Opinion Page
THE BRUNSWICIC#RAC0N
Edward M. Swealt and Carolyn H. Sweatt Publishers
Edward M. Sweatt JJdftcr
Susan Usher News Editor
Rahn Adams & Doug Rutter ......Staff Writers
Johnny Craig Sports Editor
Christine BaJlou Office Manager
Carolyn H. Sweatt ,. .Advertising Director
Tlmberley Adams & Valerie I-amb Advertising Representatives
Tammle Galloway & Dorothy Brennan Typesetters
William Manning Pressman
Brenda Clemmons Photo Technician
Lonnle Sprinkle .Assistant Pressman
Clyde and Mattle Stout. Phoebe Clemmons Circulation
PAGE 4-A. THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 1. 1990
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The Hatfieids And McCoys
All Over Again In Calabash
Something is rotten in the seafood capital of the world, and I'm not
talking about the fish.
Calabash, a town long known for its seafood, may soon be known for
its feuding. The 19th-century battle i 1
between the Hatfields and McCoys in I
the mountain regions of the southern !
United States is one of the most
famous feuds in history.
Well, stop the presses if you're
printing history text books. If things
don't change soon, Calabash and
Carolina Shores may join the ranks of
those famous fenders.
The new "leadership" in the
recently-enlarged Town of Calabash -
Doug
Rutter
? comprised of five people from Carolina Shores and three from old
Calabash ? appears to be well on its way to a 10-rounder at Caesar's
Palace.
I can almost hear the bell ringing now. "DING, DING, DING. Ladies
and gentlemen, let's get ready to RUMBLE!!!"
Not counting Tuesday's session, there have been four meetings of the
new board of commissioners in Calabash.
At the first meeting, things started off cordial enough. The mayor and
new commissioners enjoyed hors d'hoeuvres and took the oath of office.
There was peace.
Then, the business meeting started.
To say the least, the five elected officials from Carolina Shores came to
the meeting with definite plans. In about the time it takes Mayor Simmons
to relate one of his hunting stories, the folks from Carolina Shores had set
up four town commissions, appointed one of their own as mayor pro tern
and decided the town board should meet twice as often as it used to meet
Those first steps weren't so terrible. But since that initial gathering,
there has been a growing sense of tension among board members over who
will be appointed to these various commissions, and more importantly, how
many people will be appointed from each district.
Amazingly, there hasn't been one split vote since the new commission
took office in December. But then again, the board hasn't dealt with
anything ?hat would invite, a split vote. That will come later, no doubt.
Nevertheless, the bottom Une for many of the elected officials so far has
been which district they represent. These people obviously don't subscribe
tn the. Three Musketeers credo: "All for one and one for all."
Since the two commissioners from old Calabash are a minority, they
have dCieu ucicuStvciy about almOSi cVciy'uiiiig piOpOscu by a uicinuci
from Carolina Shores.
On the other side of the coin, several commissioners from Carolina
Shores seem to be holding on to a spiteful attitude. They act as if they want
to make the people of old Calabash pay for stepping in ami effectively
stopping the incorporation of Carolina Shores as a separate r. nicipality.
It hasn't happened yet, but it probably won't be long before somebody
asks for an ordinance that would require all Calabash residents to park their
pickup trucks out of sight and prohibit ciothes fines in back yards. For those
who don't know, these rules are already in place in Carolina Shores.
Anyway, the end result of the whole mess is that the elected officials
from Carolina Shores and those from Calabash don't trust one another.
If you ask me, they all need to go on a month-long retreat. I suggest a
trip to the North Pole or Medicine Hat, Canada, or some other place where
they could all live off the land and not be bothered with petty items such as
who will serve on the planning commission.
They could all pitch tents, go fishing, cook hot dogs over an open fire
and just have a plain old good time.
Once they got to know their fellow board members and learned to trust
them, they'd probably realize that they can all work together for the
betterment of the town and all its people.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Who's Responsible For Litter?
To the editor.
I am a North Carolinian and have
owned property in Brunswick
County for five years.
