Save Yaupon Pier

SAVE THE YAUPON PIER

The Town of Oak Island is trying to secure the Yaupon Pier and ensure that it will be there for future generations to enjoy and be introduced to the wonders of the North Carolina Coast. The North Carolina Public Access Foundation is assisting by helping to raise money. The NCPAF is hosting a surf fishing Tournament on August 23, 2008 at the far west beach access.

UPDATE 8/4/08 - Fugitive Charters has donated a Grand Prize of a Half Day Charter for up to 6 people to be award by drawing to one lucky participant. To see the press release go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NorthCarolinaPierFishing/message/1381

The Tournament is open to all and please come out and show your support. Here are some of the specifics:

•* Only fish caught between 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM are eligible

•* Big Fish event is open to all and the prize will be awarded to the largest fish overall that is not a shark, skate or ray.

•* Any fish award is a drawing among all contestants that have caught any fish during the event, sharks, skates and rags are eligible.

•* Largest Pompano and Flounder award goes to the biggest of these two fish.

•* NC Angler Bucket Award goes to the biggest fish caught by a NC Angler member. You must sign up prior to this event.

•* All contestants must have a valid NC Coastal Saltwater Recreational Fishing License

•* The 50/50 raffle will be $5.00 per ticket with all proceeds going to NCPAF’s Yaupon Pier Donation. Some tickets will be sold prior to the event and you need not be present to win. 62.5 % of the money will be for the 1st name drawn, 24% for the second name and 16% for the 3rd name drawn out of the prize pool.

•* All prizes award are donations from local merchants and other sports fishing equipment manufacturers. Please see the sponsor board and support these businesses

If you would like to sponsor or volunteer to help contact me at Roadkillal@aol.com or call at 803-396-7867.

Support the sponsors of the NCPAF Dog Days Surf Fishing Tournament:

CheapButtons.com - The best value on the internet and the official button supplier to the NCPAF

Sea Striker - Manufactuers of high quality terminal tackle right here in North Carolina

Food Lion - The best place on Oak Island to shop.

NC Aquariums - Inspiring appriecation and conservation of NC aquatic environments.

Fisherman's Post - The most comprehensive and timely fishing reports for the North Carolina Coast

NC Z00 - featuring the Great Grasslands of Africa

Eagle Claw - Where Great Fishing Begins!

Captain's Cove Motel - A great place to stay on Oak Island and they are offering a 10% Discount for the Dog Days Tournament.

Fugitive Charter Boat - Both Full Day and 1/2 Day Charter Fishing

Cheap Geek Computer - Check them out for computers and service before you buy anywhere.

The Bar-B-Que House - The best BBQ on the beach

CJ's Corner Store - Get your gas and all of you beach needs right here

Cape Fear Printing - No printing job too big or small

Captain Stanley Seafood - Great Seafood located on Oak Island

San Felipe Restaurant - Open every day on Oak Island

Bella Cucina - Tuscan Italian Food and Pizza in Southport

Clem's Seafood - Fresh Seafood and Produce

New Sponsors are being added all the time so check back and see who else has donated. If you would like to sponsor email Roadkillal@aol.com to find out how:
We are selling T-shirts that will for the event and all proceeds will go towards the donation for the pier. The shirts are $12.00 for s-xl sizes and $13.00 for xxl and xxxl. The shirts will be bright yellow with this design:

Shirts must be ordered before August 1st but I might be able to get more. To find out more information please email me at Roadkillal@aol.com

See the news article here:

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20080714/ARTICLE/61361359/1004&title=Catch_some_fish__save_Yaupon_Pier

The town has set up a trust fund to secure the pier to donate to the fund send your checks to the address below :

Make it out to: "Town of Oak Island Pier Trust Fund"

Town of Oak Island Pier Trust Fund
4601 E. Oak Island Drive
Oak Island, NC 28465

The number North Carolina Piers have been in a steady decline since the mid 80's. We are down to twenty piers left and the future of many of those are in doubt. Now is the time for everyone that appreciates the beauty, excitement and relaxation of the North Carolina Coast to make the statement to elected officials, real estate developers and other who would eliminate the rich history of coastal North Carolina that "WE WILL NOT GO QUIETLY IN THE NIGHT" and that "WE WILL NOT BECOME THE NEXT MYRTLE BEACH" and that if you are going to take our beaches you are going to have to "PRY THE SAND FLEA RAKE FROM OUR COLD DEAD HANDS" (just kidding). Please do not miss the opportunity to help save public access. What Oak Island is doing might serve as an example to help other communities save public access. Help stop the

privatization of the NC Coast - Roadkillal

Looking out at the Oak Island Iighthouse you get a feeling of the wonderful hisotry of this pier. It was the first pier built on Oak Island in 1955 and it was the same year that the towns of Yaupon and Long Beach were incorporated. It was one year after hurricane Hazel nearly wiped out the island and one of the few attractions that brought tourists back. Long Beach Pier was built the following year and Ocean Crest Pier came along in the 1960s. Long Beach Pier was taken down in 2005 for oceanfront housing and the land is still vacant.

As Doug Westbrook gives Tyler Childers the first place check for the 2007 fall tournament it is hard not to think of how productive the Oak Island piers have been over the years. Last year alone they decked over 400 king mackerels with Yaupon leading every pier in the state with 244.

Roadkillal's Chronological's History of the Yaupon Pier

Yaupon Pier

- 1955 - The pier opens one year after Hurricane Hazel rolls over most of coastal North Carolina

- 1955 - The towns of Yaupon and Long Beach are incorporated.

- 1956 - The Long Beach Pier is built on Oak Island.

- 1966 - A 1150 pound Tiger Shark was caught by Water Maxwell on the Yaupon Pier

- 1968 - Ocean Crest Pier becomes the 3rd pier on Oak Island

- 1972 - The pier was rebuilt

- 1975 - A 38 pound Jack Crevalle was decked

- 1992 - The pier was completely rebuilt after Hugo took it out 3 years earlier

- 1998 - A 47 pound African Pompano was caught on Yaupon

- 1999 - The Town of Oak Island is formed by merging the towns of Yaupon and Long Beach

- 2005 - The Long Beach Pier is sold and torn down for oceanfront housing - The land is still vacant

- 2007 - In Early October it was announced that the Yaupon Pier would be one of several Oak Island properties offered for in hopes to prevent them going to auction.

- 2007 Mid October, Mayor John Vereen asks Judge Jolly to sell the pier property to the city separate from the rest of the properties, Vereen hopes to make sure the pier remains.

- 2007 October 16^th Judge Jolly awards Yaupon Pier and the rest of the properties to Mainstay Developers out of Raleigh for $57 Million Dollars

- 2007 October 27^th – Mainstay declines to buy the pier opening it up once again to be obtained by the town.

- 2007 November 9^th – The Mayor commits the town to buy the pier. The plan calls for the pier and the restaurant to be leased to private individuals to operate

- 2007 November 14^th – The city council votes 3-2 not to purchase the pier

- 2007 Mid November Operations of the pier are reduced to weekends in an effort to cut expenses. The pier finishes the season with 244 Kings decked the most this year on the coast

- November 21^st – Financing for the pier is secured by the town but no one changes their vote and pier goes back on the market

- November 27^th State Representative Bonner Stiller is seeking grant money to purchase the pier for the town of Oak Island the pier would follow Vereen’s Plan of leasing it out and paying back the cost of obtaining the pier.

- December 11 the town creates the "Town of Oak Island Pier Trust Fund"

- February 2008 - The bank announces plans on selling the pier at Auction

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