Western Carteret

Fireworks Celebration

Slated for July 3

The towns of Bogue, Cape Carteret, Cedar Point, Emerald Isle and Peletier are pleased to present the 2023 Western Carteret Fireworks Celebration on Monday, July 3, co-sponsored by Emerald Isle Realty and presented by Mac Daddy’s.

A variety of food trucks and live entertainment will take place at Mac Daddy’s. Events kick off at 5 p.m., with The Will & Tony Show. Then, Heart Stop takes the stage beginning at 7:00 PM.  

At 7:30 p.m., the National Anthem will be played, and the U.S. Marine Corps will conduct a military fly over. The National Anthem will once again be held at 8:55 p.m. leading up to the grand fireworks celebration at 9 p.m.

Heart Stop will take the stage a second time, following fireworks, and perform until 11:00 PM.

For full information visit www.emeraldisle-nc.org.

Offices Closed for Fourth of July

The Town's Administrative Offices will be closed on Monday, July 3rd and Tuesday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day.

The Community Center will be closed on Tuesday, July 4.

Regular business hours will resume on Wednesday, July 5.

Emerald Isle Police, Fire and EMS will continue to work over the holiday to best serve our community.

Emerald Fest Concert Series Underway

Emerald Fest 2023 continues! Join Emerald Isle Parks and Recreation for what promises to be a great evening.

Grab your beach chair or blanket and enjoy this free summer concert series at the Western Ocean Regional Access. These concerts are held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays. No alcohol, please.

Mark your calendars for these other Emerald Fest concerts:

JULY

• 6- 4EVERALL
• 13- THE RV ROAD SHOW
• 20- BIG SAM & CO.
• 27- THE FELTONS

AUGUST

• 3- JUSTIN CASTELLANO
• 10- BAREFOOT WADE
• 17- KNOCK KNOCK BAND

Jr. Lifeguard Camps to be held this month

Are you ready for a summer filled with excitement and adventure? Come be apart of the 2023 Junior Lifeguard Camp in Emerald Isle! See the remaining spots below.

July 10-13, Session 1- 7 spots remaining (9-12)

Designed for kids who love the beach and want to learn valuable skills! our Junior Lifeguard Camp offers an unforgettable experience! Led by the experienced staff of the Emerald Isle Fire Department, including our highly skilled Ocean Rescue Lifeguard team!

Throughout the camp, participants will dive into a variety of safety measures on the beach strand and in the water. Spaces are limited, so don't miss out! Visit our website or call us today to secure your child's spot. See you! on the beach!

For more info

https://www.emeraldisle-nc.org/370/Junior-Lifeguard-Program

Emerald Isle Bike Path Safety Video

Discover the Exciting World of Emerald Isle's Bike Path!

Attention all bike enthusiasts and outdoor adventurers! We are thrilled to unveil our brand new video showcasing the stunning bike path in Emerald Isle and promoting bike rider safety.

This video not only highlights the scenic beauty but also emphasizes the importance of bike rider safety. Learn valuable tips, tricks, and best practices to ensure a safe and enjoyable biking experience for all.

So, grab your helmet, hop on your bike, and explore the wonders of Emerald Isle's bike path. Let's make every ride a safe and unforgettable adventure! 

Time to Educate Yourself

on Beach Safety Information

The towns of Emerald Isle, Indian Beach, Pine Knoll Shores and Atlantic Beach want you to ensure you know what the unified beach warning flag system stands for along Bogue Banks. This collaborative video explains the flag colors and what each one represents.

In addition, a video was created highlighting important rip current safety information. Both of these videos can be found predominately featured on the Town's website and social media pages.

You can find more official beach safety information on the Town of Emerald Isle website, and through the free Emerald Isle, NC app.

Thank you to our Bogue Banks neighbors for partnering with us in this safety messaging. Help us spread the word!

The Town of Emerald Isle is also promoting its beach safety messaging in several new ways. The joint safety videos are playing on televisions located at the Western and Eastern Ocean Regional accesses, and new QR code stickers are being placed on to-go orders at several area restaurants.

If you have an area business and are interested in helping us spread the beach safety message, please contact Mark Crews, Public Information Officer, at mcrews@emeraldisle-nc.org.

Prepare Now for Hurricane Season

The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs through November, and the best to time to prepare is now.

