Advisory: The Divas 1/2 Marathon will take place May 7th @ 7am. Road closures will occur near Main St. and Ocean Blvd.


DIVAS® HALF MARATHON AND 5K IS MAY 7 IN NORTH MYRTLE BEACH

The 6th Annual Divas® Half Marathon & 5K will be held in the city of North Myrtle Beach on Sunday, May 7.

The Divas® 5K will start at 7am, and the Divas® Half Marathon will follow at 7:10am. Both races will start on Ocean Boulevard just south of Main Street and will finish on Main Street.

The event will follow a rolling road closure, which means that the flow of traffic will be impacted for a short period of time before the first runner enters a section of road and will return to normal when the last runner leaves that section. North Myrtle Beach Police will reopen roads as soon as race course operations cease, with the half marathon course officially closing by 11:00am.
Residents and visitors are encouraged to come out and cheer the Divas on!

The Divas® Half Marathon Series is held annually in some of the country’s best vacation destinations: Honolulu, HI; Long Island, NY; San Juan, PR; San Francisco, CA; and North Myrtle Beach, SC.

The 2016 Divas® Half Marathon & 5K in North Myrtle Beach hosted 4,624 participants, 98% of whom were female. The event brought 3,927 participants from beyond a 35 mile radius, with about 5,669 family and friends, generating 6,468 room nights and contributing approximately $4.3 million in direct economic impact to the local economy, and $6.4 million in indirect economic impact.
The following roads will be affected by the half marathon route during designated times:
Ocean Boulevard North from 20th Avenue North to 5th Avenue North

Southbound lane closest to curb will be closed from 7am until 11am. Southbound thru traffic will be diverted to US Hwy 17 at 8th Avenue North from 6:30am to 7:45am. Starting at 7:45am southbound thru traffic will be able to continue south using the center lane. No right turns will be allowed from 7am to 11am in this section.

Ocean Boulevard North from 5th Avenue North to Main Street
Southbound lane closest to curb will be closed from 7am until 10:40am. Southbound thru traffic will be diverted to US Hwy17 at 8th Avenue North from 6:30am to 7:45am. Starting at 7:45am, southbound thru traffic will be able to continue south using the center lane.  No right turns will be allowed from 7am to 11am in this section.

Ocean Boulevard South from Main Street to 17th Avenue South
All southbound lanes will be closed from 6:45am through 7:45am.

Ocean Boulevard South from 17th Avenue South to 25th Avenue South
All southbound lanes will be closed from 6:45am through 7:55am.

Hillside Drive North from 16th Avenue North to 5th Avenue North
Northbound lanes of Hillside Drive North will be closed from 7:40am to 9:30am.

Hillside Drive North from 5th Avenue North to Main Street
Northbound lanes of Hillside Drive North will be closed from 7:05am to 9:20am.

Hillside Drive South from Main Street to 5th Avenue South
All lanes will be closed from 7am to 8:50am (All local traffic is urged to use EXTREME caution and to yield to runners on road.)

Hillside Drive South from 5th Avenue South to 25th Avenue South
Northbound lane will be closed from 7:20am to 8:35am (All local traffic is urged to use EXTREME caution and yield to runners on road)

All east/westbound streets between 16th Avenue North and Main Street, and between Ocean Boulevard and Hillside Drive South will have intermittent traffic crossings at Hillside Drive and Ocean Boulevard from 7am to 11am.  Expect delays if traveling to or from that quadrant.

All east/westbound streets between Main Street and 25th Avenue South, and between Ocean Boulevard and Hillside Drive South will have intermittent traffic crossings at Hillside Drive and Ocean Boulevard from 7am to 8:50am. Expect delays if travelling to or from that quadrant.

20th Avenue North from Surf Pointe Drive to Spring Street
Eastbound lanes of 20th Avenue North will be closed from 8:15am to 10:30am. Local residents should exit homes onto the westbound lane on 20th Avenue North. Residents on the south side of 20th Avenue please use extreme caution when exiting your home making a left turn to get on the westbound lane and please wait for a gap between runners.

US Hwy 17 (North Kings Highway) from 11th Avenue North to Starwatch Drive
Northbound lane closest to the curb will be closed from 7am to 10:10am.

