Don't Knock Absentee Owners Who Like Sunset
Bridge
To the editor
Regarding your article "Abnor
mally High Tide Puts Sunset Motor
ists in Limbo," I feel it it totally un
fair for tourists to use profane lan
guage when dealing with Snmet
Beach police doing their job in an
emergency. Let me apologize on be
half of ail tourists.
In my opinion it is equally unfair
far rVi-f P.~.n u ? ?
property owners" for the rising tides
or dosed bridge. If "nearly a foot at
salt water floods the causeway" and
"decks and yards were cowed as
well," it makes no difference what
r
kiwi of bridge we have. Access
tJ ? til., nfc ? ,?
wouio oc Mocked itpfflMi
A* an absentee property owner
this weekend I pnrchaaed groceries,
poach furniture, hardware, seafood
and employed the services of nu
merous miwliw to grt ready for
the rental season. I subscribe to the
Bemoan, pay tans and utilities,
joined the Bird Island Preservation
Society, wnse tne legislator, made
out a check to the Sonet Beach Fire
the SL James collection plate on
Sunday. Perhaps rrasarsring the val
ue of absentee property owners
GUEST COLUMN
Information Highway
Should Be Reexamined
BY MICHAEL LOWERY
North Carolina's leap onto the information superhighway continues
to generate much debate and attention, especially on tbe issue of cost
The idea of the infonamiuu superhighway is to connect via comput
ers and video schools, universities, hospitals, businesses and state gov
ernment agencies. Each would become mote efficient as a result, able to
draw quickly and cheaply on the expertise of others on the superhighway.
The information superhighway would, supporters daim, stimulate
job growth and economic development, save money, improve education
in poorer counties and improve crime fighting.
In its move to the superhighway, North Carolina is seen as a national
leaders, with the most extensive public/private partnership in tbe nation.
Other states, the federal government and even foreign and
gcvsnxscsis ? ~ watching whal uoppens in (his same's move onto tne in
formation superhighway.
One thing that is just becoming dear is that tbe information super
highway won't come cheap. The original amounts estimated, a few mil
lion a year to get the thing up and running at mm* 100 sites across
the state and $514 million to hook up every school in tbe state, have re
cently been criticized as being far too low.
The state legislature was sold on the information superhighway last
year lalgCly uvvmiSC it OuvTCd uiu uiiii low start nip cost Now the total
cost for the project keeps changing Lale last year state legislators were
shocked at a $100 million total which has now unofficially been poshed
up to $135 million.
Induded in this amount ate the additional phooe charges of connec
tion to the superhighway at local high schools ? nearly $50,000 per
school, or a third more than what was projected last year ? which, for tbe
first 52 schools comes to $2.5 million a year alone. Jane Patterson, the
governor's point person on tbe issue, is recommending that tbe stale, and
no: local schools, pick up the tab for at least tbe first time years.
An even larger cost issue has been raised by Public School Forum of
North Carolina, an independent group which ntamuma school policy is
!? Fcb"ja?y, h?p N.C. Dspsrtmsst of Public iasttuctioa estimated
that it would cost $514 million to connect all of North Carolina's schools
to the information superhighway. The Public School Forum, which inde
pendently examined tbe issue, thinks tbe costs could easily exceed $1.5
btllion or about $1,500 for every child in the public schools.
The reason for the large differential is that the forum considered the
age and condition of schools and training coats, while the Department of
Public Instruction study only set aside SI. 3 million for teacher training,
which the forum found unreal istically low.
The increased costs have angered key members at the state legisla
*... ? A. D W. ,?f ?? M ? Li- ?- ^ \ , inimm. Myt I Irrnnr
mhv. no iwp. ituuuu ttvoviu ji. \&s~maocviiicj, cniuuiiu 01 idc mouse
appropriations committee, put it to the News ft Observer at Raleigh,
"You know, we thought the highway was a done deal then (last year). We
$4.1 mSSmm and ibe greatest thing since sucea bread was a great
deal Now it turns out that whoever was in charge was hiding it from the
General Assembly. It's embarrassing we didn't get answers before ? but
this time we will."
