The News & Observer's Mike Zlotnicki wrote a column recently on the fate of North Carolina's coastal piers, and the efforts of some to save them.
"Doug Leister is one of those guys you see a lot on the coast," wrote Zlotnicki. "A self-labeled beach bum, Leister cut his teeth surfing. As he got older, his toys got more expensive. Now, at 54, he enjoys big-game fishing and boating.
"All along, he has treasured a simple pleasure, one with ties to the past, his hangout, his 'home away from home' -- the Sportsman's Pier in Atlantic Beach. Leister doesn't fish much from the wooden structure. Mostly, he sits in the pierhouse, drinking coffee and catching up on local news.
"Not long ago, he found his pleasure threatened -- the pier was going to be sold. He didn't get mad, though; he got active.
"Together with friends Jim Smith of Greenville and Paul Graham of Raleigh, he helped launch an online petition at www.savencpierfishing.com, where pier lovers can sign a cyber petition to save the structures.
" 'It used to be hurricanes. Now it's coastal development,' Leister said from his office at Fort Macon Marine Sales in Morehead City. 'Because of property values, it doesn't make sense for a pier operator to sell $5 tickets.' ..."
To read more, click here.
Update: I will not be making any planned updates next week. Expect more around August 14.
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