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CAPE FEAR MEMORIAL BRIDGE CLOSURE: UPDATES, RESOURCES, AND CONTEXT

Kure Beach Aims to Keep its Tourist Appeal in Check

WED AM; PM

This November, two town council candidates and incumbent mayor Dean Lambeth are all running unopposed in Kure Beach. Of top concern to this beach town is the question of how to strike a balance between preserving its quaint and quiet nature—a major reason many residents chose to live there—while still profiting from tourist dollars. Kure Beach’s newly opened Ocean Front Park is intensifying this issue.

When Ocean Front Park opened last April, Kure Beach became the coast’s latest venue for concerts, open-air markets and pavilion weddings. Town council candidate Craig Bloszinsky says Kure Beach aims to provide a mix of park programming that will please children, out-of-town visitors and residents alike.

"We’re taking a look at it now on the parks and recreation committee to determine, do we have the best hours, do we have the best dates? Do we support the shoulder season, do we expand into other areas when it’s warmest? Do we try to back off some of these concerts and some of these free activities? That’s under study and in February there will be a recommendation for budgeting and programming brought back to the town council, based on the success of the last year."

Mayor Lambeth says the town may have to move some money around to make the oceanfront park pay for itself. He says ensuring that the park never becomes a burden on residents is a top concern for Kure Beach.

***You’ll hear more from the candidates later in the week as Election Season continues…

And don’t miss tonight’s Wilmington City Council Candidates Forum.  WWAY TV 3 and WHQR will carry the live broadcast at 7 PM. 

For more details, visit our website at WHQR DOT ORG.