Newspapers / The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, … / June 25, 1992, edition 1 / Page 12
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PUBLIC BEACH FROM TOE OF DUNE TO SEA Bill To Secure Access Rights Clears House BY SUSAN USHER A bill that would clarify and cnsurv the pub lic's acccss to the hcach cleared the state House of Representatives Monday and is in the Senate. Introduced by Rep. Bruce Ethridge, D Carteret, the bill would make it clear thai the pub lic has a right to use the bcach from the dunes to the sea. It also would establish the state Attorney General's Officc as the protector of the public's right to the bcach. The bill codifies rights now defined mainly by common law and authorizes legal civil action by both the Attorney General's Office and the public to protect those rights. Under the bill, the public would own the beach below high tide and would have a right to use the dry sand bcach back to the first line of sta ble vegetation. "Most people assume thai from the toe of the dune is public anyway," said Rep. E. David, D Brunswick. "But the legal definition is from the high water mark out. "We have plenty of beach on low water, but not on high tide," he said. Adding to the confusion is that boundaries in some waterfront deeds are noted as extending to the high water line, some to low water and others are measured in metes and bounds. The difference is most noticeable in an area such as Sunset Bcach, which is accreting, resulting in property with development potential in front of existing occan front homes. "Right now there are questions if someone wanted to put a fcncc up," he said. "This bill is trying to alleviate that possibility." The Attorney General's Office saw a need for putting the common law rights formally on the law books given that "public acccss to ocean and cstuarinc beaches in North Carolina is becoming severely limited in some areas." A Carteret County court case also gave the office cause for concern that public trust rights were being threat ened. In that ease a judge, noting a "fogginess" in the law's intent, backed the claim of a landowner who was seeking compensation for land between the dunes and the wet sand. Among other things the bill notes that placing permanent structures in high-hazard waterfront areas increases risk of injury or death and proper ty losses, as well as possible encroachment on the bcach. It notes that erosion control structures, such as sea walls and jetties, can get in the way of the public's right "to freely use and enjoy the ocean bcaches, especially during high tide." The bill gives the Attorney General's Office authority to bring civil action against anyone, in cluding another state agency, who violates the public's right to use the beach. If the court agrees a violator would be required to restore the batch and pay restitution of at least Sl.(KX) per day for every acre of encroachment on the public bcach. The bill doesn't actually change any existing rights of property owners when, through erosion or storm damage, their houses end up on the pub lie bcach. Owners have a right to restore the bcach on a limited basis through bulldozing. Existing laws already allow the state to remove storm-damaged houses as dangers to public health and safety when, in effect, nature has taken the property and moved the beach boundary. While the Attorney General's office has al ways contended that common law protected the public's use of the bcach area, said Robin Smith of the N.C. Attorney General's Officc environ mental scction, the legislation would make it clear ? that the public has a protected right to use the area I between the vegetation line and the water. The I bill would, in effect, she indicated, be a written guarantee that the bcach will be available for years to come. A committee substitute bill was reported fa vorably out of the House Judiciary II Committee June 18 and adopted by the full House on second and third reading. It went to the Senate after the final vote Monday night and was assigned Tuesday to the Senate Rules Committee. The bill was not controversial in the House, said Rcdwinc. However, it was amended to ad dress a concern raised by the State Ports Authority regarding its right to use additional land near its Radio Island terminal at Morchcad City. Part of the land in question has been tradi tionally used as a public beach. Sen. R.C Soles, D.