Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / April 15, 1993, edition 1 / Page 5
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PHOTO BY BILL FAVH WISTERIA is one of our most pleasing Japanese imports. Another Japanese Import BY BILL FAVER We aren't thinking about cars just now, though there are plenty of those Japanese imports around. But with the coming of spring, we get to see many other imports from the Orient which pre sent themselves as flowering plants. Among those from Japan and China are many of our favorite plants, such as clematis, chrysanthe mum, camellias, kurume azaleas, star magnolia, flowering quincc, hydrangea and flowering cherry. Ligustrum and aucuba arc priccd more for their fo liage than their flowers and they, too arc imports. Kudzu is one of the foliage plants brought in to help with erosion, and it has adapted so well it has about covercd some areas of the South. Wisteria is just another Japanese import. While there are two native varitics in North America, neither is as showy or as hardy as the spccics from Japan and China. Wisteria was named for Caspar Wistar, an American anatonist who lived from 1761 to 1818. The scientific name, "Wistaria," is truer to his name than the common usage of wisteria, with an "e." Wisteria is a member of the pea family, and this one is a handsome woody vine with compound leaves and flowers appearing in bunchcs. The flowers arc on short stems attached to an elongated axis and can be blue, purple or white. Elongated pods appear after flowering and bear the seeds. Wisteria arc among the best of vines and flourish in sun and good soil. They can be trained to cover arbors, trellises and trees and live many years, sometimes exhibiting aged, study trunks good for climb ing! Edwin Way Teal, in North With the Spring, writes of wisteria: Wisteria grew everywhere, even in the tops of lofty pines. It hung in lavendar curtains or descended in pale purple waterfalls from trees, from windmills, from fences... We can see what he writes about here in our county. As this Japanese import blooms this spring, take time to notice the vine that has become a part of the tradition of the South EVERYDAY FIDDLER'S SPECIAL Includes fish, shrimp, deviled crab, clam strips, French fries, cole slaw and hush puppies. d 11\/ ?? $8.95 qetTfree Sunday Lvincti Buffet Served 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Open Sunday evenings, too! SANDFIDDLER SEAFOOD RESTAURANT ilWY. i 30 EAST ? SHALLOTTE ? 754-8168 Thanks, Cheapskate, But No Thanks Newspaper editors get lots of mail. Most days I get at least a cou ple dozen news releases and publici ty packets, and every day i throw away every one that doesn't pertain to Brunswick County people or places. The non-usable mail out numbers the usable by at least ten pieces to one. Every day 1 get assorted materials from one conservative "think tank" or another, as well as "free, rcady to-use" news copy which makes no effort to obscure the fact that its pur pose is to hawk some product, ser vice or point of view. The Beacon, for reasons unclear to me, is on the mailing list of both "This Week in South Africa" and the Korean Bureau of Travel. And you'd weep to learn how much tax money you pay so that state and fed eral agencies can crank out reams of largely irrelevant and suspiciously partisan "news" written by overpaid and underworked "public informa tion officers." It all seems a shameful waste of money?and perfectly good trees? for all that paper to be generated, only to be thrown in the trash. So the irony was not lost on me when among my flack-packets last week was a news release promoting the Cheapskate Times. Lynn Carison It's a relentlessly homespun little pamphlet published out of Dillsboro, Indiana, "for lovers of frugality who work diligently and honestly to get more than they paid for." I couldn't help stopping and reading. Volume I, Number 1 begins with a tribute to Cbcnczcr Scrocgc: "One more lump of coal? Bah! Bob Cratchet is a man who squanders re sources." There's a how-to piece on heating your home with your electric clothes dryer without buying one of those diverter kits. "We cut off a nylon stocking toe to calf and tic it over the end of the hose. It clogs up after about a week...We get it wet in the sink, turn it inside out and scrapc the lint out in seconds, then slip it back on. This provides about 3,(XX) BTUs an hour to your home, or 25 to 40 cents an hour." Continuing on the laundry theme. there is a painfully basic recipe for homemade fabric softener sheets. "Take an old rag. Put it over the mouth of your opened fabric soften er. Put your palm over it all tight. Turn it upside down and back once. Put the cap back on. Throw the cloth in your di^cr with the wet clothes. Turn it on. Walla!" (Sic!) For the truly adventurous there arc instructions on rigging a home made security alarm with S7 worth of sensor lights, a sheet of metal, an outlet adapter, a power cord, a car battery and an old car horn. There's advice about the wisdom of paying ahead on your mortgage, then getting an account history from the bank every six months to make sure every dime got credited. "Last year 1 saved S250 by checking the bank's history of my mortgage. The bank knew it had an overbalance for a day eight months prior to the day 1 informed them about it. They did not know to whom the overbalance belonged." All good, useful information?es pecially for those who take great sport in pinching a penny until it squeals, but also for people who simply have a distaste for waste. While no one has ever accused me of being light with a buck, even when I didn't have but one, I was intrigued by the idea of getting all the use possible out of things. 