Releases – May 9, 2013
This Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 18, 2013, local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9960 will honor military personnel by hosting a public paddle fishing tournament on the White Oak River and Bogue Inlet waters. This tournament will feature individual cash prizes, as well as special recognitions for teams from active/reserve military units and veteran service organizations.
This is the first year for this Armed Forces Day tournament, but organizers intend to hold it on an annual basis.
VFW Post 9960 will host the event and provide meals and facilities for all participants.
The public is invited to participate in the competition, and fishing will commence at 7:00 a.m. on May 18th. Tournament check-in will take place at 6:00 a.m. at the VFW’s post, located at 246 VFW Road, Cape Carteret, NC 28584. Fishing concludes at 2:00 p.m., with a Victory Celebration from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Free t-shirts will be provided to participants who register prior to May 8.
Cash prizes will be awarded to anglers who catch the longest combined length of two inshore fish in freshwater and saltwater categories. Other prizes will be awarded that day, including “Top Lady Angler,” “Littlest Fish,” and door prizes.
Those wanting to participate can register online at www.armedforcesfishing.webs.com through PayPal, by mail, or the morning of the event. Registration costs $25. If participants wish to pay by check prior to the event, they can make the check payable to “Fishing Tournament, VFW Post 9960” and mail their information to Armed Forces Day Fishing Tournament, 141 Longwood Drive, Stella, NC 28582.
All boats in the competition must be powered by paddle or pedal, and rental information can be found on the tournament website.
If anyone in the community wishes to help sponsor this event, they can contact Tournament Director Patrick Curley at (910) 340-3383 or visit the website for more details on sponsorship information.
All proceeds from the tournament will benefit local veterans’ services such as the Marine Corps League, Heroes on the Water, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact Curley at (910) 340-3383 or pwcurley@gmail.com.
The health of the Tar Pamlico River is under attack in the current General Assembly and your voice is desperately needed. Over 15 years ago, our state leaders created buffer zones along the Tar-Pamlico and Neuse Rivers as a part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce pollution in these important rivers. Senate Bill 612 would eliminate the buffer requirement, leading to more pollution now and greater costs to repair the damage in the future.
Riparian buffers are one of the most sensible and cost effective measures we have to fight pollution. Buffers are simply strips of forested and vegetated land adjacent to our creeks, streams, lakes, and rivers that help reduce sediment and filter out numerous types of pollutants. The Tar-Pamlico Buffer rules reduce excessive nutrient pollution by protecting trees and other plants along the shoreline that trap pollution before it contaminates our water. Excessive nutrients contribute to algal blooms and fish kills, harming water quality, fisheries, recreation, and tourism.
Federal law requires North Carolina to reduce pollution in unhealthy rivers. The State opted for a reasonable, flexible approach asking everyone to do their part—homeowners, businesses, farmers, and towns. If buffer protection is removed, then farmers, towns, and businesses will have to make up the difference, at much greater expense.
Your call or email to your senator and representative about the short-sightedness of repealing the Buffer rules can make all the difference. A personal statement in your words is most effective.
Senate Bill 612 and other pending legislation have more anti-clean water provisions, so please be on the alert for additional calls to action.
(1) Eliminate Section V of Senate Bill 612. We will not support any further weakening of the Tar-Pamlico Riparian Buffer Rules.
(2) The Tar-Pamlico River is an important natural resource for your community. Do you remember what the Tar-Pamlico was like in the 1990’s? Remember algae so thick you couldn’t run your boat through it? Do you remember weekly fish kills and diseased fish? Remind your legislator of those days and that we don’t want to return to them.
(3) The Department of Environment and Natural Resources completed a study of the Buffer rules in 2012 and their recommendations were adopted by the legislature last year. These changes were a compromise that satisfied all parties. The legislature should honor that compromise that provided flexibility for individuals while continuing to protect the quality of our water.
(4) Riparian buffers are a low-cost, effective way to protect water quality. By eliminating this simple tool, the legislature puts a greater burden of improving our water quality on the backs of towns, businesses, and farmers who are already doing their part to reduce nutrient pollution.
(5) Weakening or eliminated Buffer rules for some will result in more expensive fixes to help keep our drinking water clean.
(6) The Tar-Pamlico Buffer rules are simple, common sense parts of the comprehensive strategy to reduce excessive nutrient pollution by protecting trees and other plants along the shoreline that trap pollution before it contaminates our water. Excessive nutrients have contributed to algal blooms and fish kills, harming water quality, fisheries, recreation, and tourism.
Please note that you as a citizen personally calling or emailing your representatives has a greater impact and you will know that you have done your due diligence by standing up for our waterway. It may take a few more minutes of your time, but the effort is completely worth it.
Vote “No” on Senate Bill 612 and say “Yes” to clean water.
To find and contact your legislator, go to www.ncga.state.nc.us and click on the “Who Represents Me?” link across the top of the page.
Or you can tell DENR to support the Buffer rule and protect our river by contacting either John Skvarla, Secretary of DENR, at (919) 707-8625, and/or Neal Robbins, DENR Director of Legislative Affairs, at (919) 707-8618 or neal.robbins@ncdenr.gov.
Being a safe boater isn’t just smart, it’s the law.
Regulations are in effect to protect the boating community in North Carolina. Wildlife officers with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission want to increase awareness of the regulations to prevent accidents by offering pre-launch courtesy inspections at various public access areas throughout the summer.
“But boaters can do their own pre-launch inspection,” said Maj. Chris Huebner, the state boating safety coordinator. “We provide a checklist, a vessel operator’s guide, and other useful information online at www.ncwildlife.org/boating that could save a life.”
One important state regulation requires that anyone younger than 26 operating a vessel powered by a 10-horsepower or greater motor must complete an approved boating safety education course and carry their certification, or otherwise be in compliance. The Wildlife Commission offers free boating safety education courses throughout the year.
National Safe Boating Week is May 18-24 and safety advocates will encourage wearing life vests, both when it’s required and those times it’s common sense.
“Wearing a life vest is one of the most effective and simplest life-saving strategies there is,” said Maj. Huebner. “Life vests are no longer the bulky, cumbersome models of years past, with plenty of options available. Finding which model works best for you—then wearing it—can mean the difference between life and death.”
Both state and federal regulations require that a Type I, II, or III personal flotation device in good condition and of appropriate size be accessible for each person onboard a recreational vessel, including canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and other non-motorized craft. Sailboards, racing shells, rowing sculls, racing canoes, and racing kayaks are exempt from this requirement.
North Carolina law requires children younger than 13 to wear an appropriate life vest whenever they are on a recreational vessel that is under way. It must be U.S. Coast Guard approved and be a proper fit, with youth sizes corresponding to weight. The law also requires all personal watercraft riders and anyone being towed to wear proper life vests.
For more information on where to boat and public access areas, as well as registering and titling, navigation rules and safety, go to www.ncwildlife.org or call (919) 707-0031.
