CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
PEOPLE
A Humble and Simple Life
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Meet the namesakes of the Earl G. & Inez Batts Recreation Complex in Surf City. BY PAT FONTANA
Most of the news related to Earl and Inez Batts these days is focused on the forthcoming Town of Surf City recreational complex that’s named after them. The Town of Surf City acquired approximately 53.8 acres adjacent to the existing Surf City Community Center and Athletic Complex land from the Batts family in 2020. Town plans for this land include a skatepark, walking trails, an inclusive playground, an 18-hole disc golf course, sand volleyball courts and more, and the town elected to name the complex the Earl G. & Inez Batts Recreation Complex. However, the Batts’ daughter, Audrey Viner, emphasizes that her parents “didn’t like formal things, didn’t want to brag or be in the center of the attention.” In fact, she says, they were “humble country people who truly represent North Carolina’s state motto, ‘To be rather than to seem.’” Above and right: Earl and Inez Batts The story of the Batts family and their land in
Spring 2022
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