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Photo by B<1I Fovar
PI ANTS are not just sitting there. They are busy at work!
Are Plants Just Sitting There ?
BY BILL FAVER
When we look at many planls ihcy jusl appear to be
sitting there. They don't seem to be doing much.
There may be a new leaf or a
blossom or some movement
caused by a breeze, but for the
most part, they seem inactive.
Most plants arc stationary and
don't move around like many ani
mals. Parts of the plants may
move in response to changes in
their surroundings, and some
flowers and leaves closc com
pletely at night.
FAVER Planls may appear inactive, but
all the time they arc feeding and growing, respiring,
getting rid of wastes, and sensing and adapting to
changcs in their habitat. Plants grow by building up
new living materials as seeds grow into adult plants,
just like acoms become mighty oaks. Most plants con
tinually repair damaged and worn-out parts of them
selves. When a branch breaks, the tree grows callous
tissue to seal off the wound and protcct from inlcction.
Plants arc continually producing new individuals to re
place them when they die.
As plants carry out their life processes, they use
chlorophyll to capture energy from the sun. Through
the process of photosynthesis, which means "making
things with light," plants can use the energy to build
complex energy-storing materials called carbohy
drates, made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
They get carbon and oxygen from carbon dioxide
which enters through the leaves of plants, and hydro
gen is obtained from the water which enters through
the stem. Other nutrients arc absorbed by the roots of
plants.
The plant grows and builds up materials to help it
carry out its life processes and to support and protect
itself. Plants also store energy to be used later. This
appears in the form of seeds, bulbs, and tubers. New
materials accumulate in cells as the plants grow. The
cells enlarge and divide, and the number of cells in
creases. In most plants the cells remain attached and
the plants get bigger. Some divide into new planLs.
So that plant is not just silting there! There arc many
complex and exciting things happening as the plants
grow and bloom and form seed and finally die. They
give us life-sustaining oxygen. They convert from car
bon dioxide. They give us cooler air from the respira
tion taking place in their leaves and the shade from
their branches. They give us detail and beauty and en
joyment as we share space together on Planet Earth.
When You're Mad As #$@%
And Won't Take It Anymore
It doesn'i lake a Rhodes Scholar
to recognize that the so-called "little
people" are not long to follow their
leaders in sheep-like submission.
Having spoken out, spoken up and
spoken loudly as to what they want,
from public education to national
health care, they arc furious over the
cold shoulder they've gotten in re
turn from administrators, boards and
other influential officials.
To quote a popular play of the
'60s, "We're mad as #S@%# and
we aren't going to take it anymore."
This reaction is in evidence all the
way from the Ross Perot presiden
tial campaign to a recent petition in
stigated by Brunswick County peo
ple protesting the local school sys
tem.
It's great, of course, that the elec
torate is paying attention to its own
governance and is energized enough
to take action. Getting petitions
signed and presenting them with
fanfare at public hearings demon
strates a degree of involvement.
Rushing to the Perot bandwagon via
talk show protestations and letters to
editors arc similarly encouraging
signs of raised consciousness and
the stirrings of citizenship.
However, there's a lot more to
genuine involvement than words,
however impassioned, and petitions,
however many signatures arc ob
tained. There is a matter of being
thoroughly informed and taking the
time and energy to get inside the
problem.
As School Board Chairman
Donna Baxter pointed out, those ini
tiating petitions "demanding" cer
tain sch(X)l board action should at
tend a few meetings of that board,
research the "facts" they dissemi
nate, in other words have facts and
reason on their side, along with the
Brunswick
County
Shrine
Club
Annual
Fri., June 12, 11 am-6pm
Rain Or Shine ? 7 Locations
Shallotte ? Bolivia ? Leland
Oak Island ? Southport
Holden Beach ? Seaside
Marjorie
Megivern
emotional fervor.
