Opinion Page
THE BRUNSw
Kdwiiril M. Swrall and Carolyi
Kihvanl M. Sweatt
Susan I'slier
Halm Adams & Doug Hotter.
Johnny ( raig
Christine Halloo
Cecelia (lore & Susan Harefou
Tnntniie Calloway & Dorothy
Hubert Williams
Uremia Clemmons
Connie Sprinkle
Clyde ami Mattie Stout. I'hoel
Page 4-A
Voter Registi
Pofinr+c Rnrii
I \V-? I I V# V I W I \ I
If anything reflects the "N
voter registration figures now
Changes over the past f<
trends. Two significant ones ar
ty, but are being noticed?and
South.
With the increasing pc
Sunbelt?whether to retire
dustry?the region is seeing mi
Republican Party, with Brunsv
it can't be called a "two-party'
far off.
Second, along with havii
leanings, these Northern tran:
Caucasian. As a result, we're s
voting block power of the biaci
When mixed a'.i together ii
tnrul nrnnopp if'p ?! ?
iui c<a pa uv.voa, xi. a nut tci t<tm lit
But one thing is certain: time
political system will have to cl
Less and less will the tr,
work anywhere in the South. IV
will find themselves dependen
develop party loyalties and vot
while "voter crossover" from
fairly common in Brunswick (
past, both political parties cai
elections.
And, as the need for candii
themselves from each other g:
well emerge?more effort by c
leadership, vision and capabil
and concerns facing Brunswi
riding on party coattails.
Wril
The Beacon welcomes letters to the
elude the writer's address. Under no
printed. Letters should be legible. 1
libelous comments. Address letters t<
Shallotte, N.C. 28459.
Sunshine
For Sorin
The calendar must be lying. It says
the first day of spring is March 20,
hut I'm already getting that queasy
feeling in the pit of mv stomach on
sunny days.
I'm ready to pack my thermal
underwear in mothballs and air out
my Hawaiian floral-print shirts. And
if my wife and co-workers are
agreeable, I may even succumb to
the urge to quit wearing socks,
Heaven help iheiii if I uu.
I've got it bad?spring fever, that
is.
If you've never had this dread
disease, it's like the flu but requires a
different kind of treatment. The last
thing you want to do is stay home in
bed, although some spring fever sufferers
do drink plenty of "fluids" to
ease their pain. I'm looking for a
more dependable cure.
I think I caught the bug this time
around from my television set.
Having watched the Winter Olympics
for almost two weeks now, I've
finally grown tired of seeing nothing
but rosv-cheoked skiers hnekev
players and ice skaters on the tube.
They all act as though they wish
winter would never end.
As as result. I've found myself
wishing the ABC Wide World of
Sports "agony of defeat" curse on
them, although a mild case of
frostbite would be enough to wipe
those cheery smiles off of their faces.
When all you see for two straight
weeks are guys in wildly-colored
longjohns eagerly whooshing down
ski slopes and pretty girls in skimpy
skating outfits happily prancing
around on ice, it's easy to lose your
sanity, especially if you've spent
most of the winter huddled up against
a heat vent and you're ready for
warm weather?not to mention lower
heating bills.
The other day, as a last resort, I
began taking stock of the signs of sprH
ICK&BEACON
n H. Swt'nll Publishers
Editor
tSeics Eil it or
Staff Writer*
Sports Editor
Office Manager
it. .Advertising lle/iresenlatives
Brennnn Typesetters
Pressman
I'hoto Technician
Assistant Pressman
be Clemnions Circulation
I
Thursday, F cbruary 25,1988
I
<
ration Data
r\r?n i Tronric
vi vi wi <-/ ?
ew South," then it has to be the ?
being compiled.
>ur years show some obvious
en't unique to Brunswick Councommented
on?all across the 4
4
ipularity of moving to the
or to follow relocating in- ?
ijor gains in registration by the
rick County no exception. While
' county yet, the day may not be ?
A
ig predominantly Republican j|
splants to the area are largely J
eeing a dilution of the potential
k community.
n the tumbler we call the elec- ^
>w all the pieces come together,
s are a'changing and the local
lange as well. ?
aditional local "boss" system J
lore and more, political parties ft
t on grassroots organization to
er turnout on election day. And ?
one party to another has been i
bounty general elections in the
n expect an increase in future
iates and parties to distinquish
rows, another good thing could
andidates to demonstrate their
ity to deal with specific issues
ck County, rather than simply
\e Us
editor. All letters must be signed and incircumstances
will unsigned letters be
["he Beacon reserves the right to edit
) The Brunswick Beacon, P.O. Box 470,
Is Cure
id Fever
^ \ f
ing around mo io convince myself
that my favorite season is right
around the corner.
Right away, I noticed three
surefire signs as I drove home from
work. The trees were budding; there
was still enough sunlight at 6 p.m. to
see the buds; and the increased traffic
on the road kept rne from enjoying ,
the buds for longer than a split second
for fear that I'd cross the center
line and be steamrollered by a Winnebago
full of vacationing Canadians
(probably from Calgary).
