I Opinion Page THE BRUNSW! L- -I i u a / a ijunmu im t) ?.?> Ssa?? I ?'P i ICK&BEACON . !!. S"ng N?wi Cov?<"vi?? I LAIl; V o?w ? ? ) U I > sj ?? a >ooo ?? 1 K-tUn.UMu Ml 4 Repeat After Dont' believe it. The rur.ior, that is, that Walt Disney enterprises will build a Disney World-type theme park in Brunswick County. It just ain't so. We've been trying to scotch the story for several years now on a personal basis, but it keeps springing back, stronger than ever, with only the spectlic location changed. Maybe people think if they talk about it long enough it will come true. Maybe anything seems possible given the dramatic growth around here during the past ten years. However, to the relief of some and disappoint of some land speculators, | fjet/3 /7i dU/tsTc g?88 Jyy^l ffiUJod Y~~ /pr-r~ ^ < MAUL 01 Get Out Tl" It's Parade When you see the Union Primary School float in the Shallotte Christmas parade this Saturday. 1 want you to cheer extra loud. My mother is chairperson of the school float conunittee, and for the (>ast two weeks our house lias been cluttered with paper and glitter and scissors. '11k- conversation centers around what costumes the children should wear, how big the letters should be on Uie signs and wtiat colors would look best where In other words. I'm going bananas last night 1 was going to go upstairs to my room and finish rereading "Catcher In the Rye." (I should have been going up to listen to the album "Purple Rain" to hear Prince sing "let's Go Craiy") Suddenly my mother exclaimed, "What about the holly!" "Holly who""' ! asked Personally. I thought she'd flipped out and was talking about the character on that soap opera she likes. "The holly for the signs'" she answered The next thing I knew, I was sitting on the carpet pretending to be Matisse with my scissors, cutting leaf after leaf out of green construction paper Tommorrvw, 1 get to cut out candles r The other evening I toid her I'd be I in Greensboro the week before the | parade I was going to hrip my I university's yearbook staff with I some sections do some Christmas shoppum. and see as many movies as possible That ru*ht. near mtdcu^hL I heard a knock on my door. It was Mom WU1 you be back for tbe parade*" she asked "WeB-t-l ..." I started In reply "The parade is Saturday' You've tot to be back' I mean it " She was standiryt on the deck, (Civil* me that "you'd better" look I "See vou at tbe narade " I vast Me: 'No Dis ort ^ "* "ix I Disney has no such plans. Not on Beach Road across from Oak Island, not near Sunset Beach and not at Brown's Landing. Not anywhere in Brunswick County. "It's been all over the county?even in the Green Swamp," says WJ MJLL 73 W c Jji lv I J? ( lisy A L-ofor LAA 1 / J ft?/ V / / ??/ * r ie Scissors; Time! When your mother climbs up the outside stairs to your room at midnight in her nightgown and housecoat to ask a favor, it is wise not to say no. since our nouse nas oecome parade headquarters, I've become a remote control. No Kidding. Mom spends all her tune sitting on the carpet, cutting out letters or sketching designs on a notepad. Whenever she wants to see a television show, she says, "Dawn, change the channel'" Now, I read to her what will be on each evening from TV Guide, so she can make her choices and! will Know when to flip to another station. One "person" who is enjoying all iiR dvui lt.l is my iVt, Cuiuui Colour is mischievous, and whenever mom rattles a piece of paper, the cat pounces on it "Dawn." !?U hear, "come get your sweet babboo " What can I say' We like "Peanuts" cartoons. ' Sometimes though. I wonder what the neighbors think cf these conversations All kidding asioe. Morn has put a lot of work into that float But then she always spends a great deal of time wcrtung an school-related projects gradual papers or making bulletin board mate nab or doing something 'he thinks will help the students In fail Paw* r^lV a*^*.^ J b?? ? .???, UI i?Uii p* MW v> uo But dMl teU hrr thai She rnijtht (H ideas about an EajSrr parade or acenethcxg' ney Theme P Michael deSherbinin, executive director of the Resources Development Commission, wiiicii works wiiii industry interested in possibly locating in the county. "I get calls all the time," he continued, "from Raleigh, from Wilmington, from everybody but Disney!" It should come as no surprise that, modern folklore spreading as rapidly as it does, rumor has it Disney plans to huild that same theme park from Manteo to (almost) Murphy and in plenty of other states as well. The folklore researchers at N.C. State University surely must be on to this r Bi-5" 70>4/ lL/,1 III I ;1^ />/? j S | > WB&/V& Calendar Thursday, Dec. 5 SANTA CLAUS will be the guest at I American Association of Retire* Department, 6:30 p.m. COVERED DISH DINNER at the Shal with all i csluctiis ui uie fire district a little fireman and a queen, 6.30 | WOODY DURHAM, "Voice of the Ti Brunswick Islands Chamber of Co Town Restaurant, 6:30 p.m. social BRUNSWICK COUNTY ARTS COUf public assembly building to disci Midst," Brunswick