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The
September 2004 • Vol. 1, No. 3 A Shoreline Community, Pine Knoll Shores, NC
Town Hall 247-4353
With a canopy spread of 80ft., this old Live Oak tree stands majestically at the entrance to McNeil Park in PKS. Estimated to
be some 200years old, the tree is one of three in McNeil Park that have qualified by size to be registered with The Live Oak Society
of Louisiana Garden Club Federation, which maintains a nationwide registry of old Live Oaks.
Grand Old Trees of Pine Knoll Shores
By Bill Schneider-247-9495
You may think that the only things that PKS has to
brag about are our wonderful people, nice beaches,
beautiful houses, and good climate. But that isn’t all.
In the Carteret County News Times of June 27 there
appeared an interesting article by Jerry Hyatt (a native
of Morehead City) who seeks to preserve large Live Oak
trees in Carteret County. Hyatt has watched many local
Live Oaks destroyed to make room for sidewalks,
shopping centers, residential homes etc. Therefore, Jerry
has begun a one-man campaign to register the few large
old Live Oak trees still standing in Carteret County.
They are entered in a nationwide register maintained by
“The Live Oak Society of the Louisiana Garden Club
Federation, Inc.” of Metairie, LA. Since its inception,
more than 4,700 trees in 14 states have been registered,
nine in Carteret County.
To qualify for registration, a Live Oak Tree, Latin,
“Qercus Virginianna" must have a girth of at least eight
feet, measured four feet above the base.. Three such
trees are in PIKSCO’s McNeil Park. The largest tree
measures ten feet, ten and three quarter inches, with a
spread of eighty feet. It is estimated to be two hundred
years old. This is truly a magnificent specimen, which
contributes to a beautiful appearance, abundant shade
and erosion control, as well as fun for kids and squiiTels.
There are two other Live Oaks in this park which also
meet these qualifications, one with a ten foot circumfer
ence and a sixty foot spread and the other with a nine
foot and one quarter inch circumference with a sixty
eight foot spread. The PIKSCO Corp. Board of Direc
tors has registered these three trees.
If any of our readers have large Live Oak trees that
they would like measured for possible registration, I
would be glad to help with the necessary requirements.
Long-time PKS resident Bill Schneider, who has taken an
interest in the preservation of old Live Oak trees, takes a break
against the trunk of a magnificent specimen in McNeil Park.
Editor’s Note....
Things have changed on the subscription front! You
will NOT need a subscription to have The Shoreline
mailed to you if you live out of the area. Other
arrangeinenls are being made to mail “out of the area”
copies at no cost to the reader. Any subscriptions
received to date wili be refunded.
Aquarium Work
Moving Steadily
By Sherry White
Work continues at a steady pace on the new aquarium.
On a recent visit to the construction site, there was more
visible evidence of the work under way, though much of
it has been underground. Large fiberglass and PVC
pipes have been buried, including extended fire hydrant
lines, new saltwater supply lines for the ocean tank, and
a maze of discharge lines from the newly installed, state-
of-the-art waste treatment plant. Many of these under
ground pipes and conduits crisscross the site in areas
that will soon be covered with concrete slabs, walls and
parking areas.
The aquarium’s new parking lots are essentially com
plete. Large retaining walls have been erected around
the perimeter on one side, containing the contours of
ancient sand dunes that now hold protected groves of
large trees. Wiring has been laid for new parking lot
lights that will be installed in the months to come.
General contractor Clancy & Theys is now focusing
most of its energy on preparing the largest of the
concrete tanks, the Living Shipwreck. This 306,000
gallon display is starting to take shape, now that con
crete support pilings have been laid and steel rebar has
been positioned, ready for the project’s single largest
concrete pour. One morning at 3 a.m., the task began, as
a caravan of cement trucks rolled onto the site and a
large boom crane pumped concrete down into the tank’s
massive form. Over 30 trucks delivered more than 350
cubic yards of special-mix concrete over the next ten
hours. This mass of concrete is designed to support the
weight of over 900 tons of seawater behind an acrylic
window that stretches more than 60 feet in length. The
exhibit, which will ultimately be home to hundreds of
fishes, sharks and rays, will be the centerpiece of the $24
million expansion
Other work continues around the site. The new
Continued on page 2
The foundation of the 36,000 gallon Ocean Tank
now under construction. In the background is what's
left of the old aquarium.