I have also picked up litter for
five years and have kept a close
watch on where the litter is coming
from. Tourists? Some.
You may be surprised to find it
coming from utility workers leaving
their leftover materials, lunch pap
ers and pop cans. Contractors also
leave litter, or they lose it out of
their trucks between jobs.
And, of course, local residents.
That's right, people who live and
work here arc the litterers of this
beautiful county.
If everyone would pick up litter
in front of their own property, it
would control a lot of the litter, with
maybe ten minutes a day of their
time. I had one man tell me he
didn't put it there and he wasn't
going to pick it up. Shame, shame.
Also, I am surprised I have not
seen any Realtors sponsoring the lit
ter program. If there are any, I apol
ogize to you.
This probably won't help, but at
least I, as a resident, would like to
see God's beautiful creation taken
care of and appreciated.
Ira Hill
Holden Beach Area
Recycling
Ideas Needed
To the editor
I would like to compliment Oak
land Smith's thoughts on "Collect
ing Not Recycling" in a recent letter
to the editor.
I believe more people should be
thinking like that-trying to find an
economical way of using more of
our trash After World War II, Japan
took all of our scrap metal and
paper they could get their hands on,
and look what they accomplished.
High school and college students
should be encouraged to use their
minds toward science and business
projects to develop existing or new
products from recycled materials.
Retirees, who have a wealth of
knowledge and experience, should
be called upon to help students with
know-how and ideas. Junior Ach
ievement programs have been very
successful in developing young en
trepreneurs in many parts of the
country.
Our local and state elected
officials should encourage inno
vative business ideas that may need
a tax break to get started.
All kinds of help is available;
what is needed is more people with
vision, ideas and motivation to
make this one of the best business
opportunities of this generation.
Chance Scran ton
Volunteers for Recycling
Sunset Beach
Write Us
The Beacon welcomes letters to
the editor. All letters must be signed
and include the writer's address.
Under no circumstances will
unsigned letters be printed. Letters
should be legible. The Beacon
reserves the right to edit libelous
comments. Address letters to The
Brunswick Beacon, P. O. Box 2558,
Shallotte, N. C. 28459.
A Small Step: Remember The Three R's
For the past several years, one of
the recurring themes of the Cape
Fear Chapter, Siena Club, newslet
ter that crosses my desk each month
has been the three R's: Reduce, Re
use and Recycle.
You've probably guessed by now
we're talking of waste, the kind of
stuff that overflows from the kitch
en trash can and into our local land
fill. As just one example, think
about the amount of waste that goes
directly into the trash can after
every trip to the grocery store as
you repackage items for the freezer
and crisper and toss out bags.
There are a lot of ways individu
als can make a difference in the vol
ume of waste that must be handled.
Most require small changes of hab
it, not major inconvenience or dis
comfort Some take a little more
time and/or thought for members of
an increasingly "throw-away" soci
ety. But if still in doubt as to their
value, all one has to do is consider
the consequences.
Don and I still have a long way to
go, but we've started. We're more
careful shoppers. We've become
more diligent recyclers and com
posters. We examine labels on
cleaning products more carefully
and we're getting along without
aerosol sprays. We aim to do better
when it comes to use of chemicals
Susan
Usher
in lawn, garden and household
applications.
I hope that you will become con
verts also. If we don't change our
ways, however slightly, the world
we hand down to our children will
be nothing but a burden. I'm con
vinced that, to quote House Bea
utiful editor JoAnn Barwick, "if
each of us takes a few small steps
toward rescuing our land .air and
water, then we'll soon be making
giant leaps together."
From the Sierra Club, here are a
few tips on putting the three R's to
work for you, with the assumption
you're already recycling as much as
possible:
Reduce Waste:
1) Shop carefully; don't buy foods
that will be thrown away.
2) Do not use a bag if buying one
item or if you'll be using the item as
soon as you leave the store.
3) Buy non-perishable products in
large quantities to create less gar
bage.
4) Don't purchase "overpackag
ed" products.
5) Use a coffee mug at work
rather than a foam-type cup.
