Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / June 2, 1988, edition 1 / Page 4
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Opinion Page THE BRUNSWICK&BEACON Kilwnril M. Sivt-all ami Carolyn II. Sweat! Publishers Kdward >1. Sweatt Editor Susan I slier. Xetcs Editor Kali 11 Adams ?5t Doug; Kutter 'tTilers Johnny Craig Sports Editor Christine Kallou Office Manager Carolyn II. Sweatt Advertising Director Cecelia Gore & Susan Barefoot. ..Advertising Representatives Tannine Galloway <5C Dorothy Brennan Typesetters William Manning I'ressmnn Uremia Clemmons Photo Technician I Lonnie Sprinkle Assistant Pressman Glyde ami Mattie Stout, l'hoehe Glemmons C.ircubition I ( Pagc4-A Thursday, June 2,1988 1 i Hard Choices Lie Ahead ' Brunswick County Commissioners have some tough choices to make before July 1, when the budget for fiscal year 1988-89 must be adopted. They have to balance the budget; and this year it will be even harder to do than usual. un-n--) conn,io? ..? ?*i? "? J? blem head-on, they dipped into the county's "savings" or reserves to make ends meet. And just as with a household budget, that's the kind of move you only get to make once. Then the consequences must be faced: You must either raise taxes or cut back on spending, especially on non-essentials, or both. Usually both, if you're to have any chance of building up the savings account balance again. In a personal budget, those measures might include eliminating the family vacation as well as movies and pizza on Saturday night and membership in a social club or two; learning how to give haircuts and perms at home and change the oil in the car; sewing a wardrobe instead of buying it off the rack, or wearing last year's styles. But, because taking care of what you've got is better than having to replace it early, the wise homeowner will still set aside money for the new roof, lawn mower and house painting that are going to be needed next year. When the draft county budget goes to public hearing on June 7, it will include a 16.5 cent or 33 percent property tax hike, required just to continue services at the current level. Pretty indigestible, huh? Because they know such a tax increase won't fly, commissioners have no choice but to come up with alternate sources of revenue to meet basic needs. These will most likely include user fees in several departments?something various boards of commissioners have been talking about, but avoiding, for several years. They no doubt will seriously consider the indirect approach to raising property taxes by seeking a real estate transfer tax for future years. But before they dream up schemes to get more tax money, they must take a judicious look at where and how our money's being spent now. No additional taxes can be justified before the budget is trimmed of all unnecessary expenditures. Commissioners need to set long-range priorities, whether they be water, solid waste disposal, good schools and quality emergency services, or bigger parks, more senior citizen centers, drainage ditching and travel packages, just to name a few of their options. Then they need to make sure that spending reflects those priorities, even if it means losing a popularity contest or displeasing a few special interest groups. Youngest Bird I pn\/PQ Tho Moc + wwi v I I I T I The inevitable happened last week. ^3SZ~?2L1 flew the coop, hit the road and left dBWF' the proverbial nest for what may be Egg-'.- ^ the last time. LJOUO ML, -t ~r W? To begin with, the feeling of com- " Br j 5^ nlpto inHonpnHonfo ti-Viipl, ?-> D , 1 , ...?........1 until at- I\u II CI companies a move out of the house HK jg isn't entirely new to me. VK With the exception of Christmas / vacation. I was away for nine months Y Hit. / at a time during my college years, acted like 1 had been stranded on And I was living in an apartment for Gilligan's Island for the last six two of those years so I know what to years. There was so much she had to expect. But this move is different. It tell me. I couldn't believe how much I seems more final. had missed in the short time I was Even though my parents told me gone, the door is always open, it would But enough of that. My life has never be right to go back defeated, entered a new era. New frontiers and Besides, there is no reason to, at least unchartered waters await. For now, for the time being. But it's nice to about all I can tell you is that my new know I still have a key to the front home is very nice, door if I ever need it. It's a spacious two bedroom, two io IK- nonesl, I expected Mom to bath cottage with a veranda take it kind of hard. I remember the overlooking the scenic west end ol strain on her when my brother got Holden Beach. At least that's what I married and moved out a few years read on the lease, back. And I was the last child she had Oh. by the way, I guess 1 should tell to take care of and fuss over. you I have a roommate . .. excuse She offered to continue her self- me, a male roommate. irrm(K?