January 2009 Letters to the Editor |
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New Letters to the Editor....1.26.2009 7:30 am
Beach Access Issues I completely agree with and support the efforts to keep the beaches open, but there is a lack of organization regarding the beach issues. In the past, I believe islanders relied on "word of mouth," but if you bump into anyone you know at Conner’s and ask if they know what’s going on recently with the "beach politics," most folks don't have a clue. This is one of a few places that someone can get any up-to-date information regarding what’s happening with the beach. It's necessary that the information be specific and accurate. It would also be helpful if we (the local community) received the information in a timely manner so we can actually do something with it. I say this because it seems like whatever information we do get is usually last minute and it makes it very difficult to participate. However, I have managed so far to participate as well as attend the negotiated rulemaking committee meetings. Also something else that I've noticed is that there are so many local groups involved with this, that it would make one's head spin. Sure, you've got Fish Militia, OBPA, NC Beach Buggy Association, Anglers Club, but wouldn't it be more productive to have one single group that represents the interests and concerns of the local residents? Don't get me wrong. I commend the people who thus far have participated publicly, but it seems like there has to be a better way of organizing, communicating, and getting things done. If there is a unified group under which all these groups fall that I'm not aware of, please let me know. Jay Balfe Buxton It appears to me that the wacko environmentalists sitting on the negotiated rulemaking committee have now validated their complete insanity. These people have no interest in hammering out a fair compromise plan for Cape Hatteras National Seashore management. They just want to hold the committee hostage to impossible “Looney Tunes” demands. These people have blatantly tried to submarine the RegNeg process. They have turned RegNeg into a dog and pony circus act and should be required to forfeit their seats at the table by the National Park Service as they do not understand the RegNeg process and have demonstrated no respect for it by their unprofessional behavior. They have been a distinct discredit to the "environmental movement" that they pretend to cherish with such mentally disturbed fervor. They would be laughable were they not so sad! Bill Berryhill Chief U. S. Marshal, Ret. (E/NC) Raleigh, N.C. I recently read an article in the National Geographic that brought up an interesting concept. It involved a conflict about how to manage a river and surrounding watershed and how to come up with management rules. Sound like a familiar scenario? The solution turned out to be to eliminate the "lunatic fringe" from the discussion. That is right -- disinvite those who really do not have a stake in the problem area, those who are outside agitators with an agenda outside the problem. Doesn't that sound like the Audubon Society and the Southern Environmental Law Center? It does to me. Disinvite the troublemakers, leave the Feds out of the committee altogether, come to some reasonable management solutions and tell the Feds what will be done. That is what the committee needs to do. The government serves the people, not the other way around! Postponing and moving meetings are only an attempt to get rid of the people who really have a stake in this - the residents and the tourists. Mike Murray really needs to get a grip. Bert Smith Richmond, Va. Snow on the islands I truly enjoyed the slide show of the recent snow fall in the lower Outer Banks. It must have been enjoyable moment for all that live there. I am a frequent visitor to the islands for many years and always have enjoyed my visits. Thanks for the pictures. Larry Rhodes Petersburg, Va. Thank you for your time on this. We always like to get a shot of our home away from home. Up here in Baltimore it is 12 degrees. Hatteras still looks toasty. Steve Budosh Towson, Md. Cool! Great photos, especially the lighthouse. Joe Ward Louisville, Ky. Once again, let me say thank you for your newspaper. It’s always good to see the sights of Hatteras. Sounds like you folks got more snow down there than we did here in the Wilmington, Del., area. We received an inch at most. Neil Donovan Newport, Del. Remembering Agnes Anna Agnes was a very kind woman. I will greatly miss talking to her. I was also very honored to have known her. ALOHA! Until we meet again! Gia Telles Buxton Beach Access Issues The philosophy of “save the trees and kill the children” seems to have become the new mantra of The Defenders of Wildlife and the National Audubon Society. What these people do not understand is that an injunction on beach driving would completely cripple the economy of the villages on Hatteras Island. As a island native, I know all too well how much the people there depend on tourism throughout the summer months, and the main attraction to these tourists is that there is 100 percent free beach access to certain beaches throughout the island. I have seen first hand what it takes to survive in a place where tourism is the main and sometimes only source of income for the local people. Plain and simple, the winters in Hatteras can, and usually are, down right hard. People sometimes even resort to stealing from businesses