt VISTA literacy councils. "We are approved for 12 VISTAS and mileage for each. So you may make a commitment for your VISTA NOW!" read the news from Anne G. Tindall, president of the N.C. Literacy Association and the mainstay of the Scotland County literacy Council. They say good things come to those who work, pray and wait. Well, members of the Brunswick County literacy Council have been doing that since the council was formed in 1981 It was begun by people who wanted to teach other adults how to read one-on-one, not by people who knew anything about?or had time?to worry about raising money for teaching materials, recruiting students, training tutors and hassling Ci irvr\r*r+ V/L/L/L'V^i I To the editor: I like to think that my children and grandchildren will be allowed to visit the west end of Holden Beach, but Jim Griffin and Holden Beach Enterprises are trying to deprive them of this right by barricading the west end and calling it private property, making it virtually off limits to all but Die most able-bodied who are able to hike the 4.7 miles from the nearest parking to the end of the beach. As a member of the concerned citizens of Brunswick County, I intend to do all that I can to protect tills right; and anyone who would like to have access with parking on the west end of the beach should support this group witli their presence at the next meeting, Oct. 12 at 10 a.m. at Claude Hoffman's residence on Seashore Koad, Holiday Ranches. Help support us in our effort to get this end of the beach reopened so that we can all enjoy it. Maxine Honcycutt Supply Opposed To Closing T~ -JH iu uft* rwuoi : This Is to express my appreciation for your coverage of the Holden fleach west end controversy, especially the Oct. 3 Issue. As usual your editorial policy is (air and accurate. A Brunswick County concerned cilUen taxpayer opposed to closing the west end? Frances J Morton KL 3, Supply Saving Animals Goal, Dream Of League To the editor: Most of us when we carry annuals to the animal shelter (dog pound) have hopes that someone will adopt and love them, but it doesn't always work out that way Many are being killed every month It is possible to keep them only for a short period of time for lack of space let ns urge everyone to have their pets spayed or neutered to help A nncvnlc T n \ 10 w i vniini ? SOPTp. U* K3\t 01 spiders. the smell of manure and the glory of everything " White shared his knowledge as a wordsrruth with others when he revised Strunk's "The Elements o( Style." Writers still struggle with his short, yet difficult, rule, "Omit needless words " White's greatest achievement is in how he touches the minds and hearts of his readers and makes them ??e the world in a new way Even children who usually dislike reading seem to be enchanted by White's writing When 1 was young, my mother tewk my brother Sandy and 1 to the library each week Sandy would rather have been outside playing than inside reading but mother made him check out a book anyway Oct one trip be checked out White's The Trumpet of the Swan " He read K. then checked it out again each week to reread it. News Just I ZTr. Susan * I I i~u m j uoi IOI -3WT. with all the administrative details keeping up with the above entails. So we've straggled along, our tutors working on their own in the field with little support, some tutors without Okuucuvo ill uilC CIIU Ul MIC CUUIliy cJIlU students without tutors at the other. We couldn't seem to get everything to mesh. This manila envelope spells hope?because with a locallyrecruited Volunteer In Service To America (VISTA), we hope to tidy up all those loose ends and get the council on firmer footing and a more visible footing. VISTA volunteers live and work among the poor, making a serious commitment to devote one year to helping others. The main requirements for the job are patience, flexibility and a willingness to work hard while mobilizing new resources to solve problems related to poverty. LETTERS TO ' Croup Work cut down populations, thus helping to avoid this terrible situation. If you do not have a pet, help us by adopting one from the animal shelter. The goal and dream of the Merchants 5 To the editor: 1 am pleased and proud to live in the fastest growing county in North Carolina. 1 am also pleased to be a part of that growth by having a business here. It distresses me very much to see the number of business people in Brunswick County who go outside our county to do a majority of their Concern Is Appreciated To the editor: A thank you to the concerned parents of Brunswick County who brought their children to the fingerprinting of children sponsored by the Pilot Club of the South Brunswick Islands A special thank you to Don Gates, crime prevention officer. Ocean Isle Beach Police Chief Jerry Gurganus and Shallotte Police Chief Don Stovall, who gave their time in fingerprinting the children. We truly appreciate every ones concern for the safety of our children Sherry Kuseman, 1'resident Pilot Club of the South Brunswick Islands Proud Of Home To the editor: I am a resident of Brunswick village ttesi Home at Sholloltr I would like (or the people of Brunswick County to know that they can be proud to have a facility of that type in their county. The staff workers have total compassion for the residents there and see that they have excellent care. Brady 1 eroy long Shallotte ( r\ i inn St. ow VW I ^ ?-* vy IU When mother asked him why didn't he try something new he Just shodF his head and pahently told her. "Mama, this one is the BEST " One of my (nends in high school pretended to hate books, but he admitted once i during a weak moment i he did have a favorite he liked to read from time to time?" Stuart Utile." When a writer can make people who usually dislike books want to mt >rtw Kf k ?imkKitw special And everything White Ad. from his "New Yorker" cctisisv. to las work with illustrator James Thurher to las children's stones, has a philosophy and humor that 8 !ife-afltrming and fives insight into human nature At least such a great writer has a monument to has lite and work Would you like to see it' Just go to the public library and ask (or "Charlotte's Web," "Trumpet ot The Swan." or "Stuart L?Ue * Has To Be ! I'm excited about our VISTA volunteer, one of 12 assigned to various literacy projects across the state to help tackle the state s illiteracy problem. We believe the ability to read and write well leads to MikLXSa 111 IIU1I1J uuiu aiCtw wf life?enabling people to fill out job applications, read the Bible, labels on food cans and medicine bottles or