Emerald Isle property owners should check now to ensure they have their disaster re-entry permit, and apply for one through the Police Department if they do not have one. You will be required to provide proof of residency as part of this application.

In addition, make sure your hurricane kit is fully stocked and your property is ready in the event a storm comes to North Carolina.

You can find a comprehensive emergency preparedness list and other important information on our website.

New Fiscal Year Begins July 1

The 2023-24 Fiscal Year begins today and will run through June 30, 2024.

The Emerald Isle Board of Commissioners approved the budget at the June 13 meeting, maintaining a property tax rate of $0.165. 

The FY 23-24 Recommended Budget can be found on the Town's website. The Recommended Budget across all funds is $12,712,457; a $816,337 or 6.69 % increase from the FY 22-23 originally adopted total budget of $11,896,120.

Emerald Isle Fishing Tournament 2023

Join us for the EI Fishing Tournament on September 16th at Emerald Isle!

Whether you're a seasoned angler or a young enthusiast, there's something for everyone, with a boat and surf fishing division! But that's not all! On September 15th, EVERYONE is invited to our public auction and barbecue dinner at the Islander Hotel & Hotel.

This fantastic event not only promises a great time but also supports our local scholarship program and dredging. None of this would be possible without the generous support of our sponsors: The Real Outdoors and Tractor Country!

Visit www.EIfishing.com for all the exciting details.

So, mark your calendars and join us on September 16th for a day filled with fishing, incredible memories and your chance to win. See you on the water at the EI Fishing Tournament!

Coffee With A Cop: Building Stronger Connections In Our Community

We want to express our thanks to everyone who joined for an incredible Coffee with a Cop event.

Citizens had the chance to ask questions, share concerns, and get to know the men and women who work tirelessly to keep our community safe.

A Big Thank You: We extend our sincere appreciation to Chief Panzarella, Parks and Recreation Director Candace Dooley, and Public Works Director Joe Smith for not only organizing this event but cooking an amazing breakfast for the Coffee with a Cop event.

We are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming turnout and the enthusiasm displayed by our residents.

Let's continue to strengthen these valuable connections and work together in building a community that thrives on trust, respect, and collaboration. Please join us for the next Coffee With A Cop on July 27th!

Stay Up To Date: Follow Us Online

The Town of Emerald Isle has a number of official online platforms you can use to stay connected to the latest news, our live beach and traffic cameras, and more. You can also view the monthly Board of Commissioners meetings, which are live streamed on our Facebook page. These meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m.

Follow us on the following platforms:

• Our website: Emeraldisle-nc.org
• Our free Emerald Isle, NC app, available on the App Store and Google Play

Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative Information

The tropics are already heating up and CCEC wants you to be prepared if our area is impacted by a tropical system this year. Here are a few simple steps to prepare for and stay safe this hurricane season:

• Outline a communication and evacuation plan for your family. If you have pets, include them in your plan.
• Connect with the co-op on Facebook at facebook.com/CarteretCraven to stay informed about outages and other storm information.
• Bookmark our live outage map at outage.carteretcraven.coop to see a real-time look at power outages across our service territory. Remember! Check the map before calling to report an outage. 
• Enroll to receive outage text alerts. CCEC members can be notified when the power goes out at your home or business. Text CCEMC to 1-800-682-2217. Keep in mind that during widespread, long duration outages, text alerts may be disabled.
• Sign up for local weather alerts. You can also visit ReadyNC.org for real-time weather and traffic information.

Bogue Banks Water Corporation

BBWC customers, 

If you have a cellular endpoint, please make sure your eyeonwater app is set up with leak alerts. This app is very helpful in alerting you when there is continuous flow at your meter.

If you are unsure if you have a cellular endpoint please call our office 252-354-3307. If you need help getting set up go to boguebankswater.com under customer service, cellular endpoint instructions for helpful set up information or call our office. 

Emerald Isle Sea

Turtle Patrol

Sea Turtles Dig the Dark Article and photos by Jami Thomas

Summer is in full swing here on the Crystal Coast! Shibumis are blowing in the wind, surfboards are in the water, beach towels in the sand and the smell of saltwater and sunscreen fill the air. While many visit the beach during the day to enjoy the beautiful sunshine, we also have special guests that visit during the night. Emerald Isle beaches are the nesting grounds of endangered sea turtles. These sea turtles were nesting in this area long before the Cameron Langston bridge connected the mainland to the shores of Bogue Bank.

