THE BRUNSWICK&BEACON
Edward M. Sweat! ant! Carolyn H. Sweat t Publishers
Edward M. Sweatt Eililor
Susan Usher News Editor
Terry Pope and Dort Gurganus Writers
Doug Rulter Sfxirts Editor
Pegjy Earwtxxl OJJice Manager
Carolyn H. Swealt .Advertising Director
Tlniberley Adains, Cecelia Gore and
Bill Nlsbet Advertising Representatives
Dorothy Brennan and Brenda Clenimons Moore ..Graphic Artists
William Manning Pressman
I>onnie Sprinkle Assistant Pressman
Phoebe Cleminons and Frances Swealt Circulation
PAGE 4 A. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21. 1991
Delay In Delivery
Was Unfortunate
The snafu a! the Shallotte Post Office last week that delayed
delivery of the Beacon to subscribers in Supply. Bolivia.
Winnabow and Leland was unfortunate. Hopefully, steps arc be
ing taken to avoid it happening again.
Some who were not affected might think we reacted too
harshly to the events: that we took radio spots just to embarrass
the post office. Not so.
The radio spots were to inform subscribers in the northern
pan of the county of the delay in delivery and to explain why
their newspaper would not arrive on time.
The radii* spots were ordered alter the phones at the Beacon
office had been ringing all morning Thursday w ith a number of
Supply subscribers saying they had called the Supply Post Office
and were told to call the Shallotte Post Office since the newspa
pers had not been received from Shallotte. When subscribers
called the Shallotte Post Office, they said they were told the
Beacon had not delivered the newspapers to the Shallotte Post
Office.
All the while subscribers were heme told this, those newspa
pers were in a buggy on the end of the dock at the Shallotte Post
Office, where they had sat for over 24 hours. We discovered this
only after we went to the post office just before noon to inquire
about the papers. We walked to the back porch of the post office
with Ron Reaves, the second in command at the PO. and the pa
pers were right in plain view for anyone w ho had passed them in
the past 24 hours to see. He was as surprised as we were angry at
the discover)'.
Only then did we decide to air the radio spots, when we knew
hundreds of other subscribers would be calling-a lot of" them
having to call long distance.
We regret that some postal employees who had no part in the
delay were offended by the radio spots which said the delivery
was caused by incompetence on the part of the U.S. Postal
Service. The spots vs ere not meant as a blanket indictment oi
postal service employees. The commercial message was written
in a hurry in order to get it on the air as quickly as possible to let
our subscribers know what to expect.
This delay was not the every-week problems with which we
have had to learn to live. This was not a case of a newspaper be
ing placed in the wrong box. It was not a case of a bundle of
newspapers being put in the wrong mail sack or routed in the
wrong direction. Each week we have a number of subscribers
vvho fail to get their paper for some unexplained reason and oth
ers who complain that the newspaper is delivered late.
This was a case of a buggy with hundreds of copies of the
newspaper, addressed, bundled and sacked for delivery to sub
scribers. just as they are 52 weeks a year. They were placed on
the back porch of the post office before 10 a.m. Wednesday. They
did not have to be sorted at the Shallotte Post Office. All that had
to be done was load them on the proper truck headed for post of
fices north of here. The truck came and went, but the newspapers
remained on the dock.
It is difficult to imagine anyone overlooking a buggy 31/ by
2 '/ feet, and three feet tall, heaped high with newspapers, lor over
24 hours.
Mr. Reaves personally delivered the newspapers to the proper
post offices after they were discovered. That meant some sub
scribers with post office boxes got Thursday delivery, but it was
too late for rural route delivery that day. However, we appreciate
his efforts, his subsequent investigation, and his assurances that
steps have been taken to prevent the same thing from happening
in the future.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Time To Do Something
To ihe editor:
I am writing to you about the problem wc, the citizens of Brunswick
County, are lacing with the Hwy. 130 bypass.
How many more lives is that intersection going to lake before the
D O T. (Department ol Transportation) does something about it? Next
Uine it may be a school bus. What then? Will they say that an overpass is
still not feasible?
Or would they think differently about building an overpass if it was
their relatives who died such a horrible death'.'
I think it is time wc do something about this hazardous intersection.
Maybe we should form a committee called "Citizens for Public Safety"
and take the problem not only to the D.O.T., hut to our senators and gov
ernor as well.
Dana C\x>k, Shallolie
( I he writer is a sister of Misty Carmichael. the 16-year-old student who
was one of two fatalities in the Nov. I act idem at the intersection of
llwy. / 7 bypass and 130. )
Make Flu Shots More Available
To the editor:
Last week a neighbor and I went to the Brunswick County Health
Department to gel a llu shot for the S4 fee.
There is a list of requirements and information on w ho should get the
flu shot that is given to you; the next to the last one stipulates: "People
wishing to reduce their chances of catching the llu."
It would seem to me that includes everyone. Yet my neighbor was
denied because she wasn't 65 or older (she's 63) and doesn't have a
chronic illness. But she doesn't want the llu either!
