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As a part of the Bladen County Christmas, the Elizabethtown – White Lake Chamber of Commerce is hosting an Elf Scavenger Hunt involving local merchants. Those who participate will visit local merchants to locate the E-WL Elf and get their card punched by employees. This scavenger hunt will be a 3 week event, lasting from November 26th until December 18th. 


Starting November 26, visitors can download and print or pick up the Elf Scavenger Hunt Card at area merchants, the Chamber Office or during the Saturday events of Christmas at the Farmers Market.
-Chamber Office Address: 207 E Broad Street Elizabethtown, NC 28337

Once a card has been punched at least 10 times, it should be either turned into the last merchant or returned to the Chamber Office to be entered into a raffle contest. All cards that participants wish to be entered into the contest must be returned to the Chamber by December 20th. The lucky winner will receive a giant stocking filled with items donated by local merchants.
Merchants Included in the Elf Scavenger Hunt:
(Merchants are located in Elizabethtown unless otherwise noted.)

• Amy’s Boutique
• Barefoot Brew
• Barefoot Sandwich Shop
• Bladen Builders Supply
• Burney’s Sweets & More
• Faith Partners Christian Supply
• Leinwand’s
• Lu Mil Vineyard, Dublin
• Main on Market, Bladenboro
• Mermaid Castle
• People’s Emporium
• Ray’s Furniture
• Shena’s Uniforms & Boutique
• The Wake Shop, White Lake
• Toddler’s & Teens Boutique
• Traxx Vintiques, Clarketon
• Whimsical Florist & Gifts
• Yia Yia’s Gifts & More

​CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTINGS:  
DUBLIN - Today at 5:45 pm.....Lighting of the Dublin Christmas Tree.  Enjoy a cup of hot cocoa, songs by the Dublin First Baptist Choir and a visit with Santa Claus.  Please bring your 2 can food items for donation and your Christmas ornament to hang on the community tree!!!

ELIZABETHTOWN - Immediately following the parade, a tree lighting ceremony will happen at the Courthouse.
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CHRISTMAS PARADES:
ELIZABETHTOWN - Tomorrow, November 27th at 4:00 pm.....In honor of the 250th Anniversary of Elizabethtown, the Elizabethtown-White Lake Area Chamber of Commerce has announced that the theme of the Annual Christmas Parade will be “Christmas Past, Present & Future”. The Parade will take place on Sunday, November 27 at 4pm in the Downtown District.  The Parade travels west on Broad Street from the Elizabethtown Town Hall, makes a turn onto Poplar Street and end at Swanzy Street.
Immediately following the parade, a tree lighting ceremony will happen at the Courthouse.

BLADENBORO - Saturday, December 3rd at 10:30 am.....

​The Lake Water Restoration Project was the next topic. Commissioner Tim Blount spoke about how embarrassed he is to have out of town guests see the amount of sludge on the shoreline on the NC 53 side of the lake, specifically between the Sandy Cove community and the two condominium communities. He also questioned the effect of power boats stirring up the bottom of the lake because of less boat traffic this summer.
Gerald Barfield, the owner of Sandy Ridge Campground and RV Park, is planning to develop 300 more sites for the park. He is requesting the town allow him to build a sewer line at his expense and connect to the town’s wastewater system near the Wam Squam Minuteman Store. The town’s engineers have approved the design and determined the town’s system has the needed capacity. A motion to approve the request passed.
Mayor Womble and the Board of Commissioners wanted to show their deep appreciation to Goldston’s Beach for operating a business, providing employment opportunities, and supporting the town’s economic growth and prosperity for 100 years. After passing a motion for the Proclamation, it was presented to Jake Womble.

​During the public comments section of the meeting two citizens spoke.  Alan Pitttman of Atkinson Road spoke about the water clarity, as he has done every month recently. He continued to question the work of the consultant, Limnosciences. He particularly questioned the value of the reports that the town is receiving from the consultant. Teri Hawley of White Lake Drive shared with the board several comments she had heard criticizing the water clarity and the work of the consultant.  

The Town Board meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 12, 2022 at 7:00 pm has been cancelled due to a lack of a quorum.  The Town of White Lake Board meeting has been rescheduled for Monday, July 18, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. in the Municipal Building Council Chambers.
The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

The White Lake Mayor and Town Board of Commissioners met June 14, 2022 for their regular monthly
meeting.  Two Administrative Matters drew most of the attention.  The White Lake “Lake” Water
Management Project Update was presented by Dr. Diane Lauritsen, Ph.D with Limnosciences.  She
reported some improvement in the water clarity recently due mostly to the reduced rainfall which can
sometimes lower the pH of the lake water.  She also presented some of her research showing some of
the same water problems dating back to the early 1940’s.  The other Administrative Matter concerned
the ongoing Sanitary Sewer Improvement Project.  The contractor and employees were complimented
for good quality work and staying ahead of schedule.

Josh deAndrade was recognized and presented a Proclamation from Mayor Womble.  Josh has made
many contributions to the multi-use path around the town and recently achieved the rank of Eagle
Scout.

Town Commissioner Blount asked for a few minutes to address rumors about an interaction between he
and a local business.  Commissioner Blount assured the Board he was contacted by a citizen and was
merely trying to respond to a concern.

