Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / April 2, 1987, edition 1 / Page 4
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^ Opinion Page ^THE Edward M. Sweatt and Carolyn H. Sweall .. .PubSiil^ Edward M. Swealt Suisn L'shcr ^i ts= = . t =*?!!» Marjorie Mrgivem Associttm Editor Ella Smidi Staff ffriter Johnny Craig Sporta Editor Mary i'oltii Cffflco Manager Cecelia Gore & Susan Barefoot. .Advertuing Repreaentatitea Tmnnile Galloway & Dorothy Brennan Typeaettera Bill McGowss. t............. ..,.Preaaatan Brenda Cleinniuns Photo Technician Lonnie Sprinkle Aaaiatant Preaaman Clyde and Itlaitle Sinut. Phoebe Clemmons......Clrculatiqn_ Page4-A Thnrsday, April 2,1987 Carter Brought Professional Touch To County Oovernment William Carter, who quickly became “Billy” to nearly everyone in Brunswick County, sat at his desk in the govern ment complex exactly eight years ago and was interviewed by the Beacon. Exuding confidence and strength, he talked about his philosophy of government, especially the role of county manager, which he had just been hired to fill. He noted the importance of communication with depart ment heads and the need for the manager to keep tight reins on their problems. In fact, early on he had forthrightly told commissioners the task they’d just assigned a new personnel study committee was properly his. Carter asserted in that interview that most of his time should be spent on personnel and public relations. He also spoke of the accelerated growth just getting underway in Brunswick County, and said its direction would depend as much on taxpayers as on government. His most encouraging admission was that he was ignorant of county factionalism and politics. Having come directly from Bladen County, he was a refreshing new talent, without political ties or debts. His tenure was the first untinged with rumors or innuendos that one faction or another “owned” the county manager. In the eight years that followed that interview. Carter took the county through hard growth decisions and some traumatic times. There were three hurricanes, a refinery dispute, agonizing attempts to create a regional water system, and redistricting of the county by the General Assembly, to name a few. Some of the m^t severe difficulties have been in the arena of personnel. Carter has seen a sheriff indicted on drug- related charges and two social services directors leave under clouds of controversy. One of these directors dismissed ai\ employee, setting off a personnel crisis that is only now being resolved after years of litigation. There was also the turbulent leave-taking of a health department director who took with him into private enterprise part of the departmental services. The.se are only a few of the personnel problems that have plagued Brunswick County under a manager who insisted most of his attention would go in this direction. But Billy Carter has loosened the reins of authority since that early pronouncement, giving department heads con siderable autonomy. Heaven knows, he’s had his hands full with getting water to the county and devising a budget that could keep up with runaway growth. And in the handling of Uiese two critical niattefs, he’s done remarkably well. Continuing to distance himself from politics, his management of the water problem has been one of hands-on, persistent work, first to finalize a regional water system, then to guide the creation of one for the county. And in the sensitive area of budget. Carter has educated commissioners and the public as to the nature of this beast and firmly kept revenues In line with the eXpenditufeS Of a burgeoning economy. So, if he has not succeeded in keeping departmental per sonnel problems under his scrutiny, he has run a tight ship in regard to department budgets. And, true to his word that April day in 1979, he has main tained good public relations. Always accessible, he has been patient, thorough, and responsive to the media, giving at least the impression of openness and honesty. While not universally popular with cominissioners, he has made no overt enemies, and created no unfavorable publicity for himself or the coun ty. Billy Carter has given Brunswick County so much of his time and energy, beyond the call of duty, that he is now faced with semi-retirement for reasons of health. Medical problems have plagued him through much of his tenure, but haven’t kept him from puttixig in a good many i4-hour days. His per sonnel director says he has never, in any year, used all his We need to recognize the burden of this office and the pro fessional way in which our retiring manager has carried that burden. He’ll be a hard act to follow. Thanks, Billy! We wish you well. Teen Suicide: There Is Help Out There Several years ago a comp«Utor in a local stuftot speech contest spoke about teenage suicide. More specifically, she