Opinion Page
THE BRUNSWICK&ftACON
Edward M. Sweatt and Carolyn H. Sweatt Publishers
Edward M. Sweatt Editor
Suaan Usher News Editor
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Doug Rutter Sports EkiUor
Marjorie Megivem Associate Editor
Peggy Earwood Office Manager
Carolyn H. Sweatt AdixTtisirig Director
Tlmberley Adams. Cecelia Gore
and Linda Cheers Advertising Representatives
Dorothy Brennan and Brenda Cleinnions Moore ..Graphic Artists
William Manning Pressman
Lonnie Sprinkle. Assistant Pressman
Tracy Smith Photo Technician
Phoebe Clemmons and Frances Sweatt Cirrulntion
PAGE 4 -A. THURSDAY, APRIL 9. 1992
Take Care When Burning
'Tis the season to be careful. This month and next constitute
the peak fire season in Brunswick County.
[{very year thousands of dollars in prime timber, homes and
other property are lost to fires.
Ill is time of year it's easy for a fire to spread quickly out of
control ? winds are brisk, the temperature's rising and plenty of
dead twigs, straw and other debris are on the ground for fuel.
Many woods fires here are arson, deliberately set. But most
are the result of carelessness. That means we can do something to
prevent them.
We can take precautions not to drop cigarette butts or other
burning items along the side of the road, to properly douse a
campfire along a river bank or in the woods, to make sure ashes
from the grill are thoroughly drowned and cold before disposal.
And we can follow proper precautions when we deliberately
set a fire. Most fires are accidental: Someone starts a fire to clear
land or bum trash or yard debris without taking precautions.
What should you do when burning?
? First, check to see that conditions are suitable ? not too dry
or windy, and that no burning ban has been issued by the Forest
Service:
? Obtain a Forest Service permit, if needed:
? Stay with the fire for the duration;
? Equip yourself with rake, shovel and water so a fire can be
stopped if it starts getting out of hand:
? Limit the fire to an area in which it can be policed ? and
contained ? by the personnel available;
? Use common sense. If a fire looks like it could get out
hand, call a fire department for assistance before the fire is burn
ing out of control; and
-?Burn trash in a barrel with wire mesh or some other cover
that will keep burning materials from blowing away.
Eirunswick County is in transition, neither urban nor rural.
Homes and businesses are scattered all over, adjacent to and in
wooded areas. That complicates efforts to fight fires. A backyard
fire can turn suddenly into a forest blaze that scorches hundreds
of acres. A small woods fire can threaten nearby homes.
If you must burn this spring, play it safe. Follow common
sense guidelines and when in doubt, check with the North
Carolina Forest Service at Bolivia.
Here We Go Again
It is with some embarrassment that I insert myself once again into
Brunswick County newsgathering. If every a body resembled a Mexican
jumping bean in their employment
history, it's me.
Since leaving domesticity for
the labor force in 1971, I have
racked up at least a dozen differ
ent work experiences, and since
1978, I have been flitting through
the Deacon s revolving door, com
ing and going while attempting to
find fulfillment in a variety of oth
er jobs.
From congressional aide to church program director to teacher, I've
run the gamut.
Nothing, however, satisfied like journalism, and nothing in journal
ism has proved as appealing as cavorting around Brunswick County for
The Brunswick Beacon. I have worked for other publications, tried pub
lishing my own, and done other kinds of writing, including histories,
books and training materials. There's something to be said for all this,
and 1 wouldn't trade my job-hopping experiences for anyone else's sta
bility.
Nevertheless, like a homing pigeon, 1 keep coming back to the fami
ly, the challenge, and the fun that the Beacon represents to me. I have
watched it grow over the last 14 years in size, scope and quality and am
so proud to have been an occasional part of something thai is so gotxl at
its brand of public service.
1 particularly rejoice this time to have the assignment of covering ed
ucation, because that's how my journalism career began. In 1973 I trav
eled across country from Texas to Wilmington to take the job of educa
tion reporter for the Star-News, my introduction to newspapers. Thus be
gan my love affair with them and a fascination that has persisted through
the distraction of other work.
So, here I am again, for a long time, I hope, and how I look forward
to meeting YOU somewhere along the way.
