MORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Holden Beach Being Divided
Based On Property Ownership
To the editor:
I have followed closely the dis
cussions regarding the canal situa
tion and beach erosion at Holdcn
Beach. I have read the comments
from commissioners, property own
er association, realtors, etc., and
find it hard to understand the sides
taken.
When the bcach became eroded
due to Hugo and the later winter
storms, the discussions were
whether or not to assess the individ
ual "oceanfront" property owners or
add it to taxes or just what to do.
I am a canal property owner and
have always felt that Holdcn Beach
is my beach whether I live on the
canal, oceanfront or boulevard.
When the beach damage occurred I
thought it was every property own
ers responsibility to contribute to
the rebuilding of our bcach front.
I have the same rights to the
bcach and ocean as anyone else re
gardless of where I own property
and felt equally responsible to con
tribute my share to replace or repair
the damage.
The same is true in regard to the
canals. There are a large number of
oceanfront property owners and
boulevard owners along with the
masses of the general public that
use the canal system along with the
canal property owners. It is all part
of "our beach."
But now we are dividing up the
bcach based on property ownership.
Before it's done we will be issuing
passes based on what and where an
individual owns property. 1 am con
cerned about maintaining the family
atmosphere and property values of
the entire bcach.
Along with the oceanfront prop
erly are the canal systems, where
families fish, ride, swim and enjoy
beach life. Mr. (Kenncr) Amos' re
mark "to have marinas up and down
those canals" is ridiculous. He
clearly doesn't know the difference
between a canal system and marina
and obviously lives on the bcach
front.
I do not mind paying my share
for the work to be done to the
canals as 1 did not mind paying my
share for the oceanfront work.
There seems to be no unison of
our governing bodies. The first step
in hailing the sedimentation in the
canals is require with a deadline all
canal lot owners to install a seawall
whether a house exists or not to
keep sediment from washing in.
I'll be res|H>nsible fur my floating
dock ami seawall should I decide U)
rc locale a temporarily while dredg
ing Uikes plate or have lo rebudd it
later with the thought in mind it in
creases my properly value overall
by having a gixxl canal system ver
sus the fractional costs involved
with a dock.
The town ol Maiden Beach could
get into a lot of trouble by not get
ting involved in the repair of the
canal systems I guess ihov won't
get into any trouble by rebuilding
the entire beach Iront or building
bridges, rcpaving or paving roads or
relocating power lines, etc.
No one is saying it will be easy
or please everybody or be cheap but
it is an integral part of our beach
that needs help. Mrs. (Gloria)
Barrett is not genuinely looking af
ter the interest of Hotdcn Beach and
its property owners.
The ne.xt time the bcach erodes
let just the oceanfronl owners pick
up the lab and be sure lo lake down
the signs in the canals that say "No
Wake- Molden Bcach Police/Town
of Holdcn Beach." We all are own
ers of Holdcn Beach and all its
physical properties and all of us
need lo restore it.
F. 1.. (Ulhe) White. II
High Point
Quest Is Just
Time-Waster
To the editor:
Why sonic people are all het up
about the Quest program and others
giving out with so much hype puz
zles me.
A government bureaucracy which
can no longer teach the Three "R"s
and throws out the more effective
teaching methods lor doing so isn't
capable ol producing a fearful
amount of psychological manipula
tion nor any significant amount of
valuable instruction.
Functionally Quest is just another
time-wasting program. But at least,
the educators should identify which
students they think need such in
struction instead of leaving to de
fensive parents the burden of deci
sion and removal therefrom.
The policy dictating that ALL
children need such a program unless
parents object is yet another exam
ple of professional arrogance.
Karl E. Brandt
Shallotte
Disturbing Questions Raised
At School Board Meeting
To the editor:
Monday night's Brunswick Coun
ty Schix>l Board meeting discussion
of the Quest program raised some
disturbing questions in the mind of
this attendant.
Problems concerning the value of
Quest's non-directive form of edu
cating middle schtxil students about
decision-making, drugs and self-es
teem were voiced.
Decision-making is an important
skill to teach our children. But chil
dren need direction in learning how
to make decisions-just ask any
mother if she has ever had to teach
her children the wrong thing to do.
They know that instinctively.
The fault in non-directive meth
ods of decision-making, like those
used in Quest, is that they do not
recognize thai there is a right an
swer. All situations arc relative with
this process, and are based on the
child's feelings.
