June 2012 Table of Contents

• 
  Home
  
• 
  News
  
• 
  Stem to Stern Newsletter
  
• 
  June 2012
  

• 
  Three Years Without Lost Time Accident
  
• 
  Morehead City Port Serves as Oyster Recycling Collection Site
  
• 
  Agricultural Equipment Loaded at the Port of Wilmington
  
• 
  Rotary Club Visits Morehead City Port
  
• 
  Hurricane Season is Upon Us - Are You Prepared?
  
• 
  NC Ports Wins AAPA Award
  
• 
  NC Ports' Partner Celebrates Intern's Graduation
  
• 
  "Friends of North Carolina State Ports" on Facebook
  
• 
  Ports Observe Independence Day
  

NC Ports’ employees at the Port of Morehead City have a milestone to celebrate. The team has worked three full years without a lost time accident. Lost time accidents are those that cause the absence of an employee from work for a number of days. The tracking of lost time accidents is one of the main safety indicators in industrial environments.

“This recognition is well deserved. Thanks to the Morehead City leadership for making safety a priority which enabled the attainment of this huge accomplishment,” said Jeff Miles, Chief Operating Officer, NC State Ports Authority.

The Authority is excited to celebrate the safe work practices of the nearly 50 employees at the Port of Morehead City. A celebratory luncheon will be held for the team in July. Congratulations to everyone for doing their part to achieve this milestone in safety.

The Ports Authority recycles all sorts of office supplies such as paper, ink cartridges, plastics and more. But the Port of Morehead City is taking recycling a step further by participating as an oyster recycling collection site for the NC Division of Marine Fisheries. Oyster shells from restaurants and homes all across North Carolina are brought to sites like the one at the Port of Morehead City for repopulation off our coast.

“Marine Fisheries loads the oyster shells aboard barges at the Port of Morehead City,” said MHC Director of Port Operations and Business Development Rex Edwards. “The oyster shells are then taken up the sounds to plant and grow new oysters,” Edwards concluded.

The recycled oyster shells become an oyster reef to help produce more oysters. The shells serve as a habitat for various organisms like crabs, small minnows, flounder, shrimp, and clams to name a few. Oysters clean the water by feeding in plankton and waterborne detritus which is a win-win situation for everyone.

There are several restaurants in Morehead City participate in the oyster shell recycling program such as the Sanitary Fish Market & Restaurant, Snapperz Grill and Steam Bar and Bistro by the Sea to name a few.

Agricultural Equipment Loaded at the Port of Wilmington

The Ocean Fortune, a breakbulk carrier, docked at the Port of Wilmington on June 19 to load agricultural machinery such as dump carts, combines, trucks and more destined for multiple locations. Pictured here are silos and one of several towable dump carts. Stellar Freight chartered the bulk carrier. Stellar calls the Port of Wilmington monthly. International Shipping Co. Inc. was the agent and Metro Ports was the stevedore for this shipment. Photos by Susan N. Pridgen

The Morehead City Evening Rotary toured the Port of Morehead City on May 18. The port tour was given by Rex Edwards, Charles Thomas, Ethan Hazard, and Pilot Bill Bailey. The tour was a follow up to a presentation made to the group by Rex Edwards in April.

“The Morehead City Rotary is a long time supporter of the Ports Authority,” said Edwards. “A group of Rotarians back in the 1930s were instrumental in the establishment of the Morehead City port,” Edwards said.

About the Morehead City Evening Rotary: In 1925, Rotary Governor Charlie J. Smith, District 37 Rotary International, met with interested community leaders in Morehead City to present Rotary’s objectives and opportunities. On Charter night, May 19, 1925, the Morehead City Rotary Club and its 22 Charter members joined with 2,094 other Rotary Clubs in 30 countries and 53 Rotary districts in actively furthering Rotary’s objectives.

Most Rotary Clubs meet during morning sessions. The Morehead City Evening Rotary offers another opportunity for those who would rather meet in the evenings.

