On June 8, the Emerald Isle Board of Commissioners authorized the installation of post and rope walkways at each public beach access.

The new post and rope walkways comply with CAMA regulations, and are designed to help keep foot traffic off the dunes and protect the recently planted vegetation.

Here is an example of a newly installed six-foot by fifty-foot post and rope walkway along the east end of Emerald Isle.

The Town’s subcontractor is installing approximately 70-80 pathways that are connected to public walkways.

Private property owners may also install walkways, but are encouraged to contact the Emerald Isle Planning Department at 252-354-3424 before construction.

Disrupting the dunes is harmful to the new plants, and the sand structures that help protect our coastline. Help spread the message to not walk on, play, lie down or otherwise disrupt these beneficial dunes. You can view our message below on sand fencing and preserving the dunes.

Additionally, you can find a printable PDF on the Town's beach regulations online. We encourage you to print out this fully updated form to share with your family, guests and renters.

Here in Emerald Isle, we are grateful to have wonderful Ocean Rescue Lifeguards and Beach Patrol Officers who help keep our residents and visitors safe. However, it is important to keep your own beach safety in mind and know what to do before heading out to enjoy the sand and surf.

Knowing our beach safety flag colors is key, and keep in mind that the Town's official recommendation is that you do not enter the water at all on red flag days. Now is a great time to review our spring beach safety flag video.

In addition to the physical flags strategically placed across the Town's beach strand and main access points, you can visit the Town's website or free smartphone app to find this information, as well as the official Town of Emerald Isle Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

You can view our Beach Safety FAQs on the Town's website.

Click here to learn more about RIP currents, and what you should do if you get caught in one.

Junior Lifeguard Camp will be held this month through the Emerald Isle Fire Department's Ocean Rescue Program!

You can find more information, including registration forms, here.

July 12-15 for 9-12 year olds

July 19-22 for 13-17 year olds

The cost is $100 per participant, and the course will run from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the Eastern Regional Beach Access. Space is limited to 25 participants per session and the ability to swim is required.

Registrations will be accepted from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. at EIFD Station 1.

If you have questions, call EIFD at 252-354-2445.

Emerald Isle Public Works Department painted a section at the pier this morning to designate where the emergency lane is, to highlight there should be nothing blocking the way between the red poles. Signage will also be placed on the pier soon to indicate the importance of this lane, so it helps the Town's emergency responders easily traverse the beach strand without being slowed down when responding to a call. 

The emergency lane is the 20 feet seaward of the dune line, and must remain open for the entire length of Emerald Isle's beach strand. This means leaving it clear of beach gear, personal items and individuals. 

A good rule of thumb is if you see tire tracks from where the Town's Beach Patrol, Ocean Rescue Lifeguard and Public Works vehicles have traversed, do not place your beach equipment in that area.

Every second counts when responding to a call, and your help in keeping the emergency lane open is appreciated!

The 2021-22 Fiscal Year begins today and will run through June 30, 2022.

The Emerald Isle Board of Commissioners approved the budget at the June 8 meeting, and there will be no property tax increase.

The FY 21-22 Recommended Budget can be found on the Town's website. The Recommended Budget across all funds is $11,896,121; a $421,871 or 4.0 % increase from the FY 20-21 originally adopted total budget.

Get fit! Get smart! Get confident! Have fun! Emerald Isle Parks and Recreation offers self-defense classes for women and teen girls twice weekly.

Although women have only 55.8 percent of a male’s upper body strength, with proper training women can overcome much larger opponents using the trained body and techniques based on physics to create efficient movement, coordination, and power. As well, the very act of their immediate, determined, trained responses creates a psychological blow to an attacker. Whole body movement, tai sabaki or body management, rapidly closes space in self-defense situations and by closing space, females take away the perceived invulnerability of a male aggressor and save energy in the process. However, confidently moving the body requires spontaneous and efficient techniques gained through skillful, deliberate practice over time. Thus, through training, women can become capable and competent using a personalized, practical “tool box” of self-defense skills.

Click here to view more information about these classes.

Emerald Isle Chief of Police Tony Reese retired on June 15, following a long and successful career with EIPD. He started working with the department in November 1999 as a reserve part-time Officer and was promoted to full-time Police Officer in June 2000. He served as a Patrol Officer, Detective, Lieutenant, Assistant Police Chief, Interim Police Chief and most recently as Police Chief.

At the June 8th Board of Commissioners Meeting, Chief Reese was recognized with a proclamation, as well as a resolution awarding him his service sidearm and badge.

On June 10th, a small gathering was held in his honor to wish him well in his future endeavors. The Town is grateful for his leadership and hard work for Emerald Isle.

