Pine Knoll Shores Annual
Drinking Water Quality Report
See page 12
How Resilient Can We Be?
See page 14
Vol. 13, No. 5
A Shoreline Community, Pine Knoll Shores, N.C.
Hurricane Readiness
By Jason Baker, Pine Knoll Shores Fire Chief
As happens every year, hurricane season will begin on June 1—whether we are
ready or not. I held a hurricane preparedness session on March 22 at town hall
to offer information to interested homeowners on how they can be prepared well
before a storm emergency occurs. While it is true that much of the storm readiness
tips remain the same from year to year (and some information here may be
familiar), it never hurts to be reminded of the importance of being prepared.
As we think back over our most recent, less active hurricane seasons, it is easy
to become complacent in our storm preparations. Webster defines complacency as
“self-satisfaction, especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers
or deficiencies.” Of course, I found this definition on the internet, but the example
of word usage in a sentence was spot on for my message: When it comes to safety,
complacency can be dangerous.
To be more specific, when it comes to hurricanes, complacency can be
dangerous. Since it has been a long time since Carteret County has had a very
destructive hurricane event, we are at risk for becoming complacent—and when
a population is complacent about an obvious danger, we have the potential for a
disaster. People fail to prepare for the event and then choose not to heed proper
warnings regarding the event, and in the end they are subjected to whatever nature
has in store, hoping that emergency services can assist them.
So my take-away message for hurricane preparation this year is to not become
complacent. Those who lived through Hurricane Hazel in the ’50s experienced a
truly large-scale storm event, but most of us in this area have not done so. While
we have been through some easier ones that resulted in a few days of lost power, we
have not been subjected to the destruction a strong hurricane can dish out—and it
is not a matter of /fa powerful storm event will come but rather when it will come.
In an effort to help homeowners be storm ready, the following suggestions are
given as a part of your preparations.
Gather important paperwork: insurance documents (property, life and health).
Social Security cards and basic bank records. Make sure everything is current, and
place your paperwork in waterproof packaging in a backpack and keep it in a safe
place where you can easily find it and take it with you should you evacuate. Should
the worst occur and you incur damage to your house or property, you will have the
necessary paperwork to begin the recovery process.
Have your hurricane re-entry pass and keep it handy. If you do not have one,
please come to the public safety building and speak to Natalie Gibble, me or any of
the firefighters to have one issued to you. You must have this pass to return to the
island after an evacuation.
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Standard
Pre-Sort
Permit #35
,NC 28512
PKS Celebrates K4TW
11th Anniversary
By Jean McDanal
• We are on track for a great year for Kayak for the Warriors that supports
programs that Hope For The Warriors provides to wounded warriors and their
families. Hope For The Warriors is an organization serving our wounded that
has had a 4-star rating for seven years in a row from Charity Navigator. Neither
Kayak for the Warriors nor Hope For The Warriors is affiliated with The Wounded
Warrior Project.
Beach Run and Fun Run/Walk. On Saturday, May 26, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.,
our SK Beach Run will begin on the beach near The Inn at Pine Knoll Shores in
Beacons Reach. The tide should cooperate this year, and the 5K will meander
through the knolls of Beacons Reach. There is also a IK Fun Run/Walk that will
stay on the beach. At 8 a.m. the serious, competitive runners will line up first, with
casual runners next and finally the walkers. The event fee for the 5K is $25 and
includes a t-shirt and water. A $15 fee will be charged for the Fun Run/Walk. T-
shirts will be available for purchase for Fun Run/Walk participants. We will again
have digital timing by runtheeast.com. To register for either event or to learn more
about it, please visit runtheeast.com or kk4tw.org.
Warrior reception at the aquarium. Have you looked at our Facebook page or
our website to see the wonderful items that are being donated for our auctions?
On Thursday, May 31, the Warrior reception and live auction will be held at the
NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, with doors opening at 6 p.m. and the actual
auction beginning at 7:30. Food is once again being donated by area restaurants.
Enjoy all this for a mere $10, and you can register.beforehand by going to our
website, k4tw.org.
Kayak and paddleboard race. On Saturday, June 2, at 10 a.m. our signature
kayak and paddleboard race will begin at Garner Park on Oakleaf Drive and
complete a 3.2-mile course around the canals. A $50 registration fee includes a t-
shirt and lunch. We will once again feature the warrior race in which a participant
could win the coveted prize by raising the most dollars for Hope For The Warriors.
The warrior winner will be the racer with fastest warrior time by calculating their
raw time minus dollars raised. For every dollar raised by a racer, one second will
be deducted from his or her raw race time. The tide should cooperate for this
event as well, especially for paddleboarders. Awards will be given for the elite racer
group, all others, and paddleboarders. Racers are requested to arrive by 9 a.m.
Preregistration is suggested by going to our website, k4tw.org. There are also links
on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Raffle, lunch and more. Sponsors, spectators and guests are invited to
participate in the pre- and post-race activities, including a raffle and barbecue feast
from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $10 for nonparticipants. Hats and visors will
be available at town hall for purchase for $15 and $12, respectively. Raffle tickets are
available from Auction Committee members and head coordinators of the three
events. Email Elaine Holt at eebholt@aol.com for more information on the race-day
raffle.
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