LUMINA NEWS YO U R C O A S TA L C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R S I N C E M AY 2 0 0 2
July 14–20, 2016
Volume 15 | Issue 28 | 25¢
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Source: National Weather Service
Scouts build retaining wall to benefit fire dept.
Runners race to fund wellness program Page 6
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Local surfers bring national recognition to WB
County board approves land use plan, excludes water resource maps
By Emmy Errante Staff Writer
By Terry Lane Staff Writer
The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners approved a comprehensive new future land use plan Monday that updates the county’s process for reviewing and permitting development proposals for the first time since the 1970s. “Plan NHC: Charting a New Course,” which won the votes of all five commissioners, was the product of three years of work and at least 57 public meetings. However, there was division on the commission later over issues related to water resource and wetlands maps. “This is a good plan that updates a 1970s ordinance, addresses the issues of density and gives planning staff more flexibility,” commissioner Woody White said. Chris O’Keefe, county development services supervisor, told the board the plan would improve the quality of decision making at the staff level, steer growth and development in unincorporated areas and promote economic development. The plan includes the creation of a unified development ordinance that would rewrite county zoning ordinance to include all of the county regulations related to development. Currently, the county relies on state-mandated Coastal Area Management Act maps and plans to govern development. “Vacant developable land has become scarce,” O’Keefe said of the challenges to development in New Hanover County.
Photo courtesy of the Morvil family
Leah Thompson and Bo Raynor chair Gabe Morvil up the beach after he wins the Explorer Men’s title during the NSSA national championships June 26–July 3 at Huntington Beach, California.
n See PLAN Page 5
Pros and locals compete in Pro-Am surf contest By Emmy Errante Staff Writer
Lumina News file photo
The judges tower and event sponsor tents line the sand at Wrightsville Beach’s Columbia Street access during the O’Neill Sweetwater Pro-Am on July 18, 2015.
Some of the best surfers on the East Coast, plus a rising star from California, will compete for a $15,000 purse in the 11th annual O’Neill Sweetwater Pro-Am at Wrightsville Beach this weekend. O rg a n i z e r s e x p e c t t h e July 15-17 contest to draw about 300 participants across all divisions — professional, amateur and guppy. Wrightsville Beach’s Ben Bourgeois, event champion in 2014 and a former world tour competitor, is returning this year, contest volunteer Danielle Bourgeois said, as are local standouts Knox Harris, Connor Lester, Dylan Kowalski, Bo Raynor, Gabe Morvil and Darsha Pigford.
Two local surfers took home honors in a national surfing competition, continuing a string of recent success by surfers who call the waves of Wrightsville Beach home. Wilmington’s Gabe Morvil won the Explorer Men’s Division of the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) national championships in Huntington Beach, California, on July 3, and Wrightsville Beach’s Leah Thompson was named Rookie of the Year for making the Open Girls final and the Explorer Girls semifinal in her first national competition. In 1994, local surfer Ben Bourgeois won the national contest on his way to a World Championship Tour career, representing Wrightsville Beach on a competitive circuit usually dominated by Californians and Hawaiians. Last year, Wilmington’s Bo Raynor became the first to follow in Bourgeois’ footsteps with his own national title. Morvil and Thompson’s achievements come one year after Raynor won the Explorer Boys division. After this year’s contest, West Coast residents were remarking on the recent success of Wrightsville Beach surfers, noted Thompson’s father, Daniel Thompson. That run of success shared between multiple surfers is likely no coincidence. All three — Raynor, Morvil and Thompson — surf together, and they push each other to improve. “We like to better each other’s moves,” Morvil said, adding, “It’s fun.” Morvil said it is especially nice to win, and for his friends to win, in the powerful, larger West Coast surf, coming from a beach where, he admitted, “There are n See SURFERS Page 5
Masonboro’s oystercatcher population is thriving By Emmy Errante Staff Writer
Oystercatchers, a species of shorebirds, need a very specific type of environment to raise their young. Masonboro Island provides that, and this year the island’s oystercatcher population is thriving. Four or five years ago, the island’s oystercatchers didn’t produce any successful fledglings, said Lindsay Addison, Audubon North Carolina coastal biologist. So far this year, the 40 pairs of oystercatchers have produced 24 fledglings. In order to maintain a healthy population, Addison said, the population should produce about one chick for every two pairs of adults. n See OYSTERCATCHER Page 5
n See PRO-AM Page 5
Environmental groups tour Carolina coast to oppose seismic testing By Katie Dickens Intern
Volunteers from environmental groups Oceana, Surfrider Foundation and Environment North Carolina campaigned in Topsail Beach and Kure Beach this week to encourage more public opposition to seismic blasting and testing off the coast of the Atlantic. The educational tour follows the U.S.
Department of the Interior’s March announcement for a five-year prohibition of industrial drilling for oil and natural gas off of the Atlantic Coast. Although offshore drilling has been suspended, the government is still reviewing numerous seismic blasting permit applications, Environment North Carolina representatives stated. Seismic blasting, or testing, refers to the first step of the offshore drilling process in which seismic air guns are towed behind
ships and shoot compressed air at the ocean floor to gauge if there is oil underneath. Studies suggest the testing poses a threat to marine wildlife. “The seismic guns go off every 10 seconds, 24 hours a day for months at a time,” said Mackenzie Dalton, an Environment North Carolina intern. “They can devastate the area, especially in how they interrupt whales and dolphins, because it can disturb how they n See SEISMIC Page 5
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Staff photo by Emmy Errante
Lindsay Addison, Audubon North Carolina coastal biologist, measures an oystercatcher chick at Masonboro Island on July 12.
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