*H duties us u mother und His name is Murk Burch 2nd he wash, dry and iron my clothes. And works at a local community college my father told me his private auto and a local radio station. (Sorry workshop is always open, just in case Mark, no free advertising allowed, something happens. company policy. But at least I got Needless to say, I didn't flat out your name in the paper, i turn them down. No sense burning Anyway, you'll most likely hear bridges. But I have to learn to do more about this gracious young man these things for myself or I'll never in the future. In the meantime, we'll make it on my own. go on living the exciting and It was Sunday afternoon when I sometimes dangerous lives of moved out and Monday evening when sophisticated bachelors. I was back for a short visit. Although with our busy work It had been only 30 hours since I left schedules, the weight of the bachelor the house with most of my worldly image really can't rest on our possessions in the back of a shoulders alone. We may have to call Brunswick Beacon van, but Mom in the professionals. . Tell N Young people in the Brunswick County school system don't know how lucky they are. That sounds like something someone "old" would say. doesn't it? But I'm not that old. Over 30, yes. but not even middle-aged. Nevertheless, they cion't know how good they've got it. While gathering material for this week's graduation section it came home to me just how much our , schools have changed, for better and , For worse. Seventeen years ago a senior | graduating from Shallotte High , School could probably read and write ] a basic paragraph and compute basic , math. But he or she couldn't have put 'band" or "chorus" or "computer ] programming" on a college applica- j lion. I \)lkt say no to wugv 'fesitokeef i mtsa " well, i Guess <50. "snp becutoftowbysu 'eesftokeef i take i tekt-p the noe1ega 'well ...i Guess so.'"i ? V / _ . I , I -- AND lOU WON'T C_UIV\t EVER AGAIN? "SND ft "I Rronuse," SAIDTH ' and i cam 8a Years?" asked the ' Si." SAID THE KlHG ' I THEENK WE UNDER SAID THE NORIEGA. It's A couple of weeks ago it was irought to my attention by a loyal eader that I've been quick to point >ut negative aspects of Brunswick L'ounty life, while I write too little ibout the advantages of living here. Actually, all the fellow said was: "The chamber of commerce isn't gong to like your column on the tourist raffic in Shallotte." I think he was eferring to my comment which compared driving on U.S. 17 to sitting in a lentist's chair. At least he didn't mention the fact .hat I've also complained about other general nuisances such as pesky >and flies, unsightly roadside iitter, :rashy political posters, drunken Irivers and high-priced ice Lream?all of which certainly aren't found in Brunswick County alone. But his one casual remark was enough to make me realize that I [leeded to find something positive to write about for a change. After all, there are plenty of nice things about this county besides its beaches, seafood and golf courses. People L To the editor: What kind of worid are we living in I today? When I was young, I was led < to believe that the more education i and intelligence people had, made a better society for everyone. But now I'm totally convinced that it does not. TA/IQII mn Un<M ' * Aisuajr rru iiavc pcupie Supposedly with high intelligence committing some of the most heinous, insidious crimes of all times. They go to college to learn how to bug people's telephones, intercept people's mail and sabotage people's cars. You go to people who are supposedly in authority and they do nothing Jut put you off. You talk to the iiinisters and church folks and they ire so much like Bakker and Swag- 1 >ert. Recently I heard a lady say that >he and her next door neighbor were Part Of Fishing , To the editor: I have been a subscriber of your newspaper for several years. Recently, I have been disturbed that the Fishing report (the main reason I take your paper) has excluded the report from Captain Pete's Marina. The Holden Beach area is a major rishing and population area in 3runswick County. Captain Pete's \e, Just How Nearly a third of the eighth grade ;lass would have dropped out by graduation day. And if Morehead Scholarships had been available to girls, no one local could have qualified, if not because of low SAT scores, then because there were no girls' sports offered. Advanced placement courses? Not here. The schools did well to gain Southern Association accreditation For their basic program. SNb TOE KlHG. i MAYBE?' AYKEDTOE NCSKIE THE KirtG. But YOU Bettei NbONN." \U-1HE NSONEY Y/EETU ME mo the king." Just 60 CHASING AFTEE? ME E NORIEGK. e King. XX HERE AFTER "Wo I NV^TV ' A stmdfach OTHER "| >* v>j^p?p#? Time For Po: So after consulting my condensed copy of the Rev. Norman Vincent Peak's "The Power of Positive Thinking," I was able to purge my brain of negative thoughts and contemplate another of the true joys of life in Brunswick County?or anywhere in the South for that matfnr riit l\r.<? wwt . pii-vuuncu udl UCLUC. However you spell it?barbecue, bar-b-que or just BBQ?it is a mouthwatering delicacy that ranks right up there with homemade banana pudding in my book. Eating a plate of barbecue with all of the trimmings is almost a religious experience. LETTERS TO 1 ike This Shoi standing by their mail boxes waiting for their mail and the mail carrier came and handed her neighbor her mail and handed her someone else's mail. She said to her neighbor, "Is that woman crazy?" I said, "No, she was testing you both to see how dumb you were." Some years ago I worked in a certain food store and I overheard two women talking. One of them was trying to get a certain mail carrier to intercept someone's mail. But my hat is off to that mail carrier because she had the decency not to commit mail fraud. She was not persuaded to commit such a devilish act. ! think people who commit such devious atrocities need to be locked away from the rest of society. Ellen Evans Fvi. 2, Bull via Report Missed Marina has long been an institution at Holden Beach. The people there are recognized not only