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Columns

  • Rescuer deserves (and gets) a bigger boat for heroic, life-saving effort

    Last year, Connelly Phelps “C.P.” Parker Jr. lost his boat and nearly his life when he ventured out into the ocean to rescue a drowning man off the coast near his home in the Cherry Grove section of North Myrtle Beach, S.C.

    This year, Parker, a superintendent with Blue Sky Building of Shallotte, was awarded a national Carnegie Hero Medal for his brave Aug. 14, 2010, rescue of 59-year-old Rick Bennett of Charlotte. Bennett was being swept out to sea while trying to swim with friends across Hog Inlet.

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  • The difference in those who want it all rather than give it all

    I saw something on Facebook the other day that really caught my attention. No, it wasn’t a free iPad offer or people posting random fruits or colors in hopes of expressing some cryptic message with their closest 700 friends.

    It was a picture, well, two pictures really, probably aided by Photoshop or some other photo-editing software.

    If you’re on Facebook, you’ve probably seen it by now. Two photos, side by side, the first a group of what appear to be World War II soldiers, the second a group of Occupy Wall Street protesters.

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  • It's almost Election Day—do you know who you're voting for?

    There’s nothing like taking a week off to zap a soul back to reality—my soul, that is. And my reality.

    After five luxurious days consisting of a fantastic (car) cruise to Wilmington (for food and essentials), carpetmen transforming my worn floors and assorted de-cluttering (which I’m still working on), I had to face the inevitability of the following back-to-work Monday this week.

    And approaching elections—how could anyone covering southern Brunswick County forget about those? Certainly not me—except during that blissful week off.

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  • Homeless: Nowhere to turn for help

    Last week I received a phone call from my editor saying she thought there was a homeless couple sitting in front of the entrance to Walmart. She knew I was working on a story about homelessness in Brunswick County and suggested I check it out.

    I was just leaving the Beacon for the evening and decided to head over. As I arrived I saw a couple that appeared to be about my age. They were sitting on the ground holding a sign that read “Please Help.”

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  • As the polls (and pols) turn: A look at the latest GOP presidential standings

    The good news is the latest numbers released at this writing (Tuesday) has my three favorite presidential candidates topping the polls, though their poll positions are not necessarily indicative of my support.

    The bad news is I really only think one candidate is truly capable of leading our country the way it needs to be led. And that person is not the one on top.

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  • Mixing it up at lunch enables strangers not to be so strange

    Moseying toward the entrance of Cedar Grove Middle School on Tuesday, for me it was deja vu, new-girl-goes-to-school all over again.

    Since the school was launched just two years ago, I had not yet had an opportunity to visit the mighty Bulldogs.

    Would the kids like me? The teachers? Was I dressed OK?

    Oh, I know I was just there to take pictures for the Beacon and, seriously, I’m a full-fledged adult now.

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  • Show me your artistry and passion for Brunswick County

     I challenge each and every one of you to show me the beauty you see every day in Brunswick County.

    From beautiful beaches and waterways to lakes and swamps to tobacco and cotton fields to old barns and livestock, Brunswick County is a unique place to call home.

    This year I hope you will share with me images from your individual experiences with Brunswick County through the Beacon’s Brunswick Life photography contest.

    Entries are being accepted and will continue until noon Friday, Nov. 4.

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  • #Occupywallstreet doesn't appreciate the irony of its movement

     

     

    Want to occupy the nation’s financial district in protest? There’s an app for that.

    There’s also a hashtag. Actually, there are at least two hashtags I’ve found: #ows and #occupywallstreet. For you non-tech-savvy folks out there, hashtags are a web mechanism used with Twitter to maximize your audience.

    Don’t forget about their newspaper. It’s the Occupied Wall Street Journal. Clever, but I’d guess at least one lawsuit may be sprung from this movement.

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  • The face of foreclosure followup

     The phone calls and inquiries continue to come in so I thought it might be a good time to update Beacon readers on the story of the Hollenbeck family who lost their home to foreclosure.

    In August the Beacon brought you their story that compelled readers from all over to reach out a helping hand. The Hollenbecks lost their home in June to foreclosure and moved into tarps set up on their Brunswick County property. Bruce is a Gulf War veteran, and Adrienne is in need of a liver transplant.

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  • 'Back to school' means it's time to shine and shuttle before the sun

    If I had to go back to school, I’d probably be tardy.

    For one thing, I’d probably miss the bus, assuming I’d be returning to elementary school.

    These days, Brunswick County students in grades K-through-5 literally have to rise before the chickens in order to catch the bus. This means their devoted parents have to awaken even earlier if they hope to raise up those kids right and get them dressed and fed before the big yellow bus swings by well before sunrise o’clock.

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