Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / July 18, 1991, edition 1 / Page 5
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? p ^ : S%1?8 ? ?*-. ? r< i *. 5*>. ?'T ijk"'- ^Tmwl. Ghost crabs are some of our most interesting # _ moio BY BIU. FAVW criiiers un the beach. Watch For Crabs On The Beach BY BILL FAVER Almost every one of us has seen the familiar ghost crabs as they scurry about on the upper bcach. These interesting critters arc just one. of the several crab species we find in the seashore environment. Our crabs range from the bug-like mole crab we use sometimes for fish bait up to the large blue crab we find so delicious as a delicacy on our tables. In between arc spi der crabs and calico crabs that have been found washed up on the bcach and others we seldom see. Some years ago 1 watched some ghost crabs in early evening as they scampered across the sand. At any sign of danger, such as a bird overhead or someone approaching, they would dive into the nearest hole for safety. At one such hole, which was already occupied, there was a scuffle and the resident chased the intruder away. There was a moment of pause as if the intruder was reflecting on what had happened. Then in a deliberate move, this FAVER crab grabbed up a claw full of sand, moved to the hole, threw it in, and fled! These ghost crabs begin their life in the sea and move up on the sandy bcach as they mature. They live like land animals, but must return to the sea to wet their gills once in a while. We see them on cloudy, overcast days and at night when they are out foraging for food. They seal off their burrows during the day and toward the end of October or sometime in November, they move up on the bcach beyond the tide and settle back for the winter to emerge in March or April. We can catch blue crabs in the canals and the wa terway during the late spring and summer months. All it takes is a piece of line with some bait (fish head or chicken neck) and a dip net and a lot of quiet and pa tience. But the rewards arc worth it for some good, tasty crab meat! Watch for crabs along the bcach. See how they live and try to appreciate them as a part of the seashore environment. We share their space when we arc at the bcach and we need to respect their right to be here. SOUTH BRUNSWICK ISLANDS MF.DICAL PARK THE CAPE FEAR rr\;rrD hwy. 17 south and M v/X Czi/V I b.K UNION PRIMARY SCHOOL ROAD Professional, Thorough and Gentle Foot Care ?Heel Pain / Heel Spur 'Running / Sports Injuries / Broken Bones ?Bunions, Corns, Calluses 'Diabetic Foot Care / Nail Care ?Warts, Ingrown Nails ?Alternatives to Surgery ?In-Office Surgery ? Insurance Forms Filed For You ? Most Insurances Accepted ? Blue Cross Costwise Provider ? Medicare Assignment Accepted Dr. Gregory Young, DPM By Appointment Only 579-0828 Medical & Surgical Specialist of the Foot and Ankle fyuwd Ofimwa! s & Books & Cord Hardbacks & Paperbacks Balloons ? Party Items Bridge Items ? Shipping Supplies Magazines & More! Good For ? Off nil Items | (Except Magazines) Thru August 15th I I Located in Golf Plaza Hwy. 1 79, Calabash (next to Putt-Putt Golf) eiWI THE BHUNSVMCX BEACON State, Property Owners Continuing To Resolve Submerged Land Claims BY SUSAN USHKR Only a lilllc more than 100 so called "205" claims from Bruns wick County are still to be resolved through the state's submerged land claims office. Ninety-one original remaining claims have evolved into 128 cur rent claims as a result of some of the property involved being subdi vided and sold, said P.A. "Ski" Wojciechowski, director of the siaie.'s submerged land claims office in Morchcad City. Of thtf more than 10,000 so called "205" claims filed statewide, 851 originated in Brunswick Coun ty. The claims were dubbed "205s" because they were filed under G.S. 115-205, which set out guidelines for asserting private claims to areas that otherwise could be considered areas of public trust. The original claims were filed prior to Jan. 1, 1970, by individuals seeking to prove ownership of sub merged lands. Most of the claims have sincc been either dismissed or otherwise resolved. Most claims based on early grants from King Charles to the Lords Proprietors or grants from early gov ernors of uic state nave been de clared null and void, along with oth er claims of grant of fee simple. Fee refers to exclusive ownership and control; the state has not recog nized any fee simple claims, ac cording to Allen Jemigan, an assis tant attorney general serving as le gal advisor for the project. It has recognized some lesser claims, such as perpetual franchises where an unbroken chain of title is shown. Under a three- year extension gran ted by the N.C. General Assembly in 1990, the state has until Dec. 31, 