Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / May 26, 1994, edition 1 / Page 11
Part of The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
mmmMim gK INSIDE THIS SECTION: 1 ItVsOt- fVl/^ CI 111 mmawiiWii U1 AJC1 lllC OUi 1 ?? [CP ? Calendar of events, 6 IBmk ?an 71 h? IBMMzb Surf Chairs Free Elderly, Disabled To Enjoy Strand BY SUSAN USHER It rides so smoothly!" South Brunswick Islands Pilot Club President Martha Jo Hall reports gleefully after | hriff cnin alnna ttv dnnH ?? IIaMiwi lUarh Clumps of tan, moist sand ding to yellow bubble tires aim a siiu sea bins tugs ai the bright b?U- tilted ass Kygjja Hal! jwwmam a nyj fmm ? wirf ?f'f* Jjjj chair attendant, lean Miiier, a feiiow Fiiot nudges uk Surf Chair into the water's edge. "This is great! Now if I could just catch a fish!" She's serious. So is the Surf Chair. Hall doesn't need this colorful and sturdy set of wheels, but there are others who love the tang of salt air and the crash of the surf who could make good use of it That's why the Pilot Club recently donated one Surf Chair to each of the three local beach towns. Ocean Isle Beach, Sunset Beach and Hokden Beach. reopie like Ruth Coppeogc of Twin I wra, who hasn't been out on the beach strand in five years, though there are few places she would rather have been. That's why 1 moved down here, to be near the beach," says Ruth. "I like being down on the bench. 1 used to walk it And I love going into the water." With her left side paralyzed as the result of a stroke, a wheelchair maneuvered by her husband, Channing, pro vides Ruth mobility. But there are still places she can't go. Sunset Beach has two public walkways to the beach that are accessible in ibe physically hamtkapped or dis abled. They're at Third Street and at the gazebo at the toot of Sunset Boulevard. As a matter of practicality they cmw gradually over the dunes and come to rest in dry sand. "I can co op to the edge of the beach bat I cast go down on it The wheels of my regular wheelchair sink and it's too hard to push." So she sits in the sun near the gairbo, with a good view of the pamnly of human activity on the beach in summer and* quieter moments at other times, if Ruth gets too hot she cajoles Channing into taking a sand pail and splashing her with a little ocean water. Channing. a member of the Smart Bench planning and inning board, spotted the chair penhed in a corner at tram hall the day it arrived last week. Like Ibwn Administrator Linda Fluegei, be was eager u> share the news with Ruth. "Linda said she couldn't wait to call and tell me it was Here," Ruth said. "She called me first It was good "Custom-made in Daytona Beach, Fla., a fully equipped Surf Chair costs more than $1,000 and can ac commodate a passenger weighing up to 300 pounds. Comfy bright uiue ny ion mesh cushioning tests on a frame of white PVC pipe, with a matching foot rest A iagS, b!se chsbk umbrella offers some protection from the son, while big, inflatable yellow tires roil ism JsL* chair even more versatile, aad the anas are removaMa to farililati 'mtfr* from a regular wheelchair. Necessities to the handy carryall altar hr? to the back of the chair. Strapping accures the passenger from any unexpected tilt. Even the Surf Chair has its limits; it is only as good and as safe as the attendant who pushes it The chair is so lishtweisfat it doesn't take much of a sea twees ? send it roiling akmg the facara; brake levers help hold it in plaoe. While the Surf Chair handles well along the water's edge, move into water deeper than six inches aad the chair floats out of control aad caa easily topple over. But it doesVfaat no other chair can make the beach _ -? ?1i1b.1i. ?2 - 11 * ? *? s ? s place tne ciocny, poysicmiiy ninnK.j^j|jcu ion cumdacu can enjoy more frdly. "Anyone who caat get to the beach ttraod without ?iifwx," said Wendy Milazzo, fanrirsitmg chairman for the Pilot dub. Pilot International is a service organization for profes women that gives high priority to the needs of the ????????? J ??? I. ? M. ? ? wlwfc U.