Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / July 14, 1994, edition 1 / Page 5
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Straps Could Save Lives, Money a two- tor-one bargain. A real deal. Double-good protection. Not chewing gum, or certain oth er items, but tie-downs to reduce earthquake damage. A grant awarded earlier this year to the Brunswick County Schools through the state Division of Emergency Management will do just that, providing about $10,000 to buy strapping or bolts to secure items likely to come loose during a seis mic event and increase the possibili ty injury and/or property damage. "Well, what a waste of money," you may be thinking. "We don't need that. We're not in an earth quake zone." Maybe we aren't and maybe we are; it's like reading opposite ver sions of your fortune in two newspa pers on the same day. Consider: 1. Quite a few years back one fel low caused a stir in these parts with research that suggested Carolina Power and Light's Brunswick Nuclear Plant in Southport was rest ing directly over a fault line and therefore should be shut down for safety reasons. 2. Brunswick County residents felt the effects of the Great Charleston barthquake that rocked the city on Aug. 31, 1886 around 10 p.m., according to accounts of the era, with plates falling off of shelves and minor structural damage to some types of buildings (Local residents also felt ground movement when a 4.0 to 4.9 earth quake occurred in Onslow County near Jacksonville, but I'm not cer Susan Usher V4 tain of the date on that one. I do no tice on maps, however, that a rea sonably straight line from Charles ton to Jacksonville crosses coastal Brunswick County. Just coinci dence, I'm sure.) The Charleston earthquake de served the title "Great," with exten sive property damage and at least 60 people left dead in its wake. It was calculated later to have had a magni tude of 7 on the Richter scale, which provides information on the inherent strength of an earthquake based on the energy it releases. (Another scale. Mercalli. de scribes the intensity of a quake, the degree to which it is felt in a given area. An earthquake's magnitude, like a radio signal, is the same no matter where you are. Its intensity varies depending on your distance from the epicenter (the above ground point equivalent to the radio signal's transmitter site). A magnitude 7 earthquake is ca pable of widespread, heavy damage. Chris Powell of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has charge of a program that monitors seismic activity in the Tar Heel state. She says there are "many, many" faults across the state. "You'd probably find one any where you drilled," she said in a re cent telephone conversation. "As far as we know they are not seismically active, but you don't want to locate directly over one." With Charleston less than 200 miles away, some maps show our area in the Charleston earthquake zone and some don't, she said. "If there were another very large earthquake in Charleston you could sustain some property damage,'* said Powell. The maps used by the U.S. Geological Survey put us in the zone, which is why Brunswick County Schools received its grant That map showed a squiggle run ning right along the coast from the state line at Calabash into South port. The lay of that line is why Union and Southport Elementary schools were chosen to receive the funds. The straps would come in handy then, serving a purpose similar to that of the so-called "earthquake bolts" that help stabilize the emer gency generator building at CP&L, as required by the Nuclear Regu latory Commission for safety rea sons. The bolts are there, just in ease. We don't expect an earthquake but the odds are, there will eventually be one. How soon? No one's really sure when or where the next big quake in the United States will happen. The U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center in Denver, Coio., estimates the likelihood of a damaging quake striking the central or eastern United States during the next three decades as between 40 percent and 60 per cent. Powell said researchers go back and look for evidence in the geolo gy, but that it's a "very speculative" science at best. As Charleston has already experi enced several times in recent years, less-damaging temblors occur more frequently than the big ones. Typically a fault like Charleston's could expect to experience major ac tivity at intervals of between 250 year to 560 or 600 years. With that news I wasn't quite ready to rush out and buy straps and bolts. And, I reflected, my insurance agent hasn't been pushing premium reductions for that type of home equipment. Then Powell told me