NEWSLETTER
Cool Sounds of the Sea and Sand Band Coming Friday!
Brunswick County Fox Confirmed Positive for Rabies
Brunswick County Health Services received notification that a local fox tested positive for rabies this week, prompting health officials to remind residents to stay aware and take precautions to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their pets from potentially rabid animals.
The fox is suspected to be connected to two attacks Wednesday in the southern end of the county. The first attack involved two individuals in Ocean Ilse Beach. The second attack involved one individual in the Sunset Beach area. All three individuals sustained scratches and bites.
The fox was captured and put down following the second attack, where it was promptly sent for rabies testing. The individual from the second attack also reported that they encountered an emaciated raccoon that was unafraid of humans—two signs of potential rabies infection.
Health Services and the Animal Protective Services division at the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office are working together to investigate the incidents and inform the community about proactive safety steps they can take wherever they live in the county.
Steps you can take to protect yourself, loved ones and pets include:
- Vaccinate your pets against rabies and keep the vaccinations current. North Carolina rabies law requires that all owned dogs, cats, and ferrets must be vaccinated against rabies by four months of age.
- Supervise pets outdoors, and keep all pets on a leash.
- Do not feed pets outdoors. Pet food attracts wildlife.
- Do not feed wildlife, feral cats or feral dogs.
- Secure garbage cans with wildlife-proof lids.
- Leave young wildlife alone. If you find a juvenile animal that appears to need help, it is best to leave it alone and call a wildlife professional.
In the United States, human fatalities associated with rabies occur in people who fail to seek medical assistance, usually because they were unaware of their exposure. In most cases, fatality from rabies in infected humans can be prevented by prompt medical attention and vaccination.
If you are bitten or scratched by any animal that could possibly have rabies:
- Clean the wound well with soap and running water for 15 minutes and contact your doctor. The doctor will determine if a series of rabies vaccinations will be needed.
- Note the location and a description of the animal to provide to animal control.
- Do not try to catch any wild animal that bites or scratches you. Call animal control immediately to capture the animal for rabies testing.
- If the animal is someone’s pet, get the owner’s name and address and provide them to the animal control officer. Any mammal can transmit rabies. The animal that bit you, depending on the species and circumstances, must be evaluated or tested for rabies.
For recommendations regarding the public and interacting with wildlife, including feeding or rescuing wildlife, visit: www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/WildlifeProblems/documents/Feeding-Wildlife-Hazards.pdf
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – 7/21/2021
Dear Sea Trail Property Owners,
We held our regular July 2021 Board Meeting yesterday at the Pink Palace. We had a great turnout and appreciate all who attended. I wanted to highlight a few points that were discussed at the meeting.
As many of you know, there has been an email campaign initiated by a few homeowners over the past few weeks voicing concern about how the STMA (Sea Trail Master Association) Board is spending STMA funds. There are also questions as to why the STMA has $90,000 budgeted for stormwater repairs. The STMA Board feels that there is a lot of misunderstanding out there about stormwater permits, stormwater repair responsibility and the responsibility of the Declarant (Riptide/Sunrise Corp) who is the Stormwater Permit holder.
The STMA Board invited the Master Association Attorney, Colin Tarrant, to address the meeting yesterday. He answered a number of questions and also created a formal response to all of the questions and comments raised in the email campaign. Click HERE to view this detailed letter.
With the help of CAMS, our Community Management Company and the Master Association Attorney, Colin Tarrant, we plan to send out information that will further educate our property owners on these topics. We will roll out this information via the President’s Messages and our website in the future. We are also planning a Stormwater Town Hall to further explain Stormwater permits, repairs and responsibilities. This will be held in the Fall.
This was also the first STMA Board meeting where our CAMS (Community Association Management Services) team was present. We introduced Deanna King, the Regional VP and Stefanie Hubble, our current Community Manager. They are now a part of the STMA support team. It is prudent to have a professional management company supporting the STMA Board, Committee Chairs and Committees and we continue to look forward to our partnership with CAMS.
