The Town Administration Building and Community Center will be closed on Monday, May 30, in observance of Memorial Day. Regular business hours at these locations will resume on Tuesday, May 31.

The Town Administration Building is open from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., on weekdays.

The Community Center is open 7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Emergency Services, including Police, Fire and EMS, will continue to operate on their regular schedules to best serve the community.

The Town of Emerald Isle is pleased to announce Candace Dooley as the new Director of Parks & Recreation. She will begin her fulltime position on Monday, May 16.

Mrs. Dooley holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business. For the past eight years, she has served as the director of the Emerald Isle Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K, raising a total of $270,000 for the Town of Emerald Isle and other local charities.

Professionally, she brings 12 years of direct managerial experience where she oversaw a budget exceeding $2.2 M and supervised 150 persons. Mrs. Dooley also has small business experience, as the owner of Star Fish Events, a marketing and events company.

“I am extremely honored to have been selected as the Director of Parks and Recreation,” said Mrs. Dooley. “I have a great passion for this community and look forward to serving Emerald Isle in my new role.”

Mrs. Dooley also has a unique local perspective, having served 6 years as an elected Town Commissioner. Her overall understanding of municipal government, finance, and general town operations will be extremely beneficial.

The Town received numerous qualified applicants for this vacancy, and selected Mrs. Dooley to lead the department after the retirement of long-term director Alesia Sanderson. Ms. Sanderson retired on April 15, after serving the Town for 32 years.

“Alesia Sanderson served Emerald Isle with such enthusiasm and compassion, that recruiting the next Parks and Recreation Director was a daunting task,” said Town Manager Matt Zapp. “As a volunteer, Candace Dooley produced amazing results for the Town of Emerald Isle via her role on the Town Board and as the Chairperson of the Marathon Committee. We are confident she will hit the ground running and continue the exceptional work of the parks department.”

Town staff would like to recognize Emerald Isle Fire Department Chief Bill Walker for his 35 years of service to the community.

His work anniversary was May 1, and we are grateful for his ongoing leadership.

Join us in congratulating Chief Walker on his decades of service!

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.

You can find more official beach safety information on the Town of Emerald Isle website.

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

Emerald Isle's Ocean Rescue Lifeguards started the season on the beach April 1, and will reach full staffing levels later this month.

In all, 20 USLA-certified lifeguards will be on the beach April through September this year.

As always, we encourage you to respect the ocean, yourself and our lifeguards. Review these important beach safety tips before you head to the ocean, and stay out of the water if you see red or double red flags flying. The Beach Warning Flags are now flying in coordination with the National Weather Service.

The Town is still seeking a lifeguard for this season - if you or someone you know may be a good fit, watch the video below and apply online soon.

The Town of Emerald Isle is seeking applicants for a variety of full-time, part-time and seasonal positions.

You can find full details and applications online on the Town's website for the following positions:

Paid parking is underway and two free passes are available for Emerald Isle taxpayers. The Town's paid parking is at the Eastern and Western Ocean Regional accesses.

In addition, Handicapped/100% Disabled Vet, Purple Heart or Emerald Isle Business Owners are eligible for one free permit. Supporting documentation must be uploaded when applying for this one free permit in these categories. You must have this permit in hand before going to the access points to be eligible. Please note, due to the high volume of applications, same day service is not available.

Parking pass applications are available online, or you may stop by the Police Department at 7500 Emerald Drive to apply in person. You will need a current vehicle registration and driver’s license when applying for your permit. If you have questions, please call EIPD at 252-354-2021.

Emerald Isle taxpayers are eligible to receive two annual free parking permits that can be used at the Eastern Ocean Regional and Western Ocean Regional accesses. These parking permits will be granted only for vehicles registered in the name of the taxpayer and are non-transferable.

The permit decal must be for the current year and be permanently affixed to the driver’s side windshield. Improper placement of decals may result in paying the parking fee, confiscation or possible citation. Lost or confiscated permits will not be reissued. You are required to remove decals from previous years.

Like last year, paid parking will range from $2-$4 per hour, with a maximum amount paid up to four hours. If you stay longer than this, you will only pay the four-hour price.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation has released the following information:

Rehabilitation work on the Emerald Isle bridge continues, and the contractor will be adding a lane closure overnight. Through May 20, the contractor will restart an overnight lane closure between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m.

There will not be lane closures during the summer months; they will resume after Labor Day.

The N.C. Department of Transportation encourages drivers to plan for their travel when a lane closure is in place and remain alert while crews are working.

For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.

Bike the Banks Returns May 7

The 7th annual Bike the Banks/Crystal Coast Lighthouse Challenge is back, and there is still time to register! The rides will be held Saturday, May 7th.

Sponsored by the Emerald Isle Bike and Pedestrian Committee, the event features three rides; 10, 50 and 100 miles to challenge bikers of all skill levels.

The premier event of the day is the century ride, at 100 miles, which is an out-and-back ride that will take the participants from the Emerald Isle Community Center down Bogue Banks to Fort Macon, then back to Atlantic Beach, over to Morehead City, through Beaufort and Down East Carteret County to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse - at least as close as you can get on a bicycle.

There is also a 50 mile out-and-back ride to Fort Macon. This ride begins at the Community Center, goes to the Point in Emerald Isle, then down the island to Fort Macon and back.