I found some other signs one dav as
I spent my lunch break at Sunset
Beach Pier. I noticed a handful of
folks strolling on the still wet sand as
they picked up shells. And near the
dunes, a couple were stretched out on !
a blanket to catch some warm midday
rays, even though both were
wearing long pants and windbreakers.
(
It's amazing what a little sunshine
will do for your spirits?and I'm not
referring to an exotic mixed drink
either, although that would explain ,
why bartenders put little parasols in ,
some of them. ,
But as far as my spring fever goes, (
the clincher came when I passed the ,
magazine rack at the supermarket j
and almost sprained my eyeballs trying
to look at all of the swimsuit editions
at once. 1
If spring doesn't come soon, I'm I
not only going to have tliat queasy i
feeling?I'm going to need glasses. i
>
It's
I-iist Thursday was spouses' night
at Lions Club.
The keynote speaker was a past
district governor, John King of Wilmington.
As he gave a 20-minute history of
Uonism, my mind began to wander,
sparked by King's story of an
emergency stop at a small country
crossroads.
While waiting for his car to be
repaired, or so the story goes, he asked
one of the older men sitting around
me suuion wnai made nis community
important.
"We're a starting place," the old
man replied. "Someone from here
ivho lias enough drive, ambition and
ietermination can go any place and
Jo anything they choose."
A starting place. That's not a bad
thing to be, unless you're a community
shriveling on the vine of com'
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BRO>
Listen Th
Within the next few weeks we can
expect to hear a Brown Thrasher
singing from the top of a small tree.
Now is the time when we can see this
Blue Jay-sized bird with the heavily
striped breast and reddish-brown
back.
One of the "mimic thrushes" in our
area, the Brown Thrasher sings the
songs of other birds like the Mock
ingbird and the Catbird. The Mockingbird
will sing a bird's song three
times in a row and the Catbii d only
once. The Brown Thrasher sings the
song twice and this can be a clue to
the identity when the bird cannot be
seen.
Brown Thrashers are about llVfe inches
long with strong legs, a long tail,
a slightly curved bill, and a yellow
eye. The only similar birds of the
I ICA'- I I ? .
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The United States has had its
troubles in these XV Winter Olympics.
In fact, it took the almighty
Americans four days to get their first
medal, which turned out to be just an
old bronze.
With the Soviets dominating the
first few days of competition, there
haven't been too many memorable
moments so far for team USA.
You may remember I wrote about
the Superbowl a couple of weeks ago.
Well, ABC has done another bang-up
job with hype in these Olympics. This
country has been drowned with hours
and hours of athlete profiles and
great moments from years past.
But while ABC was leading most of
America to believe the United States
had a shot at capturing just about
every medal out there, I wasn't falling
for it.
I learned by watching the Superbowl,
which was also supposed to be
great, that when ABC promotes
something this much, it must be
because the actual competition isn't
going to be that good.
They've been concentrating a lot
on ice hockey, which 1 don't mind at
all. But I do mind the constant comparison
of this year's squad to 1980's
"Miracle On Ice," when team USA, a
major underdog, defeated the Russian
Bear and went on to win the gold
medal. That was eight years ago, and
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I don't need to be reminded of
it every three seconds.
With USA's loses to the Czechs and
Soviets last week, the gold medal in
:hLs year's games appeared to be an
inattainable goal. In fact, any medal
it all would have been surprising.
A Place To C
mcrce.
The words reminded me of the catchphrase
that kept me going all
through high school: "I'm going to
get away from this place and make
something of myself. And if I don't
come back, fine. There's nothing
here for me."
That was almost 20 years ago, not
long after CP&L and DuPont had ar- I
rived. But opportunities for a liberal i
arts major were far and few between |
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VN THRASHERS are found In nil parts o
lis Spring For The
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same color are the true thrushes with 1
shorter tails, no wing bars, and are *
heavily spotted on the breast, and
have brown eyes. !
Thrashers are found in all sections i
of the Carolinas at all seasons. 1
Overgrown fields, hedgerows, I
woodland edges, and yards of (
residences are preferred habitats of 1
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But it really shouldn't surprise
anyone that the United States has
been taking it on the chin. I mean, (
besides hockey, look at some of the |
events in which we are competing.
Can the American coaches and ,
public truly expect anyone from New |
Jersey (no offense intended) tc com- |
pete in ski jumping with a guy named
Matti Nykanen, a.k.a. "The Flying
Fin?"
And how can the United States
compete with ihe European downhill
ski teams. Those Swiss are born
wearing skis on their feet and crash
helmets on their craniums. And the
name Pirmin Zurbriggen is pretty in
umiaaung n you asK me.
The luge has also not yielded any
American medals. Certainly you
remember the luge, that event in
which half-crazed individuals lie
down on a small sled and slingshot
themselves down an ice-laden track
at speeds exceeding 70 mph.
It turned out that a 22-year-old i
East German, Jens Mueller, won
that event. But he has been luging i
since age eight. (I wonder how long
Frank Masley, USA's top finisher, i
has been luging. Probably not too |
long since there aren't any luge runs i
in Newark, Del.) I
In the pairs figure skating competi- i
ome Home T
here, especially for someone without
connections.