Captain Bruce Norman will retire from the Emerald Isle Fire Department this month. He started working for the Town in July 1990, and says his favorite aspect of his job is helping people.

His 30-plus years of service to the Town has been appreciated, and the staff is grateful for his dedication and leadership.

Join us in thanking Bruce for his service on his staff feature, which can be found on the Town's Facebook page.

EmeraldFest 2021 is underway at the new pavilion stage at the Western Ocean Regional Access.This free concert series takes place from 6:30 - 8 p.m. on Thursdays throughout the summer.

Bring your blanket or chair, and come on out and enjoy some great music with us! No alcohol, please.

2021 EmeraldFest

Thursdays 6:30 - 8 p.m. at the Western Ocean Regional Access

July 1 - 4EverAll (Americana/Rock/Folk/Pop)

July 8 - The Mad Fiddler (Heartbeat of Music)

July 15 - Pure T Mommicked (Rock Alternative)

July 22 - Wicked Shimmies (Variety)

July 29 - Big Drink (Pop/Rock/Variety)

August 5 - Justin Castellano (Eclectic)

August 12 - Scearce & Ketner (Seagrass)

August 19 - Naked Knees (What a Party Sounds Like)

The new stage was made possible by generous donations throughout the community in memory of Charlie Pake. Click here to see a photo from the dedication event.

An update to the Town's yard debris ordinance was approved this spring. Changes include:

You can view full information about our yard debris pickup on our website, or watch the video below.

The Emerald Isle Public Works Department has revealed new technology that gives Town property owners a bird’s eye view where the yard debris trucks are along their routes. The system will allow residents to view the truck routes and see when their yard debris may be picked up by Public Works staff. Depending on various factors, such as distance traveled and the size of yard debris piles, times may vary on a weekly basis.

This new service was created by Greg Flinn, an independent contractor who has been working with the Town.

“This new system will improve our level of customer service, and will aid our staff when filing yard debris pickup reports,” said Artie Dunn, Public Works Director.

Click here to view the online truck tracker, which can be found on the Town's website.

The 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season is underway, and you are encouraged to make your preparations before a storm arrives.

The Town is pleased to report no major issues were caused by Tropical Storm Claudette on June 20-21.

The town released a series of hurricane preparedness videos this year to better educate the public on various topics that come to mind when a named storm is potentially heading our way.

You can always find hurricane preparedness information on our website, which includes a registration form for a disaster re-entry permit, in the event you do not have one. You should have your re-entry permit on hand before a storm is coming toward North Carolina.

Emerald Isle EMS provides for special medical care and/or help evacuating during disasters, including hurricanes, to those who are registered under the Medically Fragile List. This form should be completed and submitted to Emerald Isle EMS well in advance of impending disasters.

This form is available online on the Town's website.

Contact Emerald Isle EMS at 252-354-2249 if you have additional questions, or would like to register with the Medically Fragile list.

Please note, this registration service was previously handled through Carteret County Emergency Services. If you previously signed up through the County, you will need to register with Emerald Isle EMS.

Emerald Isle EMS is offering a subscription program to help offset the cost of an ambulance transport. This optional annual subscription of $50 covers the direct costs of ambulance services not paid by your insurance. The $50 covers two people: the head of household, along with one other person. You may include others living in the household for an additional $10 each. Your subscription begins two days after receipt of application, payment, and acceptance by the Town of Emerald Isle's EMS Department and expires on June 30th, 2022. There will be no refunds for cancelled or forfeited memberships.

You can register online for the subscription program or call the EMS Department at 252-354-2249 to complete the information over the phone.

There are free subscriptions available, thanks to a generous donation by Fortitude Roofing. Call EMS Chief David Jones at 252-354-8595 to claim one today.

View our video below for additional information about the EMS subscriptions.

Paid Parking is underway at both the Eastern and Western Ocean Regional accesses and will last through September. It is in effect from 8 a.m. - 6 pm. daily, and is run through NCParkingCo.

Town property owners and long-term residents are able to obtain two free parking passes through the Police Department. You can apply online here, or at the Police Department from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, or 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. If you have not yet applied for this permit, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible.

Visit our website to view our Beach Parking 101 release, as well as videos on how to utilize the on-site parking kiosks or the Passport Parking app.

Save time and skip the line when you download the Passport Parking app.

Here are five great reasons to utilize this app:

Paving in the Ocean Oaks subdivision is slated for early Fall 2021.

The Emerald Isle Public Works Department made temporary pothole repairs in this area this spring to improve the area ahead of the scheduled paving project.

The Town appreciates the patience of residents and visitors leading up to this initiative.

