Home Care In Carolina Beach, NC

Carolina Beach State Park, located 12 miles south of Wilmington, is under new leadership.

Crystal Lloyd has been named the new park superintendent, North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation announced Monday.

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Lloyd, previously superintendent at Falls Lake State Recreation Area in Durham and Wake counties, fills the role after longtime superintendent Chris Helms’ retirement in April.

A native of Creedmoor, Lloyd has a bachelor’s in parks, recreation and tourism management from North Carolina State University.

She joined the division working as a seasonal employee at Falls Lake State Recreation in high school, continuing to work for parks during the summer, including at William B. Umstead State Park. She became a ranger in 2012 at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park, then transferred to Falls Lake in 2015 before eventually being promoted to superintendent in 2021. She also co-hosted a podcast called “Ask a Ranger” that tackled the various aspects of the division’s mission as it relates to the work of field staff.

“Crystal has a unique perspective of division operations, moving her way up from seasonal positions to park ranger and to park superintendent,” said North Carolina State Parks Director Brian Strong. “We are excited to have Crystal at Carolina Beach State Park and the years of experience she brings as a superintendent will be invaluable as she stewards the unique natural and recreational resources of the park.”

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The park superintendent leads the operations and administration at the park and has responsibilities that include staffing, training, law enforcement, planning, natural and cultural resource management, interpretation and education, and visitor services.

Carolina Beach State Park is home to the carnivorous Venus flytrap, and habitats like Sugarloaf Dune, a 50-foot dune that once served as a navigational marker for river pilots, and three limesink ponds that each feature a unique plant community. The park’s marina provides access to the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

OUTER BANKS, N.C. (CN) — The first of two homes on the verge of collapse on a stretch of the North Carolina Outer Banks prone to extreme erosion was demolished Wednesday by the National Park Service.

Funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the service purchased the Rodanthe homes last month as a part of a pilot program to combat erosion on the Outer Banks, which are particularly vulnerable to climate change and sea level rise.

Five homes have collapsed in Rodanthe since 2020, with the most recent collapse in March 2023. Past collapses have caused highway closures, over 10 miles of debris and an expensive cleanup process — the service's Cape Hatteras National Seashore program has stepped in multiple times to carry out additional cleanups and restore the beaches.

The removal of both threatened properties is contracted to cost $72,500 and the land will be open for public use after the beach is restored. Clean-up includes removal of the house pilings, as well as the houses’ septic tanks.

The beach house demolished Wednesday had formerly been owned by Eric Saks, who had named the building “Mermaid’s Kiss.” Saks, who had bought the property in 2021, was the one of the first homeowners to sell to the National Park Service.

“It's important to us that this iconic house, which has been a part of our lives, is removed safely to avoid any harm to our precious coastal ecosystem,” Saks wrote in a post on Facebook. “While this decision came with a significant financial loss and a heavy heart, we believe it's a step in the right direction for the environment we're so passionate about protecting.”

David Hallac, superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, helped to coordinate the sale of the homes and was present at the demolition Wednesday.

“It’s a pilot project, so something we’re trying out to mitigate the impacts of these threatened structures to the resources of Cape Hatteras seashore and our visitors,” said Hallac. “The work to remove the house today went very well. It was successful, it was done very safely, and they may actually take the second house down tomorrow. They’ve planned this very carefully in ensuring that this happens at low tide and that the wind and wave conditions are matching their criteria to get this done.”

According to Hallac, these threatened homes can have an impact on the seashore and visitors long before they fall into the sea.

“Pieces and parts can fall off the houses anytime because they've been hit by waves. The houses are in the middle of … a habitat that's used by shorebirds and sea turtles. And even when the house is in reasonable condition, the septic systems, the septic tanks and the drain fields oftentimes get exposed or break open and cause public health threats," he said.

Once the house collapses, it can create a large debris field that could take weeks, if not months, to clean up.

“This situation occurs in a much more controlled manner. The debris can be removed in a short period of time by professionals on the beach very quickly," Hallas said.

Demolition of both homes and beach restoration are expected to take no more than 30 days. The two homes being demolished had been prioritized as they were closest to the ocean and had a high possibility of collapse.

One of the goals of the demolition is to evaluate the feasibility of a larger program addressing threatened oceanfront structures.

“We are interested in considering scaling the program up to acquire more homes and restore those beach areas,” said Hallac. “But we want to carry this pilot project out completely first, analyze how everything went, and learn what went well and what can be improved.”

Categories / Environment, Regional

If you ask Tim O’Toole what the secret to good pizza is, he says it’s all in the ingredients.

“If you have good sauce, good dough and good cheese,” he said, shrugging.