During the Open Forum period of the meeting two citizens made comments.  Sandra Holland of Atkinson
Road (on the Highway 53 side of the lake) spoke about the lake water problems in her area of the lake. 
Alan Pittman, also from Atkinson Road, spoke about the information being provided monthly by
Limnosciences, the town’s water quality consultant.  His opinion was that it was not worth nearly what
the town was paying for it.

​​MAY 4 - 5:  LEWIS AND CLARK CIRCUS

WHITE LAKE SPRING INTERNATIONAL & SPRING
Sunday, May 8, 2022
White Lake, NC

RACE INFORMATION
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​Look what’s coming to the old Langston’s gift shop property right beside the water.  Looks large enough for a few families to have a wonderful vacation at White Lake.

The January White Lake Town Board meeting began with the recognition of the retirements of four long-time employees.  Mayor Goldston Womble recognized Tim Frush, Public Works Director; Town Board Member, Brenda Clark, (not present) Town Clerk; Bill Stafford, Sewer/Waste Director; and Ricky Smith, Police Officer, who have retired in the last few months.  Mayor Womble praised them for their professionalism and their loyalty to him and the Town.

Several utility releases ($951.42) and tax releases ($196.83) were approved.  The Limnosciences was included in the Commissioner's agenda packet.  It reported on the total annual rainfall and lake level variability for 2021.  Since "the pH of rain has changed considerably over time," the lake has trended from 4.6 in the 1970's to 5.9 recently.  Much information about the lake water quality can be found at whitelakewatch.com.

The biggest part of the meeting discussed a preliminary strategic plan for the lake management plan.  The Town has partnered with the Lumber River Council of Governments to begin the process of developing a lake management plan.  The cost of this work would be $22,000 during the time frame of February 1 - September 30, 2022.  Mr. Jim Perry outlined several preliminary work tasks to be undertaken as part of the strategic planning process:

Delineation of Authority - there needs to be a clear understanding by all involved parties of the state's goals and objectives and how they mesh with the town's desires for the use of lake.

Technical Tasks
Popular Opinion Tasks
Connection to Land Use Planning
Stormwater Management
Management Group
Action Steps
Motion was passed to move forward with this process.

No doubt about it, White Lake is a hopping place between Memorial Day and Labor Day.  Getting in the water is the #1 activity during that time, but there are many other ways to enjoy White Lake during the Labor Day to Memorial Day period.
There are lots of days when the weather is very pleasant.  Recently, in the middle of December we had a day with a high of 81 degrees which makes for a great day at the lake.  You can read a book or just look out over the water.  And you can sit in the sun, instead of the shade, and feel the warmth along with a cool breeze.  With the sun rising and setting at a different angle in the off season the water magically glistens.  Some even think the winter atmospheric conditions make the famous White Lake sunsets even more stunning.  You can still use a motorboat, canoe or kayak, just don’t fall in. 
There are lots of days in the off season when the water is so still it looks like a mirror.  Less boat traffic definitely contributes to this calmness.  You can even hear noises across the lake, it’s that quiet.  Some think the lake water clarity is better in the off season.
Maybe you like it better when it’s not so crowded.  Less standing in line or waiting on others.  Several businesses have made an effort to stay open during the off season.  More motels are open all year than ever before.   And believe it or not, there are 8 places to eat at White Lake every day, all year round.   
Birdwatchers have an unbelievable array of waterfowl at White Lake, especially in the off season.  Many migratory birds stop here.  You can enjoy kingfishers, herons, geese, osprey, loons, and an occasional eagle and several types of ducks.
Holiday decorating makes White Lake even more beautiful in December.   More than ever before people are going all out to decorate their homes and businesses and especially their piers with thousands of lights for the holidays. You can even enjoy one of the biggest celebrations around with food, beverage and live music as White Lake counted down the clock on New Year’s Eve.

​Mayor Goldston Womble swore in newly re-elected commissioners Tim Blount, Mike Suggs and Paul Evans to begin the December monthly meeting. Town Clerk, Brenda Clark retired after many years in November. The Town is moving forward with that hiring process and has named Town Administrator Sean Martin as the interim Town Clerk. Mayor Womble, Town Administrator Sean Martin and Commissioners Hilton and Evans will work as a temporary hiring subcommittee to fill the positions of Town Clerk and Public Works Director. 
At one point recently three of the six police officer positions in Town were unfilled. The Board discussed ways to add salary and benefit adjustments that are more than “just a bandaid” and approved a law enforcement recruitment and retention program to assist Police Chief Bruce Smith. 
Once again, a lengthy discussion ensued with lake water quality issues and the report to the board from Diane Lauritsen, Ph.D. The report showed data for monthly rainfall, lake water levels, spring flow rates, and the presence of aquatic weeds. The operation of the decontamination station to be used before launching boats at White Lake Marina and the possibility of moving some of the no wake buoys so that they are all in the same depth of water were also mentioned in the report. The full report can be found at https://whitelakewatch.com. The Board discussed the lack of rainfall and the worrisome declining lake water level. Commissioner Blount expressed his desire to get more involvement from the local representatives in the NC General Assembly.
The town offices will be closed on December 23, 24, 27 and 31 for the holidays. As is customary, a public works employee will be on call for any water or sewer emergencies and can be reached by calling 911.