Quick hits: Man wins Hollerin' Contest with 'Summertime' rendition, and coastal states study public beach access

N.C. man hollers 'Summertime'

"A North Carolina man who won the National Hollerin' Contest says he almost disqualified himself by going over the four-minute time limit," says the AP.

"The Fayetteville Observer reported that Tony Peacock of Siler City won the 42nd annual contest this past weekend in Spivey's Corner. His hollerin' rendition of the popular Gershwin tune 'Summertime' got him the title.

"Peacock says he had to cut short his last holler because he had only two seconds left.

"The contest is held to benefit the Spivey's Corner Volunteer Fire Department. The winner gets bragging rights and opportunities to perform at events and on television. ..."

Public beach access under assault in many coastal states
"Some Jersey shore beach towns have plenty of ways to keep outsiders off their sand: Limit on-street parking, prohibit food and drink, and have no public bathrooms," says the AP.

"One town literally walls off the public from much of the ocean with a protective stone seawall, and offers virtually no parking for miles along it.

"Beach access has become a long drawn-out court battle in many coastal states. And now in New Jersey, the state Department of Environmental Protection is bowing to complaints from some local governments and private property owners that state access rules are too strict. ...

"Battles over who rules the sand are being fought all over the country. It's not just about unbroken ocean views, either. In New Jersey, tourism is a nearly $40 billion industry and its beaches are a primary draw.

"The U.S. Supreme Court last week ruled that Florida can undertake beach-widening projects without compensating beach-front property owners who lose exclusive access to the water. ...

"In Hawaii, a new law prohibits property owners from using vegetation to block beach access. In North Carolina, state officials are trying to balance competing demands over the use of a popular Outer Banks beach between fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts who want to drive their vehicles on the sand, and environmentalists who want to protect coastal wildlife. ..."

Hollerin' Contest is one of a kind

In hindsight, I pretty much grew up in the epicenter of North Carolina's festival hotbed. Once a year, within just a few miles of my house, the following events took place: Mule Days in Benson; Farmer's Day in Coats; Denim Days in Erwin; and the Gen. Lee Celebration in Dunn. (That one's named for General WILLIAM C. Lee, the founder of the U.S. Army's paratrooper division and namesake of Lee Hall at North Carolina State University.)

But not too far away is the granddaddy of them all. The markers say it all: "Third Saturday in June." Yes, Spivey's Corner's National Hollerin' Contest is a snapshot of North Carolina heritage and Americana. Sadly, I've never actually made it to one. (Have you?)

This article from the Dunn Daily Record shows the impact the contest has had:

"The first Hollerin' Contest in 1969 attracted international media attention from as far afield as Japan, largely due to a press release from Mr. [Ermon] Godwin being sent out on the Associated Press wire. The first winner and runner-up appeared on the 'Tonight Show' with Johnny Carson in New York.

"Other highlights include the second event in which Slowpoke the possum, entered by its owner from Alabama who read about the contest in Sports Illustrated, won the Possum Relay. Slowpoke was to be Gov. Bob Scott's annual Thanksgiving possum dinner, but after a public outcry was returned by Wildlife officers to Raven Rock State Park. ...

"Mr. Godwin spearheaded an application in 1978 to host the 1984 Olympics that ultimately took place in Los Angeles, despite assurances by Mr. Godwin that a backyard pool could handle the swimming events. ...

"In 1982, Mr. Godwin offered Spivey's Corner up to host the Super Bowl. The proposal included the construction of a Holler-day Inn and a Hollerdome. Although he was turned down, the scheme netted the community airtime during the Super Bowl half-time show on NBC in 1983. The slot lasted 37 seconds, in a year when advertisers were charged $400,000 for 30 seconds - which would cost $2.6 million today.

"The early '80s saw President Ronald Reagan decline an offer to judge the Hollerin' Contest (he replied though, wishing Mr. Godwin and the other 48 residents of Spivey's Corner well). ...

"Now the event coordinator is Wayne Edwards and in true Ermon Godwin-promotional style he said he hopes President George Bush will attend the event, if not this year, then next.

"I believe the president would enjoy it," Mr. Edwards told the paper. "Spivey's Corner is a quiet place where we still celebrate life, liberty and the American way. Hell, he could bring the whole crowd. We're getting a helicopter pad. If he can't make it this year, he could come the next."