wondered why there seenoed to be no where locally for a kid in trouble to turn. During a bout of depression she had contemplated taking her own life. A few months earlier, a friend of hers had conomitted suicide. Sudden ly, it seemed like a real opUon. But she didn’t really want to die; a part of her was reaching out for help, dropp ing hints here and there. When we think of someone suicidal, we tend to think of loners, underachievers, people on the fringe, unconnnected. But this was a bright, talented beautiful young girl admired by elders and peers alike. She seemed to have everything in the world going for her. But, inside, she felt like a failure, unable to live up to others’ expectations or her own. When she mentioned how she felt, people didn’t take her seriously. She should thank her ludty stars to be so ludty, they said, making her feel even worse. What she needed was someone who could really listen, who would stss WfiS OAln0 tluough. When she needed them most, this girl didn’t know about the few resources that were available to her. "Why wasn’t there someone to call?” she later asked, her voice cat ching at the memory of how she had felt that long, lonely night Fortunately, she had a strong ChrLsUan background and a friend who did hear her quiet pleas for help that under other circumstances might have gone unnoticed. Memories of her anguish and frustration came to mind about a iTionth ago, juat before this recent rash of teen suicides. My sister Jean Susan Usher called from her home in Greenfield, Indiana. It had been a bad week for the kids at the high school, she said. Along with some other things, a boy in my nephew Tony’s class had cesn- mitted suicide. A ninth grader had decided he didn’t want to live any more. Tony, she said, was handling it OK. And I hoped very muen that was the case. There are a lot more kids out there like these youngsters. In one recent two-week period, says Trish Brown, chlld/youth pyschologist at Southestem Mental Health’s center at the county complex, she heard from five young suicidal callers, all of whom were referred for long-term treatment. The recent rash of teen suicides may be partly the reason for the high number of calls, but recent spr inglike weather could also be a fac tor. Suicides tend to peak in spring, perhaps, suggests one Brynn Man- Hospital physician, because all the signs of renewed life can make a troubled person feel more out of touch with the world. A study by the Centers for Disease Control show that suicide among teenagers and young adults is in creasing—up 40 percent among those 15 to 24 years of age during the years I97O-1SS0—the equivalent of the en- Why suicide? It’s rarely any one LCI reason, says Brown, but a combina tion. Some common concerns she hears include these: not being understood by their family; not get ting along with the family; problems with peers or uoyiriend/girifriend; not doing well in school; having a friend who’s committed suicide or at tempted suicide; low self-esteem, feeling bad about themselves, lack of confidence; feelings of desperation, of having no other choice—that to die would be easier than to face what they must face. For parents, teachers and friends who are worried that a teenager may be having suicidal thoughts, Dr. Joseph Colllgan at Brynn Marr notes major warning signs: •statements revealing a wish to die; •actual threats; •sudden changes in behavior; •depression (crying, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, hopelessness); •final arrangements, such as giv ing away possessions. And if you are having suicidal or self-destructive thoughts, the resources ARE out there. Get profes sional help. A wwiak/-’ivtAa aivuaa tt uo/t days a week, there’s a toll-free hotline service in Wilmington. CRISIS UNE, as its caUed, offers crisis intervention and counseling to residents of Brunswick, Pender and New Hanover counties. The free number is 1-800472-2903. A private hospital in Jacksonville, Bry-nn Marr, has a similar free com munity service called HELPLINE, 1-800422-9507. There’s also help closer by, notes Brown. You can talk to a school counselor, teacher or nurse. Or call tlie nearest hospital, she Said, where a social worker is usually on duty who can deal with the rHE EDITOR emergency and make a good referral for more help. Or, site said, “If they feel an Impulse to kill themselves they can simply show up at any emergency room and say, 'I don’t (eel safe with niyse'u’ and be put or, a 24-hour suicide watch,” followed by referrals for counseling. The local hospital best equipped to d'-al with sulcl^l tendencies is New Hanover Memorial Hospital, which has a psychiatric floor and can pro vide more than short-term emergen cy care. Someone considering suicide can also call Trish's office (253-4485 dur ing weekday business hours or the CRISIS LINE number at