Opinion rags THE BRAINS! Kdtvard >1. Sum!! and Cnro F.duard M. Sweat! Sihitn Usher Mnrjorie Meghern Jnlinm Craig Mary Poll* Cecelia Cure I nmmie l?aluma\ A Iforotl Sieve AihIitmiii Hill McGcmitu Brrmla Gleninums (Hyde and Mattie Stnul. Phi Page I-A \ A/U_x ol r vvmui one l Louder Tha Holden Beach Commis; clung a lot of flack about a countywide meeting a few ' We can't say for sure wha didn't liave a reporter at the tions on behalf of public ac words. She was Quoted as hav detriment to the beach beci they cause litter and other ] "Day tourist" has been who visits the beach but wl there. Perhaps whatever she s a different perspective if Atkins was at the meeting i beg the state for money to pi and the first public toilet fa She was try ing to eonvii some responsibility to provi able to visit llolden Beach. S it costs the taxpayers of Holt the public and pick up the 1 argue with these facts-1 At stake is a $60,000 grai near the bridge on state-owr ollldit (Mihlin tdilute nionin l? viu\l\n II. .ShcjiII I'uhlishcrs Editor Vi'Jf* Editor Issociatv Editor Sp%. *-ts Editor (ifper tdrrrti.sinsi Kvprfm ntntiro ly llrntnan Tv/u srttrrs Assistant I'rcssm.in Photo Technician oehi? (ilcitinioib ('.imitation Thursday.September IS. I9S6 Does Speaks n Her Words doner Gay Atkins lias been catremark she reportedly made at a weeks ago on public accessways. t was said since this newspaper meeting, but we do know her access to beach speak louder than ing said that "day tourists are a nise they don't spend money and problems." interpreted as applying to anyone ho does not own or rent property .aid on the subject might be put in one realizes why Commissioner n the first place. She was there to -ovide public parking, accessways cilites on the island. nee state officials that they have ide facilities for the public to be ihe wanted to make the point that ien Beach to develop facilities for itter they leave behind. Who can nt to develop a public parking lot sed rights-of-way which would inbles and accessways to the wateronunissioner Atkins was trying to ; meeting to help fund the project. i who oppose the project, favoring ts scattered over the island. It v and a '.at more years to develop can be provided with the present is has served as commissioner in sways. She has w orked diligently lop accessways and public parkccelerated efforts begun by Cotn) served before her as streets and ; last couple of boards at Holden leed for public facilities and have em, despite the fact that it is not to do. Commissioners are elected of whom do not favor their tax jrpose. tunate that Commissioner Atkifis len she is doing so much to benefit >nomic Future Is icumented facts were spread out ild Head Island one recent Satur, economic realities for the rural t as sunny as we've imagined our a report titled "Shadows In The ic development study panel spon oup. Congressman Charlie Rose iunu 11 provocative. Here are its ve grown and prospered in recent ibelt" label, the rural pockets surlily lost their traditional meal lufacturing. ,fen for the gloomy economic picling international competition, inferior education, and loss of /elopment. , in trouble to the same degree as ounties; tourism and a steady in>ing us afloat. ?rs 'AVO fflf'iny thr* ?:imo fAmiun ners are hit with the same ipment. Many small farms have rate is in double digits, among the th Carolina. So is the rate of ilthe education problem, sed on loans for small businesses, ication, and utilizing the specific farm, historical or recreational, ng gathering about the sunbelt's information, well-researched and rrr Vw I IKA I I V. A page m the commercial history of Slullotto disappeared early Tuesdav morning, leaving behind a lesson or two in the charred remains of the old l ewis Shopping Center. The center, one of those vertical line shopping complex dating from the early 1960s, was consumed by flames in a matter of hours. The fire, of unknown origin, apparently started around the rear of Sluillotte furniture. seven units were destroyed, including four occupied by businesses. The flames spread quickly, nothing burring their path as they skipped along the flat, tarred roof from store to store. When it was over, we had all learned something. The first lesson is one about caring, the investment made when you love a community and its people: 60 volunteer firefighters from eight units crawled out of bed at 4 a.m. to help their neighbors. Scotchman employees poured cup after cup of It's 1 Just as summer follows spring, the opening of school is followed by a chorus of school bus complaints. It's hotnin nnir in Rnincu-irlf Cmmit- -? "' the irate voices blaze along telephone lines to the board of education, school principals' offices, and even to the Beacon. I have followed up on a few of these angry calls, complaining that the buses don't stop often enough, stop too often, or won't let their children off where they want them to be. What I heard from Bill Turner, special assistant to the superintendent of schools, made me feel the school beard should hire a public relations director specifically for bus routes. Apparently you moms and dads out there view the school