This admonition applies on the
national scene, loo. It's easy to be
seduced by the Ross Perot mystique;
he's not your run-of-the-mill politi
cian, a real accolade in a time when
we fundamentally distrust all "insid
ers." His view of government be
longing to the people has an intrinsic
appeal; we see ourselves ruling the
country through electronic town
meetings and Perot attentive and re
sponsive to our every wish.
What do we really know, though,
about his ability to lead in what has
to be a political enterprise? How
will he make decisions that must be
his alone? The matter demands fur
ther information-gathering in an ob
jective way, setting aside the emo
tional attraction of his candidacy.
There's a good local example ol
an effective movement by "the peo
ple" to get something done. As re
cently discussed in a story about a
Pilot Club leader, Sherry Roseman,
a handful of Brunswick County
women were determined to bring the
911 emergency system to this coun
ty. They did a lot more than carry
placards and appeals lo one meeting
or write a couple of letters. Their ap
proach was a fact- based, intense and
persistent one and it involved silting
for hours at many, many meetings,
repeated letters arid phone calls to
the seats of power. It took years of
not giving up and it was ultimately
successful, though others got much
of the credit.
This is the only route to responsi
ble government "by the people." It's
not very glamorous and it's no quick
fix, but it's the only way that works
to bring about real and long-lasting
change for the better.
Petition-signers and all you other
"concerned parents and citizens" out
there who want a better education
for Brunswick County children: ask
yourselves if you are willing to de
vote tremendous energy and time to
reading, writing, sitting in meetings
and hard thinking about your goals.
If the answer is "yes," more pow
er to you; let the demonstrations be
gin!
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?Personal Injury
?Workers' Compensation
?Social Security
?Medical & Nursing Home Malpractice
GLANCY AND ARMSTRONG,
ATTORNEYS AT LAW
Kathleen Shannon Glancy, Attorney
Robert L. Armstrong, Attorney
Michael L. Glancy, Disability
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1-800-336-0155 ? 762-6091
1 14 South Front Street. Wilmington
PROMPT MEDICAL CARE
-NEW HOURS
Monday -Friday 9 am-5 pm
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A Young Man's Brush With Greatness
The other night I saw an old
David Lcttcrman rerun with an audi
cnce participation bit called "My
Brush With Greatness" where little
people like you and me tell about
their amazing chance encounter with
some big person like Andre the
Giant or Oprah Winfrey.
It got me thinking about my own
incredible tale of being in the pres
ence of a really famous person,
which I would tell you about right
now except it would leave a big
white space where the rest of this
column should be. So first I'll tell
you about some other great brushes
of mine and others.
For example, imagine the stories
the head guy of Japan can tell about
the time he had to brush the great
ness off his pants after none other
than THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES keeled over and
tossed tcmpura in his lap.
Speaking of laps, my dad had a
genuine brush with greatness as a
youngster in Quincy, Massachusetts.
He got to sit on the famous lap of
none other than Amelia Earhart, the
first woman to fly across the
Atlantic and almost around the
world. My dad went on to become a
Navy aviator, while Amelia proba
bly went on to become the main
course at a South Pacific luau.
None of my own brushes have
been quite that great, but you'll
probably be impressed with the big
one I'm going to tell you about later.
I'm not sure greatness brushes
count if you pay for them, but I
Eric f
Carlson
f
could give you lots of those in the
field of popular music. I've seen the
Rolling Stones five times, the old
Allinan Brothers a do/cn times and
the Grateful Dead about 10 times.
I've seen George Harrison, Ringo
Starr, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton,
Janis Joplin, The Jefferson Airplane,
Miles Davis, B.B. King, Ike and
Tina Turner, Johnny Cash, Stevic
Ray Vaughan and Bob Marlcy. I
even saw Libcrace in Vegas.
You golfers out there will be im
pressed to hear about the time my
dad look me to the U.S. Open as his
personal attack-dog autograph
hound. He would aim me at famous
golfers who looked to me just like
all the guys he hung around with
(funny pants and all) and I would
get them to write their name on a
note pad, which Dad was evidently
too embarrassed to do himself.
