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PAGE 4-A, THURSDAY, JANUARY 17. 1991
There's Nothing To Lose
Through Open Interviews
Brunswick County Commissioners were to conduct open
interviews this week of five applicants for the county manag
er's post.
The move is an unusual one in Brunswick County, where
voters have become accustomed to hasty decisions made be
hind closed doors, often without consideration of accepted
procedures.
Conducting the interviews in open, if handled well, could
increase the level of public trust in the board and its ability to
make decisions. That's probably exactly why the new board
opted for this approach, given the previous board's sad record
in hiring decisions.
The new ground rule means that county commissioners
aren't likely to be playing political games or asking questions
that shouldn't be asked even in a closed interview. On the oth
er hand, we must hope the open setting won't keep board
members ? or applicants ? from asking the questions that need
to be asked by each.
Also, there's always the chance that the public isn't really
seeing the entire interview process. At this point we don't
know if any board members have made other, private contact
with applicants and resolved questions they have of a more
sensitive or political nature. We may never know.
The interviews are open, which means the public will be
reaching independent conclusions about who the best candi
date might be. Commissioners need to remember that it is
their responsibility to hire the county manager, not anyone
else's.
A real plus for the open session is that observers will gain
a better understanding of the goals the commissioners have in
mind for Brunswick County for the next several years, their
understanding of the board-manager relationship, and the type
of manager they would like to work with. Still, one must ad
mit, this could have been addressed with a good flow of com
munication between the board and public.
Both board members and public will get to see how the
would-be managers handle themselves in a highly-visible,
high-stress situation, how well they deal with newspeople and
the public.
Kelly Holden, chairman of the board, is right in saying that
dealing with the public comes with the manager's job and that
professional, qualified applicants shouldn't feel threatened
about the open interviews. He could have compared it to com
missioners participating in candidates' forums, but didn't.
Some candidates, however, might have reason for their
present employer not to know they are seeking other employ
ment, and withdraw from consideration.
There's also the potential for applicants, or board members
themselves, to "play" to the disseminators of the news and the
public, to say what they think people want to hear, rather than
what they actually believe. In any case, by its very nature, the
session will be pan job interview and pan performance.
Even with those negatives, the commissioners should be
applauded for their effort to bring more openness to their deci
sion-making process.
Brunswick County has little to lose from the experiment,
and much to gain.
How The Crack War Continues To C3row
On a Sunday evening last May, a
Shallotte police officer made a rou
tine slop on N.C. 130 west, which
makes its way to West Brunswick
High School.
The driver had been weaving on
the highway, driving across the dou
ble yellow lines and pulling the
steering wheel back sharply. The
trailing officer decided to make a
routine traffic stop for driving left
of center.
After pulling to the side of the
road, the 37-year-old driver dccidcd
to step out of his 1977 Thunderbird
to assist the officer with the stop.
When you leave your vehicle like
that, it gives the impression that
you're willing to cooperate with of
ficers, that you have nothing to
hide. However, when the driver
opened his door, a meuicine botdc
fell onto the ground.
And what followed was the driv
er's arrest, prosecution, sentencing
and yet a second arrest for posses
sion of crack cocaine, all in a seven
month period. It is a case too typical
for our society to call it an unusual
one.
Inside the medicine bottle were
29 pieces of crack cocaine. Fol
lowing a search of the vehicle, it
was revealed the driver also had in
his possession another medicine
bottle containing four pieces of
crack and $1,200 in cash.
The crack was valued at $"*,300,
a good week's pay. By order of a
Superior Court judge, the money
confiscated has been given to the
Brunswick County Schools, as is
the procedure with all money or
property seized in drug cases.
There is hope that some good can
be achieved by solving a drug case,
that perhaps drug prevention mate
rials can be purchased to teach
school children to say no to drugs.
Terry
Pope
When a judge orders drug offenders
to enroll in a substance abuse pro
gram, you hope that it's going to
change some lives. You have faith
in the system, that defendants who
either need to undergo rehabilitation
or else be taken off of the streets
forever will choose to seek treat
ment. That way, they will avoid be
coming a burden to taxpayers who
must pay the price for incarceration.
Crack is a crystallized form of
cocaine that is either free-based or
injected. In Forsyth County last
year, a judge was arrested after
making a purchase of crack cocaine
from a neighborhood crack house,
where drug dealers are known to set
up store for selling their merchan
dise.
It is so widespread and so diffi
cult for officers to get a handle on
the crack problem facing the nation,
not just Brunswick County.