6) Repair broken appliances rath
er than throwing them away and
purchasing new ones. We're learn
ing: My more handy sister and
brother-in-law just salvaged my old
mixer for her beach house: my
blender's shelved, waiting for a new
gasket from the plant at little
Washington.
Reuse Materials :
1) Buy products that can be re
used, such as glass jars, and use
them.
2) Donate reusable items to thrift
shops: try shopping at thrift shops.
3) Return refillable bottles.
4) Try to avoid using plastic bags
wher buying produce. If you do,
reuse them.
5) Take your own bags to the gro
cery store.
6) Use rechargeable batteries.
7) Use old fabric and worn-out
clothing as rags.
8) Use durable products rather
than disposables: cloth napkins,
mugs.
Shop Environmentally:
1) Buy products packaged in recy
clable glass, aluminum or paper.
2) Choose products that are pack
aged in paper cartons rather than
plastic or plastic foam. This applies
to eggs, milk and laundry detergent.
Avoid wax-covered paper.
3) Look for papcrboard packages
with gray interiors which arc made
from recycled or recyclable paper.
4) Look for the recycling symbol.
It means you are buying a rccyled
or recyclable product. (By the way.
The Brunswick Beacon is printed on
recycled paper, and it can be recy
cled again.)
5) Go to fast-food establishments
which use paper and cardboard, not
foam, to wrap food.
6) Ask for paper bags at the gro
cery store, rather than plastic.
Think Before Throwing Away
Junk Mail:
1) Reduce the amount of junk
mail you receive. Contact the Mail
Preference Service, Direct Market
ing Association, 6 East 43rd St,
N.Y. 10017. Ask that your name
not be sold to most large mailing
list companies. This could reduce
your mail up to 75 percent and will
not affect mail you receive from
companies which already have your
address. To reduce that mail, write
the sender direct to get off their list
2) Use the blank sides of junk
mail as scratch paper.
SEA CUCUMBERS are sometimes found among the shells at the high tide line on the beach.
Leam To Appreciate Sea Cucumbers
BY BILL FAVER
Once in a while we Find some strange worm
like creatures among the shells washing up in
the high tide lines at the beach. These unique
animals can be gray or rose
colored and have five faint
white stripes along their
sides. They are called sea
cucumbers and are related
to the five-part inverte
brates such as sand dollars
and sea stars known as
Echinoderms. They belong
to the class called Hol
othurians.
When out of the water,
cucumbers draw themselves into football
shaped ovals often only two to four inches long.
Their five tentacles are usually retracted into the
body when they are on the dry beach out of the
water. If they are alive when found and returned
to the water, sea cucumbers can elongate from
six to eight inches and unfurl a crown of
tentacles. In the sea, these animals burrow along
the bottom slowly ingesting sand and mud and
passing it through their bodies. Performing
functions similar to earthworms on land,
Holothurians in an area less than two miles
square may redistribute as much as 1,000 tons
of bottom substance.
In feeding, sea cucumbers pull back a
tentacle and draw it across the mouth, scraping
off the food much as a child would lick his
fingers. Food is mostly microscopic plants and
animals.
Sea cucumbers have few known enemies. In
some Oriental countries they are cleaned and
dried and eaten as food called "trepang." They
have an unusual method of defense related to
their high sensitivity to touch. A gentle touch
with your finger will cause it to contract and to
spurt from its mouth or anal end. Rough
handling will even cause it to explode as die
animal expels its innards. Since it has the power
to regenerate, this is seldom suicidal, and is
believed to be a way of deceiving a predator.
While the astonished predator is contemplating
what has happened, the animal slips slowly
away, leaving its organs behind.
Next time you are on the beach following a
storm or rough sea, watch for the sea
cucumbers. They may not appear very exciting
lying there among the shells. But if you get
them to the water and wait long enough you
may witness the show of tentacles and learn to
appreciate this strange creature along our shore.