He should know. He has 56 years of experience making pizza. Aside from a stint in the Vietnam War, the 71-year-old has been making pizza since he was 15, mostly in New York. He’s now one of the pizza makers at Fentoni’s Pizza in Carolina Beach.

Located on the Boardwalk at 9 Carolina Beach Ave. N., Fentoni’s was recently named one of the best in North Carolina, according to a report from The Washington Post. The newspaper analyzed 7.5 million Yelp reviews and developed a formula to identify the best pizza styles across the country. Unsurprisingly, New York style and Neapolitan-ish pies were popular across the country, followed by regional styles like those that originated in Detroit and St. Louis.

Part of their deep-dive into pizza also listed the top six pizzerias for each style in each state. Fentoni’s was the only local pizza restaurant mentioned and ranked third in the North Carolina for New York-style pizza. Across other review platforms, too, Fentoni's ranks high -- with former New Yorkers and locals alike saying it's one of the best around.

“That’s what they tell me,” said Jeremy Fenton, who opened the restaurant in the former Frank’s Pizza in 2020. He works in restaurant equipment and installation, in addition to owning the pizzeria.

Like him, Fentoni’s is also unassuming, with a minimalist, no-frills space next to Britts Donut Shop. In the summer, they open a by-the-slice window for quick service. They make the dough and sauce in house. In addition to pizzas, you can find cheesesteaks, appetizers, strombolis and calzones. There's also another popular New York interpretation of dough and cheese called the pizza pop.

In October, they launch their winter menu again, said manager Matt Morris. That includes adding a 14-inch pizza, in addition to the 18-inch, as well as a Sicilian-style pizza and a lunch buffet.

What else tops the list of best pizza in North Carolina?

Here is a look at some of the other pizzerias that were also mentioned in The Washington Post report. You'll see two locations of the Cugino Forno restaurant, which opened a Wilmington restaurant in 2022 at 1020 Princess St.

Chicago style: ACME Pizza in Holly Springs, Piccolo's Italian Restaurant in Lenoir, Slice Pizzeria in Kill Devil Hills, Del Vecchios in Asheville, Rosati's Pizza in Morrisville and Rosati's Pizza in Waxhaw.

Detroit style: Pi Squared Pizza in Hendersonville and Emmy Squared Pizza - Plaza Midwood in Charlotte

Neopolitan style: Cugino Forno in Greensboro, Pizzeria Toro in Durham, Meadow's Italiano in Mooresville, Inizio Pizza Napoletana in Charlotte, GoodWood Pizzeria and Bakery in Lincolnton and Cugino Forno in Durham

New York style: Fahrenheit Pizza & Brewhouse in Asheville, Panichelli’s Pizzeria in New Bern, Fentoni’s Pizza in Carolina Beach, Luigi's Pizza in Morehead City, Village Pizza in Nags Head and Peri Brothers Pizza in Raleigh

Roman style: Coronato Pizza in Carrboro

St. Louis style: Margaux's Wine, Pizza & Market in Pineville

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - You may have seen it with your own eyes or perhaps viewed pictures on social media posts from family and friends vacationing at the beach over the past week or so.

The talk is all about how blue the surf is now. Many are comparing the water along the Grand Strand north through the Crystal Coast with that typically seen at tropical resorts in the Caribbean.

Natural Blue Water Phenomenon on Emerald Isle, NC July 23, 2023Beaches across the area have been looking a lot like the Caribbean, thanks to a natural blue water phenomenon.https://t.co/M5cItFsxZ0#emeraldisle #beach #summer #bluewater

— Town of Emerald Isle (@townemeraldisle) July 25, 2023

Vibrant, blue water is highly unusual along the Carolina coast. Oftentimes our surf is brownish or even murky.

Several factors contribute to that look. First, the rivers that empty along our shoreline carry runoff from the mountains and Piedmont filled with red clay silt. That sediment, along with phytoplankton, get churned up and float near the top of the water.

Additionally, as we get deeper into the summer, we usually see more tropical cyclone development closer to our shores, keeping the waters stirred up.

While there have been several named storms already this season, none have posed a threat lately to the Carolina coast, helping to keep the near-shore waters calmer.

So, with the lack of tropical storms and hurricanes, and even unseasonal light offshore winds, the sediment has been allowed to settle closer to the ocean floor, prompting the turquoise water that would be present more often if not for storms and wind.

The water looks especially blue during the middle part of the day when the sun is almost directly overhead, providing an even bluer tint than can be seen early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Watch continuing live coverage here:

Copyright 2023 WBTV. All rights reserved.

Three candidates are running for two open seats on the Carolina Beach Town Council.

Two are incumbents, and one is a challenger.

