By Gene Seeley

My wife and I have lived on Sand Dune Avenue SW near the Polaris intersection since 1999.  Our living quarters are on the second floor so we have a nice view of the ocean and the dunes between Ocean Lake Way on the north and Taurus Avenue on the south. 

On July 4th 2006 and July 4th 2007, large dune fires burned from the beach west of Polaris on the north to Taurus on the south. These fires burned mainly the previous years’ dry salt grass over the same area. See fire-break-diagram. These fires were each about 20 acres. Fireworks smoke trails showed the winds to be out of the north to north/northwest at approximately 20 mph. By the time firemen put out the fires each was about 370 feet from the houses near Taurus.

By John R. Clark

North Beach communities are extensively involved in recycling of solid waste. Recycling reduces waste and converts it to useful products, both very practical goals. It also reduces the size of landfills which would otherwise receive the recyclable materials and it makes waste pickup cheaper because recyclable materials can be sold by the hauler to reduce costs. Composting organic waste helps too. Judy Stull, Ocean Shores Head Librarian, remarked, “ Since recycling started I produce hardly any garbage.” 

In the North Beach area we have two systems for garbage and recycling. In Ocean Shores appropriate disposal of solid waste by property owners is compulsory. In the unincorporated communities of the County it is not compulsory, but there are ordinances against illegal dumping and littering. Le May Enterprises Inc. are our recycling honchos — they provide regular collection and disposal services for both Ocean Shores and unincorporated communities at the property owner’s expense. Alternatively, in Ocean Shores you can buy a plastic bag for $2.50 at the Police Station or Permit Center to dispose of your waste in the Public Works dumpster behind the Permit Center, a convenience for weekenders who do not need regular waste pickup.

Each Le May customer pays for both garbage and recycling, the amount depending on the number of pickups you order each month.

(Editor’s Note: I asked Bill Vandenbush, Ocean Shores resident and author of the chilling, up-lifting Vietnam War memoir, “If Morning Never Comes,” to contribute an article on what he thinks of, on Memorial Day. Good soldier that he is, he came through on short notice.)

By Bill Vandenbush

According to Wikipedia, Memorial Day is a U.S. federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May.  It commemorates U.S. men and women who died while serving in military service. Memorial Day was first enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War and was expanded after World War I to include American casualties of any war or military action. 

I include this because I think there are many people who aren’t exactly sure why we celebrate this day. I think there are many Americans who abhor the military and all it stands for, and they feel that celebrating Memorial Day is the same as supporting and celebrating war. 

As a combat soldier (Vietnam ’68-’69), I can tell you that most combat soldiers and sailors do not create, support, or celebrate war. The military is a tool used by high ranking government officials to wage war. As such, it is not the combatants on either side that have caused the war to be waged. It is the combatant’s job to obey the orders passed down by our elected government officials and to fight the wars on their behalf. 

There is an old cliché, “Freedom is not free.”  Well, freedom should be free.