County Govern Friday, Dec 6 A CHRISTMAS BAZAAR sponsored Auxiliary be held in the inain lobb TURKEY SHOOT sponsored by the Department will be held behind H< Road. 6 p.m. RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT CO! meet at the Captain's Hut Restaur A TURKEY SHOOT sponsored by Cj north of the traffic light on N.C. It Saturday, Dec. 7 THE SHAI-LOTTE CHRISTMAS PAI and proceeds to UCB's main brant A TURKEY SHOOT sponsored by the Department will be held at Holder Mile Road, 6 p.m. A TURKEY SHOOT sponsored by a north of the traffic light on N.C. It GAME NIGHT at the Calabash Volur Snndav Dec. 8 FISHES OF NORTH CAROIJNA wil Hodden at the N.C. Marine Resoui Monday, Dec. 9 OCEAN ISLE BEACH PLANNING amendments to the reeling ordinar THE CALABASH TOWN (TH.M IL c HOLDEN BEACH SENIOR CTTIZE Reaves Fish Camp. 6 30 p m. THE BKUNSWICX COUNTY BOARi Links Clubhouse for a Christmas < THE SHALLOTTE PLANNING BOA! any business to discuss, 7pm Tuesday, Dee. 10 vmi'VTCF* avti rvrormatia^ the Staling Sir V*n Steiakboase in S follow 14) on a Dec. 7 board works SAND CANDLE WORKSHOP at the Fisher. 2 p ni CaU to preOCEAN BLE BEACH COMMISSION AL2HEIMER-S DISEASE SCPFOR room at Bnnswv* Hospital m Su GRISSETTOWN-LONGWOOO VOU. In the AS bctVUns at GrtsseOown. ark, No . . story- It certainly beats the heck out of "the poodle in the microwave," Tire snake in the grocery store" ana "the alligator in the sewer" tales. But while some of us?like me? tend to laugh aloud at the idea of a major theme park right here in Brunswick County, others aren't so quick to laugh. While deSherbinin can see the humor of the situation, he also sees potential. "It's a rumor at this time," says deSherbinin, "but that doesn't preclude development of a theme park in the county at some time. "We did invite them to look over the county." That's right. When the rumors were spreading so well about 1H years ago, the development commission dashed off a letter to the folks at Disnev. inviting them to give the county their serious attention. In deSherbinin's files is the reply from Disney's corporate director of real estate. It thanks the county for the information on the opportunities available here. It goes on to say that the Disney folks have no intentions of expanding their theme park business, but that they will keep the information on file for future reierence. If they've taken up the invitation to "look over" Brunswick County, they're doing it without the help of deSherbinin's or any other county office. Apparently the idea of such a park isn't so outrageous?not like it might have been once when Brunswick was North Carolina's sleeping giant. Growth has been phenomenal over the past five years, though. Our population has increased from 36,000 to 50,000 year-round and to a peakday population of 139,000 or so. The number of golf courses has doubled and the number of beach homes has probably more than doubled. So why not a South Brunswick Islands Disney-type dream come true?if not from Roy and the boys, from somebody else? While the county will soon have plenty of water available for a largescale enterprise, it won't have the rest of the infrastructure such a park would require?four-lane accesses, wastewater treatment, a jetport. . on ?_?-? .... i iicre are a 101 01 elements mat would have to go into such a development." says doSherbinin. Most developers would expect at least some of those facilities to be in place. But a heavily bankrolled operation could provide its own, he pointed out. We may be sitting on a time bomb. Of Events he covered-dish dinner meeting of the 1 Persons, Calabash Volunteer Fire llotte Point Volunteer Fire Department, invited. A drawing will be held to select >.m. irheels," is guest speaker at the South mfT-PrPP mpmhorvhin mhAtino llnrVwe , 7:30 p.m. dinner. fCIL Board of Directors meets at the jss the 4lh edition of "Artists in Our ment Center, 7 p.m. by the Brunswick Hospital Volunteer y of the hospital, starting at 9 a.m. longwood-Grissetlowrn Volunteer Fire ilden's Produce on U.S. 17 at Four Mile MM1SSION of Brunswick County will ant in Y a upon Beach, 6:30 p.m. ilabash VFW No. 7288 wrill be held just 9, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. IADE forms at Shallotte Middle School rh parking lot 10 a.m. Grissettown-Longwood Volunteer Fire t's Produce, corner of u-3. i7 and Four I ilabash VFW No. 7268 will be held just !9. 7 p.m to 11 p.m iteer Fire Department, 8 p.m. 1 be the topic of a free speech by Scott ces Center at Fort Fisher. 2 .30 pm BOARD meets to discuss proposed ice, at the town hall, 9:30 a.m. neets at the town hall i#om SS will hold their Christmas party at D Or HEALTH meets at the Sea Trmil lmner, 6 30 pm fU) meets at the the town hail if there is CENTER board of directors meets at hallotle far a Dutch luncheon meeting to hop. 12:30 pm N.C Marine Bescuces Center at Fort register V.KS meet at the town hall. 4 pm T C.KOtT will meet is the conference pply. 7 30 p.m. NTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT meets 7 30 p m ?