The latest embarrassment for the administration's information super
highway effort is the revelation that s highly touted study estimating
44,000 new jobs and $2.7 billion in economic gtowth from the project
was not sponsored by the state, as maay legislators and observers as
sumed, but by BellSmtfh, which stands to make rail Hons of dollars from
state contracts to use the system once it is constructed.
As should be tbe case for any expenditure of public funds. the State
of North Carolina needs to carefully calculate the coils of, either folly or
in part, getting on the information superhighway and compare it to the
benefits.
If this is not done, and there are reason* here to be worried, poor
public policy decisions will be made and taxpayer money will be mis
used or wasted.
The first step should be to make sure tbe information currently avail
able about the project is accurate and free from bias. No good decisions
can really be made until then.
Ltmrey is m fellow mt theJohm Locke Fottrndrntitm, m/tmleigh btued
public policy think $ank.
would be helpAiJ to at mil.
I say if yo?i don't like the pnaent
bridge ad the wait, don't live oa or
come to Sonet Beach. If you've got
a life-threatening illness, move to
the mainland If you like total uni
formity with no hint of creativity or
inarviauaiity ana you need instant
acctu, move to another island.
Sunset Beach is a remarkable
ana. Let's be part of a solution that
uplifts and preserves our uniqueness
and not pit of the problem.
A siren installed and used with a
ten-minute warning before dosing
could solve moat of these com
plaints, lb thoae who had to wait, I
?y Sunset Reach is worth waiting
foe.
A better eolation would be to do
nate the propoaed amount to build a
new bridge to United Way or other
social agencies.
f . fir-l \1/ ^(ia? ??ill ? J ? ?
carol w. L-ostenoaocr
AsheviQe
InTfwionfsNouse
lb the editor
I saw a bumper sticker that said
"Jesus loves you.. .and I am trying."
Then I read in my BMe in I John
4:20. It says, "If someone says I
love God and hates his brother he is
a liar; for the one who does not love
his brother whom he has seen, can
not love God whom he has not
SCdL**
So. what's this all about? Shal
krtte, and everyone that lives here,
better wake up. God says you're ei
ther for me or against me.
In D-Day, African Americans
died for me and you. Whites died for
us. Hispanics died for you and me.
My cousin Rudy Hernandez re
ocivcd the highest hooor ? the Me
dal of Honor, two Purple Hearts. My
uncles, brother and myself served to
keep us free. I am sure your family
has done the same. I thank all those
that protected my rights.
Don't let hatred dishonor the
blood that was shed by Jesus and all
those that died on H-rky. Kofrs.
Vietnam, etc.
Last of all, I must remember
Judgment begins at the House of the
Lord ? that means me.
Paul Hernandez
Shallotte
Surfer's Guide To Carolina Pier Fishing
Well, it's that time ot year again.
The ocean temperature has climbed
into the 70s and lured schools of mi
grating fish and crowds of hopeful
fishermen toward the not.
This spring, many first-time fish
wfaiirt will k* tfccir is
hopes of landing a big ooe (or lots of
small ones) for the family dinner
table. To most novices, that means
heading straight for one of the many
fishing piers lining our shoreline.
Which is a good place to start.
Piers allow anglers to get out where
the fish are biting without spending
a lot of money on a boat Once
there, you are likely to find lot*
friendly people to help you leam the
ropes.
Still, as a public service, I thought
I would give you bswossos s few
important tips to get you started.
Now I've never actually hung a
Saitnrl hnrtlr off ?he sf S *8">u-g
pier. But I have spent literally thou
sands of hours paddling surfboards
around in the water beside thrm So
I offer this advice from the unique
perspective of one who regularly
swims with the fishes.
The first thing to remember is
that fish are NEVER EVER found
where good surf is breaking. One of
the most ??n"i mistakes ""?*** by
beginning fishermen is to cast their
lines directly into the breaking
waves (where the surfers are).
Having spent so much time in the
shadow of fishing piers, 1 can assure
you that there are definitely NOT
ANY FISH down there amongst the
waves.
