C AM A WW ? PHOTO BY BILL FAVER
SMALL YELLOW butterflies sip nectar from flowers such as the hibiscus.
Hibiscus And Yellow Butterflies
BY BILL FAVER
One of the joys along the coast in October is to
watch the migrating butte flies as
they pass through our area. How
so small and fragile a creature can
make the journeys they make is a
real mystery to me, for some of
them winter as far away as Mexico
and the Caribbean. To see the
small yellow sulphurs on a blue
blossom or a red hibiscus is a col
orful reminder of autumn.
There are several species of
sulphurs, and their colors range
from solid yellow to orange-yellow, some with spots
or black margins on their wings and some without.
Our most familiar one is often solid yellow with a
wingspan of one to three inches. We see some with a
black spot on the forewing and a deeper orange or yel
low spot on the hindwing. Some have a slight spot on
the wing and a faint dark border on the wing margins.
Larvae of this family of butterflies can be destruc
tive of crops, and the orange sulphur is sometimes
called the "alfalfa" butterfly. Closeups of these small
butterflies can reveal some very interesting features.
Their antennae are prominent and their large com
pound eyes are oversized when compared to their
head. Careful observation can reveal the long pro
boscis as it unfurls to reach deep into a blossom for
nectar. Adults feed almost exclusively on nectar and
other liquids and are most common on blue or red
flowers.
Migrating monarchs, a few swallowtails and several
other species can be found around our gardens this
time of year. But the prize in October must go to the
sulphurs, who add color and movement to our land
scapes. Watch for them and wish them well as they
journey on.
GUEST COLUMN
Pass State Bonds, Senator Urges
BY MARC BASNIGHT
For many years. North Carolina
operated on a pay-as-you-go plan. If
we didn't have the money, it didn't
get done. That philosophy has
served us well, giving North Caro
lina a solid financial reputation and
a healthy economic picture. We have
a Trip A bond rating, only one state
has a lower debt level, and only a
few have a lower state and local tax
burden.
That is something to be very
proud of at a time when so many of
our neighboring states are scram
bling to pay the bills. But now, the
very fiscal caution that has served us
so well is on the verge of hurting us
badly. Critical needs at our universi
ty and community college campuses
have gone unmet and local govern
ments across our state have been un
able to replace or repair crumbling
and inadequate sewer and water sys
tems.
The reason is simple. In the roar
ing 1980s, we saw revenue increases
of almost 10 percent a year, but in
the sluggish 1990s, the best we can
hope for is 60 percent of that. The
economic reality of this decade is
such that we simply can no longer
afford to leave needs unmet until we
have cash in hand.
It's time to reap the benefits of the
strong financial base we have built
and take advantage of the lowest in
terest rates in 15 years by replacing
pay-as-you-go financing with pay
as-you-use financing ? in other
words, bond issues.
On Nov. 2, North Carolinians will
be asked to vote on four state bond
proposals totaling $740 million to
address the backlog of our state's vi
tal needs. The proposals include
$310 million for new buildings to
maintain one of the premier state
university systems in the country.
$250 million for community college
buildings and equipment to provide
the job training and skills enhance
ment that will keep North Carolina
competitive in the global economy,
$145 million for grants and loans to
local units for water and sewer facil
ities, and $35 million for repairs,
construction and land purchases for
our state park system. Your vote
should be a resounding yes on all
four issues.
Anyway you look at it, issuing
bonds now makes perfect economic
sense. To begin with, interest rates
are low ? if the bonds were sold to
day, the average interest cost would
be 5 percent. During the early
1980s, rates were 12 to 13 percent.
Combine that with the fact that the
state's debt burden is the lowest in
10 years, and you begin to see why a
yes vote is the only possible vote.
There are also other factors to
consider. Bonds will stimulate the
economy. Using a conservative eco
nomic multiplier of two, the $740
million of construction activity fi
nanced by the bonds will increase
the income of North Carolina resi
dents by $1.5 billion.
In addition, automatic paybacks
are part of the bond package. A
large percentage of the water and
sewer bonds will be repaid by local
governments, who gain simply by
taking advantage of the state's lower
borrowing costs. Also, the $1.5 bil
lion economic stimulus will generate
enough state and local revenue to
pay back about one-sixth of the debt
service and more long-term growth
will occur because the projects fund
ed by the bonds will keep the state's
economic competitive.
Finally, one of the best reasons of
all that now is the time to act is that
we can easily afford them without
any tax increases. In putting together
the bond package, the General As
sembly made sure to keep the total
figure to be borrowed to a mini
mum.