Starwatch Drive, Lake Egret, East Island, Surf Watch, Surf Estates, Sand Court, Surf Pointe Drive
All lanes on the above named roads will be closed from 8am to 10:20m. Local residents please use extreme caution when exiting homes and use the neighborhood exit on US Hwy 17.

16th Avenue North, Prince William Road, Princess Ann Drive
Westbound lane will be closed from 7:50am to 9:40am. Local residents should exit on 11th Avenue South to Hillside, then east to 8th Avenue North toward US Hwy 17 to exit the area.

11th Avenue North from Princess Ann Drive to US Hwy 17
Westbound lane will be closed from 8am to 10am. Local residents should use the eastbound lane to Hillside then south on Hillside to 8th Avenue North towards US Hwy 17 to exit the area.

2nd Avenue North from Ye Olde Kings Highway to Hillside Drive North
All eastbound lanes will be closed from 7:05am to 9:10am. Local residents on the south side of 2nd Avenue North should exit their homes by making a left onto westbound 2nd Avenue North, and they should wait for gaps between runners before crossing 2nd Avenue North.

Main Street from the Ocean to Hillside Drive
All westbound lanes of Main Street will be closed from Saturday, April 30 at 3:30pm to noon on Sunday, May 1.

Main Street from Hillside Drive to Ye Olde Kings Highway
All westbound lanes will be closed from 7am to 9am

Edge Drive South between 20th Avenue South and 16th Avenue South
Northbound lane will be closed from 7:25am until 8:20am

25th Avenue South from Ocean Boulevard to Hillside Drive South
All lanes will be closed from 7:10am until 8:05am. We ask residents and businesses to follow the detours and plan an earlier start during those times to avoid delays and for safety purposes.
For more information on road closures, please visit the Divas® Half Marathon and 5K Series website at http://www.runlikeadiva.com/ closures

For full details, view this message on the web.

North Myrtle Beach May 4 Prayer & Praise Event to be Held as Scheduled at the Horseshoe on Main Street

The North Strand Community Prayer & Praise Event will be held as scheduled May 4, 6pm-7:30pm at the Horseshoe on Main Street in North Myrtle Beach.
The event, which coincides with the National Day of Prayer, offers prayers from leaders of a variety of area places of worship, and live music by praise bands and a choir.
The event is free.

Adult Swim Lessons Offered May 8-24 at the North Myrtle Beach Aquatic & Fitness Center

The North Myrtle Beach Aquatic & Fitness Center (AFC) will offer Adult Swim Lessons May 8-24, Mondays and Wednesdays,6:30 p.m.-7:15 p.m.Participants can improve their water skills and safety in a comfortable and safe environment while building confidence and having fun.
 
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 37 percent of Americans cannot swim the length of a pool, which puts them at risk of being one of the 10 people who drown every day in the United States. Yet, when asked, adults aspire to swim more than any other activity.
 
FEES:
-- AFC Members: $30.00 per session (6 classes)
-- Non-AFC Members: $44.00 per session (6 classes)
 
For additional information contact: Judy Childers(843) 281-3743or jachilders@nmb.us or Customer Service (843) 281-3737

Cherry Grove Dredging Project Concluded on April 30, 2017

The dredging of 24 canals and the minor channel from 42nd Avenue North to 62nd Avenue North in the Cherry Grove section of the city of North Myrtle Beach concluded on April 30, 2017.
 
The dredging project, which was to have begun in early October 2016, was delayed by Hurricane Matthew and began in early November 2016. Because of the hurricane delay, the original completion deadline of March 1, 2017 was extended to April 30, 2017 with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers approval.
 
All dredging logs have not yet been submitted for final confirmation but it is currently estimated that about 165,000 cubic yards of dredged material was transferred via pipeline to a spoils basin located off Little River Neck Road, bringing it very close to capacity. The original spoils basin, for years used to deposit dredged material from area marinas and other locations, was expanded and its walls heightened for the Cherry Grove project. The dredged material will dewater in the spoils basin and then be moved to a final disposal location.
 
The dredge path as permitted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was centered between the private property lines on both sides of the canals that were dredged.
 
The cost of the first dredge, including actual dredging and contingency; increasing the capacity of the spoils basin; engineering, design and bidding costs; construction administration and oversight; eventual removal of the dewatered dredge material from the spoils basin; marsh mitigation; oyster mitigation; easements; and debris removal amounts to about $8.2 million.
 
