Sparkle on the sound side

EMERALD ISLE - A longstanding Fourth of July tradition will continue this year in Emerald Isle but from a new location.

The town has moved its fireworks display from Bogue Inlet Pier to McLean Park, the town's new sound-front park located adjacent to Chapel by the Sea on N.C. 58.

The 9 p.m. show will be put on by Class A Fireworks, a Carteret County pyrotechnic company.

The display will be on the sound-side of town rather than on the oceanfront.  Town Manager Frank Rush said the show will be visible from a number of locations.

A public viewing area will be provided on both sides of Chapel by the Sea. The public can also view the fireworks from nearby neighborhoods and sound and ocean-front locations.

"Within a couple miles radius there should be a good view from your neighborhood or the beach strand. Beyond that, you may want to get closer to the firing area," Rush said.

Rush said a large crowd is expected and the biggest challenge will be vehicle traffic. Anyone who is close enough to walk or bike to the viewing area is encouraged to do so and those driving in are asked to carpool if they can.

For boaters, watching the show by water is also an option.

Rush said there was some discussion during budget deliberations early in the year about canceling this year's show, but the town ultimately decided to put on the display, at a cost of about $8,000.

"I'm glad it was decided to keep the display. I think folks appreciate it and I think it's important that we continue the tradition," Rush said.

But continuing the tradition required finding a new location.

The move was made as the result of a dispute over an off-premise sign for the pier that put pier owner Mike Stanley at odds with the town.

Bogue Inlet Pier's sign at the corner of N.C. 58 and Bogue Inlet Drive was permanently removed Dec. 1 by a court order handed down nearly three years after Stanley got an injunction to the keep the sign in place while he argued his case in court.

The lighted corner sign with an arrow pointing the direction to the pier was blown down in January 2006 and under the town's current sign ordinance could not be reinstalled.

The town won its case in court, but Stanley sees the sign ordinance as flawed and has sought a variance in the ordinance that would allow businesses not visible from Emerald Drive to put signs along the main road, according to a previous Daily News report.

The issue has strained the business's working relationship with the town, and since the pier sign was removed Stanley has ceased his partnerships with the town.

Contact Jannette Pippin at 910-382-2557 or jpippin@freedomenc.com.

 Emerald Isle Fireworks Tips

• Fireworks show begins at 9 p.m.
• A public viewing area will be provided on large vacant tracts of land on both sides of Chapel by the Sea near mile marker 18 on N.C. 58. Bring blanket or chairs. No coolers. Portable toilets will be available.
• Parking will be available along N.C. 58 and other nearby streets. Do not park in front of private driveways or fire hydrants.
• Handicapped parking will be available at the Chapel by the Sea parking lot for those with handicap placards.
• Be careful walking to and from public viewing area. Bring a flashlight to help guide your way.
• A big crowd is expected. Carpooling, walking and biking encouraged.
• The display is expected to be visible from the beach strand within a couple miles radius of the site. View fireworks by boat from Bogue Sound just west of Archer's Point and in the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway due north of McLean Park.
• Vehicle traffic will be heavy before and after the show. Please be patient and safe.