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CB State Park among 5 most popular in state

According to WECT, Carolina Beach State Park has made the top five most popular parks in the state of North Carolina, according to statistics from the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation.

Through the year ending July 30th, Carolina Beach State Park registered 4,410 camping and picnic reservations. In all, more than a quarter million people visited state parks in the state.

The top five most reserved sites in the state are:

• Jordan Lake State Recreation Area 14,124
• Kerr Lake State Recreation Area 6,162
• Hanging Rock 5,256
• Stone Mountain 5,062
• Carolina Beach 4,410

Reservations can be made up to 48 hours in advance, online at www.ncparks.gov or by calling toll-free 1-877-7 CAMP NC (722-6762).

CB marina on 'cleanest' list

A marina in Carolina Beach has joined the list of North Carolina Clean Marinas, according to the state.

The Joyner Marina in Carolina Beach joined a growing list of marinas that go beyond the state's environmental regulations, says WECT. The point of the Clean Marina program is to show how operators are safeguarding the environment in their operations. To get the designation, owners have to prepare spill prevention plans and do safety and emergency planning. The marinas need to get recertified every two years.

The Clean Marina program began in 2000.

CB board: Give boardwalk year-round status

From the Star-News:

The end of the summer season is known to arrive when Britt's Donut Shop serves its last tasty treat and shuts its metal drop-down doors on the Carolina Beach Boardwalk. ...

And as the crowds dwindled at the end of September and the last batch of doughnuts were out the door, many other Boardwalk businesses followed suit and decided to close for several months or for certain days each week.

But with the help of the town's Boardwalk Makeover Committee, some have vowed to reach a goal of making the Boardwalk a year-round destination.

The effort faces an uphill battle against perception, however. People don't want to visit the Boardwalk because they don't think any shops are open, while shops don't want to open because they don't think people will visit, said Councilman Dan Wilcox, co-founder of the Boardwalk Makeover Committee.

"To work toward that, what we're trying to do each year is to extend the season a little bit," he said.

Bye bye Britt's (for now), and CB is in the spotlight

"Donut lovers who can't get enough of Britt's Donuts in Carolina Beach are going to have to wait several months before eating them again," says WECT.

"Sunday, the donut shop officially closed for winter. ...

"Every year in the fall the donut shop closes for the winter and reopens in the spring...."

However, the good news is that CB is getting some nice notoriety.

"Carolina Beach is the perfect destination for a fall getaway," says Travel Video News. "Fall means family-friendly festivals and events. It’s always play time. The autumn is special in Carolina Beach where events and activities happen nonstop. There’s a lot to do and an added bonus of uncrowded beaches. Carolina Beach is a popular summertime destination, but in the fall, with its special rates on accommodations, it delivers exceptional value."

(Ahem -- like Our Beach Place.)

"There’s lots of ways to relax and have some traditional family fun. Stroll hand-in-hand along the shore or on the boardwalk. Leave your cares behind and have a picnic, hike along the nature trails and do a little bird watching, or rent a paddleboat at Carolina Beach Lake Park. If you love to fish, grab a pole and join a fishing excursion. Several charter fishing boats are available for rental at the Carolina Beach Fishing Center and Marina. Drop a line off the pier or try your hand at surf fishing. Rent a canoe or kayak and paddle your cares away. Take a ride through town on a surrey bike. Outdoor adventure is all around."

The Gazzetteer and Carolina Beach

The highly entertaining and educational North Carolina Gazetteer has been updated for the first time since it was first published in 1968. (Kudos to Michael Hill at the N.C. Office of Archives and History for undertaking the updating of William Powell's monumental publication.)

So what info does it have in there about Carolina Beach?

Carolina Beach, town in (southeast) New Hanover County on the Atlantic Ocean. Alt. 5. Settled about 1885; inc. 1925. Sugar Loaf, a former community at or near the site, was the scene of an engagement between Confederate and Union forces after the capitulation of Fort Fisher, January 15, 1865.

Also ...

Carolina Beach Inlet, (southeast) New Hanover County, an artificially created inlet from the Atlantic Ocean through the barrier bar about 2 1/2 mi. (north) of the town of Carolina Beach. A dredged channel extends from the inlet to the Intracoastal Waterway.

Consider yourself "edumacated."

The North Carolina Gazetteer is published by UNC Press. To order one, click here.

Screaming kids? Take your business elsewhere

This article has sure gotten a lot of publicity (and so has the restaurant in question).

The owner of a coastal North Carolina restaurant is fed up with screaming children who bother other diners.

So Brenda Armes has posted signs at Olde Salty restaurant in Carolina Beach that read “screaming children will not be tolerated.” She told WECT-TV in Wilmington that the signs have worked by attracting more customers than they turn away.

Customer Gary Gibson agrees, saying he likes the signs because a meal isn’t enjoyable when kids are screaming.

But a mother of two, Ashley Heflin, says parents can’t help it if their children scream.

If a child is screaming, Armes says a restaurant employee will ask the parent to take them outside. They won’t be asked to leave the restaurant for good.

I have two very small children, and you never know when they're going to "go off." Having said that, Armes has every right to put up those signs and enforce it. Heck, I actually see her logic in it.

I think the key is understanding what kind of establishment you are running. (I can say that I've never been to Olde Salty.) If it's a loud, kinda run-down beach place, then maybe telling families not to bring their screaming kids isn't such a good idea. If it's a white tablecloth kinda place, then you probably shouldn't bring the "young'uns" there in the first place.