Opinion Page
THE BRUNSWICK&BEACON
Edward M. Sweatt and Carolyn H. Sweatt Publishers
Edward M. Sweatt Editor
Susan Usher News Editor
Terry Pope and Dori Gurganus Staff Writers
Doug Rutter Sports Editor
Peggy Earwood Oyict- Manager
Carolyn H. Sweatt Advertising Director
Tlmberley Adanis and Cecelia Gore ..Adwrtising Representatives
Dorothy Brennan and Brenda Clemmons Moore ..Graphic Artists
William Manning Prvssmari
Lonnie Sprinkle Assistant Pressman
Tracy Smith Photo Technician
Phoebe Clemmons and Franres Sweatt Circulation
PAGE 4 A. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27. 199?
What's Good For The Goose...
Isk. isk. What have we here?
Looks like the Town of Holden Beach is chafing at hav
ing to abide by the same rules its residents must live by.
The town's police department has been holing up. tem
porarily. in a house on Davis Street, near the town hall. The
original plan was to renovate the old publie works garage
as the department's new quarters. But bids came in higher
than anticipated and commissioners are balking at the
$6().(XX) price tag and seeking new bids.
Meanwhile, the town has obtained two time extensions
on bringing the house up to state building code and now it
wants another break.
Upgrading to code is required the N.C. Department of
Insurance when there is a change in use of a structure. But
the town wants to know if it can appeal and gain approval
for the police department to continue using the Davis Street
house without making the required changes.
The town's in a tough spot, certainly, but it's also in the
spotlight.
If it expects local residents to comply with the rules it
sets and/or enforces, then shouldn't Hoiden Beach set a
good example and get its own "house" in order?
As the old adage goes, what's good for the goose is
good for the gander.
We Can Live Without
A Noise Control Law
Not a whole lot of people are making noise about Brunswick
County's proposed noise ordinance.
In an attempt to silence neighbors' stereos and loud motorcycles,
some residents have asked for a county noise ordinance for years. Some
even asked for one to help silence a sewer plant in operation near their
homes at Sunsci Beach.
That ordinance finally made it to a public hearing last week, but only
a lew comments were made? mostly opposing die plan. If people had
really wanted it that badly, perhaps more than seven people would have
attended the public hearing.
Of those seven, four were reg
ulars at Brunswick County
Commissioners meetings. They
arc the ones present in the audi
ence almost every time the board
holds a meeting.
Judging from the lack of en
thusiasm for the ordinance and the
holes it obviously contains, it will
no doubt die a slow death on the
commissioners' table.
Local towns have noise control ordinances that arc tied into their
zoning laws. In my years as a news reporter for this paper, 1 have yet to
see a case docketed in Brunswick County District Court against someone
charged with violating noise control laws. That should tell you how diffi
cult such laws are to enforce.
Brunswick County is unique in its pattern of development. In some
areas, neighbors live in close quarters with a mixture of retirees and
young people along the coast. What one neighbor may have a taste for ?
loud music, parties, motorcycles, and big-mouthed dogs ? others may
licicM.
Yet, in the rural areas of the county homes arc scattered. Acreage
separates pens holding packs of hunting dogs, persons target shooting
and those operating chain sjiwh used to cm firewood. Just ask District 4
Commissioner Frankie Rabon, whose 46 hunting dogs live at the edge of
the Green Swamp in rural Town Creek.
Dogs can raise a fuss at times. I have three that I like having around
because they help keep an eye on the house. There are also times that I
would like to put a sock around their mouths.
With a lame ordinance in effect, Brunswick County's sheriff deputies
would spend more of their patrol time getting involved in neighborly dis
putes and less time investigating actual crimes. Enforcing a noise ordi
nance is more of a headache that it is worth.
No one wants to be kept awake by loud noises, but the ordinance
would bypass the more diplomatic approaches to solving the problem,
such as simply asking die neighbors to turn down the sound. Neighbors
already feuding could use the ordinance for petty reasons, an attempt to
force neighbors to move.
The proposed ordinance would make it illegal for a person, firm or
corporation to make unnecessary or excessive sounds ? whether vocally,
mechanically, or electronically ? that disturbs, injures or endangers the
quiet, comfort, repose, health, pcacc or safety of any other person.