New Hanover lets anyone gel the shots tor S5.
Jeanette Martin Kt. 3, Supply
(More Letters, Following Page)
So What Do I Really Think About The SAT?
A Brunswick Community College
student came by the i?ther day. ask
ing questions as part ol reseaa h pro
ject she's conducting lor an educa
tion class.
She wanted to know what I
thought about the SAT. the
Scholastic Aptitude Test. High
school juniors and seniors take it bc
cause most schools 111 the southeast
ern United States use SAT scores as
part ol then freshman admission cri
teria. How much emphasis they
place on the scores depends on the
school, as does the minimum ac
ceptable score. Acceptable scores
can range from around 550 at some
schools itt I . I (K) or more at others.
In some ways it was a frustrating
interview because I hail answers to
offer, but not necessarily to the
questions she asked.
"Should students be made to take
the SAP.'" What students? I won
dered: AH? Or just those who want,
or might want, to go to a college that
uses the SAT as one of its admission
decision factors? Or diK's she mean
should colleges stop requiring it, pe
riod?
Another question asked about the
SAT as a measure of a student's edu
cational achievement. Problem is. I
don't think that is what the SAT
does.
All it is supposed to be. or so I've
been told, is just one indicator of
how well a student might perform in
a collegiate academic setting. NOT
how well they might do in life, or
how successful they might be in
business, or even how much they
have learned in high school.
Another question asked what
Susan
Usher
Qp
could replace ihc SAT as a measure
ol a student's education. Problem
question lor several reasons, starling
with the lact thai it doesn't measure
"education."
A high score on the SAT relates
more to a student's reading rale,
reading comprehension level, test
taking ability, vocabulary, degree ol
exposure to a broad range ol ideas
and information, and to a lesser de
gree whether his or her class lin
ished the Algebra II text the year be
fore.
II you've never heard of some
thing. it's harder lo rapidly read a
passage on it and answer questions
about it. That's partly why we hear
so many complaints about "cultural
bias". Some backgrounds are more
limited than others: others rich anil
varied, but simply different.
But given the college setting to
which die SAT is a stepping stone,
perhaps the questions aren't so silly.
A "good" college student needs to
read fast and have excellent compre
hension of what he or she reads,
have a broad vocabulary and know
how to use it, be able to derive rela
tionships from clusters of informa
tion, and be able to apply basic
mathematical concepts.
The real question should he.
"Mow much ikx*s Ixing u tradition
ally "gixxl" college student or hav
ing a "gixxl" SAT score have to do
with real life?
The student researcher also asked
if there arc ways to prepare students
for the SAT. Nly answer You spend
your entire life up to test tunc
preparing lor the SAT. hut you can't
cram for it the week before.
The year I first took the SAT,
many ol the kids from my school
didn't even have time to finish it.
Most couldn't read fast enough, or
had to read something over two or
three limes before they understood
it.
There arc things sch(x>ls can do
that help prepare students for the
SAT whether they realize it or not.
While temporarily attending seventh
grade in the New Hanover County
Schools. I was lucks enough to have
a teacher who gave weekly reading
comprehension/reading rate drills
and tests. Everybody showed im
provement under her sell-paced pro
gram.
At Shallollc High, I had an
English teacher who ux>k the trouble
at least once a week, sometimes
more often, to do short drills at the
start of class using the types of vo
cabulary and reading comprehension
problems found on the SAT. She al
so had us take the New York
Regent's Exam, with North Carolina
questions substituted for those relat
ing to New York. Anything to put us
more at ease with standardized test
ing and to help identify our strengths
and weaknesses.
We also had an opportunity to
lake one year of I -aim in ninth
graik-. great tor building vocabulary
ami in liguruig out the meaning ol
unfamiliar words. People joke about
I .aim K ing a "dead" language, bui n
sure shows up frequently as pari ol
our "living" languages.
Ifiis student researcher also asked
if I knew of anything thai could re
place the SAT as a measure of a stu
dent's education. Not. not as a mea
sure of education: but yes, as a mea
sure ol a student's ability to handle
college and college level work
As far as I'm concerned you
could leave off ihe SAT as a criteri
on for college admission. The other
factors traditionally used academic
achievement, private interviews,
recommendations, etc., work line. I
certainly hate to see a student not
considered because an SAT score
was one point loo low or something
like that.
If we had to have a substitute for
the SAT, though, then Ihe only thing
I could envision would be ux> costly
and loo time-consuming to do on a
mass basis: Give every student be
ing tested a research topic and ac
cess lo an excellent resource collec
tion such as is available at any good
library. Give them a certain number
of hours to conduct research and to
write a paper in a supervised selling.
Evaluate ihe paper on contcni as
well as mechanics and also evaluate
(heir ability to locale and effectively
use a variety of resources. No copy
ing from an encyclopedia allowed.
Bui lhai would probably be no
more realistic than the SAT we're
using now.
l
ALONG WITH CHRISTMAS, FLU SEASON STARTS EARLY THIS YEAR.
