Pafe ^A—THE BRUNSWICK BEACON, Thursday, May 21, 1M7
Anti-Dog Ordinance Raises A Few Hairs At Ocean Isle
BY TERRY POPE
Trouble, a registered German shepherd, was
resting in the shade of the Ocean Isle Beach Pier Friday
afternoon.
"Trouble hates to stay at home,” said his owner,
Anne Gilchrist of Seaside. “When I leave him at home,
he takes my shoes and chews them up to let me know
how upset he is.”
Under a new town ordinance adopted by Ocean Isle
Beach commissioners last week. Trouble and all other
dogs at Ocean Isle may be seeing their last up-close
view of the waves and sand—at least during peak hours
of the summer season.
As of May 12, all dogs are prohibited from the beach
strand from May 1 to Sept. 30 from the hours of 9 a.m. to
6 p.m., whether they are on a leash or not. The fine for
allowing a dog on the strand during these hours is $100.
The ordinance originally prohibited dogs from the
strand at all times; however, commissioners adopted
the 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. curfew at a special meeting Mon
day. Dogs must still remain on a leash after hours.
Town officials are searching for a way to post the
new ordinance both in rental cottages and along the
beach strand.
“As soon as we get the signs up we’ll be issuing cita
tions,” said Ocean Isle Police Chief Jerry Gurganus.
“We want to make sure that everybody is properly
notified ahead of time.”
Alberta Tatum, town clerk, said the town will re
paint existing signs at public accessways along the
siAff PHoios ev UMY roff
DAVID JOHNSON, an Ocean Isle property owner, and know a new ordinance prohibiting dogs on the strand
Nugget took a walk in the surf Friday. Johnson did not bad been passed.
beach to warn visitors not to bring dogs onto tltc strand.
She said rental agents will also help by spreading the
word.
“A lot of them talk about dogs before they rent,”
Ms. Tatum said. “They usually ask, ‘Can we have
pets?’ So they’ll probably pass the word along to all of
the renters.”
Ms. Tatum said the ordinance, modeled after one
which was recently adopted by Wrighlsville Beach, is
now in effect.
At last week’s commissioners’ meeting, Gurganus
told the board that a woman on tlie strand had been “at
tacked” by a dog recently, but that she was not injured.
The action was considered “uncharacteristic” of the
dog by those who knew it, he said.
“Some people don’t think it’s a good place for dogs
to take tlieir morning walks,” said Mayor l.aDanc Bull-
ington.
When persons don't clean up after their dogs on the
strand it becomes a health hazard, esp>ccially for
children, she said.
Several persons with dogs on the bench strand Fri
day afternoon, before the ordinance was amended to
allow dogs after 6 p.m., said they had not heard of the
new ordinance.
“I realize they could be a nuisance to folks if their
owners could not control them,” said David Joluison, an
Ocean Isle property owner. Johnson was exercising his
dog. Nugget, on the beach strand Friday afternoon.
“We have a dog we cannot bring out here because
she doesn’t know how to behave,” Johnson said, “so we
don’t bring her.”
Johnson's wife, Betty l.ynne, called the new or
dinance “ridiculous.”
“It’s a vacation for them, too,” she said. “I tlilnk
homeowners should have the right to bring their dogs on
the strand if they can keep them in control.”
Johnson said that if the new dog ordinance is en
forced then the town should also enforce the ordinances
that prohibit alcohol and glass containers on the strand.
“When there are lots of people on the beach we just
don’t walk the dog,” Ms. Johnson said. “Most dog
ANNE GILCHRIST, of Seaside, and Trouble, who
doesn’t like being left at home, were also sunning at
Ocean Isle Friday.
owners are responsible persons.”
Under the pier Friday, Trouble went for a wauc Iti
the surf because he “likes the ocean,” Ms. Gilchrist
said.
“1 think you should be allowed to bring your dogs
out as long as you keep them on a leash,” she said. “I
feel like a leash law is in order.”
She said the t>eoch is a good place for dogs to exer
cise.
“There really are not a lot of places where you can
take them to run,” she added.
Holden Beach To Enter Land Trade For Beach Accessway
BY TERRY POPE
Holden Beach commissioners are
expected to trade one beach ac
cessway for another today (Thurs
day) to help ease property owners’
concerns over the proposed Jordan
Boulevard regional beach parking
facility.
The deal would move what is ex
pected to be a heavily-congested
walkway to the beach strarid from
between two oceanfront homes to a
vacant site two lots west.
L«o and Rose Cole have agreed to
intervene on the part of the town to
sell a 19-foot accessway easement to
the Reid Grantham family.
The town will then trade beach ac
cessways with the Granthams, allow
ing the family to keep the proposed
easement next to their home as their
own property. That property was
previously donated to the town by the
Cole family for use as an accessway
to the beach.
The town’s trade of the 10-foot
easemenU will be a part of the pur
chasing contract between the Coles
and the Granthams, said Rose Cole.
Relocation of the walkway was just
one problem surrounding the propos
ed Jordan Boulevard parking lot that
Commissioner Graham King noted at
a special meeting Monday morning.
The meeting was recess^ until to
day (Thursday) at 9 a.m.