Brunswick County was a good starting
place, not just for me, but for
thousands like me who left to attend
schools and to find work elsewhere.
Wayne Shew of Inland and Martha
"Tootsie" Inman of Shallotte, for example,
have made good careers for
themselves in California, one in
science, one in business. Others have
found their future in the military
establishment.
Those who stayed here tended to
take their place in family-run
businesses, seafood, real estate or
mercantile. A great number of local
young people end up in nearby New
Hanover County.
But in the past 10 to 15 years,
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Liiuugu, Di uiidwirK Luuiuy nas seen a
new phenomenon?local young people
going off to school, then returning
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[ (he Carolinas at all seasons of the ye:
Brown Thrashei
Brown Thrashers. They prefer to
[eed on the ground, scratching
among dead leaves for grubs,
beetles, spiders, grasshoppers,
caterpillars, and other insects.
Thrashers also eat seeds and fruits
but insects make up more than 60
percent of their food. The noisy
"thrashing about" under the shrubs
is probably the source of the bird's
name. They can be heard when they
can't be seen, since they are usually
secretive and difficult to see.
Nests are cupped and bulky with
several layers of small twigs and
sticks, leaves, grasses, paper, string
and other soft materials. Fine roots
line the inside of the cup and make
'.he bed for the 3-6 greenish-blue tingad
eggs spotted with reddish-brown.
Vests may be placed within one foot
With1 f^iwnrkr^i
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lion, it appeared that any contestant
with the letter "v" in his or her name
was victorious. The Soviet pair of
Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei
[Jrinkov took the gold, while teammates
Elana Valova and Oleg
Vasiliev finished second. Given those
circumstances, the USA pair of Jill
Watson and Peter Oppegard was fortunate
to pick up a bronze medal.
But all may not be lost.
I'm pinning our gold medal hopes
on the men's curling team, even
though curling is only a demonstration
sport this winter.
Believe it or not, the USA curlers
were 3-1 and tied for first place with
Norway and Canada after the first
four games/matches. And they have
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Open Season
To '.he editor:
I was very much disturbed, appalled,
disgusted and flabbergasted to
read of the fact that deputies of
Pender County had performed what
appeared to be a deliberate act of
murder on a 70-year-old citizen of
Pender County.
I wondered where was the
justification for such an act of
violence? According to my
understanding of the Holy Bible,
Psalms 90-10, the days of our years
are three score and ten (70 years).
Here was an individual who had
already lived the allotted time as
prescribed, was in the twilight years
af his life, frail, weak, rundown, partially
senile and yet two able bodied
men were unable to subdue this man
/
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to the county and finding work. Consider
Wayne and Judy Tharp of
I.eland, both UNC-Wilmington
graduates who found managementlevel
work in finance, in Brunswick
County. She began a credit union
from scratch; he has moved up in the
finance community.
Some of us go away first, for an
education and to start our careers.
But as opportunities arise, we're finding
our way back, even if it means a
change of lifestyle or less money.
Some things matter more.
Alan Lewis, a Shallotte native, is
making a living as an engineer,
myself as a news editor. Look around
and see how many county natives are
finrlinn lilm tL/< n m A
turning, ufiu IIIC Ill-WUUllltli lO Olir
area, that Shallotte, that Brunswick
County, isn't just a starting place.
It's also a place to come home to.
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PHOTO BY Bill FAVfR
ir.
r's Song
of the ground up to 5-C feet and are
usually in bushes, vines, or lowgrowing
shrubs. Incubation takes
12-14 days and the young stay in the
nest about 11 days. Both parents
share in the nesting duties beginning
in mid-May and they can raise 2-3
broods each season.
In The Habitat Guide to Birding,
Thomas McElroy writes, "The
Brown Thrasher arrives quietly and
often unnoticed. The male may be
around for a week or two before he
announces the defense of his selected
territory from atop a shrub or small
tree."
Listen this spring for the thrasher's
song and take time to watch very interesting
birds as they live their lives
among us.
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absolutely no pressure on them.
I hope ABC does something right
during these Olympics and shows
some of the curling games/matches
before it's all over. I think everyone
would admit that the thought of one
guy sliding a 42-pound rock down the
irp towards a small target while his
teammates rub brooms in its path is
somewhat interesting.
And if the American team does
finish near the top of the heap, just
think of the economic boom caused
by the sale of several thousand "I'd
Rather Be Curling" bumper stickers
and the hundreds of curling centers
which will undoubtedly sprout up out
of nowhere. It's kinda frightening.
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without taking his life.
If my understanding of this incident
was correct, Mr. Cromartie was
accused of attacking one deputy with
a screwdriver. I wonder how much
force would have used if Mr. Cromartie
had been white?
During my youthful days my father
was an enthusiastic hunter and abided
by the law of the state concerning
hunting season and open season on
game. There were certain times of
season that he did not hunt or allow
his family to hunt because of open
and closed seasons.
But it appears that in America, it's
open season on blacks year 'round.
Jesse A. Bryant, President
Cedar drove Branch, NAACP
Supply