Yes, 1 agree with Quest's propo
nents: let's teach our children how
U) make decisions. But let us give
them the proper tools with which to
make these decisions, and not ex
pect an inexperienced, immature,
and might I add hormonal adoles
cent to make wise decisions apart
Irom moral absolutes.
Because of this non-directive
method. Quest cannot teach that
drugs are wrong, only that children
need to make their own choiccs
concerning drugs. Excuse me, but
the latest news is that drugs are ille
gal, and the law states that public
school districts that receive federal
funds must leach pupils "that the
use of illicit drugs and the unlawful
possession and use of alcohol is
wrong and harmful."
Surely Brunswick County would
like to comply with tlus federal law
and keep up with the rest of the na
tion.
At a glance, the teaching of self
esteem is an attractive part of the
Quest program. 1 certainly want my
children to have healthy self-con
cepts, to know who they are, and
why they are valuable to not only
oui family but to socicty as well.
Their knowledge is based upon not
only our parental love for them, but
the realization of God's uncondi
tional love for them.
What is the basis for self-esteem
taught in Quest? IXx-s u go beyond
the child, or is it a philosophy of
"I'm OK, you're OK?" One can
clearly see how this could lead a
child lo justify whatever decisions
he makes with the rationale of "I'm
alright, therefore, nty decision is al
right.'
Individual accomplishment is
what bolsters healthy self-esteem in
a child. Academics, sports, hand, art
and drama arc just some of the areas
in our schools in which to strive for
achievements. Let us encourage
Brunswick County students toward
personal success in these, instead of
developing a false sense of self-es
teem, devoid of individual accom
plishment.
Some questions raised at the
school board meeting have yet to be
answered to my satisfaction. Why
does Brunswick County persist in
using a drug education program that
meets neither federal or state re
quirements? Why is Quest labelled
as drug education when it does not
deal with drugs or drug use until the
course is half over?
Why was R. J. Reynolds Tobacco
Company deleted in the list of com
pany sponsors of the Quest program
given by the Lion's Club spokes
man? Why are students not allowed
to bring their Quest workbooks
home?
And why were concerned parents
who were exercising their right of
free speech about a program that in
volves their children accused of
McCarthyism by a program propo
nent? To the thinking of this person,
this is a sad statement on the part of
those callcd to be public servants.
Could Brunswick County employ
a drug program using different
methodology, that would give stu
dents direction in saying no to
drugs? Of this, I have no
"Question."
Dcbra Galdo
South port
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PHOTO BY BILL F AVI i
MALE LEAST TERNS often take small fish to the female while she is incubating the eggs.
Enjoy Watching The Least Terns
r
It Y BILL FAYKK
Among the many sjx'cies of birds along our
Brunswick County coast, the terns are just about my
favorites. Several spccics spend
some time with us and the small
est of these slender birds with
forked mils is the Least Tern,
commonly called the "Little
Tern." Its scientific name is
Sterna Alhifrons and its wing
spread is about 20 inches anu it
j stands from XV5 to 9VS inches tall.
jy Adult Least Terns are white
with a gray mantle and a white
patch cuts into the black cap on
their foreheads. Yellow bill anil yellow legs are other
distinctive markings. These terns have a rapid wing
beat and a pointed bill. In fall, the bill becomes dusky
dark and the legs become a dull yellow. The black cap
gives way to black behind the head and a black line to
the eye. Young birds arc similar with a sandy-buff
above with quite dark wings.
Least Terns are common summer residents along
our coast and can be with us from April to October
and sometimes on into December. Their nests are
FAVKR
slight scrapes or depressions along the beach, on
sandbars, on new fill, and even on the Hat gravel rools
of large buildings. Two or three buff to olive brown
eggs with spots or blotches arc laid and seem to match
the surrounding shells, pebbles, or debris almost ex
actly. Birds are incubated for about three weeks and
young birds fly at about 24 days. The male is very at
tentive to the female during nesting and brings lish or
small crustacca to the nest for her.
In the late 1 8(X)s, the birds were almost wiped out
by the demand for whole bird skins to adorn ladies'
hats. Thanks to the Audubon Society and government
regulations this practice was outlawed and the birds
have recovered to a great extent, though their numbers
arc still less than that desired.
