The
August 2004 • Vol. 1, No. 2
A Shoreline Community, Pine Knoll Shores, NC
Town Hall 247-4353
IT'S OFFICIAL Town officials snip a ribbon to officially dedicate the new McNeil Inlet Bridge. From left are Commissioners
La Brie and Hunter, Former Mayor Gallo, Mayor Lamson and Commissioners Kanyha, Ashland and Danehy
McNeil Inlet Bridge Dedicated
By Bill White
After six years of planning
and six months of actual con
struction, the McNeil Inlet Bridge
was formally dedicated June 25
when. Town officials gathered to
snip a ceremonial ribbon.
The bridge, one of two such
spans in Pine Knoll Shores, car
ries Oakleaf Drive over the canal
that snakes through Town, pro
viding water views and access
for scores of water-oriented resi
dents.
The dedication ceremonies at
tracted a sizeable gathering, in
cluding a group of neighbors who
cheered the ribl3on cutters on from
kayaks in the water below. The
new bridge, including wide walk
ways on either side, is some thir
teen feet wider than the old, which
was constructed in the early 70’s.
While the tonnage capacity of the
new span has yet to be posted,
Town Building Inspector Chris
Jones points out that it will sup
port anything on wheels in
Carteret County.
Planning for replacement of
the bridge began m 1998 after
inspections disclosed that the
original span was approaching
the end of its life expectancy.
3egin
Under a state program, the
bridges are inspectea every two
years. Construction began last
December and traffic was de
toured around the site until May,
when the new bridge was opened
to traffic.
Inspections indicate that the
second bridge in Town, which
carries Mimosa Boulevard over
the canal, will not need to be
replaced for at least five years,
although a lower tonnage rating
osted. Jones says
its replacement
order to qualify
the pr^ect for state and federal
funds well in advance. Eighty
percent of the cost of such projects
comes from the state and^federal
governments.
The Town is also in the pro
cess of applying for a state grant
to carry out dredging of some
stretches of the waterway. Ac
cording to Jones, water levels are
fine in most sections, but there is
need for dredging at the inlets
and around the bndges.
McNeil Inlet, and the
park that borders the waterway at
that point, was named for George
H. McNeil, an attorney for the
Roosevelt Family interests,
which developed Pine Knoll
Shores. Hoffman Inlet, the other
entrance to the canal farther west
on Bogue Sound, was named for
Alice ureen Hoffman, wealthy
New York socialite who owned
much of Bogue Banks. Mrs.
Hoffman lived on her Bogue
Banks property for more than a
decade oerore her death in 1953,
at which time she left the land to
her niece, Eleanor, wife of Briga
dier General Theodore
Roosevelt, Jr. A group formed
by Mrs. Roosevelt ana her chil
dren launched development of
the area that became Pine Knoll
Shores.
Unlike many of the parks and
common installations m Town,
the Mimosa Boulevard bridige
was not named for a specific
person and has simply been re
ferred to by the name of the road
it carries over the canal. Many of
the canal offshoots are named
for individuals, but the canal it
self also does not bear a specific
name. Jones sometimes refers to
it as the Pine Knoll Shores Wa
terway, having seen it listed as
such on some maps.
Tour Of Gold Coast Homes Set
The Carteret County Domestic
Violence Program invites every
one to take a tour of Homes on
the Gold Coast on Saturday,
August 14,2004. The tours will
raise funds for the group's pro
grams.
This tour will give you the
opportunity to have an exclu
sive look in- side eight beautiful homes in the
Ocean Ridge Road area. The featured homes on
what is known locally as “Millionaire Row” will be
open between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. There will also be
a luncheon at the Coral Bay Club.
Many prominent Eastern North Carolina families
have summered here. Several of these homes go
back to the 1940’s and now have second generation
owners. A few go back as far as four generations.
Each home has a unique history and breath-taking
views. The homes are beautifully appointed and
contain outstanding art collections.
The tour is sponsored and supported by Coldwell
Banker Spectrum Properties of Atlantic Beach.
Tickets may be purchased in advance for $15 or
on the day of the tour for $18. Tickets for the
luncheon are $15, sold with advance ticket only.
Tickets are available at DeeGee’s, The History
Place, Tassels, J.R. Dunn in Morehead City, or by
phone at 252-726-2336 or 252-354-2916.
Mark Condra heads
County EMS
Mark Condra is changing careers, but not his
focus. As the new County Director of Emergency
Services, the retired Marine colonel sees his new
job as a continuation of his military training in
leadership, coordination and cooperation.
A former chief of staff of the 2"** Marine Aircraft
Wing at Cherry Point, he retired June 30 after 30
years of service to start work just 12 days later. “The
job became available and I wanted to stay in the
community,” said Mr. Condra on his decision to
apply. “This gives me an opportunity to do what I
was doing in the military - support the community.”
County Manager John Langdon felt Mr. Condra
was a great facilitator, which will help as he looks
at fire and rescue issues as well as paramedics in a
system that’s a mix of volunteers and paid staff.
“I think he’s the right guy to take us forward,” the
manager said.
In his last positions in the military, Mr. Condra
feels he’s worked with issues emergency managers
deal with daily-coordination with local authorities,
fire departments, mutual aid, homeland security,
federal and state regulations on hazardous material
and EPA regulations.
As chief of staff, he worked as the chief operating
officer of a 15,000-member aviation wing.
Before that, he was the assistant chief of staff for
operations and training where he had to develop and
execute destructive weather and anti-terrorism force
protection plans and operations.
He’s also commanded the Marine’s air station at
Yuma, Arizona.
“It’s like being in charge of a small community,”
he said about that post where he managed the
operations of the air station and training ranges
across a two-state area covering 1.2 million acres.
That job involved managing 9,000 service
members, a budget in excess of $25 million,
operations of more than 400 aircraft and providing
emergency services including search and rescue
aircraft.
He’s served as the head of regional strategy and
policy, developing the strategy and policy for U.S.
military interaction with more than 40 countries,
studied national security and foreign policy issues
at the National War College and served as
commander of a Marine All Weather Fighter/Attack
Squadron.
Now his assignment will mean working with 23
agencies in the county fire system, 17 EMS stations
and 31 ambulances, county paramedics as well as
local, state and federal agencies.
Continued on page 13