1
If They Don't Want Water, i ake it Somewhere Else
Based cn what they’ve heard so far, Brunswick County
Commissioners will be hard pressed to uphold the Utility
Operaiions Board’s decision last week to proceed with a
lateral water line assessment project in the North Holden
Beach area.
While residents in other areas are clamoring for the
privUege of paying for county water lines, a majority of the
residents of S.A.D. 1 (Special Assessment District 1) at a hear
ing last week told commissioners and utility board members
they are happy with the well-water supply they’ve got. They
said they didn’t want and couldn’t affonl to pay for the county
water lines. Approximately 100 residents had signed a petition
to that effect that was submitted before the hearing began
Tuesday night, but not disaiascd until the UOB met Thursday
afternoon.
The residents’ position against the water came as
something of a shock, given aii the fussing and begging com
missioners have heard during the past two years from com-
> Opinion Page
THE BRUNSWICKiBEACON
Etlwartl ill. ijMenlt and Carolyn H. Sweati Pttklssksrs
Edward M. SHcatl Editor
SuMin Usher A'mrs Editor
Moijorie >Iegivem Asiociate Editor
Etta Smith Staff ff'riter
Johnny Craig Sports Editor
Alary Potts Office Manager
Cecelia Gore & Susan Barefoot. .Advertising Representatives
Tanimie Galloway & Dorothy Brennan Typesetters
Bill McGowan Pressman
Brenda Clemmons Photo Technician
Lonnie Sprinkle Assistant Pressman
Clyde and Mattie Stout, Phoebe Clemmons Circulation
Page 4-A Thursday, March 19,1987
Kids Need more Than
Nay-Saying Lessons
Nancy Reagan and Kate Brooks, and everyone else from
Washington to Brunswick County who is trying to teach the
word “No” to drug-prone kids, are admirable in their con-
munities that desperately want county water at almost any
pnc6.
It’s one thing to have all taxpayers pitch in and help pay
for a water system that will promote the overall economic bet
terment of the county after first telling them the system would
pay for itself. But making folks who don’t want to do it pay to
put in a water line down their own street is something else.
Especially when you’ve just told them they don’t have to tap
on unless they want to.
Given the potential for salt water intrusion and septic tank
leaching, public water might, like spinach, be good for this
cominunitj^’. But apparently they’d rather not liave it forced
down their throats.
If that is truly the case, why not let a community that real
ly wants and needs the water have it instead?
Excluding Utility Operations Board member Alfonzo
Roach, who owns property in the proposed district, so far com
missioners have heard, on the public record at least, from
three freeholders who favor Oie project—two in person and
one in writing.
A hearing in the middie of the week no doubt was inconve
nient for most of the district’s landowners, since a vast ma
jority live the major part of the year outside of Brunswick
County. Perhaps that should have been taken into considera
tion in choosing which areas qualified for the assessment pro
ject.
Barring a flood of mail or calls from the remaining pro
perty owners endorsing the assessment project, commis
sioners can’t in good faith tell the folks in Holiday Acres, Holi
day Ranches, Holiday Pines and G & S Potter subdivisions
they must pay for water lines they apparently aren’t even ask
ing for.
Overriding a recommendation from the utility board they
appointed might be difficult, but at tlic least commi.ssioncrs
should tell the UOB to put S.A.D. 1 on hold and start
somewhere else.
St. Patrick's—It's A Dav To Celebrate
As a child I always thought there
was something wrong with the way
we celebrated—or didn'i
celebrate—St. Patrick’s Day.
Blame it on the TV, if you like. Bas
ed on that yardstick, we did it too
quietly. We didn't have much fun, at
least not like the people back East
and in the mid-West who marched in
parades, donned green carnation
boutonnieres and dyed beer, rivers
and confetti. They really enjoyed the
Emerald Isle's patron saint.
I’d always been told we were
Scotch-Irish, along with most
everybody else around. But those
origins didn't seem to be something
they cared about. I wondered why.