-Columbus, could not be rcachcd for comment Tuesday on the bill's stand ing in the slate Senate. Golf Courses Battling Pesky Mole Crickets BY DOUG RUTTER As if golfers who don't replace divots or fix ball marks aren't enough, area golf course superinten dents now have another type of pest to worry alx>ut. Mole crickets, which cat grass roots and dig tunnels, have become the number one insect on local courses, causing damage to mani cured fairways. "It looks like a Rototillcr has gone into an area and torn up the grass," said Bruce Williams, area turf spe cialist with the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service. Mole crickets, which look like big crickets with modified front legs for digging, were first spotted in the county a few years ago and have in fested every golf coursc Williams has visited. Instead of just dumping pesticides in an attempt to eliminate the in sects, however. Williams and N.C. Siate University extension officials arc trying innovative solutions to the problem. Soil temperature testing and use of parasites and infrared photogra phy are among the experimental projects underway on area courscs including Sea Trail, Fox Squirrel PHOTO CONTRIBUTED Tough Snake To Kill L.T. "Shorty" Stinson of Shell Point had a difficult time kil ling this 6-foot chicken snake last week. He shot it three times and eventually killed it by hit ting it in the head with a shov el. "That shooting holes in him didn't stop him at all," said Stinson. "He just kept going." "It looks like a Rototiller has gone into an area and torn up the grass." ? Bruce Williams On mole cricket damage and Oak Island. Why is Williams so conccrncd about protecting the lush fairways and undulating greens on golf cours es? 'Turf is a tremendous generator of revenue in Brunswick County," he said. "When you stop having pretty golf courscs that's going to affect tourism." Williams has heard estimates that the county's booming golf industry brings in S90 million a year. Golfers not only buy balls and pay fees to play, they spend money on lodging, meals and other things while they're here. Mole crickets can also damage yards, Williams said, which makes research on controlling them valu able to any homeowner in the coun ty Despite their small size, Williams said mole crickets have caused ex tensive damage on Florida's golf courscs. The bugs arc reportedly costing the golf industry S60 million per year in Florida, where some courscs spend up to SI 5,000 a year to con trol them. "It's a pretty serious problem," Williams said. "Brunswick County is the first county in the state that's been plagued by mole crickets be cause of our location." Although the southern mole cricket has been around for 50 or 60 years, Williams said it's the lawny mole cricket that's causcd severe damage. The tawny variety first showed up in the county three to five years ago, he said, and feeds on grass roots and foliage. Williams said extension service officials including N.C. State Uni versity entomologist Rick Branden burg are doing research that should help control mole crickets in the years to come. Cindy Poulk was recently hired as a part-time student technician to help monitor soil temperatures. She is also using a soapy water mixture to flush out mole crickeLs and deter mine their stage of development. mm vwx m w When ihc data is compiled, Wil liams said golf course superinten dents will know the best lime of year lo use pesticides simply by de termining the soil temperature. The best lime to treat mole crick cts is right alter they hatch, when a small amount of pesticide will do the job. "When they're mature adults, they're nearly impossible to kill," Williams said. Mole crickets are mating now and nymphs should hatch in a few weeks. Golf courses usually start seeing mole cricket damage in September and see it again in the spring. To apply the pesticides, Williams said a new machine will be used in sonic areas. Unlike most machines, the new model injects a granular pesticide into the turf. Among other places, Williams said the machine will be used at Bricrwood Golf Club and on the baseball field at West Brunswick High School, where mole cricket in festation has been severe. Williams also said several courses are trying to control crickets through biological means, using a micro scopic parasite that kills mole crick cis. "At this point, we've not had a lot of success with it," he noted. Extension officials arc also using infrared photography in attempt to control the pests. Aerial photographs arc used to identify locations where grass is stressed, which is an indica tion of mole cricket infestation. Williams said pinpointing the spots