bus as a sort of private taxi that should travel most anywhere at the whim or needs of each child transported. For openers. Turner said the N.C. public school law stipulates buses don't have to go on roads that are not state-maintained, yet plenty of kids live on these private roads, and their parents want the same sendee everybody else gets. "1 can't see sending an expensive bus down a road that's not maintained and gettinc the bus torn up," he said. As a result of this danger, the bus routes now avoid any roads not kept in good repair by somebody. It's a sensible safety measure, protecting children on board as well as the vehicle purchased with thousands of tax dollars. Another amenity parents liked has been dropped by Brunswick County Althniioll ni-Pfirilinii Ia children are to be picked up and dropped off only at their residence i or a point near it i, the bus driver used to accommodate requests for students to be left after school at dance Hass karate class, grandmother's, or the baby sitter's. Can you imagine the length of those routes? And what about the responsibility of discharging kids at points other than home? C^nnH ! analyzed, was presented to the experts and government repn discussion and brain-storming i remedies for this financial ailrr County commissioners and from southeastern counties wi Hanover and Columbus countie tunity to learn, contribute a Dm.nr...:?l. 4..t_ i I oi uu^wiciv i^uuniy s mvnea i residents who attended found it they are bursting with ideas fo the people with the most power Some said they knew noth plans, and it's said that some v sponsoring this event, seeing 1 campaign. The seventh district congre many boos as bravos for raisin, The study he was promoting a; called for alternatives to our dustrial recruitment, as econo popular position for those tied I can't see the need for change, f political mileage he got out of I Whether or not a close look campaign ploy of the congressn and necessary enterprise for tli counties. We can not help wishing at had been curious enough, or c< that Saturday for a look at the caught hold of some new ideas tl Brunswick County. Pi line A I c. i \ w 11 S^> i \ L t 1 v * Susan - Usher steaming coffiv Sha'.lotte n'scuc volunteers tended Point firefighter Kay Jackson and stood by to help other exhausted firefighters. AikI friends comforted the owners and tenants of tlie center. The second lesson isn't ouite as clear. but 1 think it has to do with business people and how they invest in the community in which they do business. The limine of Tuesday's fire couldn't have been much worse. New owners had already made a considerable investment sprucing the fime For Sc There's more. Most parents would prefer the bus stopped at their front door; certainly they don't want their own Johnny or Jane to walk loo far to catch the bus. But. once again, the law has something to say about that. The minimum distance between stops must be two-tcnUis of a mile, except in the case of kindergnrtners or first graders, when the principal should use his/her own discretion. Kxcept for the safety factor, and tliat IS an important factor, it would scorn to me that a little morning and afternoon jaunt to the bus stop would provide valuable exercise for youngsters. 1 remember my elementary school days, when I walked about a mile to school and had such a good lime on Ihe way. i)f course, tlu?t was before the days of school busing, back in the cave-man era, I had no idea 1 was experiencing a hardship. It was also before traffic became so intensive, and even in Oklahoma City where I lived, the streets 1 walked were perfectly safe in every' way. Times have indeed changed, and children need more protection. Rut that's exactly what Turner is concerned about, as well as Superintendent (lene Yarbrough. As they struggle with this year's bus routes, trying to achieve efficient transportation, while fielding parental demands, their first consideration is safety for children. The second priority is shortening the routes, so little ones don't have to stand out on the highway at 6 a.m. They are aiming at 6:45 a.m. as the earliest bus pickup. But, then, shorter routes shrink the driver's pay," Turner worried. Planning invited audience of economic ;sentatives. There was lively ibout remedies and preventive tent. resource development leaders ;re invited. Those from New s took advantage of the oppornfl nlrm Ur.o, it's Questionable how much laid Head. at Shadows in the Sunbelt is a lan, it appears to be a creative iose who guide the destinies of least one of our county leaders oneerned enough to take time future. They just might have hat would one day be critical to ?sson !n !nves1 place up. much to llio delight of longtime tenants: a new roof to stop i the leaks, paint, stucco, a new facade, and new tenants for two of three vacant stores. This badly needed facelift was like a booster shot for the entire com- I niunity. People had started taking * notice and taking pride in the i redevelopment effort. Tuesday's fire t was a psychological blow of the < reverse ksnd: a kick in the pants. I Tuesday morning, though. Plan A t went up in smoke. Connor