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THE BRUNSWICKftlEACON
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1992
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NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN
Adult New Readers Use Skill
To Make Their Lives Better
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"I live in the United States of America. It is a
democracy. The United States has a democratic govern
ment," reads Kay Lawson.
"Good, Kay. Now, docs anyone know what we mean
when we say 'democracy'?" Barbara Rhodes. "If we all
vote for president, does my vole count any more than
yours?"
So goes the adult basic skills class at Brunswick
Village, a nursing care facility in Shallotte. Twice a
week the Brunswick Community College instructor
teaches a group of residents the basics of reading, and
keeping others up-to-date on world events.
Monday and Wednesday afternoons at Brunswick
Village, Ms. Rhodes teaches what appears to be a litera
cy class.
"But it's so much more," she said, because students
use their reading skills to improve other aspects of their
lives.
"We read from magazines and newspapers," said
Ron Mullis, one of the members of the class. "It's pretty
fascinating. We've learned about world religions and ev
erything."
Ms. Rhodes makes sure that the participants learn of
the world around them from the materials they read,
which arc provided by BCC.
"We read sales circulars and advertisements. Then
we try to figure out if something really is a bargain, or
how many of the item you could buy with S10," she
said.
If the class reads a passage that mentions
democracy, she asks them what they think it means.
Around the time of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday,
the class learned about civil rights.
"My goal is for them to be better informed so they
can take an active role in their lives," Ms. Rhodes says
of the philosophy behind her work.
And it appears that her efforts arc paying off.
Kay Lawson, who is 50 years old, never imagined
that she could leam to read at her age. "It surprised me,
really," she recalled.
Many people feel that after a ccrtain point there's no
need to learn to read, or that they're too old to learn, said
Ms. Rhodes.
Ms. Lawson agreed. "That's what I thought 'til
STAfF PHOTO BY DO?l C. CU?C*NUS
PRACTICING THEIR READING SKUAS are (from left) Brunswick Village residents Ruby Cheers,
Ethel Watson, Mary Strickland, Kay luiwson and Ron Mullis.
"My goal is for them to be better informed so they can take an
active role in their lives.1' ? Barbara Rhodes, ABE Instructor
Barbara cncouragcd me. I didn't uiink I couid do it."
But she certainly can read now, and is considering
trying for a high school equivalency certificate.
The BCC class is offered on a quarterly basis, utiliz
ing instructional readers tided My Country. Residents
sometimes attend for several years, or skip a few quar
ters and come back later in the year, Ms. Rhodes said.
Presently the residents taking the class in addition to
Mullis and Ms. Lawson arc Ethel Watson, Leon Walker,
Mary Strickland, Ruby Cheers, Ryan Halecki, Annie
Clyde Bellamy, David Fuquay and Mary Holmes.
Similar courscs are also offered through BCC at
Shallotte Senior Center, the Southport Senior Nutrition
Center, Ocean Trail Convalescent Center in Southport,
and United Faith Church in Longwood.
At Brunswick Village, activities for residents such as
this class bccomc "as much a pan of their treatment as
diet and medication," said Ms. Rhodes.
Catherine Godley, BCC's basic skills program coor
dinator, said courscs arc designed to fit the needs of each
nartimlar crrtnn
"Life skills, is what you could call it," she said.
The four main goals of this continuing education pro
gram, also called Adult Basic Education, arc reading,
writing, math, and speaking skills. Persons with less than
an eighth grade reading level qualify, Ms. Godley said
At Brunswick Village, Ms. Rhodes can take pride in
knowing that her students have even started using their
reading skills to teach oilier residents.
"I'm so proud of them!" she beams, "They've just
taken it upon themselves. That's really great because it
gets people started and ihcy can pass it on to someone
else."
A chain reaction of sorts has developed, in what Ms.
Rhodes calls the "Each One. Teach One," method, also
known as the Laubach method.
Residents like Walker, Mullis and Ms. Lawson meet
in the evening to share what they've learned with other
residents. Walker takes attendance and gathers residents
together for their sessions.
"They're really doing something great," says their
instructor.
Also on Ms. Rhodes' agenda for Monday mornings
is another reading class, but this one is geared toward
older residents who desire stimulation from current
events and an understanding of world news. They study
a variety of newspapers and magazines provided by the
facility.
Ms. Rhodes recalls being impressed by the perspec
tive of older adults who can look back on all the differ
ent events in the Soviet Union, and weigh them against
the present-day crumbling of that same government.
"We do a little bit of everything," she says, "and I
even learn things from them!"