1 sadly discovered I was out of my league when 1 read the article on time-share vacations ("sometimes a delectable challenge to the inveter ate tightwad"). It gives detailed guidance on how to take the free trip but prevail against strong pressure to say yes or sign something. Advice like this: "They're the enemy! Think of them as Nazis trying to get you to buy a cubicle in one of their 'sum mer camps'... "If they say, 'Isn't this a beautiful place?' say nothing or say 'no.' If they say, 'Can you see the benefits of such and such', say nothing or say no. "Don't try to explain yourself if there's an uncomfortable silence. Avoid every chance to agree with them." Personally, I'd rather have a root canal than put myself through all that harangue to get a free weekend ANYWHERE. I'd rather be tailgat cd in a Pinto from one end of U.S. 17 to another. I'd rather sit through every re-run of "Three's Company." But thanks anyway. Cheapskate. I'll try the fabric softener thing and get back to you. MORE LETTERS Newspaper Has Environmental Lessons To the editor. As a Native American family, we arc often asked to speak to youth about the Indian ways. Our people's view of Mother Earth is always part of the presentation. This week, wc dccidcd to make a poster for these presentations using newspaper arti cles which report on environmental issues. With the March 25 issue of The Brunswick Beacon in hand, we filled the entire poster. Here arc the subjects: ?"Log inick/school bus acci dent:" The logs were probably from a clear cut which destroys water shed, animal habitat and vegetation. Wc hope they were not local trees. We salvage boards when our beach walkway is damaged to save a tree. ?"County Hoping For 'Disaster Area' Declaration:" One only has to look at the beaches and at the forest from the Holden Beach bridge to re alize the impact of the storm. Indians know that these winds will continue to be more severe. ?'Plans to develop Bird Island," the last natural barrier Island in North Carolina: There was hope in this article that the environmental impact will be realized before it is too late. ?'Search for a new landfill:" We can only "dump" on Bolivia for an other five years. ?'Poor Oyster Season Ends Here March 31:" This is not the first poor season. The oyster season might have been better if the Lockwood Folly R;, er hadn't been closed to shellfishing jo frequently because of bacterial pollution. Every time it rained it was closed for a week. ?'BCC Student Seeks Alder men's Help In Tidyng Shallotte Image:" At least someone is acting. Our future is our youth! ?Calabash is still considering what to do with their sewage. Every week this subject is reported upon from one community to another. ?'Coast Guard Investigating Pet roleum Leak" from a shrimp boat partially sunk in the waterway at Holden Beach. ?Coastal Resources Commission meets in Wilmington "on issues re lated to land use." Better hurry. Time is up! Brunswick County's major indus try, tourism, depends upon the frag ile environment from the beautiful beaches to the unique Green Swamp with its rare plants. People of Brunswick, wake up! Native people believe that self destruction is in evitable. We also say, "Don't let it happen lo your generation!" TTie Native Americans for thou sands of years have had many prophesies about the destruction that will happen when people do not live as one with nature. In 1854, Chief Seattle wrote to President Franklin Pierce, 'The whites too shall pass; perhaps sooner than all other tribes. Continue to contaminate your bed, and you will one night suffocate in your own waste." O. L. and Carole Durham Holden Beach & Lynchburg, Va. Don't Close Library To the editor: Several months ago the Bruns wick County government voted to approve funds for the building of new libraries on Oak Island and in Leland and to add to the libraries at Shalloue. This was indeed a giant step forward for Brunswick County. Recently we read that contracts for the construction at Oak Island and Leland were awarded, but the addition lo the Shaliotte unit would have to wait for the completion of the other two projects. Why? Anyone who has been involved in public building construction knows there will be cost overruns and funds for the Shaliotte addition will be used to pay the overruns. We have also heard that when the Shaliotte addition is started, the li brary will be closed for five to six months. This means thousands of patrons from Shaliotte, Ash, Ocean Isle, Sunset Beach and Calabash will be without a library for that period. A temporary solution would be rental of an empty store in Shaliotte. But funds are available for the con struction. Why not proceed? Dr. Arthur Tcmpleton Bonaparte Landing Why No Launch? To the editor: It is a disgrace that there is no public access to launch a boat in the Ocean