Ruralite Cafe: Published 12/12/02

By Lynn Hotaling - Associate Editor

No matter where you go, there you are

When it comes to describing community newspapers, it seems that Yogi Berra hit the nail on the head.

While I don't remember exactly what the legendary Yankee catcher was alluding to when he said "it's deja vu all over again," it could have been small-town publications like ours.

While visiting the eastern part of the Tar Heel State during Thanksgiving week, I picked up a copy of The Brunswick Beacon, published each week in Shallotte and featuring news of Brunswick County and its towns - Shallotte, Sunset Beach, Calabash and Carolina Shores, to name several. It was almost eerie to see the similarities between a coastal weekly and The Sylva Herald.

As I turned the pages, I realized I was reading familiar stories about people I'd never heard of before.

For starters, there was an editorial talking about a Festival of Lights in Shallotte that urged people to participate and shop locally. It was a lot like ours last week on Dillsboro's Festival of Lights and Luminaries and Sylva merchants' downtown open house.

One headline "Officers alerted after WBHS graffiti threat," led to a story that was almost an exact replay of a report we had on Nov. 18, 1999.

In the Beacon's story, additional sheriff's deputies were assigned to West Brunswick High School after threatening graffiti was found on the walls of a bathroom; in our story, "Despite graffiti, SMHS to hold classes Monday," security was increased at Smoky Mountain High after graffiti threatening violence was found on a bathroom wall. The threatened violence at WBHS was to have occurred Nov. 20 while that at SMHS was to have been Nov. 22, 1999.

Luckily, the days passed without incident at both schools.

But what interested me the most, especially in light of events Tuesday at a meeting of the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority board (see page 1A), were three separate stories about a Brunswick County water and sewer authority.

"Sunset Beach grows weary of SBWSA," "Chairman, others dodge SBWSA" and "SWBSA in limbo until settlement issue is resolved" were the three headlines.

It seems that the town of Sunset Beach is put out with the South Brunswick Water and Sewer Authority as well as with SBWSA board members appointed by the town.

"Our appointees to that board (SBWSA) need to support the town's interests. If we cannot depend on that, we have no representation on that board," said Sunset Beach town council member Len Steiner.

Sound familiar?

The second story laments the fact that a quorum was not available for a called meeting of the SBWSA board, while the third reports on the authority's inability to move ahead with construction of a wastewater treatment plant while the fate of a state-issued stormwater permit remains in litigation limbo.

Perhaps you're wondering how long the SBWSA has existed to serve the water and sewer needs of southern Brunswick County? The answer is 10 years, the same amount of time Jackson County has had TWSA.

Apparently the SBSWA and its sponsoring local governments - the towns of Sunset Beach and Calabash and Brunswick County - are embroiled in controversy. Based on events here Tuesday, TWSA and its sponsors - the towns of Sylva, Dillsboro, Webster and Jackson County - may be headed down that same road.

Looks like Yogi has a quote for water and sewer authorities, too.

"It ain't over 'til it's over."

Back to Archive: 12/12/02.