Sounds audible at a distance of 50 feet from the building, structure,
property or vehicle from which it is emitted or located would be in viola
Uon and subject to a S5(K) line or 30 days in jail.
It would apply to animals, combustion engines, chain saws, power
mowers, motorboais, motor vehicles, shouting peddlers, hawkers, ven
dors, drums and other musical instruments.
The problem is that many noises carry beyond 50 feet. A dog's bark
can carry that far. Some of those customized car stereos can be heard for
miles on the highway. When docs a noise become a nuisance?
1 agree with District 2 Commissioner Jerry Jones, who seemed reluc
tant to send the ordinance to a public hearing last month.
His reason: It's a shame that neighbors can't be neighbors uxlay, that
they act irresponsibly when someone next door may medically need
peace and quiet, that when asked to turn down the stereo they actually
crank it up in defiance when learning that there is no noise control law.
Apparently, this attempt at a new government-imposed regulation
has failed, but there is a lesson here. Some people are hardhcaded and
I just don't care. Neighbors need to act more neighborly.
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.
Grand Opening Offered More Than One Lesson For Kids
There's been a great deal of fuss
made over a group of West
Brunswick' High School students
leaving campus to lobby for an over
pass at the intersection of N.C. 130
and the U.S. 17 bypass.
Chances arc, there's no one
around here who isn't proud of the
youngsters for I) having an opinion
and 2) expressing it in an orderly
fashion.
Hut there's also been a lot of mis
directed anger. Neither adults nor
students should be angry at West
Brunswick High School for punish
ing the students who left school
without permission that Friday after
noon to lobby at the Southeastern
Welcome Center grand opening.
That punishment wasn't lor lob
bying or for exercising freedom of
speech. It was for violating an exist
Susan
Usher
ing school mlc of which the students
were unite aware. Schools are ac
countable to parents for students in
their care: students can't be allowed
to just walk away from campus leav
ing the school to bear the responsi
bility if something happens to them.
II a student chooses to break the
rules, he or she should be willing to
accept the consequences of that de
cision.
The lobbying effort at the grand
opening ceremony provided an cx
ccllcnt opportunity for a good lesson
in taking responsibility for one's
own actions, as well as an opportu
nity to exercise freedom of speech,
die right to assembly and so forth.
All our adult lives we face deci
sions: How to do something we feel
strongly alxiut without losing a job,
getting arrested or facing some other
type of negative consequence. How
to work within the system to get
things done. Deciding for ourselves
when the consequences of breaking
the rules arc "worth" it. When are
we willing to lake the chance, to pay
the price?
For some adults the weighiy >|iies
lion might have been whether to
skip work the lirst day of hunting or
fishing season; lor others, whether
to light the draft or turn in a cowork
er who's been cm* the take.
Some students dfd plan ahead, ar
ranging in advance with their par
ents to be away from school that
Friday in order to attend the grand
opening.
With a little more thought and ne
gotiating with teachers and staff,
some students might have been able
to turn attendance at the grand open
ing into a class assignment or field
trip. It would have been, I think, a
fine assignment for a social studies
or speech class.
But West Brunswick did the right
thing. It warned students ahead that
if the rules were broken, there would
be conscqucnces, and then stuck by
that.
If that's not a real-life lesson, I
don't know what is.
THE NORTH CAROLINA
ECONOMY IS IN GOOD
SHAPE. PAT BUCHANAN
MESSAGE WILL NOT DO
SO WELL HERE!
YOJTELLvEM,6Ol/fRN0R! <
r-\
?V r~
zCLQ
r\
OUR
Student Right Demonstrated Beautifully
Within the past few months, I've
seen some strange tilings on televi
sion regarding young adults and
their motivation to hold protests.
A group of teens and young
adults have handed together in New
Jersey to protest their local cablc
company taking MTV (Music Tele
vision) off their package. They arc
organized, focused, and arc sta
tioned at shopping centers getting
residents to sign their petition.
Same for a group in Florida. They
are also angry that their cablc com
pany has dared to tell them what
they want to watch, and are taking
action to have MTV brought back.
