CAROLINA BEACH — The sitting Vice-Chairman of the Freeman Park Committee in Carolina Beach has resigned over a four-letter word, according to town emails.
On Thursday, Keith Bloemendaal tendered his immediate resignation citing several reasons, the first being the vote on the slogan “Pick up your shit,” which the committee had recommended painting on town trash cans.
In an email, Bloemendall cited “[t]he direction of the committee as it pertains to pack it in pack it out, particularly the voted and suggested terminology of ‘pick up your SHIT.’ Not only is this an embarrassment, it’s childish and condescending to our locals and visitors alike. I don’t want my name attached to anything like it.”
Bloemendall also wanted more trash pickup at the beach.
“In my opinion, people pay a lot of money to visit, and while we can encourage folks to take what bring, which we all do, but if there is a problem with trash piling up at receptacles then we need to provide more service. Whether that be in more pickups or more cans, but obviously more people are coming out and that means more trash,” he continued.
He also cited the changes to monthly meetings opposed to the quarterly meetings that used to take place.
“When I signed up, this committee met quarterly. Now it meets monthly and we are expected to spend more time outside of that monthly than I have time for,” he said.
In one last word of advice, Bloemendaal suggested a solution to the park’s trash problem: getting rid of camping between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Bloemendaal is still a member of local government as an appointed member of the town’s Planning and Zoning Board.
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