King, who was out of town last
Monday when the board voted to
spend $4,500 of town funds to help
build restrooms for the parking
facility, criticized the board for
rushing into the parking lot project,
which will have at least 90 parking
spaces and public restrooms. i
He said the tonm has “taken a state
contract and have bent it, spindled it
and mutilated it to the extent that we
desire” in order to build the project
at a lower cost
King said the original state con
tract called for fencing the lot,
lighting the lot and building a han
dicapped walkway, picnic tables and
shelters.
Mayor John Tandy said the fence
and lights were “deleted as the funds
for the project deteriorated.”
The town has received $60,000 from
the state to pay for 90 percent of the
project. However, the bids for the
project were from $7,000 to $8,000
above the $67,000 budgeted for it.
“Then we can expect to have the
congregating at night and the loud
noise,” said King of the plan to delete
the fencing. The town had originally
planned to close the lot from 8 p.m. to
8 a.m.
King also said that according to the
state contract the town would pro
vide lifeguard services at the beach
access. He questioned if the town
should accept the liability involved.
Town Administrator Bob Buck said
the Coastal Resources Commission
agreed that a handicapped walkway
cannot be built on a 10-foot easement
All services listed on the contract
have been discussed with state of
ficials “who have agreed with
everything,” Buck said.
“If they (handicapped) can't use
the ramp then why build the
restrooms for them,” King said.
“They can wheel around in the park
ing lot, but they can't go to the
beach?”
Commissioner Hal Stanley said he
felt "very remiss” by not having
read the state contract more closely.
“To me, we have just rushed into
this project," Stanley said. "And I
think it is going to cause more
headaches than anything we've done
in a long time.”
King said the town was also “ben
ding the zoning ordinance” to allow
the construction of the lot and
walkway, considered as commercial
usage, in a residential area (R-1). He
asked if the property owners adja
cent to the proposed walkway had
been notified by the town.
"They were not specifically
notified,” Buck said.
Residents were made aware of the
town's plans to build the parking
facility through notice of a public
hearing. Buck said.
“We have bent over backwards to
benefit non-taxpayers to the detri
ment of our taxpayers and our pro
perty owners,” King said.
He said the property adjacent to
the proposed walkway would be
devalued.
“We don't have any moral obliga
tion to our property owners?” King
asked the brard.
“We have moral obligations to
every propert>' owner on this island,”
replied Commissioner William
Williamson. “I don't think anybody
on this island wants to live by an ac
cessway.”
Mayor Tandy said the town has
"done a terrible job with ac
cessways" in the past.
He called on the Coles to negotiate
with the Grantham family for the
purchase of the accessway.
Leo Cole asked the board to con
sider the opening of several ac
cessways to the beach for the Jordan
Boulevard parking facility.
“There are ways to lake care of
this," Cole said. “They don't have to
just go down one accessway.”
At one point in the discussion, King
said, “I think there comes a time
when we have to cut our losses and
run.”
He said if the board had not cut the
fence, lights and picnic facilities
from the project then it would have
exceeded $20,000 over budget.
King made a motion to enter into
executive session to discuss land ac
quisition Monday; Instead the board
recessed until Thursday (today).
Keep the water hoses and
sprinklers out; it looks like they'U be
needed.
Unless the weather pattern breaks,
less than a half-inch of rainfall is ex
pected in the area over the next few
days.
"I'd love to be wrong," Shallotte
Point meteorologist Jackson Canady
Sprinklers Could Come In Handy
said Monday. “It's turning out to be a
very dry month.”
The forecast also calls for
temperatures above normal, ranging
from the mid-60s at night into the
mid-80s during the day.
For the period May 12-17, Canady
recorded a maximum high of 81
degrees on the 13th and a minimum
low of 57 degrees on the 17th.
An average daily high of 82 degrees
combined with an average nightly
low of 61 degrees for a daily average
temperature of 71 degrees, very close
to normal for this time of year.
“There was no (measurable)
precipitation, unfortunately,” he ad
ded.
Driver ChargetJ For Leaving Scene
A Shallotte man was charged with
leaving the scene of an accident Sun
day after his truck coilided with a car
onN.C. 130 one mile west of Shallotte.
Raymond Lavance Bellamy, 20, of
Shallotte, was charged with leaving
the scene and with reckless driving
following the 1:15 a.m. accident.
According to Trooper J.V. Dove’s
report, Bellamy was traveling at a
high rate of speed when his 1965 Ford
spun around in the road and
sideswiped a 1987 Plymouth driven
by Tracy Lynn Hannon, 22, of Ash.
Bellamy then left the scene. Dove
reported.
Ms. Harmon and a passenger in
her car, Brenda Milligan, 23, of Ash,
each received minor injuries and
were taken to the Brunswick Hospital
in Supply. Bellamy was not injured.
Damages were listed as $4,000 to
the Harmon car and $600 to the
Bellamy truck.
In another accident early Saturday
morning, a Shallotte man escaped
serious injuries when his 1979 Jeep
ran off the road and struck a tree and
utility pole.
According to Trooper B.L. Wilkes’
report, James Carson Stanley, 42,
stated he was attempting to pass
another vehicle when it came into his
lane, forcing his Jeep off the road.
Stanley lost control of his Jeep and
struck a tree and then a utility pole,
the report indicated.
The 12:15 a.m. accident occurred
on RPR 1153 about 5.8 miles south of
Shallotte. Stanley received minor in
juries and was taken to the
Bmnswick Hospital in Supply.
Damages were listed as $3,000 to
the Jeep and $250 to the utility pole.
No charges were filed.
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