Brunswick Village administrator Tommy Miller
.speaks favorably of BCC's community service work.
"I'm just really grateful to the college for offering the
classes. 1 think we've got a real good program going
here and they (the participants) do benefit from it."
For Ms. Rhodes, the goal is more than helping indi
viduals gam the ability lo read and write, or to make a
purchase.
"We have to encourage them to think for them
selves," she says, "It's the only way anyone can have
any degree of control over their lives."
SEASIDE CONDOS
BY TKRRY POPE
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Seaside last week has 16 rooms, a
large penthouse and decorative
decks. Painted across the front arc
the words, "Home Tweet Home."
It's a cozy, simple condominium
project near the beach ? only it's for
the birds.
Greg Bland and Josh Baker spent
a weekend building the purple mar
tin house, their first, in hopes of at
tracting the insect caters to their
backyard this spring. They arc the
sons of Cecil and Sandra Bland of
Seaside.
"We wanted somewhere for the
manins to live," explained Bland.
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The eighth-graders at Shallotte
Middle School erected the nesting
house last week beside a swimming
pool and a birdbath. Water attracts
insects, which attract purple martins.
After reading columnist Bill
Faver's article called "Getting
Rrady For Nesting Season" in the
Jan. 30 issue of The Brunswick
Beacon, the brothers spent much of
the weekend hammering and saw
ing.
Favcr wrote of the need to have
nest boxes in place by mid-February
in Branswick County so birds taking
advantage of warm spells of weather
car begin scouting for a nesting site.
Manins are distinguished by their
bluish, black heads and back feath
ers. They are white underneath and
along the tail. Within hours after
placing the 16-room house atop an
elevated pole in their backyard.
Bland and Baker spotted four birds
checking it out.
"They landed beside it and kind
of looked at it," said Bland. "Then
they flew away."
Hopefully to return later.
Martin houses need to be on a
post or pipe at least 10 feet above
the ground and need to be cleaned
out after the nesting season. They
should be placed in an open area
near water where insects eathcr.
Birds will bypass houses that have
not been cleaned out.
Faver also warned that martins
may not come to a newly-erected
house the first year, but those that
migrate into Brunswick County by
March will find it sooner or later.
Bland said he and Baker read a
couple of books on how to build a
birdhouse before designing their
luxury model. The large room on the
top floor, he said, is a "Presidential
suite".
Reservations are now being ac
cepted for the summer tourist sea
son.
ISLAND
DINING
ADVENTURE
Visit us on Bill, I Head Island for a
truly iinhjuc hutch or dinner le
titic. You'll depart (rent cur mainland
ferry terminal at Indite Plantation
Manna in Soutlt/'ort. After a scenic
twenty minute ferry ride yen II arrive
on beautiful Bald Head Island
LUNCH PACKAGE
S25 per couple
DINNER PACKAGE
$45 per couple
Package includes:
Parking Ticket. Round Trip
Ferry Ticket and Entree.
Friday and Saturday Only
For reservations call
1-800-722-6450
STAFF PHOTO BY TERRY POP
ARCHITECTS AND BUILDERS Josh Raker (left) and Greg
Bland designed this 16-room purple martin house, hoping it will
attract birds for the spring nesting season.
BINGO
Thursday Nights ? Doors Open 6:15 pm
Calabash VFW Post 7288
Carter Rd., Trader's Village, Calabash, 579-3577
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Games begin at 7:30 PM
Minimum "Buy In" $5.00
Minimum Pay Out $600.00
Snacks Available ? No Children under 12
ax/z ^aundzn,
Family Optometry
?Comprehensive Eye Examinations
?Ocular Emergencies
?Contact Lenses and Glasses Prescribed
?Diagnosis and Treatment of Diseases of the Eye
Suite 3, Promenade Office Park
143 Holden Beach Road, Shallotte
Office hours by appointment.
Evening and Saturday appointments available.
Phone 754-9687
Member American Optometric Association
?1990 THE BRUNSWICK BEACON
February Coupon Special
f|^Ptek-uP &;
^Delivery
?Within 15 Mile Radius ? With A Full Tune-up j
Lawn & Garden Tractors Only I
Milligan's |
Sharpening Shop
Hwy. 130 West, Shallotte, 754-8535
John J. Caulfield, DDS, PA
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery,
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announces the relocation
of his office to:
Suite #2
Doctors Office Complex
The Brunswick Hospital
Hwy. 17, Supply, NC 28462
1-800-222-8126 ? (919)754-2727