March 2009 • Vol. 5, No. 9 A Shoreline Community, Pine Knoll Shores, N.C.
Town Hall 247-4353
PKS Officials Share Knowledge
With Military Officers Group
By Bill White
Town officials and staffers sat around a help promote stability that will lead to
townhallconferencetableFebruary 17and effectively functioning local government
fnr .n K.. , u-_. devdoping and maintaining
for an hour and a half by speakerphone
outlined for a group of military officers
what it takes to make a community the size
of Pine Knoll Shores function smoothly.
On the other end of the conference
call were a score of field grade officers
from most of the military services who
anticipate that in the near future they
will be called upon to help the units to
which they are assigned cope with the
job of promoting stability and workable
self-government in small towns in places
like Iraq and Afghanistan.
The officers, holding the rank of major
or its equivalent in other services, were
gathered around a speakerphone at
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where they
comprise a class attending the United
States Army's Command and General
Staff College. The curriculum is designed
to prepare shidents for the challenges they
will face during the next seven to 10 years
of their careers.
the public services so badly needed by the
people of Iraq and elsewhere.
Many of the members of the Fort
Leavenworth class have already been
exposed to the problems of accomplishing
what amounts to nation building at the
grass roots, having served tours of duty
in Iraq and other hot spots in the war
on terror. One of them is Army Major
Timothy Marzano, an artilleryman whose
parents have a summer home on Oakleaf
Drive in PKS. Marzano recently returned
from a 15-month tour of duty in Iraq
where he worked with local police and
security forces. That experience left him
with the thought that if he and his fellow
officers knew more about how small town
government worked in the United States
they could be more effective in helping
promote stability and good government
in places like Iraq.
He contacted Town Manager Brian
One of those challenges for many in the Kramer, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant
military at this point in time is the necessity colonel who had also served in Iraq,
to be able to work with the leaders and and broached the idea of tapping into
the people of strife-torn small towns to the experience of PKS officials as a
learning tool. The result
of that exchange was the
cross-country telephone
conference.
After an initial exchange of
information, the participants
on both ends of the phone
call acknowledged that
while their concerns and
goals are similar - stable
government providing good
public services - the resources
available to address the
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C. ( . 0 S F
C 0 N V t. N I h N 1
(PKS Officials)
Continued on Page 3
This diverse group of career military officers gathered at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas,
to gain a greater insight into the workings of municipal government during a
teleconference with Pine Knoll Shores officials. Major Timothy Marzano, who helped
arrange the conference, is fifth from left. His parents have a home on Oakleaf Drive
in PKS. Other photo on page 3.
"McNeil" Park One "L" Short
By Phyllis
A sign at the park on Oakleaf Drive at
the entrance to the canal and where Cedar
Road ends identifies the area as "McNeil
Park." The plaque on the bridge over
the canal reads "McNeil Inlet Bridge."
There are McNeils, McNiels, MacNiels,
McNeals, and McNeills (and, of course,
O'Neil/O'Neal variations) associated with
Pine Knoll Shores, Morehead City, and
Beaufort. Some are related, others not. But
it's George McNeill whose name should
be on the park and bridge signs.
George McNeill, a Morehead City
resident, was Attorney-in-Fact for
the Roosevelt family during early
Makuck
development of Pine Knoll Shores. He
was also town attorney in Morehead
City from the early 50's to the late 70's
and in Atlantic Beach for a shorter time.
During some of those years he served
as a municipal judge. If you received a
speeding ticket back then in Morehead
City you might have appeared before
Judge George McNeill. A portrait of
Judge McNeill (reproduced for this
article) hangs in the Carteret County
Courthouse.
Around town, some knew George
McNeill as Judge McNeill and others
(McNeil) Continued on Page 7
Lawrence and Beth LaBrie
Standard
144 Beechwood Dr
Pre-Sort
Pine Knoll Shores, NC 28512
Tmit #35
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iC 28512
Deadlme for April issue is Monday, March 16 Deadline for May issue is Monday, April 20 Articles always welcome!