and ttae Cox, two principals in the corporation that only recently bought the center, said they don't know what | Plan It will be. I hit all is not lost. And here lies the I simplest lesson in economics: It only hikes one fire to prove that fire walls are an excellent business investment ! for older buildings and a fme addition to the state building code. I After all the flames and smoke died down, one business at the north end 1 hool Bus Bli "And they don't like that." If you want a truly thankless, com- j plicated job. apply for that of school i transportation management in this i sprawling county split down the mid- I die with teeming traffic. i LETTERS TO THE EDIT( Those Who Stoi Have Reason T To the editor: It was indeed a pleasure to be included in the celebration of the 10th 1 anniversary of the South Brunswick Islands Chamber of Commerce. It is 1 hard to realize that ten years have " passed since I had the opportunity to live and work with the chamber in J Brunswick County. To see the changes that have oc cured makes one realize that all those who gave of themselves so unselfishly in the very early year of the chamber can justifiably be proud of what Ivjs been accomplished by Die chamber in tins community. People like Andy Anderson, Miller 1 Pope, Ed Thomas, Virgil Roberts. r?tui in-imw, r.u uorc. nuicn itcuwine, leo Johnson, Albert Parker * just to name a few?who gave of themselves, their time, their All Taxpayers h To Use Roads 7 To the editor: | Regarding your Sept. t issue and the Sunset Beach Taxpayers' s A^ori?limi mpetinu it ic inrtunml that the woman who stated, "We 1 don't need a high-rise bridge pouring more people 011 this small island," is s very selfish or she wants to exclude I; all but beach property owners. t Inasmuch as the roads are paid for by all taxpayers, they have as much right there as she does. She is not alone. There is a commissioner at Holdcn Beach who doesn't like day tourists as they "don't spend money and litter the Argument Should Be n 1: f\eruiwt?u iwuuing To the editor: Thanks for the compelling argument against a state lottery contained in your Sept. 11 editorial. It should be required reading for every member of the state legislature. G. Nash Greene IIolden Beach HOW TO SUB THE BRUNSWil I POST OFFICE liOX j SHALLOTTE. NOR1 For Award-Winning j ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATE I In Brunswick County Elsewhere in North Carolina . . j Outside North Corolina Complete And Return " | Name Address I City, State | ZiR__ ^ . ments nf tin? renter Shnllotte Kloetrie Supply lind made it (lir?uii;li the fire. It wasn't a phoenix, rising from the iislies, Imt it was just .'is beautiful to see. At one point not too many bystanders would have bet on its rluinces ??f survival. As firefighters noved their battle line to the roof and ,he store filled with smoke, a brigade ?f volunteers joined the Milliketis as hey hegan carrying out meivhanlise In the span of only a few hours, however, that new double firewall paid for itself. If did what hundreds of gallons of water and a platoon of firefighters couldn't have done alone: it stopped the fire in its tracks. Just this month the new owners of the shopping center fun! built one wall and Alton Milliken the second, parallel wall. Both passed the acid test Tuesday with flying colors. jes And if you aren't interested in the job, please be patient with the folks who are trying to do it They have nore than 800 other little passengers resides the one < or two or three t who ire important to you. * rted Chamber o Be Proud esources and their dedication to sec heir conmuiriily develop into vvhrd it s today. It is easy sometimes to not fully ealize the value of an organization iucli as the chamber of commerce. I'osee the true impact of what it does md its contribution to the conununiy and to the people who live here, ou need only to look at another area or comparison. This may sound like a plug for the sorks of tlie chamber of commerce, uid perhaps it is. If you are not insolved in this urbanization, you should lie. It works for and benefits jveryono. Congratulations on ten years of >rogress. ! look forward to returning or the 20th anniversary. Tony McCiowan Kill Hi-vil llillc -lave Right hey Pay For | dace." I've been coining to Holrien Beach inco lt>50. have owned property on he mainland since 10G8. and find the ocals are very fine people. The beaches are changing and if he cannot cope, iwrhaps she would kj happier in a more northern locaion such as Coney Island. K. Fletcher Winston-Salem THE BRUNSWICK^BEACON ba>uun?nea iiov. I. IYO'/ Telephone 754-6090 Published F.vory Thursdoy At Main Street Shallotte. N C. 20459 SUBSCRIPTION RATES IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY One Year. S7.50 Six Months. S4.00 ELSEWHERE IN NORTH CAROLINA One Year $10.00 Six Months $6.00 ELSEWHERE IN U.S.A. One Year $12.50 Six Months $7.00 Second class postage paid at the Post Office in Shallotte. N. C. 28459 USPS 777 780 SCRIBE TO :k^beacon 2KB I m CAROLINA 2B4S9 | News Coverage I S BY MAIL: Sr. Citiicn i . . 7 50 I I 6.50 I.) 10 00 I ! 9 00 .1112.50 Till 50 | To Above Address I J j