We announced that Annette Louder will be our new Community General Manager, working with Debra Bordeaux. Annette will be starting on August 3 and will be onsite, full-time at Sea Trail sometime that week. She is new to CAMS so she will be training on CAMS procedures and learning about our Sea Trail community. Annette has 25 years of experience in community management and will be a great addition to our Sea Trail community!
As we work through this transition with CAMS Full Management, we will continue to roll out information to ensure that you, the property owner, understands how to interface with CAMS. Please click HERE review our CAMS page on the STMA Website.
The STMA Board is working hard for the entire Sea Trail community. There are lots of exciting things happening, some that are accomplished quickly and some that will take some time. We will keep you informed of our future plans and accomplishments. We appreciate your patience and support!
Take care and Enjoy our place in paradise!
Roz Dahlen, STMA President
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – 7/18/2021
Dear Sea Trail Property Owners,
Summer is finally here with lots of visitors, heat and humidity! Hope you are enjoying the beach, the pools and all of the other activities that Sea Trail and Sunset Beach have to offer!
Just a few reminders and updates:
Pools and Tennis Courts: Kevin Baldwin, our Pool and Tennis Chairperson reports that “Both pools were closed due to storm debris after Tropical Storm Elsa”. We want to thank Kevin Baldwin, Maura Baldwin, Peter Brockway, Ray Coakley, Brad Sansone, Beth Hutchinson and Paul Smith’s Aqua Tech Team for cleaning up the pools and having them open the very next day.
The Pool Committee is also responsible for the games area at the Pink Palace. The stairs leading down to the Bocce Ball courts, the Bocce Ball and Horseshoe sideboards and the picnic tables have all been recently stained. A big Thank you to Richie Abrams for all of his hard work and to Rich Collette for painting the horseshoes and making them look brand new! Sea Trail is very blessed to have such wonderful volunteers!
July 21 STMA Board Meeting: The next STMA Board Meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 21, 2021 at 3pm at the Pink Palace. This meeting is open to all Property Owners. There will be a 3 minute comment time for homeowners at the beginning of the meeting. Please click HERE for the agenda.
The STMA Website: Please continue to check our STMA Website page for all upcoming events, special interest information, announcements and happenings in Sea Trail and Sunset Beach.
- A new feature is our Obituary and Memorial Services page which lists all bricklaying and funeral services. Be sure to send a notice to newsletter@seatrailma.com if you want an announcement to be included on this page. If you have any questions, please contact the Chapel Committee.
- If you have questions regarding our website, click HERE to contact a member of our Website committee.
- We have an FAQ link on the Home Page and in the footer, that may answer many of your questions about Sea Trail and the website.
- Did you know we have a Photo Gallery on the website? A big Thank you to Hillary Halliwell for being our resident photographer and manager of the Photo Gallery. Click HERE to check out all of the photos in our Photo Gallery page!
- Another HUGE Thank you to our Volunteer Website Team of Candy Fowler and Emily Shea who have created our fabulous website and keep it updated 24/7!!
Our Sea Trail 2021 Olympic Connection: We have celebrities in our midst! Terry and Deirdre Twichell are Sea Trail residents and parents to a 1st time Olympian! Their daughter, Ashley Twichell is an open water swimmer and she will be competing In the Olympics on August 3 at 5:35 pm EST. Her 10K Marathon swim event will be televised live on NBC. Congratulations and Best Wishes to Ashley and her parents Terry and Deirdre! Sea Trail will be cheering for you!! Click HERE for more details on Ashey’s story. Hang an American flag this Friday to show your support for our Olympian!!!
Phishing Emails: Please be aware of any suspicious emails that you receive from STMA Board Members as they could be phishing or scam emails. If the email says “I need to talk to you or meet with you,” ask you to send money or gift card or the email sounds suspicious DO NOT REPLY to the email or click on any links. Delete the email immediately. If you still have concerns, please contact that person directly.
