ill 0k
PHOTO BY BILL FAVtR
THE TERNS have abilities to sense direction and routes we often cannot understand.
Global Wings
BY BILL FAVER
One of the very real mysteries faced by scientists is
the ability of so many species of birds to sense direc
tion and to remember routes and
surroundings. Migration studies
have shown remarkable instincts
and insights, and many of them
arc hard to explain.
In one species of the terns, the
adult birds fly to the far north, nest
and rear their young. The adults
then fly to a point where all the
adults gather before returning to
their wintering grounds. The
young are unable to leave with
them, but fly a direct route ? one they have never
flown before - with no guide to lead them. They arrive
on time to spend the winter with the adults. This has
baffled the experts for years and wiil for many years to
come.
In his studies with homing pigeons, Charles Walcoit
wrote:
We have learned that the pigeon senses a world
quite different from ours ? a world of pressure chan
FAVER
ges, infrasonic sounds, polarized light , subtle vibra
tions, naturally fluctuating magnetic fields, and per
haps other cues yet to be discovered.
? (Natural History, Nov. 1489)
I take this to mean there is a great deal we still do
not know about the world we live in and how the nat
ural forces and systems operate.
After observing terns for several years, John Hay,
author of The Bird Of Light, made this observation:
We speed ahead, though with a remarkable lack of
inner confidence. We make much of the change we
are responsible for, but scarcely know where it is tak
ing us. ...Ignorant of what moves us, we claim the
planet for ourselves. I saw how the terns, more pre
cise about their chosen ground, ready in their perfect
wings to meet variety, coming on again to fish and
breed.. .were in a sense on these islands ahead of us..
We needed their wisdom...
We hear a lot about our "global environment" and
the "global economy." We arc just beginning to think
globally, to break out of our boundaries. Perhaps the
terns have been a part of the "global wings" since the
beginning. And we, indeed, might learn from them.
MORE LETTERS
Schools7 Early Dismissal Plans
Difficult For Working Parents
The following letter was addressed
to the Brunswick County Board of
Education; a copy was provided as
a letter to the editor.
Dear sirs:
This year the Brunswick County
School Board gave the elementary,
middle, and high schools the option
of dismissing classes early one day
each week. Each school established
their own scheduled day and time.
Most have opted for Wednesday;
however, the release time varies
from 12:30 to 1:30. At least one
school has opted to forgo the policy
altogether. The consequences of this
action are obviously not fully under
stood by the people in authority.
The following information was
provided by the Brunswick County
Department of Social Services and
the Brunswick County Planning
Departsent, 1990 census:
?The Community Standard of
Brunswick County guideline investi
gates unattended children under the
age of 13. North Carolina fire law
will not permit a child under the age
of 9 to be left alone. They must be
cared for by an older, competent in
dividual.
?Approximately 5,200 students
in Brunswick County are from
homes in which both parents work.
?Approximately 1,600 students
in Brunswick County are in single
parent homes, with that parent work
ing.
A survey of some child care facil
ities in Brunswick County found
that most would not provide child
care to the older children for one
half day each week. Those that do
charge a minimum of $8 a day for
one child. Parents must provide
transportation from school to the fa
cility.
School bus transportation this
year will not allow children to ride
any bus other than the one assigned,
and they must get on and off at their
regular stop. (Each school has their
own variation on this policy.) This
means that if a parent does find
someone to care for their child, they
may have difficulty in getting them
to the care giver's establishment.
Some of the elementary schools
do offer after-school care, provided
by the YWCA. This service is not
provided for the older pre-adoles
cents, and it is not cost effective to
establish for only one day a week at
the middle schools. If transportation
can be worked out, this service may
be provided at the hosting school.
However, many parents cannot af
ford the additional expense associat
ed with this service.
Some other alternatives to this
policy should be considered:
?Consider dismissing classes ear
ly only once a month, as other schoo
systems are doing.
?Continue classcs with volunteer
parents substitute teaching during
this time, or provide enrichment pro
grams.
?A full day out of school once a
month could mean parents taking a
day of vacation, if they have it or
easier placement with child-care
givers.Understand this will extend
the school year.
?Offer a program at the high
schools for students to have the op
portunity to care for these younger
students at the schools or in the
homes.
?Some parents work 10-hour
days and have Fridays off. Consider
this day instead, it would reduce the
numbers of unattended children
some, but not significantly.
There are many other suggestions
System Worked
To the editor:
Once again the Town of Sunset
Beach has had a chance to see the
effectiveness of our emergency
teams and how well they respond to
unexpected misfortune.
On Friday, Aug. 27, a shrimp boat
ran aground and broke up on the
beach. The emergency units and rep
resentatives that responded included
Sunset Beach Police and town em
ployees. In addition there were the
first responder from Sunset Beach
Fire Department, Ocean Isle
Emergency Unit, the Coast Guard
and, of course, Cecil Logan of the
Brunswick Emergency Manage
ment.