because they need the money to put food on the table. The claims that these environmental groups are making and their reasons for doing so are completely off base. They claim that the use of vehicles on the beaches has resulted in the disruption and depletion of certain species of wildlife on the island, and seem to give no thought to what their actions might do to the people of the island. Few, if any, of these people know what it is like to live there. Are these animals, some of which are not even indigenous to the island and none of which are completely restricted to the island, more important than people? Are they more important than my family? The answer is no, absolutely not. Although I have not lived in Hatteras for quite some time, I do spend a good deal of time there and work there in the summers to help support myself (as a working college student) through the winters spent elsewhere. I have no personal problem with the people that make up these environmental groups, and I understand that they believe what they are doing is right. I also know what it is like to support a cause and stand behind it 100 percent. My wish is for these people to understand that the way of life on Hatteras Island is unlike that of anywhere else and people have been living there, doing the same things, for a very long time. If it has worked for this long, leave it alone. I understand that we, as humans, as PART of the environment, need to protect it. But, I don’t see anyone getting run out of their homes because the animals in the forests are losing their homes and being hit by cars. There is a point where people who rely on the income need to come first. Brett Barnett Easton, Md. When I read the National Park Services announcement that the Jan. 21-22 meeting of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Negotiated Rule Making Advisory Committee was being cancelled I found it very interesting. According to Superintendent Mike Murray, who moved the meetings off the island for the so called protection of committee members from harassment by islanders, the reason for the cancellation is to "give several subcommittees additional time to continue to preparing proposals on several key unresolved issues." From what I have learned from Murray’s comments here and there, I would re-phrase that his reason would be to give more time to twist some arms to come up with a unanimous suggestion that a fee be instituted for beach access. Who knows? They might even outdo themselves and suggest a limited number of vehicles be allowed on the beach at one time. Of course, that would only be those that pay to be there. Or could it be he needs more time to get all the members of the committee and the islanders to accept his concept that we are no longer to assume the beaches are open but to assume they are closed. Don’t you love the way government officials get what they want by hiding behind committees? The policy seems to be to form a committee, that supposedly represents all the people, and then say I am instituting this new policy as a result of the recommendations of the committee. What I do not understand is why the National Park Service is wasting taxpayers’ money for funding an ad hoc committee that is not divested with any authority except to make recommendations. In the final analysis, the National Park leaders will decide the beach management plan for the Cape Hatteras Recreational Area, regardless of what the committee recommends or what the people think. The money they are wasting could better be spent helping the businesses they have ruined and the families that have lost their jobs as a result of efforts to close our beaches. Superintendent Murray stated, "I commend the committee members for their hard work on these very difficult issues." I, too, commend the members of the committee who have refused to sell their souls and have stood their ground against the efforts of the National Park Service, Defenders of Wildlife, and the National Audubon Society to take away the rights of all people to have free and open access to the beaches of Hatteras and Ocracoke islands. Let us never forget. We were promised by the representatives of our government at the beginning of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area that our access to the beaches would never be blocked. Dewey Parr Buxton (These comments were presented at the January meeting of the negotiated rulemaking committee but edited to keep to the four-minute time limit.) The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley. --From “To a Mouse” by Robert Burns As I watch the proceedings of this committee, I see a horrible miscarriage of justice. In a mutual attempt to make an environmentally sound way for Americans to use a national treasure, I see an absolute misuse of scientific data and an absolute tragedy against visitors and residents. An early advocate of good stewardship of the environment—before some here were out of diapers—I have opposed the rape of our environment by unscrupulous, uncaring, uneducated merchants. I opposed a deep-water port in the Delaware Bay, offshore oil drilling, and nuclear power plants. I have seen environmental and human disasters from these. I also have seen successful oil drilling in the gulf in spite of hurricanes and the need for safe energy sources. Even now some are opposing windmills because of the possible death of a gull and closed down vast forest land in the northwest for a bird that was being affected by natural events -- yet an economy was decimated and humans suffered. This is the kind of thinking that has polluted this committee. It threatens the very livelihood of eight small villages with 8,000 residents, the economy of two counties, and a portion of the income for a state, as well as the enjoyment by millions of visitors. I would welcome a windmill on my property. I would welcome a wind farm on the 70 miles of this national seashore. I will work to accommodate the natural resources of this same park. I am the feet on the ground—are you? Do you really care about the three more piping plovers and seven oyster catchers? You talk of protecting nests. Do you care that half of the nests laid every year are washed away by storms because they are too close to the shore line? Do you really care about the 4,000 turtles that were killed here this year because of lack of use of known knowledge? You talk about banning use of the beaches at night which could possibly cause the loss of 4/100 percent (0.04 percent) of the turtle resource. The facts are that 40 percent of the turtles are lost from these beaches every year due to refusal to use good relocation procedures! Why don’t the National Park Service and environmental groups address this factor of 1,000? Or are you part of a national campaign to eliminate SUVs and pickups from federal lands? It’s happening all over the country. And, yes, the national economy is being severely affected by the loss of sales of these same vehicles and the loss of income in the communities surrounding them. A more proper use of Audubon, Defenders of Wildlife, and Southern Environmental Law Center funds would be to encourage and support research and the development of more environmentally friendly vehicles. Why don’t both groups fund bike paths and walking paths in our villages and park roads so we don’t have to use vehicles to do our shopping and tour the area? It’s not safe for those of us with poor knees to even exercise along roads. If they are truly interested in reducing beach lighting, how about providing light switch plate covers for the homes in the villages saying “Save the turtles. Turn off outside lights.” This is provided in the cabins at Cape Lookout. Environmental groups and the National Park Service are using money from people like me to keep me from using public land that is rightfully mine to use. Every solicitation I have received this year from an environmental organization has been returned in the postpaid envelope with a message that I don’t give anymore because of what has happened at Cape Hatteras under the guise of preserving the environment. I don’t volunteer at the seashore anymore because of the unlawful prohibitions, faulty science, and lack of good environmental stewardship as was intended by the Organic Act, the Congressional enabling legislation, and the subsequent National Recreational Policy Committee Act. American jobs and recreation are dependent on mechanical assistance to get to jobs and national parks and, yes, our beaches. We have a right to use our lands for recreation of all kinds. We have a responsibility to use the best science to preserve these places and the habitat for use by all citizens and natural plants, animals, scenery, and a healthy economy. I urge you to look again at the local data and current natural events to make decisions that will sustain those values for which the park was created and deal with the true agenda here. The real purpose of this committee is to plan for ORV access, not the other agenda that has become obvious, which is the elimination of those vehicles and the people in them from all federal lands by whatever means possible. “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley.” Barbara Ackley Buxton As a summer residents of Hatteras village, we hope that the concerned citizens will be able to set the record straight on the issues concerning beach closures. Let us know where we can send a letter or e-mail and we'll join in. Nancy Marsh Plantation, Fla. I read and agree with Mr. John Alley’s letter on beach access. I’m glad there are others who feel the same as I do. I believe in preservation and love animals, but there has to be a better way. Trained animal professionals should know how to balance this equilibrium, even if it means to set up a seashore preserve and relocate the turtles. Neil Donovan Newport, Del. Guest Column: Scallops everywhere but not a one to eat The local observations referenced are not mine alone. They include the observations of my neighbors, many persons who have found that the overabundance of scallops has hindered their efforts to clam or oyster, visitors to Ocracoke who have wondered if the abundance of broken shells on Highway 12 might cause a flat tire or loss of vehicle control, and more. While my sources are varied, Division of Marine Fisheries’ counts are limited to four two-minute tows in two locations. That is, DMF's obeservations are considerably more limited than the ones I reported and ignore much of the North Carolina stock. As for the goal of maintaining a sustainable fishery, I am all for that and the notation that I would like to gather scallops for dinner during the winter should in no way be taken to infer otherwise. In fact, as per DMF's own management plan, properly regulated harvest will not impact future harvests. If you can find any documents that present an alternative conclusion, please provide them as I would not want to do anything that would result in detrimental impacts