Seeing that I thought, well, at
least they're speaking out and taking
action about somethine.
But MTV?
Granted. 1 like watching MTV in
small doses to keep up-to-date on
the music industry, and from a mar
keting point of view I think it's stu
pid to lake such a popular channel
off the air. But I'm sure that these
people's time could be better spent
taking action on issues that truly
have an impact on our lives.
Like campaigning for their fa
vorite candidate in this pivotal elec
tion year.
So, I was absolutely thrilled to
hear that students at West Bruns
wick High School were planning a
protest during the dedication cere
mony of the new Welcome Center
along the U.S. 17 bypass at Shallotte
two Fridays ago.
Watching some local news pro
grams that evening, I was also glad
to sec the coverage at least two sta
tions gave to the event.
Way to go!, 1 thought.
There on my television screen
were several WBHS teenagers with
signs talking to Tommy Harrelson,
secretary of the state IX)T, about the
need to construct an overpass at the
intersection of U.S. 17 and N.C. 130
near the school.
They remained calm, spoke ratio
nally and intelligently and made
their feelings clear to Harrelson,
who listened and gave them the con
sideration he would probably have
eiven a fellow adult. The dedication
ceremony apparently was not inter
rupted and everyone had their mo
ment in the sun.
Many scenarios could have taken
placc at that protest, but fortunately,
everyone kept cool heads (from
what I saw) and made their points
clcar.
i feel like shaking the hands of
the kids who took the initiative to
leave school and speak their collec
live mind to the participants at the
dedication ceremony.
They took a stand on a serious is
sue and did it in a positive manner.
1 wish all adults could hold such
peaceful protests. So many times
I've seen adults use name-calling,
threats and raised voiccs to get their
point across, which usually doesn't
do any good.
The students at West Brunswick
High who were brave enough to risk
punishment lor leaving campus arc
still good kids even though thev
broke school rules.
But that's really not such a big
deal.
Something tells me that the hours
spent serving in-school suspension
will fade away soon enough, but
hopefully the memories of taking a
positive stand will last forever in
these kid's minds.
I agree thai they indeed should
have some form of punishment, hut
I hope these students won't let a
simple administrative penalty
change their minds about protests
they may want to attend in later
years.
Remember that you'll continue to
be punished if you break the rules,
but also consider how important it
may be to support your cause.
Please, keep on speaking your
minds, cspcciaJly to government of
ficials.
You have that right, and you've
demonstrated it beautifully.
Letters To Th
To the editor:
I am writing in regards to a prob
lem within our community. It is a
very destructive problem. I'm not
referring to drugs, theft, or vandal
ism. What I am speaking of is gos
sip, and I believe that it is spread
with more malicious intent than any
of the things named above.
I have often heard the saying that
words can't hurt you, but I just don't
believe there is a whole lot of truth
to that statement. There have been
more divorces, broken friendships
and jobs jobs lost due to rumors.
My question is, have we become
that separate as a community? Do
we have that little regard for the
feelings of our neighbors?
Wouldn't it be wonderful if each
e Editor: Gossi
of us could think before we speak?
We are all guiky of gossip to one ex
lent or another. "Let he who would
change the world, first change him
self (unknown author).
Tammic R. Henderson
Shallotte
Keep It Coming
To the editor
This is a response to a letter enti
tled "Newspaper Comes Too Late"
(Feb. 13 issue).
1 was given a subscription to your
paper by a real estate lady from Sea
Trail. 1 intend to move to North
Carolina in 18 months or less. I feel
the paper provides me with some in
sight as to the style of living in
Brunswick County.
p Is Problem
Inasmuch as I cannot receive your
local TV channels, I rely on the
Beacon for local news. Even if the
paper is tale, it is still news to me.
If the lady from Arnold, Mary
land, is receiving her paper late, she
should be complaining to the post
office which delivers her paper. I'll
bet her first class mail is late also.
My paper is always in the mail
box by Saturday of the week in
which it was mailed. I live 400 miles
north of Maryland in Connecticut. 1
realize that things move a liule
slower south of the Mason-Dixon
Line, especially with the postal sys
tem in Arnold, Maryland. Please
continue my subscription.
Charles Nye
Niantic, Connecticut