Cf tiiS nnH
"Erin Go Bragh!" to anyone who will
listen.
something green—as often as not
that awful gelatin .salad with carrots
Tile ue2»t eeicbratiOii I'Ve eVer Join*
Susan
Usher
misery associated with Ireland's
troubled times or perhaps from their
parents’ and grandparents' desire to
melt into the American pot as quickly
as possible.
If so they mis.sed out on a lot of fun.
Irish Americans all over the U.S. use
St. Patrick’s Day as an excuse for a
party—a chance to sport the green, to
sing Irish songs with a heavy accent,
to get sentimental over the homeland
that many have never seen and to cry
cd in was while attending graduate
school in Ohio. In this predominanUy
Catholic city known for its churches
and its neighborhood bars, my date
and I (he was a naUve) paraded and
sang and laughed and visited along
with the rest.
Such a contrast to the way I
remember Shallotte on St. Paddy’s
Day. The most we ever celebrated
was by wearing a piece of clothing
with green (easier now with all the
Trojan jackets at West Brunswick
High School). We might cut out paper
shamrocks in class or for a bulletin
board.
Horror of horrors, the school lun
chroom menu usually featured
Downtown, a local business might
have a St. Patrick’s Day Sale and put
green things in the window display.
And at home there was always the
Irish tenor on I.awrence Welk, sing
ing "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling"
or some such song.
After that kind of childhood, I was
relieved to learn today that
somewhere in the South they know
that St. Patrick’s Day is a day for
fiin—brass bands, bagpipes revelry.
I’m talking, of course, about Savan
nah, Ga., where they jumped the gun
and started celebrating last Friday.
•m—> —..« „ llttu
ing. Where’s their self-restraint?
cerns. There is no question the problem of drug abuse is
strangling the future of even the very young.
The question is, what is the most effective preventive to
that first experiment with drugs or alcohol?
To answer that, well-meaning adults must recall their own
adolescence and remember the urges of that tumultuous age.
Hormones, energy level, vulnerability, and idealism are some
of the forces that, along with puberty, possessed us as kids.
The same tensions drive kids of the 80s. They experience
disturbing physical and psychological changes, need to be
reassured of their own value, crave affection, want to save the
world, and have a mega-dose of energy that must somehow be
expended.
Ignoring these valid teen needs is to misunderstand the
appeal of drugs. Mind-altering substances replace reality with
the good, but illusory feelings that one is secure, ten feet tall,
and forever problem-free. And ingesting them with friends is a
satisfying communal activity.
What else could provide the same satisfaction, but in a
realistic and wholesome way? That is the question for which
answers must be found.
Kids need excitement and activity as energy outlets, so
where in Brunswick County is tliat available, except in the
school athletic programs? Why not a youth center where par
ties and games and contests could bring teens together every
weekend, under supervision, for fun that’s better than any
drug “high”?
Why not more coimty recreational events that include all
young people, whether sponsored by churches, civic organiza
tions, schools or families? The New Hanover County Sheriff’s
Department experimented this year with a non-alcoholic New
Year’s party for teens that attracted many hundreds of en
thusiastic youngsters.
Why not a movie theater, a bowling alley, a dance hall for
youngsters only, where drugs and alcohol are prohibited?
(The latter is another recent successful venture in New
Hanover County).
To nurture youthful idealism, as well as self-esteem, why
not mor^ programs in which kids help the elderly, the disabled
and the needy? More competitive programs for those with ar
tistic and academic skills?
These are some of the practical answers to that normal
adolescent urge for socializing with peers, excitement, and ac
tive pursuits. If there are some positive alternatives to which
they can say “Yes,” saying “No” to drugs is much easier.
Listening To The Experts Gets Harder
There was a time not so long ago (or so we
thought) when wc cculd listen to the experts and
expect what they told us tc be tlie truth. We ex
pected a degree of bias, possibly, but for the
most part the word from the experts could be ac
cepted as the latest word on a subject and to be
believed by those of us who depended upon them
for answers.
That time has passed in most areas, such as
politics, religion, history, sociology, medicine
arid science; One o; ihs more recent examples is
the debate about the “greenhouse effect."