Nesting sea turtles once had no issues finding a dark, quiet stretch of sand to dig their nest and deposit their eggs for incubation. Now, these same turtles are competing with tourists, residents and businesses for their piece of the beaches of Emerald Isle and the Crystal Coast. The once dark beaches now glow with light from the houses, condominiums, hotels, and humans walking on the beach with flashlights and cellphones.

“Light pollution excessive or poor use of artificial outdoor light or artificial light at night, is the , and it disrupts the natural patterns of wildlife, contributes to the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, disrupts human sleep, and obscures the stars in the night sky.” (As defined by the National Geographic.) These lights detract female sea turtles from nesting. A female may come ashore to nest, be discourage due to lights and make her way back to the ocean. This is called a false crawl. If a mother sea turtle fails to nest after multiple false crawls, she will resort to less than optimum options for her clutch of eggs, diminishing the chance of a successful hatch.

We can do our part to help these endangered species by installing turtle friendly lights on ocean front

properties, using red light filtered flashlights and changing the backlight of our cellphones to red/dark

light when walking on the beach at night. To adjust your screen brightness and color on an iPhone use

Dark Mode, True Tone or Night Shift or adjust the color manually from your settings button. For Android

phones, you can turn on Dark Theme in the display section of your settings. You can also download a

red light app instead of using your flashlight that glows bright white.

If you are out on the beach and see a sea turtle, make her way out of the water to nest, please call the Emerald Isle Sea Turtle Patrol at 252-646-8292 or the non-emergency police line at 252-354-2021. Stay back from the turtle and refrain from shining a light or using a flash of a camera on her. If you are out on the beach and see the sea turtle patrol volunteers, please feel free to ask them questions about our sea turtles. Should the volunteers be nest sitting, you are welcome to join them, remembering to sit quietly with lights out as they wait for the sea turtle nest to hatch. Due to sea turtles being federally protected, locations of nests or potential timing of nest hatchings cannot be given out.

At the time of this writing, on the 13-mile stretch of Emerald Isle we have two nests and one false crawl. As a friendly reminder, please help our sea turtle conservation efforts by packing out whatever you brought to the beach, to include trash, sunscreen, chairs, umbrellas, etc. It is also imperative that all holes are filled in when you leave the beach.

These holes are not only dangerous to the sea turtles, but people and emergency responder’s vehicles as well. 

Beach Birds Stewards of Emerald Isle

Submitted by Ed Phillips

The Emerald Isle Beach Bird Stewards’ motto is:

“Let ‘em Rest, Let ‘em Nest”

The Least Terns are doing well at The Point this year with over 100 nesting pairs being reported by Ed Phillips of the Beach Bird Stewards of Emerald Isle. There are at least 20 pairs that have chosen to nest on the ocean side outside of the defined posted areas.

The adult birds will fly up and loudly vocalize and mob beach patrons to move them away from their nests. Unfortunately, we cannot expand the posted nesting enclosures this season.

Emerald Isle’s Beach Bird Stewards rope off and monitor two nesting enclosures, and talk with vacationers and residents about birds visiting our area to nest. At The Point we have migrating Least Terns and Wilson’s Plovers, who travel from the Caribbean and northern South America. We also have Willets who nest at The Point; some are permanent residents here.

Least Terns and Wilson’s Plovers nest in open sandy beach areas with shells so their eggs will blend in, which is why The Point is perfect for them. Please be aware that this is happening at The Point from April through August.

Beach Bird Stewards urge residents and visitors to help the birds. Please:

1. Give them room. If adult birds rush at you and are very vocal - stop and exit that area. Be aware of where you are placing your feet as you back away.

2. Keep pets on a leash; it’s the law. Pets and people are perceived as predators to the birds.

3. Respect the posted areas and use designated walkways.

4. Climbing on the dunes is forbidden.

5. Leave nests undisturbed.

6. Practice carry in/carry out. Food scraps can attract unwanted predators. Birds mistake litter and plastics for food.

Let’s share the shore with our feathered friends!

For more information or if you would enjoy being an Emerald Isle Beach Bird Steward, please email beachbirdsteward@gmail.com, or visit www.ncwildlife.org/volunteer.

You can also like us on Facebook to get the latest updates: Beach Bird Stewards of Emerald Isle