>
Sometimes, When It Rains It Also Pours
I sent my family into shock last
week by buying my first Christmas
present lor 1991. It has to be a
record ? so early.
1 think I've figured out what put
the Christmas spirit into me in mid
November. Usually, 1 wait and wait
until the last week, or the last
minute. Only that came back to
haunt me two years ago.
Remember the record snow storm
when more than a foot of snow fell,
and suddenly we had our first white
Christmas here in Brunswick Coun
ty? 1 had planned to finish up shop
ping on Christmas Eve, but some
body got left out that year. They
never let me forget it either. ?
Last week was a pretty good time
to do some shopping. 1 hail spent
Saturday night in 37-dcgrcc weather,
with a windchill factor of 11 de
grees, gelling soaked from head to
toe by a miserable rain while watch
t'
ing my Tarheels take a boating from
Clcmson in Chapel Hill.
Leaving the stadium alive must
have given me the Christmas spirit. I
hail gone prepared ? t-shirt, sweater,
hooded sweatshirt. winter coat, rain
coat, luxxl, thermal sixks, thermal
underwear, jeans, rain pants, gloves
and a trash bag to stick my legs into.
Thai's an idea I stole from anoth
er faithful fan at the last game where
it rained. Keep in mind, too. that
umbrellas are outlawed inside the
Terry
Pope
stadium ? they block everyone's
view and are more trouble than good
in a sporting environment. So true
tans have to come up with innova
tive ways to stay dry.
From all of that clothing, my
shoulders were sticking out like the
Incredible Hulk's, and walking in a
moonsuit would probably have been
easier. But I drove three hours to see
a game that's on national television,
where fans ;ire usually rowdy and
the smell of an upset is in the air. Or
was that the giant pretzels baking
downstairs?
But eventually, the rain still got to
the Ixxly. with the hands and feel the
first to go numb. The waterproof ski
gloves 1 bought last year have yet to
dry. The wind was blowing al gale
force, beating the rain against the
faces of me, my brother and my fa
ther. true lans to have sat through
what we battled.
The whining started about the
lime the Clemson team scored its
second touchdown. Just get me back
to the car. Somebody, please roll me
back to the car, and let that healer be
working.
I lasted as long as I could, three
quarter! of the game, and then ii was
all downhill, for both me and the
Tarheels, 21-6. It was to the parking
lot and onto Interstate 40 for the
long ride home.
1 must have promised a bunch
that night, for when the cobwebs
had cleared I went Christmas shop
ping last week ? seven weeks before
Christmas. I returned with a gift and
only bought one tiling for myself.
I also returned with a 36-inch
lighted Santa Claus to sit on the
front porch this Chrisunas ? maybe
not a practical purchase, but I've al
ways wanted one. And why not? 1
survived.
Sick And Tired Of
Being Just That
II there's one thing I hate about
this time of year, it's coming down
with a cold or flu.
Now, don't get me wrong; 1 love
fall and all the colors the leaves
change to this time of year.
I enjoy coolcr weather and wear
ing tuMlencck sweaters. In fact, I
welcomed the move north to Shal
lottc from Georgia. All of the factors
involved in autumn arc great.
Except getting sick.
I've been sick all week, and now
I'm ready to start complaining about
it.
Feeling lousy isn't any way to go
through life, even if it is only for a
lew days. And it's starting to wear
down my normally bright and
sparkling demeanor, turning me into
Don
Cosgrove A ?
1 1
the Sniveling Creature.
I've been going to bed at 7:30
most nights, and yet I've been keep
ing my husband (and myself) awake
with nty coughing and sniffles.
I'm no fun to be around, I'm
moving as fast as oatmeal, and I'm
sure my physical appearance hasn't
improved. Let's face it, sick people
can sure put a damper on a good
lime.
"Is it just me or is it about 130 de
grees in here?"
Then 10 minutes later, "Could
someone turn up the heat?"
"Could you repeat that? My ears
;ire stopped up!"
1 think I heard my husband call
ing lawyers to ask if his wile's hack
ing cough is suitable grounds for di
vorce, or maybe it was just the gen
eral delirium I've been in all week.
Co-workers here at the Beacon
see me coming and hold up crossed
lingers as if to ward off a vampire,
or insist that 1 leave.
Now, how's that supposed to
make a p*x>r, sick person feel?
Actually, pretty good.
There's nothing belter than to be
allowed to go home and go back to
bed, especially when you're tailing
asleep on the computer keyboard
anyway.
Ah, yes, back under the covers
where I belong!
I even went to sec a nice doctor,
and he gave me some nice antibi
otics and nice decongestants.
Unlortunalcly, 1 don't feci very
nice yet, but I'll keep taking the
medicine and try to keep away from
all those healthy, fun-loving people
out there.
1 just hope the medication kicks
in before everyone decides to put me
out of my (or their) misery.
And, oh boy, winter's chill is just
around the corner.