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THE BRUNSWICKftttACON
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1994
B
INSIDE THIS SECTION:
? Calendar, Page 8
? Homemakers, 7 7
SHRINF.RS James Watson and Kermit Fine hum scoop another bucketful of fresh
he enjoyed hy a lucky festival-goer.
steamed oysters to FINGERS FLY as contestants attempt to shuck two dozen raw oysters as quickly and perfectly as pos
sible.
Fun Folks Feast On Bountiful Bivalves (And More)
/ : PHOTOS BY ERIC CARLSON
"HIG NEIJ. Harrclson checks a competitors' of
fering for bits of shell.
he clouds parted and the good times rolled as thousands slurped,
shopped and shagged their way through the 14th annual North
M Carolina Oyster Festival sponsored this past weekend by the
South Brunswick Islands Chamber of Commerce.
A six-inch downpour on the eve of the festival had organizers a bit
nervous, but skies over Friday's opening ceremonies were dry, if a little
on the gray side. Saturday dawned breezy and crystal blue ? perfect
weather for enjoying roasted oysters in a festive outdoor atmosphere, as
long as you held onto your hat.
For the kids, there were carnival rides and plenty of "just-for-fun
foods" like cotton candy. For adults, there were unique and varied
crafts, fresh local seafood and ethnic delights from all corners of the
globe. For the nimble-fingered, there was the North Carolina Oyster
Shucking Championship, with the gold going to Lofton James, who'll
represent the state in national competition next October at
Ix'onardstown, Md.
For everyone, there was music ? shagging style from the Fabulous
Kays and contemporary country style from the Southern Rangers.
There was a chance to make new friends and visit with old ones, to
stroll in the soft autumn sunshine and enjoy the sights, sounds and
smells of the best season in the South Brunswick Islands. There was
time to reflect on the humble oyster, to wonder about that first brave
slurper, to ponder the importance of the tasty bivalve to local history,
and to worry about its future in the local food chain.
For South Brunswick Islands Chamber of Commerce leaders and
dozens of good-hearted volunteers, there was the relief of putting
another big event behind them and the satisfaction of a job. ..well, fun.
COTTON CANDY makes better kid food, says Danielle Kurtz of
Supply.
Fall Festival To Highlight
Anniversary Week At BCC
muaren s games, a costume contest and a magic
show will he part of the fun during Fall Festival at
Brunswick Community College Friday, Nov. 4, from 6
p.m. to 9 p.m.
Sponsored by the Student Government Association,
the festival is the finale of the college's Oct. 31 -Nov. 4
15th anniversary celebration and campus fund drive to
raise money for the BCC Foundation.
The foundation supports the enhancement of the col
lege through programs that include scholarships, a work
study program and emergency loan fund for students,
faculty awards and mini-grants, and serves as a channel
for donations of cash and in-kind gifts.
Admission to the festival is free and includes the
magic show and costume contest, said BCC'spokesman
Anne Marie Bellamy.
Festival-goers can also participate in a variety of
games such as ring toss, duck pond, dart throw and a
basketball toss, for 25 cents each. Hotdogs and soft
drinks will be available.
Special activities are planned on campus throughout
the week celebrating BCC's 15th anniversary. These in
clude a fund drive kick-off breakfast, a display of child
hood photos of staff and faculty and related identifica
tion game, a birthday party with cake, ice cream and
1979 music, and a circa 1979 trivia contest.
On Wednesday, Oct. 26, an auto show of cars 15
years or older will be held on campus near the automo
tive shop. That same day a scavenger hunt for 15 special
items and a rare collections display are planned.
BCC employees and students are submitting predic
tions for BCC's next 15 years that will be placed in a
sealed "time capsule" to be opened in the year 2009.
Auditorium Offers Discount On Season Tickets
Group discounts on season tickets to the first sub
scription season at the Odell Williamson Auditorium are
still available.
Groups of 25 or more qualify for a flat $10 discount
per person off the individual season ticket prices of $70
for adults and $60 for students and senior citizens, said
Mike Sapp, auditorium manager.
Subscribers choose their seats when ordering tickets
and will receive all tickets at once.
The series opens Nov. 11 with The Winter Solstice
Concert featuring Windham Hill recording artists. Other
events on the schedule include a variety show ,"A
Winter's Eve Distractions," on Jan. 21, The Platters on
Feb. 9, a touring show of "Anything Goes," March 3,
The Lettermen on March 28, and the N.C. Symphony's
annual pops concert, with this year's theme "The Wild
West."
The Odell Williamson Auditorium is on the
Brunswick Community College main campus on U.S.
17 north of Supply. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 4
p.m. weekdays. Tickets may also be ordered by tele
phone and charged to either of two major credit cards.
Call 754-3133, or Ext. 406 using any of BCC's other
numbers, 754-6900, 457-6329 or 343-0203.
Have An Idea?
Do you know a person,
place or organization
that might be an
interesting "under the
sun" feature story topic?
Share your idea with us.
Call Editor Lynn
Carlson at 754-6890,
between 8:30 a.m. and
5:30 p.m. Wednesday
through Friday.
State To Report On Waccamaw
River Study At Meeting Tuesday
Local residents interested in find
ing out the status of a state study of
ways to improve the Waccamaw
River Basin can attend a meeting
next Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. at
Waccamaw Elementary School.
The meeting is being called by
Rep. David Redwine in conjunction
with the seven state and federal
agencies involved in the basin study.
In the first phase now nearing
completion, the agencies are review
ing existing data and compiling
summaries of information relating to
public concerns raised about water
levels, sediment and blockages, the
fishery, water quality and land uses
within the basin.
Their next step is to determine
what new studies and information
are needed. From their research the
agencies will draft recommendations
to improve management of the basin
and its resources
Then, starting in 19%, they will
try to obtain thfc resources needed to
follow through on their plan of ac
tion.
PHOTO BY BILL FAVtl
MILKWEED SEED PODS release small brown seed with a fluffy white sail to carry them on the
wind.
Traveling In The Fall
BY BILL FAVER
The fall season is the time of year when many
plants release their seeds to drop
to the ground. Some of these
plants have unique ways of ensur
ing that their seeds will be distrib
uted to soil where they will have
a chance of germinating and
growing when spring comes.
Some even travel in the fall to
new locations with the aid of the
wind or with the help of birds and
other animals.
The milkweeds arc some of the
plants that depend upon the wind to disperse their
seeds. The seedpod of this host plant for the monarch
butterfly larvae breaks open to release small brown
seeds attached to a downy fluff of white which easily
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a great distance when the wind is right.
Our common dune pea or beach pea (probably one
of the vetches) releases its seed with a twist. When the
hot sun ripens the green pod to dark brown, the sides
of the pod snap and twist open, throwing the small,
dark seeds in several directions. Sometimes you can
hear the crack of the pods in the dunes when you are
spending a quiet moment on the deck or walkway
over the dunes.
Some birds and small animals distribute seeds in
their droppings. Ever wonder why there are so many
cedars under utility lines or along fences? Maybe
birds along wires have "planted" them. In the upcoun
try, persimmon-eating raccoons are often responsible
for new trees as the seeds pass through their bodies
undigested.
Hunters can surely attest to the way cockleburs and
beggar lice hitch a ride on clothing and dogs. All of us
have experienced sandspurs in the same manner.
These are just a few of the ways seeds travel in the
fall. We can see from this how species proliferate and
how pest plants car. take over an area. But maybe wc
can learn to appreciate the uniqueness of many plants
and their abilities to continue their survival in an often
hostile environment.