Today, I had the pleasure of talking with candidate Doug Starke. Doug wasn’t born in Emerald Isle, but he got here as fast as he could. The son of a commercial waterman and a teacher in the Carteret County school system, Doug was fortunate to grow up in this one-of-a-kind beach town since 1983. About 18 months ago, Doug and his partners sold their successful Transportation Impact business. His friends made fun of him for retiring at the age of 40 but Doug was simply getting ready to write the next chapter...running for mayor of Emerald Isle, NC, which is my adopted hometown, too. What would make a retired forty year old raising a family of 3 with his wife, Erin, run for mayor or any other political post for that matter? The answer Doug gave me is that he wants his children to have the same opportunities he had growing up in this unique, family-friendly beach community. And, he was tired of hearing his wife tell him to stop complaining and start doing something….like run for office. I probed a bit deeper. Why mayor and not town commissioner? Doug said that he didn’t want to run for commissioner because he didn’t want to run against incumbents. He respects experience and knowledge too much. Then, when Doug learned that the current mayor was not seeking re-election and that only one candidate had filed to run, he filed for candidacy two days prior to the deadline. I probed deeper still. The position of mayor is viewed as ceremonial by many. How can you effect change when you don’t have voting power? And Doug said that he has a vision for Emerald Isle and that he can be persuasive. From his previous business life, he knows how to network and he plans to reach out to other mayors of beach communities and learn what they have done well and what they regret.
Doug and I discussed his vision for the town of Emerald Isle.. Job one, Doug said, is maintaining the family-friendly community vibe. There’s nothing like crossing the Bonner bridge into Emerald Isle and experiencing that EI, EI, ahhh feeling, a feeling of returning to a special place where everyone knows your name. Doug recognizes that we can’t turn back the clock or ignore growth. Doug is all about managed growth, growth that maintains the family first culture the town of Emerald Isle has nourished for almost 70 years. Unmanaged, chaotic growth, he said, could turn Emerald Isle into another Myrtle Beach and neither of us wants that.
Doug spoke about preserving other Town amenities, too, especially our beaches. Doug is a surfer and he has seen a lot of beaches.. He described watching workers raking Caribbean beaches in an effort to remove trash and groom what little sand there was into a facsimile of what we have here in Emerald Isle. Our beaches, Doug said, are the envy of the Outer Banks. And, one of his priorities is to maintain that status for vacationers and residents alike. This brought Doug back to the topic of experience. He said that Jim Normile was not seeking re-election and that saddened him because of all the experience the town would be losing. However, Doug said, Jim would continue as a member of the Carteret County Beach Commission and that would be a good thing. We discussed the Emerald Path. I shared with Doug my concerns about people using prohibited electric powered bicycles, scooters and skateboards on the Path. Doug shared my concern and asked me what I would do. I offered education and enforcement of existing rules as a first step. Doug also shared his desire to preserve beach driving in Emerald Isle, another valued amenity. Off-season beach driving, Doug said, is a tradition which dates back to the town’s very beginning. This tradition has supported both commercial fishing and recreational activities for decades. Increased town growth has seen a concomitant increase in drivers on the beach. To preserve this amenity, Doug supports the town’s initiative to expand patrols — holding drivers accountable who violate the rules, thereby increasing the likelihood that today’s residents can pass this driving privilege on to future generations.
I was impressed with Doug’s passion to invest in the Carteret County public school system. That is unusual for someone living in Emerald Isle, which has no brick and mortar school buildings. Then, again, Doug has three young children. Great schools, Doug said, like we have now, are like magnets, drawing families who can work remotely to our communities. The mission, now, is how we maintain that excellence because underperforming schools scare people away regardless of the other amenities a town has to offer.
Doug and I shared our common experiences as business owners. Doug said that growing a business while keeping true to its culture is a challenge all business owners face. And, preserving that culture is important to having vacationers return to Emerald Isle year after year.
Lastly, we touched on keeping things fresh here in Emerald Isle. After a while we wash our new toy, be it a car or a boat, less frequently. And, when we get bored with that toy, we simply buy a new one. That’s not so easily done with a town. And, that’s where new stewardship comes in, Doug said. A new mayor sees the town in a new light and that is a good thing. In the end, I was very impressed with Doug, the person, and Doug the candidate. I plan on voting for him. You can learn more about Doug Starke and his vision for Emerald Isle by visiting his website. And, when you want to learn more about the Emerald Isle elections, go to my website, www.EmeraldIsleHomesforSaleNC.com and sign up for my blog. Ready to buy or sell? Call me at 919-308-2292. Explore the video tab for my weekly uploads to my YouTube channel. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and receive free donuts at my Flip Flops Donut shop. Text your email address to 919-308-2292 and subscribe to my newsletter. My book, "Live Where You Vacation" is available on Amazon.com.
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