A drug smuggling operation once
involved U-Haul trucks and Fishing
vessels strategically timed to bring
in bales of marijuana to remote
landings. But fighting the crack war
is different
Any car can be packing thou
sands of dollars worth of illegal co
caine and yet pass virtually unno
ticed. An estimated less that one
tenth of 1 percent of illegal drugs
arc confiscated nationwide.
Here, after receiving an anony
mous tip, detectives showed back
up on the 37-year-old's doorstep
just two weeks after he was given a
suspended sentence in Brunswick
County Superior Court in Decem
ber. Inside the mobile home, they
allegedly found 28 hits of crack co
caine, each piece wrapped in an alu
minum foil packet, and valued at
$3,000.
It's back to court again for the
stressed officers and the defendant
in this case. It's a never-ending cy
cle.
Having lived the quiet life of a
Brunswick County resident, I was
shocked when 10 years ago I stood
in front of a hamburger stand at
Times Square in New York City and
all around on the street were these
voices advertising, "Coke or
smoke." Uniformed police officers
were just a few steps away, standing
on cach comer.
"How 'bout you, man? Coke or
smoke?" one guy approached my
friend, who nervously searched for
a way to slay cool while rejecting
the offer.
"Not me! I'm from North Car
olina!" he replied.
I'll never forget that. "I'm from
North Carolina!" What a response.
We laughed about that one for
years.
The guy just looked at us like we
were from Mars.
But that's how we saw our home
then. As though Brunswick County
was a million miles away, immune
from these thugs who stalked the
streets selling drugs like popcorn at
a football game.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Article On Sunny Point
Replete With Inaccuracies
To the editor:
This letter is to express my alarm
and deep concern over the contents
of an articlc on the editorial page of
the Jan. 10 edition of The Brun
swick Beacon written by Terry
Pope.
The article, entitled "Fighting
Mini-Wars Here on the Homefront,"
is replete with inaccuracies, specu
lation and exaggerations. I feel I
would be remiss in my responsibili
ty if 1 did not question the intent if
not the integrity of the reporter and
the paper's editorial staff in the pub
lication of this type of unsubstanti
ated information.
My greatest concern is that the
security procedures at Sunny Point
would be discusscd at all. In partic
ular, I'm deeply concerned that
someone would print information
on such a sensitive subjccl gotten
from a third party that had never
been verified with responsible offi
cials from the organization in
volved.
Nothing in Mr. Pope's article
concerning Sunny Point had been
coordinated in any manner with
Sunny Point officials to substantiate
its accuracy. Such laxity is not only
contradictory to good reporting
standards but harmful. I shouldn't
have to remind you that irresponsi
ble reporting needlessly excites the
public.
(See LETTERS, Following Page)
* BELOW PAR*
HUH - IT'S
"RESTRICTION
FOR YOO,
YOUNG- MAN ! I
T^AKBOUR
?mi iA
CAROLINA
CARtooHS
We Need
Solutions,
I've spent pieces of two days
looking over the state's "report
card" on all school systems in the
state.
Based on the information in this
inch-and-a-half--thick document,
some school systems do a lot more
than others with the fiscal, physical
and human resources available to
them. The "best" systems ? those
whose students were performing at
the highest levels on standardized
tests, etc., weren't necessarily those
with the best socioeconomic indi
cators.
Generally, though, a system has a
jump start if the parents of its stu
dents are 1) literate; 2) living in the
same household with the kids; 3)
making a living above poverty level.
Excuses
Susan
Usher
Just out of curiosity I looked in
the state manual to see how Person
County fared. That's the county
where my in-laws live. Don and I
have a good impression of the
place based on our visits just three
or four times a year. Person lies
north of Durham County, next to
the Virginia state line and not far
below the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Rolling hills, red clay, no beaches.
The results of the comparison
surprised and angered me. I want to
know what they're doing different
ly from us and if it could work
here.
Person County's school system
has about 5,180 students, compared
to our 8,408. It has one high
school, compared to our three,
which probably affects the kinds of
courses it offers to senior high stu
dents.
In 1989 Person Schools spent the
equivalent of $790 in local funds
per student, compared to our $719,
and $3,696 in total funds, com
pared to our $3,599.
The system had an average of 16
students per classroom teacher,
compared to our 17 and the
statewide average of 18. Of those
teachers, 23 percent had graduate
degrees, while 24 percent of ours
did. Statewide the average ran 30
percent. Teachers received an aver
age local supplement in Person of
$533, compared to our average
supplement of $985 and the state's
average of $789.
Their student body included 37
percent blacks, compared to our 27
percent and the state's 32 percent.
Like us and lb* rr at of the state, the
study body also included a few
American Indians and Hispanics.
