KEY INFORMATION:
- A new online Visitor’s Guide and video are now available. Please share!
- Hurricane season is here! Prepare now!
- The Timber Bridge board replacement project is complete. Next steps.
- The Village’s contractor has completed the Bald Head Woods Reserve Parking Platform Improvement Project.
- The second round of snorkel extension installation has started.
REMINDERS & EVENTS:
- Join us next Wednesday, June 11, for a Hurricane Preparedness Forum.
- The second concert in the BHI Yacht Club summer concert series is on Wednesday, June 11, 2025.
- Village offices will be closed on Thursday, June 19, 2025, in observance of Juneteenth.
- The next regular Village Council meeting is on Friday, June 20, 2025.
- The Village’s new fire trucks are almost here. Join us on Tuesday, June 24, as we celebrate their arrival with a traditional “push-in ceremony!”
- Join us on Friday, June 27, for Public Safety Day!
- Effective June 1, 2025, hazardous waste drop-off will be scheduled, with no daily drop-offs.
- Mark your calendar for SummerLife BHI, youth activities taking place in July!
Visitor’s Guide
In addition to our new “Before the Horn Blows” podcast (HERE) geared toward visitors, the Village has published an online Visitor’s Guide. It is full of helpful information, some of which is unique to Bald Head Island that many visitors don’t know about before they arrive. HERE is a flyer for the guide, which includes a QR code that takes visitors directly to the publication. There is also a new video that was produced by BHI Limited and Bald Head Association that is geared toward visitors, which can also be shared via YouTube HERE.
Hurricane Season
It’s officially hurricane season, so that means it’s time to get serious about preparing for the next storm event. Please make sure you’ve restocked your emergency kit, reviewed your evacuation plans, and have secured important documents around your home. Don’t wait. The best time to prepare was yesterday, the next best time is right now. Please visit ready.gov/hurricanes and HERE for more specific information on how BHI responds to storms. Also, consider attending our Hurricane Preparedness Forum next Wednesday. Details are below.
Timber Bridge
All the boards on the Timber Bridge have been replaced, it’s practically a new bridge! The newest boards still need to be stained and clear-coated. This is scheduled for the week of June 16, weather permitting, so the bridge will close again for a few days. Then the Village will install some wear decking, which will help protect the boards over the long term. We’ll keep you posted when that work is expected to take place, as that will require the bridge to be closed again.
BHW Reserve Parking Platform Improvement Project
The Village’s contractor completed the Bald Head Woods Reserve Platform Improvement Project. This was part of a memorandum of understanding between the NC Department of Environmental Quality and the Village to replace and maintain the wooden parking platforms that were located near the trailheads, which were located within the Village’s right-of-way on Federal Road. The wooden structures at the trailhead were failing and unsafe, and have been replaced with permeable gravel with drainage piping and backstops, and have been expanded to accommodate more parking.
Snorkel Extensions
Village Utilities and its contractors have started on the second round of snorkel extension installations on several grinder pumps on the island. This is in response to PTC #8 flooding on the island last year. The upgraded devices will not completely prevent stormwater from entering the system, but will provide more operational control and speed up operability after a flooding event. Letters were sent to the property owners for the second round. There are approximately eight more left to do, and those installations are currently scheduled to start on June 20. Updates on this project will be posted HERE.
REMINDERS & EVENTS
Hurricane Preparedness Forum
Join us next Wednesday, June 11, for a Hurricane Preparedness Forum. We will have representatives from the National Weather Service Wilmington office, Brunswick County Emergency Management, and Village staff available to share information on hurricane preparedness and answer any questions you may have. You can email questions in advance to public.information@villagebhi.org. If you cannot make it, we will be recording the forum and uploading it to YouTube. We will likely also be producing a podcast episode based on the presentations, discussion, and the Q&A.
BHI Yacht Club 2025 Summer Concert Series
The second concert for the BHI Yacht Club 2025 Summer Concert Series is scheduled for Wednesday, June 11, with the Embers performing. The Village is a sponsor, and we will have law enforcement there and even our own booth! Come say hi! These events take place at Marina Park from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., mostly on Wednesdays. For the full schedule, view the event poster HERE.
Juneteenth
Village offices will be closed on Thursday, June 19, 2025, in observance of Juneteenth. This includes the Island Package Center & Post Office and Public Safety administration. Please call 911 if you need a Public Safety Officer to come to you.
Push-In Ceremony
The Village’s new ladder and pumper arrived on the mainland in early May. Since then, our public safety officers have been receiving driver training. In celebration of the arrival of the new trucks, the Village is inviting Islanders to a “push-in” ceremony. This is a tradition that dates back to the days of horse-drawn fire apparatus. We need your assistance to push them into the engine bay and help with filling the pumper truck on its first day of service. The Public Service Auxiliary will be hosting a reception following the ceremony. Please arrive at the Department of Public Safety building (273 Edward Teach Ext.) at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 24. The celebration is expected to last until noon.
Public Safety Day
Join us on Friday, June 27, for our annual Public Safety Day! It’s always a fun and educational event for the whole family. We will have our Department of Public Safety’s apparatus and equipment on display, activities for kids, and educational information, including a hurricane preparedness booth. We have invited several local agencies to join us to show everyone their stuff! The Public Service Auxiliary will be serving free food; donations will be appreciated.
Next Regular Council Meeting
The next regular Village Council Meeting is Friday, June 20, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The agenda will be posted HERE. Zoom information to listen-in remotely can be found HERE.
Hazardous Waste Drop-Off
The Village will no longer accept hazardous waste drop-offs. This started on June 1, 2025. Hazardous waste includes paint, chemicals, and electronics. The Village is working with its hazardous waste removal contractor on scheduling specific weeks during the year in which this type of waste will be collected from property owners at Public Works and promptly taken off-island and the dates will be published on an updated version of the Village’s Trash & Vegetation Pick Up Calendar and Village Calendar.
This is a common practice for counties and municipalities on the mainland and helps protect the collection area from contamination.
Contractors have been notified, even though they have never been able to bring this waste to Public Works. This is a service for property owners only. Contractors and businesses are solely responsible for disposing of all waste generated by commercial/for-hire activities.
SummerLife BHI
We’re excited to announce SummerLife, a fantastic opportunity for high school students to have fun and connect this JULY!
Activities include a beach day with beach volleyball, soccer, a game night and cookout at Public Safety, a scavenger hunt and drive-in movies, and a night at BHI Club with a pool party, games, pizza, music, and more!
This program is generously sponsored by several island organizations, including the Village of Bald Head Island and its Department of Public Safety, the Village Chapel of Bald Head Island, the BHI Club, BHI Conservancy, Wendy Wilmot Properties, and Bald Head Island Services.
Sign up information and additional details HERE.