John and Annette Ratzenberger received Nags Head’s prestigious Lightkeeper award from the town’s Board of Commissioners at their meeting on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. Photo of the Ratzenbergers with the Nags Head Board of Commissioners.

Nags Head Citizens Honored with Lightkeeper Award

Two Nags Head citizens, a husband and wife, have been recognized for their service to the community.

John and Annette Ratzenberger received Nags Head’s prestigious Lightkeeper award from the town’s Board of Commissioners at their meeting on Wednesday, March 2, 2022.

“Your determined, passionate service to our community has made impacts like few others,” said Nags Head Mayor Ben Cahoon during the presentation. “We recognize your tireless service over the years and want you to know that we appreciate all that you have each done for our town.”

The award recognizes those who have shaped the image and direction of the town. Nominees are judged on criteria including:

the degree to which their services or actions have made a meaningful contribution or impact on the town
the length and degree of their service
the extent to which their service or actions might be considered exemplary
the extent to which their actions would be recognized and valued by their peers and other community leaders.

John, a retired United States Army Colonel, and Annette, a retired J95 chief of experimentation engineering at the United States Joint Forces Command, were no strangers to public service before moving south to Nags Head in 2003.

Upon moving to Nags Head John quickly became known for a newsletter he distributed in which he covered topics such as weather events and local government issues. From there, both John and Annette volunteered for a myriad of boards and committees.

During the Town’s efforts to bring beach nourishment to Nags Head, both John and Annette served on the Beach Nourishment Financing Committee, working to develop a formula that would fund future projects. In addition, they acted as information ambassadors, calling and visiting property owners to explain the many details of the proposed beach restoration and its funding.

Individually, John spent eight years on the Town’s Personnel Grievance Panel, six years on the Citizen’s Advisory Committee, one year on the 50th Birthday Committee, two years on the Planning Board, and four years as an elected official on the Board of Commissioners.

Annette, currently a member of the Village at Nags Head Homeowners Association Board, served on the Board of Adjustment, as well as both the Artwork Selection and Solid Waste/Recycling Committees. In addition, she spent ten years on the Fireman’s Relief Fund Board of Trustees, where she spearheaded efforts to provide firefighters with additional retirement benefits and scholarships, as well as developing a program to provide cancer insurance to all active firefighters.

John and Annette join a distinguished group of individuals who have given selflessly to our community. Other Lightkeeper recipients are:

Carlton Nunemaker
Donald Bryan
Michael Kelly
David Oaksmith
Drew Wilson
Russell Twiford
Lillie “Doll” Gray
Glenn Eure
John Harris
Doris Gard
Tom White

John and Annette Ratzenberger are pictured with, from left, Commissioner Kevin Brinkley, Mayor Ben Cahoon, and Commissioners Renée Cahoon and Bob Sanders.

2022 Beach Restoration Schedule Update

As most of you already know, this summer we will be restoring the beach from 8031 South Old Oregon Inlet Road (Comfort Inn South) near Mile Post 16, south through 10435 South Old Oregon Inlet Road.

Oceanfront properties and public beach accesses along South Virginia Dare Trail will NOT be impacted.

The dredging contractor has notified us that construction is tentatively scheduled to take place from about August 1 through about August 30, 2022.

Equipment mobilization is expected to begin in mid-July, with de-mobilization expected to take place in September.

Remember, it is likely the schedule will change over the course of the project.

For more information on the project visit our web site. A map on the site will be updated daily with construction progress.

Couldn't make last night's meeting about the revamp of Whalebone Park? We are still looking for input, so be sure to take our online survey at https://www.nagsheadnc.gov/1069/Whalebone-Park.

Couldn't make last night's meeting about the revamp of Whalebone Park? We are still looking for input, so be sure to take our survey.

Photo of Construction Sign - We have several construction projects taking place. To receive notifications when we post updates to our web site about the projects, such as the old NH Cove water main replacement, visit http://nagsheadnc.gov/list.aspx. Scroll down to News Flash to choose which updates you want.

We have several construction projects taking place. To receive notifications when we post updates to our web site about the projects, such as the Old Nags Head Cove water main replacement, visit nagsheadnc.gov/notifyme. Scroll down to News Flash to choose which updates you would like.

Water System Flushing Taking Place

The Town of Nags Head is conducting the annual maintenance flushing of its water system to remove sediment and other deposits that can build up over time.

If not removed, these materials may cause water quality deterioration, taste and odor problems, or discoloration of the water. Water may also stagnate in lesser used parts of the distribution system. This can result in degraded water quality.

Read the Water Flushing FAQs.

What to Expect
Work typically takes place between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm.
When we are flushing the water lines in your area, you may observe any or all of the following conditions:

low water pressure
no water pressure
discolored water

In addition, you are advised to raise the lever on automatic ice makers and to check the water quality prior to washing clothes or running automatic dishwashers.

The schedule may change due to emergencies and other workload priorities.
If you have any questions, please call 252-441-1122.

Schedule

Monday, March 7, 2022 through Friday, March 11, 2022 (No change from the week we are currently in.)
- From Hollowell Street to Danube Street south on South Virginia Dare Trail and South Croatan Highway, including Soundside Road, the South Ridge neighborhood, and the north end of the Old Nags Head Cove neighborhood.

Made it to the end of the roll? Don't toss it! Reuse the cardboard for crafts, use them as seed starters for spring, or recycle it. Paper can be recycled up to 7 times before more pulp needs to be added to recycle the fibers.

Made it to the end of the roll? Don't toss it!

Reuse the cardboard for crafts, use them as seed starters for spring, or recycle them. Paper can be recycled up to seven times before more pulp needs to be added to recycle the fibers.

Don't have time to haul your recyclables to the recycling centers we have at town hall and our public works facility? Subscribe to the curbside recycling collection service offered by TFC Recycling. The cost is only $9/month thanks to a $5/month subsidy from the Town.

Upcoming Board of Commissioners and Planning Board Meetings

Board of Commissioners, Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at 9 am
Planning Board, Tuesday, March 15, 2022 at 9 am

Notes

View a calendar of all the upcoming meetings.
All Board of Commissioners and Planning Board meetings are livestreamed via the Town's YouTube channel.