Not only did 1 get an Arnold
Palmer, a Jack Nicklaus and a Gary
Player, but 1 even scored a Johnny
Carson. At my tender young age I
was too scared to go near Howard
Coscll. In fact, I still would be.
I remember Dad scolding me for
going off on my own to get an auto
graph from some unheard-of Mexi
can guy named Lee Trcvino.
If you know anything about mod
ern art, you might be impressed to
know that I once played chess with
Roy Liechtenstein. He beat me. Then
he had lunch with Lee Radziwill
while his son David and I went surf
ing.
1 had one other brush that wasn't
too close, but it was pretty great.
Waiting at a traffic light in Man
hattan one time, I l<x)ked in my rear
view mirror and saw none other than
John Lennon, in his round sunglass
es and big cap, chewing gum and
bobbing his head up and down to
some song on the radio. I went
straight and he turned right.
So now it's time to tell you about
my real "Brush With Greatness."
There I was, standing on the pit
wall of the U.S. Grand Prix at
Watkins Glen when my friend
nudged me and motioned toward my
right. 1 turned and looked into the
bluest eyes you ever saw. The eyes
of Cool Hand Luke. Of Hud. Of
"Fast Eddie" Felson (the colori/.cd
version).
That's right. It was Paul Newman,
dressed in his snazzy race driver suit
and standing just inches away.
Suave young bon vivant that I
was at age 17, I struck up the fol
lowing conversation:
"Hi, Paul Newman," I said.
"Hi, kid," he said.
Pretty impressive, eh?
MORE LETTERS
P.O. Complaints Unnecessary
To the editor:
Having lived in the Brunswick area only 1 1 years, I
don't pretend to know what is best for this rapidly grow
ing area. I have read with interest all the pros and cons
concerning the new post office in our area of Sunset
Bcach.
In the May 28 issue of The Brunswick Beacon there
was a letter by Elaine Mcllo asking a few of the same
questions that have been coming into my mind. Where
were all the people who are objecting now when talk of
the need for another post office in this area first began?
Was it taken for granted that the new post office would
be built in the same small town that did not need two
such federal places of service (federal being the opera
tive word)?
The complaint raised by someone a few weeks
back-thai the tourists would no longer need to use the
Shallotte post office, thereby causing a loss of income to
the local business area-is very much off the mark. Very
few tourists coming into this area needed to go into
Shallotte for that reason, since Little River was just as
close or closer.
An even better reason to seek another post office was
the terrible traffic congestion around the Shallotte area.
This congestion has been a terrible problem most of the
years we have been here. We, for one family, hated to
make a trip to the business area around the post office
for just that reason.
The dentist, insurance office, florist, business suppli
er, lumber company and even the places across the street
must have suffered in their business income for the sim
ple reason that it was too much hassle just to get to their
places. We, like many others I'm sure, went somewhere
else if we could.
If all the grumbling and complaining was replaced by
efforts to entice the populace back into their places of
business, there would be a better outlook in all areas of
this lovely, slow-paced place in the sun!
We have seen great changes take place in the past ten
years, but nothing has bothered us as much as hearing
the petty complaints of small minds of a few people who
want nothing to change their small world. Give the rest
of us a chance! This end of the county is growing very
rapidly, and you cannot stop it. Why not work for the
good of all concerned and make this area of Brunswick
County the place of friendliness, love and goodwill it is
advertised to be!
Irene Parker
Sunset Beach
Mom Protests
Coaches' Behavior
To the editor
My 5-year-old cannot enjoy playing tccball because
of nitpicking coaches of other teams. Our team is being
harassed by other teams bccause of a grudge against our
coach.
If you have a problem with our coach, wait until after
the game and lake your problem up with the coach. But
when you have a problem with our coach and you take it
out on our kids, that's when I have a problem with you.
We need more dedicated coaches like Homer
Andrews. He's out there to leach the kids the basics and
good sportsmanship-not who wins or loses.
We need to gel our priorities straight and remember
we're out there for the kids.
Phebie McLean
Shallouc
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