The Wrightsville Beach Chamber of Commerce will host the third annual Oyster Roast on Sunday, Nov. 1 from 4-6:30 p.m. at the Oceanic Pier. Besides raising money for local causes, the event will also provide a forum for local politicians to greet members of the business community and residents.
The event will offer an opportunity for residents to meet members of the board of aldermen and other local leaders, as the chamber will host a reception from 3-4 p.m. at the Oceanic Restaurant. This event, which is free and open to the public, is designed to open a dialogue between Wrightsville Beach residents and town leaders, said Sue Bulluck, chamber president.
Bulluck said the event will help spur interest in town issues during an election cycle when no members of the board of aldermen are challenged for their seats. Elections are scheduled for Nov. 3, but Mayor Bill Blair and aldermen Elizabeth King and Darryl Mills are running unopposed.
In addition to the aldermen, Bulluck said members of the planning board, the marketing committee and the historic landmark commission are also invited to attend.
“We want to boost the interest of businesses and residents who are interested in the future of Wrightsville Beach,” Bulluck said. “We want to hear their thoughts about what they would like to see in their community 10 years down the road.”
Bulluck said the reception, along with the roast, will give members of the chamber and the community a forum to discuss pressing issues, such as redevelopment requirements and flood insurance.
The timing is relevant, Bulluck said, as the recent threat of Hurricane Joaquin shows the town could face redevelopment problems following a natural disaster. Another timely issue is the town’s challenge of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood plain map.
“The chamber has been out front on FEMA flood insurance changes and appeals,” Bulluck said. “One of our top agenda items for 2016 is a vision plan addressing reasonable redevelopment requirements for the business community in the event of a severe hurricane. We dodged a bullet with Joaquin. Under current rules, the business structures on the island could not be rebuilt to meet the needs of residents, businesses and tourists.”
The roast will raise funds to support the restoration of the historic Howell Cottage, which houses the Wrightsville Beach Visitors Center, as well as the chamber. Additionally, the event will also help fund projects for Wrightsville Beach School.
Attendees of the roast can select from a wide-ranging menu of seafood choices. In addition to an estimated 40 bushels of locally harvested oyster, guests can choose from shrimp plates, sides, sauces, hush puppies, desserts and drinks.
Funding from the event has been used for upkeep on Howell Cottage, which is located in Wrightsville Beach’s historic square off Salisbury Street. While the first roast was used to help repair the cottage’s back wall, the proceeds from this year’s event will also go toward work on the roof, Bulluck said.
“This coming year, we will continue to work on our roof, but will be sharing our proceeds to help address needs identified by the Wrightsville Elementary PTA,” she said.
Tickets are $40 a person and are available at Roberts Grocery, South End Surf Shop, Wrightsville Beach Museum, or online at www.Wrightsville.org
