1 1 t~r~\0 CI 1 THE brunswick^beacon Eg
LAI IV lV vl Li 1V_> OL4l 1 NOVEMBER Q
INSIDE THIS SEC! K N:
S State She// Show, 2
? Plant Doctor, 7
RANDY DIXON drops a shovelful of shellfish on
to a roasting rack.
JEFFREY GALLOWAY (in photo above) tends to a mess of oysters,
while below volunteers Mike Fulford (left) and Adam Nixon prepare
to hoist a load of roasted oysters from the fire.
Dixon Chapel Oyster Roast Draws 700 |
BY DOUG R UTTER
"?people lined up well before noon on
5. Sstu/dsy cjSsd: !h? makrxhift gate he hi ml Dixon Chanel
JL United Methodist Church in Vamamtown
They parked their can and trucks wherever they ,
could find room along Varnamtown Road, all for
the chance to partake in one of Brunswick
County's most anticipated fall feasts.
The Dixon Chapel Oyster Roast is much more
than fresh local oysters roasted over an open fire. R
It epitomizes the closeness of the community that
has hosted it every fall for nearly 40 years.
Approximately 100 volunteers ? men. women i
and children from inside and outside the
church ? served more than 700 people between ?
noon and 6 o'clock Saturday night, according to
spokesperson Marlenc Vamam
Most diners opted for steaming oysters with!
uombread. pickles, peppers and sauces. Fish din
ners were available to people not partial to shell
fish.
When the dust settled Saturday night, volunteers had served up
178 bushels of oysters, 130 pounds of fish and a sea of soft drinks.
The church raised approximately $4,000.
"We had a good roast. We're not complaining a bit," Vamam said
Monday **lr was a good crowd, anrt they were very patient with US."
When the dust settled
Saturday nighty
volunteers had served
up 178 bushels of
oysters, 130 pounds of
fish and a sea of soft
drinks. The church
raised approximately
$4,000.
They had to be patient. There was a line of
people waiting for a spot at one of the long
wooden tables behind the church when service
started at noon and the line didn't thin out until
mid-afternoon.
Even with the 700-plus diners and long lines,
Dixon Chapel didn't have its biggest roast ever.
Varnam said the church served about 800 people
about four or five years ago.
Blame this year's "low" turnout on the weath
er. An afternoon high temperature around 80 de
grees wasn't ideal for an oyster roast. Most folks
would have preferred a cooler reading.
"We had a good turnout, and wc feel like tak
ing into account the hot weather we had a good
roast," Varnam said.
"We were expecting the biggest crowd, but
from what 1 heard a lot of people came and saw
tnc long lines and didn I stop.
They don't know what they missed.
VOLUNTEERS MIKE FULFORD (left) and Adam Nixon prepare to hoist a load of roasted oysters
from the fire.
Shallotte Parade Slated Dec. 3
Time is running short for local businesses, beauty
queens and other people and organizations interested in
signing up for the 1994 Shallotte Christmas Parade.
Entries will not be accepted after Friday, Nov. 11, for
the annual holiday parade scheduled Saturday, Dec. 3, in
downtown Shallotte.
The parade will begin at 10 a.m. and follow the same
Main Street route as usual, starting at the south-end traf
fic light and continuing north to the main branch of
United Carolina Bank.
The parade entry fee is $25 for queens and $35 for
businesses. Churches, school groups and other non-prof
it organizations can participate at no charge, said coordi
nator Lisa Danford.
The only major change in this year's parade will be
where the entries line up in advance. They will not gath
er on N.C. 179 near Shallotte Middle School as they
have in the past. Instead, participants will line up on
N.C. 130 West between Main Street and U.S. 17 Bypass.
Danford said last week she has already signed up
more than 50 parade entries and expects more than 100
before the deadline.
Entries already confirmed include the Shallotte
Middle School Hand Bell Choir, North Brunswick High
School Marching Band, Sudan Thunderbolts and Omar
Daredevils.
After a one-year absence, the popular Cedar Grove
Adult Choir will return to the parade lineup. The church
choir missed the 1993 parade because it was performing
out of town.
Miss Brunswick County Ashley Summerlin is expect
ed to head up a long list of local and visiting queens tak
ing part in the parade, Danford said.
In keeping with tradition, Santa Claus will make his
annual arrival atop the parade's last unit, a Shallotte
Volunteer Fire Department truck.
As always, young parade watchers can expect lots of
candy to be tossed to the crowd lining Main Street. For
safety reasons, town officials ask that only adults toss
candy from the parade entries.
To register for the parade or for more information,
contact Danford at 754-4032.
VFW Plans Veterans Day Observance
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 8866 at
Holden Beach will hold a special ceremony in honor of
Veterans Day on Friday, Nov. 11, beginning at 10 a.m.
Local residents and visitors to the area are invited to
attend the ceremony, which will honor all veterans of all
wars, as well as former prisoners of war and those listed
I as missing in action.
Members of the West Brunswick High School
^Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) unit will begin
the observance with a formal presentation of the colors.
^ Quest speaker will be Brunswick County Veterans
?Service Officer Virgil Batten.
? Following the address, the local chaptcr of Woodmen
of the World will present a new American flag to the
Supply Volunteer Fire Department.
Members and guests will gather at the post flag pole
for a formal flag-raising ceremony that will include the
playing of the National Anthem and Taps.
Refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the
ceremony.
Anyone who has a torn, faded or tattered American
flag is invited to donate it to the VFW post for proper
disposal.
The post is on Sabbath Home Road between Holden
Beach and Vamamtown.
STAFF PHOTOS BY DOUG RUTTFR
SHUCKING OYSTERS sometimes requires great effort, as demonstrated by
Vfark McLean of Supply. Looking on is his uncle, Mark Laugisch of Wilmington.
PHOTO BY Bill FAVCR
MIGRATING MONARCH butterflies spend some time with us in the fall as they seek nectar
from flowering plants.
The Migrating Monarchs
BY BILL FAVER
? This is the time when we can see migrating
monarch butterflies as they make
their way southward for the winter
season. On almost any of the
beautiful days we have in October
and November, we can expect
them to visit goldenrod, gaillardia
and beach asters as well as many
other flowering plants in our
yards. These special butterflies
appear to prefer flowers of yellow,
oranges and reds, though they also
visit pale blue and white asters
with yellow centers.
Most of the flowers we find still blooming are hosts
to many insects talcing advantage of the last blossoms
of the season. Monarchs move quickly from flower to
flower and compete for the nectar in the remaining
FAVER
flowers, trying to store up enough energy for the long
migratory flights to Mexico and other parts of Central
America.
Monarchs are known for congregating in great
numbers on "butterfly trees" in Florida and California
when they are migrating. They begin as smooth
skinned caterpillars on milkweeds and, after pupating,
emerge as the orange and black adults we see migrat
ing.
Journeys of hundreds of miles are common for
these butterflies, and some routes take them across
large areas of water. The high tide line along the
beach often reveals the bodies of some who did not
survive the flight.
During these last few days of migration, take time
to look for the migrating monarchs and to enjoy their
beauty and abilities to migrate and survive. They con
tribute to our joy of living and the quality of life we
find along the- shore.