on the fishery I enjoy so much. Virginia Luizer Frisco Remembering the Rev. Joseph Klaus I lived on the OBX for 25 years and had the unique privilege of knowing Father. Thank you for recognizing this saint -- so human, so godly. I have no doubt where he is now! Thanks again. Beverly Lehman Independence, Va. The sailboat stranded in Avon Thank you for the update on the Gypsy Dane. This is totally very interesting about the owner. Keep us informed about if he comes back to the Outer Banks, with Frisco Mo or was that really the last time Mo saw him -- standing, alone with his baggage at the airport in Florida. Judy Bragg New Lebanon, Ohio Jimmy Buffett drives the seashore beaches Let me express my feeling as to why I think Jimmy enjoys Hatteras and beach driving. My first visit to the Banks was in 1966. Needless to say, I fell in love at first sight. Things have changed quite a lot since then. However, it is still the greatest place in the world. We built a home in Avon in 1994 and moved there in 2004. We have since moved because of health reasons but still visit once or twice a year and have never missed a season since our first visit in 1966. So all I can say to Jimmy B., is “What’s not to like?” Bob Cross Mico, Tex. Thank you so much for pointing out this story. I read Jimmy Buffett’s whole OBX diary. It's so cold and rainy here right now. What a treat to read about our favorite singer traveling in our favorite vacation spot! It brings back so many memories. Just wonderful! Roger Bohnke Yorktown, Va. I must say I can relate to Jimmy's recollection of riding on the beaches of Hatteras Island. I have family on the island, and to this day, I can recall moments from my childhood summers. I made the best of friends and have the best family memories on that island and those beaches. This was a wonderful article. It was very moving for me in that it brought back so many wonderful memories. Jessica Boye Lafitte, La. Back in the day, you would have made ME go out and hunt him down. Nice story. Joe Ward Louisville, Ky. Beach Access Issues Why should I come back to vacation at Avon? My husband and I have come to Avon on the Outer Banks since 1996 twice a year and spent our money to enjoy the fishing (surf) there, but being elderly, it was great to be able to take our vehicle on the beach to fish. To have to tote all our gear over the beautiful dunes is just too much! Not able any more! It was so wonderful to drive our vehicle to the beach with our lunch and chairs and bait and fishing gear and spent the whole day. Even the young people who surf or windsurf have to have a problem with toting all their gear over the dunes. And this adds much more stress and damage to the beautiful dunes that you are constantly trying to protect, so it is not just an elderly problem. It is something for all, young and old, to consider when dishing out their money in these difficult times. Sandra Smith Marion, Va. It seems strange that the county and homeowners are at odds about beach erosion as they really have the same goal. Here is a suggestion: Enrich the beach and build dunes in front of the homes. The land created in front of the dunes can be a pubic access area. The dunes, of course, would be off limits to everyone. Typically owners in such places build bridges over the dunes for access. Protecting the homes protects the highway. I think most people behind the dunes would favor such a plan. Even owners well away from the shore line would benefit from the dunes. Ray Rusak Chatham, N.J. Update on the sailboat stranded on Avon beach What a fascinating story. It was sad to see the once beautiful ketch being hauled down Highway 12. I sure hope that Mo Clark does not let Mr. Oger captain a boat if they go sailing in the Keys. Elsie George Williamsburg, Va. Guest Column: Scallops everywhere but not a one to eat Tell these government yahoos that harvesting the scallops will slow global warming. They'll bring in dredges to help you! Todd Maihle Mount Airy, Md. As Ms. Virginia Luizer stated, her assumption is "based on her local observations.” Speaking for myself, my belief is that the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries takes in consideration much more than local observations to make their decision on management plans. Also stated is: "Virginia Luizer is a Hatteras Island resident who wants to harvest bay scallops for her winter dinners." I believe that immediate self wants overshadow the long term goal of the NC Department of Marine Fisheries for future harvests of bay scallops. Dennis Pohl Kill Devil Hills Limited Access Program for striped bass I think the rockfish (striped bass) should be designated as a gamefish, this disallowing any commercial harvest. Sportfishermen bring more money to the state than the commercial harvest does. And the stock stays healthier. Bert Quillin Manteo New Letters to the Editor....1.5.2009 7:45 am Beach Access Issues It is with wry chagrin that I read of the "fears" of the members of the negotiated rulemaking committee that is perpetrating the largest rip-off in the state. (See “What you can and cannot find out about harassment of negotiated rulemaking committee” on Beach Access Issues Page.) They who are causing the most angst and deprivation of gainful income on the islands are those who are most fearful of the anger from the common folk who are being manipulated and maneuvered by their actions. There is a ready solution to their fear – stop acting like fools. Negotiate in good faith and you