As a result, the forecast revenue
growth of 6.2 percent a year for the
rest of the decade is more than ade
quate to cover the debt service re
quired to pay off the bonds. In fact,
the $59 million average annual debt
service we would pay amounts to
less than one-half of one percent of
North Carolina's General Fund rev
enue base.
When you look at oil these fac
tors ? the low interest rates, low
state indebtedness, the economic
stimulus, and the affordability with
out tax increases ? and then look at
the pressing needs of our state, it is
easy to see why we can't afford not
to pass these bonds.
If we fail to pass them, the reality
is that we won't build these needed
facilities in this decade. We won't
see the graduate engineering school
at N.C. State University, or the reno
vations to Joyner Library at East
Carolina, or the classrooms and lab
facilities at our community colleges
that will help to train our citizens for
the jobs of the future.
North Carolina's construction
needs are simply too great and the
financial conditions simply too good
to let this opportunity pass us by. If
we do, our children will inevitably
pay the price.
Basnight, a Democrat from Dare
County, is president pro tern of the
North Carolina Senate.
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919-754-8990
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Handling Of Bicyclists Showed
Brunswick County At Her Best
To (he editor:
Southeastern Brunswick County
is home to some truly remarkable
people. I saw them in action on Sun
day, Sept. 26. when 1,026 bicycle
riders arrived in Sunset Beach from
Charlotte and Fayetteville.
The Sunset Beach firefighters
hosed off the weary travelers after
their hot, 150-mile, two-day trek and
had the first responder unit on hand.
Happily, it was not needed.
The students from West Bruns
wick High School Honor Society
worked tirelessly along with mem
bers of the Shallotte Police Ex
plorers Unit loading bicycles into
waiting trucks. This all took place at
the Oyster Festival site. Then the
bikers either cycled to their final
destination (the dirt parking lot on
the island) or were shuttled there by
buses provided by the Brunswick
County schools.
Under the huge yellow-and
white-striped tent, the bikers were
greeted by the smiling faces of the
ever-giving Calabash Elks and their
wives and many other kind local res
idents who gave up a beautiful Sun
day to serve up a fabulous buffet
provided by the donations of many
fine Carolina firms too numerous to
mention.
This monumental event was orga
nized by the staff of the Greater
Carolinas Chapter of the Multiple
Sclerosis Society. It took months of
planning. Eighteen rest stops had to
be manned. Volunteers handled
mailings and tabulations of pledges.
Volunteers cooked, served, cleaned
up. Volunteers loaded and unloaded
luggage and bikes, provided traffic
control and patrolled the route in
case of trouble, and volunteers clear
ed the route of MS markings and
signs after the event.
In all, 800 people gave unselfish
ly of their time, and I'm proud to
say that Southeastern Brunswick
County residents were among those
numbers.
As a mere member of the MS
Society, my part in all this was small
and the chapter will undoubtedly
thank each helpful individual. How
ever, 1 would like to expressly thank
a few who I am aware participated,
namely Chief J.B. Buell and the
Sunset Beach Police, the town offi
cials of Sunset Beach, the Sunset
Beach Fire Department, the Shai
lotte National Guard, the high
school honor society, the Shallotte
Explorers, the Calabash Elks, a Sea
Trail corporation worker, a few of
my fine neighbors in Carolina
Shores, my husband and the lady in
the turquoise blue top. Talk about
the kindness of strangers!
To the motorists who had to slow
their pace because of the riders,
thanks for your patience.
Not only did this event play up
what a big heart some in Brunswick
County have, it also had a positive
financial impact. A number of bikers
and their families stayed overnight
at local motels, having had one
member drive to the area. Others
had dinner at restaurants in Cala
bash. Best of all, these folks from
Charlotte and Fayetteville experi
enced the warmth of our smallest
family island and the kindness of
area residents. Surely they will want
to return here to vacation, and our
kindness will be returned.
As an aside, officials of another
Brunswick island called the chapter
headquarters eager to have their is
land the terminus for "Breakaway to
the Beach." Their kind offer had to
be refused because the distance was
too far.
Another island was considered,
but officials there cited some bizarre
reasons why the event should not
occur on their island, i.e. the huge
influx of fishermen and golfers in
September, the possibility of a hurri
cane and one other reason too extra
ordinarily odd to mention. It was the
county's only "black eye" and. any
way, it was their loss.
Next year, I understand the
"Breakaway to the Beach" will end
at some yet-unnamed location in
South Carolina. I hope the citizens
there will be as capable of the gen
erosity of spirit as are the residents
of our fine county.
1 have been a resident here for 10
years, and never have I been so
proud to call this place home.