- Phishing is a type of social engineering where an attacker sends a fraudulent (“spoofed”) message designed to trick a human victim into revealing sensitive information to the attacker or to deploy malicious software on the victim’s infrastructure like ransomware.
I acknowledged a few of our volunteers today in this email. We are very thankful for ALL of the Sea Trail volunteers that we have that make Sea Trail what it is today and continue to keep it an active, beautiful community! Our volunteers play a major role in the operation of the Sea Trail Master Association and we appreciate all that they do!
Enjoy the last half of your summer! Stay cool!
Roz Dahlen, STMA President
Update: July 21st STMA Board Meeting
Brunswick County Recycling Information
Click Curbside & Drop-off Recycling – Brunswick County for all current information about re-cycling in Brunswick County. This link includes some excellent information related to:
- Re-cycling: curbside and drop-off collection
- Holiday schedule
- Accepted items and tip fees
- Locations and hours
Download a copy of the Brunswick County Recycling Guide here.
REMINDER: Two Day Course on Disaster Preparedness Being Offered
This fall the Health & Safety Resource Committee will sponsor a two-day course on disaster preparedness. The course will be offered here in Sea Trail on October 15 and 16, 2021. Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) will present the course, sponsored by FEMA.
When Disaster Strikes | Prepare, Act, Survive. This course is designed to prepare individuals who may be directly affected by a disaster help themselves, their family and other community members. Participants will learn how to develop a family preparedness plan, practice self-rescue, perform search and light rescue techniques and understand the recovery process.
All of the detailed information for this course can be found on the Health & Safety Resource Committee page Please review the information and if interested please complete and submit the sign up form.
For any questions, contact steveheins.ifish@gmail.com or (631) 338-2295
Sea Trail Residents, Parents to 2021 Olympian Swimmer!
We have celebrities in our midst! Terry and Deirdre Twichell are parents to a 1st time Olympian! Their daughter Ashley Twitchell is an open water swimmer!
Ashley was an All American at Duke University, graduating in 2011. She became one of the first athletes to qualify for Tokyo when she finished sixth in the 10-kilometer race at the 2019 open water world championships. A former pool swimmer, Twichell won a silver medal at the 2011 Pan Am Games in the 800 freestyle. That same year, she claimed a bronze medal at open water world championships in the 5k race. She has won 5 national championships in the 10k, and claimed 4 titles in the 5k. She also won the world championship in the 5k in 2017.
After trying to make the U.S. Olympic Team in 2008, 2012, and 2016, Ashley made it on the 2021 team. She plans to retire from competitive swimming after the Tokyo Games. Unfortunately, due to Japan not allowing any international spectators, Terry and Dee will not be traveling to Tokyo to watch their daughter compete.
Ashley’s event, the 10k marathon, is scheduled for Tuesday, August 3rd, at 5:30 pm EST. It will be televised live on NBC. Mark your calendars now so we all can root for Ashley during her event!
You can Meet the Women on the USA Olympic Swim Team and catch Ashley’s picture and her bio too under the section 1st Time Olympians.
Congratulations and best wishes to Ashley, Deirdre and Terry!
BC Health Services Holds 7 Pop – Up COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics in July
Brunswick County Health Services will hold seven more COVID-19 pop-up vaccine clinics through July in multiple spots across the county. Appointments are not required and individuals can receive either their first or second dose at these special clinics.
Health Services will have all three vaccine types—Pfizer, Moderna and J&J—available at each clinic. Currently, all community members aged 12 and older are eligible to receive vaccines, however those aged 12-17 are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine only.
COVID-19 vaccines are free and insurance is not required. Community members are asked to bring their ID and insurance cards to the clinic, if available.
Please click https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/coronavirusupdate7-12-21/ for the locations, dates and times.
