here - Satellite Beach

Internet – Newspaper Archives Searches
CALVIN R. PECK, JR.
(Articles are in reverse chronological order)
Tab 9
Star-News (Wilmington, NC)
April 5, 2005
Carolina Beach bought this $40,000 beach rake (below) before finding out whether it could
use it. It can't.
Author: Sherry Jones
Oops.
That was Carolina Beach Town Manager Calvin Peck's response to why the town bought a
$40,000 beach rake before finding out whether it could use it.
"We erred," he said. "But I had no belief that there would be any problem."
The town has learned it can't get a permit from the N.C. Division of Coastal Management
because of concerns the machine could interfere with sea turtle nests and other natural resources.
Carolina Beach had hoped to use the rake daily during the tourist season to rid the beach of
cigarette butts, animal waste, cans and other trash.
The Coastal Management office rejected the permit request after the N.C. Wildlife Resources
Commission expressed concerns. But the commission said it would support the permit with
certain conditions - conditions Carolina Beach officials say they can't live with.
The commission said beach cleaning should be limited to one time, should not be done between
April 1 and Nov. 15 to avoid sea turtles and nesting birds, and the machine should be adjusted to
pick up only litter, not natural materials, such as seaweed.
"That makes it economically unfeasible to operate the piece of equipment," Mr. Peck said.
Another North Carolina town, Oak Island, has received permission to use a beach rake, but
Carolina Beach officials said that was because the purpose was different. Oak Island is using the
rake to remove rocks from the sand and is doing so only outside the active turtle nesting season,
Mr. Peck said.
While Carolina Beach fights the state ruling, it doesn't want the rake to sit around unused. As a
result, the town will sell the machine - for the same amount it paid for it - to Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Carolina Beach had based its plan on that of the South Carolina town, which had been planning
to buy a new rake this year, Mr. Peck said.
"So we're not out any money," he said.
Carolina Beach Mayor Dennis Barbour said he was frustrated that many other East Coast states,
including Florida and South Carolina, allow the rakes, but North Carolina won't approve the
device.
Page 61 of 84