We can hear these small terns as they call a "kip,
kip, kip" or a "zeck" or a harsh, raspy "chcr-ec-eep"
when they arc flying above the surf looking for lish.
aquatic insects, or small crustacca. They hover with
bill downward and suddenly plunge. Then we know
they are feeding their mate, feeding their young, or
possibly feeding themselves. They arc a welcomed
and important part of our seashore world anil it is lun
to watch them and learn of their interesting habits.
RC&D Gives Volunteers Some Room To Work
Community projects often lull on
the shoulders of volunteers. When
iheir ideas about conservation and
belter use of the land arc not backed
by funding, those ideas become
nothing more than wild dreams.
Brunswick County will become
partners in the U.S. Department ol
Agriculture's Resource Conserva
tion and Development (RC&D) pro
grant, which is aimed at helping lo
cal residents tackle their own rural
development problems.
County Commissioners voted to
join hands with the Region O
Council of Governments to apply
for part of $30 million to be allocat
ed this fiscal year for local RC&D
projects.
District I Commissioner Kelly
Holdcn owns a farming business.
When he first heard the RC&D pre
sentation recently, his eyes widened
like a kid's on Christmas Day.
Brunswick County is home to a
unique mixture of coastal shore
lines, Carolina bays, farms and river
banks. It has northern industries and
southern farms. Holdcn and the oth
er commissioners saw opportunites
here, and better yet, "No county
funds will be involved," he added.
The county pays a per diem for
council members to attend meet
ings, while an area coordinator is
funded by the US DA and serves as
a catalyst for getting the ball rolling
locally.
RC&D projects have helped an
Iowa community rebuild a railroad
needed to link community and local
r
(T^
?. y ? i
?-'V
industry. When ihc private railroad
tailed, in stepped volunteers and
RC&D funding 10 put it back on
irack, pardon the pun.
In one Georgia community, when
lire hydrants went dry due to a wa
ter crisis, RC&D funds flowed in to
help a hand of volunteers solve the
problem. The project also helped
lower the insurance rates for resi
dents there.
In some Georgia high schools,
students have developed hydroponic
greenhouses as an alternate method
for growing produce. What began in
the high schools has filtered into the
community with the help of volun
teers and RC&D funding.
Each of the communities faced a
problem but had volunteers eager to
come up with a solution, if only the
money was available. All it takes is
a council of community leaders ea
ger to make things happen, said
Dennis Cooms, district coordinator
of the RC&D program.
"The main thrust of the program is
resource conservation and protecting
the environment," said Cooms.
The area identifies a problem and
Terry
Pope
then communities work together to
gel those things fixed, he said.
Imagine what can happen when
county leaders from New Hanover.
Pender. Bladen. Brunswick and Co
lumbus counties put their heads to
gether to try to solve area environ
mental and erosion control prob
lems.
It's really nothing new to
Brunswick County, for in the 1970s
Shallotte's James Bellamy headed
the lixal RC&D council, but for
some reason the program died a
slow death. Now, 20 years later, it is
returning.
RC&D was started by the 1962
Agriculture Act under the USDA
program, receiving S25 million that
year which was some hefty sum for
the 1960s. This year, S3() million
will be allocated to the 194 pro
grams nationwide, so the pieces to
the pic have gotten smaller.
But still, it's a ray of hope. It'd be
great to sec a community identify
its own problem, plan a solution,
have volunteers give up their time
to work on that project and see the
problem solved.
It seems so American to channel
funds to communities where people
are willing to help themselves.
Voluntarism is the backbone to
strong communities.
RC&D funding isn't a handout or
an expensive government study on
the mating habits of some insignifi
cant species. I'd like to see the pro
gram and local volunteers actively
at work in Brunswick County.
IMA ^ ATTENTION:
BIMA AND EXPRESS CARE
PATIENTS
Brunswick Islands Medical Associates
579-0707
We at Brunswick Islands Medical Associates appreciate your
patience while we await the return of Dr. Wilkerson and the arrival
of Dr. Kirtley. Please note the change in Express Care hours for
September. As always, the BIMA physician on-call is available 24
hours a day by calling 579-0707.
Thank you,
Dr. Marcus Williams
Dr. Michael Wilkerson
_ __ Dr. Ga?y Ross
Q ^ P ? Dr. Samuel Kirtley
579-0800
SEPTEMBER EXPRESS CARE HOURS:
Monday-Friday 9 am to 7 pm
LOCATED IN THE SOUTH BRUNSWICK ISLANDS MEDICAL PARK 4 MILES SOUTH OF SHALLOTTE ON HWY. 17.
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