EMERALD TIDINGS - October 2023 | |
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Emerald Tidings, composed monthly by Town Manager Matt Zapp,
is the official newsletter of the Town of Emerald Isle, NC.
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William “Billy” Matthias, named the Emerald Isle Fire Chief
The Town of Emerald Isle is pleased to announce William “Billy” Matthias, as the Emerald Isle Fire Chief.
Mathias has served as Interim Fire Chief since June 1, 2023, following the retirement of longtime chief, Bill Walker.
Mathais successfully completed his 90-day interim period on Sept. 1, 2023.
A public presentation (recognizing Mathais’ promotion) was held on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at the Board of Commissioners meeting.
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National Fire Prevention Week Kickoff October 8
This year’s Fire Prevention Week™ (FPW™) campaign, “Cooking safety starts with YOU. Pay attention to fire prevention™,” works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe when cooking.
Learn more at: https://www.nfpa.org/FPW
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American Red Cross
Blood Drive
October 13
You can help save a life - donate blood at the Emerald Isle Community Center on Friday, October 13!
The American Red Cross has a critical need for donations. This blood drive will be held from 1-5:30 p.m. at the Emerald Isle Community Center, at 203 Leisure Lane.
To schedule an appointment, please contact 1800-red cross, visit www.redcrossblood.org or call Kristin Willis at 252-341-1325.
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Parks and Recreation Offers Halloween
Movie Night
October 20
Join us for a FREE Halloween movie night with your family and friends! Don't forget to bring your lawn chairs and cozy blankets!
Featured Movie title:
"Hotel Transylvania"
Rated Parental Guide (PG)
FREE - Hot dogs, Ice Cream, Candy & More!
Emerald Isle Community Center
From 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
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Emerald Isle Neighborhood Watch
Pancake Breakfast
Join us for a delicious Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, October 21st, 2023, from 9 AM to 11 AM at the Emerald Isle Police Department!
Enjoy pancakes, sausage, orange juice, coffee, and water. You can choose drive-thru or takeout options.
Your cash donations will directly support the Neighborhood Watch Program, helping us create a safer community together.
See you there!
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Last Month to Order EIFD Cancer Awareness
Shirts Online
The Emerald Isle Fire Department is selling cancer awareness t-shirts online only, with proceeds benefiting the Little Pink Houses of Hope. This organization gives a week-long vacation to breast cancer patients and their families. This year, ten families were able to enjoy a vacation in Emerald Isle through Little Pink Houses of Hope.
The t-shirts come in both unisex and ladies' cut styles, at $23 a piece, plus shipping. The unisex shirts come in youth and adult sizes, and feature the Little Pink Houses of Hope logo on the shoulder.
These shirts are only sold through the online store and will be shipped directly to the purchaser in October. Please note, these shirts will not be sold onsite at the Emerald Isle Fire Department stations or at the Town Administrative Offices.
T-shirt sales will continue through October 31.
Click here to order your Emerald Isle Fire Department Cancer Awareness Shirt - 2022 Edition.
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Don't Miss the
Emerald Isle Car Show
Mark your calendars for the 2nd Annual Emerald Isle Car Show on Saturday, November 11th!
This car show will be held from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Western Ocean Regional Access, at 9003 Louise Avenue. Come check out the car show, listen to a live DJ, and peruse raffle items donated by area businesses.
This family friendly event will help raise funds for the Emerald Isle Police Department's Shop With A Cop initiative this holiday season.
Find full details and register your vehicle on our website.
If you are interested in donating to the raffle
contact to Officer Beere at [email protected]
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Emerald Isle Christmas Parade November 25
We look forward to seeing you at the Emerald Isle Christmas Parade on Saturday, November 25th, at 2 p.m.! This free, family-friendly event will be held along Highway 58, starting at Black Skimmer Drive and going to Mangrove Drive.
Click here to register as a participant in this parade.
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Emerald Isle Candidate Forum
Get to know the candidates running for Emerald Isle's Board of Commissioners!
Tuesday, October 17th from 6 PM to 8 PM at the El Parks & Rec Gym in Emerald Isle, North Carolina.
Here's your chance to hear directly from the candidates and gain valuable insights into their visions for our town.
For more details, visit www.nccoastchamber.com/PLAC
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Beach Driving Permit Applications Available
Beach driving permit applications for the 2023-24 season are currently available online at www.emeraldisle-nc.org, or in person at the Police Department, at 7500 Emerald Drive.
You will receive an email alerting you when your permit is ready to be picked up at the EIPD. The official beach driving season began Thursday, September 15th.
Watch the video below for information on the beach driving application process.
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Lifeguards Conclude 2023 Season
Emerald Isle's Ocean Rescue Lifeguards have concluded the 2023 season along the beach strand.
Our 20 USLA (United States Lifesaving Association)-certified lifeguards patrolled the beach from April through September in marked red Jeeps, and on towers at the Eastern and Western Ocean Regional accesses.
Town staff would like to recognize and thank our lifeguards for their hard work throughout the season.
Applications will open in November for the 2024 Ocean Rescue Lifeguard team.
The beach warnings flags will run in conjunction with the NWS rip forecast.
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Atlantic Hurricane Season Continues Through November
The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs through November, and the best time to prepare is before a named storm is slated to come to the area.
If you are an Emerald Isle resident or property owner and do not have a disaster re-entry permit, now is the time to apply for one. You can view details on our website. 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.
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Register for 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 Fire Department.
