February 2005 The Shoreline Page 3
A Poignant Farewell
Submitted by Barbara Milhaven
Building Permits Set Record
By Dick Reeves
Sandra Ehrler (our mail carrier)
has had successful surgery and was released
from Carteret General on Jan.16. Prepara
tions for her treatments of chemo and radia
tion are underway.
“I didn’t mean to leave them this
way” was the message Sandra Ehrler wanted
me to pass on to all of the people in Pine Knoll
Shores. Taking her job seriously with a dedi
cation rarely seen, Sandra became a true
friend and guardian to many people along her
mail route. Being aware of people’s routines
and often knowing when they were away, she
watched vigilantly over those mailboxes. Ac
cumulating mail was one sign of something
amiss and Sandra did not hesitate to bring this
to the attention of someone who could pro
vide necessary help if needed.
In 1985 Sandra began delivering
mail as a “sub” for Nancy Stroud, carrying an
auxiliary route from the Post Office west to
Emerald Isle and east into Atlantic Beach
almost to the Coast Guard Station. Her job
eventually went from 19 hours per week to 64
Meet Your Neighbors
- / Martha & Clark
Edwards
On
Page 17
In Memoriam
January^ 2005
Marilyn Skarda
Richard Wiker
Robert Turner
hours per week as growth and expanded mail
service occurred. In 1994 Nancy took the
longer route and Sandra took most of Pine
Knoll Shores. This route encompassed about
twenty and a half miles and took two to two
and a half hours (not counting preparation
time at the Post Office).
Above all, Sandra wants you all to
know that her replacement, Sandy Hurst, is
an experienced letter carrier having delivered
the mail in part of Pine Knoll Shores as an
auxiliary carrier for the past four years. Sandy
Hurst will be the permanent carrier along this
route as soon as Sandra’s disability pension
comes through. According to Sandra we will
be again in good, caring hands.
Although living in Beaufort, Sandra is very
fond of Pine Knoll Shores, its people, history
and future developments. She plans to stay
“connected” through the Shoreline.
Please keep Sandra in your thoughts
and prayers and let her know you are thinking
of her by sending a card or note to her at 145
Windy Point Rd., Beaufort, NC 28516.
At the January Board of
Commissoners meeting Ronda Lambert, town
clerk, reported that tax collections are on time
and budget and that town finances are in good
shape. Director of Inspections Chris Jones
reported a record year for building permits,
368, and $50,000 in permit fees. The year
2005 is off to a running start.
Police Chief Culpepper reported an
array of minor violations and arrests. He also
reported some cause for concern in an un
usual number of break-ins in Atlantic Beach
and Emerald Isle. He cautioned against too
many unlocked doors in PKS and reminded
us that the price of continued safety is con
stant vigilance, both for ourselves and our
neighbors. Report any suspicious activity to
the police and let them decide if it is impor
tant or not.
In new business. Commissioner
Hunter asked for a change in the ordinance
relating to unsightly, unregistered vehicles
on private property. The commissioners
agreed to limit the time for compliance (after
receiving a warning letter) to 30 days. There
was some discussion of unused boats and
these were added to the ordinance.
There was a discussion of dogs on
the beach in relation to turtle nests. No action
Meet the Staff
By Bill White
Linda Brickhouse didn’t need much
on-the-job training when she joined the Pine
Knoll Shores Town Hall staff seven years ago
as an administrative assistant in the inspec
tions department. She had been performing
similar duties for some ten years before that
for the Town of Atlantic Beach, where she
makes her home.
Actually, Linda’s experience in process
ing all the paperwork and forms involved in
municipal affairs goes way beyond the con
duct of inspections and issuance of permits.
Her service in Atlantic Beach also included
stints as an accounting clerk and assistant
town clerk, as well as various other duties.
In Pine Knoll Shores, up until the open
ing of the new Public Safety Building last
year, she also served as secretary and admin
istrative assistant to the fire and EMS depart
ments as well as the inspections department.
Both she and Director of Inspections and
Public Property Chris Jones are Coastal Area
Management Act (CAMA) officers for PKS.
As such, they have to constantly keep abreast
of ever-changing coastal regulations and ac
tivities designed to maintain, preserve and
improve the waterways and water resources
so vital to coastal Carolina communities.
Each year she and J ones attend CAMA courses
to bring themselves up to date on new devel
opments and the progress of on-going initia
tives.
As if all the municipal paperwork isn’t
Linda Brickhouse
enough, Linda also serves as a director and
corporate secretary of the Atlantic Beach
King Mackerel Tournament, and she is an
active member of the North Carolina Permit
ting Personnel Assn., which keeps her in
touch with others throughout the state who
deal with the same situations she encounters.
She looks upon her NCPPA counterparts as a
reservoir of help and advice
Her liking for getting things organized
can probably be traced to the growing up
years of her son, Billy, whose love of sports
cast Linda in the role of soccer and surfer
mom, as well as a few other sports. But soccer
and surfing were main events, and Linda
was taken to change present ordinances.
Bruce Flynt, acting Emergency Ser
vices Director, reported a very active 2004
with 233 fire and EMS calls, 3860 training
hours and two serious fires. One residential
fire with a $175,(X)0 loss is of suspicious
origin and is currently under investigation.
There was also a serious boat fire with a
$20,000 loss. Commissioner Hunter com
mended Flynt for the extraordinary compe
tence and zeal he has brought to the job.
Moreover, Chief Flynt has refused the sub
stantial salary increase that goes with the job.
Mayor Lamson reported that most
of the water surveys have been received and
the project is continuing on schedule. With
regard to the 933 sand project, although we
will receive no sand this year we will have our
credit applied to next year when the present
dredging should yield acceptable sand for our
beaches.
Lastly, the potential problem of the
one driveway to the library and the police and
fire Station was brought up. Hunter pointed
out that this is further complicated by the
town’s acquisition of the Kirkman property
to be turned into parking spaces for beach
access.
Mayor Lamson reported that PKS is
in conversation with County authorities and
the problem will be solved in due course.
spent a good deal of time helping out and
keeping things moving on the sidelines at
soccer games and on the beach at surfing
competitions.
You would think that with all of these
demands on her time, Linda wouldn’t have
much energy left for an active lifestyle. But
she has never been one to stay on the side
lines. As a high school freshman back home
in her native Sampson County, she tried her
hand at basketball before opting for
cheerleading. She keeps in close touch with
her family in Sampson, remaining close to
her mother and brother and his family. Ra
leigh, where her son and his wife make their
home, is another frequent destination.
For 10 years she has been a volunteer
with the Atlantic Beach Fire Department, and
she is an enthusiastic Shagger. For those of us
who grew up doing the Jitterbug and perhaps
even the Lambeth Walk, Shag dancing is the
current rage.
Fishing, especially for Marlin, has also
been a favorite pastime, but she doesn’t get to
do it much anymore despite her association
with the annual King Mackerel Tournament.
“I’ve been invited to go out on some of the
boats,” she says. “But one of the require
ments is that once a boat puts to sea it can’t
touch land again until it puts back in at the
tournament dock at the end of the day. If I
were aboard, I’d probably have to swim ashore
in order to get at the paperwork in time to get