June 2009 Tlie Shoreline Page 11
Beach - The Place To Be
Editors Note: This is another in the series
focused on town employees.
For Pine Knoll Shores' town clerk Janet
Thomas, the popular fan response in a
Jimmy Buffet song says a lot about what
she likes and where she likes to be. "Salt!
Salt! Salt!" describes the area in which she
likes to live, the kinds of snacks that are
her favorites and, yes, what she expects to
find on the rim of a margarita.
Although knovm to her fellowemployees
at town hall as the "cake queen" - Janet
can be counted on to bake up everyone's
favorite cake delight for birthdays and
other special occasions - the petite blonde
is really much more partial to potato chips,
tortilla chips (and hot salsa), and salted
almonds in her own weaker moments.
But salt also describes her preference for
the best places to make her professional
contribution-atthebeach.Janetpreviously
made a major mark in public service as the
After a conversation about beach access
sites in Pine Knoll Shores, I was looking
at a 1960's vintage photograph of the
Iron Steamer Pier and suddenly became
nostalgic for day trips to
the beach. Throughout the
70's and 80's, our family
and friends who also lived
inland at the time routinely
made day trips to Bogue ^
BarJs. Without a beach
cottage or connections to
someone with one, we
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Iron Steamer.
The pier was perfect for
day-trippers. We would
arrive mid-moming and
park our cars for free in front of the pier
house. Those in our group who wanted
to lounge on the beach would carry chairs,
coolers, and swim boards into the pier
house and head out the side screen door
and down steps leading to the beach.
Others, with fishing poles, tackle boxes,
buckets, and coolers went directly to the
counter and purchased an all-day pier
pass, which was then stapled to their
caps.
I was among the beachgoers and liked
the Iron Steamer because the pier provided
town clerk in another beach community.
Surf City, for 19 years. Her contributions
in Surf City earned her accolades from
numerous public officials who were quick
to sing her praises when she decided
to apply for the town clerk's job in PKS
after returning to North Carolina from
a five-year residency in Texas. Area
public officials such as Emerald Isle town
manager Frank Rush (a former Surf City
manager), former Surf City mayor Vance
Kee, current Surf City mayor Zander Guy,
incoming Onslow County manager Jeff
Hudson (a former Holly Kdge manager)
and other area officials made sure that
PKS town manager grian Kramer knew
he had a shot at getting a gem.
Janet's status as a "go to" person during
her career in Surf City is tinderscored by
the fact that she served as interim town
manager there on niultiple occasions - and
for a total of over three years. Her interim
management responsibilities were not an
easy ride either. She helped guide Surf
City through the tough times of recovery
from direct hurricane hits from Bertha
and Fran.
When she isn't helping the Board of
Commissioners or Town Manager Kramer
in service to the residents of PKS, she
loves to travel with her husband Pat and
to spend time with her two pre-school
grandchildren, Joshua and Ariana. For
Janet and Pat, local government service is
"all in the family." He is the town manager
in Swansboro.
Her five-year "break" from municipal
service while she and her husband lived
in Texas gave Janet a chance to indulge
another great love, working with children.
Previously the longtime co-leader of
the youth fellowship at Blake's Chapel
Advent Christian Church in Hampstead,
Janet found new rewards in working
Iron Steamer Pier Retrospective
By Phyllis Makuck
shade so we could enjoy periodic respites
from afternoon sun. It had a tackle shop
with odds and ends like suntan lotion. It
provided a bathroom and sold food, soft
The Iron Steamer pictured as it once was.
drinks, and frozen treats.
It also offered a view of the fishing
action. Action, preceded and followed
by lulls, was common at the Iron Steamer.
During lulls, people-watching was great
entertainment sinc?e the pier attracted
yoimg and old from all over the world—all
sizes, shapes, and complexions.
Fishing was tiered on the pier.
Experienced anglers, whose gear often
included sleeping bags, were on the far
end. Using float rigs and live bait, they
fished primarily for King Mackerel. The
next tier, for those who liked to be as far out
as they could get without going to the end
section, were usually bottom fishing with
shrimp. However, early in the morning
and before sunset, they
would often cast and reel
in slowly, jerking the lure
to catch Spanish mackerel
and other fish feeding
close to the surface.
Then there were those
who stayed near cleaning
tables or fished by
remnants of the ironclad
Civil War vessel for which
the pier was named. The
sunken ship served as an
artificial reef attracting a
wide variety of fish—desirable food fish
like flounder, spot, pompano, sea mullet,
blue fish, drum, sea bass, and sea trout as
well as less desirable species like pin, hog,
toad, and lizard fish, among others.
Beachgoers periodically checked out the
pier, walking its length to see what was
jiapperung. On my visits, I would stop,
ask people what they were catching, lean
over the pier and appreciate the view
from above. Sometimes I would be lucky
and see a large stingray swim by, bkrely
getting itself between the pilings. A sea
with children in education. She had the •
opportunity to work with special needs
children in the Lindale, Texas, public
schools and with children who needed
help with reading in Terrell, Texas. "The
little ones have a very special place in my
heart", said the PKS tovm clerk, who has
also had the opportunity to help children
outside the United States, on multiple
church mission trips to Honduras.
"Working with the other dedicated
public servants on our town staff has been
a delight," Janet says about her first year
working in PKS. "We're like a family, and
my co-workers have made it very easy to
make new friendships," said the veteran
town clerk.
"Janet is the consummate town clerk.
Her professional skills are excellent and
her social skills have helped her fit right
into the town hall commimity," said Mayor
Joan Lamson.
turtle might surface or dolphins put on
a show.
Anglers in our group always took time
out from pier fishing to enjoy a swim and
lounge on the beach. They might even
try to change their luck by surf fishing
for a while.
Kids divided their time between the
beach and pier, often spending their pier
time trying to catch crabs with a baited
box trap attached to a rope. The trap
opened flat on the bottom and closed as
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accompanied by shouts of glee as blue
crabs appeared.
In those days, the Iron Steamer Pier was
among eight Bogue Banks' piers, and I'm
not sure why we chose it over the other
seven, but doing so gave us a special
appreciation for Pine Knoll Shores. In
the 1990's, we built a home about a mile
from the Iron Steamer Pier, which closed
forever in 2004.
The Civil War vessel, the SS Pevensey, is
still there beneath about 15 feet of water.
The town put up a plaque marking it. There
is also a new beach access with parking, a
wooden walkway, and bathroom facilities
so locals and visitors can still enjoy a day
at the beach near the Iron Steamer.