Isle Beach area. The closest wildlife boat ramp is at Holden Beach. There are others at Pireway, Navassa, Town Creek and Long Beach Road. For the amount of rent tourists have to pay, it is an insult to pay a fee to launch a boat. It is also unfair to the local people to pay a fee due to the amount of taxes paid to the county. We also pay a license fee to the N.C. Wildlife Commission to have access areas. At one time there was a large area under the Ocean Isle Beach bridge that would have been perfect for a ramp and picnic area. The money was also appropriated for this pur pose. The people who manage the mari nas in the area are gouging the tourists and locals alike. I have worked as a tugboat cap tain all along the East Coast and in the Cleveland area. Each town in these areas provides public accesses and picnic areas for the people. The attitude in this area seems to be that nothing is free. The town of ficials need to realize that after tourist season, the locals arc still here to support the area. Residents should contact their elected officials to solve this problem. It is a hard ship on residents and tourists alike. Jim Culpepper Ocean Isle Beach 'A Big Boo-Boo' To the editor The county commissioners made a big boo-boo when they forced David Clcgg to resign as county manager/attorney. All of them said he did a good job. Even though he was of their political party, they pressured him to leave. The previous board was Republican, but did not seem to hold grudges as this one docs. The board said he made a mistake the way he handled the Houston Associates' controversy. One mis take in seven years isn't bad. These men have only been in office a few months and they've already made a tremendous blunder. I hope this is not a portent of things to come. Clegg set a standard. Let's hope these genUemen can live up to it. They have a lot to make up to their constituents. If they don't im prove, I'm sure all of them can look forward to a short term in office. We voters are not stupid. Ted Mellin Shallotte Kudos For Carroll To the editor: An article published in your March 25 paper referred to the re tirement of Dwight Carroll, Holden Beach building inspector. 1 believe that this retirement deserves more notice by the public, for Holden Beach is losing a great asset. In his nine-year tenure as building inspector, Mr. Carroll has enforced, and enlightened many residents to the North Carolina and Federal Emergency Management Agency codes. I believe thai through his ef forts and hard work, much property damage has been avoided from storms like Hurricane Hugo. His re lenting fairness and concern have shown true professionalism and will be greatly missed. Fine people like Mr. Carroll make Holden Beach a place where people want to call home. 1 only hope that his replacement can carry on the ex cellent work he has done for the Town of Holden Beach. I wish Mr. Carroll the best in whatever he chooses to do, and may he have health, happiness and long evity. William DeFonso Boston, Mass. The Best Volunteers To the editor: Twenty-five years ago I had my first experience working with health care volunteers and was in charge of the volunteers at a hospital. While they were caring and dependable, they cannot compare to the volun teers I work with at Hospice. All Hospice volunteers receive extensive training in all phases of the work of Hospice. They complete their training in concepts of Hos pice, how to deal with their feelings and frustrations, how to cope with their feelings of death and dying, physical care, bereavement follow up, the working volunteer, and fu neral planning. Hospice volunteers are the most dedicated volunteers I have ever worked with. I only have to call them, and they respond with a smile on their face, and a willingness to work. No job seems to be loo much for them. Hospice volunteers are the most caring and loving people that I have had contact with in the health field. They assist the office staff with the filing and other clerical work. Volunteers also work raising funds for Lower Cape Fear Hospice, which is supported in large part by memorial gifts, fundraising events and contributions from individuals and groups. The volunteers provide relief for the caretaker, in order for the caretaker to have some personal time. I am proud to know each and every Hospice volunteer. They all have hearts of gold. Working with them for the past two years has made me a better person. My hat goes off to them. Laney B Ian ton Volunteer Coordinator ailz <zSaunclzri, O.tb. Family Optometry ?Comprehensive Eye Examinations ?Ocular Emergencies ?Contact Lenses and Glasses Prescribed ?Diagnosis and Treatment of Diseases of the Eye Suite 3, Promenade Office Park 143 Holden Beach Road, Shallotte Office hours by appointment. Evening and Saturday appointments available. Phone 754-9687 Member American Optometric Association C190Q THE BHUNSWiCK Bf AT ON Dairy Queen WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF "DAIRY QUEEN*" SPECIAL OF THE WEEK Blizzards $2.19 (Expires April 21) Ser.ir.g rssl ice cream <mu fresh fruit topping since i ysu. Shallotte Plaza ? Shallotte ? 754 2545 1
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
April 15, 1993, edition 1
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