we should consider the earthquake strappings and bolts to be purchased by the school system as a good investment regardless. "These straps will help with all types of natural disasters, not just earthquakes," she said. "You can't go wrong there. Those straps are golden." H-m-m. As when one of Hazel's or Andrew's cousins come calling on the South Brunswick Islands. Maybe Chris Powell's on to something. Too bad those earth quake damage risk reduction grants aren't available to private individu als. MORE LETTERS Moderates Disgusted With ' Radical Right ' To the editor Would you believe that William Bennett, drug czar and secretary of education under George Bush and a failure at both, has criticized his Radical Right buddy, Jerry Falwell? It took a Falwell-produced video ac cusing President Clinton of murders in Arkansas in the past and still be ing carried out. This is a moment in history, but I'm sure Bennett and Falwell will kiss and make up before the elections, as both of them have sick propaganda to spew on the pub lic. When things were looking too good for President Clinton, tbey dug up Paula Jones. When that looked like it may not fly, they came along with "Murders in Arkansas." The moderate Democrats, Inde pendents and Republicans are em barrassed and disgusted with the Radical Right flying the flag of their tax-free, money-making "religion." Jim Bakker was just released from prison and must do community work for the Salvation Army, a very rep utable organization. My advice to the Salvation Army is for them to hold on to their wallets. I was drafted and served my country in World War II. We had what I would call cowardly draft dodgers, in and out of the military, who knew somebody to keep them out, or to get stateside duty. Vietnam was never a declared war, but a dis graceful blight on our country and not a threat to our national security. Just study history and you will learn that it was a war crimes act, perpe trated by our government and the special interests who made a fortune off the blood of the poor heroic sol diers who had the misfortune to go there. Those who died and were in jured for our government's crime were heroes, just as those who re fused to go and demonstrated against the crime. ...We have many good Democrats and Republicans in our government, and that is why I have become an Independent. I try to vote for the best of each who are moderate and objective. I will not vote for a Republican unless he or she repudi ates the Radical Right and invites them to take their venom elsewhere. I was raised as a very poor child during the Great Depression. My mother, with the help of Roosevelt's program*, was able to put food on the table and keep a roof over our heads. Unfortunately, too many peo ple want to forget their roots and who gave them a start in life after World War II. Raymond L. Ratigan Calabash Shine A Blue Ught To the editor: I would like to share a notice with you that 1 saw in a local out-of-town newspaper while on business. Hope fully it will pull on your heart strings like it did mine. "I would like to ask those interest ed in joining with the Bluelights Campaign in showing your love and support for those dealing with AIDS/HIV and the continued search for a cure by shining a blue light from your windows at night as a beacon of love, hope and under standing. "Someday we will defeat this dis ease and live in a world without AIDS. Until then, we must do our small parts in cuniiuuing the strug gle for ourselves as well as for those we have already lost to the struggle. We do not struggle in vain. "Thank you for taking part in helping spread the word. The Bluelights Campaign is a communi ty -based AIDS awareness prog^m that continues to grow larger each year." Man Joy Morrison Boiling Spring Lakes Supports Vendors To the editor: Regarding your editorial on side walk vendors in Shallotte: You claim these people selling their wares cause accidents. Where is your proof? You also claim large companies don't relocate in Shal lotte because of those vendors. Isn't that a rather silly idea? No proof again. Families wishing to save money depend on these vendors for inex pensive clothing and toys. The gardener who produces more than he himself can use sells his ex tra vegetables to the public who are happy to he able to buy home-grown produce. You want to eliminate these vendors also. Granted having a tent set up to sell furniture should not be allowed but you don't throw the baby out with the bath water. The sidewalk vendors spend their money in Shallotte eating breakfast, lunch and shop in the local stores bringing business to the area as well as selling their wares. Charles and Katherine Rajsky Calabash SfrWentVJews? To the editor: It's interesting reading the con trasting editorial content of the two Carbons every week. While 1 thor oughly enjoy the style and context of Lynn I can go no longer without commenting on some of Eric's stri dent views. I'm writing to take exception to his advocacy of freedom ? i.e. the freedom to bicycle/motorcycle with SPRINKLER RUST STAINING Sprinkler System Treatment For Rust RG-200 Rust Remoyer Eliminates existing rust residues or deposits. RG-100 Plus Heavy Rust Solution Rust stain preventative solution. ? Safe ? Effective ? Economical Rust Prevention MILLIKEN HOME CENTER The Shallot!