More information about COVID-19 vaccines is at brunswickcountync.gov/vaccines
Seaside United Methodist Church Island Food Collection Station
If you have family or friends who are renting a home/condo on the island this summer please let them know of this wonderful service being provided each Saturday morning from 7:30 – 10:30 AM through Labor Day weekend. These volunteers from SUMC collect opened and non-opened perishable and non-perishable food items, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc. helping those less fortunate. They typically collect 750+ pounds each week! What a great program! The red collection tent and church vehicle are located in the Sunset Vacations parking lot.
Mark Your Calendar For Two – Stand Up 2 Cancer Events
Call for Art and More for the 4th Annual Sunset Vision Art Show & Sale
Call for Art and More!
Hello artists and art lovers! We’re looking forward to the 4th Annual Sunset Vision Art Show & Sale August 26-28! Artists, the deadline for entries is fast approaching, so be sure and submit yours soon. You can find the application here.
Art Lovers, don’t forget to mark your calendar for this year’s show at 690 Sunset Blvd. Suite 207-B in Sunset Beach (McLeod Building next to Town Hall). The work will hang for 3 days, with a fundraising reception on Thursday, August 26 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Art can be viewed on Friday, August 27 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm and on Saturday, August 28 from 11am to 1pm.
You can purchase tickets for the fundraising reception HERE Looking forward to seeing you all in August! Visit www.sunsetvision.org for more information. Email us at contact@sunsetvision.org with questions.
SB Police Department Kicks Off Pet Registration Program
Beginning July 8th 2021, the Sunset Beach Police Department officially kicks off its “Pet Registration” program. The information collected will assist in the safe return of your pet, should it become lost and/or found. The Pet Registration form and photos of the pet should be emailed to lhall@sunsetbeachnc.gov or printed and returned to the SBPD.
Click https://www.facebook.com/sunsetbeachpolice/posts/1560397714130621 for further details.
Brunswick County Rescinds Stage 1 Water Conservation Alert
BOLIVIA, N.C. – Brunswick County Public Utilities is rescinding its Stage 1 Water Conservation Alert effective Friday, July 9, 2021. This notice affects all customers of public water systems anywhere in Brunswick County.
Customers are highly encouraged to continue to use water wisely and maintain the recommended water irrigation schedule as follows:
- Odd address numbers: Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday
- Even address numbers: Wednesday/Friday/Sunday
- No irrigation on Mondays
Continuing to defer all non-essential water use (lawn irrigation) to outside the peak demand hours of 5 a.m. to 11 a.m., preferably after nightfall, will also help to spread out demands on the system.
Recent rainfalls, particularly those associated with Tropical Storm Elsa, and the public’s efforts to conserve water have contributed to a drop to sustainable levels for the County’s water system. However, if drier weather conditions return, additional alerts could be issued.
Public Utilities continues to monitor its system levels and will notify residents in the event another water conservation alert is necessary.
More tips on how to proactively conserve water are at https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/utilities/water-conservation/
Residents who have questions should contact their water service provider directly or Brunswick County Public Utilities at 910.253.2657 or utilityadmin@brunswickcountync.gov.
Information and any updates can be found at https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/utilities/
Upcoming August Programs at the Museum of Coastal Carolina
At 6:00 PM on August 10, the Museum of Coastal Carolina is showing a documentary film called Thirst for Power that explores our dependence on water for energy and exposes huge vulnerabilities in our current systems that are exacerbated by climate change. Adapted from Dr. Michael E. Webber’s book Thirst for Power: Energy, Water, and Human Survival, this film combines anecdotes and personal stories with insights into the latest science of energy and water. For details, click Documentary Film Thirst for Power at the Museum of Coastal Carolina
At 6:00 PM on August 17, the Museum of Coastal Carolina presents a reading, discussion, and book signing of a new children’s book called Larry Loggerhead Travels to the Sea Turtle Hospital by author Paul Mila. Geared especially for children ages 3 to 9 years old, this program will be fun as well as informative for grandchildren who might be visiting. It concludes with a short video of sea turtles hatching in Cozumel, Mexico.
As with all upcoming events in our community, they are listed on our Local Area Events section of our Calendar which you can find HERE