Think about it Why would a fish
choose to swim around in water
that's churning around like a Maytag
washer when thnv mold b? p** *?*?
fully cruising along out where the
sea is nice and calm? Believe me,
they don't
Likewise, why would a surfer go
paddling around where some hungry
bluefish or mackerel m?gh? ???? ?ir?
a big toe for a tasty scallop? Chomp!
It just doesn't make sense.
So the thing to do ? if you really
want to catch something ? is to
move farther out on the pier where
the water is really deep. That's
where the BIG fish are, lounging
around looking for a good shrimp or
a bloodworm or a colorful spinning
lure to munch on.
A fish's natural tendency to avoid
breaking waves is hr.jghir.nnd in cer
tain easily recognizable surf condi
tions. Whenever you see waves ap
proaching the shore in the shape of
long, glassy walls that pitch over in
to perfectly rounded tubes, yon must
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otatng ana h ?placement
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uo.
winoows
-J
? i
These types of waves are called
"barrels," and they strike fear into
the little heans of all things that
swim in the sea. Because in olden
times, fish were commonly coated
wih ssd ywi in iwiicis fot
preservation and shipping.
The mere sight of anything re
sembling a barrel ? like those per
fectly shaped waves ? will scare off
every fish for a mile around. That's
why the old salts say, "Waves a bar
relin'?Stoy home with Marilyn."
Assssr uuporUn! thing to re
member is that there are a lot more
fish on the windy side of a pier than
on the calm side (where the surfers
are).
You see, fish enjoy the unbridled
freedom of swimming along with
the wind, just like buds. When a
school of fish encounters an obstacle
in the water, such as a pier, they
freak out and hunch up oo the windy
aide looking for a way around.
Thai's the place to hang your hook!
Don't be fooled by all those ill-in
formed anglers fishing on the lee
side of the pier. These are fair
weather fishermen who put their
backs to the wind merely because
it's a little bit easier to cast their bait
Remember, the best things in life
don't come easy. Don't be a sissy.
- ? ? M * ?? * ?
Ixn : grvc s <w inomuc. jiw
load up that line with a half-pound
of lead. Grit your teeth. Stare into
?*? - ? --4 ' uur -
vjv vi use wiau aisu ucavc IKUU
bait where it will do some good.
That's the real spirit of fishing!
While we're on the subject, I
must mention a dangerous activity
occasionally practiced by a minis
cule minority of frustrated pier fish
crmcn: casting for surfers.
Yes, I'm afraid it's trae. Now and
then, one of those "bad apple" an
glers will get himself overly agitated
on coffee (or some other mind-alter
ing liquid) and lose all touch with
icaiiiy. He wiii somehow arrive at
the deranged assumption that he
isn't catching any fish in the waves
because of the surfers.
But instead of moving a little far
ther up the boards (where there
might actually be some fish) these
so-called fishermen, in an act of
senseless desperation, will cast di
rectly at a surfer helplessly paddling
ktou the water 30 reet beiow.
We've all experienced that kind
of frustration. Like when another
driver pulls some bone-headed
move and cuts you off in heavy traf
fic. But we don't jump out of the
car and sling lead weights and
barbed hooks at them, do we?
Tuc criminal justice system con
siders this an "assault with a deadly
weapon." If the aggressor happens
to hit bis mark, it would be called
"assault with a deadly weapon in
flicting serious injury." Both are
felonies punishable by lengthy
prison terms.
On the other hand (and I point
mis out merely for comparison)
throwing someone off a fishing pier
constitutes "simple assault,** which
is a misdemeanor. So while the laws
of physics certainly favor the angler,
the laws of North Carolina may not
All of which is beside the point.
Because there is no reason for such
conflicts to arise. Surfers actually do
fishermen a great service by indicat
ing tne worst possible place to cast
their lines, just as a flock of sea
birds will point a sharp-eyed angler
toward a school of bait fish.
Just remember this helpful saying
of Hawaiian watermen:
"Gulls on the surface... Is where
there are tor-sure fish.
Surfers on the waves-Tty another
place."
araranik
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and
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of ~
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