In Carolina Beach, Debi DiNatale is running for Town Council. It’s her first run ever for public office. The owner of the Carolina Beach Inn says hospitality is critical to the town’s economy, and public safety is also high on her list.
DiNatale says her strength is her business experience and knowledge of the tourism industry. But at the top of her agenda is public safety. That’s because of recent pedestrian incidents, including the recent death of a 1-year-old who was crossing the street with her grandmother.
“I'm very passionate about improving the crosswalk safety on many different levels. I have a bird's eye view of one of the major crosswalks downtown. So I get to witness and see how the crosswalk is lax with safety and people turning. I think in North Carolina laws that allow to turn right on red can be modified and fixed. When vehicles are facing each other, they're stopping for pedestrians, but it's the turning vehicles. So the two incidents that we've had recently were because of turning vehicles.”
She also says because Freeman Park has had its share of erosion issues, more attention should be paid to beach access for vehicles at Fort Fisher. Vince Winkel, WHQR News.