where mole crickets arc feed ing will allow grecnskccpers to con centrate on those areas and use less pesticides. Other Projects Among other local turf projects, Brunswick County is one of only 24 sites in the country evaluating two dozen new varieties of zoysia grass. Research on the grass used for lawns ana golf courses is being con ducted at Brunswick Turf Farms at Long wood. "They're beautiful grasses and very unique, but they're only experi mental at this point," Williams said. Zoysia grass is ideal for coastal areas, he said, bccausc it resists dis ease and tolerates salt water. Williams is also experimenting with organic fertilizers such as turkey compost and animal tank age ? leftover animal parts com pressed into pellets. While these fertilizers arc no more environmentally safe than tra ditional chemicals, Williams said they may be chcapcr and offer an al ternative source. Demonstration plots have been set up at Fox Squirrel Country Club as well as a sod farm in Burgaw to test the fertilizers. Extension service officials are al so experimenting with new herbi cides to handle weed problems in the county. aSSSS&feu and DR. EDWARD F. ECKERT, JR. DR. BRIAN C. HARSHA of Coastal Carolina Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates, P.A. announce the summer hours of the Little River ojjlce located at 303 Highway 90, Nixon's Crossroads Little River, SC 29566, 803-249-7810 Wednesday. 9 AM- 12:30 PM Friday. 8 AM -4 PM For an appointment. call our Mtjrtle Beach office R03-448- 1 (52 1 >vr n/>' i ih/.e In wlstl.iiit lean uinoiiul. Implants. T.M.J. Surgery. Orthognathic Surgery and Cosmetic Facial Surgery. Make your pool ready when they are. jiW Open your pool the right way and it will be ready for fun all season long. As a BtoGuard* dealer, we have the knowledge you need to make your | 1 pool more fun and less woiK Relax. Bring your pool to Hi oGu a I'd. Three sleps to easy pool care. 1 St.ngy Si ck* 2 Bum Out* I 3 Back Up* i PROFESSIONAL POOL MAINTENANCE Island Village Specialty Shops Hwy. 179, Ocean Isle Beach (Behind !GA) Open Monday-Saturday Daily Maintenance Chemicals, Accessories & Equipment TM {Nationally Advertised / 48 Quart SPORTSMAN ICE CHEST. O C3 a Hinged seal-top lid Heavy-duty handles Inside liner resists odors and stains Tight fitting Snaploc? latch 1947 NEISON RAINPULSE ' 85 SPRINKLER. For large areas Adjustable, wind resistant, slow watering Non circular base 1 170^ Wping f Limit 1 of Each Per Customer^ While Quantities Lad! (ntito? jojs jauMsffi) SaOroanB SOMERSETT'S HARDWARE Open Mon Sat 7 AM 6 PM. Sun tO 5 PM. y+wy. 904 East. Grissettown, 579-6006 ?yj Schools' Summer Program Will Feed Brunswick County Children Brunswick County schools will sponsor a summer feeding program for children from July 7 lo August 7, providing free meals to children under 18 and handicapped children over 18. No child will be discriminated against becausc of racc, color, national origin, sex, religion and/or handi cap. Meal sites will be Lcland, Shallottc and South Brunswick Middle schools. For more details, call the Brunswick County Board of Education office at 754-9282 or 919-457-5241. STAFh PHOTO BY SUSAN USHEK A HILL NOW in the state Senate would guarantee the right of the public to have access and use of the state's beaches from the toe of the dune to the sea. Above, Scott Polak and Janie Ixonard of Charlotte head for home after a week at the beach. 501 OFF SPECIAL 4:30-7:00 PM Buv one entrce-get second of equal or lesser value at 50ft off. Choose from any dinner entree-with ad onlv-not valid with other offers. EXPIRES FRIDAY JULY 3 Dine over the water in little River, S.C. at Hurricane Restaurant Turn east at stoplight in Little River. Located on the waterfront. FAMOUS BOAT" SALAD BAR Happy Hour 4:30-6:30 Reservations Accepted (803)249-2211 DAILY SPECIALS CATCH OF THE DAY PASTA SEAFOOD CHICKEN STEAKS !?Jmy<si lLwm@lh WMsj OJJ&t/ HQT DSGS 2 $-| OO 1 gaiSs 24 Hours A Dav? 7 Dave ShaHotte^ct jHw^ iT & XoJden Bc^Rd. IUNBW1CKWLAC0* DOCKERS BRUNSWICK COUNTY'S /kj #1 NITECLUB Thurs., Fri., Sat. and Sun. June 25-28 Appearing from Wilmington KARAOKE coming... Wednesday, July 1 , 9 PM 'till Bring your friends. Enjoy and jjj participate in a fun-filled night of your 6 own entertainment. OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 6 PM-2 AM FULL ABC PERMITS ? HOLDEN BEACH RD.? HOLDEN BEACH
The Brunswick Beacon (Shallotte, N.C.)
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June 25, 1992, edition 1
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