1994, to resolve remaining claims. After that, the affected p.opcrty own ers have until Dec. 31, 1997, to file lawsuits challenging the state's rul ings. "The problem is there arc so many claims," said Jcrnigan. "It has been complicated because the pace of development on the coast has quickened." For example, he said, an original claim may have been Hied for a sin gle 50-dcre tract. Since then, it may have been subdivided and sold in one-acre lots to 50 different individ uals. His officc has had to track down each owner. "We have to trace the title for ward from whomever claimed it," said Jernigan. "The state has a poli cy of contacting every person who may have an interest in a claim." However, in Brunswick County, said Wojcicchowski, the remaining lands "hadn't changed hands a whole lot," making the state's task easier here than in some places along the coast. "Brunswick County is going very well." "We've taken care of three or four subdivisions," he said. While the original owner may have claim ed lands below the high water mark, the majority of the subdivided lots were subsequently deeded out only to the high water mark. Brian Chcsscr is researching the Brunswick County claims, working out of the regional submerged land claims office in Wilmington. The original Brunswick claims were whittled in half almost imme diately once review began. They in cluded 359 related to non-sub merged lands and therefore not coming under the law. Another 170 related to fee simple claims to ripar ian rights, deeds to open water and to lands lost to erosion. These were dismissed early on. Since that lime, additional legisla tion and one court case have further clarified the status of submerged lands. Legislation adopted in 1985 settled approximately 27 percent of the cas es ? those dealing with areas above the high water mark. These included raised lands crcalcd by private means under the Coastal Area Management Act, tlie Dredge and Fill Act and tracts conveyed by deeds from the State Board of Education. North Carolina does not recog nize claims of grant of fee simple ti tle ? those giving exclusive owner ship and control ? of land that lies under navigable waters. That posi tion was upheld by the N.C. Su preme Court in a 1989 test ease in Hyde County In that case the court ruled that a person could not claim submerged property by prescription, that is, continuous private use while cx eluding the public. It reaffirmed that the state has no right to grant sub merged lands, including lands be tween the high water and low water marks, to private individuals, and declared such grants null and void. It upheld, however, that the state could grant rights less than fee sim ple, such as perpetual franchises for shellfish cultivation and harvest. Of the remainer, the state dis missed 14 claims to ownership of bottom ? that is, land below open navigable waters held in trust by the state for public uses. Of the other iocai claims icinaiii ing after the 1985 legislation, the state recognized three deeds execut ed by the State Board of Education for lands in the Southport area. It denied 30 claims to land lying be tween the high and low water marks as well as 30 claims to marshlands claimed on the basis of by some thing other than a Board of Educa tion deed. Fifty-one claims were dismissed because the office determined they were not submerged, while another 14 were denied that were "open wa ter" type fee simple claims not rec ognized by the state. Seven suiLs have been filed thus far relating to state action on sub merged land claims, none of them in Brunswick County. If^uThirik ATMs Should Be Free, Check With UCB. How often do you use an auto mated teller machine? If you're like most Americans, you're enjoying the convenience of ATMs more than ever What you're probably not enjoying is having to pay extra for it every time your checking balance tails below the required minimum. Most banks currently charge for each ATM trans action. Some as much as 30$ . That can really add up. But United Carolina Bank doesn't lake most banks. I'CB normally charges lis customers a fee (or use of ATMs outside the ucb24 network ?I?W1 United Carolina Bank | HasyAsUCR think you should have to pay i convenience. That's why of the -for tie 10 st banks in North Carolina, UCB is the only bank with no ATM charges. None. It doesn't matter what type of checking account our Customers have or what their balance is. From basic checking to Diamond Banking? UCB Customers use ucb24 machines absolutely free. Free use of our ATMs Another way wp make banking easy. Please stop by any UCB office or call 754-4301 .
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 18, 1991, edition 1
5
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