The Opinion Blog

Dinners for 600

Wednesday’s second editorial praises a local couple’s simple holiday idea and the wildly successful event it has become.

The idea of a Myrtle Beach couple to provide holiday dinners for less fortunate families has grown to involve hundreds of volunteers, including the executive chef and staff of Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort. The Hilton crew is roasting turkeys and preparing holiday dinners that will be delivered Christmas Eve.

Food Card Use Soars

Wednesday’s editorial highlights the fact that more S.C. families than ever need help buying food.

The number of Horry County residents using federal food cards (still popularly known as food stamps) increased by 28.7 percent in August from August 2008.

Drives Lifeblood for Food Pantries

Tuesday’s editorial is a reminder that food collections during the holidays are vital to feeding the needy year-round.

Holiday food drives are vital elements to food pantries feeding increased numbers of people throughout the Grand Strand. On Monday, parked cars lined Long Bay Road as North Strand Helping Hand distributed Thanksgiving food packages. Some of the food was from a recent food drive in schools. Margaret Owens, executive director of the North Strand pantry, reports 406 Thanksgiving meals were distributed, an increase from 350 last year. The annual school drive brought more than 18,000 pounds of canned goods with more than 5,000 cans from North Myrtle Beach Primary School.

Pawleys Churches Feed Needy

Tuesday's editorial praises the good work of several area churches with their programs to feed the hungry.

A year ago, a few members of Pawleys Island Presbyterian Church volunteered at Friendship Place, the six-day-a-week lunch program at St. Cyprian Catholic Church in Georgetown.

Rick Russ was one of the volunteers that day. "I saw a guy sitting there ... and it turned out that I had taught him at the jail." Russ volunteers with a ministry at Georgetown County Detention Center. "After we embraced, it fell on my heart to start a similar program in Pawleys. I prayed about it, and [what I felt God was telling me] did not go away." Russ soon went to Pawleys Presbyterian senior pastor Frank Holsclaw. "He loved the idea," Russ says. Holsclaw, who in September marked 26 years at Pawleys Presbyterian, guided the plan through the church's ruling elders, and the Bread of Life program was established.

'Sober or Slammer' campaign

Friday's editorial promotes the S.C. Department of Public Safety's anti-drunk driving campaign heading into Labor Day.

Contrary to what the young drivers in the television spots say, there is absolutely nothing cool or acceptable about drinking and driving.

The Intoxication of Youth

Friday's editorial urges state lawmakers to do whatever is necessary to keep the legal drinking age at 21.

Could any policy really be more destructive in Myrtle Beach than lowering the drinking age to 18?

Stimulus buys more than food

Wednesday's editorial further explores the impact of the federal stimulus bill on the Grand Strand.

An unexpected additional $106,000 from the federal stimulus bill will help area residents perhaps turning for the first time to a variety of nonprofits with paying rent and utility bills.

Joint effort feeds area families

Tuesday's editorial continues to raise awareness of the efforts and the needs of local food banks.

The turnout of people at a monthly food distribution on Saturday illustrates both the pressing needs of many area families and a cooperative approach to providing help.

Pantries' needs growing

Wednesday's editorial draws attention to the plight of area food pantries as volunteers struggle to keep food on their shelves.

Adrian Weatherwax would like to see a "Christmas in Summer" approach to collecting canned goods for area food pantries. Her thought is that if a retail store, for example, had a Yuletide tree in the middle of summer, shoppers would feel a need to check it out and perhaps help area food pantries meet the growing summer challenge of having basic foods.

N.C. Smoking Ban Will Be Welcome Change

Today's editorial applauds the N.C. legislature for passing a statewide smoking ban in restaurants and bars.

At Duffer's Pub in Shallotte, the smoking area sits well-separated from the rest of the restaurant, said manager Sue Ellen Andrews on Thursday, a day after the North Carolina legislature voted to ban smoking in restaurants and bars. Although a nonsmoker herself, Andrews said she opposes the new ban because people should be able to enjoy simple pleasures like having a cigarette with a drink.

"But what I see is the irony that this state grew on tobacco and thrived on it for years, and now they're not going to allow smoking," Andrews said.