Six percent of their students
were identified as gifted compared
to S percent in Brunswick and 6
percent statewide. Another 12 per
cent were considered handicapped,
compared to 10 percent here and 12
percent statewide.
I was surprised to see that Person
has 21 percent of its students re
ceiving compensatory education,
compared to 10 percent in Bruns
wick and 12 percent statewide.
One-third of the students receive
free- or reduced-price lunches,
compared to 40 percent in Bruns
wick and 37 percent statewide.
Calculated on the basis of the
parents of students taking the Cal
ifornia Achievement Tests in three
grades, 22 percent of the parents of
Person County students lackcd a
high school diploma, compared to
15 percent in Brunswick County.
And look at this: Person has a
larger number of female heads-of
household than Brunswick, about
the same percent of two-parent
households, more substandard hou
sing, more overcrowded housing.
We rank about the same in the per
cent of families living below the
poverty level, though the median
household income is slightly higher
in Person ? $13,652 compared to
$12,883 here. Per capita personal
income there averages $5,424 com
pared to $5321 here.
A similar percentage of residents
of the two counties have college
degrees (slightly less than the state
average), but a smaller percentage
of Person County residents have
completed some post-high school
education (less than four years of
additional schooling). The state av
erage for parents without a high
school diploma is just below 50
percent. Person's runs just above
that; Brunswick, a shade below.
Now you tell me what makes the
difference. Brunswick County scor
ed below par when compared to
school systems of similar demo
graphics, socioeconomic back
ground, etc. In fact Brunswick
County came out near the bottom
no matter how the state measured.
But Person County was another
story. Even with slight disadvan
tage on its "index of advantage
ment" (minus 1 compared to
Brunswick's 4 on a scale of -40 to
40), it was recognized for notable
achievement in three curriculum ar
eas: science, social studies and
math.
Brunswick County, with an in
dex of advantagement of 4, was rat
ed as below par when compared to
systems in similar circumstances. It
v.dsn't notable in any curriculum
area based on this study. I was told
that recent turmoil at the school
board/central office level was most
likely to blame. Maybe, but I don't
buy that as a reason. It may not
even be a good excuse.
In overall achievement Person
County was rated above par. In
terms of student achievement it
reached or passed all state aver
ages: in graduates completing N.C.
Scholars Program courses and
courses required for admission to
campuses in the University of
North Carolina system, in students
earning five or more units per year
towards graduation and in average
daily attendance.
Brunswick County was rated be
low par in overall achievement.
Our county met the statewide atten
dance average and exceeded the
state average in only one area: stu
dents earning credits toward gradu
ation.
In Person County last year 114
students enrolled in advanced
placement classes and took 157 AP
exams. In Brunswick County, the
larger of the two systems, only 39
students were enrolled in one or
more AP classes. They took only
47 exams.
Person County students scored
an average of 776 on the SAT in
1989, compared to Brunswick
County's 784. In 1990, Person's av
erage score was up to 821, com
pared to 796 in Brunswick. Of
course, we don't have a profile of
how many and which students were
tested. And that could make a lot of
difference.
The paperwork doesn't show it
and it would take some research to
prove it, but I think three things are
important in accounting for the dif
ference:
1) How we use the resources we
have. A few nights ago the county
school board spent $2,000 to help
pay one teacher's way to Russia
and another $1,500 for two teach
ers to make a presentation at a
Boston conference. Both would
have been nice gestures if the
Brunswick County Schools were
rolling in money.
But back at home other class
room teachers are begging in the
community for money and supplies
and initialing mandated new pro
grams in their classrooms with in
adequate in-service training.
When the Brunswick County Ed
ucational Foundation surveyed
schools to see what they needed
money for, administrators and
teachers were begging for basic
supplies and equipment That same
$3,500 spent on three people last
week could have bought a nice
computer for a classroom, or en
ough software for several class
rooms. It could have bought a lot of
books to support the system's latest
fad in reading and language arts in
struction. It could have paid for a
lot of in-service instruction time for
teachers trying to use new pro
grams in their classrooms.
2) Leadership and decision-mak
ing or the lack of it. We blame the
Brunswick County Board of Edu
cation for a great deal. Much of
that blame is deserved. They set the
tone and direction for the entire
school system. If they don't know
where the school system's going,
the rest of us don't either. But a
board can only make good deci
sions if it gets good information
from its central office staff. That
hasn't been happening, but I don't
know whether it's because board
members haven't been asking the
right questions or because staff
members don't know die answers.
3) Expectations. If we don't ex
pect enough from students, from
parents or from educators, we cer
tainly won't get it. When you re
ward mediocrity, then that's exactly
what you receive ? just more of it
I'm tired of hearing lame excus
es. I want to see some action.
How about you?