for their ability, but for their knowledge of the industry. A number of charter boats and commercial fishing vessels fish out of Captain Pete's constantly. I feel you should give strong consideration to having their fishing report on a Lucky Are Tl A choice of French or Spanish? Not likely. There was even one fall when students who had studied Spanish the previous year fared tough, because that year only a French teacher was available. They had to start over. Of course, my class was lucky. We were one of the last offered I^atin, and the first offered three years of French?even if it was taught with a broad Southern accent. College prep students had very few ~i? ii.. 4 ciemve cum sua, we generally spem four years taking most if not all of our classes together. As seniors, though, we could take physics or journalism, both of which were offered first period. As freshmen, we had a choice during third period of civics or personal typing. That was about it. Yeah, students don't know how K A I /' W: ? . /.' '' 1 ji sitive Thinkirr If the three wise men could have gotten their hands on a pound or two, I'm sure their gifts on that first Christmas would have included some Brunswick County pit-cooked barbecue?beef not pork, of course. Either kind, though, is well worth my weight in gold, frankincense and myrrh. Even though barbecue's popularity is evident everywhere you look?it being the entree of choice for fundraisers?what actually brought barbeque to mind during my search for positive thoughts was a recent visit to a local all-you-can-eat restaurant. I'm one of those folks who believes in getting his money's worth out of an all-you-ean-eat meal. And since you can?theoretically, anyway?eat the whole buffet for the same price, I always outdo myself and regret it later. "How you folks doing tonight?" the restaurant manager asked my wife and me, as he moved from table to table greeting customers. HE EDITOR jld Be Lockec weekly basis. Let me add that I thoroughly enjoy your newspaper, and I look forward nonh onrl mmni inoal/ - wc4v.ii uiiu j ntcrv iu ICVCVlllg hiy issue. I hope these comments will be taken in the manner that they are given?from a pleased customer who would like to see your paper be even better! Thank you for listening to your customer's viewpoint. H. Wade Reece Gastonia Response From The Editor Since the number of places to Rights Of Child, To the editor: No cover-up in the investigation of child molesting? It certainly wasn't brought to anyone's attention. Why is an admitted child molestor let out on bond in the first place? So he can molest a few more children? So lies can be told about the case and the family of the victim ostracized by the very people who should be there to support them? A child molestor should be given no more coasideration than a murderer. The child can be permanently scarred by such an experience, especially when the attacker is someone in a position of trust, as in this case. It seeias the rights of the child and his family haven't been given any hey? 1 good they have it. How good do they have it? Perhaps ? it depends on the yardstick. Should we measure Brunswick County against its own past, or against what it could become with more effort? I'm thinking now of Bernard Flythe's speech in the Odell and Virginia Williamson Oratory Contest. Flythe, a South Brunswick High School senior, was asking if, and when, county students would have available the educational programs I to prepare the most talented of them for admission to this country's best 1 universities. No one had the answer. My guess is that, in evaluating our | sc'nooi system or any other program, we should look at both how far we've come and how far we still have to go. So, tell me, just how lucky are they? g Normally 1 would simply nod to i keep from having to stop eating. But before I could do even that, he said something else that was like sweet music to my ears. "Now you be sure and go get you some more barbecue," he said. "We've got plenty." He didn't know his remark was akin to waving a red flag in front of a bull?or wild pig, as the case may be?that's already about to charge. To make a long story short, when I finally waddled out of the restaurant, my belly reached the car five minutes before the rest of my body did. When I caught up, it was rummaging through the glove compart ment for a pack of Rolaids. But before I'm accused of badmouthing Brunswick County barbecue and making negative remarks, let me say it wasn't the food that gave me indigestion. I'm POSITIVE it was the thought of having to fight that dadburn traffic again. J Away check with for the fishing report has grown to the size that it is impossible to call all of them every week, a rotating system is used so that each place is called every other week. However, all locations, including Capt. Pete's, have been asked to call in a report to the Beacon on those weeks when they have something to report and when we are not scheduled to call them. This cooperation is required for us to have a report each week from the same location. Editor, the Beacon Parents Ignored consideration whatsoever in this case. The public deserves a full explanation of the facts in this case and the victim's family deserves many, many apologies. Ivy J. Erickson Shallotte I 1 AT VARNAMTOWN BRING HOME THEfiBEACON On Sole At JOE'S SUPERETTE JUDY'S FISH MARKET \
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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June 2, 1988, edition 1
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