Club members plan service projects, discuss community and international issues and enjoy fellowship. Clubs are nonpolitical and open to every race, culture, and creed.

It is the month of June and you know what that means…hurricane season. The season runs from June 1 through November 30.

Hurricane season started early this year with Tropical Storms Alberto, Beryl, Carlotta and now Debby. As of Sunday June 24, Tropical Storm Debby was gaining strength as it hovered in the Gulf of Mexico, hitting the northeastern Gulf coast with high winds and heavy rain, the National Hurricane Center reported. The projected path of the 2012 hurricane season's fourth named storm remains uncertain as of now. Tropical Storm Alberto which formed off the coast of South Carolina and headed out to sea was the earliest storm in the Atlantic since 2003.

The Weather Channel recently issued its forecast for this season as a below-average forecast. The preseason forecast calls for 11 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes as Category 3 or higher. These numbers are below the long-term average from 1950 – 2012 which predicted 12 named storms, seven hurricanes, three major hurricanes and well below the averages for the current active era from 1995 – 2011 which predicted 15 named storms, eight hurricanes, and four major hurricanes.

“Despite the prediction for a less active season based on data analysis of about 30 years, the scientists warn that it only takes one hurricane to make it an active season for U.S. coastal residents,” said Ricky Tharrington, Security Technology Specialist.

“Remember back in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew hit? History showed that it was not a very active storm year,” Tharrington concluded.

It is important that you are prepared at home as well. Make a check list of goods you would need to last three to four days and make a family plan in case there is a mandatory evacuation.

We will hope for the best and with a little luck maybe it will be a slow season. Regardless, the Ports Authority is ready. Ports’ staff engage in hurricane preparedness exercises and updates its “Severe Weather Plan” annually.

The NC Ports Communications Department is happy to announce the NCPorts.com website has won the Award of Recognition from the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA).

The 2012 AAPA Communications Awards Program received 101 submissions from 25 AAPA-member ports. The association’s communications competition utilized 29 professional public relations practitioners from the Washington, D.C. area who cumulatively spent more than 115 hours over a period of two weeks judging the 15 classifications of entries, ranging from advertisements and periodicals to videos and websites.

Prior to building the redesigned and reorganized website, the NC Ports Communications Department asked for input from internal and external audiences to help build a better organized and streamlined website. After many months of planning, reviewing and testing, the redesigned site was launched on March 22.

“Our internal web advisory team representing departments Ports-wide provided a great deal of assistance and input. This was most definitely a team effort,” said Communications Director Shannon Moody.

“We are receiving very positive feedback on the site from internal and external customers, members of the community, and friends,” Moody said. “We will continue to make edits, changes and updates to the site to keep the information fresh and dynamic.”

The winning entrants will be recognized in the fall at the AAPA’s 101st Annual Convention in Mobile, AL.

NC Ports was the recipient of two AAPA Awards of Excellence in 2011 for work produced as part of the “Our NC Ports” advertising campaign.

NC Ports partner, W.C. Leeuwenburg, Inc., Marine Cargo Surveyors, offers an internship to a U.S. Merchant Marine Academy midshipman each summer.

Company President Charles Leeuwenburg and his wife, DJ, had the pleasure of attending the graduation of last summer’s 2011 intern, Patrick Graham, at Kings Point, NY on June 18. Graham, from Greensboro, NC, visited the Port of Morehead City and met with Rex Edwards, Director of Business Development and Operations at Morehead City during his internship. Graham also had the opportunity to ride along with the Morehead City Pilots.

W.C. Leeuwenburg, Inc., provides P & I assistance as well as vessel preloading inspections and attendance for bulk carriers.

W.C. Leeuwenburg, Inc., is located in Morehead City and serves the Port of Morehead and the Port of Wilmington.

Want one more way to stay connected with NC Ports? Become a friend of the ports by logging on to www.facebook.com and search for “Friends of North Carolina State Ports”. Photos, updates, and news are regularly posted. And pass the message along to your colleagues, friends and family. These ports are your ports.