Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / Oct. 3, 1991, edition 1 / Page 4
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Opinion Page THE BRUNSWICK j|BEACOM Edward M. Sweatt and Carolyn H. Sweat t Publishers Edward M. Sweatt Editor Susan Usher News EctUor Doug Rutter. Terry Pope and Dor I Gurganus Writers Johnny Craig Sports Editor Peg^' Earwood Office Matiager Carolyn H. Sweatt A<ii<ertising Director Tiniberley Adams. Cecelia Gore and Bill Nlsbet Ach>ertlsing Representatives Dorothy Brennan Graphic Artist William Manning Pressman Brenda Clemmons Moore Photo Technician Lonnle Sprinkle Assistant Pressman I'hoebe Clemmons and Frances Sweatt Circulation PAGE 4-A, THURSDAY OCTOBER 3 1991 In '92, Why Not Make It Truly A 'Big Sweep?' Bravo, Big Sweepers. The people who love our area beaches them have done a great job once again cleaning them of litter. Each year the statewide "Hie Sweep" campaign seems to turn out even more volunteers eager to sweep the coast clean across the South Brunswick Islands. While those of us who live here often take the nearby shores for granted, volunteers travel hundreds of miles each September to come clean up "our" beach es. In fact, the type and amount of litter volunteers are hauling off the beaches these days differs from the early years of the pro gram. The volunteers are getting pickier. gathering up tiny items they might have overlooked the first years of the program when there was bulkier debris to he hauled away. While this annual effort to scour the beaches must be main tained. it's time Brunswick County residents focused their atten tion on the other waterways we are so fortunate to have ? the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and a plentitude of rivers. Surely the banks and even the shallows of the Shallottc River need a good cleaning up? within the town limits and all the way to the inlet. All or portions of the shorelines of the Calabash, Brunswick. Waccamaw and rivers could also use an annual scouring. Statewide what was once called Beach Sweep has broadened its focus to include other more inland waterways and is now called Big Sweep. Except for Southport. Brunswick County has generally not followed suit. It's time. The first year would be the most difficult, when volunteers would be tackling the accumulated debris of several lifetimes, from abandoned tires and appliances to w ho knows what. This is the kind of project the dormant Keep America Beautiful program ? now supposedly housed in the Brunswick County Parks and Recreation Department ? could jump on, working now with local towns and communities, commercial trash haulers, garden clubs, civic clubs, churches and businesses to plan a massive inland "sweep" next fall. Such a project takes more communication than money. Of course, there's no reason local communities should wait for leadership from another source. Any of them could start now organizing a cleanup, challenging others to do the same. I LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Change Back To Basics To the editor: The articlc published in the Beacon Sepi. 1 1 concerning the Quest program in our public schools deserves some comments. 1 know nothing about the Quc>t program. However, if it's no better than the rest of the curriculum which has already proved to be a failure, then it should be removed. Until 1950 we had the best educational system on earth. In the early 50s some organized left-leaning pressure groups led by the teachers union the National Education Association (N.E.A.) began to change the curriculum; social studies and internationalism replaced basic educa tion. The little red school house became a center for indoctrination. Whatever our children have become it is not their fault. When children are taught that they sprang from monkeys and that their forefathers were brutal greedy men, can we expect them to respect themselves and oth ers? All we hear from our educators today is more money. We can put all the money on earth into our educational system and we won't get one cents worth of improvement until we change the curriculum back to the basics. There's an old saying, when everything else fails read the in structions. In the 1940s and 50s we went to school in a wooden building that had fireplaces. We carried our own lunch but we were taught more in four years than today's kids are taught in twelve. As for Dr. Lee Langslon's statement concerning those w ho disagree with the Quest program, it was very unprofessional, even childish, using words like McCarthyism and schizophrenia. This was a low blow to say the least. This country was built on the free exchange of ideas. We don't all agree but we should have respect for each other. I think he should apolo gize to Mrs. Janice Pope and others who may disagree. William H. Stanley Shallottc Stadium Is Lasting Benefit To the editor: The M. H. Rourk Stadium at West Brunswick High School was ded icated on Sept. 20. This stadium is a perfect example of how local gov ernment and a local civic organization such as the West Brunswick Boosters Club can work together for a common goal, resulting in a last ing benefit to the entire community. Even so, this project would not have been possible