"I think it's very encouraging that 

 our county coordinators are comment- 

 ing that some of their areas were much 

 cleaner this year," she says. "I 

 definitely think our message is 

 seeping into people's minds and 

 slowly changing their habits." 



But like prior cleanups, the bulk of 

 the litter collected continued to be 

 items such as cigarette butts, plastic 

 and glass drink bottles, metal cans and 

 plastic pieces. 



Unfortunately, volunteers also 

 continued to find waterway dump sites 

 where people had disposed of appli- 

 ances, metal pieces, toys and tires. 



Site coordinator Felicia Adams 

 reported finding two refrigerators, four 

 stoves, 30 water heaters, five washing 

 machines, one newspaper rack, one 

 metal drum, a television set and a set 

 of metal shelves near the Neuse River 

 bridge off Poole Road in Wake 

 County. 



At every site, volunteers tally the 

 items collected on data cards provided 

 by cleanup coordinators. The cards list 

 more than 80 items — everything 

 from egg cartons to diapers, from tires 

 to 55-gallon drums, from fishing line 

 to light bulbs — for volunteers to 

 mark off. 



On the flip side, the volunteers 

 record the unusual. This year's list of 

 surprises reads like items slated for a 

 yard sale. They included: a vacuum 

 cleaner, a swing set, a plastic Christ- 

 mas tree, a dog house, high heel shoes, 

 handcuffs, an ice cream freezer, a 

 motorcycle, a pink stuffed pig and a 

 set of bull horns. 



Statewide, volunteers found three 

 whole vehicles and enough car parts 

 — mufflers, hubcaps, doors, batteries, 

 gas tanks and windshields — to build 

 several more. As for tires, volunteers 

 pulled almost 1,500 of the rubber 

 rings from the sand and mud of Tar 

 Heel waters. 



The First Citizens Bank Big 

 Sweep '93 is scheduled for 

 Sept. 18. 



Kudos for Big Sweep 



First Citizens Bank Big Sweep '92, 

 which Sea Grant helped coordinate, 

 won second place in the national 

 America's Clean Water Awards 

 Program sponsored by Keep America 

 Beautiful. Big Sweep won its honors in 

 the category of Cleanup/Restoration/ 

 Protection. 



"The program's efforts to instill a 

 sense of responsibility to protect 

 national and local water quality were 

 outstanding," writes KAB President 

 Roger Powers. "The outstanding 

 organization and success of a statewide 

 waterway cleanup that involved 

 thousands of volunteers in not only a 

 cleanup effort, but an education effort 

 about water quality and litter preven- 

 tion, made your program stand apart 

 from the others." 



Big Sweep also became the 

 recipient of the second annual Environ- 

 mental Stewardship Award presented 

 by the Chemical Industry Council of 

 North Carolina (CICNC) and North 

 Carolina Citizens for Business and 

 Industry (NCCBI). CICNC and 

 NCCBI present the award annually to 

 recognize meritorious service in 

 preserving North Carolina's natural 

 resources. 



Holiday Cooking 



Most of us really enjoy the holiday 

 spirit from Thanksgiving through 

 Christmas. There's special warmth in 

 the familiar sights, smells and festivi- 

 ties. And this is a traditional time to 

 enjoy good food. 



This year, why not replace or 

 complement your holiday foods with 

 fish and shellfish? Serve a festive 

 spread for friends who drop in. Or use 

 an edible shrimp tree for your center- 

 piece. 



Below are two of several holiday 

 recipes included in the Sept./Oct. issue 

 of Mariner's Menu, the informative 

 seafood newsletter written by Joyce 

 Taylor, Sea Grant's seafood education 

 specialist. For more festive seafood 



dishes — crab-stuffed mushrooms, 

 baked snapper with fennel, shrimp 

 pilaf and oyster-mushroom stuffing — 

 write Taylor for a copy of Mariner's 

 Menu. Her address is: NCSU Seafood 

 Laboratory, P.O. Box 1 137, Morehead 

 City, NC 28557. And while you are 

 writing, why not subscribe to this free 

 newsletter? 



Festive Seafood Spread 



1 pound backfin crab meat 

 1/2 pound cooked shrimp 

 1/2 cup mayonnaise 



1/2 teaspoon freshly ground 



white pepper 

 1/8 teaspoon paprika 



2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley 

 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce 



Remove any cartilage or shell from 

 crab meat. Chop shrimp coarsely. In 

 medium bowl, combine crab, shrimp, 

 mayonnaise, pepper, paprika, parsley 

 and Tabasco. Chill well. Serve with 

 assorted crackers. Makes about 3 cups. 

 (Note: May also be heated over boiling 

 water and served hot.) 



Creamy Fish with Cranberry Sauce 



1 pound skinless flounder 



(or other lean) fillets 



2 tablespoons margarine 

 2 tablespoons flour 



1/2 teaspoon salt 

 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 

 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground 

 white pepper 



1 cup milk 



2 tablespoons dry sherry 



1/2 can whole berry cranberry sauce 

 Melt margarine in medium skillet 

 over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt, 

 thyme and pepper. Gradually stir in 

 milk and sherry. Cook, stirring 

 constantly, until thick and smooth. 



Cut fish into serving size pieces. 

 Salt lightly. Add to mixture in skillet. 

 Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to 

 simmer. Cover and cook until fish 

 flakes easily with a fork, about 10 

 minutes. Carefully lift fish onto platter. 

 Spoon sauce over. Surround with 

 cranberry sauce. Serves 4 to 6. 



COASTWATCH 23 