other times). Or they check tlie Yellow Pages of area telephone books under holdings such as counseling, ser- vices (psycho)therapists, psychologists for a private counsel ing service. The family pastor is another op tion; many pastors are trained in counseling. If afraid your own pastor might be too judgemental or critical, then a friend’s pastor might be a bet ter choice. You don’t have to be a member of the church to call, she Raid Brown also has advice for teenagers on what to do if a friend mentions the possibility of commit ting suicide: ALWAYS take it seriously, she said, and get help. "They should go to a adult they can talk to—even it means breaking the confidence of that friend,” she advis ed. "Somellmes that's the best thing they can do (or a friend.” If the talk isn’t taken seriously and the friend later commits suicide, she added, "the guilt they feel afterward is enough to trigger their own suicidal thoughts. It’s a guilt they’ll have to live with (or a long, long time.” Better Way Needed To Elect Representatives To the ^tor: I want to piggy-back on your editorial, "Keep ’Em On Their Toes,” about going back to two-year tenns for Holden Beach commis sioners. ' * As your rspertsrs who attend 12 monthly meetings know, there are relativdy few citizens (like three) in terested enough to sit through the agenda with any regularity. Other citizens attend when their particular Interests may be affected, and it’s not unusual for them to leave as soon as that particular item is disposed of. As you know, commissioners are provided with a folder of background information before each meeting. Us ing that file for basic orientation, commissioners may wish to check further (whether it is to talk with friends, review other sources, visit the site, whatever) to help find a reasonable answer to the problem. Further, experience is helpful in knowing where to check, understan ding what you hear, judging how reliable a source may be, etc. .And the source may have reservatiotis about reviewing the detail again, and again, with each new commissioner. So, "citizens who participate,” (your definition) can “throw the rascals out” after two years, nnd we try again. New candidates (using 20/20 hindsight) get their prime sup port from neighbors and friends. They also deliver their message in a couple of minutos ai the "Meet the Candidates” forum and In a few paragraphs in the Beacon, and they can visit registered voters, if they know who they are. In my opinion, there must be a bet ter way to elect our represenatives. One approach would be to have public meetings where citizens could question what Is being done—or not being done. With such badeground, candidates could develop their posi tions regarding particular i^es and, at a town meeting, tell how they would go about resolvi^ them. With a better election process, I think we’d be more likely to elect two/three “good” conunissioners for four years, than five for two years. And when we do elect a “lemon,” make some lemonade. ■ JohnM. Clarke Holden Beach Not His Fault iO urc CUliUl i Dear Southportites, Oak Islanders and Boiling Spring Lakers: I love your part of the county. I have good friends in your part of the county. I was bom in your part of the county. Why folks, I studied county history in your p^ of the county. Don’t believe me? Ast MIz Susie Car- son. Shucks, as a ill ole tyke I caught sand fiddlers on the Southport water front, and as a bigger lil ole tyke I pulled spot nets and hunted log gerheads on Oak Island. Whewee! As a big ole tyke I done some heavy courtin’ down by the Pretty Pond fore it come Boiling Spring Lakes. Don’t chew me out. Chew out ole Ed Harper. I swan he gits everthing at the Pilot that what does the other papers. Tell ya what—ones that want the Vietnam Memorial piece call ole Eddie Sweatt at the Beacon. Spit in my hand—cross my heart, hope da die, ‘ats’ the truth! Jess Parker Brunswick County Vele ra n Service Off icer Help Preserve Endangered Species To the editor: Probably no one would want to be like the men who shot the last See LETTERS, Page 5-A Address Gives A Reason To Hope At the fall convention of the Florida Audubon Society last November, Al Burt, who worked for the Miami Herald for 31 years, delivered the keynote address. The moving presen tation reflected on his develc^ment of sensitivity to natural things in Florida. Mr. Burt related stories about a ureat Heron he called Biddy, some White Ibis, and the Sandhill Cranes. His interests in birds helped him understand some of the relationships of all life to the environment He sayn, about birds: The sights and sounds of birds... add scale to our horizon. The movements of birds suggest rhythm and purposes of nature. Once you catch on to their beauty, the world adds another dimen sion. The sky seems more down to earth, and it is almost as though you