A Deal Too Good To Be True Probably Is
Each spring, the Brunswick
County Sheriff's Department re
ceives a number of calls from people
who have cither been taken for a
ride, ripped off or victimized by
n. . \ ? _ : . . u . ? . : ...
.m.simv muiii iUUM.
Many times the victim is too em
barrassed to even report the crime.
That doesn't help when detectives
are anxious to help catch the rascals.
As crime prevention officer, it's
Sheriff's Deputy Don Gates' job to
investigate cases when a resident
has been cheated out of money. For
some reason, the height of the flim
flam work coincides with the major
league baseball season.
Why? Gates doesn't really know .
Anil the baseball season started
Monday.
One reason why reports of flim
flam artists on the Itxvse increases
this time of year has nothing to do
with the baseball season. It's just a
coincidence that residents who have
sat dormant through a long winter
are suddenly eager to get things
done around the house when the
weather improves.
Mary Russ, home economics
agent with the Brunswick County
Cooperative Extension Service, also
1 - .
believes thai is true, that people be
gin to look around their homes to
sec what needs fixing up during the
spring.
"Warm weather also seems to
bring out fly-by-night scam artists,"
she warns, "those chaps who are just
waiting to take your hard-earned
dollars for bogus repairs."
Flimflam artists are travelers.
They move from county to county,
never stopping in one spot long
enough to leave a trail large enough
for detectives to follow.
"You might do well to be some
what suspicious of the traveling
handyman who just happens to be in
the neighborhood," said Mrs. Russ,
"and who offers to give you a free
estimate."
Terry
Pope
In Brunswick County, reported
scams often include out-of-town
paving contractors who come to the
door with just enough material left
over from a job to resurface a drive
way.
"Even if the price is a bargain,"
said Mrs. Russ, "work or materials
may be slipshod."
Often a thin layer of gravel and
Lir is placed on the driveway that
crumbles after the first rain.
The pricc seems ridiculously low,
but 99 percent of the time a con
sumer gets exactly what he pays for.
Gates has a philosophy that resi
dents should adopt ? if a deal sounds
too good to be true, it probably is.
Locally, other scams have includ
ed crooked anil pushy door-to-door
carpel salesmen who enter an elder
ly person's home. While one sales
man holds up a large piece of floor
nig or carpeting, the other person is
searching the home for a purse,
money or jewelry to steal. The car
pel serves as a shield, blocking the
homeowner's view.
"Also be suspicious of anyone
who stops at the house and points
out problems needing repairs," cau
tions Mrs. Russ. "He could be right.
But if you do need repairs, contact
an established local person who can
do the job well. That local person
will be around if, and when, prob
lems arise."
She gives ihese tips on finding !u
cal persons who do reputable work:
talk to neighbors or friends in the
area who have recently had work
done; ask their opinion of the work
done and if they would hire the per
son again.
When hiring someone from an ad
vcrtiscmcnt, ask for references or ot
work they have done recently in the
area. And if possible, go see some ol
their work and talk with others who
have hired them in the past.
Where residents often go wrong is
when ihcy jump at an offer that
sounds Kx) good to ]>ass up.
Residents should use better judg
ment when it comes to home repairs
There arc numerous companies
and repairmen in Brunswick County
who have established and reputable
businesses. If you're serious about
home repairs, give them your busi
ness, tell the roving flimflam artists
to take a hike and report them to the
sheriff's department.
J.R.'s On The Loose, With Bell On
J.R. sel a record ihis pasl week, a
record I hope she'll break again and
again.
Keeping a collar on that cat seems
a nearly impossible task.
She has gone through more col
lars, of all types, colors and styles,
than any other cat or dog I've shared
residence with; that amounts to quite
a few animals.
The longest a collar had stayed
around her neck in previous at
tempts ranged from 15 minutes to
about four hours. I had never put a
collar on her in the morning and it
still be there when I came home for
lunch.
If you've ever doubted that per
sistence pays off, then let J.R. be an
example that not giving up docs pay.
Cats have some extra sense, al
most like radar, that lets them know
when something is up ? a scheduled
trip to the vet, for example, can
cause both of our cats to disappear
for an entire day.
Wednesday morning, J.R. knew a
disturbing change of some sort was
in the air. She scrambled to get
away, but I caught her against the
deck railing and drew her, strug
gling, onto my lap.