*-1 Electric StOros, Bus Hwy 17 ^Shallotte out a helmet I totally agree with his wish to be free to go without a hel met, as long as he has a disclaimer tattooed on that same head stating, if he, heaven forbid, suffers cata strophic injuries as a result of that exercise of freedom, he will release any insurance company, and by ex tension all of us who contribute to the insurance pool, from paying for any extraordinary expenses necessi tated by his caie. Needless to say this would pre clude him becoming a "ward of the state" when his personaiyprivatc funds were exhausted. That way those of with a sense of personal and civic responsibility can exercise our freedom not to have to bear the brunt of his civic irresponsibility. Lorraine Hiester Ocean Isle Beach SUNSHINE BUILDERS CUSTOM BUILT HOMES Decks, Gazebos, Utility Buildings, Remodeling & More ALL WORK GUARANTEED FREE ESTIMATES REFERENCES UCENSED BU*_DEFVBJLLY STREET (910)754-8746 7 Mf WK.mT PM For the times of your life; A growing fomily...a home mor*2oge children's education . retirement As the various stages of your life change, so do your financial needs Nationwide's Life Needs Analysis it a free review de signed to identify your financial protection needs (today's ond tomorrow's) so that you can decide how best to use your resources for finonciol security. Call us today. Phillip W. Chun 4700 Main St.. Shaflotte 754-4366 *1 NATIONWIDE tuet tBiitrc GARRETT WADE enjoys the Surf Chair, accompanied by his dad and his dog. I Tfirintc Fr\r M 11/ Ci i A rv*r,-.r ? ivtt wwt i w iiuii EDITOR S NOTE: The following was addressed to H olden Beach Mayor Gay Atkins and was shared with the Beacon for use as a letter to the editor. The club referred to in the letter would be the Pilot Club, which donated Surf Chairs to all three South Brunswick islands beach towns. Dear Ms Gay Atkins, Enclosed is a picture of Chris topher Garrett Wade, his dad Lee Wade and his dog Zack at Holden Beach during Memorial Day week end. Garrett certainly did enjoy being able to return to Holden Beach. Garrett and his family have been en joying Holden Beach since he was bom. My parents, L. Worth Currie and Elizabeth C. Currie have a cot tage on Dolphin Drive. We have been coming to Holden Beach since the late 1960s. Garrett has always loved running, swimming surfing and Ashing at Holden Bcach. In November 1993 Garrett was paralyzed from his waist down from the chemotherapy he was given. You see, Garrett is bat tling acute lymphocytic leukemia for the mini iimc ? first ? the igc of 5, second at 16 and third at 19. Garrett is now 20. We plan to re turn to Holden Beach this July 4 weekend. This will be our last vaca tion prior to entering Duke Medical Center in July for a bone marrow transplant. We are hoping to again use your wonderful Surf Chair. Again, thank you so very much and extend our thanks to the club or organization that provided the beach with this chair. I know that once oth ers read or hear about it, you will have a waiting list of those wanting to use it Barbara C. Wade Henderson South Brunswick Medical Group Gary D. Ross, M.D. Board Certified in Internal Medicine Samuel W. Kirtley, M.D. Board Certified In Family Practice For complete outpatient medical care and routine health maintenance Wallc-in service and. extended, office hours convenient for working families. Adult. Pediatrics and Women's Medical Concerns ? Laboratory and X-Ray Facilities ? Complete Minor Emergency Care Located off Hwy. 1 7 at Union School Road Open Mon-Fxi 9-6 pm Saturday 10-2 pm 579-9955/579-0800 ROBERTO S RESTAURANT: flU AND ^PIZZERIA .?ifliii'SBL ? - ? ? ? ? ? ? ? mm All- You -Can Ocean Isle & Holden Beach ? Eat In Take Out - Delivery SPECIALS MONDAY NIGHT All-You-Can-Eat Spaghetti Sauce & Garlic Bread $3.99 Meatballs & Garlic Bread $4 99 urn ^SJSYSSL with pasta & Garlic Bread $5.99 Ocmw Tal*
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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July 14, 1994, edition 1
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