Emerald Isle Fire Department 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 Fire Department 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 us at 252-354-2249 or 252-354-2445 if you have additional questions, or would like to register with the Medically Fragile list.
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Secure Your EMS Subscription
The Town of Emerald Isle 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 Fire Department and expires on June 30th, 2024. All subscription applicants must have some form of health insurance coverage other than Medicaid throughout the subscription service.
If insurance coverage is lost during the subscription service, the subscription is forfeited. There will be no refunds for cancelled or forfeited memberships.
Sign up today for this service.
Please note, any subscriptions done prior to June 30, 2023, have expired. This program runs with the fiscal year (July 1 – June 30)
You can register online for the subscription program or call the Fire Department at 252-354-2249 or 252-354-2445 to complete the information over the phone. Make checks payable to: Town of Emerald Isle
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The Town of Emerald Isle is Now Hiring: Apply Today
The Town of Emerald Isle is seeking great individuals to fill various part-time positions. Would you, or someone you know, be a fit for our team? You can find full details and apply online for the following roles:
- Part-time Police Officer
- Part-Time Firefighter
- Part-Time Paramedic
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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, upcoming events, the Parks and Recreation monthly calendars, 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.
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Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative Information
CCEC Members – Get a a FREE Google Nest Thermostat
Enjoy better energy management with a FREE Nest thermostat, an exclusive offer for Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative members who enroll in our Connect to Save program. Connect to Save offers CCEC members innovative tools and programs for easier energy management. Our smart thermostat initiative enables members to work together to manage the grid efficiently. When the demand for power is high, participating thermostats adjust temperature settings by up to 3 degrees. Small changes across thousands of homes have a big impact on grid reliability and wholesale power cost savings – and because CCEC is a community cooperative, all our members benefit.
To learn more and enroll visit https://marketplace.connecttosavenc.com/CCEC/ . Offer ends Nov. 27.
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Bogue Banks Water Corporation
BBWC Customers,
If planning on leaving your home for an extended period of time, evacuating for a hurricane or winterizing your home, please be sure to cut off your water at your customer cut off valve.
Most customer cut off valves are located in a green box close to BBWC's black meter box near the street. If you need help locating your customer cut off valve, please call our office and we can schedule for a technician to come out and mark your box with flags.
Note: Any repairs or replacement needed for the customer cut off valve are the responsibility of the customer. Please call a plumber.
As always, thank you for being our valued customers!
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Emerald Isle Sea Turtle Patrol
Hearing What’s Below the Surface
Article and photos by Jami Thomas
As volunteers wander above ground, securing trench materials, educating visitors, chatting with locals and dispersing information to ocean front homeowners about the sea turtle nest near them, activity is happening below. Up until this summer the sounds made below the sand’s surface were not heard by the Emerald Isle Sea Turtle Patrol. That changed with the addition of 4 sets of “dolphin ears” aka a hydrophone, provided by generous donations.
Hydrophones are microphones designed to be used underwater or in our case, under the sand to listen and record activity located below the surface. Most hydrophones are based on special property (piezoelectricity) of certain ceramics that produce a small electrical current when subjected to pressure changes. Hydrophones are sensitive to movement above the surface. This is considered when listening in on a sea turtle nest.
Sounds depicted on the hydrophone provide volunteers an understanding of developmental stages pertaining to sea turtle nests. Most recently, a set of dolphin ears were used to help beter understand the viability of a loggerhead nest that had been over washed a multitude of times from king tides as well as a tropical storm. Program director, Dale Baquer was able to dig into the sand outside of the sea turtle nest and drop the hydrophone down in the hole (see photo atached). Once the hydrophone was covered with sand, volunteers stood by anxiously waiting to see if any sound would be produced by the contents of the sea turtle nest. To the delight of all listening, a scratching sound was heard, confirming the nest was still viable atier the obstacles the ocean produced. (Photo of zone coordinator Carla Aldridge and volunteers elated to hear sounds from the nest).
Depending on the stage of development of the sea turtle nest, conservationists listen for chirping, burping, mewing, tapping, a gentle waterfall sound, rustling, furniture moving or even a roaring waterfall. During hatching and emergence, it’s thought hatchlings are getting organized, likely communicating with each other through subtle vocalizations and body contact to improve synchronization for emergence. There is also time for the closing and straightening of the plastron (bottom shell) and absorbing remnants of the yolk sac. Pipping (making a break in the eggshell) to hatching takes 0 to 2 days or so. From hatching to emergence takes approximately 4 to 7 days.
Embryos and hatchlings vocalize making burping, chirping and/or mewing sounds for up to ten days before emerging from the nest. Pipping sounds like someone tapping or scrapping as embryos struggle to open the eggshell. Once out of the shell, hatchlings move around beneath the sand. It sounds like gentle sand movement or “furniture moving.” The falling sand of a hatchling making its way to the surface sounds like a “waterfall” or even a “roaring waterfall” when emergence is imminent. (Above information found on www.nestonline.org)
At the time of this writing, Emerald Isle has had three green sea turtle nests and eleven loggerhead nests. Many of our nests are hatched and complete. If you encounter a sea turtle or a small hatchling on the beach, please contact EISTP at 252-646-8292. If you would like to help the Emerald Isle Sea turtle program purchase additional hydrophones, donations can be made online. The most up to date information for the Emerald Ise Sea Turtle Patrol can be found at www.eiseaturtlepatrol.org We look forward to continued sea turtle conservation efforts along the shores of Emerald Isle and are grateful for advances in technology to help us continue saving our beloved sea turtles.
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