The Cherry Grove dredging project includes two planned dredges, the one just concluded, and, if required and if affordable, a second or “maintenance dredge” at some point in the future to remove material that sloughs or falls in from the sides of the newly cut dredge path over time or that may be deposited in the canals by currents and tidal action.

City of North Myrtle Beach to Mill and Pave Ocean Boulevard from 2nd Ave N to 14th Ave S

The North Myrtle Beach City Council has given the go-ahead for the City of North Myrtle Beach to mill and pave Ocean Boulevard from 2nd Avenue North to 14th Avenue South in two phases.

The first phase of the work will run from 2nd Avenue North to 6th Avenue South and will occur May 8-12, so that the work will not interfere with the May 5-7 Divas Half Marathon & 5K or the May 13 Mayfest on Main festival. The estimated cost for this phase of the work is $265,000.

The project's second phase will run from 6th Avenue South to 14th Avenue South and will occur from May 14 until completed. The goal is to complete this phase of the work prior to Memorial Day weekend. If poor weather or other circumstances dictate that the work cannot be completed in that time frame, it will cease for the duration of Memorial Day weekend and begin again when vacation traffic has subsided, finishing prior to schools letting out and the start of the primary tourism season. The estimated cost for this phase of the work is $465,000.

A traffic plan will be issued soon. The objective is to keep two lanes open for traffic and two lanes closed for work.

North Myrtle Beach Woman's Club Invites Public to One-time Only May 3 Viewing of Human Trafficking Movie "Sold"

The North Myrtle Beach Woman’s Club invites the public to a presentation of the movie "SOLD" at the Carmike 12 Theatre (10177 North Kings Hwy., Myrtle Beach, S.C.) on Wednesday, May 3, 6:30pm-8:15pm.

Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at www.tugg.com/events/sold-nltf.
The Woman's Club is bringing this movie to the area to generate awareness about human trafficking and hopes the movie will educate viewers about this crime.

The exclusive, “one-night only showing” of this insightful and chilling movie, based on the international bestselling novel by Patricia McCormick, and inspired by true accounts, is the story of a young girl, who journeys from a rural village in Nepal to a gritty brothel-prison in India.

The film illustrates the brutality of child trafficking, which affects millions of children around the world each year. Globally the average age of a trafficked girl is 13.

Learn about the movie at www.tugg.com/titles/sold.
If you would like more information or have questions, please contact the "SOLD" project chairperson at 815 322-6623

NMB Parks and Recreation Offers a Free April 28 Day Trip to Artfields in Lake City, SC

The North Myrtle Beach Parks & Recreation Department is offering a FREE April 28 day-trip by bus to visit ArtFields in Lake City, SC.  
The free trip is limited to 11 participants. To sign up, contact Tina McCrackin at 843-281-3764.
Over 40 local artists will display their work at this event. One of the art pieces on display is from Nina Ortiz, an art instructor for North Myrtle Beach Parks & Recreation. Those in attendance will be able to vote for Nina’s art as well as their other favorite artists.

BUS TRIP ITINERARY:
8am - Leave the J. Bryan Floyd Recreation Center
10am - Arrive at ArtFields welcome center
11am-12:30pm- Lunchtime Crunchtime: 20 Competition Artists take turns promoting their work in three minutes or less. Visitors are invited to attend and learn more about the artists who have been invited to exhibit at ArtFields 2017. Lunch will be available for purchase onsite.
1:00pm - ArtFields group tour

ABOUT ARTFIELDSArtFields started in 2013 with a simple goal: honor the artists of the Southeast with a week’s worth of celebration and competition in the heart of a traditional Southern small town. With over $100,000 up for grabs, awarded based on the input of every visitor to Artfields and a panel of judges made up of acclaimed artists and educators, the competition offers life-changing amounts of money to all artists in all media who live in the twelve Southeastern states. Over 400 masterpieces will be displayed in locally-owned venues, from renovated warehouses from the 1920’s to Smithsonian-qualified art galleries to upscale restaurants and start-up boutiques, in a mutual celebration of art and community. What was once one of South Carolina’s most prosperous agricultural communities now becomes a living art gallery as we continue to demonstrate the best of the Southeast and recognize the incredible talent we have to offer.