Scientists were almost in agreement some
years ago that the continued burning of fossil
fuels, such as coal and oil, would so pollute the
atmosphere that a layer of pollution will cover
the atmosphere and block the reflected rays of
the sun which stnick the Earth and were
reflected back into space.
This great shield would hold the heat in, force
the polar ice caps to melt, raise the temperature
Bill
Paver
of the Earth from two to eight degrees. Such an
increase in temperature would cause the oceans
to rise and the beaches to erode. Impending
doom seemed close at hand.
As the beaches began to erode and the winter
seemed milder, some of us were convinced the
experts were right and there wasn’t much we
could do.
Now the experts are saying the temperature
rise could be far less, no more than one or two
degrees and that this probab'y would have little
effect on ice melt and temperature rise over the
next several decades. Now they arc saying the
only alternatives are limited and nuclear power
is the answer.
So! What experts do we believe? Our suspi
cions may tell us the latest group is sponsored by
the nuclear power interests. Or are they working
for the development lobby to play down the cost
of beach erosion? Or, are they dedicated, unbias
ed, hard-working searchers for truth? How can
we know?
In this great time of experts in every field and
an abundance of them telling us what to believe
and how to believe it, the unfortunate truth is we
don’t put much credence into what any of them
tell us! Listening to the experts gets harder as
the years go by. Perhaps there are no absolutes
in these debates and everything is relative to
who you are and what you believe and where you
stand.
LEHERS TO THE EDITOR
Undeserved Traffic Citation Poses Dilemma
To the editor:
Today and probably in the month to
come, I will be trying to decide
whether to oecome a crusader.
On March 10 my wife and I visited
Whiteville. What promised to be a
beautiful day was spoiled for us.
A police officer apprehended me
for, "Passing at or near an intersec
tion; to wit, Froiikiin St. and oiav SL.
clearly marked as an intersection by
the city of Whiteville."
This much said, one might suspect
that I am a second-class citizen from
a third-world nation. What proceeds,
unless I let the episode rest, promises
to become a war of words.
As a defense, with the purpose of
salvaging my 'oruised ego and/or
regaining the confidence or courage
required of c defensive drive, permit
me to relate my version of what ac
tually occured. And let this letter be
accepted as an instrument to alert
the general public.
My destination was the hospital, so
I turned of Business 701 in com
pliance with the blue directional sign
which guides a,-Jsmiliar motorists to
the hospital. Having been informed
by a sign as I entered Whiteville, that
all streets are to be traversed at the
maximum of 35 miles per hour unless
otherwise designated, I proceeded
watehing for soeed signs as well as
the blue direction sign.
I came upon a 20-mph sign in the
vicinity of the shopping area and
railroad crossing, whereupon a
motorist appeared just ahead of me.
He seemed to pose no threat im
mediately. We left this area and
came upon a widened pavement
where a posted sign raised the speed
permitted to 35 mph.
The motorist ahead did not respond
to widened pavement or the posted
speed. I remained patient and follow
ed calmly for several blocks. Then it
became clear that the motorist was
either confused, distracted or of the
attitude that he was not required to
respond to the increased speed or
drive to the extreme right portion of
the road.
Having evaluated the situation, I
felt the volume of traffic, the
freedom from pedestrians, animals
and/or obstructions, and the
possibility of an unpredictable
motorist making yet another
unreasonable decision, it would be in
the best interest of all concerned to
pass on the right since a double solid
line was in the center of the street
and 12 feet or more clear space was
on the right.
My recent study of the N.C.
Drivers’ manual verified 37 years of
driving knowledge. A motorist
traveling 10 mph or more less tiuin
the posted speed should be aware
that he should move to the far right
because failing to do so could result
in accidents and/or violations.
Page 42 of the current drivers’
manual reveals this to the uninform
ed motorist. While this is a well
Safety Training Should Be Part Of Gun Purchase
Since crime in Brunswick County is
increasing in parallel to the popula
tion, more people are seeking ways to
protect themselves and their homes.