To all of these people who have
such concern for the welfare of peo
ple, we are grateful. They have al
ways come through for us, and we
recognize their professionalism and
competence.
With the threat of a hurricane
coming in our direction, it was nec
essary to remove the flotsam and jet
sam as expeditiously as possible.
Our town employees undertook the
task, aided by their own families as
well as residents and visitors.
that could be considered. Employ
ers frown on parents asking for addi
tional time off to care for their chil
dren. Parents cannot take the risk of
losing needed employment.
The working parents of Bruns
wick County realize that teachers
need additional time to do the ad
ministrative duties required by their
jobs, and time to receive additional
training. "Staff development" is
very important for the continued rise
in test scores, and the education of
our children.
They also understand that schools
are not baby-sitting services. Yet,
every parent is comfortable knowing
that if something does happen to
their child, it will be handled in a
professional manner.
The weekly early dismissal of
children does not appear to be the
best solution to an ongoing problem.
Take a look at the problems encoun
tered during bad weather dismissals
and apply them each week. Will it
take a child removed from a home,
hurt, or worse for you to see the ad
verse impacts of this decision?
Eva Corbett
Winnabow
During Mishap
Together they picked up debris and
stacked it.
Sea Trail Corp. granted the town
permission to use a portion of their
property as a way station for the col
lection of the debris. This facilitated
the removal of it from the beach,
since each truck did not have to
make the round trip to the county
landfill and minimized the time
beach visitors were inconvenienced.
We recently saw people in the
Midwest working to help others dur
ing the floods. Now we have had a
demonstration of the same kind of
cooperation and neighborliness right
here.
To those who were upset and
complained about the accident, I
apologize. 1 am sure that those peo
ple also appreciate the efforts of our
residents, visitors, employees and
contract workers.
The beach, except for the engine
and riggings, was cleared in about
48 hours, and no one was injured. I
think that is remarkable and a credit
to all those who came together in
adversity.
Mayor Mason Barber
Sunset Beach
Co ping With Flotosis Deprosurfio
Hopefully, by the lime you read
this, It will all he over.
I'm talking about an affliction
that frequently reaches epidemic
proportions in a significant portion
of the coastal population during the
"dog days of summer."
This dreaded disease, known by
the l-atin name "flatosis deprosur
fia" or lack-of-wave syndrome
(LWS), affects millions of surfers
throughout the world whenever
there is a prolonged period of wave
icssncss.
Those stricken with l.WS often
exhibit random mood swings, an in
ability to concentrate, frantic and
sometimes bizarre behavior and an
unexplained desire to watch old
"Gidget" movies and "Hawaii Five
0" reruns.
In addition, surfer/sufferers may
drift iiito a hallucinatory state in
which sand dunes, hillsides and
walls of buildings are perceived to
be perfect, head-high, glassy waves.
Except for a few minor, one-day
swells, this summer has been a frus
trating one for surfers along the
South Brunswick Islands. Many
have been forced to show up for
work ON TIME nearly every day
without once calling in sick.
Which means it has probably
been a profitable season for con
struction firms, painting contractors
and restaurants that typically lose a
good number of employees whenev
er the waves arc good.
Although I haven't seen any stud
ies, I suspect that these economic
benefits are more than offset by the
havoc wreaked by LWS-crazed
surfers seeking other outlets for en
ergies normally channelled into
wave riding.
A surfer without waves is like a
Carlson
Eric
1
cowboy without a horse, an artist
without canvas, a kid without a tele
vision, Nintendo and VCR. it lends
to make them a little crazy:
SURE'ER: "Gosh, officer. I guess
maybe i WAS driving a little fast.
BUT I I S BEEN FLAT FOR SIX
WEEKS!"
TROOPER: "Hey. I dig. brah No
problem. That LWS is a bummer.
But help's on the way. There's a big
low pressure system off the coast.
The wind's supposed to go offshore.
Should be overhead barrels tommor
row. So slow down and live, eh? See
you in the water."
(Surfers please note: Don't try
this on the road. It rarely happens
that way. And don't believe the
myth that consuming mass quanti
ties of beer at night will bring good
waves the next day. This is merely
the rationalization of kooks who see
every morning through hung-over
eyes.)
Actually, wave-starved surfers
have made a number of significant
contributions to the sporting world
as they searched for ways to dupli
cate the incomparable experience of
riding waves.
Whether you like it or not, skate
boarding is a major industry in
America and good clean fun for kids
who might otherwise be tempted in
to less athletic and more destructive
purMiits (like drugs).