--_ '?"g the Surf Chair laat year as part of their work plan. This February they launrhcd a shopping spree ticket fund raker in mriudina with Wal-Mart of Shallode Manager Leon Graham encouraged the dub to set its goal high ? for three chairs, not just one, and dub mem bers and store employees top ticket seller Marie Garvin pitched in and met their goal with the help of in dtvtdtuls rod businesses* inc sEmpb chippcd in for acces sories for one chair, while Pilot dub member Jean Miiia: dakiva tnjTtirrf'j. 55C5SiHHS Ss 15? ikMi'l Beach chair in memory of their father, Jim, who loved the beach. When he was alive, Jean recalled, "He would sit from dawn to dusk on the strand at Hotden Beach," perfectly Thanks to the Pilot Club, more people with physical limitations will be able to enjoy !h&2 setting. All three communities are working out reservation or check-out procedures and intiripafc the Surf Chain will be bix bits at the beach. mv o.:-!. a:, j- j ? o>yi. Mayor Cay Aikiss ? she wgdud the chair akin alone the bench strand during Hall's tert rolL The Pilot CMb's fin?inn mav be imrnt the incntfive the town needs to budget money for a second chair, Atkins added, as well as to keep working on develop ment of a handicapped arrewBilc beach walkway. A spot had been chnaen but was cut away by storm ero sion; the search is on for !???? in?? that offers both beach access and adequate parking. Association has been eyeing purchase oP i chair, while Sunset Bench was delighted to have an organization like |li m TK1 in !? 4f? fn . afc i, | , , ? ...W ??? . -a ??? ? use rcios ao miBiWBg for me town wnen most groups come asking for something "I think when people find out about it, one probably won't be enough," said Fhicgrl "But it's great to have this one. It's going to be a wonderful thing." T/n XA/iiU WilrlhtA I UV.C ivy I UW ? ? ill ? ttiiuiiiv BY BULL FAVEX isbcsoT toS bbdTaod you are obeerv One good example happen fre quenriy on me beach while i am TJg M -? ? I" , T ? I | J --J ruddy turmtooes come almost to my feet aa they feed, Hcmg to be oblivious to my preaeace. But let me pot away the fiahiag pole aad get the camera, aad they skttah when they know I It arema whea we f, n. * ?|?|k |t| , ?-?-?? nee, Docn me Dim to expect LS?!! Eafffj, !5f fffr , pologiat aad author, often wmle about audi eaoouaien. He tella of nomiag face to face with a deer along a wooded path: "He waa the moat alive of anything I have ever ?Ml hi a wood.~TMa ia the aeareat I have ever atood to the wild" Another rime Dr. Eiaeley writes at kneeling at a spring for a driak and finding himaelf face-to- face with a rattler, coiled and ready to atrihe. His whole live moved be fore bun aad be was iatenaely aware of the sounds of bbda and inaecta aad the bubbling spring He The reflex strike was poised as ! drew away.. SJowfy the motuaau im the heat haze, siowty I knew that / might garner my age, tmi oafy by mercy gained away ioio the sky. great placet to oome fine to fine Site poadwi: with wildlife. / thought about that glare he Tkke time thia spring and *um hmd given me: What are YOU am to look a pelican ia the eye, or Uc Radio oommeatator Ami Gear- doing here? it hmd smid. to watch the sandpipers and willets gia, latotaa a atofy aboat approach- When I got started again, I aad gnUe along the chore. Perhapa ing what she thonj^M waa a buzzard drove slower and feb wniflir. yon can "state down" an owl cr a as she drove along a rural road I think it does as all good to hawk, or calch the eye of a cardinal The buzzard wonld not move and get looked at like dtmt mow ot chickadee. she slowed to sec k waa a bald an- and then by a wild mtamt inst keep yocr distance from the gsc. IK fagy ffSZZQ S mm 25 m Uitf wUCIk* ttu WOOQ2SS? ST6 COHW Past National President To Speak memorial Day Billy R. Cameron. Whs, will be the keynote speaker at the Hokfca Beach VFW Poet 8866 Memorial Day program. The public is invited to attend the service Ms-dsy, Msy 30, ?? 1! ' if at the VFW Poat 'loaned at 573 Sabbath Home Road. A native of Sanfutd, Cameron of Foreign Wan of the United States in 1984. He wm the firet Vietnam veaervi to be for the top *?* L<-*> of fice in the two-million mrmhri or ganization, and now serves as a na tional ronsnh? I on issues of con cern to the Military. Cameron served with the U.S. Marine Corps in the SonMwst A an war zone from Angust 1967 to March 1968 in the DeNang area of While a member of the First Ma rue utvmon, ne received wo men mrions [imiiiitii? and be came a sound leader. He earned the Purple Heart with Oak Leaf * A gradute of Oak Hill Academy High School in Month of Wilson, lege and N.C. State University fol lowing his war-time military ser vice. Cameron has been a member of Sanfoid VFW Poat 5631 since 1968. He esrned the distinction of North Carolina Disabled Veteran of the Year in 1972. He was honored ss an Afi Ameri of North Carolina Commander ia 1975 sad was elect ed to the Nattoaal Q? i of Ad ministraboa ia 1977 la 1976, Gov. femes E. Holbouser Jr. sppoiatod Qwawoa to te N.C Gov. lanes R (tat Jr. iai to Ike i ia 190a of the N.C Veterans Couacd 1976-77. la 1986, he aw i of the Tka Outrtaod America, aa sward |iwa by Bob tor of the N C of Emm ia March 1993.
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
May 26, 1994, edition 1
11
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75