Keep Those Cards, Letters And Junk Mail
Coming
I finally got around to putting up
my first honest-to-goodness rural
mailbox last weekend. And it even
works. I know it does, because my
first junk mail arrived Monday.
Ever since I was old enough to
walk out to the road by myself and
tall enough to reach up and unclasp
the mailbox door, I've yearned for
my very own rural mailbox ? you
know, the kind that looks like an
oversized, aluminum lunchbox with
a big, red flag on one side.
Even though my wife and I have
lived at our present Ocean Isle
Beach address for nearly a year, we
didn't bother putting up a box at
home until now because we've al
ways picked up our mail at the post
office in Shallotte. We're going to
keep the post office box so that I'll
have somewhere to walk every day
at lunch and get at least a little exer
cise.
Besides, my wife and I recently
started recycling newsprint and oth
er types of paper that we used to
just throw away. Now, with two
mailboxes, we'll be able to double
our junk mail and do twice as good
a job of keeping unsolicited sales
circulars and sweepstakes material
and pleas for donations from
environmental groups from being
dumped into the Brunswick County
Landfill.
While I'm on the subject...I hate
to pick on environmental organiza
Ra.hn
Adams
lions, since I quit throwing drink
cans and candy wrappers out the car
window a long time ago and I enjoy
nature as much as the next guy. But,
I swear, I didn't know the true
meaning of junk mail until 1 some
how got on about two dozen envi
ronmental groups' mailing lists.
These organizations could do
more to clean up the environment if
they'd save their postage, take a les
son from certain proselytizing
churches with which I've come into
contact lately, and simply have a
couple of environmentalists drop by
my house at the most inopportune
times to harass me in person every
couple of weeks.
They might not leave with a cash
donation, but I'll be glad to let them
haul a load of recyclables to the
Sunset Beach recycling station for
me. The same goes for the church
folks who forced me to answer the
front door in my skivvies early one
Saturday morning recently. Right
then, I wasn't in any mood to debate
my beliefs or accept any of their lit
erature either.
Sorry about going off on a tangent
there. I was talking about my new
mailbox. It's a real beauty, and I did
a mighty fine job of putting it up
out by the street, if 1 do say so
myself. It was my Saturday after
noon "make like Ward Cleaver and
do something useful around the
house instead of just sitting there
like a knot on a log in front of the
TV" project
Still, my wife laughed at the way
I attached the mailbox to the four
by-four post I'd bought at the lum
ber company that morning. She said
the mailbox was mounted off center
and that the stand was set crooked
in the ground and that it was too
close to the street. She even snick
ered about the nails I bent while try
ing to attach the box to the post.
But then, she's a city girl who
doesn't appreciate the advantages of
having her very own rural mailbox.
Where she grew up, the postman
delivered mail right to the door. Her
family's mailbox was one of those
small black metal dooflotchies that
aren't even big enough to hold a
Sears-Roebuck catalog supplement
or a folded-up Sports Illustrated an
nual swimsuit edition.
I've had mailboxes like that, and
I'm agin "em. Your magazine cov
ers always get mangled from being
crammed at odd angles through the
top slot; the openings in front that
let you see if you got any mail also
let in rain, spiders and other var
mints; and you have to attach out
going letters to the outside of the
box with a clothes pin and hope the
postman arrives before your mail
blows away.
A rural mailbox, on the other
hand, has character. It protects your
incoming and outgoing mail from
the elements and can even be used
to make a personal statement about
yourself. Some folks on my street
have painted the sides of their boxes
with designs ranging from flowers
and mushrooms to sea shells and
seagulls. My really "uptown" neigh
bors have plastic mailboxes shaped
like bams.
You can also tell a lot about a per
son by the kind of mailbox stand
they choose. For example, there are
the sturdy, cross-type, weather
treated, wooden posts; the fancy,
store-bought, wrought-iron models;
and the state-of-the-art stands that
incorporate objects like wagon
wheels or log chains or the bumper
of a dearly-departed pickup truck.
My mailbox doesn't say anything
in particular about me. It just kind
of stands there next to the pink
flamingos and keeps my junk mail
from getting wet.