The Town of Emerald Isle has a number of online platforms you can use to stay connected to the latest news and see beautiful pictures of our area. 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:

Every Friday we share pictures from the community - and we need your help. Send your best Emerald Isle pictures to Anna Smith, Public Information and Media Director, at [email protected] for consideration. Please include "Friday Features" in the subject line, and the name of the photographer. Or use #EmeraldIsleNC in your Instagram photos.

Get to know our hardworking Town staff! Each Tuesday you can find our latest staff feature across our social media feeds. We appreciate all they do, and want to shine a spotlight on their accomplishments.

Here are the five employees we recognized in the past month:

The Emerald Isle Golf Cart Safety, Rules & Regulations Class is available online. Click on the link below to learn more and save $25 off your registration/ renewal.

Please read the presentation carefully, as there will be a short test at the end. Participants must receive a score of 80% accuracy (or greater) to receive a discount of $25 off the 2021 Golf Cart Registration.

Once you submit the test, you will receive a confirmation email with your results. Please download and save your results. Then, attach the results to your online renewal application/ new application. Be sure to check the Golf Cart Safety Class Discount option on the GC application in order to upload your results and receive the $25 discount. Thank you and good luck!

Celebrating the birth of our great nation is a revered activity in Emerald Isle, normally capped with an exceptional fireworks display held on the 4th of July. Unfortunately, the Town of Emerald Isle made a very difficult decision this spring to forego the July 4th fireworks celebration.

At the time of the decision, strict COVID-19 restrictions were in place and future limitations were unknown. The Town also faced a near $286,000 fiscal deficit, due to unavoidable COVID-19 related expenses. If Town officials engaged in the time-sensitive pyrotechnic contract on April 13, 2021, it was uncertain if the fireworks celebration could even be held.

In order to avoid a loss of $24,000, the Town of Emerald Isle voted to save our taxpayers money. We are thankful that COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted and greater than 50 percent of the nation is now vaccinated.

Going forward, the Town Board, staff and Tourism Development Authority are working together on alternative events later in the year.

We sincerely appreciate the community's understanding and pray that everyone has a joyous and safe July 4th, 2021!

Nest Statistics:

June was definitely a busy time for members of the Emerald Isle Sea Turtle Patrol (EISTP). Happily, we are up to nine nests now in Emerald Isle.

Nest 4 was found and verified earlier this month.

Nest 4 was followed later in the month on a very busy morning, as 3 nests were found and documented! Nests 5, 6 and 7 all were processed in one morning.

Nest 8 was laid by a turtle who crawled around on the beach a while before finally picking the spot for her nest.

Finally Nest 9 made an appearance.

Hopefully, this trend will continue throughout the summer. Kudos to our fearless leader, Dale Baquer, who keeps us all organized and heading to all the right places!

Batter Up!

EISTP would like to thank fellow volunteer Rich Mackesy for hosting and welcoming about 60 of our volunteers to a Morehead City Marlins game this month. Everyone had a great time at the Big Rock Stadium. Long time volunteer Pete Dotson threw out the first pitch. Emmie, our adorable EISTP mascot, greeted arrivals to the park and ran the bases with the Marlin mascot Finn before the game began. The evening was a complete success as our team also won the game.

Annual Sea Turtle Crawl

Congratulations to the Emerald Isle Sea Turtle Crawl Team. The team raised over $13,000 for the Alzheimers Association during the Longest Day walk! Great work to everyone who participated this year. (Photo by Erica Baquer Jobe)

Enroll in Connect to Save and receive a free smart thermostat:

CCEC has expanded the benefits of its Connect to Save initiative by offering free ecobee3 lite smart thermostats to members who enroll in the program by Aug. 31.

Members will receive free installation and an annual $50 incentive for complete participation in the Connect to Save program. In addition to a free smart thermostat, members can receive $50 for installing a smart water heater control on their electric water heater through the program.

After the free, professional installation, the Connect to Save program will minimally adjust your thermostat during times of high energy demand. This small action multiplied across thousands of homes will create big savings on wholesale power costs, which benefits the entire cooperative membership. For more information and to enroll, visit www.connecttosavenc.com.

CCEC Member Calendar Contest:

Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative wants to feature our members' best photos in our 2022 wall calendar. Submit high-quality digital photos depicting the cooperative’s service area. Fourteen photos will be selected. The winning photographers will be entered in a drawing for a $100 gift card. Hurry! The deadline is August 15. Get details at www.ccemc.com/PhotoContest.

Bogue Banks Water Corporation is proud to announce that three of our technicians have passed their C Well Certification exam. Congratulation to Chris Gallo, Lee Coates, and Billy Leach for a job well done! We look forward to working with them for many years to come.

We appreciate each one of you, our valued customers, as well! Thank you for helping us conserve our precious resource. We couldn't do it without you! Enjoy your summer!