I received an email yesterday with the following infromation on the Inlets and thought I would share.
This Press Release was issued by Stan Jarusinski, Chairman of the Save Our Inlets Town Meeting.. You can contact me at 910 326 2392, Cell 910 340 0813.
seajay@ec.rr.com
PRESS RELEASE-SWANSBORO, N. C. , FEBRUARY 21, 2005
The President’s Office of the Budget did not have ample funding in its 2005 budget to dredge all the shallow inlets of N.C. for the entire year. Only 2 inlets received funding to dredge them each once in 2005 which will make them navigable for about 2 months. There is NO funding provided in the 2006 budget to dredge the N. C. shallow draft inlets next year. If emergency funding should be provided for 2005, the earliest the inlets can be dredged will be 10/1/05. Emergency funding is needed now.
The "Save Bogue Inlet" Town Meeting sponsored by the Onslow Bay Saltwater Fishing Club and the Tideland News has expanded its base to include all the endangered Inlets between Bogue Inlet and Carolina Beach Inlet that are in dire need of dredging funds for 2005 and beyond. If emergency funding is not secured for 2005, the Inlets will be impassable. The Coast Guard has already removed the navigations bouys in Topsail and New River Inlets.
A Town Hall Meeting will be held in Swansboro, N. C. at the Rotary Civic Center on rte. 24, at 7 PM on Thursday, 3/3/05. Everyone is welcome to attend to express their views and concerns and to also seek solutions to this problem. The safety, economic and environmental impact the closing of the Inlets will have on the immediate area and the State will be devastating.
The Town of Emerald Isle funded the dredging for a new Bogue Inlet, however there is no funding for 2005 and latter years to dredge the 1 1/2 miles Connector Channel from the Intercoastal Waterway to the new inlet.
Those committed to attending are:
N. C. State Senators
Harry Brown
Scott Thomas (Unconfirmed)
N. C. Representatives:
George Cleveland-Onslow County
Robert Grady-Onslow County
Russell Tucker-Onslow County
Jean Preston-Carteret County
Carolyn Justice-Pender/New Hanover Cos.
County Commissioners:
Lionel Midgett- Onslow County Chairman
Paul Buchanan-Onslow County
Martin Aragona-Onslow County
Delma Collins-Onslow County
Pat McElraft-Carteret County
U. S. Senators:
Richard Burr (Unconfirmed)
Elizabeth Dole (Staffer Janet Bradbury)
U.S. Congressmen:
Mike McIntyre (Staffer Mary Ellen Stevens Simpson)
Walter Jones (Staffer William Moore)
The adoption of the Town Hall meeting format was selected so that all citizens will have a voice in presenting the problems and also being part of the solutions and a short and long term action plan.
Questions and comments can be made from the floor, they can be mailed to: OBSFC-Save Our Inlets, PO Box 1978 Swansboro, N.C. 28584, emailed to
jcameron@bizec.rr.com dropped off at the Tideland News, 774 West Corbett Ave., Swansboro, NC 28584 and can be presented to a Moderator to read at the Meeting.
Information is updated almost daily on the Saltwater Forum of
www.captainstanman.us and
www.fryingpantower.com
The Rotary Civic Center is located on the west side of Swansboro on the north side of highway 24.
NC Inlet issue 