Carol Spear Hemlein
Calabash
Defending Tobacco
To the editor:
This letter concerns the few peo
ple that want to tell everyone how
they have to run their place of busi
ness.
The ones who want smoking
stopped everywhere say that so
called second-hand smoke is deadly.
My sister and I were exposed to so
called second-hand smoke from nine
months or mother carried us until to
day. I smoked for 30- pi us years.
My sister is 58 years old and I am
53 years old. Our mother is 78 years
old. and our father is 80 years old. It
is so amazing that all of us are alive
and well.
I think the ones who are trying to
tax cigarettes off the market had bet
ter start hunting somewhere to get
the billions of dollars in taxes that
tobacco brings in now.
R. Bruce Gilbert
Winston-Salem
Safer Highways
To the editor:
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
(MADD) has been trying for years
to persuade lawmakers to enact laws
to make it easier for highway patrol
men and police departments to have
drunk drivers convicted when taken
to court.
I have given financial support to
this organization for several years,
because I feel that their efforts
should be supported. It is regrettable
that so many innocent people have
been killed by drunk drivers.
All of u? should thank the law
makers who had courage to lower
from .10 to .08 the blood alcohol
content needed to convict drunken
drivers. This will give some aid to
law enforcement departments who
are trying to make the highways
safer for all of us.
John F. Holdcn
Holden Beach
Write Us
The Beacon welcomes letters
to the editor. All letters must
include the writer's address and
telephone number.Under no
circumstances will unsigned or
anonymous letters be printed.
Letters must be legible. We
reserve the right to edit libelous
comments and to shorten letters.
Address letters to The Brunswick
Beacon , P. O. Box 2558, Shal
lotte, N. C. 28459.
Clever Marketing Schemes Use Kids, Parents
To the editor:
Clever marketing schemes are no
thing new, and the one devised by
Reader's Digest currently in schools
across America is no exception. For
the price of an ice cream and a few
incentive awards, they employ a
huge sales force of moms, dads and
kids.
Their over-priced goods have to
be bringing in retail prices for them
and there must be a huge profit,
based on the quality of their lavish
full-color catalog with metallic gold
trim, complete with an insert of ac
tual samples of very expensive
wrapping paper. (We know a thing
or two about printing costs.)
The catalog exhibits doubled re
tail prices, half of every dollar
brought in going to the school, half
out of the county and state. By law,
kids are not allowed to sell. So it is
you parents who must sell or buy,
depending on whether you have
more time or money.
I
Which makes one wonder, why
then, are the kids the ones who get
the ice cream and a chance at
prizes? If you happen to be a kid
born into a family with an extra $60
earmarked for candy lying around,
you get invited out of class to an ice
cream party while the less fortunate
must pour over the books. (I'm as
suming here that all classroom in
struction does not cease while the
privileged are out eating ice cream.)
So much for equal opportunity.
I am writing this on Friday, the
day the ice cream party is to take
place. My son will not be in atten
dance. He will be sitting in his class
room (perhaps alone?) hopefully do
ing what you're supposed to do in
school. And I hope he learns a valu
able lesson from this ? that if you
are born to parents who have a little
extra money, you sometimes get
special treatment!
As desperately as our schools and
local economy need money, I hate to
see even more dollars leaving the
county. Surely there are suppliers
here who would be willing to double
their retail prices and employ work
ers they do not have to pay, insure,
or afford Workmen's Compensation,
unemployment insurance, Social Se
curity and Medicare for. Let Skip
perGraphics be among the first to
volunteer!
I applaud the PTO's intentions
and efforts in trying to obtain funds
for much-needed materials, and
there have been fund-raisers in the
past of which we were active partici
pants. I am happy to bake cookies,
paint faces and donate cans and
scrap paper as we always have. But 1
refuse to solicit without pay for Rea
der 's Digest.
Do you suppose they are allowed
to treat these funds as donations?
And who's paying for the ice cream
anyway?
Barbara S. Stanley
Shallotte
The Owners and Staff of the Little Professor Book Center invite you to join with
us as we celebrate our first year under new ownership.
Super Sale All Day
12% discount on any full priced item in the Store!
PLUS
Register to Win John Grisham's latest novel, The Client
Second Place 1994 Audubon Engagement Calendar
Third Place black and White, cassette tape by Danny White
I"" To Enter, Complete the Entry Form Below
and Bring or Mail it to:
Little Professor Book Center
River Run Shopping Center
Southport, N.C. 28461
(919) 457-9653
Drawing to be Held at 7:00 P.M. Saturday.
(Need not be present to Win)
Name:
Address:
^Phone #: (