letters from sons and daughters in service, and follow the directions in a cookbook or crochet pattern. Between 3,000 and 5,000 people in Brunswick County can't do all these things, or can do them not without struggling. I only wish our mild-mannered lovable chairman, "Clem" Clementson had been here to get the packet in his mail. Instead it was relayed on to council member Daphne Fournier by our comrades, Hugh and Mable Dutton of Holden Beach, who've been keeping up with Clem's mail. In my own mailbox, I received a duplicate package from Anne the following day. The Clementsons are in New England and won't be back until later in the month. Unfortunately, because of their absence and other delays, the council won't be holding its annual yard sale at the N.C. Festival By The 1~HE EDITOR inn Tn Ponno II I ^ I V/ I t W Wjky w Animal Welfare league is that one day not one animal will have to die. We appreciate those of you who have given to the league and we welcome those who have purchased should Return Th business. While it is true that there are some items difficult to find here, I would bet that over 90 percent of the items purchased in Wilmington, Whiteville, Myrtle Beach and other outlying areas can be found right here in our own back yard. How can a merchant expect to keep a neighbor as a friend when he drives 50 miles one way to buy something he can buy right next door? How can a banker or a person who sells insurance, hardware, food, real estate, furniture, or provides professional services to his neighbors, not return the business? Check closely, the prices are not always lower away from here, Get Rid Of Urn To the editor: During the summer of 1985 we rented, as has been our custom for many years, the Ranger cottage on Hillside Drive at Holden Beach. This will serve to inform vou that this t? not a complaint based on a one-time visit. 1 lather it is written in the hope of a significant action. When we arrived in 1985 we were astonished to learn that the obscene remains of a water slide, the remnants left by Hurricane Diana, still remained standing across the street, still surrounded by a fence and filled with scummy vegetation. Of course, inside the fence the passing public had begun to deposit trash- cups, paper, bottles and other unsightly items. Further, the cement pool where the persons who at one time used the slide ended their trip remained standing intact and filled mth water This is an ideal place for mosquitoes to breed. There stood the ruin, an unsightly blemish on landscape once a part of a beautiful beach. Many of us were amazed to learn that the town of H olden Beach had Employment Pol To the editor With a bowed head, humble heart, watered eyes and drooping spirit, I express my deepest concern over what seems to be racial discrimination that appears to overshadow the hiring oi personnel at the VS Battleship North Carolina. When the cry was made to let's brine the battleship hocne to North Carolina, school children both black and white came together collectively begging dimes, ruckles and pennies to bring home and secure a permanent resting place for the US. Battleship North Carolina Now a appears that m 1985 the assistance si Mack folks is no longer needed as far as being recognised in the employment si personnel at the resting place at the battleship It also appears that no effort is being exerted to hire any person in coo? I Shared I Sea at riolden Beach. We hope to make up for it with some events in the spring. meanwhile council heads (and other parts of the anatomy) went into high gear last week. Doubting Them???. hadn't done as told and recruited ahead for our VISTA volunteer. We want a local person who knows the county and its people and is committed to the cause of literacy?of helping open closed doors through the magic of reading. By the time you read this column, we hope to have found the ideal person for the post, someone willing to dedicate a year to a most worthwhile cause for minimal financial reward, but enormous rewards of the heart. Their goal: to help the council do as the San Fernando Literacy Council wrote: "The greatest good we can do for others is not just to share our riches with them but to reveal tlieir riches to themselves." It's an exciting challenge, this literacy movement and the opportunity now before it. Anne Tindall's memo reflects the feelings of literacy workers statewide: "This is both exciting and terrifying. I really feel, even while I am just a bit terrified, that this could be a turning point for literacy in North Carolina." I V< I membership cards. Save a pet, animals give much love. A member of the Brunswick County Animal Welfare league? AlmaTolson RL 6, Shallotte ie Business especially when you consider the extra time, gasoline and vehicle wear. You should also remember that when something goes wrong, you have that same trip to make, this time unplanned, to get the problem corrected. I ask my neighbors, friends, investors and anyone else who has an interest in the future of Brunswick County to trade with me, and you can bet I won't be driving any 30,40 or SO miles to buy what my friends are selling nearby. I want my neighbor to ap- f Kiwwic my uusioess as i appreciate his. Jack S. Scarborough Holden Beach >ightly Blemish done nothing whatever to get the unsightly mess removed. Certainly health and decency require action. Just how long the city lathers expect the general public to tolerate such an obvious, unsightly nuisance is something we cannot answer. But they don't have to come. Certainly there is within city charters in the State of North Carolina a sufficient grant of power to have that property cleaned up and if the owner refuses to have it done, the city should have it done and require the owner to pay for such action. Or sell it at public auction for the charges. Such mosquito breeding grounds and junky places serve to destroy the one-time reputation of Holden Beach as a place to come. While we were there the slide area became a happy meeting ground for assorted drunks, too. Any help you can give towards getting this problem solved will be appreciated. Bennett H Wall Athens. Ga. icy Is Disturbing | nection with battleship employment except whites. I was somewhat disturbed and surprised at this gross racial discrimination until I remembered that this was the home of "The Wilmington Ten." Jesse A Bryant. President Cedar Grose Branch KAACP tmh Can't Do Without It To the editor Enclosed you will find my subscription renewal to the Beacon for another year Just cant do without 0. Horace W Hall Randlrrnan