According to records at the county
sheriffs department the applications
for gun permits have doubled since
January, partly due to the three
murders that have occurred here in
the last four months. And the reason
most people are giving for wanting a
gun is personal protection.
I have never owned a gun because
I’m afraid of them. It’s funny how a
125-pound person can be afraid of an
instrument that weighs a couple of
pounds. But it certainly doesn’t hurt
to respect that powerful little
package, since a lot of people are ac
cidentally killed by them every year.
According to the sheriffs depart-
Effa
^mitn
ment Crime Prevention Officer Don
Gates, the safest place to keep a gun
depends on the situation.
He said in the case of a woman liv
ing alone it is best to keep a gun near
by at night and to keep it loaded.
However, when there are children
around a gun should never be kept in
their reach and loaded.
He suggests keeping guns unloaded
and the anununitlon separate when
children are in the house. Although
he said Brunswick County has had no
fatal accidental shootiiv^is in several
years, it can happen and it’s best to
take the precautions.
Another suggestion he makes for
gun owners with children is to let
them hold a gun with a parent's
supervision so they may learn how to
do this properly while they are
young. This will show them how
dangerous a gun can be and will take
the mystery of guns away and lessen
their interest in playing with them.
“I trained my kicU to respect guns
while they were young,” he said. "If
you’re going to have a gun in your
house. It’s a good idea to take this
precaution."
He said he also keeps a loaded gun
where it Ls in hLs control, although he
has others in the house which he
keeps unloaded.
Gates will be teaching a training
class in firearms safety and handling
sometime in late April or early May.
Although he said the class is primari
ly for women, anyone can attend.
If you tiave 'uought a firearm or
plan to in the near future, you nray
want to take the class, because Gates
said that the fear of firearms can be
the most dangerous factor.
The class will include both
classroom and practical exercises to
help overcome the fear of a gun. It
will also illustrate to gun owners how
to shoot without experiencing “an
ticipation recoil." Anticipation recoil
is niicii someone is afraid of the gun
and flinches, or jumps in anticipation
of pulling the trigger.
Gates said that this reaction can
make you lose your aim, and could be
hazardous if you’re in a position of
trying to defend yourself.
The class will also provide infor
mation on what type of gun to buy if
you want to keep one in the house
sL-nply for protection.
He added that anyone planning to
buy a gun who wants information on
safety or the type of gun to buy can
contact him or any of the uniformed
officers at the sheriff's department
for information.
"A firearm and a hammer are
slmiliar,” said Gates. "You can hurt
yourself with a hammer if you don’t
know how to use it properly. So If
you’re going to buy a gun for the first
time and don’t know how to use it—
find out how, because it could be a
matter of life and death.”
ruiu»Tii, uaaic lavi, iw iS otSO I
while usually more dangerous and
sometimes Illegal to pass in designed
areas, congestion caused by slow
moving cars or left turning cars can
legally be alle'/lated by passing on
the right.
Having been apprehended, the ar
resting officer attempted to justify
writb.'g a citation by calling his
superior. I was stunned and amazed
by what followed.
I asked why the drivers’ manual
tells me that a law permits me to
pass on the right and a citation denies
me the right. The officer, quoting an
inappropriate section of the manual
or a hypothetical situation, attemp
ted to inform me that passing could
be dangerous.
I countered with another inap
propriate or hypothetical situation. I
asked where I was expected to pass if
the car indeed was planning to tmn
left and was actually stopped by on
coming cars? His reply was that I
should wait until the turn was made.
I am happy to say that better in
formed drivers, police and
lawmakers know that just is not so.
Without a sign restricting passing,
without a barricade preventing the
use of a paved portion of the
highway, I cannot be expected to
know that the Whiteville poUce
prefer to ignore laws and good driv
ing practices.
Readers can encourage me to
become a crusader or take up the
task themselve.s.
Motorists should also know that ac
cording to the clerk of the Superior
Court, policemen don’t fill out the
form correctly. According the police,
they do fill out the form correctly.
Usually forms are reprinted when
outdated. The citation given to me
(See TRAFFIC, Page 5-A)