have developed another eye—one that reveals new mysteries and delights that have always been close at hand. When someone comes fresh to a serious appreciation of birds and their en vironment, I suspect they also find in themselves an improved appreciation of manner and civili ty in human affairs. Al Burt calls for us to measure pro gress In more ways that just numbers. He feels we need to alook for positive things and remember numbers are not the last word. We need to pay more attention to the con cept of sense (rf place and show a greater commitment of belonging and caring for that place. Our urban lives must be fashioned so we don’t lose tduch with the natural Living and growing things must be a part of our experience. Without these, Burt says, "we develop nrnhlenu nf the ^irit and hopelessness.” He continues, "Each Floridian needs a friend like we had in Biddy the heron, and each Floridian needs to hear the Sandhill Cranes yodel... and each Floridian needs a little chapel of the sky... where the Ibises come rushing over at sunset Not everyone can have these exact things, but in Florida everybody can find something ... With that maybe we could get away from the preoc cupation with numbers and concen trate on values. With that maybe there would be a better appeciation of the spirit and soul of natural Florida. And with that, maybe we would not have to work so hard to find reasons to hg>e.” If we will substitute Brunswick County for Florida in hU snM>ch, these good words have a lot to say to us. Perhaps we can learn from others witat happeru and how we can save the good things as we move along the roads of progress. Last week I learned something about the sometimes tcnchy role the media plays in covering ar. issue. I was subpoenaed to testify in court (or a defendant whom I had written an article about while I was employed at another newspaper. Following the trial another r.cwspapcr reporter remarked, "We did all the research for this case.” She and I also wondered If maybe the local media were also on trial. It was a relatively minor incident that brought or, the defendant’s ar rest and subsequent trial. But there was one thing that set It apart from the many similiar cases that judges Last Week's Trial Brought Out Importance Of Media's Role Siear everyday—the defendant was running for public office at the time the Incident occurred. During the trial the only evidence presented to the court was the numerous newspaper accounts of the incident. Every reporter within a SO-mile radius had been called to testify as to who told whom \riiat The defendant was eventataliy ac quitted of the charges. But during the trial both the prosecuting attorney and the defenduit’s attorney relied solely or. media accounts of the inci dent. The defendant’s attorney claimed (he Incident was deliberate- iy instigated (or the purpose of creating a media event After hearing testlmany from both sides of the issue, it would have been hard not to agree with that attorney. It’s not that unusual (or certain groups or persons to attempt to use the media. Terrorists have been do ing it for years. In order to get the at tention of the world through televi sion and front-page headlines they threaten lives. In this case the testimony from both sides indicated the same thing—that by attracting media at tention persona on one side of the issue hoped to make a point about a larger Inue that exists in that com munity, racial tensions. I don’t regret having covered Um story. A public figure was involved and the public needed to know if this person’s ability to be fair and honest was in question. But from now on I’ll always ques tion the reas»i3 why a group or in dividual actively sedcs publicity in this type of situation. The local media in that area did what it should have done—it kept the public informed about the facts without distorting them. The three newspapers and one television sta tion that covered the event talked to on both SiucB ^ the issue presented both sides when reporting it The fact that we reported the Inci dent didn’t change the larger issue, but it did focus more attention to it. After the trial the other reporters and I found ourselves thinking more about the larger issue than the actual Incident that we had reported. We wondered if by reporting the in cident we fa.nned the flames of racial tension In that community. And we pondered what the consequences would have been had we chosen not to report it I feel like we did what we should have. We didn't create or chang* the racial attitudes in that county. We simply presented the facts and left it up to the public and the court to decide who was right or wrong. ,)
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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April 2, 1987, edition 1
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