will be treated as civilized humans. Continue to act as you are and then you will continue to gain the animosity of the public and the possibility of retribution from the same poor folk who are now being told to stay away from the beaches. Enough is enough for these island folks! I commend them for their forbearance to date and pray for their continued patience with the childish behavior of their opponents. Lawrence Cullen Buxton An important editorial in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ.com - Opinion: Plankton Watch*)addresses closely our plight on the North Carolina Outer Banks. Several environmental groups have essentially taken our beaches hostage. By court order they have imposed restrictions upon recreational beach driving by fishermen, swimmers, and others who for decades have enjoyed our beaches under authority of the National Park Service. Their goals are the protection of several species of birds and turtles considered to be endangered, although doing quite well in other venues. A tug of war between beach driving advocates and those seeking to prohibit beach driving continues through a “negotiated rulemaking” committee. Derived from August NPS figures the cost to them (actually, us, as ‘tis our tax money at work) approximates $13,000 per bird, or $91,000 per pound. We are talking about a few handsful of birds annually. More importantly, especially in the current economic and political climate, the adverse impact upon local lifestyle, sportfishing and tourism generally has been enormous, possibly to worsen next year. Despite our efforts, this has not been adequately examined and appreciated by the committee. We are struggling against these forces, but are outmanned and outgunned by the green groups and their legal wiles and deep coffers. The roots of the green movement are extensive, dating back to early last century, when they were viewed as quaint. Look and listen around you -- quaint is not the word. Frederic Westervelt Ocracoke I have been fishing at the surf and enjoyed every minute of it. Though it has been a few years since I have been there, I do plan to come back. I hope to drive the beach again and to fish with my family. Rickey B. Bedsaul Ennice, N.C. Monitor National Marine Sanctuary This is ridiculous, everyone wants more, which is not always a bad thing. (“Divers and fishermen worry about possible expansion of marine sanctuary” on Local News Page.) However when government agencies are requesting ever larger areas of control with additional restrictions, it should be quite obvious to all that the underlying cause is a need to increase one’s domain. We need no further controls on dive sites. You've got the Monitor. Protect it and do your job, no more, no less. Jeff Johnson Annapolis, Md. I agree with John Pieno’s statement about being more than happy with the status quo. I do not agree with an expansion of the sanctuary as it will greatly affect the local economy. Mark A. Cole Sykesville, Md. Maybe it is about time you install mooring buoys at your dive sites rather than anchoring. Every time you drop anchor you damage the wreck a little more. Get with the times. Responsible divers are going to be for more marine parks, while the only divers opposed to marine parks are money-driven dive charters and divers ignorant of marine ecology (99.9 percent of all divers). Marc Lyng Road Town, British Virgin Islands The saga of Fat Frosty What a fun idea! I'll bet the kids love it, and, of course, it would make an older islander feel very special to be gifted in such a nice way. Maybe he'll make his way to New Jersey with Bonnie for Christmas and back to Hatteras for New Year’s with Sue one day. Now that would be a hoot! Joan Koehler (Mother of Bonnie Koehler and Sue Garrett) Scotch Plains, N.J. The travels of Fat Frosty are a wonderful idea. Your readers would have to know Aunt Jonie to appreciate Fat Frosty on her lawn. She had been warned by Bentley (Crabtree) for years that a "blow-up" Christmas ornament might appear one fine Christmas. To see her expression when she pulled up to her house and spotted Fat Frosty and Fishing Santa perched on her front lawn was priceless. Peggy Miltier Portsmouth, Va. What a delight to read the local news. Loved the Frosty the Snowman story and have been busy copying recipes from Lynn Foster's article. Stripers are my very favorite. It was such wonderfully simple recipe, the kind I like best. I was given a bag of pecans and would like to make the spiced nuts and want to know how to get the pecan halves. Mine always crush when I crack the pecan. Thank you for a wonderful issue with so much fascinating information. Happy New Year. Elsie George Williamsburg, Va. Gas prices on the island One thing I have been wondering about is why gas costs so much more here than it does in Nags Head, only 40 miles away. I always knew gas, as well as most other things cost more here, but it seems the gap in gas is getting wider. It used to be about 10 cents more a gallon and talking to a friend today, I learned that it can be bought for $1.47 in Nags Head. The least expensive price I know of on the island is $1.97. I'm hoping someone can shed some light on this. Many of us aren't working this time of year so every little bit helps. I would just like to know why we are paying so much more. Joan Berg Frisco (Editor’s note: If anyone wants to shed light on this issue, please e-mail us – editor@islandfreepress.org.) |
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