Opinion

Reasonable people understand children

are not responsible for the conditions into which they are born: healthy or diseased, wealthy or poor, cherished or forgotten.

The most recent report released March 28 by NC Child shows more than half — 55.4 percent — of Brunswick County children continue to live in “poor or near poor” homes.

Myriad studies and ample research has shown us how important it is to nurture children, especially early in their development.

For months, an overwhelming majority of the electorate who voiced opinions about seismic testing and offshore drilling emphatically and repeatedly stated their objections to both.

In response, Brunswick County commissioners in January reversed a July 6, 2015, resolution that endorsed state and federal government steps to allow for these activities along the Atlantic coast.

Carolina Shores hosted a Sunshine Week open house Tuesday morning at town hall, just as it has for the past several years.

Sunshine Week, observed this year March 11-17, is an annual national initiative launched by the American Society of News Editors to educate the public about the importance of open government.

Here in the Tar Heel State, there are two sunshine laws: its open meetings law and its public records law.

Brunswick County’s population continues to boom, spurring economic development efforts and fueling new businesses while also prompting infrastructure improvement plans to meet growth.

Two recent requests by the North Carolina Rate Bureau threaten to bring it all to an abrupt halt.

The bureau, which represents all companies writing property insurance in the state, filed notice in November asking for a statewide average increase in homeowners insurance rates for 2018.

Almost a year ago, concerned citizens including local boat captains spoke before the Holden Beach Board of Commissioners, and then the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners, to voice their worries about shoaling in Lockwood Folly Inlet.

Although dredging was performed in late August and early September, it was for maintenance of the inlet, a temporary fix.

By the time the next scheduled dredging takes place, it is likely the inlet will be as clogged as it was before — perhaps even worse.

Brunswick Family Assistance, based in Shallotte, held an official ribbon-cutting ceremony this past Monday for its office in Leland at 324-I Village Road where services are now available five days a week.

West Brunswick head wrestling coach Jimmy Caraway’s career is remarkable for its longevity alone. It seems not many people these days remain in the same profession for 21 years, as he has.

Caraway began his career as an assistant wrestling coach at Lumberton in 1995 and moved to its head coach position three years later, remaining there until he took the job as head wrestling coach at West Brunswick before the 2005-06 season.

His tenure at West has produced a two-time individual state champion in Harrison Campbell and several regional and state qualifiers.

A week before Christmas, a child in the

central part of our state became the first child flu fatality for the 2017-18 flu season, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there were nine pediatric flu deaths in the United States as of Dec. 16. It said almost half of all children who die from flu or complications related to it have no known medical condition that puts them at higher risk.

Eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York’s Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history’s most reprinted newspaper editorial.

“DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.

“Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.

“Papa says, ‘If you see it in THE SUN it’s so.’

“Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?