Voters in Carolina Beach have three options to cast a vote in the 2023 election. Residents can vote before Election Day by mailing in an absentee ballot. Or, they can cast their vote during the "one-stop" or early voting period, which begins Oct. 19 and ends Nov. 3. Same-day registration is available at early voting sites.

Carolina Beach voters can also cast their ballots on Election Day, which is Nov. 7.

A photo ID is required for voting this year. Voters can show their driver's license, but other types of ID are accepted.

Voters without a photo ID can get a "No Fee ID Card" from the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. Voters can also get a free voter ID card from the county board of elections office. Call 910-798-7330 for more information.

Candidate responses to questions are below. They have been edited for style, grammar and length.

Note: Danny McLaughlin did not respond to multiple requests to participate in this StarNews candidate questionnaire.

Jay Healy

Age: 66

Occupation: Retired from Apple, Inc.

Family: Married with three daughters

Education: Brandywine College, Business

Political affiliation: Democrat

Deb LeCompte

Age: 60

Occupation: Retired; 20 years self-employed (owned a laundromat in Wilmington). Professional experience as a real estate paralegal for 12 years.

Family: I have been married to my husband, Butch, for 33 years; three adult children (two daughters, one son), one granddaughter and three rescue dogs.

Education: Kings College, Charlotte, Accounting; Rowan Cabarrus Community College, Salisbury, Criminal Justice

Political affiliation: Unaffiliated

What is the one most important issue currently facing the town of Carolina Beach?

Healy: Aging infrastructure. We now have a 20-year infrastructure engineered plan in place for Carolina Beach. We have installed a financial model that pays for it. We have transitioned from an incremental "pay as you can" approach to development of a 20-year plan to actually get it done. Our current debt in our utility fund is $23 million. The money we need to finish the job is $72 million. The basics are, the town will seek bond funding in 2025, 2028, 2031 and 2033 to pay for the infrastructure improvements.

LeCompte: One of the most important issues we face in Carolina Beach is our fresh water storage. This year we presented our 20-year infrastructure plan because we cannot afford to kick the can down the road one more year on our critical infrastructure. Water storage expansion is at the top of the list. While we are not at a critical stage with our current storage, our ground storage facility has reached its projected useful life and we must continue to move forward with our storage expansion.

Given the amount of growth in Carolina Beach, do you think it is being managed well? Why or why not?

Healy: I think the town of Carolina Beach has never been managed as well as the present time. Being without a town manager four years ago, it was a major priority to hire the best possible candidate. Our fund balance four years ago was at an all-time low of 19% that placed the town on a warning from the state. The fund balance is used in case of an emergency, i.e., hurricanes. Currently, we are looking to be at 45% by the end of the year. We have three major metrics we use to identify if we are doing a good job: room occupancy tax, sales tax and ABC tax. We are up in all three metrics coming off a banner year last year.

LeCompte: I do believe our growth is being managed well. We have had a construction boon since Covid. While it has mainly been single-family homes, we have been very careful about approving larger scale projects. I served four years on our planning and zoning commission prior to being on the town council. Every vote I make as a P&Z commissioner and as a councilmember is well-researched prior to voting and I always ask myself, “How will this vote impact our residents and our infrastructure?"

Do you think that more needs to be done to preserve the history of Carolina Beach? Why or why not?

Healy: I do think more needs to be done to preserve the history of Carolina Beach. At the present time, our centennial committee has diligently been working the past two years to gather and collect artifacts, newspaper articles and interviewing longtime residents. With the Centennial in 2025, the timing could not be better. Carolina Beach has a lot of history and it needs to be shared with the public.

LeCompte: We should never pass on an opportunity to remind our residents and visitors of our history. Our historic and iconic beach cottages and commercial buildings are being demolished. Many of these buildings need repair because of years of neglect and, sadly, some are beyond repair. I do believe in incentives to encourage property owners to preserve rather than demolish.

What is your favorite mural in the town of Carolina Beach, and why?

Healy: I’m fortunate to be on the Board of the Carolina Beach Mural Project, so thank you for asking this question. Each mural is special in its own way with the artist interpretation and creativity. I actually have two favorites. "Carolina Dreamin’" on the side of Crush & Grind is so vibrant and it gives off a great beach vibe. The other is “Tribute to Carolina Shag.” Just an absolutely amazing piece of art. Chicken Hicks is coming out of the wall at you.

LeCompte: The ferris wheel on Hurricane Alley’s. It is my favorite because it reminds me of my childhood vacations at the beach and the thrill of riding the rides and playing games in the arcade on so many summer nights after spending the day riding waves and playing in the sun and sand. It also makes me grateful that my childhood dream of living at the beach became my reality when we decided Carolina Beach was our forever home 20 years ago.