It doesn't take much imagination
to envision a bored surfer sitting
around with no waves and nothing
to do when he glances at a piece of
lumber and his sister's roller skates
and has a revelation. (My first skate
board. circa 1964, was a piece of 2
by-6 inch board with metal skate
wheels nailed to it.)
You can probably make similar
assumptions about such popular pur
suits as windsurfing and snowboard
ing. Both have LWS written all over
them. And 1 must admit, with some
embarrasment. that one of the stu
pidest activities on the planet was
probably developed by surfers with
IWS.
Although I have no proof of this,
I strongly suspect that the first per
son to bungee jump was a wave
starved surfer. Where else would
you find the strange mix of lunacy
and boredom necessary to tie a rub
ber band to your ankle and jump off
a high place?
On the other hand, the boating
world owes a great debt to surfers. If
it weren't for a couple of bored
wave nuts named Hobie Alter and
his pal Phil Edwards, millions of
Americans would never have en
joyed the thrill (almost as good as
surfing) of flying across the water
on a Hobie Cat.
So let us not forget the contribu
tion that surfers.. ..RIIIIIING!
"Hello. What? A hurricane ap
proaching off the coast? I've got to
make preparations!"
Let's see. I'll need to fill up the
car with gas and make sure I've got
everything I need for the storm ? my
big wave surfboard, a heavy-duty
leash, a few extra bars of wax. I'm
ready.
GUEST COLUMN
The Importance Of Reading
BY GOVERNOR JIM HUNT
In our increasingly complex society, the ability to
read well is crucial for personal and
professional success. To underscore
* the importance of literacy, I have
^ proclaimed September "North
Carolina Literacy Month."
I am joining the N.C. Press Asso
ciation and the N.C. Literacy Coun
cil in encouraging efforts to boost
North Carolina literacy rates. We
must do all we can to ensure that
every North Carolinian can read well
enough to develop to his or her ful
lest potential.
I was very fortunate in this respect. My mother was
an English teacher and a librarian, and passed her love
of reading on to her children. We did not travel much as
a family, but books allowed us to visit the world from
our living room. Newspapers allowed us to broaden our
horizons as well, and to understand the problems and
promise of our state and nation.
When I was still in school, 1 began keeping a file of
newspaper articles about different issues affecting our
state. Without this love of reading, 1 could never had
learned all I did about the world and about North
Carolina, and would never have developed the drive and
the desire to make things better as governor.
I have done my best to use the power of this office to
promote education, because the quality of our eduction
helps determine the quality of jobs and quality of life in
North Carolina. But quality education cannot happen
without literacy.
Literacy is the vehicle for learning. If you can't do
math problems, you can't learn chemistry, physics, engi
neering or architecture. If you can't read, you can't un
derstand history, politics or current affairs. Without these
skills, it will be difficult to get a high-skill, high-wage
job, or advance in your profession.
On International Literacy Day, the U.S. government
will release results of the National Adult Literacy
E
Survey. The study is expected to show that a large pro
portion of American adults have limited literacy skills
that keep them from achieving their personal and eco
nomic goals.
And the definition of literacy is changing, adding
even more urgency to the issue. An auto mechanic can't
work on a $20, 000 car that's run by a computer if he or
she can't read, write, understand complex computers,
operate high-tech equipment and follow illustrated in
structions.
We are working hard to increase literacy in North
Carolina. Our community colleges provide literacy ser
vices at more than 2,5(X) off-campus sites throughout the
state. They have partnerships with more than 400 busi
nesses to provide workplace literacy programs. And
homeless shelters in 14 communities provide basic skills
instruction to homeless adults.
Recent figures show more than 120,000 adults are
served annually in our literacy programs, assisted by
more than 6,000 instructors, counselors, administrators
and volunteers. As impressive as these efforts are,
they're not enough. We must do more to keep pace with
the changing world.
The luckiest children get an early start at home, listen
ing to a loving parent read from the Bible or a favorite
family book. Our Smart Start program, which aims to
make quality early childhood education available to
every child in North Carolina, is another important step
in improving literacy.
But we must also raise standards in our schools, get
more computers in the classroom, and improve pro
grams for our non-collepe-bound students.
Parents, teachers, principals, leaders, clergy and gov
ernment leaders must join together to lift the literacy
rates ? and lift the lives, of all people in North Carolina.
If you are willing and able to donate some of your time
to this effort, please call my Office of Citizen Affairs at
1-800-662-7952 and ask to speak with Lynn Wareh. She
will put you in touch with people who are eager to learn,
and who will be grateful for your help.
Make money fast. Rid
yourself of unwanted
items by advertising in
the classifieds. Your items
may be exactly what
someone else is looking for.
Advertise in the classifieds and
watch your stuff "sale away."
THE BRUNSWICK^BEACON
754-6890