had it not been for the gracious generosity of Dr. Henderson Rourk. This stadium is on ly the most recent evidence of a long and continued commitment of Dr. Rourk, his late wife, Ms. Marie Rourk, and his family to the betterment of our community. There are many lasting monuments in this community which con stantly remind us of the generosity and community spirit of Dr. Rourk and his entire family. On behalf of the Brunswick County Board ol Education and as a private ciu/cn I would like to express our deep and abiding appreciation to Dr. Henderson Rourk, his lannly and the West Brunswick Boosters Club for making this fine stadium a reality. lX>uglas W. Baxlcy, Vice Chairman Board of Education (Letters Continue On Following ['age) County Plays Stubborn Games With State Some Brunswick County folks are stubborn. They'll argue with a stop sign. But sometimes it pays to be stubborn, until you at least make a point. County commissioners recently showed no signs of backing down from a good fight with the N.C. General Assembly. The guys in Raleigh have man dated that counties icach into the magic hat and pull out money for programs that local governments had no idea they would be funding this fiscal year. House Bill 37 also forces county governments to increase their build ing inspection fees by S5. For a county that's among the lop in annual housing and population growth, the increase is bothersome. Especially w hen it wasn't your idea, anil the local developers and home owners are already breathing lire over tax increases and user fees. "What happens if we don't?" asked District 2 Commissioner Jerry Jones at a recent board meet ing. The other board members all A . looked at one another. You could see the wheels turning inside their heads. This board of commissioners likes a good, stubborn fight. "The stale will still want us mon ey." said LXiug Lcdgett, assistant to the county manager. When Chairman Kelly Holden asked for a motion to increase the lee. he didn't get one. The county still hasn't raised its inspection fee, apparently in defiance of the bill. So what happens now? To say that commissioners are still mad over actions taken by the 1991 N.C. General Assembly, and a sclect few of its members, is putting it mildly. The board is still turning over how the state passed costs for Terry Pope juvenile detention services on to lo cal governments, alter the counties hud already approved their budgets. Where do we all find extra cash in between pay periods? We don't. Where are counties suppose to find the extra cash in the middle of a budget year? They don't. Commissioners hesitantly gave in to the fight over funding lor juve nile detention services, voting to find the money somewhere should a defendant need emergency medical care. Under state law, juveniles cannot he housed with adult prisoners, and Brunswick County doesn't have a juvenile detention center. The younger criminals must be kept in a facility in Wilmington, at a cost of SI 5 [X'r day for the county with the rest paid by the suite. In ll)KS, the county signed a con tract with the slate indicating thai agreement for its detention of youths. But as time goes on, the state has budget problems. We've all heard that story. At issue is the cost of medical care for those youths. The state has mandated lhal counlics now pay their medical bills. "Although I may not like it," said County Manager David Clegg, "we have no choice." A county cannot foresee in June how many juveniles will he held in the center while awaiting trial here in Brunswick County. That number may rise and lall with the moon. "The amount is up in the air," saul Clegg. Currently, there is one juvenile lx.*ing held lor Brunswick County in the New Hanover County facility. With the cost of today's medical care skyrocketing, one trip to the hospital could wi|X* out the county's budget for juvenile services. "If the state would have some how made it clear to counties dur ing the budget process, we could have lived with it," said Clegg. But instead, the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, and perhaps doesn't care or even want to know. It seems stubborn ness is a trait found in other parts of this Tarheel state too. <fTK(5^A/VEL^FEXPETO !S'& / NOW 6IVE OUR ANNUAL IVXBC % I MOUNTAIN FALL FOILAGE FORECAST ! ) _ Savor A Brunswick Islands October I may gladly retreat to the moun tains in mid-summer, hut give me October in the South Brunswick Islands. Basking in the sun at midday, strolling along the beach or through a farm Held in late evening. Sleeping without the air conditioner and with the windows Hung wide open. Who could ask for anything bet ter? Recent days have been perfect for the likes of me, though several of my friends already are getting a little grouchy. These buddies of mine thrive on heal and humidity. You'd i #C mJ Susan f Usher * > ' t * think ihcy grew up in Mississippi or somewhere in lite Deep South. Or without sweat glands. Me, all I need is sunlight. You can skip the sticky part. Ill is is iny favorite lime of year. There's still a gixnl bit of daylight left in winch to work or play and you can do either without working up a sweat. There's a crispncss in die air dial invigorates. Across the