J.R. didn't stay there long, but
when she bolted, a thin, red leather
strap with bell wa? fastened about
her neck.
Ooh. She didn't like it one bit and
set out to get rid of the dam thing as
fast as possible.
J.R. darted across the street and
up a tall, dead, longleaf pine, that lit
tle silver-colored, Christmas-type
bell ringing all the way. She spun
around and down that tree and off
into the shrubs along the ditch bank.
Any minute we cxpccted her to
emerge, collarless and bell-less.
A while later, though, off in the
distance, we could hear her still tin
kling as she ran to and fro.
Surely there were celebrations at
the feeders that morning. Every bird
in the neighborhood knew J.R.'s
whereabouts.
At lunch, there was no sign of ci
ther J R. or the bell. Had she run
Susan
Usher
away from home in a fit of pique?
Was she hung on a bush by her col
lar, unable to escape?
Back home Wednesday night af
ter work, Don issued the first major
report of the day: Both J.R. and col
lar with bell were home.
Victory!
We may be jumping the gun, but
if that collar can stay on an entire
day, then why not for many days to
come. The next concern: Can a cat
learn to move in a way that doesn't
ring the collar bell. 1 hope not.
Why one more try at belling J.R.
I after so many failed attempts?
She's gained a reputation as a
bird-lover of the worst sort She not
only enjoys watching them from the
bunker she's dug in the garden; she
also likes pouncing. It's instinctual.
we know, bul her behavior is a little
tough to endure sometimes, espe
cially early in the morning. Contrary
to what some readers think, I'm not
proud of her great skill as a hunter,
but it would be foolish not to ac
knowledge it.
J.R.'s a delightful cat, and we're
not about to get rid of her or lock
her up. But she's been a problem as
we've tried to turn our yard into a
welcoming retreat for birds anil but
terflies and small critters, as well as
people.
Maybe now we've got that prob
lem licked.
LETTERS TO THt EDITOR
Bird Island Deserves Protection
To ihc editor:
Rcccnily revealed plans lo devel
op Bird Island, the last undeveloped
barrier island on ihe North Carolina
coast south of Wilmington, should
concern everyone.
Bird Island in its natural undevel
oped state is vitally important to the
southeastern coastal region of North
Carolina. The island provides essen
tial wildlife habitat to many rare
birds and animals such as the brown
pelican, osprcy, and loggerhead tur
tles. Bird Island is economically im
portant because the marshes and wa
ter surrounding it are the nursery for
much of the seafood that this area is
so famous for. In its recreational and
education value. Bird Island is price
less.
Barrier islands arc dynamic, vi
brant ecosystem s-once they are de
veloped they arc essentially de
stroyed. We must save a few unde
Early Lesson Is Remembered
To the editor:
I am an 89-ycar-old man who
thankfully, remembers much of
what I was taught about conditions
in the Central American countries
by a very dedicated, competent
eighth grade teacher.
Our teacher told his boys' class
how the very rich, some of them
owners-operators of the large steam
ship lines, were in complete control
of the economy then. My cousin, in
New York City, was a member of
the board of the New York
Exchange and an owner-operator of
a licet of tugboats in New York har
bor. I mentioned to him that these
nch owners were taking the natural
riches from other countries for liule
or nothing and leaving the area's
people povcrty-slrickcn. "Why of
course," was my cousin's reply.
"How do you think the rich get rich
er?"
Since 75 years ago when 1 got
thai lesson. I can only imagine (he
tremendous amount of bananas, cof
fee, minerals, nuts, fruit seafood and
other items taken from these coun
tries, as well as control of thousands
of acres of choice land, all in the
name of, "dollar conquest." Prices
still climb! People revolt! Greed
prevails!
Yes, we do have bananas, and at
what cost?
Larl L. Markland
Calabash
vclopcd barrier islands along our
coast so thai our children will know
that beaches arc not just the sandy
strip between the asphalt and the
ocean. Bird Island deserves protec
tion. either as a privately owned na
ture preserve or as a state park .
Alan Myrick
Greensboro
THE BRUNSWICK &KAC0N
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Telephone 754-6890
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At 4709 Main Street
Shallottc, N.C. 28459
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