The final ride, a 10-mile fun ride, is designed as a more leisurely ride for adults and families. That ride begins at the Community Center and follows the Emerald Isle Bike and Pedestrian Path to the Eastern Ocean Regional Access parking lot in Emerald Isle, near mile marker 15.

The ride is held to promote bike riding in Carteret County and to raise funds to support the Emerald Isle Bike and Pedestrian Path that runs for 12 miles throughout town.

Both the century ride and the 50-mile rides begin at 7:30 a.m. The 10-mile ride starts at 8:00 a.m. All three rides begin and end at the Emerald Isle Community Center at 203 Leisure Lane, which is located near mile post 19 on Emerald Drive (NC 58).

Registration is $40 per rider for the 100 and 50 mile-rides and $25 for the 10-mile event.

Registration is available online. Registrations will also be accepted on the morning of the ride beginning at 6:30 a.m. at the Emerald Isle Community Center. At that same time, riders who are pre-registered can pick up their t-shirt.

A brief meeting will be held shortly before each of the rides. The century ride course will close at 2:30 p.m. All riders should wear helmets, and the use of rear flashers are encouraged to improve visibility. Rest stops with drinks and snacks are strategically located for all three rides.

Parking for participants is available at the Community Center, and at the Emerald Isle Town Hall at 7509 Emerald Drive. To reduce traffic and for safety purposes, personal SAGs are not encouraged. There is no rain date.

The Emerald Isle Golf Cart Safety, Rules & Regulations Class is available online. You can find out information concerning this online class and save $25 off your registration/ renewal for 2022 by visiting our website.

To renew for your 2022 registration, you will first watch a video that explains some golf cart rules and regulations, and review the PowerPoint presentation before taking your short test to receive the $25 discount. Once you have taken the test, you will need to fill out and submit the registration application form.

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:

On Fridays we share pictures from the community - and we need your help. Send your best Emerald Isle pictures to Anna Smith, Town Clerk/Public Information Officer, at [email protected] for consideration. Please include "Friday Features" in the subject line, and the name of the photographer. You can also use #EmeraldIsleNC in your Instagram photos.

Did you know? Emerald Isle EMS offers a subscription program to help offset the cost of an ambulance transport. You can view our video for a quick explanation on why this program is beneficial to you and your family.

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. Please note, these subscriptions run from July 1 - June 30. 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.

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.

It is important to note that this form should be completed and submitted to Emerald Isle EMS well in advance of impending disasters. If you or your family member are not already on this list, please take the time today to register.

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.

Bikes & Blooms will once again be appearing along Emerald Drive to coincide with the Bike the Banks ride! In the week leading up to the rides on May 7th, bicycles decorated by Emerald Isle Garden Club members will sprout along the Emerald Path. Although this year will not include a contest, businesses and homeowners are encouraged to get creative, decorate a bike in front of your home or business, join in the fun and participate in the celebration of the coming summer season and the welcoming of our Bike the Banks visitors.

The Garden Club will also be holding a limited spring fundraiser. The “Beautiful Benches” project aims to add a touch of beauty to some of our town-installed benches with flowers and minimal landscaping. If you purchased a bench, or would like to “adopt” a bench, and want to participate in this fundraiser, please follow this link for more details.

CCEC wants you to be prepared for hurricane season

May 8-14 is Hurricane Preparedness Week in North Carolina. CCEC is joining the National Weather Service and state officials in encouraging all North Carolinians to prepare now for storms, in advance of the start of Atlantic Hurricane Season on June 1.

Here are a few simple steps to get ready and stay safe this storm season:

BBWC new irrigation policy will be effective June 1, 2022.

You can find details online at https://boguebankswater.com/documents/175/2022-03-09___BBWC_Irrigation_Policy_FV.pdf. These changes are designed to keep our "Quality on Tap" flowing as we endeavor to conserve and preserve our precious natural water resource.

Be sure to read this month's newsletter, enclosed in your bill, or read it on our website at boguebankswater.com. All of our newsletters contain valuable information that can answer a lot of your questions. Thank you for being our valued customer!

Welcome to the Emerald Isle Sea Turtle Patrol (EISTP) 2022 Season. Even before the first walkers stepped onto the sand for their first steps of the season on May 1st, members have been busy through the winter months. Nest Response Team (NRT) members have been rescuing sick and injured turtles, trying to save turtles who were caught in waters turned way too cold for sea turtles to survive and transporting sea turtles to C-MAST in Morehead City and to the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Surf City.

In addition to turtle rescues, members have been busy with other tasks during the off season. Over the past few years several of our members have also taken on the responsibilities of bird rescues. This group is aptly called BAT (Beach Avian Team). Carla Aldridge, Kim Henry and Laurie Conrad do most of the rescues for this team.

EISTP became a 501c3 (nonprofit) organization a few years ago. Board members meet monthly and discuss ways to improve our program and address issues related to sea turtle preservation.

In an effort to keep residents and visitors informed, our program has several social media programs. Please visit our website at eiseaturtlepatrol.org. There you can find information, book lists, photos and so much more. You can also find us on Facebook by searching for Emerald Isle Sea Turtle Patrol. We also have a gmail account at: [email protected]

Feel free to submit questions you might want answered about sea turtles. We will try to get answers for your questions.