South Brunswick Islands there's plenty to do and see. So much, in fact, my husband and I are juggling schedules like crazy. It seems there's nothing we want to give up or do widioul. No one can be bored around here in October. II you hear anyone grip ing about not having anything to do or any place to go, tell them to call mc. Willi so much to do, ii's gtxnl thai for a very short while about this lime each year I feel like Super woman, capable of accomplishing deeds of fantastic proportions. Shame it doesn't last very long. In all the hustle and bustle of fall festival month, take a few minutes and jusi open up to October al the coast. lake a friend for a stroll on the beach, lake that cup of java or hot lea and sip it on the back porch. Plant a few flowers. Find a reason to get outside and savor a South Brunswick Islands October. Lessons Should Be Learned From The Big Sweep The Big Sweep '91 has come anil gone ? along with more than two tons of garbage from the Brunswick County coast. The hundreds of volunteers who turned out last weekend to help clean up trash on our sandy shores did a great job. 1 would personally like to thank each and every one of them for car ing enough about the beaches to do something about it. But unfortunately, the job isn't finished yet. It's really just begun. Getting rid of that unsightly litter that accumulated during the busy summer season is only half the battle. The real reason for The Big Sweep, which is the nation's largest statewide litter cleanup, is to make people aware of the impacts of lit tering and educate the folks who are causing the problem. Most people probably won't think about The Big Sweep until next year, when it will once again be held the third Saturday in September. But before this year's cleanup be comes old news and drifts out of mind, I think it's important to em phasize two of the lessons that were learned this year. First of all, coordinators saw that coastal communities that provide trash cans in convenient locations don't get as much litter as beaches without garbage cans. "We seem to see that people r \ Doug ft . | Rutter 1 don't carry liicir garbage very far," said Lundie Spcnee, who helped co ordinate the statewide cleanup. "Where you have more trash depos itories you have less trash." In other words, most people will walk a few feet out of their way to throw out their trash if they see a garbage can nearby. If the can is tot) far out of the way or there aren't any cans, some pe?v pie will leave the trash on the beach. What does it all mean? It means coastal towns concerned about litter can send a strong message by pro viding plenty of trash receptacles on die beach. Instead of just posting a sign ask ing people to refrain from littering, towns should give visitors some where to throw out their trash. What else did we learn this year? Ms. Spencc said the most common types of beach litter found were plastic bags used lor ice and bait; plastic, glass and metal bever age containers; and fishing line. Cigarette buiLs were also a big gie, as they were last year when they lopped the charts, so to speak. Volunteers picked up 67,375 cigar ette bulls lasl year, which accounted for almost 27 percent of the debris collected. These plastic filters aren't just a problem in North Carolina. Bulls topped the litter list in cleanups held in 26 states, the District of Columbia and three United States territories last year. So what does that tell us? It tells us who is responsible for much of the litter on our beaches. It tells us that offshore cruise ships, huge international freighters and foreign fishing fleets aren't to blame for our trashed beaches. The types of trash that have been picked up and bagged most often over the last five years arc things that recreational water users such as fishermen, boaters, campers and W rite Us The Beacon welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and includc the writer's ad dress. Under no circumstances will unsigned letters be printed. Letters should be legible. The Beacon reserves the right to edit libelous comments. Address let ters to The Brunswick Beacon, P. O. Box 2558, Shallotic, N. C. 28459. beachgocrs have brought from home and simply left behind. Stale coordinators estimate that 68 percent of the beach litter that was picked up in 1990 came from recreational users. From all indica tions, the same holds true for this year. It's hard to believe, but the same people who would benefit most from clean beaches and waterways turn out to be its biggest polluters. THE BRUNSWICK'&BEACON Established Nov. 1, 1962 Telephone 754-6890 Published Every Thursday At 4709 Main Street Shallotlc, N.C. 2X459 SUBSCRIPTION RATKS IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY One Year SI 0.36 Six Months S5.55 KLSKVVHKRE IN NORTH CAROLINA One Year $14.80 Six Months S7.90 Kl.SEWIIHUH IN U.S.A. One Year SI 5.95 Six Months $8.35 Second class postage paid at Shallotlc , N.C. 28459. USPS 777-780. Postmaster, send ad dress changes to: P.O. Box 2558, Shallotte, N.C. 2K459-2558
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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Oct. 3, 1991, edition 1
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